Chapter 582: Qing Dynasty Time-Travel Spirit Spring System (33)

Returning to Jingcheng after six years, let alone Shisi Ye, even Xie Yang, who had experienced N lifetimes, was filled with emotion.

Although she had only been away for six years, having grown accustomed to the desolation and vastness of the Northwest, returning to Jingcheng felt like a lifetime ago!

"See your uncles? They still have a bit of conscience, coming out of the city to welcome me... Oh, your Ama has even brought his wife and children!"

"Oh! Whose family's carriage is that over there, also here to welcome us? Wait, isn't that the Chang family girl? She's married in this outfit? Even after getting married she ran out to welcome you, you really have a lot of face, eldest niece!"

Xie Yang ignored her Fourteenth Uncle's antics and looked in the direction he was pointing; she indeed saw the carriages of the Yong Qinwang Fu, several of them, including one that Si Fujin and Li Shi used to ride in often.

She also saw Chang Peilan—dressed in robes with embroidered trim, her hair in a bun, poking her head out of the carriage window and peering this way.

They were still over forty li away from the city gate! To think everyone had run so far to welcome them?

Xie Yang wore a smile, waved vigorously at the carriages on both sides, and then nudged her horse's belly, signaling it to start running.

First, she greeted her convenient father who had spurred his horse forward:

"Ama! Your daughter has returned!"

"It is good that you have returned! Your Mother and the others have been looking forward to your return for a long time."

"Eldest Sister!"

"Eldest Sister, we have also been looking forward to you for a long time!"

"Honghui? Hongyun? It's you two!"

Only when Xie Yang rode closer did she recognize that the ones following at her father's side were not guards, but her eldest and second younger brothers.

"You've grown so big!"

Looking at her two brothers, whose every gesture was full of nobility, she couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"Eldest Sister, you have been away from home for six years! Of course, your younger brothers have grown up!"

"Not only grown up, but Big Brother is also betrothed!" Hongyun teased, winking.

Xie Yang laughed: "Then it is fortunate that Eldest Sister returned, otherwise I would have missed Honghui's wedding wine! It is a pity I didn't make it for your betrothal wine."

Honghui was teased until his ears turned red, and in a "better you than me" fashion, he dragged Hongyun into it: "Eldest Sister, you came at just the right time; Hongyun is also getting betrothed soon. Drink an extra cup then, and consider it making it up to your younger brother."

"Hahaha!" Xie Yang was delighted, "Then did I come at the right time or not? I haven't even entered the house yet, and the silver in my pocket has already decreased by two portions."

"Hahahaha—"

The three siblings laughed together.

Si Ye listened with a smile, his gaze falling on his daughter; she was much taller and much thinner than when she had left home.

She had truly suffered.

The smile at the corners of his mouth faded quite a bit.

"Don't keep chatting here, let's go home first and let your Eldest Sister get some proper rest."

"Father is right, let's go home first. Eldest Sister, do you want to change to a carriage? Stepmother, Mother, and Hongshi are all in the carriage."

Xie Yang: "Wait a moment, I need to go say a few words to Pei Lan."

Besides, her soldiers also needed to be settled.

"The Female Soldier Barracks have already been built, also at the foot of Xishan; just have Ama send someone to lead them there," Si Ye said with a warm expression. "After you finish catching up with the Chang girl, go home first to rest and tidy up. Your Huang Mafa is considerate of your long journey and has told you to rest well before entering the palace to talk."

Regarding the matter of the female military camp, Xie Yang had already learned about it through letters sent back by communication soldiers—Lao Kang had recognized the female soldiers, and after repelling the Russian Army, he had allocated that piece of empty land of about a hundred mu next to the Xishan Sharp and Vigorous Battalion to the female soldier camp, sending craftsmen to supervise the construction day and night, finally finishing the barracks before the main army returned.

The total number of barracks was built to a scale of five thousand people.

Of course, it could not compare to the number of Eight Banners soldiers.

After all, in a feudal society where men were heavily favored over women, being able to form a female military corps of as many as five thousand people was already beyond her expectations.

She had thought she would have to spend a lot of effort to persuade Lao Kang to expand recruitment.

Looking at it this way, Lao Kang's recognition of the female soldiers exceeded her expectations.

"Haiyin! Haiyin!"

Chang Peilan could not wait to chat with her.

Xie Yang laughed and rode her horse to the side of her carriage: "How did you think to come out of the city to welcome me?"

"Of course I had to! You are my Chang Peilan's good sister from different parents!"

Chang Peilan had brought her a lot of food and also invited her to visit her home sometime.

"I saved some wedding candy for you!"

Chang Peilan said with a blushing face.

Seeing this, Xie Yang couldn't help but laugh; getting married really is different.

"It seems that my brother-in-law treats you well?"

Chang Peilan's face turned even redder. Thinking of how he had wanted to accompany her today but was too clingy, so she had chased him off the carriage, she twisted her fingers and stammered for a long while: "It's alright, I suppose."

"Hahahaha..."

Xie Yang really couldn't help but laugh out loud.

However, the busy official road was really not the place for chatting.

"Pei Lan, thank you for coming out of the city specifically to welcome me, but as you can see, I am covered in dust, and if I don't bathe, I'll start to stink. Since we're back in Jingcheng, will there be any lack of opportunities for us to meet? I'll come bother you at your house tomorrow."

Chang Peilan glared at her: "I wish you would come often! Alright, go quickly! I see your brothers; they have been eyeing you. Eat the snacks while they're hot; they won't be soft once they're cold."

"Thank you, Pei Lan."

Xie Yang escorted Chang Peilan's carriage away before returning to her own carriage.

Looking back to see her Fourteenth Uncle surrounded by a crowd of brothers, who were mocking his still-swollen face while their eyes betrayed envy for the great military exploits he had achieved, Xie Yang smiled, turned and jumped off her horse, boarded her own comfortable large carriage, and began to catch up on long-missed family talk with her two Eniangs.

Hongshi, who was just a Xiaodouding when she left and had now grown into a graceful young man, also squeezed into this carriage, his dark, bright eyes curiously examining Xie Yang:

"Are you Hongshi's Eldest Sister? The heroine who beat the remnants of Galdan until they were in total disarray and repelled the Russian Army, who coveted the territory of our Great Qing, by three hundred li?"

Xie Yang was amused and reached out to pinch his chubby, youthful cheek: "That's right! Does Hongshi want to follow Eldest Sister to practice martial arts, and in the future join the army to kill the enemy and defend the country?"

With two such outstanding older brothers in front, it was inevitable that the slightly younger Hongshi would be compared to them.

Rather than being used by those with ulterior motives and repeating the mistakes of history, it would be better to lead him out and have him blaze a completely different path.

Although this path is not so easy to walk and may be full of thorns and bumps along the way, as long as it is walked well, who can say it is not a broad, sunny road?

"Yay! Yay!"

Hongshi could not hide his happiness as he jumped up.

Once they returned to the manor, Hongshi jumped off the carriage and excitedly ran to show off to his two older brothers, declaring that he was going to practice martial arts with his eldest sister and, in the future, fight on the battlefield and strive to become a great general.

The others had complex expressions on their faces.

Especially Honghui and Hongyun, who had long understood the cruelty of the imperial family; looking at their lively and cheerful third younger brother, and then at their eldest sister, who was helping the three brothers avoid future strife—whether intentionally or unintentionally—they were moved and saddened all at once.

This is the helplessness of being born into the imperial family.

?? 10 fan titles will be given out this month; those who want one can go to the relevant post in the comment section to reply o(*￣︶￣*)o