After this incident, Fu Zhen had no intention of going out. She stayed at home quietly, accompanying Lady Bai as they checked the account books.
This year had been rather chaotic. Some of the shops were operating at a loss. Nanny Li was calculating that they should close these shops to avoid eating into their savings, but Lady Bai shook her head.
"Everyone is having a tough time this year. Some people rely on our shops to support their families. If we close the doors, their families may have no source of income," Lady Bai sighed. "Let's just consider it as spending money to avoid disasters."
She had always been kind - hearted. Once she had made a decision, no one below dared to disobey.
However, there were still some things that had to be guarded against.
After dinner, Fu Zhen called Nanny Li aside.
Nanny Li was a bit puzzled. "Miss? Is there something for this old servant to do?"
Fu Zhen gave her a reassuring smile. "Nanny, don't worry. It's not a big deal."
"Aunt is kind - hearted and willing to spend money to support the servants. This is a good thing," she said. "Since it's a good thing, we have to prevent it from turning into a bad one."
Conscientious people would always be grateful for their master's kindness, but in this world, not everyone was a good person.
If they happened to encounter someone who was insatiable, who not only took the master's kindness for granted but also became a parasite, then all that money would be wasted.
Fu Zhen had seen many cases in the countryside where a little kindness led to ingratitude. Lady Bai didn't care, but she couldn't afford not to be on guard.
They could be kind to their subordinates, but they had to always make the servants know what rules were.
Nanny Li was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then smiled with relief. "The young lady has considered things comprehensively. This old servant thanks the young lady on behalf of the mistress first."
Fu Zhen quickly supported her. "What are you saying? I'm also a member of the Marquis Mansion. I should think about the mansion. Moreover, Aunt has taught me a lot. I've learned these principles bit by bit. If anyone should be grateful, it should be me thanking Aunt."
Nanny Li watched her leave with a relieved look. Then she turned around, lifted the curtain, and entered Lady Bai's room. She told Lady Bai everything that had just happened in detail.
Lady Bai smiled meaningfully. "Zhen Zhen's skills in managing the household are getting better and better."
Nanny Li looked at her expression and after a while, suddenly understood.
In the Northern Border.
Countless corpses were buried under the yellow sand. Chen Xuan had a bloodstain on his face. The bleeding had stopped and it had scabbed, but it still looked rather hideous.
He sat in the main seat with a murderous aura. Below him were his adjutants and some junior generals, all with solemn expressions.
"We've never seen those barbarians so fierce in previous battles. Why do they seem like they've taken gunpowder this year? Not only are they coming in full force, but their knives also seem sharper," a young junior general scratched his head and wondered.
Hearing this, the expressions of everyone present changed a bit.
Some who knew a bit of the inside story and had a hot temper were about to speak out. "Isn't it because of those in the capital..."
"Old Feng!" Chen Xuan's gaze fell on him. The words Old Feng wanted to say got stuck in his throat. It was so uncomfortable that he felt like he was choking, but he didn't dare to challenge Chen Xuan's authority. He angrily slapped his thigh and turned his head without saying a word.
The young general sensed something and suddenly fell silent.
They soldiers were not good at using their brains, but they weren't real fools. How could they not see the changes in the Xiongnu?
However, this kind of thing really couldn't be said out loud. If even a bit of it was leaked, it would surely make the morale in the army unstable.
Now that they had lost a city and the morale was low, they couldn't let these rumors spread and shake the army's confidence.
"Fortunately, the general had the foresight to let the common people retreat to this city in advance. This prevented another tragic massacre," a military general sighed.
After Chen Xuan killed Helian Yu, he knew this battle would be difficult when he saw Helian Zhen. He immediately ordered a troop to escort the remaining common people to this city.
Helian Yu was a mad dog, and Helian Zhen was even madder.
It was within Chen Xuan's expectation to lose this battle.
That empty city could be given away. It wouldn't matter much.
The key was this city. It must not be lost to them.
In the next battle, they must not lose. Even if they couldn't defeat the enemy, they could only defend to the death.
"The situation is so serious. Why not write a memorial to the capital and ask the Emperor to send more people?" Old Feng couldn't help but frown and speak.
He had fought alongside Chen Xuan all the way. After Chen Xuan returned to the capital, he followed General Mao. He had already settled his family in the Northern Border and hadn't returned to the capital for decades, so he was naturally not very clear about the situation in the capital.
Chen Xuan shook his head and said in a deep voice, "The Emperor is ill now. Even if he has the intention, he doesn't have the strength."
Everyone was shocked and almost instantly understood the situation in the capital.
The Emperor was old and weak and hadn't established a crown prince. The two princes in the capital must be vying for the throne desperately.
Not to mention how low the morale outside was, even in this room, upon hearing this news, everyone couldn't help but feel dejected for a moment.
With internal strife and external threats, how could they fight this battle?
Chen Xuan's sharp gaze swept over the people below. "No matter what the situation in the capital is, we always swear allegiance to the Emperor and defend this territory."
"I still say the same thing. No matter who becomes the Emperor, it can never be a Xiongnu!"
"Of course!" Old Feng slapped the table, his tiger - like eyes wide open. "Those barbarians who only know how to herd cattle and sheep are not worthy of being the ruler of our country!"
"They should be made to herd sheep in the grassland for the rest of their lives!"
Chen Xuan smiled, with a murderous look in his smile. "Even if the Xiongnu have more and sharper knives, can they be sharper than ours?!"
After all, they were generals from the Central Plains. Even if the country was in decline now, a dying camel was still bigger than a horse. The heritage of a great nation was not something the Xiongnu could match!
Chen Xuan's words instantly swept away the low morale in the room. After everyone left, the tension in his heart gradually dissipated, and a look of exhaustion appeared between his eyebrows.
He rubbed his temples and looked at the dim light on the table. He took out the note from his sleeve again, read it carefully, and memorized the lines firmly in his mind. Then he raised his hand and lit the note on the fire.
The fire illuminated half of his face. He stared at the ashes on the table and snorted. "Stinky brat..."
In the middle of the night, the Xiongnu launched another attack.
Chen Xuan looked solemn. He directly opened the gate to meet the enemy. "Soldiers, for our country and for the people behind us, follow me and kill!"
"Kill!!!"
The two armies immediately engaged in battle.
Helian Zhen had a face that didn't look like a grassland person. If it weren't for his tanned face and the murderous aura all over him, he would even look a bit delicate.
As soon as Chen Xuan met his gaze, his expression instantly became sharp.
This was a man who killed people like hemp.
Helian Zhen looked over from afar. His gaze instantly locked onto Chen Xuan, and a blood - thirsty smile slowly spread across his lips.
I've found you.