"Are you sure it's there?" Consort Xian's face was stern, and killing intent radiated from her.
The man bowed his head and nodded, "Absolutely certain, Your Ladyship. Do you recall, ever since Prince Ming left the capital, he only sent you one letter? At that time, he claimed he had traveled with Miss Yun to Dashui Village and was investigating the Crown Prince's whereabouts in secret. But after that, Prince Ming never wrote to you again. If Your Ladyship wishes to see him, you can simply go to Dashui Village to find him..."
The man speaking was named Shen Ducai, one of Consort Xian's most capable confidants.
"If that's the case, I wrote him so many letters, and he didn't even respond. Is he deliberately not replying to me?" Consort Xian narrowed her eyes, a sinister glint flashing in them.
Shen Ducai sighed softly, "Your Ladyship, you can't entirely blame Prince Ming for this. Perhaps he encountered some difficulties outside. Why don't you give him some more time..."
"Wait any longer, and the cucumbers will be cold!" Consort Xian snapped, her expression growing colder. "You immediately send someone to Dashui Village. If the Crown Prince is truly hiding there, kill him directly to avoid future troubles. Feng'er has been indecisive and timid since childhood. If I rely on him, I'll never become Empress Dowager in this lifetime!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Ducai opened his mouth, wanting to persuade Her Ladyship, but the words caught in his throat, and he didn't know what to say...
After a long moment of deliberation, Shen Ducai finally replied, "Understood, Your Ladyship!~"
"Wait a moment!" Consort Xian beckoned. "You should go yourself. I don't trust anyone else with this matter!"
"Yes!" Shen Ducai nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Your Ladyship, what about Prince Ming?"
"Him?" Consort Xian frowned. "Tie him up and bring him directly to me. I need to teach him how to be a ruler of a nation..."
That day, Shen Ducai, leading dozens of experts, sneaked out of the capital and galloped towards Dashui Village.
Meanwhile, far away in the northern frontier, Gu Zhenshan was having Steward Cao load their luggage onto the horses. He planned to visit his sister at the old Yun family's home.
"Alas, these barbarians have finally quieted down. We endured a whole winter here; it was truly not easy!" Steward Cao grumbled.
Gu Zhenshan glanced at him, "The barbarians retreated, but it's not our merit. What are you so proud of..."
It was rumored among the Liang Kingdom's army that the Khan of Han Chi Er's youngest daughter had been kidnapped, forcing the barbarians to retreat.
Steward Cao chuckled, "Young General, this is called deception in warfare. As long as the victory is achieved, what does it matter if the methods are dirty?"
"We haven't won yet!" Gu Zhenshan mounted his horse and looked towards the Lingbei direction. "The barbarians have only temporarily retreated. Who knows when they might cross the mountains again and march into the Central Plains..."
Therefore, he had to take advantage of the lull in hostilities to visit his sister in Dashui Village.
The last time they met, it was a hurried encounter, and they barely exchanged a few words before he left.
"Young General, should we bring anything with us when we go to Dashui Village this time?" Steward Cao asked.
Winter in the northern frontier was a scene of a thousand miles of ice and ten thousand miles of snow, where not a single living creature could be seen. Thus, there were no local specialties to bring...
Gu Zhenshan nudged his horse's belly. The steed whinnied and trotted forward. "We'll just buy something along the way if we encounter anyone. My sister isn't someone who nitpicks!"
"Alright, let's go!" Steward Cao responded, turning to call out to the guards. "Keep up, keep up! It's not a short distance from here to Dashui Village, so stay close..."
The thundering of hooves gradually faded as Gu Zhenshan, followed by a large group of soldiers, disappeared into the vast snowfield.
Dashui Village, the old Yun family.
"Daughter, are you sure you want to tear down the roof of the storeroom?" Old Man Yun looked at the blueprint in his youngest daughter's hand with astonishment.
Yun Erman followed his sister, also curious about the blueprint...
This thing looked strange, and it seemed to rotate, but what did it have to do with their storeroom?
If the entire roof was dismantled, and it rained heavily, wouldn't the rice jars, flour jars, and other items in the storeroom be soaked?
Little Xi Tian looked around, then smiled and explained to Old Man Yun and Erman, "Daddy, second brother, this thing can replace manual grinding. We won't need livestock to pull the millstone anymore. It's not only time-saving and labor-saving but also very convenient..."
The storeroom of the old Yun family was very large. When Xiao Jin Heng built the house, he had reserved ample space for grinding grain and storing items.
So, Little Xi Tian now planned to convert the entire storeroom into a closed-type "windmill" (styled after a Dutch windmill), which would be sufficient for shelter from wind and rain...
"Daughter, where do you get these ideas? How can such a heavy stone mill turn by itself without livestock pulling it?" Old Man Yun asked curiously.
Upon hearing this, Yun Erman chided Old Man Yun, "Oh, Daddy, have you forgotten? The waterwheel that sister made before could divert water from miles away to irrigate our fields. What's so surprising about her making a windmill now? Really..."
"No, who are you talking to, you little brat? Do you want a beating?" Old Man Yun retorted at his son, then quickly crouched down and pinched his daughter's cheek. "Daughter, you're becoming more and more capable. I feel like Dashui Village can't contain you anymore. It makes me both happy and scared!"
"Hmm?" Little Xi Tian blinked her big eyes and tilted her small head. "What are you scared of, Daddy?"
Old Man Yun sighed and stood up. "Daughter, have you ever seen a golden phoenix that stays in a chicken coop its entire life? No, right?"
Little Xi Tian: "......"
Daddy, this isn't a chicken coop. Your analogy is very inappropriate.
"Daughter, if one day you spread your wings and fly away, how heartbroken your mother and I will be! Alas!" Old Man Yun patted his forehead, his face filled with worry.
Yun Erman's mouth twitched upon hearing this. "Daddy, even if sister gets married and flies far away, don't you still have me?"
"Hmph! Shut up!" Old Man Yun said sternly. "Our family is dominated by males, with too many sons. That's why we've been unlucky. Alas, I truly regret having so many sons. What use are they in the end? Useless!"
Yun Erman: "......"
Truly a biological father.
No matter how he compared, he couldn't even compare to a finger of his sister.