Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

"Ah? Where's my money?" Shen Chuning asked in surprise, looking at her shabby money box.

"Eighty thousand taels were given to Uncle Yun, fifty taels were taken north, and the two thousand taels left for emergency were given to you to give to Doctor Zhao of Tianxitang. Miss, you spend money much faster than you earn it." Birui said softly.

"Hey, what do you mean by spending faster? That's investment. Do you understand investment? It's about making money make money." Shen Chuning said indifferently.

"Can taking Tianxitang's medicine guarantee the birth of a son?"

Shen Chuning stretched out a finger and scratched Birui's nose. "What's the point of having a son if you have money? If you give birth to a son, you have to help him pay for the betrothal gifts and marry a wife. If he is unfilial, not only will you have to help him clean up the mess, but if he gets sick from anger, you will have to pay for his medical treatment yourself. It's not worth it. When I, your daughter, have money, you can just follow me around and enjoy the good life."

Shen Chuning and Birui were just imagining their rich days when Madam Shen sent her maid to bring them a box, saying it was a thank-you gift from the Zhou family.

It was Zhou Lan who let the cat out of the bag to Old Madam Zhou, saying that her sister-in-law might be pregnant, so Old Madam Zhou immediately asked the court doctor to check on her.

When the local doctor went to see me, he said that there were signs of miscarriage. Fortunately, I was diagnosed in time and took medicine to preserve the pregnancy. Even so, I had to rest in bed for three months and could not walk until the fetus was firmly established.

The Zhou family's doctor said that if there was no intervention, if the fetus miscarried after a few days, people would just think that the menstrual period was delayed for a few days. Women who were pregnant for a short time would not feel much pain if the fetus miscarried.

The Zhou family members were filled with fear when they talked about it. If it weren't for Shen Chuning, Feng Ying might not have been able to keep the baby at home. What's more, she wanted to follow Zhou Lie to the north. She would probably have miscarried the baby before leaving the capital for 200 miles.

Shen Chuning opened the box on the table. Inside the box was a set of hibiscus jade headpieces. The exquisite gold shape and the smoky pink hibiscus jade were cleverly matched, complementing each other, and it was very exquisite and beautiful.

"Why give me headgear? It would be better to just give me banknotes." Shen Chuning said dejectedly.

Birui put the box away and put it in the cabinet. "Who would give a banknote as a thank you gift? It would just make people say that you don't mean it and don't value it enough."

……

General Dingguo's Mansion.

General Zhou, his eldest son and two grandsons were sitting in the study.

"Father, we've found out that Ji Anbang is indeed in collusion with Panlong Village in Yonggu Mountain. The secret guards found three kidnapped girls in Ji Anbang's mansion. Their accents sound like they are from the vicinity of Yonggu Mountain. They should be the people the third in command of Panlong Village mentioned that night." Zhou Lin's father Zhou Hongqi said.

General Zhou slowly closed his eyes, his lips trembled, and the wrinkles on his face looked even more worn.

"Anbang has been through thick and thin with me, and there are only a few of his people left now. Two years ago, he said he wanted to return to Beijing to take care of his elderly mother, and it was I who submitted a memorial to His Majesty, recommending him to the camp outside Beijing. Now he has done such a dirty thing. Anbang was not such a person before." General Zhou said in a trembling voice.

"Father, people change. Maybe he has been blinded by the colorful world of the capital. You should be more open-minded and don't let him make you sick." Zhou Hongqi comforted him.

Zhou Lin, however, heard something different in General Zhou's words. "General Ji has only been back from the North for two years. Logically, his personality shouldn't have changed so much. Did Grandfather and Father notice anything wrong with him while he was in the North?"

General Zhou and Zhou Hongqi fell into deep thought.

Zhou Hongqi suddenly said, "In the battle before Ji Anbang returned to the capital two years ago, more than half of his soldiers were killed. Although his deputy commander returned alive, he was seriously injured and died within five days. Since then, Ji Anbang has often asked people whether Penglai Fairy Mountain is real and whether there really is an elixir of immortality."

"Father, can you send someone to investigate in this direction?"

"How do I check? Do I have to go to Penglai Mountain myself to find the elixir of immortality for him?" Zhou Hongqi said angrily.

General Zhou kicked Zhou Hongqi on the calf. "When you were little, I told you to read more, but you didn't. Can't you use your brain to think things through? You're simple-minded but strong-limbed. That's what I call you. Now you're not even as good as Brother Lin."

"Grandfather, am I a terrible person?" Zhou Lin said aggrievedly.

After that, he explained to Zhou Hongqi, "I've heard a rumor that using a virgin's blood as a medicine can be used to make an elixir of immortality. The three girls in General Ji's mansion should be used in this way."

"Father, try to find out if you can find the person who made the medicine for General Ji. Did he find him himself, or was he sent to him by someone with ulterior motives?"

"My son is more inclined to believe that General Ji has someone behind him. We all know how important the Beijing Suburban Camp is."

General Zhou finally showed a look of relief after listening to Zhou Lin's analysis. "When Brother Lin first got into trouble, I felt it was a pity. Now it seems that if you don't rely on your martial arts, relying only on your brain to take the imperial examination is also a good way out."

Zhou Lin's throat seemed to be stuck with a sharp stone. He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word.

Zhou Lie patted his shoulder after seeing this.

Only Zhou Lie, who was in the car that night, knew the true condition of Zhou Lin's wrist. The other people in the Zhou family thought it was just an ordinary skin injury that would heal after some time.

General Zhou sighed, "After the first month of the year, let Hongqi and Liege go back to the north. I will not go back."

"Father?"

"grandfather?"

Zhou Hongqi and Zhou Lie cried out in surprise at the same time.

"Father, do you have something to deal with in the capital? Do you need your son to stay and help you?" Zhou Hongqi asked tentatively.

General Zhou shook his head and said, "I will go to the palace tomorrow morning to return the military token to Your Majesty."

"Father, do you know what it means to lose your military token? The Northland will no longer be under the control of our Zhou family!"

General Zhou's face darkened. "Although our army is called the Zhou Family Army, they are not our Zhou family's private army, but the army of the Great Yong Dynasty. The Northland also belongs to the Great Yong Dynasty, the imperial Xiao family, not our Zhou family. Never forget your name."

"Father, can't you wait until your son grows up before handing over the military order? Your son cannot control the entire Northland now, but if you hand over the military order, His Majesty will definitely send another general to the Northland. Father, do you want to see your son fight with others, or do you want to see the Zhou family army change its surname?" Zhou Hongqi said anxiously.

General Zhou looked at Zhou Hongqi with disappointment. "With your personality, even if you were given another ten years, you wouldn't be able to bear the title of the Zhou Family Army's commander."

After saying this, General Zhou never looked at Zhou Hongqi again.

"Brother Lie, Brother Lin, what do you two think about this?"