the culprit who switched the child now, it can't erase their kindness of raising you. Public opinion will also be on their side then."Zhou Mengyu pulled her daughter's hand, saying with worry in her e...The name of Abundant City was quite auspicious, but because it was located near the border, it was frequently harassed by the Qilü people. They would often steal their food, kill people, and set fires. This time, they even saw Abundant City as an easy target and took the initiative to occupy it before anyone else.

That's why the prince had to leave in such a hurry. If the Xiongnu were allowed to keep attacking, the morale of the border troops would definitely be affected.

This first battle was crucial, even with General Huo accompanying him, the Crown Prince was on high alert.

And Lin Yaizu was in the first rank of the procession where the prince stood.

Before leaving, Lian Yi specially instructed Lin Ya Zuo:

"My husband, the battlefield is a dangerous place. I and the children are all hoping for your safe return. Please, be careful."

"I know."

Lin Yaozu held the ripples in his arms and said.

"My husband, on your journey with the army, be sure to keep close to the prince's retinue. That way you won't suffer hardships with food and lodging, and you'll also gain experience and maintain your strength."

"If you were on the battlefield, even if you were in the rear, you should stay away from the prince."

Ripples lowered her voice and whispered to Lin Yaozou in his ear.

"My lady, what do you mean"

Lin Yaizu asked.

I sent a maid from my side back to inquire with my father. I heard that the leader of the Xiongnu, Nulü, is most fond of taking the heads of enemy generals as trophies to display his achievements. If he goes into battle, he will definitely set his sights on the Crown Prince.

If there was an assassination attempt, the guards and secret agents around the prince would definitely prioritize his safety first. Do you think they would even care about you in that situation

Ripple frowned, explaining.

"My wife wants me to stay away from danger so I won't get caught in the crossfire."

Lin Ya zu immediately reacted.

"Well, that's exactly what I mean. Nothing is more important than your life, you understand"

"Rest assured, I'm the son of the Minister of War. Though I may not be outstanding, I certainly have the ability to protect myself."

Lin Yiaozhu said confidently.

"Tsk, he's been blown up to the sky by his own words. If he said this before getting married, there might be some credibility. Now he's a wimp, I bet you could even take him down. And here he is, acting smug."

"said Duo Duo mercilessly."

"It's alright, just consider it as a way to cheer him up."

Ripple said nonchalantly.

After bidding farewell to his beloved wife, Lin Yaizu went to pay his respects to his parents. Then, he set off with his trusted servant and two guards to meet outside the imperial city, embarking on his journey.

After returning to her own courtyard, Lianyi immediately announced that she would become a vegetarian. She copied scriptures and prayed for her husband's safe return.

When Madam Lin heard the news, she became even more satisfied with Lianyi.

Duke Anping knew that Lin Yaozu was among the entourage on this campaign, but he wasn't worried about his daughter. His daughter had given birth to a son and a daughter for the Lin family, working hard and diligently.

Especially now that Lin Yaizu is on a campaign, the outcome is unknown. Even if he's unlucky enough to die in battle, his own daughter having children to rely on, she will definitely be able to live a good life in Lin Mansion with confidence. So, he just sent some things as a gesture, fulfilling the proper etiquette.

After gathering an army of 150,000 troops, the Crown Prince launched the first battle in Fengyu City.

As time went on, war reports from the battlefield were constantly sent back to the capital. The people of the Great Huan Dynasty were all paying attention to this war.

In the early stages of the war, neither side had figured out the other's tactics, so the fighting was back and forth, with both sides experiencing victories and defeats. However, after autumn arrived, the war escalated into a white-hot conflict. Both sides were determined to end the fighting before the first snowfall.

The Xiongnu hoped to win battles and acquire more winter supplies from the Han Dynasty so that their people could survive the coming winter.

The prince wanted to drive the Qí Lè people completely out of the border before the snow and ice blocked the roads. Ideally, he hoped these people would be killed by the harsh winter weather, so that seizing their land the following spring would be much easier.

For their respective goals, both sides fought fiercely, even the prince himself occasionally joined the fray, sparring verbally with that scoundrel.

While the Lin family had been receiving letters from Lin Ya-zu intermittently, they no longer lived in fear. They only hoped that he would return home soon.

But it had been almost twenty days since Lin Yaozu last wrote. Mrs. Lin was getting anxious, so she used the excuse of checking on her child to come to Lianyi's courtyard.

"Ripple, how is the child these days"

The children are all well-behaved, but they occasionally clamour to see their father.

Ripple also spoke with a face full of worry, and then she asked:

"Mother, has the letter from Yaozu arrived"

"None! That's exactly what I'm worried about. I've been feeling really anxious lately."

Mrs. Lin sighed.

"Mother, I think no news is good news."

After carefully considering her words, Lian Yi said.

I hope so!

After seeing three generations of grandchildren, Mrs. Lin returned to her own courtyard.

The next day, Lin Shangshu brought back bad news. Lin Yaizu returned with the convoy carrying grain but was attacked by a small band of Qi people along the way and disappeared without a trace.

After hearing this, Mrs. Lin fainted on the spot. Lian'er also swayed and was supported by Mei Zhi in time.

Then the Ministry of Officials was in chaos. The ladies of the house fainted one after another. They definitely needed to call a doctor. Lianyi, as the daughter-in-law, also had to play her part. She took over the affairs of the backyard of the Ministry of Officials while also taking care of the sick and dividing her attention to care for three children. She was the busiest person in the whole mansion.

And the low-key Lin Weiyin and Lin Weiyun also stepped forward at this time to show their presence, proactively helping their sister-in-law Lianyi by sharing her worries and taking on the responsibility of serving Mrs. Lin.

The ripples on the surface were busy swirling around, but in reality, it was still very relaxed. After all, managing a mere three acres of land at Lin Mansion was far simpler than she had previously managed an entire nation.

The border had endured several fierce battles, and finally, as the first snow of winter fell, the Crown Prince led his army to drive out the Qiliu people from the borderlands. They were effectively routed, leaving them crippled. News also arrived that Lin Yaizu had died in battle.

After hearing the news, Lianyi pretended to be sick. Lin Yanzou's funeral was all arranged by Lin Shangshu. At least An'an is almost five years old now, able to give her father a broken vase.

Ripples lay in bed and communicated with the millstone:

"Lin Yaizu was a very careful person, this time is he really dead"

"Not dead yet."

The stone mill responded very promptly.

"Not dead"

"Half-dead, I suppose!"

"Expand on that."

He wanted to return to the imperial city ahead of the supply convoy, but he was caught by a small detachment of the Qieer people, who mistook him for a supply officer. They then forced him to lead their warriors back to the Dawan Dynasty's base camp to loot supplies.

Lin Yaozu used a blade hidden in his sleeve to cut the ropes and ran away. He didn't help other captured people escape, so no one provided him with cover. After being chased by the Qieer people, he was caught and fell off a cliff, suffering a head injury. He was rescued by a hunter and is now unconscious.

"Unexpectedly, his protagonist aura still saved his life."

Ripple sighed.

"Well, how did we get the news that he died"

The soldiers responsible for transporting grain were all killed, and his body could not be found. Therefore, the Crown Prince made the decision to add him to the list of casualties.d a suitable master for me."Ripple smiled happily."That's right, this time I was fortunate enough to find the widow and daughter of my old friend. They also happened to want to leave the escort busine...