"Yingtong, that girl... Yingtong?"

As Gu Jingheng organized the files under his command, he tried to ask Lian Yingtong something, but received no reply.

Looking up again, he found Lian Yingtong staring blankly at a dotted point.

It was only after Xu Meng nudged Lian Yingtong that Lian Yingtong snapped out of his daze: "What? General, what's wrong?"

"I wanted to ask you, what happened to the girl you rescued last time?"

After Lian Yingtong returned, she angrily denounced the crimes of those beasts in front of Gu Jingheng, which left a deep impression on Gu Jingheng.

“I visited him twice before, and he was taken home by his mother and grandmother. With his family taking good care of him, he should get better.” Lian Yingtong lowered her eyes again, hiding the sadness in them.

If it weren't for these corrupt officials and unscrupulous businessmen, this young girl could have lived happily with her family. Unfortunately... life doesn't offer "what ifs".

Seeing that the atmosphere in the room had suddenly turned cold, Xu Meng wanted to ease the tension, so he chuckled and said, "But now we've dealt with all these scumbags, and saved a lot of people. It's a good thing, General, Lieutenant, everyone cheer up, cheer up, hehehehehehe."

The atmosphere improved slightly, and the group discussed business for a while longer before it got dark.

Ge Xianshun was assigned to guard the sealed case files and three copies with the Imperial Guards. He would then return to Beidu and would not be back for the next few days.

Having skipped lunch, Gu Jingheng was now hungry, so he called in dinner. He ate and chatted with two subordinates when suddenly someone knocked on the door.

"General, Eunuch Cui requests an audience."

Gu Jingheng glanced at his two subordinates, and Lian He and Xu looked at each other, unsure of the purpose of Eunuch Cui's visit.

Eunuch Cui was sent by the palace and held a higher position than the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict to the military camp last time. Could it be that the emperor had something to tell Gu Jingheng that he had come to see him?

With this suspicion in mind, Lian and Xu dared not stay in the room any longer. They cleared away the dishes and left.

Only Gu Jingheng and Eunuch Cui remained in the room.

Wearing a deep purple robe and a three-peaked hat, Eunuch Cui smiled and cupped his hands to Gu Jingheng, saying, "I apologize for disturbing you so late at night, General."

His voice was high-pitched and feminine, and his attitude was extremely attentive.

"Please sit down, sir," Gu Jingheng returned the greeting and offered him a seat.

"General, you are too kind. You have worked hard for more than a month. You have worked day and night, trying your best to handle things impartially. When I return to Beidu and report to His Majesty, I will definitely tell the truth and let His Majesty know how hard you have worked."

When Eunuch Cui spoke, he swayed his head slightly and made a delicate gesture with his right hand, his attitude both respectful and ingratiating.

"You flatter me, Father-in-law. Everyone has had a hard time these past month." Gu Jingheng didn't really respond to Eunuch Cui's words, but simply gave a polite reply.

However, this attitude did not anger Eunuch Cui; on the contrary, he seemed quite pleased.

"Oh, General, you are too modest." Eunuch Cui laughed in a high-pitched voice, then looked towards the door, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Gu Jingheng understood his meaning and said, "Don't worry, Father-in-law, this courtyard is guarded by my soldiers inside and out, so there won't be any eavesdroppers."

When Eunuch Cui heard Gu Jingheng say this, he immediately smiled again, but still lowered his voice: "General, His Majesty sent me here this time for another matter."

Gu Jingheng listened attentively.

Eunuch Cui suddenly straightened up, his smile vanished, and he said in a serious, low voice, "Convey His Majesty's imperial edict..."

After saying those few words, Gu Jingheng immediately lifted his robe and knelt down.

"For many years, Minister Gu has guarded the border, protecting the safety of me and the people. His military achievements are outstanding. I hereby bestow upon you the title of General Who Pacifies the West. Moreover, you have worked hard for more than four months to inspect the four northern prefectures on my behalf. You are very familiar with the officials and people in these four prefectures. Therefore, I hereby grant you the jurisdiction of these four prefectures as your fiefdom. I only hope that you will not forget my instructions. Remember them well."

"My lord, thank you Lord for your kindness!"

Gu Jingheng faced the direction of Beidu and performed the grand ceremony before getting up.

"Congratulations, General Gu! His Majesty also said that you've worked hard these past six months. Now, if you wish to travel around your territory, you won't need to report to him anymore, which is certainly a great relief. I imagine the imperial edict appointing you as General Pingxi and bestowing rewards will arrive soon. I'd like to ask you for a drink now; I hope you won't mind?"

Gu Jingheng smiled calmly, called his subordinates to bring wine and some snacks, and chatted with Eunuch Cui over drinks until midnight.

After Eunuch Cui left, Lian Yingtong and Xu Meng, who had been guarding outside the courtyard, also returned.

A young eunuch followed behind him. Gu Jingheng glanced at him and recognized him as the same young eunuch he had seen on the outer corridor during the day.

He was carrying a bowl of hangover tea and some late-night snacks.

As he was putting down the food, Gu Jingheng noticed purplish-red marks on his exposed arm.

After putting the things down, the young eunuch withdrew.

Gu Jingheng took a sip of the hangover soup, pondered for a moment, and waved his hand to Lian Yingtong: "Yingtong, go and ask Eunuch Cui for that little eunuch who brought the things in earlier."

"A little eunuch?" Lian Ying didn't react at the same time.

"What? That little eunuch? General, you...you wouldn't..." Xu Meng stammered, speechless with surprise.

"What nonsense are you thinking? I just happened to see that little eunuch being bullied by the other eunuchs who came with him a while ago. When I saw him again today, I saw that he still had scars on his arms and neck. He's so young, it's pitiful. Now outsiders say that I have a thing for men, right? I think if I ask for an insignificant little eunuch, Eunuch Cui won't refuse me."

"Yes. But General, where will we place the young eunuch after he arrives? Will he serve in this courtyard?"