Reborn as a concubine's sister, the eldest lady went crazy

Although he had not seen the outermost part of the garden, Xu Yixing could tell at once that the garden was both a residence and a military base. If enough food was stored, it would be a good place to hold out in the event of an emergency. He had never thought that there would be such a garden in a small town like Sijiabao. It was really hard to judge by appearance.

"Empress, His Majesty has personally ordered you to stay in Baiyuan. You don't need to go out unless necessary." The speaker was the leader of the eight long-sword guards, named Qiu Ling. It was the first time Xu Yixing heard this surname, and this obviously feminine name coupled with the guard's burly appearance made it hard not to laugh.

"I see. What kind of place is this, and how come there is such a fully functional garden?"

Qiu Ling didn't know much about the queen, but he knew that she was the daughter of a general, so it was not surprising that she could see the ins and outs of this garden. "There are many forts in the northern border. In peacetime, they are located on important transportation routes for trade. In wartime, they become places for garrisoning troops. Sijia Fort is one of them.

There are some wealthy and powerful people in the fortress, or the goods and caravans of the big merchant families gather here, so there must be a safe place, so they are happy to build some gardens like this."

When Xu Yixing heard this, he wondered which unlucky rich man surnamed Bai had his garden requisitioned by Lu Anyuan, which was really pitiful. But on second thought, if the emperor requisitioned it, the owner might jump up with joy and give it to him personally.

"This garden doesn't look big. I and the prince live here, so where do you guards live?" When she said it was small, it was only compared with the outer residences in the capital that often occupied half of a hill. Compared with the small courtyard she lived in before, it was simply a palace.

"The eight of us will be accompanying the Majesty. The imperial guards outside will be staying at the garrison next to the garden. We will take turns on duty, so there will be no accidents."

"Oh." Xu Yi walked into the main room that was prepared for her. The furnishings inside were mostly in the northern style. It was rough and grand, but clean. It was also a good place to be. "Thank you for taking good care of Xiaobao for me. When we return to the capital, His Majesty will definitely reward you for your merits."

"Thank you, Queen!"

After settling everything, Xu Yixing had a good sleep, but he was worried about something in the middle of the night and was always awakened by nightmares. He dreamed that Lu Anyuan was either ambushed by Hu cavalry or shot through the heart by an arrow from Wangzhang Khan. As a result, he woke up the next day feeling listless and without energy.

After walking around the White Garden with a nanny, Xu Yixing finally understood the terrain here and his heart calmed down.

"Qiu Ling, have you received any information from the army?"

"Your Majesty has only been gone for less than a day, there won't be any news so soon." Qiu Ling spoke in a muffled voice, and Xu Yixing couldn't help laughing at his own impatience. It was strange, there was no news about him for more than half a year before, but now it felt like a year.

She felt that it was all Lu Anyuan's fault. If he had stayed in the imperial palace in the capital, nothing would have happened. But now that he was on the battlefield, everything was unknown. How could she not worry?

"I am just too nervous. Never mind. If you have any news, please inform me in time." But after thinking about it carefully, even if there is something really wrong, Lu Anyuan will report it to the governor of Miaozhou. He can't let the soldiers think that the emperor is a tyrant who indulges in women.

"Yes."

After five days, life in the garden became really boring. When in Miaozhou, I could still receive some new and interesting gadgets every day to relieve my boredom, but in Sijiabao, the war had started and the fort was closed. The people on the street had already closed their doors and retreated into their houses, not to mention this iron-clad garden.

Xu Yixing felt that she was getting bored due to being idle, but it was probably the same after being lonely in the palace, and she definitely didn't want to go through this.

"Mammy, are you from Miaozhou?" Xu Yixing would find a mammy to chat with every day to pass the time. Except for the mute slave brought from the palace who could not communicate, most of the others were locals.

Sure enough, this lady was no exception: "That's right. I am from Hegu Town under the jurisdiction of Miaozhou." This maid is only less than 40 years old, but the wind in the north is strong and the weather is weathered, so she actually looks much older.

"So when wars break out like this, how do you live and pass the time?"

"This..." The nanny smiled shyly. Although she was afraid of the queen, she had discovered in the past few days that the queen was just a child, no different from her own daughter, so she was happy to say a few words: "Hegu Town is not like Sijiabao. We are west of Miaozhou, and the Hu people generally cannot attack there, so I have never experienced this before."

"Oh!" It turned out that her town was within the defense of Miaozhou. As long as Miaozhou did not break the city, the Hu people would naturally not be able to cross and harass. Unlike Sijiabao, it stood alone in the Gobi Desert.

"Actually, if Her Majesty the Queen feels bored, she can find some fun."

"What do you mean?" Xu Yixing's eyes lit up. Now, as long as she could find something to do, she would be happy to do anything.

The maid scratched her head uncomfortably and said, "I just heard about this. Think about it, although no one goes out during the lockdown, the officials and rich people still have to live their lives, so they probably won't be as boring as us."

Xu Yixing sneered. Sure enough, this nanny was born in the countryside. Like Junhe, she had some hatred towards those nobles, otherwise she wouldn't have said these things to him. What she meant was that the rich and powerful had their own ways of having fun. Unlike her, the queen, she was almost going crazy with idleness.

"Qiu Ling! Come in!" Xu Yixing half-lay in front of Xiaobao's bed and called in the head guard.

"What are your orders, Madam?"

"I have been in Sijiabao for five or six days. I am locked up in Baiyuan every day. I don't know what is going on outside. Is the street cleaning order still in effect?"

"The street cleaning order... is still there, of course." Qiu Ling stumbled. The order he received was to watch the queen and not let her go out to avoid danger. The street cleaning order was only issued once on the first day the queen arrived to avoid conflicts, and it has been lifted long ago. But since the queen asked this, he was afraid that the queen would want to go out, so he could only lie like this.

"Hmph!" Xu Yixing's eyes turned cold. If it was just a lie to put him under house arrest, what difference would it make from Mr. Yao's claim that he was seriously ill on the first day? "I should have thought of this earlier. If a small place like Sijiabao is really sealed off for ten days or half a month, I'm afraid those families without surplus food will starve to death. What is your intention in deceiving me like this?"

Qiu Ling knelt straight on the ground, without making any excuses for himself, but just lowered his head, waiting for the Queen's decision. However, if the Queen asked to leave Baiyuan for this reason, he would not agree. Fortunately, Xu Yixing did not have this idea.