The Female General and Xiao Fu's Wife

Wei Xue, Qin Sun and his brothers sat around the bonfire, eating barbecue and drinking wine. The flame rose so high that it seemed to go straight into the sky, illuminating half of the camp. It was like a bloody mouth trying to swallow the entire night. Jagged shadows of various shapes are reflected on the ground.

There was barbecue on the bonfire, and everyone sat around drinking and chatting, talking about their hometown, family and friends, and girls they liked when they were young.

Wei Xue raised the wine glass to her mouth, gazed into the distance, with mixed emotions in her heart, and muttered to herself, "This is the first time since I met the general that I didn't celebrate the New Year with the general."

"Yeah, it might be a bit uncomfortable, but the general has found his own happiness, which is a good thing, and we should be happy for her." Speaking of this, Qin Sun raised his glass and held it out to Wei Xue.

Wei Xue turned her face away, touching him tacitly, and then the two of them drank the wine in their glasses in one gulp.

happy New Year.

The second day of the Lunar New Year is the day when the married daughter returns home to visit relatives.

Including Shen Zhaoxue, both Shen Zhaoan and Shen Zhaoping had to come back from the palace.

Meng Xianglan specially dressed up to welcome her daughter at home today, and when she heard a commotion outside the door, she hurriedly pulled Shen Qiwen out with her, but unexpectedly it was Shen Zhaoxue and the pair who arrived first, her face fell instantly.

Shen Qiwen secretly reminded her, "Don't put on a face for the child, it will make people look bad."

Meng Xianglan curled her lips and forced a smile.

"Father, mistress, my daughter has come back to greet your elders." Shen Zhaoxue bowed.

Sima Yun clasped his hands and saluted.

"Okay, okay, go in and sit down, it's so cold outside." Shen Qiwen greeted.

"Yes, dad." Shen Zhaoxue glanced at Sima Yun with a smile in her eyes, Sima Yun patted her hand, and the two entered the room hand in hand, looking harmonious and beautiful.

Meng Xianglan was puzzled, and muttered to herself, "Didn't these two people still make up with each other a few years ago? Why are they getting along so well all of a sudden?"

Shen Qiwen coughed twice next to her, "Isn't it just right not to get along with each other? I've fulfilled your wish, so hurry up and go into the house."

Meng Xianglan glanced at the room, "Master, if you want to go in, go in first, I'll wait for Zhaoan here."

"Come on, Zhaoxue, drink tea."

"General."

Mrs. Wang poured a cup of hot tea for each of them, and Shen Zhaoxue took it with both hands, holding it warmly in her palm, and she was greedy for its warmth and refused to let it go.

"Zhaoxue, you and the general are doing well recently." Mrs. Wang asked with concern.

"Very good, Auntie Xie for your concern." Shen Zhaoxue replied.

"That's good." Mrs. Wang sighed, "What happened a while ago was a turmoil, and there is no peace in our house. Your father has been worrying about you two all day long."

Shen Zhaoxue was so embarrassed that she smiled and turned her head to look at Sima Yun. Without saying a word, Sima Yun reached out to hold her hand and held it firmly in his palm.

"Auntie, is Elder Sister all right in the palace? Zhaoxue hasn't seen her for a long time."

Mrs. Wang shook her head, with a helpless expression, "You know Zhaoping's temperament, without Zhao'an's flamboyance, let's just get by. Although he won't be favored by the emperor, he will be carefree for the rest of his life."

Shen Zhaoxue nodded, "When you enter the palace gate, it's as deep as the sea. Whether it's cold or warm, only the elder sister can understand it best."

"Yo, we're chatting." Meng Xianglan came in holding a handkerchief, interrupting their exchange of greetings.

"That's right, Zhaoping and Zhao'an haven't arrived yet, so let's chat with Zhaoxue." Mrs. Wang smiled.

"What are you talking about, tell me too." Meng Xianglan walked to the chair in the middle and sat down slowly. Unexpectedly, just as her butt touched, there was a rumor outside that it was the girls who came.

Meng Xianglan was startled, and got up abruptly. Mrs. Wang was also very excited, and hurriedly walked out to greet her.

Shen Zhaoan and Shen Zhaoping stepped into the door one after the other.

"mother."

"mother."

When the two pairs of mother and daughter met, they were very affectionate and missed each other.

"Zhaoping, you've lost weight."

"No, mother, I don't have a good appetite recently, let's go into the house quickly."

On the other side, Shen Zhaoan held Meng Xianglan's arm for a while and acted affectionately, "Mother, Zhaoan misses you so much."

Shen Zhaoxue and Sima Yun also stood at the entrance of the hall waiting to be greeted, "Eldest sister, second sister."

Shen Zhaoan's attention was attracted at once, especially the tightly clasped hands of Shen Zhaoxue and Sima Yun, which was very eye-catching, then he withdrew his eyes and walked in without saying a word.

The scene was a bit embarrassing, but luckily Shen Zhaoping talked to the two of them, and said softly, "Stop standing there, all of you, go in."

All of a sudden, the hall became lively. Shen Zhaoan kept talking to Meng Xianglan about how the palace was, how good the food and clothes were, and Shen Zhaoping just listened quietly and did not speak, talking to his mother from time to time. He looked at him with a smile, knowing the actual situation in the palace, so he could only go home and put on a show.

"Is it cold?" Sima Yun looked at her and asked in a low voice.

"It's not cold." Shen Zhaoxue shook her head and smiled sweetly at her.

It just so happened that the scene of the two of them was caught by Shen Zhaoan accidentally, and he couldn't help being a little displeased, "Zhaoxue, it was you who wanted to make peace a while ago, right?"

Shen Zhaoxue nodded in embarrassment.

"The rumors have spread to the palace, and I don't even want to admit that it's your sister." Shen Zhao'an folded his arms as he spoke, with a harsh questioning gesture.

Shen Zhaoxue bit her lips and was about to reply, but Sima Yun hurriedly raised his hand to stop her, and said, "I have had some conflicts with Zhaoxue, but that's all in the past. From now on, I just want to have a good time." love her."

After finishing speaking, she glanced at Zhaoxue tenderly, her eyes were full of doting.

Shen Zhaoxue also pursed her lips and smiled, showing her shyness beyond words.

This was a great blow to Shen Zhaoan, who had never been favored and neglected in the palace. How could even a person like Shen Zhaoxue be happy? He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth fiercely.

"Seeing that you two children are like this, the old man is relieved, Zhaoxue, do you hear me serving your husband's family well?" Shen Qiwen explained.

Shen Zhaoxue bowed her head and nodded, "Daughter understands."

"Zhaoxue." A trembling voice came from outside the door.

Shen Zhaoxue stood up without saying a word, only to see a girl walking slowly with her grandmother, "Grandmother."

"Grandmother." Seeing this, Shen Zhaoping stood up and saluted.

The old lady held Shen Zhaoxue's hand tightly, "You're back."

"Yes, grandma, grandma, happy new year, happy life and good health."

Having said that, Sima Yun also stepped forward, "Grandmother, come in and sit down."

"Hey, good, good, good." It could be seen that the old lady was very happy.

Shen Zhaoan couldn't help rolling her eyes, and whispered to her mother, "It's not just her granddaughter, we are all air."

Meng Xianglan patted her hand, signaling her to pay attention, and the master was present.

Shen Qiwen didn't dare to say that he was upright all his life, but he was a dutiful son who would not allow anyone to be rude to his mother. Meng Xianglan knew this very well.

"Is your relationship okay?" The old lady was most concerned about this.

Shen Zhaoxue nodded, and smiled at Sima Yun, very sweet.

"Okay, that's okay, old lady, I don't have to worry about it."

"Grandmother, why do you keep talking about my younger sister? Don't you care about how my elder sister and I are doing in the palace?" Shen Zhaoan said in a sour tone.

The old grandmother looked over after hearing the prestige, "I, an old fellow, don't care about how you and Zhaoping are doing in the palace. The general path is for you to choose. Whether it's easy or not, you still have to go on."

Shen Zhaoan's expression was a little stiff, and Meng Xianglan quickly expressed her approval, pretending, "Mother makes sense, makes sense."

----

"Rachel."

"Hey, Ms. Mianchun."

"You're here too."

"That's right, Sister Mianchun, the last time we were in the mansion together, it was the first time my young lady returned home."

Mian Chun nodded, "The days go by so fast, almost a year has passed in a flash."

"Sister Mianchun, do you have any plans for the future?"

"What plans can I have? I am now with Miss... No, I am in the palace with Empress. I hope that after many years, I can return home and find a good man to marry. But you, you are not young anymore."

"I..." Rachel thought about it seriously, "If possible, I would like to stay by my young lady's side for the rest of my life."

"I don't believe it, it's because you are still young and haven't met the person who is worthy of your love for the rest of your life. At that stage, you won't think so." Mianchun said.

"What are you talking about, add me." A voice suddenly came from behind the two of them.

"Xindong..." Rachel was a little surprised.

Xindong pouted, "What's the matter, you don't welcome me?"

Raiqiu and Mianchun looked at each other, feeling a little embarrassed. When she was in the mansion, Xindong never interacted with them. The main reason was that her master was too domineering. Under Shen Zhaoan's instruction, Xindong No less bad things.

The whole family had a peaceful lunch together, Shen Zhaoan and Shen Zhaoping couldn't stay outside the palace, so they hurried back to the palace.

The remaining two, Shen Zhaoxue and Sima Yun, should also leave and return home.

Grandma was the only one who came out to see them off, and the others refused for various reasons, but Shen Zhaoxue was already used to it.

"Okay, grandma, just send it here, don't freeze your body, go in early." Shen Zhaoxue shook the old lady's hand.

The old lady took Sima Yun's hand and Shen Zhaoxue's hand together, trembling and saying earnestly, "You two must live a good life so that grandma can rest easy, do you hear me?"

Sima Yun nodded, "Don't worry, grandma, I will take good care of Zhaoxue and love her for the rest of my life."

Shen Zhaoxue blushed silently and lowered her head.

"Okay, okay, that's good, that's good." The old lady smiled brightly, "Then get in the car quickly, and pay attention to safety on the road."

With Sima Yun's support, Shen Zhaoxue boarded the carriage, turning her head worriedly and telling her, "Grandmother, go in quickly, go in quickly."

"Grandmother, let's go first." Sima Yun beckoned.

The old lady was very persistent and stubborn. She stood at the door and watched their carriage go away and disappear at the corner of the street, and then she was willing to turn her gaze back.

On the sedan chair back to the palace, Shen Zhaoan closed his eyes and folded his hands together, "Xindong, how is the investigation going on?"

"Going back to your mother, I received a secret notice saying that I have found the midwife who delivered the baby back then."

After the words fell, Shen Zhaoan suddenly opened his eyes. "Is the news reliable?"

"Your Majesty, you are very reliable."

"Tonight... I will go out of the palace in person." Shen Zhaoan's eyes were full of confidence and determination.

----

The night rain fell, and the streets in the city were dead silent and cold, and there was no one in sight.

The temperature was terribly low, and the row upon row of stone roads was washed smooth by rain. The palace gate was suddenly opened with a small crack, and two people in black cloaks appeared, reaching to the ankles. The hats on the cloaks stood up in a triangle. It just splits the rainwater into two obliquely and slides down on the shoulders.

One of them took out a token and was immediately let go.

After successfully leaving the palace, the two walked quickly on the deserted dark street, walking in a hurry, walking in unison without sloppiness.

After walking through two streets, the two secretly entered a deep alley, and at the same time carefully looked back to make sure that no one was found and no one was following them.

The rain didn't stop for a moment, but it wasn't heavy, and the air was full of damp, earthy smell.

Before arriving at a small house, there were several guards at the door. When they saw the person coming, they immediately knelt on one knee and clasped their fists to salute, and the two hurried into the house again.

An old woman was sleeping in a pile of straw in the house. She was about forty or fifty years old, her hands and feet were tightly bound, her face had been beaten, and the corners of her mouth had obvious bruises. Looking around, the house was dilapidated and damp. And there is a smell of rotten wood.

Shen Zhaoan couldn't help covering his mouth and nose with his hand, and took off the hat on the cloak with the other hand. Seeing this, Xindong also took off his own hat, and asked softly, "Ma'am, this should be the Mr. The queen delivered the midwife."

Shen Zhaoan remained calm, not completely sure yet, everything will be known after the questioning is over, she raised her eyes to signal Xindong, "Go and wake her up for Bengong."

Xin Dongxin nodded understandingly, "Yes, empress."

Then he turned around and went outside to scoop up a scoop of cold water. In this severe winter, the water was bitingly cold, from the skin to the heart to the bones, which made people wake up instantly. Xindong went forward and splashed it on On the old woman's face, there was only a loud cry, and the old woman woke up in fright.

"Are you awake? If you don't wake up again, just have another scoop." Xindong asked aggressively.

The old woman was so frightened that she shook her head again and again, and kept shrinking into the corner, "You guys, what exactly are you trying to do?"

"I don't do anything, and I don't want your life. At most, I just ask questions. As long as you answer truthfully, I can let you go." Xindong said.

"Really?" The old woman couldn't believe it, and she didn't understand what kind of trouble would happen to someone who lived a peaceful life.

"Your Majesty." Xindong returned to Shen Zhaoan, Shen Zhaoan stepped forward a few steps, and squatted in front of the old woman, his face softened and pretended to be kind, "Do you know... about the empress?"

When the old woman heard this, her pupils dilated in shock, and then she shook her head again and again, "I'm just an ordinary old woman, how could I know those things, I don't know, I don't know."

Xindong became anxious, and his tone became fierce, "Are you still playing tricks, aren't you, you don't want to die."

"Hey, Xindong." Shen Zhaoxue called her, then looked at the old woman with a calm tone, "Don't be afraid, we won't hurt you, we just want to confirm something, do you know 16 Years ago, whether a girl was delivered, we want to find out the whereabouts of that girl."

The old woman looked at her with evasive eyes, and she was also hesitating in her heart. She didn't know whether to say it or not. If she said something bad and caused her death, the gain would outweigh the loss, but if she didn't say it right now, she might die. this room.

Gritting her teeth, she still decided to truthfully report what she experienced back then.

"In the winter of the seventh year of Jinghe, I remember that it was snowing heavily that night, and no one could be seen on the cold street. The man in my family was in the drugstore business, and I was a well-known midwife in the capital at that time. When I was about to close the door, several people rushed I found them and said that their young lady was about to give birth, so I packed up my things and hurriedly followed, but what I didn't expect was..."

"Didn't expect anything?" Shen Zhaoan asked eagerly.

The old woman went on to say, "Unexpectedly, I was taken to a dilapidated thatched cottage..." As she spoke, the old woman wandered around and looked around the house, "It's like this kind of house, but that The woman with a big belly is wearing clothes, and there are quite a few servants around her. I thought to myself that she must be a person with a different status, but as for why she fell into poverty and gave birth in a thatched cottage, I can’t do it. I abide by my duty to help her deliver the baby, but The woman was in poor health, and after giving birth to the baby girl with all her strength, she was dying."

"What then?"

"Later, I was invited out, and a woman with white hair at the sideburns gave me a large amount of silver taels."

Speaking of this, it seems that the scene of the year is reappearing.

[This money is enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life. Leave the capital as soon as possible. The farther you go, the better. There is still today's matter, and you must not mention it to anyone. ]

"I had already left, but when I walked halfway, I found that I hadn't taken out my delivery tools. When I was going back, I overheard..."

"What did you hear?"

"Hearing the people inside crying bitterly, I knew that the woman couldn't hold on and left in the end, but what I heard those people shouting was...it's the empress!"

"It's the first queen." Shen Zhaoan said firmly.

Xindong nodded, this time he finally found some favorable information.

Shen Zhaoan was also overjoyed, and continued to ask, "Then why did you come back to the capital?"

The old woman shook her head helplessly, "Back then I did fly away with my husband's family with money, but unfortunately I met a robber on the road and ransacked us all. My husband was killed by the robber to protect me, and I was killed by a gangster." I was rescued by a good-hearted man, and lived in a small village outside the city, living an ordinary life, but I swear, I never told anyone about that experience.”

"Then do you know... which family in the capital has adopted the baby girl who was delivered by you?"

The old woman shook her head again, "I don't know the details, all I know is that the old woman who gave me the silver taels back then was called...Shen...Old Mrs. Shen."

Shen Zhao'an was shocked immediately, and had a bad premonition in his heart. Although they were not the only family in the capital with the surname Shen, was it really such a coincidence?

He hurriedly continued to ask, "The birthday of the baby girl you delivered, tell me quickly."

The old woman thought about it carefully, "The ugly month of the seventh year of Jinghe, Bingwu day, You hour."

Shen Zhaoan thought carefully, the ugly moon is December, she was born in March, Shen Zhaoping was born in June, so Shen Zhaoxue...

Thinking of this, Shen Zhaoan became a little uneasy.

"Ma'am, what's wrong with you?" Xindong asked in a low voice.

At this moment, Shen Zhaoan hurriedly grabbed her and asked, "When is Shen Zhaoxue's birthday?"

Xindong thought about it carefully, and said a time that he was not sure about, "It seems to be December, Xindong remembers that there was a heavy snowfall one year, and Rachel specially spent several months of monthly salary to celebrate Miss San's birthday. Mianchun and I both know about that."

It's over, it's over, Shen Zhaoan raised his hand to his forehead, this matter is no joke.

Xindong also had some guesses in his heart, "Could Miss San..."

"Shut up!" Shen Zhaoan yelled at her, "Don't talk nonsense about things that are not sure yet."

Just when she was troubled, the old woman suddenly said, "Girl, I'm telling the truth. I told you everything I know. Can you let me go?"

Shen Zhaoan glanced at her, and went out without saying a word, Xindong hurriedly followed, when standing at the door, it was still raining outside, Shen Zhaoan put on a hat for himself, and then explained to Xindong, "You know what to do? How to do it."

Xindong nodded, "Xindong understands."

Instead, he said to the man in black at the door, "Don't let her get out of here alive, do things cleanly, and your mother will reward you later."

"Yes!"

On the way back, Shen Zhaoan couldn't figure out why it was Shen Zhaoxue, she was the greatest possibility, but she didn't want it to be her at all, why should it be her, what right does a person like her have to get true love , What qualifications do you have to be His Majesty's own sister.

"Your Majesty, if you write to Madam and ask, maybe you can find out about Miss San's birthday."

Shen Zhaoan shook her head, "She may not know."

"Then Xindong will go to the palace tomorrow to inquire about it. Rachel must know the best. I'll go ask around, so that the empress will have a better idea."

Shen Zhaoan nodded, "It seems that this is the only way to go."

She is only one step away from the truth now, but the truth...is not according to what she imagined and planned. If it is really the evil star Shen Zhaoxue, then she would rather let this secret rot in her stomach than anyone else. I know, including His Majesty...

In the middle of the night, the rain suddenly intensified, pattering on the roof and resounding in the ears, and it seemed that the endless dripping rain sounded outside the window all night. Shen Zhaoxue lay on the bed and turned back and forth, unable to fall asleep no matter what.

At this moment, an arm suddenly circled around his waist, and a slightly magnetic voice came from his ear, "Aren't you asleep yet?"

Shen Zhaoxue shook her head, "I don't know what's going on, but I feel like my heart is tight, like..."

As if something big was going to happen.

"Like what?" Sima Yun asked.

"...It's okay." Forget it, Shen Zhaoxue simply replied like this.

The arms around the waist tightened again, and the person behind said, "Don't think too much, when the weather warms up for a while, I'll take you outside the city to see the peach blossoms."

"Well... good." Shen Zhaoxue nodded.

Sima Yun patted her body again, "Then go to bed quickly." After speaking, he couldn't help but kissed her tenderly on the back of her neck.