"General, what are you laughing at?"

While cleaning up the battlefield, Chang Qing couldn't help but chuckle. For a burly man like that, he did look rather sleazy.

"Do you think there's something wrong with this aristocratic family?"

As Chang Qing spoke, he pointed to his head and said, "In the last battle of Ju County, our forces were about the same as theirs. Do they really think that our forces will be about the same in this battle?"

"Or are they so confident that we would never expect them to attack Gaixian?"

"Yeah, I always felt there was something strange about how they fought."

His subordinates were also somewhat bewildered; he had fought so many battles over the years, and this was the first time he had encountered such an enemy.

"First they captured the young master of the Qin family, and now they've captured the young master of the Sun family, and also the eldest son of the Gong family, hehehehe." Chang Qing started chuckling again, "This battle is like it's been delivered to our doorstep."

"What are you looking at? Go and check on the prisoners."

He slapped his subordinate on the head, and the subordinate ran away immediately. Seeing this, Chang Qing suppressed a smile and headed towards the room where Gu Lin was.

"Your Majesty, nobody knows they only brought ten thousand men to make a scene, making us all seem like we're making a big fuss." Chang Qing restrained his expression in front of Gu Lin, but couldn't help but mutter.

"For hundreds of years, no one has dared to really confront the powerful families. Over time, they have come to believe that they are invincible."

Gu Lin was not as optimistic as Chang Qing. This time, they had thoroughly defeated the Qin family, the Sun family, and the Gong family, and they might also have thoroughly woken up these three families.

"We must ensure that our soldiers on the border are on high alert."

Gu Lin's serious expression made Chang Qing take it seriously as well.

"But aristocratic families are still aristocratic families. One or two defeats will not shake their foundation, but the people in our hands will."

As Gu Lin spoke, he glanced out the window and said, "Take Sun Cai to the capital. As for Gong Liuming, let the Gong family ransom him."

"Aren't you taking Gong Liuming to the capital?"

Chang Qing was somewhat puzzled. Although Gong Liuming was only a son of a concubine, the Gong family valued offspring highly, and Gong Liuming was still very useful.

"No, our Great Yu only wants legitimate sons, not illegitimate sons."

Gu Lin's lips curled slightly. Using such an excuse to let Gong Liuming return to the Gong family, it seemed that his brotherly relationship with Gong Liusheng could never be the same again.

"Then I will escort Sun Cai back to the capital now."

Gu Lin nodded. "Go back and tell the Empress Dowager that I will stay here for a few more days before returning."

When the news of Sun Cai and Gong Liuming's capture reached the Sun and Gong families, the heads of both families, like the Qin family head before them, were nearly driven to the brink of fainting with anger.

"Should we, the Gong family, go and ransom them?"

Madam Gong's face turned ashen. "Did they say anything about asking the Sun family to also ransom the people?"

"Reporting to the old lady, the Emperor Emeritus of Dayu has announced that he only wants the legitimate son, which is why he sent us to redeem the eldest young master."

"This is absolutely outrageous!"

Old Madam Gong almost immediately understood Gu Lin's sinister intentions, but she had no choice but to be led by the nose by Gu Lin. "Did he say what we should bring to redeem ourselves?"

"Madam...the other party said...said..."

"say what!"

Seeing the servants' hesitant expressions, Madam Gong felt a bad premonition rise in her heart once again.

“Let us use what we feel is worthy of the young master to redeem him.”

"That's outrageous!"

Finally, Madam Gong could no longer hold back and fainted.

Gong Liusheng, sitting to the side, clenched his fists under his sleeves, but didn't say a word.

......

The lakeside pavilion, not far from Gaixian County, was the place where Gu Lin and the Gong family had arranged to meet.

The Gong family sent the head of the Gong family and Gong Liuming, while on the Da Yu side, Gu Lin was alone.

"With 50,000 elite troops, you, the Great Yu, have won an unfair victory against our 10,000. It's utterly shameless."

Gong Liusheng started speaking as soon as she came up, and the next second a gust of wind flashed by, and Gong Liusheng was instantly thrown to the ground like a rag doll.

"You say I'm shameless?"

Gu Lin replied as if he had heard a joke, "You should think I am kind-hearted for letting Gong Liuming return to the Gong family. As for the 50,000 against 10,000, that's just your stupidity."

"you!"

Seeing that Gong Liusheng was still unconvinced, Gu Lin sneered, "I can crush you as easily as crushing an ant."

"What if we bring people with us? Do you think you can still get back to Chongqing smoothly?"

Upon hearing Gong Liusheng's words, Gu Lin burst out laughing. "Guess how many Lingxiao Pavilion guards are lurking around here? Gong Liusheng, your aristocratic family is truly arrogant and conceited."

"They've already lost, yet they still shamelessly criticize the winner."

"puff--"

Gong Liusheng coughed up a mouthful of blood; she was so angry at Gu Lin's words that she vomited blood.

The head of the Gong family still had some sense and quickly said, "My son is ignorant, Emperor Zhaoyuan, please don't take it to heart."

"Did you bring the things?"

Gu Lin glanced at the head of the Gong family, and in that one glance, the head of the Gong family felt as if he had been called out by the King of Hell.

"Here...here you go. These are detailed blueprints of all the underground tunnels in Da Yu."

Gu Lin took the blueprint booklet, glanced at it briefly, and put it away. "The Gong family is indeed as renowned as they say. There should be some of these that the Gong family wasn't even involved in, but you still managed to get your hands on them."

Therefore, none of these major families have ever let their guard down against the others.

"I wonder if Emperor Zhaoyuan is satisfied with this ransom?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin glanced at Gong Liuming, whose mouth was gagged, and said, "Of course I'm satisfied. I never expected that a son born of a concubine could be exchanged for anything of great importance..."

"However, after meeting you today, it seems that even your eldest son isn't quite right in the head."

A few words, yet incredibly powerful.

"Gong Liuming is yours to keep. Goodbye and don't see me off."

"Does the Great Yu really not give my family any face at all?" Before leaving, the head of the Gong family couldn't help but ask, "Why can't we respect each other and not interfere with each other?"

"The head of the Gong family is truly forgetful. You seem to have forgotten what the redemption gift you just gave me was."

“Our Great Yu never takes the initiative to act, but those who have bullied our Great Yu must pay the corresponding price.”

A gust of wind blew by, and Gu Lin's white hair fluttered in the wind.

"I have never forgotten what happened at Fushan Cliff back then. My black hair turned white overnight during that time."

Seeing Gu Lin like this, Gong Jiajia moved her lips, but in the end she didn't say anything more and quickly left the place with Gong Liuming and Gong Liusheng.

"Father, your son is incompetent and has caused you and my second brother to suffer humiliation."

Gong Liuming said this, but his eyes were full of hatred. If we were to talk about humiliation, Gong Liuming was the one who had suffered the most humiliation.