Chapter 6: Is the Battlefield Terrifying?
After seeing off the village chief, Gu Yu and Mengyao Gu did not dwell on the matter of the deserters.
Compared to the various experiences the Gu family had been through, deserters were truly nothing.
At best, they were jumping clowns. It was best that they didn’t cause trouble for the Gu family, otherwise, they would die miserably if caught.
However, if even the village chief could hear about deserters appearing, it was likely that the news of the war at Black Jade City on the border would not be kept secret for much longer. It would soon spread like prairie fire, instantly engulfing the town.
Lian Town was relatively fine, as it was not close to the border.
Even if a war were to break out, it would not immediately attack. Therefore, the civilians of Lian Town were only worried about how long the war would last.
After all, in times of war, it was always the civilians who suffered.
Not only would various taxes increase, but if the army lacked manpower, they would also conscript strong young men from each family.
The battlefield was not like a market that one could stroll through. Especially during wartime, if one went there, it was uncertain whether they would return alive.
Therefore, the civilians of Lian Town secretly prayed for the war to end quickly, lest it spread to their area.
However, whenever Gu Yu heard about war, he would frown.
He carefully avoided Mengyao Gu, not wanting her to notice the change in his mood… Mengyao Gu was very observant, and if she inferred his going to the battlefield from even a slight change in his expression, it would be terrible.
Gu Yu now only hoped that all his worries were unfounded and that he was overthinking things.
…
“Brother-in-law, I heard that deserters have appeared!”
“Where did you hear that? Weren’t you at the academy all day?”
“The academy is not isolated from the world. Of course, I have ways to find out. Hehehe.”
“It must be your classmate who also likes gossip! They are probably from the town, otherwise, the news wouldn’t be so well-informed.”
“…”
In the afternoon, on the way back from picking up Gu Qingheng, Gu Qingheng walked and curiously inquired about the deserters, his face full of gossip. Gu Yu helplessly shook his head, thinking how truly curious his younger brother-in-law was!
No matter what the gossip was, he always wanted to find out.
No wonder he could be a friend to women.
However, Gu Yu was also very curious about Gu Qingheng’s evasive behavior that morning.
In the morning, it was because Mengyao Gu was present that Gu Yu did not ask further, to avoid any conflict between the siblings.
Now that it was just him and Gu Qingheng, he could ask about it.
However, after hearing Gu Yu’s words, Gu Qingheng fell silent. His face showed a struggling expression, as if he was hesitating whether to speak or not.
“Brother-in-law, I really admire you! How can nothing be hidden from you? Are you my belly’s蛔虫 (worm in my stomach, meaning you know everything I think)!”
“Get lost. I just used my brain to guess. Don’t treat your sister as a fool. I guess she has also figured out most of it!”
“My heavens, brother-in-law, don’t scare me! If my sister finds out, she’ll definitely start talking and lecturing.”
“You haven’t answered… Who is that friend of yours?”
Afterwards, Gu Qingheng had no choice but to confess.
He had indeed met a very compatible classmate at the academy. For some time, the two had exchanged information and news they knew, and they hit it off immediately, regretting not meeting a few years earlier.
If circumstances had allowed, they might have even drunk sworn brotherhood wine.
“His name is Zhuo Fei. He is fifteen years old and has been living in town. After I entered Qingshan Academy to study, I was excited for a while, and when things calmed down, I felt bored. Fortunately, Zhuo Fei appeared, making my life at the academy instantly interesting again.”
“Oh, is that so! That’s good. You can spend more time with your companions in the future… And don’t guard against your sister like you’re guarding against a thief. She is thinking of your well-being. As long as you don’t slack off in your studies, it’s okay to tell Mengyao about these things.”
“Alas, I’ll find time to talk about it. I’m just afraid my sister will nag, so I haven’t dared to say it.”
When talking about his companion, Gu Qingheng’s face was full of joy. It was obvious that he felt his new friend was very good, and he even felt more motivated to study at the academy.
This was why every morning he wanted to rush to the academy to chat with Zhuo Fei and discuss gossip from the village and town.
Seeing this, Gu Yu did not say anything more. With Director Qingshan present, he had no need to worry.
Just by looking at Director Qingshan’s regard for Gu Qingheng, he would certainly not let any trouble come near him. After all, it was only when Gu Qingheng successfully entered officialdom that he would be of use.
During this growth period, Director Qingshan would definitely pay more attention than Gu Yu, ensuring Gu Qingheng’s safety.
“Brother-in-law, I’ve explained my situation clearly. Aren’t you going to talk about the deserters? I was so curious after hearing about them at the academy today!”
“I don’t know any more than you. I ran into Uncle Yan today and learned that deserters had come to town. And this morning, the village chief specifically came to our house to warn us to be careful and not let the deserters sneak into our home.”
“Brother-in-law, do you think the battlefield is really terrifying? That’s why these deserters don’t want to stay there, even though they’ll be beheaded if caught by the yamen for running away.”
After hearing about the deserters from Gu Yu, Gu Qingheng sighed like a little adult, wondering why these people became deserters.
The Linfeng Kingdom’s treatment of deserters was undoubtedly public beheading as a warning.
It could be said to be a very strict criminal law, making it better for those who joined the army to die gloriously on the battlefield than to be beheaded and displayed in the public square.
“There are no eyes on swords and sabers, especially on the battlefield. People are brutally killed in front of you at any moment. Do you think it’s terrifying or not? After the war starts at Black Jade City, some people will inevitably panic. Then will the war continue, leading to their own death… The more they think about it, the more they panic, and that’s why they flee from the battlefield. As for being caught while escaping, since some people have successfully escaped, there is still hope of survival. Moreover, every war kills quite a few people, who knows if they died on the battlefield.”
“But the deserters who fled here have all been captured!”
“That’s also because they didn’t disguise themselves. Deserters who have just come off the battlefield will certainly behave differently from ordinary people in their sitting and walking, so they are easily seen through. Especially now that the war has not yet ended, these people look like deserters. As soon as they are reported, the yamen will send people to arrest them.”
After hearing Gu Qingheng’s question, Gu Yu smiled and, when he explained later, he recounted his deductions based on the information provided by Min Yan.
These deserters were really stubborn. Since they had already fled all the way to Lian Town, they might as well change their outfits. Even disguised as beggars would be better than running around everywhere.
Beggars would just lie on the ground, holding broken bowls to beg. With disheveled hair, there was no need for any acting; it was the simplest method.
In ancient times, there were no cameras, not even portraits were very accurate, so it was unlikely to catch people based on portraits.
Yet these guys appeared in Lian Town so brazenly, dressed like “I am a deserter,” it made one wonder what they were thinking.
Did they think that by escaping to Lian Town, they would be safe?
Of course, this did not apply to all deserters.
There were still intelligent guys who knew how to disguise themselves… If it were Gu Yu, he would pretend to have been kidnapped by human traffickers and, while escaping midway, accidentally hit his head, causing him to lose his memory.
Next, it would be a test of acting.
With his experience of transmigration, Gu Yu could definitely perfectly portray amnesia.
“Fortunately, both my sister and I have passed the Tong Sheng exam. Even if government soldiers come to the village to conscript people in the future, they won’t be able to catch us.”
“It won’t be easy to be an official in the future! You should take advantage of this time to have fun more, lest you have no time to enjoy yourself later.”
As they spoke, the two also returned home.
While waiting for dinner, through his conversation with Gu Yu, Gu Qingheng now felt that he could not keep it a secret from his sister anymore. So, he entered the kitchen to find Mengyao Gu, helping to tend the fire while talking about recent events at the academy.
When he mentioned Zhuo Fei’s name, Gu Qingheng’s heart was pounding, wondering if his sister would fly into a rage.
After all, his sister wanted him to achieve great things by sending him to study at the academy…
To his surprise, when Mengyao Gu heard Gu Qingheng’s words, she did not get angry. Instead, she was happy that her brother had finally made a friend.
Although Gu Qingheng had many playmates in the village, looking at those snot-nosed children running around, and then looking at Gu Qingheng, who was full of “zhi hu zhe ye” literary style, it was obvious that the two could no longer play together.
Thinking that her brother might be lonely in the future, Mengyao Gu had been anxious. Now, after hearing Gu Qingheng say that he had made a friend, Mengyao Gu was relieved.
Initially, after Gu Qingheng entered the academy to study, Mengyao Gu had been very worried. Now, she would not say that making friends would delay his studies and directly reprimand Gu Qingheng.
Even if one studies, there must be a balance between work and rest!
Seeing Mengyao Gu’s pleasant expression, Gu Qingheng was overjoyed. After all, from now on, he would not have to hide anything when talking about his friends.
Afterwards, Gu Qingheng ran to Gu Yu to thank him, thanking his brother-in-law for suggesting he confess to his sister.
It turned out that he had been overthinking everything.
Seeing this, Gu Yu just nodded at Gu Qingheng, then reached out and touched his little head, telling him that he had done well.
Mengyao Gu and Gu Qingheng had supported each other through these years. Gu Yu did not want any conflicts between them. If there were issues, they should be resolved promptly, otherwise, they would become serious if suppressed for too long.
Take this matter for example; Gu Qingheng had been overthinking… Even if he found a like-minded gossip companion at the academy, as long as it did not affect his studies, Mengyao Gu would not object.
“Ayu, Qingheng, dinner is ready.”
Then, as Mengyao Gu called them for dinner, Gu Yu and Gu Qingheng also moved the table and fetched the bowls and chopsticks. After arranging the dishes, the three began to eat dinner.
During dinner, Gu Qingheng vividly recounted the amusing events at the academy, making Gu Yu and Mengyao Gu laugh heartily. They had a very happy meal.
“Miss, something terrible has happened! Master is injured!”
That was, until… a young man suddenly rushed in front of them mid-meal, knelt on one knee, and delivered a bombshell piece of news.
Gu Qing had gotten into trouble.
