As the two approached Zhen Mi's residence, Yuan Xi was surprised to discover that it was actually a five-story building.
Its height far exceeded the courtyard walls. There were also noble families in Ye City who built such tall buildings, but they were mostly two or three stories, definitely not as exaggerated as the one before him.
Seeing Yuan Xi's surprise, Zhen Mi said helplessly, "It's all because of Mother. She believed the words of some fortune-teller, saying that if I lived high, the Zhen family's prospects would be high."
Yuan Xi believed that this was the reason. Zhang Shi really believed this!
Was it because his name's prophecy also gave Zhang Shi a reassurance?
But thinking about it, with her husband dying early and her eldest and second sons passing away prematurely, it would be difficult for her to persevere without something to rely on.
He raised his head and said, "Does the young lady live on the highest fifth floor?"
Zhen Mi said, "I usually stay on the second floor and rarely go to higher places."
Yuan Xi was taken aback, "Why?"
Zhen Mi smiled, her eyes turning into crescent moons, "Does the young master want to come with me to take a look, and then you will understand."
Yuan Xi's curiosity arose, so he said, "Then I will disturb the young lady."
The two entered the small building. Zhen Mi gently shook her hand, and Yuan Xi understood and immediately let go.
Zhen Mi walked to the side, took off her embroidered shoes, and only wore silk stockings. In a fleeting glance, Yuan Xi saw the half-exposed jade color above the stockings, and couldn't help but feel a jump in his heart.
Zhen Mi, with her back to Yuan Xi, was completely unaware, and softly said, "Allow me to lead the way for the young master."
She asked the maid to wait downstairs, and gracefully stepped up the wooden stairs, coming to the window on the second floor. Yuan Xi saw the scenery outside the courtyard, barely blocked by the courtyard wall.
On the third floor, he could see a trace of the scenery far outside the courtyard.
On the fourth floor, the view was even more open, and he could see several blocks.
On the fifth floor, the window was half-covered. Yuan Xi peered through the crack in the window.
He was a little puzzled and said, "Isn't the scenery particularly good here?"
Zhen Mi smiled slyly, "'Particularly good scenery,' indeed. Young master, take another look."
Her slender hand pushed open, and the two windows suddenly opened wide.
Suddenly, the view was wide open. In the swirling snow, half of Ye City's scenery was in full view, contained within the window frame, like a beautiful picture.
Yuan Xi praised, "What a Ye City snow scene."
"Push open the window to see the snow outside, raise your hand to embrace the entire city!"
Zhen Mi's eyes lit up slightly, "So the young master is also a well-read person, but I have never heard of these two sentences."
Yuan Xi smiled and said, "Just picking up the wisdom of predecessors, it's not worth mentioning."
Zhen Mi was about to ask whose sentences they were, but she saw that as the window opened, people in the streets of Ye City were looking towards them.
Someone exclaimed in surprise, "The Zhen family's young lady has come out!"
The crowd made a commotion and looked over.
Zhen Mi quickly leaned out and closed the two windows, and a chorus of regretful voices came from afar.
Zhen Mi's pretty face was slightly red, "Does the young master understand now?"
"This is one of the inconveniences."
"At a high place, you can see others, and others can see you."
Yuan Xi suddenly understood, "So that's it. In jade towers and pavilions, it's cold at the top."
Zhen Mi's eyes shone even brighter, "The young master surprises me. I've heard that the Yuan family has studied the Meng family's Book of Changes for generations, but the Book of Changes is obscure, completely different from these evocative sentences."
"This reminds me of a few days ago, the young master's maid who came with Miss Yuan Xing, I remember her name was Wu Zhao?"
"I talked with her a few times and found her speech extraordinary and her knowledge profound, faintly surpassing me. The young master's maid has such abilities, which makes me truly amazed by the depth of the Yuan family's heritage."
Yuan Xi thought that this girl was really not easy to fool, so he quickly changed the subject and said, "Just now, when I opened the window, even if it was only for a moment, I'm afraid many people saw you and me together. I'm afraid there will be criticism in Ye City?"
Zhen Mi's crescent-shaped eyes curved again, "You've already held my hand, are you still afraid of this?"
Yuan Xi was sweating profusely, "I'm ashamed."
Zhen Mi whispered, "Is there any twist in the marriage between the two families?"
"I was thinking, was the young master doing it for the maid to see before? If everyone in the city sees it, will it be more obvious?"
Yuan Xi was surprised, "The young lady can even think of this!"
He nodded and said, "That's right. If the marriage between the two families can be successful, it may require the young lady to make some sacrifices, so I am also hesitant in my heart."
Upon hearing this, Zhen Mi took a step closer and looked up at Yuan Xi, "I have heard the rumors in Ye City."
"After Mother heard about the young master's adoption, she was not without hesitation."
Yuan Xi thought that the Zhen family really knew, and he said, "What does the young lady think?"
"If I am adopted, I will lose a lot of support from the Yuan family, and I am afraid that I will have a difficult time in the next few years."
"I am worried that the young lady will suffer with me at that time."
Zhen Mi lowered her head, "I know that the young master's adoption is not just for me."
"But some of it must be for me."
"That's enough."
She raised her head and said softly, "I have a word to tell the young master."
Yuan Xi was startled, "Please speak."
"The young master may have many women, but I only have the young master."
Yuan Xi listened and said in a deep voice, "I will remember."
He paused for a moment.
"I will never forget."
Only then did Zhen Mi smile, put her face close, and leaned against Yuan Xi's chest.
"Let me remember the young master's heartfelt words."
"I will always wait for the day when the young master marries me."
"Even if there is only the young master at that time."
Yuan Xi gently hugged Zhen Mi tightly in his arms, and the two felt each other's heartbeats, feeling that their hearts were a little closer.
The snowflakes outside the window continued to fall, covering the entire Ji Province, not only Ye City at this time, but also Yijing at the junction of You and Ji.
Yijing was a strong city with high walls. There were several city walls outside, and barracks and granaries everywhere inside. In the very center, there were also several tall buildings dozens of feet high, towering into the clouds and piercing the sky.
On the top floor of the largest building in the middle, a large man with a stubbly beard was sitting cross-legged in front of the window, facing the cold wind, raising the wine pot in his hand, and taking a big gulp of wine.
The generals and soldiers in Yijing City occasionally raised their heads and looked at the figure of the big man, their expressions complex.
More than a year ago, no one would have thought that the decadent man with a tired face was once the ambitious hero who dominated the northern land, Gongsun Zan!
These soldiers did not expect that Gongsun Zan, who they regarded as a hero, would gradually lose his edge in the repeated battles with the Yuan family.
After experiencing the Battle of Jieqiao, the Battle of Longcou, the Battle of Juma River, and the Battle of Baoqiu, Gongsun Zan was forced to retreat to Yijing, guarding the throat of You and Ji Provinces.
Originally, the situation was not too bad, because Yuan Shao attacked Yijing several times during this period, but was beaten back.
Yijing faced the Yi River in the south. Gongsun Zan ordered to dig ten trenches to surround it, piled up hills called Jing, each five or six feet high, and built camps on them to station troops. The central hill was as high as ten feet, with a building on it. Gongsun Zan lived there, set up iron doors, and sent documents tied to ropes to be pulled up. There were three million hu of grain stored in the city.
In Gongsun Zan's view, Yijing was now a complete large military camp, easy to defend and difficult to attack, backed by You Province for supplies, and could be invincible.
However, Gongsun Zan made a foolish move during this period.
He killed Liu Yu.
Liu Yu had managed You Province for many years and was a member of the Han imperial clan, and was very popular. After he was killed, Xianyu Fu, Yan Rou, and the Wuhuan people, with various purposes, began to rebel against Gongsun Zan, and there were rebellions everywhere in You Province.
Gongsun Zan's hometown caught fire, he was at a loss, and hesitated, and then watched his ally Tian Kai being destroyed in Qing Province, and lost his military morale even more.
Now Gongsun Zan's army all understood that after Qing Province was pacified, the Yuan army would definitely attack north with all its strength, but they had lost confidence in their lord.
Footsteps came, and a slender woman with a very beautiful face walked up from downstairs. This was Gongsun Zan's original wife, Lady Hou.
No matter what time it was, Lady Hou always had a smile on her face. When Gongsun Zan saw her, his mood improved instantly.
Lady Hou walked forward and saw that Gongsun Zan was drinking again, and said softly, "The weather is cold, and cold wine hurts the body. Why don't I prepare some warm wine?"
Gongsun Zan said in a deep voice, "It's okay, my body is not so unbearable yet."
Lady Hou's smile contained a trace of worry, "The soldiers reported that Qing Province Governor Tian Kai is asking to see you downstairs."
Gongsun Zan's face stiffened, hesitated for a long time, but still didn't say anything.
Seeing this, Lady Hou said softly, "Husband, if things don't work out, let's go back to You Province, shall we?"
Gongsun Zan slammed the floor under him: "Impossible!"
"I am not reconciled! I was only one step away from occupying the northern land and planning the world. How can I shrink back here!"
Lady Hou shrank back: "But our children are still young. If something happens to Yijing, and there is no successor to the Gongsun family, should we send them out…"
Gongsun Zan snorted coldly, turned his head, and a cruel light flashed in his eyes: "Do you want to run?"
The smile on Lady Hou's face completely disappeared, and she quickly knelt down and said in a low voice: "I don't mean that. I am willing to follow my husband, but the children…"
Gongsun Zan sneered: "A woman's opinion!"
"If I lose, can they still live?"
"Even if they run to the ends of the earth, they will be caught and then cruelly killed. This is the rule of the winner is king!"
"You may not die, but you will be reduced to a plaything of the Yuan family. I don't know who's concubine you will become!"
"If it really comes to this, it will be a disgrace to my Gongsun family's face. Even if I die, I will not be at peace!"
"I have already decided that when the city is broken, it will be the day when our whole family is destroyed!"
Hearing this, Lady Hou's face turned pale, her body swayed, and she hissed: "Husband, you are so cruel, they are your children!"
Gongsun Zan became impatient, waved his hand and said: "I have made up my mind, no need to say more!"
"You may step back and let Tian Kai come up!"
Lady Hou had no choice but to get up and staggered downstairs.
After who knows how long, footsteps came again. This time, it was a tall and sturdy man with a resolute face.
The former Qing Province Governor, Tian Kai.
After being defeated by Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi, he escaped by boat from the Donglai sea route, made a big circle and landed from the Hejian commandery, and went directly to Yijing to join Gongsun Zan.
Tian Kai took a few steps forward, knelt on one knee, and said in a deep voice: "Kai pays respects to the general."
Gongsun Zan looked ashamed and sighed: "I am sorry for you."
"You should leave here and find a safe place in You Province."
Tian Kai said in a deep voice: "Kai will not serve two masters. Seeing that the Yuan army is about to attack Yijing next year, Kai is willing to live and die with the general!"