them, and from time to time one could hear the cries of children.Li Lao'er and the others all felt that something was wrong, so they quickly went around to the north gate to leave the city and then r...As dusk settled, dinner was ready in the Count's mansion.

But I waited and waited, but no one came back. The front door was eerily quiet.

Li Laotai was a little anxious, sitting under the eaves and fanning herself with a palm leaf fan. She couldn't help but sigh.

As people grow old, they enjoy having their grandchildren around them, making the home lively and bustling.

But now that times are prosperous, why is everything so deserted

Jiayin had just personally stir-fried two dishes, and feeling the smell of oil smoke all over her body, she went to take a shower and changed into a fresh set of clothes.

Upon returning to the main courtyard, I saw Grandma with a dejected face. I quickly went up to her and said with a smile, "Oh, my grandma must be lonely Without children around to cause trouble for you, you've become unaccustomed to it"

"Old Mrs. Li smiled and chided her granddaughter, replying, “Silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about I'm just wondering why your second uncle and fifth uncle haven't come back for dinner yet"

Jiayin hugged Grandma's arm and acted cute, "Grandma always says she loves me the most, but she also favors boys over girls. Without Second Uncle and my brothers around, Grandma can't even eat a proper meal!"

Li Laotai angrily patted her granddaughter, unable to laugh or cry.

"Don't play coy with me. Our family values daughters over sons, everyone in Tianwu knows that!"

While that's how it is said, the granddaughter's relentless pestering did indeed improve the old woman's mood quite a bit.

Jia Yin seized the opportunity to persuade her grandmother, "Grandma, in another month, my stepfather and father will be back. Our whole family will move to Quanzhou. Here in Xin Du, let others quarrel as they please, our family won't get involved."

"Speaking of which, you all have been on big boats to go play at sea, haven't you It's just me who hasn't. Let alone going out to sea, I haven't even seen a boat! How pitiful!"

"Good, good!" Old Li patted her granddaughter's head and smiled, "When the time comes, I'll have your third brother take you out to sea. He has a lot of soldiers under his command. He'll kill pirates and Japanese pirates all over the place, he'll be especially imposing!"

Just as he was speaking, Li Lao Er finally came back.

Li Laotai smiled even happier and quickly urged Luo to eat.

The table, once crowded with people, now only has the three generations of an old family. It's truly a sad sight.

But Lao Er Li and Jia Yin diligently coaxed the old lady, telling her some fresh news or jokes. The meal ended up being lively and warm.

But Old Mrs. Li had been the head of the family her whole life, she wasn't that easy to fool.

When the dinner table was cleared, Li La Er pulled Jia Yin aside and said, "Funiu'er, there were a lot of people who donated outside the city today, and the accounts are a bit messy. Would you go to the study and help Second Uncle take a look"

Hearing the words, she immediately agreed, "Good! Second Uncle, I'll go right away!"

Li Laotai waved her hand and said, "You two shouldn't beat around the bush. If you have something to say, just say it in front of me. Now there are only a few of us in the family, and we still need to hide things from each other. It's meaningless."

Li Lao'er laughed dryly, feeling very guilty.

"Mother, that... was indeed a small matter. I thought that after the investigation was clear, I would tell you! I didn't expect you to see through it first..."

Li Laotai let out a cold snort and replied, "You were born from my belly. You've been by my side for so many years. Can't I tell you have something on your mind Just say it, don't make me worry about it."

Jia Yin was also curious, what did Second Uncle have to say.

She deftly sliced two peaches, but before they reached her mouth, Li Laoer spoke, "Today at court, it was said that rain would be requested, but no specific plan was mentioned. As evening approached, rumors spread among the refugees outside the city that a virgin born under auspicious stars had to be sacrificed for the rain prayer to be successful."

"Crash!" The bowl of sour plum soup in Li Laotai's hand had already shattered on the ground.

"Fortune Lady", these two characters are absolutely taboo in the Li family.

Before this, even the empress's family was brought down by the Li family.

I don't want to, after so long, the Empress's body has decayed, and people still dare to bring up these two words.

Li Laoer was afraid his mother would be angry, so he quickly added a few more sentences.

"Mother, don't worry! This is just a rumor circulating among the people, it hasn't caused any trouble yet. Besides, since our family knows about this in advance, we can prepare and won't be afraid of anyone secretly causing chaos, right"

"Even if the Jiangning Hou family's schemes against Fu Niuer failed, others wouldn't have succeeded either!"

Li Laotai panted heavily and cursed, "Have we always been too nice Done too many good deeds, only to make people think our family is easy to bully! How can they come to scheme against Funiang again and again Have all of us died"

Jia Yin quickly patted the old woman's chest and said with a smile, "Grandma, Second Uncle already said that it's just a hint for now, we don't know the specifics yet. We have to wait until the investigation is clear and we understand the reason before getting angry!"

"Yes, Mother, don't worry, I've already had people investigate. I believe there will be results soon!" Li Lao Er said confidently on his lips, but he was also a little unsure in his heart.

The court is a whirlwind of change, and now the Emperor's attitude towards the Li family and the Marquis is also unclear.

It's definitely someone behind the scenes pulling strings, it would be difficult to find out who if you tried.

"Actually, Jia Yin remembered something and said, 'Second Uncle, if you have someone investigate this matter, try to get close to the Marquis of Dingbei. The Crown Prince's consort is the daughter of the Marquis of Dingbei. The Emperor has spoken, asking the Marquis of Dingbei to enter the palace to visit her.'"

"Logically speaking, there's nothing wrong with this. After all, the Emperor, perhaps realizing he doesn't have much time left, has been very good to his children. But today when I met Yi the Head Steward, he also brought up this matter. I'm afraid, the Duke of Dingbei's visit to the palace is not that simple."

Li Lao'er narrowed his eyes and thought carefully. His family had always been kind to others in Xindu, but there were also a few families they had fallen out with, and this Dingbei Hou was the worst of them.

If we say that Ding Beihou acted behind the scenes, it's not impossible.

But did the Marquis of Dingbei only make a move against the Li family after seeing the Emperor

His face was slowly becoming harder to look at.

Obviously, Old Mrs. Li also figured this out.

For a moment, she couldn't describe the feeling in her heart.

The emperor who loved eating noodle soup and was known for his approachability, has he finally changed

Or perhaps he was always this selfish and callous, all pretense and facade before...

A gentle evening breeze blew across the courtyard, startling three silent figures who quickly scurried to the wall and hid.

As night deepened, the entire new city was enveloped in silence.

But beneath the calm, something was fermenting, though no one knew what.

Early the next day, the old woman originally wanted to go out of town for a look and then return to the village to stay for another day.

But remembering last night's events, she lost her interest in anything else. She stayed home doing needlework to pass the time, but unfortunately, she pricked her fingers several times in a row.

Jia Yin dealt with some household chores and saw that grandma was about to be coaxed out for a walk.

Unfortunately, the old woman wasn't fooled at all.

"It's hot outside, the doors are shut inside, and even the refugees outside are in disarray. We should just stay home honestly."

Although my voice is not pleasant, I still want the little girl and maids to kick shuttlecocks in the courtyard. It would be nice for Grandma to watch the fun.

But at this time, Madam Liu suddenly arrived.

Today's update is here ~~ 。Although he was taciturn, he was very observant. He noticed that the several elderly gentlemen with Zhao Shu's legs weren't looking well and guessed they were worried about climbing the mountain, so...