C66

Xiao Qian changed into a new robe and rushed to Old Mistress Xiao's courtyard.

Chun Xi, who was serving close quarters servants, came in from outside with a cup of tea. She hurriedly reported to the madame that the general had arrived.

Mother Wu looked outside and saw Xiao Qian.

"Madam, the general is here. He probably hasn't even had a sip of tea yet."

The meaning behind his words was that Xiao Qian was filial and filial. He was gentle and humble. He only needed to give a good lecture.

Old Mistress Xiao scoffed, "What, are you all worried that my wife will make your grandson suffer? "Now that he has done something that goes against common sense, he deserves a beating."

"Grandmother, are you unhappy?"

Upon entering, Xiao Qian bowed deeply to show his respect. There was no one else inside or outside the courtyard. Who else could make his grandmother angry other than himself?

Old Mistress Xiao glared at him in annoyance, "You actually know that you've returned, and you also know what I'm angry about. When it comes down to it, you'll hide in the western suburbs' camp without even greeting me. You really are my good grandson!"

Mother Wu shot a glance at the maid before serving her some tea. "The imperial concubine ordered the chamberlain to bring these tea leaves over. The old mistress and the general should both have a taste."

"Humph!" At this point, mother Wu did not point at the sloppiness of the situation. I have to make this matter clear. Everyone in the capital, inside and outside the palace, has been informed about it. My wife has lost all her face. "

That day, Xiao Qian went against his grandmother's wishes and didn't go to the front hall to meet a guest. Instead, he took Su Zhi directly to Xuan City.

This trip wasn't a big deal. More importantly, he had used his own name to report to the justice courts and pretend that the baby from the general's estate had gone missing.

However, the fact that General Xiao did not have any marriage was something that everyone knew. How could there be an extra child? It was to help a widow find a child.

It was fine to help out for the sake of justice and morality, but the ruckus at that time was so great that it was obvious that the general was too concerned about it.

Even though several days had passed, the storm in the city had never stopped.

The old mistress was angered. She had never gone to any of the banquets, afraid that she would attract criticism if her words got out of hand.

Xiao Qian took the tea from his mother and covered it with a white porcelain lid. After that, he blew gently on the tea and calmly sipped on it.

"This tea is very good. Grandmother, please try it."

"What kind of attitude is this!?"

Old Mistress Xiao slammed the table, waved her sleeve and knocked over the tea cup that the servant had brought over.

Seeing this, mother Wu's heart rose to her throat and lowered her head, not daring to say another word.

Xiao Qian saw that she was angry, so he put down his cup of tea and walked forward a few steps before kneeling on the ground.

"Grandmother, please calm your anger."

"You want me to calm down? How can I quell my anger? That day, for the sake of a widow, you abandoned Princess Anyang, abandoned my wife's face, and went to great lengths to find a child in Xuancheng. Have you thought about the consequences? "

That day, Princess Anyang was so angry that she was on the verge of tears. Xiao Qian had actually left with a widow.

How could Princess Anyang, a dignified and noble daughter who could not compare to a country bumpkin and whose heart was higher than the heavens, suffer such grievances? He then cried as he returned to his residence. The matter of him finding his child was once again the talk of the town. The princess was embarrassed and ran to the palace to make a ruckus.

The situation became more and more serious, and the general's mansion was almost flooded with saliva.

Xiao Qian knelt on the ground and kowtowed. His attitude was extremely sincere.

"That child was originally the orphan of one of my loyal soldiers, and should be helped by both sides. "Outsiders say that 'Grandmother' is a good thing, but men on the battlefield are full of pride and loyalty. How could the people in the capital understand that?"

Old Madam Xiao heaved a sigh of relief and said coldly, "So, you allow outsiders to speak freely and ruin our Xiao family's reputation? Your mother's health has always been poor, and you're still angering her! "

When he mentioned his severely ill mother, Xiao Qian's expression changed again. His attitude of not giving in due to force and not being able to take it had added a little bit of guilt.

"How many times have I told you? The marriage between you and An Yang is something that will happen sooner or later. Everyone will be able to see it clearly. It isn't easy for the Xiao family to rely on you to support them. Marrying a relative from a royal family to bring glory to their family is the best thing to do, but you refused to listen. "This is great, the good marriage that I got has been ruined by you!"

Whether or not he could marry An Yang, Xiao Qian had never really cared about her. His heart wasn't with her, so it was a good thing that he couldn't marry An Yang.

An Yang's father was highly valued by the emperor, and could be considered to be one of the rare brotherly feelings of the imperial family. His mother was the daughter of the current Prime Minister, Prime Minister Liu, and if they could get married, the weight of the Xiao family in the imperial court would be unshakeable.

Grandmother, your grandson doesn't like princesses.

When Old Madam Xiao heard this, she gave a cold laugh, "Then why did you care about the widow? Furthermore, you intentionally built your residence in Spring Leaf Lane, thinking that I am ignorant? "

Xiao Qian was slightly startled as he retorted, "It's only to find a quiet place to stay."

"Is that so? "Since this is the case, there is a place at the foot of the Buddha Lotus Temple that is not bad, you can move the mansion over there."

"The Ministry of Construction has already sent people to move the soil, it's not appropriate to change their mind."

"What nonsense!"

The old mistress was infuriated as her heartbeat quickened. She felt pain in her chest all of a sudden, her face pale.

"Madame, please don't be angry."

Xiao Qian hurriedly stood up. "Grandmother, be careful."

The madame, who had been forced to take a sip of tea, pushed her worried grandson away and said weakly, "I don't care about you anymore. Just go and explain it to your mother." There are two paths in front of you right now. The first is to pay your respects to the princess and tell her that you are willing to marry her. The second is to move into a house and never see the widow again. "

"Grandmother, your body is weak. Take care of yourself first. Grandson's marriage is not urgent."

Xiao Qian did not answer and instead changed the topic.

The old lady was so angry that she poked him in the forehead and hammered the table again.

"You are already twenty-three years old. A man your age is already a father to you. Earlier, when you said that you wouldn't break the oath of the Huns and your grandmother let you do as you pleased, it was a good thing for men to have ambitions. Now that the Huns have pledged their allegiance to the Great Wei, what other reason do you have for delaying your return? "

"Since ancient times, filial piety has always reigned supreme. Seeing how my wife was about to enter the coffin, and your mother's illness repeating itself over and over again, if you don't marry a daughter-in-law, don't tell me you'll have to wait for my death?"

Xiao Qian let out a sigh and softened his attitude, comforting her, "It's not that I don't want to marry, it's just that the affairs of my country are far more important than the love of a child. Once everything is settled, we'll listen to grandmother and mother."

"Hmph. I'm afraid that you already have wings and you might not be willing to listen to my words."

Xiao Qian did not say anything. He lowered his head to the side with a complicated feeling in his heart.

The battle at the border was over. Even if it was for the continuation of the Xiao family's bloodline, it was time for him to get married and have children. However, he was unwilling in his heart. As a general of a country, there were many days when they licked their blood. He did not like the girl from the Shangguan family who drank tea and admired flowers, playing zither and music.

Inadvertently, the image of Su Zhi appeared in his mind. Weak, but not fragile, soft as a reed. Stubborn, patient, but not stubborn and reckless.

It was exactly the way he liked it.

But he could not marry Su Zhi.

Xiao Qian understood this, but he really did like girls like Su Zhi. However, after searching the entire capital, he couldn't find a girl with that sort of character.

What a pity.

Old Lady Xiao calmed down and pulled Xiao Qian along as she advised, "Grandmother knows how you met that woman. It's just that when there's no woman in the army, I feel like seeing her." When you see more of those well-groomed women, you might as well leave her somewhere. It's not wrong to listen to grandmother. If you obediently marry Princess Anyang, you'll be a Prefecture Lord. "

Xiao Qian withdrew his hand and asked, "Grandmother, do you wish for your grandson to marry a close wife, or marry someone who can strengthen the family?"

The old mistress was momentarily at a loss for words, her face turning red as she glared at him hatefully.

Xiao Qian bitterly smiled, bowed his head, and said goodbye.

The old mistress was so angry that she started thumping her chest and stomping her feet again.

He walked out of the courtyard. It was already late in the evening. He had originally wanted to go see his mother and find out that she needed to rest. Xiao Qian could only give up and send Qing Mu to meet up with Tan Zhao.

Xiao Qian called Tan Zhao over. Although it was a reunion, it was actually to be bored.

Everyone in the military camp knew Xiao Qian's personality. He was the one who disliked banquets.