The elder Zuo and Madam Zuo had poor teeth, so Du Min specially prepared congee with minced meat for them. Even Elder Zuo ate two large bowls.
The Zuo family members were ecstatic. This escape was truly worth it! Their patriarch not only ate more but could also stand up shakily. Zuo Ye and Bai Sheng looked at their grandparents and felt relieved seeing them in good health.
Grandma saw Bai Sheng wearing a veil and assumed she was protecting herself from the sun. Zuo Siming, not wanting his mother to worry, didn't tell her that Xiao Sheng's face had been disfigured. Upon learning the truth at noon, he was so angry that he cursed the Grand Princess and Meng Liangyuan viciously dozens of times.
Grand Ancestor Gu Canglan could also sit up. Grandma Wu specially made him steamed egg custard, and he ate a whole large bowl. After eating, he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, looking blissfully at Grandma Wu, his daughter Qing'er, and his grandson Yu'er. They had been terribly harmed by that shrew Yu Zi. He had endured thirty years of torment sustained by the belief that he would see Ruo Li again. Now, to have such a reunion, he had no regrets in this life.
After the meal, everyone, with their bellies round and full, sat in groups of three or five, basking in the sun, chatting and laughing, completely without the feeling of being refugees. The desert, having experienced two rains, now had sparse desert plants growing. Small black scorpions crawled on the ground, and the children were playfully surrounding them, their laughter echoing from time to time. Lightning, Baoyu, and San Gouzi were all released from the space to scout and patrol the surroundings.
Storm was about to give birth, and Bai Sheng, unwilling to let her labor, kept her in the space. Except for the Zuo family, who were a little afraid of Lightning, everyone else dared to pat Lightning.
Bai Sheng had just finished eating an orange when the fourth child, Yiyi, suddenly ran up to her and Zuo Ye, saying with a tense expression, "Mother, Father, bad people are coming!"
Everyone sitting together stiffened in shock. They had all heard of Yiyi's abilities; if Yiyi said there were bad people, then there must be bad people. Zuo Ye immediately knelt down and placed his ear against the sand, listening intently. After a moment, his expression turned vigilant. "The approaching people are riding horses. They should be the patrolling Great Xia garrison soldiers!"
Prince Yu and the third uncle and others also pressed their ears to the ground and listened. "Indeed, there are probably several hundred of them! They are approaching us!"
Zuo Ye whispered to Prince Yu and the third uncle, "We took less than three days to get from the capital to the Great Xia border. If this gets out, it will inevitably arouse suspicion. My wife's spatial abilities must not be exposed, so not a single Great Xia soldier who comes today can be let go!"
"We're going to kill them all?" Prince Yu raised an eyebrow.
Zuo Ye didn't answer but looked at Bai Sheng. "Baby, how many amnesia pills do you have left?"
Bai Sheng smiled slyly, "Enough to use."
"And the sleeping potion?" Zuo Ye asked again.
Bai Sheng chuckled, "Plenty to go around."
"Very well, we'll capture these Great Xia soldiers alive and then transport them into the space to Great Xia. In the future, to build palaces and cultivate land for my obedient empress, labor will be indispensable," Lu Ye said in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, Prince Yu's eyes lit up, and for the first time, he offered Zuo Ye sincere praise, "Not bad, cousin Ye, you can think of this. These Great Xia soldiers are all strong laborers. Instead of killing them, it's better to put them to good use!"
"I learned it all from my obedient baby," Zuo Ye said with a proud smile, then lowered his voice, "When they get closer, Cousin Yu and Yang Ming will cover our rear, Qiu Bian will ride to scout nearby for any other spies. My baby and I, along with Xiao Yun and others, will be responsible for facing the enemy head-on and using the sleeping potion. Everyone who knows martial arts will protect the elderly, the weak, the young, and those who don't know martial arts in the center."
"Alright, that's the plan! Let's do it!" Prince Yu agreed. He went to arrange for Qiu Bian, two others, and Yang Ming. Zuo Ye quickly walked to the middle of the caravan and shouted, "Everyone gather!"
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately faced Zuo Ye and stood in formation. These formations were the ones Zuo Ye had established during their usual training, so everyone was very familiar with them and assembled extremely quickly.
Lu Ye shouted, "A Great Xia cavalry of several hundred is approaching our direction. Later, my wife, Xiao Yun, Xiao Yu, and I will face them head-on and use the sleeping potion to incapacitate them, trying to capture them alive. All those who know martial arts will stand in a circle with their weapons, protecting those who don't know martial arts in the center. No one is to move without my command!"
Hearing this, everyone showed a tense expression, not expecting to encounter Great Xia soldiers so close to leaving Great Xia. However, despite their nervousness, no one panicked. After all, their grandfather and his wife were very calm, which indicated they had a chance of winning. Moreover, they also had a large silver snake, a fierce white wolf, and three dogs; they were not afraid, truly not afraid. Elder Madam Zuo and Elder Zuo exchanged glances, their expressions also firm. They believed their grandsons could defeat those soldiers. Everyone took their positions.
In the distance, on the undulating desert, a thin, long black shadow had already appeared. The shadow had clearly spotted the caravan and was moving towards them at an accelerated pace. Yesterday, they had just received a carrier pigeon from the capital stating that the Princess and the National Preceptor of Qinghuang Kingdom would escape from the border to Qinghuang, and they were ordered to intensify patrols. If they found any Qinghuang spies, they were to be executed without mercy. Furthermore, whoever beheaded the Qinghuang Princess would be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold, and whoever beheaded the Qinghuang National Preceptor would be rewarded with five hundred taels of gold. For such generous rewards, all the border guards were unable to restrain themselves. Their patrols of the border had suddenly become extremely diligent, as if they wanted to patrol hundreds of times a day. When they saw this group of people with over twenty carriages, they were all overjoyed and shouted loudly as they galloped towards them. However, to their surprise, this group did not seem to fear them. Everyone stared with wide eyes, calmly confronting them. The man and woman standing at the forefront rode tall horses, exuding an imposing aura. Beside them, a thick silver snake coiled, and there were four fierce beasts, one large and three small, that looked like dogs or wolves, baring their teeth at them. Behind them were five or six children, all also riding horses. These children not only showed no fear but their eyes all flashed with excitement, like wolf cubs spotting a delicious prey. "Bold peasants, you are not allowed to trespass on the Great Xia border! State your names quickly if you know what's good for you! Otherwise, you will be executed!" The leading soldier, seeing that his side had an absolute advantage in numbers, shouted aggressively.