[Marriage first, love later] She is happy after marrying a widower

"You said I should be the emperor, but it's not easy for us to recruit soldiers and start an uprising here."

Han Heming frowned slightly, his face full of worry. As he spoke, he paced slowly in the room, looking out the window from time to time, as if thinking about the situation around him.

This place is too close to the capital, as if it is just a stone's throw away. Han Heming is well aware of the danger involved and is afraid that the news will be known to the shrewd Shen Huanjun before the team has time to grow and develop.

By then, the other party will surely launch a ruthless encirclement and suppression, and they will probably be wiped out in one fell swoop, and all their plans will come to nothing.

"I've considered this. How about we go back to Hongya Village? It's far north, remote, and outside the jurisdiction of the King of Mobei. In these troubled times, all the forces are focused on key cities and strategic locations, leaving no one concerned. Now is a great time for us to develop."

Song Yanzhi's eyes were bright, revealing wisdom and courage. She had already thought about all of this carefully, and now she spoke clearly and confidently.

Song Yanzhi chose Hongya Village instead of Lizao Village after careful consideration.

Although the Jiangnan area is rich in resources and has always been prosperous, it is precisely because of this that once a war breaks out, it will immediately become a battleground for military strategists, and forces from all sides will flock there to compete for control of that rich land.

But now they have no soldiers and their foundation is still shallow. Going to Jiangnan is obviously not a wise choice. If they are not careful, they will be dragged into the melee before they can gain a foothold and find it difficult to escape.

"Okay, I'll listen to you, but what about the children?"

Han Heming nodded slightly, acknowledging Song Yanzhi's idea, but then he looked troubled and asked with a worried look on his face. They were heading from here to Hongya Village. Not only was the journey long, but it was freezing cold outside. The biting wind scraped at their faces like a knife, and the snow was knee-deep. It really wasn't the best time to rush.

The children are still young along the way. What if they catch a cold or get sick?

"Of course we should take the children with us. Winter is the best time for us to travel.

Think about it, why did the Red Moon Kingdom still have eight cities left? It wasn't because of Shen Huanjun's strength, but because of the freezing cold. The southern soldiers brought by the Huainan Prince, having grown up in the warm south and accustomed to the humid climate, found it extremely difficult to adapt to the freezing cold of the north. Their combat effectiveness was greatly reduced, which is why they remained inactive.

I guess when spring comes and the weather gets warmer, the remaining eight cities in the capital will be difficult to defend.

Shen Huanjun is currently busy sending people to resist the invading forces from all directions, and he is so overwhelmed that he has no time to pay attention to what is happening here."

Song Yanzhi explained patiently, analyzing the situation clearly and trying to dispel Han Heming's concerns.

Han Heming pondered for a moment, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. Finally, he nodded, his eyes becoming firm. "You make sense. Let's hurry up and prepare and set off as soon as possible. The longer we delay, the more variables there will be. We must seize this rare opportunity."

Song Yanzhi replied, "Okay, I'll arrange it right away." After that, she turned around and went out in a hurry, and began to make preparations in a swift and decisive manner.

She first arranged for people to prepare carriages for the journey. Considering the deep snow on the road, she also had people prepare sleds to facilitate travel in the snow. Then she went to count the food and calculate the amount of supplies needed for the journey to ensure that everything was safe.

The people in the yard also heard the noise and immediately became busy, coming and going in a hurry.

Xu Nian stayed in the house and felt strange, so she asked the maid beside her: "Xiaoling, what is the Madam busy with? Why are people moving around in the yard?" She tilted her head, looking puzzled, with curiosity in her eyes.

"Miss, the Madam is directing people to pack up. We are going to move back to the master's hometown."

Xiaoling came in from outside, and as she spoke, she put her hands to her mouth and blew on them, trying to dispel the biting cold. This damn weather was really too cold, and the chill seemed to penetrate the thick cotton clothes and penetrate into the bones.

I don’t know what the master and the mistress are thinking about walking in this weather. Xiaoling muttered to herself, with helplessness on her face.

"What? It's freezing outside, and they want to travel at this time?" When Xu Nian heard this, his eyes widened and his face was full of reluctance.

She grew up in the Bai family. At that time, the Bai family was powerful and influential. She and Bai Xueniang were both brought up in pampered conditions, just like flowers in a greenhouse, never experiencing any wind and rain.

Later, the two entered the palace. Thanks to the power of the Bai family, their lives there were smooth sailing. They had no worries about food and clothing, and they had never suffered any hardship. The most difficult time was the night they escaped from the Duke of Puguo's mansion. Walking in the snow that night, the feeling of cold is still unforgettable.

The cold wind was howling, making her shiver all over. Her feet stepped on the snow, and her shoes and socks soon became wet. The icy feeling spread from the soles of her feet to her whole body, but in order to catch up with Song Yanzhi and the others who were riding in a carriage, she gritted her teeth, did not dare to stop, and forced herself to keep going.

Ever since that night, she'd always felt like she'd developed a chronic illness, becoming increasingly uncomfortable in cold weather. So, hearing about having to travel through this icy and snowy season filled her with sheer terror. The fear hung over her like a shadow, impossible to dispel.

"By the way, young lady, the lady specifically asked me to come here to ask you if you are willing to move with them. If you decide to move away from here together, you must hurry up and pack your luggage; but if you have other plans in mind and don't want to go with them, you should go to the lady in person and tell her." Xiaoling respectfully conveyed the lady's intention to Xu Nian.

You know, Xiaoling was originally someone close to Song Yanzhi, and this time she was only temporarily assigned to Xu Nian to serve as a maid.

However, Xu Nian remained silent in the face of Xiaoling's inquiries. Deep down, she was reluctant to move with everyone, but the problem was, if she didn't leave with Song Yanzhi, where would she find a place to live? After all, Bai Xueniang had tragically passed away, and she, as her close playmate, had failed to protect her. If she rashly returned to the Bai family now, given their power and wrath, she feared she would be powerless to withstand them.

But what if she chose to stay? The host and hostess here would soon be leaving, and she would be a helpless outsider. Who would truly treat her as a living person? After thinking about it, Xu Nian finally smiled and said softly to Xiaoling, "Then please go back and tell the lady that I'm willing to move with them."