Chapter 65: On the March
After departing from the capital, Gongsun Jie led the soldiers rapidly towards the battlefield, striving to arrive before the border city could no longer hold, so as to minimize losses.
It was truly unexpected that two countries would attack Linfeng Kingdom simultaneously!
Previous attacks from other countries had all failed, so this time they resorted to overwhelming numbers?
It was a pity that these two countries attacking Linfeng Kingdom were very weak.
How exactly were they weak?
Even with the combined might of the two countries, they were not as strong as Linfeng Kingdom. It was truly perplexing why they had such audacity to sever ties with Linfeng Kingdom.
Unlike the neighboring Luoluo Kingdom and Fengming Kingdom, these two countries were a considerable distance from Linfeng Kingdom. Previously, they had maintained a peaceful coexistence, with neither side interfering with the other.
This resulted in Linfeng Kingdom lacking specific information about these two countries, requiring a period of investigation to gather more details.
“Mengyao, how much longer until we reach our destination? Sitting in the carriage every day is making my backside feel like it’s been split in two!”
“We’re almost there, just bear with it a little longer. Or, how about we go out for a horse ride?”
“Never mind, I’ll continue to ride in the carriage! Honestly, the carriage is quite comfortable, and I can even lie down and roll around.”
“……”
On this day, after Gu Yu grumbled aloud, Gu Mengyao immediately replied with a smile, stating that they were very close to their destination and would likely arrive in about three to four more days.
Upon hearing Gu Yu say he didn’t want to ride in a carriage, Gu Mengyao suggested riding horses instead, which would also allow them to feel the wind.
However, after hearing about riding horses, Gu Yu repeatedly shook his head, preferring to remain in the carriage for comfort.
This made Gu Mengyao chuckle helplessly.
Her little husband was truly lazy to the extreme.
“In that case, I’ll go out for a horse ride first and come back later.”
“Go ahead, go ahead.”
Seeing that Gu Yu didn’t want to ride, Gu Mengyao didn’t force him. She then announced her intention to go for a ride, and under Gu Yu’s gaze, she directly lifted the carriage curtain and put her fingers to her lips to whistle.
As the whistle sounded, a loud neigh followed, and then a tall, black horse galloped rapidly towards the carriage.
Its glossy, healthy coat shimmered under the sunlight, so beautiful it was impossible to look away.
Upon seeing her beloved horse approach, Gu Mengyao couldn’t help but smile. As the black horse neared the carriage, Gu Mengyao propped herself against the carriage and swiftly leaped onto the horse, taking the reins and galloping away.
The journey had not been without its gains.
At the very least, Gu Mengyao had acquired a fine horse, which she often rode around.
Seeing his little wife go off for another horse ride, Gu Yu lazily flopped back into the carriage, wondering why he disliked riding horses so much.
No, it wasn’t just horse riding; Gu Yu disliked any form of exercise.
He preferred to be like this, quietly being a handsome gentleman.
Without the clamor of the world, he could quietly stay in the carriage, needing to do nothing but stare blankly.
“Young Master-in-law, Master Gu Qing wants to see you.”
“Ah?”
As Gu Yu was lost in thought, a voice suddenly spoke from beside the carriage. Upon hearing that Gu Qing wanted to see him, Gu Yu felt an unbearable ache.
Ever since they left the Gu Residence, his father-in-law had been constantly looking over, which was very strange.
When Gu Yu mentioned it to Gu Mengyao, she had dismissed it, saying he was being too sensitive lately.
Gu Qing was no different than before; he just liked to come over and inquire about their well-being, making Gu Mengyao feel that her father was incredibly caring and concerned for her and Yu.
Hearing his little wife say this, Gu Yu truly wanted to make her understand that things were not that simple!
His father-in-law’s gaze, which was clearly mixed with blame and gratification, and recently had lingered on Gu Mengyao’s belly for a long time, as if trying to discern something, made Gu Yu dread facing such a strange father-in-law!
Gu Qing was eager to have a grandson!
Yet his wife was so oblivious to this matter. Nowadays, when her father’s gaze lingered, she only perceived it as a look of concern.
But it was far from that!
With these thoughts in mind, Gu Yu reluctantly alighted from the carriage, and under the guidance of a soldier, he hurried towards Gu Qing.
As the procession was constantly moving forward, Gu Yu had to run to keep pace with the soldier, lest he be left behind in an instant.
When Gu Yu arrived at Gu Qing’s side, breathless, Gu Qing sighed upon seeing Gu Yu’s frailty. Without further ado, he took a small bamboo box from a nearby soldier and handed it to Gu Yu.
“Gu Yu, take this box back with you!”
“Father-in-law, may I ask what this is???”
“You’ll know when you open it.”
With Gu Qing withholding information, Gu Yu returned to the carriage. When he opened the bamboo box, his mouth twitched speechlessly, wondering what his father-in-law was trying to achieve!
‘Mighty Man Powder,’ ‘Energy Pill,’ ‘How to Last a Night,’ ‘Don’t Leave Me, Love Me’…
Looking at the pile of miscellaneous items, Gu Yu couldn’t help but cover his face with his hand, not knowing what to say.
He asked him to come out just for this?
Even if he was given these now, they were useless!
“Yu, I’ve returned from my horse ride, and I’m in a good mood. Do you want to…”
Just as Gu Yu was covering his face, Gu Mengyao’s voice sounded from outside the carriage. As the sound of the curtain being lifted was heard, Gu Mengyao’s figure emerged into the carriage.
Then, she cast her eyes upon the box in front of Gu Yu.
Peeking curiously, Gu Mengyao froze in place…
So, while she was riding her horse, her little husband liked to research such things? No wonder he didn’t want to go riding with her.
But now was a time of war; wouldn’t researching these things be inappropriate?
Or perhaps, Yu was planning to do something to her… on the battlefield?
As Gu Mengyao’s cheeks flushed with her wild thoughts, Gu Yu, startled by Gu Mengyao’s sudden appearance in the carriage, quickly put the bamboo box away into his space, to prevent his wife from seeing what was inside.
However, after putting the box away, Gu Yu suddenly felt that something was not quite right.
With both witnesses and evidence present, he should show it to his wife!
Let her clearly understand her father-in-law’s urgent desire for a grandchild.
Therefore, Gu Yu took the bamboo box out of his space again and pushed it towards Gu Mengyao, letting her see for herself what was inside!
“Yu, although I know you can barely contain yourself, this is not the place. If anything, when we get back, I’ll…”
“Mengyao, look carefully, these are all gifts from your father! I told you his recent gaze was strange, but you didn’t believe me.”
“My father? Yu, if you’re going to make excuses, at least come up with a better one. How could these things possibly be from my father! It’s clearly you!”
“Me???”
After revealing the items, Gu Yu immediately spoke to Gu Mengyao, but then… hearing Gu Mengyao’s words, she seemed to have misunderstood something.
He just wanted to tell her about his father-in-law’s intentions!
“Yu, you’re so naughty! I think it would be best for you to calm down. I’m going for another horse ride.”
Seeing Gu Yu’s blank expression, Gu Mengyao assumed her words had touched a nerve. So, she didn’t linger in the carriage, fearing that Gu Yu might lose control and transform into a wolf.
After Gu Mengyao left the carriage, Gu Yu finally realized.
He had been misunderstood by his wife!
……
Thus, amidst his father-in-law’s constant observation, Gu Mengyao’s shyness, and Gu Yu’s inner turmoil, the procession successfully reached the battlefield.
The border city, although partially damaged in some areas, had not yet fallen. With the arrival of reinforcements, it was like a tiger with wings, and it was no longer in immediate danger.
Upon arriving at the battlefield, Gongsun Jie began to consider how to distribute the soldiers, planning to have the other deputy generals share the burden, to avoid him having to lead too many troops alone.
Since discovering his chronic ailments, Gongsun Jie knew he couldn’t remain on the battlefield for much longer. He could only serve Linfeng Kingdom diligently while he was still able to move.
Ideally, during this time, he would find a successor for the position of Great General, to prevent any issues with Linfeng Kingdom’s military strength and potential weaknesses.
However, this was easier said than done.
Originally, Gu Qing was the tentative candidate, but with the emergence of many talents recently, Gu Qing was starting to fall behind.
Even his daughter performed much better on the battlefield than he did.
It was a pity that Gu Mengyao was a woman; if she were a man, the position of Great General would undoubtedly be hers.
Since Gu Mengyao was not a suitable candidate, they had to explore other options.
However, as they were about to leave the capital, the Emperor had clearly stated that the members of the Wang Clan would not be heavily relied upon, thus eliminating the Wang Clan from contention.
The remaining few candidates lacked any outstanding qualities.
Alas, in the final analysis, it was still because Gu Mengyao was not a man.
It was all the more regrettable that a woman was so capable!
Of course, it wasn’t impossible for Gu Mengyao to become Great General, but it would require her to display even greater strength, at least surpassing that of other candidates.
However, even a slight difference in strength would not increase Gu Mengyao’s chances at all.
Sometimes, things were just that cruel.
And now, no one knew how things would develop in the future, so they could only stand still and watch silently, observing how far Gu Mengyao would grow.
Would she become the renowned Divine Martial Female General of the entire nation?
Or would she miss out on the position of General?
Everything would be fully revealed in the near future.
