Xiao Yi stood quietly by the pond in the back garden.

The Xiao family's garden is not ordinary big. Even this pond is as big as an acre.

Snow has been falling these days, and there is snow everywhere in the garden, which actually obscures the original path. Xiao Yi left a long line of footprints along the way.

There shouldn't be so much snow in the garden. In the past, the servants at home would almost sweep the snow in the garden clean. Even if they wanted to leave some snow fun sometimes, the roads would definitely be cleared.

.

But now, there are not many people left in the family.

A considerable number of the family's original bodyguards from the army followed Xiao Cheng to Qianzhou. After Xiao Yu's incident, Xu Youyan immediately dismissed almost all of them after he informed Mrs. Han.

.

The rest are really the old, weak, sick and disabled who have nowhere to go.

However, Xiao Yi knew that those who left did not really leave, but were arranged by Xu Weyan to go somewhere else as a backup.

Although he was wrapped in a thick fur coat, his face was still red from the cold. The wind blew through the garden and through the bamboo forest, and the whistling sound sounded particularly desolate. The blown snow powder hit his face, which made him feel a little painful.

.

Xiao Yi felt particularly lonely.

Although the eldest brother is not at home all the time, but with the second brother here, she doesn't need to worry about anything.

Although the second brother is a man, his heart is more delicate than that of a woman, and everything is clearly arranged for him. The second brother later went to Qianzhou, and Xiao Yi was not used to it for a long time.

But daddy is still at home.

Xiao Ai is still the carefree girl who can read and write, recite poems and write articles.

Suddenly, daddy is no longer at home.

A few days ago, my mother also fell ill.

Suddenly, Xiao Yi felt that it was time for her to grow up. In the past, her father and brother supported her, but now, she is afraid that she will be the master of the family.

Although my mother comes from a wealthy family, she usually seems to be a very insightful person, but Xiao Yi knows that these things are habits cultivated since childhood. When it comes to managing a family and running a family business, my mother

He is indeed a good player, but these are all internal.

Once something happens outside, I really don't have any ideas.

Just like now.

Mom is smart, maybe she has guessed something, but she just doesn't want to admit it.

Otherwise, why did this disease come so suddenly and so violently?

There were light footsteps behind her, and Xiao Yi did not look back. She stared at the transparent ice of the pond, where a golden fish was swimming around with its head and tail, touching the ice with its beak from time to time.

Those eyes seemed to be looking at Xiao Yi.

In the past, Xiao Yi often stood here to feed these fish, or the fish had recognized her and wanted to swim up to accept her feeding, but there was a transparent barrier blocking them.

"Sanniang!" A few steps away, Wu Ke stopped and bowed: "There is news from the Ministry of War. Zheng Xiong's troops on Gyeonggi Road have been ordered to be transferred to Shaanxi. There are also Hedong Road,

The soldiers and horses on Qinfeng Road are also preparing to move to Shaanxi Road, and the documents have been sent out."

Xiao Yi swayed, and the blood on his face, which was originally red from the cold, instantly faded.

"Also, Sanniang." Wu Ke raised his head and glanced at Xiao Yi, then took a step forward with some worry, "Friends in the Privy Council have spread the news that Zhang Chao may have left Bianliang."

Xiao Yi raised her head and looked at the gray sky.

Tears fell from the corners of his eyes.

There is little need for other evidence. The news Wu Ke brought back has basically confirmed one thing.

Dad is no longer here.

The soldiers and horses on Gyeonggi Road, Qinfeng Road, and Hedong Road are all moving towards Shaanxi Road. And Shaanxi Road is no longer the border of the Song Dynasty. Since Li Xu was killed by Xiao Ding, no foreign enemies can threaten Shaanxi Road anymore.

Yes. This is why the imperial court transferred a large number of troops and horses from Shaanxi Road to Hebei Road.

After all, after the casualties of the border troops on the Hebei Road were exhausted, the troops on the Shaanxi Road that had fought with the brothers Li Xu and Li Du were stronger than the troops around Bianliang who had never seen the world.

And now, why did the imperial court suddenly mobilize troops to Shaanxi Road? Zhang Chao, who had just returned from Hebei, went to Shaanxi again. What kind of things require Zhang Chao to go to Shaanxi?

Who to guard against?

Of course it's my eldest brother Xiao Ding.

Why should we guard against big brother?

The reason hidden here is self-evident.

There were footsteps again, and without looking, Xiao Ao knew that it was Xu Wuyan who had returned. The footsteps that were always calm and leisurely in the past, today seemed a bit panicky, varying in severity, and even a little staggering.

Xu Wuyan really staggered here.

Outside, he still tried hard to keep calm, but when he entered the house, he could no longer hold himself together.

Xiao Yu is more than ten years younger than him!

It is not an exaggeration to say that he watched Xiao Yu grow up.

He never thought that after he sent away the old master Xiao Ding, he would now send away Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu told him that he would provide for Xu Wuyan until he died, and also promised that after Xu Wuyan passed away, he would be buried in the Xiao family tomb.

But now, this lively person suddenly disappeared.

"Old housekeeper!" Wu Ke called.

Xu Wuyan sniffed and walked to Xiao Yi's side silently without responding.

"Do you have any definite news?" A pair of tearful eyes looked at Xu Wuyan, but they still held on to the hope of just in case.

"It's gone, Da Lang is gone!" In agitated mood, Xu Wuyan couldn't help but call out the name he called Xiao Yu many years ago: "People in the palace said that Da Lang died miserably!"

Xiao Yi bit her lip. There were tears streaming down her face before, but at this moment, not a single tear fell.

"Sister, please cry, don't hold it in your heart!" Xu Wuyan choked with sobs.

Xiao Yi took a deep breath and shook his head: "I won't cry. Now is not the time to cry. Even if I want to cry, I have to wait until I see the eldest brother or the second brother. Grandpa Xu, we must leave immediately.

Bianliang."

"That's right, we have to leave Bianliang immediately!" Xu Wuyan nodded vigorously: "The bachelor died in the hands of the imperial court, and neither Dalang nor Erlang will let go of the imperial court. We are still here.

If we go to Bianliang, we will become a weapon in the hands of the imperial court, and they will use us to threaten Dalang and Erlang."

"Yes!" Xiao Ai said: "The eldest brother and the second brother have many choices, but if we fall into the hands of the imperial court, their choices will be reduced."

"I will arrange the things outside, but the third lady will let you worry about the things at home." Xu Wuyan said.

"I will tell you where my mother is!" Xiao Yi nodded and said: "The news must be sent out immediately, and sent to the eldest and second brothers as quickly as possible. We must get ahead of the court. We must not let the eldest and second brothers.

They were deceived."

"Before I came to see Sanniangzi, I had already made arrangements. There were three groups of people on Dalang Erlang's side, each setting off along different routes. Since such a thing happened, I think the imperial court would definitely block the news and cut off communication. We

I'm afraid my home has been stared at for a long time. Miss Sanniang, let's go. We need to hurry up and leave as soon as the outside is ready. No one else will be taken with us, just the madam and you."

Xiao Yi nodded: "Grandpa Xu, be careful. It looks calm outside now, but I'm afraid there is already a murderous intention hidden."

Seeing Xu Wuyan and Wu Ke gradually walking away, Xiao Yi's tears that she had been holding back finally surged down like a river that burst its embankment. She slowly squatted down, buried her head in her knees, and put her hands in her hands.

He hugged his knees and started sobbing.

Hot tears fell, and small craters were made in the snow on the ground.

I don't know how much time passed, but Xiao Yi finally stood up, wiped his eyes, rubbed his face vigorously, and took a deep breath of cold air to cool down his burning heart.

Some.

Walking all the way into the inner room, she waved all the maids and maids in the room to retreat. She opened the curtain, sat on the edge of the bed, and looked at Mrs. Han who was lying on the bed.

"Mother!" Xiao Yi called softly.

Mrs. Han's eyes were a little dull. She looked at Xiao Ai and murmured: "Xiao Yao, is your father gone?"

Xiao Yi reached out and grabbed Mrs. Han's hand tightly.

Looking at Xiao Ai who was biting her lip, pale but silent, Mrs. Han suddenly understood. She burst into tears: "Is it true? Has Butler Xu heard the news? Could it be a mistake?

Yes, could it be that your father is just sick?"

Xiao Ao held Mrs. Han's hand tightly in his own, and said hard-heartedly: "Mom, dad is gone. Do you miss your eldest brother or second brother?"

Mrs. Han's crying suddenly stopped, "Your eldest and second brothers are fine... What does Bianliang's matter have to do with your eldest and second brothers?"

"Mom, the imperial court is sending a large number of troops to Shaanxi Road. Zhang Chao and Lieutenant Zhang have already gone to Shaanxi!" Xiao Ai said: "Dad is gone, and he died at the hands of the imperial court. They are afraid that my eldest brother will rebel because of this."

"Rebellion?" Mrs. Han was so angry that she suddenly sat up and shook her head in panic: "No, no, no, your eldest brother will not rebel, no."

"If the news of father's death reaches my eldest brother, we don't know what choice he will make!" Xiao Ai said: "Mom, you have never paid much attention to outside affairs. You may not know that in the past two years,

The imperial court is already very suspicious of eldest brother. Do you know how vast the area eldest brother now governs? Do you know how many tiger warriors eldest brother has under his command? Moreover, in the past two years, eldest brother has not paid much attention to the court's orders. Shaanxi Road appeases Lan

The four new orders simply cannot pass Hengshan."
To be continued...