Chapter 64: Waiting in the Dead of Night

The news of the imperial edict's issuance spread like wildfire, reaching the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion even before Gu Yangui stepped into the palace to report.

Su Wanrou was in the Old Madam's Shou'an Hall, keeping the old lady company and talking to her, actually hoping to find some peace of mind from her experienced grandmother. Mingxuan sat obediently to the side, fiddling with the nine-linked rings, but he was somewhat absent-minded, occasionally looking up at the door.

When the steward Gu Zhong almost staggered in, excitedly and fearfully reporting, "His Majesty has decreed that the Duke will be appointed commander-in-chief and will set out on the expedition in three days," Su Wanrou's teacup trembled almost imperceptibly, and a few drops of scalding tea splashed out, landing on the back of her hand and causing a slight sting, but she was completely unaware of it.

The old lady paused, her hand holding the prayer beads still. She closed her eyes and sighed, "Amitabha, what was bound to happen has finally happened." She opened her eyes and looked at Su Wanrou with mixed feelings, a mixture of pity and entrustment, "Child, with Yan Gui gone, this family will have to suffer."

Su Wanrou put down her teacup, stood up, curtsied, and said in a soft but firm voice, "Grandmother, rest assured, your granddaughter-in-law will do her utmost."

Mingxuan dropped the Nine Linked Rings, rushed over and hugged Su Wanrou's leg, looking up at her with his big eyes full of panic and dependence: "Mother, is Father really leaving? Is he going to fight a war? Will he be in danger?"

Su Wanrou bent down and picked up the child, gently wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes with her fingertips, and softly comforted him, "Xuan'er, don't be afraid. Your father is a great hero, he went to protect our country and drive away the bad guys. He will come back safely." These words were for Mingxuan to hear, but weren't they also for herself?

For the rest of the day, the entire Duke's mansion operated at high speed, like a wound-up machine, yet filled with an atmosphere of anxious chaos. Military generals and officials from the Ministry of War frequently entered and exited the front courtyard, the sounds of horses' hooves, clashing armor, and hurried footsteps rising and falling. Upon returning home, Gu Yan immediately went to the outer study to discuss matters with his advisors and generals, not even bothering to drink a sip of tea.

Knowing she couldn't help with the front courtyard, Su Wanrou focused all her energy on the inner quarters. She calmly gave instructions that everything in the mansion should remain as usual and that there should be no panic. She also specifically instructed the kitchen to ensure that the meals for the next few days were of high quality and timely, especially in the Duke's study, where hot soup and hot meals should be provided at any time.

Then, she returned to the main courtyard, "Gui Ren Ju".

"Yunbin, Yuebai, find the keys and tags for the storeroom." Su Wanrou's voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable matriarchal authority. "Find the few black fox fur and silver sable fur cloaks that were newly acquired last year, as well as the top-quality Songjiang cotton cloth, fine silk, and medicinal materials such as wound medicine, hemostatic powder, ginseng, and deer antler stored in the storeroom. Inventory them all."

She knew the army had its own provisions and supplies, but the northern border was bitterly cold, and she had to prepare the warmest clothes and the most effective medicine for him. This was not just material preparation, but the only thing she could do for him, filled with all her worries and concerns.

two

As night deepened, the commotion in the front yard gradually subsided. The generals took their leave one after another, but the light in the study remained on.

Su Wanrou had the wet nurse lull Mingxuan to sleep, but he refused to leave and kept talking about his father. She then sat under the lamp in the inner room of Guiren Residence, with all the items she had found spread out in front of her. She personally inspected and touched each item.

The black fox fur cloak was glossy and warm to the touch; the silver sable fur cloak, on the other hand, was lighter and more luxurious. She imagined the north wind whipping snowflakes against his armor, and without hesitation, she chose the thicker, windproof black fox fur cloak as her first choice, carefully wrapping the silver sable cloak inside before placing them both in her baggage. The northern border was bitterly cold; an extra layer was always a good idea.

She then picked up a soft cotton undershirt from Songjiang, meant to be worn close to the skin, so it had to be comfortable and absorbent. She carefully inspected the stitches, afraid that even a rough spot might chafe his skin. There were also thick cotton socks, knee pads, hand warmers... She organized and folded them one by one, placing them into the large bag she had already prepared.

"Madam, let us do these things. You've had a long day, rest your eyes," Yunbin said with concern, watching Su Wanrou busily working under the lamp. Her young mistress was so young, yet she had to bear such separation and burden.

Su Wanrou shook her head, her hands still moving: "No, I want to do it myself." Her voice was soft, but it carried a stubbornness. It was as if only through these folds and stacks by her own hands could she gradually infuse her heart, her prayers, and her longing into these cold objects, to accompany him on his journey and protect him.

She picked up a bottle of high-quality wound medicine, uncorked it, and smelled its bitter aroma, her heart skipped a beat. She forced herself not to imagine what kind of situation this medicine would be used on him, and simply wrapped the bottle more carefully in a soft cloth and tucked it into a corner of her bag.

Yuebai brought over a bowl of steaming bird's nest porridge: "Madam, you didn't eat much for dinner, have some porridge to warm your stomach."

Su Wanrou really didn't have much of an appetite, but thinking about all the things she had to do in the next few days, she couldn't give up. So she took the bowl and forced herself to eat half of it in small bites.

Time flowed slowly in silence, broken only by the occasional crackling of the lamp wick and the faint sound of the water clock outside the window. Midnight had passed, and all was quiet, yet the light in the study in the front yard remained on.

Is he still busy? Is he hungry? Is he tired?

Su Wanrou put down the cuff of an old undergarment she was mending—she had noticed a loose stitch during her inspection earlier that day; it wasn't a problem, but she still wanted to undo it and sew it back up securely. She walked to the window, pushed it open a crack, and a gust of cold night wind immediately rushed in, making her shiver. The study light, in the deep darkness, shone stubbornly like a distant star.

She glanced back at the luggage that was mostly prepared on the table and said to Yunbin, "Go to the small kitchen and see if there's any ginseng soup or pastries warming on the stove. Pack some and I'll take it to the study."

three

Gu Yangui rubbed his throbbing temples and put down the last military report in his hand. Several marching routes and possible battlefields had already been marked on the map with vermilion ink, and several rounds of simulations had been conducted with his advisors. The situation in the north was more severe than expected; Yunzhou was already an isolated city, and the risk of the city falling increased with every quarter of an hour that reinforcements arrived later.

The mobilization of 100,000 troops in three days was a suffocatingly tight timeframe. The allocation of provisions, the replenishment of weapons, the appointment of generals… a myriad of tasks needed to be finalized before he left the capital.

There was a gentle knock on the study door.

"Come in." He assumed it was one of his advisors returning, or that Gu Zhong had something to report.

The door was pushed open, bringing in a chill, and Su Wanrou entered. She carried a red lacquered tray with a bowl of soup and several plates of delicate pastries on it.

"Husband," she called softly, placing the tray on a corner of the desk, away from the important documents and maps. "It's late, have some ginseng soup and snacks."

Gu Yangui then realized that it was already late at night. He looked at Su Wanrou under the lamp. She was only wearing a light purple cotton robe, without any makeup, and her face showed obvious signs of fatigue. She had obviously been waiting for him.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?" His tone carried a hint of reproach he himself didn't realize, but more than that, it was... a strange, bittersweet emotion. In the past, when he stayed up late to handle official business, no one had ever waited for him like this so late at night to bring him a bowl of hot soup.

"I'm not sleepy." Su Wanrou avoided his gaze and lifted the lid of the soup bowl, releasing a rich aroma of ginseng. "Husband, drink some while it's hot to warm yourself up."

Gu Yangui was indeed exhausted and hungry. He took the soup bowl she handed him; the temperature was just right. He drank it down in a few gulps, the warm liquid flowing into his stomach and dispelling some of his fatigue and chill. He then picked up a piece of chestnut cake she offered; it was sweet but not cloying, soft and delicious.

He ate quickly, with the discipline of a soldier. Su Wanrou stood quietly to the side, watching him, her heart brimming with a mixture of fullness and emptiness. She wondered if she would ever have another chance to watch him eat like this.

"I've almost finished preparing the luggage." After he finished eating, Su Wanrou said in a low voice, "Two overcoats, thick inner clothes and cotton socks, and various wound medicines are all in that dark green bag."

Gu Yangui paused, looking at her. Only then did he notice the faint dark circles under her eyes and the tiny red dots on her fingers, as if she had been pricked by a needle. He was away from home most of the year, and these trivial matters were always handled by servants; he had never paid attention to them before. Only now did he realize that preparing luggage was so mentally taxing.

“These things can be done by the servants,” he said in a low voice.

“I want to prepare it myself.” Su Wanrou raised her head and bravely met his gaze. Her almond-shaped eyes were glistening with tears, but she stubbornly refused to look away. “I can’t help the previous dynasty, so I can only do my best in these small matters.”

Gu Yangui's heart felt as if it had been struck hard by something. He looked at his young wife, who was only fifteen years old, and although she herself was still like a child who needed to be cared for, she was already trying her best to straighten her back and want to support him.

He stood up and walked to her. The candlelight flickered in the study, casting long, overlapping shadows of the two of them.

He reached out as if to touch her cheek, but in the end he only placed his hand on her shoulder and patted it gently.

"Thank you for your hard work at the manor." A thousand words were on his lips, but only this dry sentence came out. He had never been good at expressing such tender emotions.

Su Wanrou felt a lump in her throat and almost burst into tears at his stiff words of comfort. She quickly lowered her head to hide her emotions and said, "It's not hard. Husband... please be careful."

Four

"Hmm." Gu Yangui responded, his gaze falling on a corner of the desk where a letter he had just written lay. He pondered for a moment, then walked over, picked up the letter, and handed it to Su Wanrou.

"Keep this safe."

Su Wanrou took the letter and opened it with a puzzled look. The handwriting on the letter was strong and vigorous, the handwriting of Gu Yangui. However, the content was addressed to several border generals and local wealthy merchants in the northern border who had shared life-or-death experiences with him. It stated that if there was any emergency in the household during his campaign, his wife, Madam Su, could take this letter to seek help, hoping that they would take care of him out of consideration for their past friendship. Below were his personal seal and the seal of the Duke's Mansion.

This wasn't an official document, but it carried a weighty promise of favor and protection. It meant that he had entrusted her with a portion of his connections in the North in advance.

“Husband, this…” Su Wanrou held the thin letter, yet it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. This trust far surpassed that token of power.

"Though the northern border is far, it is not entirely unrelated." Gu Yangui's tone was calm, as if he were merely stating a routine matter. "It's better to be prepared. Hopefully... we won't need to."

Su Wanrou carefully folded the letter, clutching it tightly in her palm, as if drawing strength from it. "I understand, thank you, my husband."

The sound of a clapper at midnight came from outside the window.

Gu Yangui glanced at the sky: "It's late, go back and rest. Tomorrow... we'll have a lot to do."

Su Wanrou knew he had things to attend to and she shouldn't disturb him any longer. She nodded and picked up the empty tray: "Husband, don't stay up too late."

She turned and walked towards the door. But as her hand touched the door, she couldn't help turning back.

Gu Yangui had already sat back down at his desk, picked up the military report again, and his profile appeared particularly cold and focused in the candlelight. The flickering flame cast shadows on his deep eyes.

That one glance felt like it would etch his image into my heart.

Su Wanrou gently closed the door, separating the two worlds. Inside, the marshal was about to head to the battlefield, strategizing and planning; outside, his wife, left behind in the capital, was filled with worry.

A chill swept over her from the corridor, and she wrapped her coat tighter around herself, looking up at the night sky. Thick clouds obscured the moon, with only a few sparse, cold stars twinkling.

Three days. Only three days left.

She took a deep breath of the cold air, straightened her back, and walked step by step toward Guirenju. The road ahead was long, and the night was long, but she knew that from this moment on, she had to be stronger.

Back in her room, her luggage lay quietly on the table. She went over and checked it one last time, then took out a small amulet tied with a red string from her innermost purse. It was a lucky charm that her mother had obtained from the Baiyun Temple, the most popular temple in the outskirts of Beijing, when she came of age, and she had always worn it close to her body.

She stroked the fine stitches on the amulet, then carefully tucked it into a hidden pocket inside the lining of her black fox fur cloak.

"May all the gods and Buddhas protect you and ensure your safe return." She whispered her prayer to her luggage, her voice fading into the quiet room.

The long night stretches on, candle wax drips, and what cannot be fully expressed is the sorrow of those parting and the silent vows.