Baoshan came to the study and saw Shilin closing his eyes and thinking deeply, with the food untouched, so he stepped forward and placed the bowls and chopsticks in front of him.

"If you want to save people, you have to eat first. Do you want to wait for others to save you?" Shilin opened his eyes and looked at him. He said nothing and turned to the window with a dull expression.

"This is specially made by Bilian. You said you haven't eaten hometown food for a long time. At least you should move a little bit and don't let her down." Baoshan forced the bowl and chopsticks into his hands, and Shilin raised his chopsticks dully.

I stared at a plate of shredded pork and stir-fried dried beans, paused for a few seconds, and then put it down.

"If you don't like this, eat something else. There is always something you can eat."

"Baoshan, I can't eat it." The almost hoarse voice spoke out with difficulty, so weak that it could melt.

"You have to eat even if you can't. Even for the sake of my son, will you eat?" Baoshan picked up the chopsticks and handed them to him.

"I really can't eat it."

"What about for Mei Niang?"

"Baoshan?"

"I know what you are thinking. Yuyan has told us all. In fact, victory and defeat are common matters in military affairs. Xiaoshan is my son. Even if he died on the battlefield, I will be proud of him. The country must be protected, and the people must be protected.

, The country has elite soldiers and good generals. If you are defeated, you will fight and kill again. There are many people who are desperate. Why should a weak woman carry it? Can a woman solve the problem? Shilin, cheer up, the two of them are

One of our sons is... a friend. If others can't save him, can't we also save him?" Baoshan excitedly held Shilin's arms and shook them. A powerful light burst out from his eyes, which surprised him for a moment.

"The imperial edict has been issued, and the title is with you, so it is difficult to change it. I only regret that I got her involved. Now, she is just a mortal, and there will be more misfortune than that. She is too stupid."

"You are just as stupid. You lock yourself in the study without eating or drinking. What's the use of looking sad? Can you think of a way to save people?"

"Saving people? I'm harming people."

"It's really a wave of ups and downs. I decided to go with you. Isn't it difficult?"

"No, it's too dangerous. What will happen to the family once you leave? I have General Fan to protect me, so don't worry."

"Do you know how things got to this point this time?"

"how come?"

"Someone is causing trouble."

"who?"

"Your mortal enemy, the Liang family."

"The Liang family? Impossible. They are far away in Qiantang and there is no one in the court. How can they make trouble?"

"You don't know this. Sun Maoliang, the Minister of Household Affairs, is Liang Mingming's nephew. All the affairs of Mei Niang are thanks to him. Yuyan's maid heard him offering advice to the Queen Mother with her own ears, and Liang Shenglin told him the inside story.

Everyone, including you and Mei Niang, the Queen Mother knows."

"What?" Shilin stood up in surprise, almost knocking over his rice bowl, and hurriedly held it up with his hands.

"There is also Fan Kun, who was under the sect of Liang Xiangguo and has now taken refuge with King Lu. There is no guarantee that he will not have second thoughts about you. You have been away for many years and do not know the current situation in the court. It is obvious that King Lu seeks power and causes rebellion. Xiaoshan and Gu'an are 80%

He was the one who was harmed." Baoshan dropped his fist on the table, his eyes burning with anger. Shilin shook his head repeatedly, feeling his heart heavy, and sat down again, trying to calm down.

"I have also heard about King Lu. He holds the military power, but he agrees to negotiate a peace. The reinforcements have arrived at the border and are only for guarding. My mentor proposed a peace, but it is just a delay. The war will happen sooner or later, and no one will be spared casualties."

"What are the chances of rescuing Gu'an and Xiaoshan? Tell me."

"The two of them are bargaining chips. They will not be in trouble for the time being. The peace agreement is written in black and white. They will be released immediately on the wedding day."

"Can the golden man keep his promise?"

"Whether I believe it or not, I will definitely find a way to rescue them. I will go to the Prime Minister's Mansion tomorrow to discuss with my mentor."

"Then...where is the princess? Do you really want to send her away?" Baoshan hesitated and asked cautiously. Shilin's face was heavy and his eyes suddenly became confused.

"Since ancient times, the emperor's daughter cannot escape the fate of marrying far away. The fourth princess is a sensible person and has made a decision long ago."

"She is seeking peace and quiet. What should I do with Mei Niang? How can I feel at ease if I have to use her as a replacement?"

"..., I'm sorry for her." At this point, both of them fell into guilt. Baoshan thought of all the things he had done with Mei Niang in the past, and her wonderful personality, and he bowed his head and sighed repeatedly.

"Our whole family feels sorry for her." Bilian pushed open the door and walked in, holding two cups of tea in her hand and placing them gently on the table.

"Bilian." Shilin was surprised. He didn't know how much she had heard of what he just said. Seeing her losing weight due to worry, he couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Brother, I want to see Mei Niang, is it okay?"

"Even Yuyan can't see her, how can you?" Shilin shook his head.

"Why can't I see you? You must have a way."

"Bilian, Yu Yan said that Mei Niang was sent to Yuxia Palace and was heavily guarded inside and outside. She couldn't get in without the Queen Mother's order. There was absolutely no way." Baoshan explained from the side that this was the truth.

Lin nodded accordingly.

"So, we can't see her anymore, right?"

"Yes, I won't see you again. Unless..." Shilin said it, then put it aside. He never wanted to face this "unless".

"Unless what?"

"Unless... the princess's wedding day, when she welcomes the bride." He slowly walked to the window, looked at the moon hanging high in the night sky, and squeezed out a few sneers palely, turning into a wave of sadness and anger, fiercely projected,

For the first time, he had the urge to tear the sky apart to see who was controlling destiny, and he must argue with him face to face as to why he was playing such a trick.

"Mei Niang..., poor Mei Niang, what will you do in the future when you go to such a far away place alone in an unfamiliar place? Why don't we burn incense and beg my parents and Aunt Qing?"

"This is a good idea. Let them use magic to rescue Mei Niang." Baoshan clapped his hands in agreement, while Shilin still shook his head.

"If they can save Mei Niang, why don't they save the two children first? God has laws, and they have no right to interfere in worldly affairs." Shilin's words made the already rising hope sink in Bilian's heart again, and she forbeared.

Tears welled up in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away.

"Do they just want to be gods and don't care about the lives of their loved ones? I don't believe they can just watch the children suffer. They must be unaware. Last time you were captured by the goblin, didn't Aunt Xu come down to earth to save you?

Will you stand by and watch this time?" Baoshan said firmly and clearly. In times of crisis, who doesn't want to take chances and hope for a miracle to happen.

"Yes, brother. In this situation, let's give it a try. If our parents know from heaven, they will definitely come to help us."

"Yes! Bilian, hurry up and burn incense. It's better to inform them first than to send everyone to die." Baoshan regained his confidence, and Bilian also ignited hope, and immediately went back to the house to get incense and prepare the altar table.

"Okay, I'll go right away."

"Hey..." Shi Lin didn't know whether to lament their ignorance or to lament that he was too sober. His parents and Aunt Qing had already retired and stopped caring about worldly affairs. If they could help, would they still wait until today? So what if they burned incense and prayed?

It just adds to the disappointment. If he can comfort the two of them, then so be it. He always firmly believes that this battle must be decided by people.

Bilian returned to her room, lit incense, and knelt down to pray in front of the Buddha statue.

"The Great Merciful and Great Compassionate Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, my father, mother, Aunt Qing, and my little girl Bilian hereby sincerely plead to bless Shilin for a safe journey, to save Gu'an and Xiaoshan for their safe return, and to bless Mei Niang to turn danger into safety, if necessary.

, I hope my parents can come down to earth to help me, Bilian is very grateful." She kowtowed three times in a row, put the incense on it, clasped her hands together, and couldn't stand for a long time.

Pharmacist's Mansion

Xu Xian looked at the green lotus burning incense in the treasure mirror and prayed, calling for help, and then looked at Suzhen anxiously.

"It's Bilian, the children are in trouble."

"I already know." Suzhen plucked the rosary beads, her expression slightly calm.

"Then is there any way to help them?"

"Without the Buddha's will, we cannot interfere."

"Seeing that Bilian is so anxious, why don't you use the fortune teller and do the math." Suzhen continued to play with the rosary beads, and for a moment her fingers suddenly stopped on a certain one, and she sighed with regret.

"How's it going? Will the grandson and the others be okay?"

"They have to go through this test on their own. It's God's will and they can't escape it. But they didn't expect it to come so soon."

"Test? God's will? Is it Shilin? Is it Shilin?" Xu Xian ignored the etiquette and asked anxiously, grabbing Suzhen's hand.

"..." Su Zhen remained silent and just shook her head. Xu Xian's expression suddenly changed. It was assumed that this was an ominous sign. Both of them frowned deeply.

"I can't say any more, otherwise I will hurt them."

"so serious?"

"Well, those were all Shilin's own choices back then. I also have a responsibility, and I did it even though I knew I couldn't do it."

"How can I blame you? Everything has a cause and a result. A man of noble rank should know the consequences. I was so impatient just now that I almost disturbed you. I'm really ashamed." He let go of his hand and shook his head helplessly.

"No, officer. No matter how you say it, it's hard to part with your closest relatives. I'm also very confused. I can't think of any solution for the time being. Xiaoqing is practicing in seclusion again, so I have to take one step at a time." Suzhen put down the rosary beads, stood up and walked away.

I went to an apricot tree and stared at the translucent fruits. I thought they were really cute, so I stretched out my hand to touch them. Unexpectedly, it aroused a burst of laughter from children.

"It's so itchy."

"who is it?"

"It's me..." The milky sound came from the little apricot fruit. Suzhen turned around and saw Xu Xian slowly approaching, muttering a few words.

"You are so bold, you actually dare to bring it to the sky to raise it." Suzhen scolded in a low voice, but was not angry. Xu Xian smiled and continued:

"That time when I was patrolling the mountain with Tuolao, I found it. It was blown by the wind and its branches were broken, so I asked for help. Seeing that it was pitiful, I secretly brought it back and raised it in this tree. After absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, it grew taller than

He was much bigger before and was really cute." Hearing Xu Xian talk about it, his eyes were gentle, like a loving father, thinking about his children eagerly. Looking at the small apricot fruit, which was exquisite and petite, and extremely fragile, it reminded him of when he was a child, wandering in the mountains.

The time when I lived without a fixed place made my heart full of love.

"Dad...Dad..." Xiao Xingguoer shouted sweetly, making people like her more and more. Suzhen raised her finger, and a white light glowed. After a while, Xingguoer grew a little longer, and her color became rosy.

Gradually taking on a human form.

"Thank you, mother...thank you, mother..." It smiled cheerfully and swayed. Suzhen's face turned red when she heard it.

"Xingguo, please be good here and don't be naughty. Otherwise, no one will be able to save you if you are discovered." Su Zhen's motherly instructions made Xu Xian feel stupid, recalling how she coaxed Shi Lin back then.

So cute and gentle, I can't help but miss her.
Chapter completed!