Appointing a General as a Concubine: Where Can General Xiao Escape?

Chapter 191 New Year’s Eve

Back at the Prime Minister's Mansion, Xiao Mo heard Murong Shu's voice giving orders to the servants as soon as she stepped through the door.

She looked for the source of the sound and saw from a distance that she was directing her subordinates to put up banners.

"If I hadn't come to check it myself, I wouldn't have known you were so perfunctory. I told you this morning that when you put it up..."

"Mother." Xiao Mo called her, interrupting her as she grew increasingly angry.

Murong Shu looked back, and the expression on her face slowly changed from anger to a smile.

"Mo'er is back?!" She walked forward with a smile.

Xiao Mo opened her arms and walked towards her. The two of them hugged each other gently: "I'm sorry, I came back a little late."

"It's not too late. The New Year's Eve dinner is still being prepared. You're back just in time. Come on, let's go change our clothes."

Murong Shu pulled her towards her yard.

Xiao Mo followed her helplessly: "No need to change, these clothes are clean."

"It's not a question of cleanliness. It's Chinese New Year, so we should dress festively."

After entering the house, she asked the maid to take out the clothes that had been prepared long ago.

Just by seeing the bright red color on the tray, Xiao Mo no longer wanted to change it.

When she was a child, Nie Changyuan also liked to buy her this kind of bright red clothes, saying that girls should dress in a stunning way.

But when she grew up, she no longer liked this color, and gradually, the clothes that Nie Changyuan prepared for her changed to light and elegant colors.

Seeing her lost in thought over the clothes, Murong Shu called her softly, "Mo'er, be good. Wear this tonight, and wear it tomorrow, the first day of the Lunar New Year, too."

Xiao Mo forced a smile and picked up the dress, looking at it from front to back: "This color doesn't suit me."

"It fits. This isn't something sent from an embroidery shop. I made it myself according to your measurements."

As Murong Shu spoke, she took the clothes from her hand and tried to put them on her.

"Be good, go put it on quickly. Oh, by the way, you just came back from far away, you can go take a bath first."

If Xiao Mo hadn't heard Murong Shu say that the dress was made by her, she would never have worn it today.

In the evening, the usually quiet Prime Minister's Mansion became extremely lively. Xiao Mo had been back for several years and had never spent the New Year at home.

She was very happy and quickly integrated into this big family. Whether it was the concubines or the half-brothers and half-sisters, their faces were filled with sincere and happy smiles.

The opposite of her is Qi Minxiu in the palace.

He sat in his seat. Although he was in the palace, his heart had already flown away.

In the past, when he attended such banquets, he didn't care when they ended, but this time it was different.

He wished the family dinner would end soon so that he could rush off to find the person he wanted to see.

Maybe they were really in the passionate love period, and he missed her so much after not seeing her for a while.

In the high position, because the position of queen was vacant, the person sitting next to the emperor became Concubine Liang who was in charge of the harem.

She noticed the emperor's gaze fell on the absent-minded Qi Minxiu below, and joked, "Your Highness Prince Chen is thinking about someone!"

"Today, I asked Xiao Mo to come as well, but Xiao Mo refused." The emperor said casually.

"Did they have a fight?" Concubine Liang looked at the emperor with a little surprise.

The emperor turned his head and looked at her, then immediately turned away: "No, they were holding hands when they came in."

Seeing that he was a little unhappy, Concubine Liang quickly apologized with a smile: "I spoke out of turn, please forgive me, Your Majesty.

They say that worrying can lead to confusion. I am just worried that they might have a quarrel on Qinshan or on the road and hurt their relationship.

After all, young people have more active minds, and small things can easily cause friction."

The emperor had not thought about it in this way at first, but after listening to Concubine Liang's analysis, he actually felt that there seemed to be some truth in it.

Concubine Liang observed his expression and handed him a glass of wine with a smile.

"Speaking of which, I am really curious about what kind of master lives on Qinshan Mountain.

Xiao Mo is proficient in both military and literary skills, leading troops and fighting battles, so it's obvious that the master is even more amazing."

As she spoke, she peeled a grape for the emperor. When she handed it to his mouth, she saw that he opened his mouth and ate it without any change of emotion, so she pretended to sigh.

"If such a powerful person could be loyal to the court, he would definitely become a great general of Nan Yao. What a pity..."

She shook her head with deliberate regret.

The emperor frowned slightly and looked at her with dignified eyes in confusion: "What a pity?"

"I heard that many sects in the martial arts world offered him a lot of money to join, but he refused without even asking for the reward.

I think he is not a person who is greedy for fame and fortune. If the emperor wants to recruit him to serve as an official, it will be difficult."

Concubine Liang said this in a casual manner, causing the emperor to lower his eyes and think deeply.

After a moment, he raised his eyes and looked at her again, with an incomprehensible glimmer in his eyes: "Where did you hear that?"

As a concubine in the harem, who else could tell her such things except people from the previous dynasty?

Concubine Liang was peeling the sweet orange in her hand seriously. She didn't look at the emperor and smiled coquettishly.

"Xiao Mo is the only female general in our dynasty. Her deeds are well-known throughout the imperial city.

After the discussion about her was limited, people turned their attention to the person behind her.

The ladies of the imperial court would occasionally come to my palace to pay their respects and reminisce about the past. When they talked about General Xiao's military exploits, they would mention her master, so I heard all those things from them."

Concubine Liang picked the orange segments and handed them to the emperor's mouth, but the emperor showed no intention of eating them.

Realizing that he was a little angry, Concubine Liang quickly explained, "Your Majesty, please calm down. I have already punished those ladies who casually talked about General Xiao and his family."

The emperor narrowed his cold eyes, reached out to take the thing from her hand and put it in his mouth to eat.

"As the head of the six palaces, you must know what you can and cannot say."

"I will follow your instructions."

Concubine Liang lowered her head and cast down her eyes, looking so aggrieved that it made people pity her.

The emperor didn't hear her for a long time. He turned his head to look at her, his eyes softening a little. "I don't mean to blame you. Let's eat."

She pulled the corners of her mouth, opened it, and looked at the emperor hesitantly, wanting to say something.

The emperor's brow, which had just relaxed, furrowed again. "Do you have anything else to say?"

Concubine Liang bit her lip and looked away from the audience: "I dare not say anything."

"Speak, I pardon you."

She thought about it, twisted her handkerchief, and pretended to be brave enough to say something big.

"The last time Yue'er went to suppress the rebellion of Little Nan'an King, I heard that Little Nan'an King had sent people to Qinshan to invite this master, but this master did not agree.

If he had really gone to assist the young Prince of Nannan, Yue'er's battle would have been difficult to win."

The emperor's pupils suddenly shrank, and he looked up suddenly: "Why didn't you report Yue'er's return?"

"Yue'er was only thinking about Xiao Mo in the Western Frontier at that time, and the little Nan'an King did not succeed. He did not want you to worry so he did not tell you.

I didn't know about this matter originally, but I found out about it later when one of Yue'er's followers let it slip."

Concubine Liang pursed her lips and quickly lowered her head when she met the emperor's eyes.