Chapter 59 Chapter 59 is the only genuine version...
"Big sister, are you okay?"
Gu Yiqun pulled her sleeve, his face full of worry.
Just now he saw the elder sister's face suddenly turn pale, becoming extremely pale, which scared him to death.
"Have you been standing for too long? Do you want to take a break first?"
Seeing the city gate guard still chatting with the Taoist priest, Gu Yiqun angrily shouted, "We have all the necessary passes. Can you please let us through quickly?"
"What are you yelling about?" the bearded city gate guard shouted. "If you can't wait, don't come in."
He glanced at them and pointed at Chongjiu, saying, "This is a critical border area. No weapons allowed. No entry."
"you!"
Gu Yiqun's cheeks puffed up with anger. He was clearly looking for trouble! The escorts who had entered earlier were all carrying swords.
"Hmph, where did you come from, little bastard? You haven't even grown any hair yet, and you're still yelling nonsense. Go away, get out of here."
"Officer."
Old Dan took out a silver ingot weighing two taels and quietly stuffed it into his hand.
"My daughter is feeling unwell, and the young master is worried."
The guard looked at the only girl in the group. Sure enough, her face was pale and she was covered in sweat. He didn't know if it was due to the climate. He weighed the silver ingot and thought they were quite sensible. He said, "Go in. There's a clinic up ahead."
"Thank you very much."
Old Dan bowed.
Gu Zhizhuo suddenly asked, "Sir, which temple is the Taoist priest from?"
"It's Taoist Master Baisong from Shangxu Monastery. He's not far ahead."
"I heard you talk about suppressing evil spirits and so on. This Shangxu Temple is well versed in the Eight Trigrams and Yin and Yang, and can dispel evil spirits and avoid evil spirits?"
"You're right," the gatekeeper boomed. "Master Changfeng of Shangxu Temple has opened his clairvoyance and can communicate with spirits and gods. Have you seen the Bagua mirror on the city gate? Master Changfeng personally performed a ritual to hang it there."
An old man nearby sighed, "The massacre three years ago left the land covered with the souls of the innocent."
Someone interrupted and said, "The one who was suppressed by Master Changfeng could not be a general of Liang State!"
"That would be great! I will fight to the death to crush those barbarians into ashes!"
There was no one among the people of the thirteen cities in the western border who did not hate the Liang Kingdom, and they wished they could skin it alive and gnaw on its bones.
"I think that besides Liang Ren, who else could be filled with evil spirits that need to be suppressed by some method?"
Gu Zhizhuo listened for a while and entered the city without much delay.
She was thinking about what Taoist Master Bai Song had said, feeling uneasy, until Gu Yiqun called out, "Big sister, the clinic is ahead!"
"No, I'm fine now."
The palpitations only last for a brief moment, without any reason, and disappear quickly.
She calmed herself down and said, "Let's go eat something first and buy some supplies. We'll be in Aur City tomorrow. Let's not make things complicated."
We will know whether it is true or not tomorrow.
Gu Zhizhuo took out the compass from his sleeve and glanced at the magnetic needle of Tianchi.
"Big sister," Gu Yiqun said in frustration, "I was wrong."
Gu Zhizhuo raised his eyebrows and looked at him.
Gu Yiqun said awkwardly, "I shouldn't have butted in."
"It's okay, I'll just learn from it. As the old saying goes, 'Every failure makes you wiser.'"
No matter what the guard said later, he held back and didn't say anything, which showed that he realized at that time that he was impulsive.
After all, he was worried about her. Gu Zhizhuo looked around at the shops and asked, "Would you like to eat mutton?"
Gu Yiqun's spirits suddenly brightened up again: "Yes! Yes!"
They found a nearby tavern, fed the horses, ordered some lamb chops and other filling meals, and also packed a few hundred naan.
After sitting down, Gu Zhizhuo gave the waiter some silver and asked him to buy some sheep, twenty or fifty, as many as he wanted. The rest would be his reward.
That's quite a bit of money! The waiter happily accepted it and hurried out to do it.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the waiter brought back five slaughtered and cleaned sheep, and also got a cart and put the sheep on it.
Old Dan went over and tied the cart behind the horse. The waiter wiped his sweat with a cloth and said in a Yuyu accent, "Wang the butcher who sells mutton said that the Liang people have come to plunder again recently. His wife's hometown was just slaughtered the day before yesterday. He usually goes there to buy live sheep, but now he doesn't dare to go. He only has these five live sheep. If they are not enough, I will go ask elsewhere for you."
"Back then, the Duke was so heroic, he made the people of Xiliang flee in panic. Now, after just a few years, he's become arrogant again. Our garrison has suggested several times that we send troops out to clean up the mess, but that bastard military supervisor won't agree. Bah!"
"He hides in the city all day and doesn't go out. We can't kill him."
Old Dan's heart trembled.
He quickly asked in which direction the massacred village was, and then went to ask Butcher Wang for more information. After leaving the city and meeting up with Qi Fu, he explained the situation and said, "Captain Qi, we need to send scouts to investigate."
Qi Fu frowned.
After discussing with Gu Zhizhuo, he sent fifty people out, and the others set up camp on the spot.
"I didn't bring you any wine, but I did bring you some mutton. When we get back to Beijing, I'll treat you all to a nice meal."
mutton!
After galloping for ten days or so, we had a meal of mutton, which was extremely fragrant and delicious.
There was a sudden cheer all around and a bonfire was lit.
There were five sheep and four hundred people, so each person only got a bite. They were still not satisfied with the food and kept cursing the Liang people for being blind.
The scout came back in the middle of the night. Gu Zhizhuo was a light sleeper, so he got up when he heard the noise and woke up Gu Yiqun.
"Big girl."
“When you go out, there’s not so much courtesy.”
Not only Qi Fu, but also Lao Dan and Chongjiu came.
Gu Zhizhuo sat down next to Qi Fu and said, "Go ahead."
"yes."
The scout reported, "About a hundred Liang people entered Daqi territory six days ago, massacred three villages, and abducted a dozen girls."
"We haven't found the whereabouts of the Liang people yet." Gu Zhizhuo nodded. The territory is vast, and it's true that the Liang people can't be found anywhere for a while.
"I have ordered people to track them down along the path to the last village they visited."
After the scout finished speaking, Gu Yiqun suppressed her anger and said, "Big sister, I think that little brother is right. If we could send troops to clean up the situation from time to time, the Liang people would not dare to be so bold as to come to our Daqi territory and massacre more than a hundred people."
"Big sister, Daddy once said that the imperial court has allocated between 10,000 and 30,000 troops to each border city. Even if each city is only responsible for its own nearby territory, the Liang people wouldn't be so arrogant."
"You're right. The cities in the Western Frontier have military supervisors. Without the supervisor's permission, the garrison is not allowed to send troops without authorization."
Gu Zhizhuo told him about the military supervisor, and Gu Yiqun was stunned.
Gu Zhizhuo couldn't help but want to laugh, the sarcastic kind.
If even a twelve-year-old child can understand this, can the one sitting on the throne really not understand it? Not necessarily.
Only in this way can he better control the western border.
As for the Liang people, they had already signed a surrender three years ago. They were severely weakened by the Duke of Zhenguo and had no strength to invade again for ten years. At most, they were like this now, with a hundred or so people looting for a few days before leaving.
The emperor is far away and the sky is high. As long as it does not endanger the country and the people, it does not matter to the emperor.
"Miss," Qi Fu pondered, "I think we can send a hundred men to explore the way ahead before we set out tomorrow."
Gu Zhizhuo nodded: "Thank you for troubling Captain Qi."
It was unknown what time it was in the wild, but the crescent moon was in the sky and the horizon was still pitch black. Gu Zhizhuo went to sleep for a while to avoid his bad spirits affecting his morale.
They set out at daybreak.
There were no dangers along the way, but when passing by one of the massacred villages, I could smell a faint smell of blood in the air from afar.
Gu Yiqun tightened the reins, rode his horse forward a few steps, and walked to Gu Zhizhuo's side.
His little face was tense, but he pretended to be calm. He held the reins with one hand, touched the knife with the other, and looked around vigilantly.
They did not enter the village, but walked around it from a distance until the smell of blood faded. Gu Yiqun lay on the horse's back, and a sour taste came up from his stomach, making him feel nauseous.
"Third Young Master," Old Dan said with a soothing smile, "Do you feel like vomiting? You'll be fine after seeing it more. All new recruits are like this."
"yes……"
"then."
Gu Zhizhuo threw a sachet. He raised his hand to take the sachet and put it under his nose and sniffed it several times. He felt like he was alive again, but he was a little depressed. "Big sister, they shouldn't have died."
"No wonder there are always endless battles in the northern border."
Gu Zhizhuo smiled.
Yes. The peace in Northern Xinjiang today was built with the lives of four generations of the Gu family and countless soldiers.
"My dear, the city of Aur is just ahead."
"Let's go."
Gu Zhizhuo touched the jade lion's head and shouted "Go!", then galloped for more than an hour, and an ancient city finally appeared at the end of his sight.
At this time, it was just past midnight.
Gu Zhizhuo's group consisted of several hundred people, and they were stopped before they entered the city.
She took out the imperial edict from her bosom and showed it to everyone.
"Please report this to Garrison Commander Jiang."
"We are from the capital. I am from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion."
Soon, Commander Men Qian came down from the city wall. After confirming the identity of the visitor, he immediately sent someone to report back and ordered people to stop all the people who wanted to enter and leave the city as far away.
After a while, the sound of galloping horses was heard from the city. A middle-aged man in armor came riding in, surrounded by a group of people, and a black lacquered carriage followed behind.
"Captain Jiang."
Gu Zhizhuo greeted him and guessed that he must be the garrison commander of Aul City, Jiang Youzheng, whom the young master mentioned.
Jiang Youzheng dismounted and looked at Gu Zhizhuo thoughtfully.
Jiang Youzheng knew half a month ago that someone from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion would come, but when the city guards came to report just now, they didn't say that the person coming was a girl.
Gu Zhizhuo was wearing a bright red riding suit, with a tulle covering his face, a black whip and a short knife tied around his waist, and his long black hair was tied into a high ponytail at the back of his head. In order to make riding easier, he did not wear any jewelry.
She was not dressed as a man, she was actually a girl.
He said, "May I ask, young lady, who is..."
cough!
A light cough came from the direction of the carriage, interrupting Jiang Youzheng's voice. A pot-bellied man in his forties, wearing a crimson official uniform, stepped down on a footstool.
He walked up to Jiang Youzheng with his head held high and a look of arrogance on his face.
Gu Zhizhuo called out "Master Liu" and then said to Jiang Youzheng, "My surname is Gu. I am the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo. I have come here on the emperor's orders."
After she finished speaking, she handed over the imperial edict in her hand.
Jiang Youzheng quickly took it with both hands, and after reading it, he gave it to the military supervisor Liu Nuo beside him.
Liu Nuo did not answer. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times and nine times towards the capital with a serious face.
"Your Majesty, your Majesty, be respectfully wished your well-being."
Gu Zhizhuo:?
The corners of Jiang Youzheng's eyes twitched.
If they didn't kneel down after he did so, wouldn't it seem that they were disrespectful to the imperial edict?
Then, a large group of people fell to their knees in a sudden crash.
After Liu Nuo kowtowed, he wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, expressing his gratitude for the emperor's great grace and saying that he would complete the task assigned by the emperor with utmost awe.
"Big girl."
Qi Fu was stunned and asked woodenly, "Should we kneel?"
Gu Zhizhuo curled his lips and said, "We have come from far away, so there is no need to follow the local customs."
Qingmei lowered her head and laughed silently.
Gu Zhizhuo leaned on the jade lion with his arms folded and fed it a piece of candy. Liu Nuo finally got up from the ground, took the imperial edict with both hands, and after reading it, he looked Gu Zhizhuo up and down.
"You're an unmarried girl, living out in the open with a bunch of men, eating and traveling with them. This is truly a violation of your chastity." He said with disdain, as if he were looking at something dirty. "There's no one at the Zhenguo Mansion, so why would they let you out? I don't want to talk to a woman any more."
He waved his hand with great authority and said, "Go back to Beijing quickly."
What a mess. Gu Zhizhuo sneered, "I'm here on the orders of the Emperor. If Sir Liu is dissatisfied with the Emperor's will, I will report it to His Majesty upon my return to the capital."
"The Emperor sent me here, but Lord Liu sent me back. Perhaps you, Lord Liu, are wiser than the Emperor, but the Emperor is also arbitrary."
"You!" Liu Nuo pointed at her and scolded, "You're so sharp-tongued! Only women and villains are difficult to raise."
Gu Zhizhuo's smile was devoid of any warmth: "I am a woman, so who am I to be blamed?"
"Captain Qi, take note. Liu Nuo, the military supervisor of Awul City, has disrespected the Emperor and has insulted him, calling him a villain."
Qi Fu bowed and said, "I'll make a note of this."
"I, this officer..." Liu Nuo didn't expect that there would be a captain accompanying him.
His face was bruised and white, and his beard was curled up with anger, as if he had suffered a great injustice. He said excitedly, "You are slandering me! I will report this to His Majesty..."
"Alright, Master Liu."
Jiang Youzheng spoke to ease the situation, saying, "Miss Gu has come here on the emperor's orders, and we must obey his orders."
Liu Nuo took the steps he handed over, snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves vigorously, and returned to his carriage.
Jiang Youzheng smiled and said, "Miss Gu, please."
Gu Zhizhuo jumped on his horse, followed him into the city gate, and went straight to the garrison.
Along the way, many people were looking at them and whispering to each other.
Compared to Balhai, Awul was noticeably poorer. There were few shops on the streets, and the houses on either side showed clear signs of damage, covered in patches of sticky plaster. The population was also much smaller, with few able-bodied men to be found.
"Big sister. What is he doing?" Gu Yiqun didn't quite understand.
They came here on the orders of the emperor. Is Liu Nuo crazy? He is deliberately making things difficult for them.
Gu Zhizhuo sneered: "Just money."
Jiang Youzheng was not far away and heard everything clearly. His eyes twitched again, but he pretended not to hear.
"Give him a ten thousand taels of silver, and I guarantee he'll be all smiles at you."
Jiang Youzheng thought to himself: That's true, but ten thousand taels is not necessary. This man comes from a poor family and is very short-sighted. One thousand taels will be enough.
He was originally thinking about whether he should give Miss Gu some advice, but who would have thought that Miss Gu was actually a sensible person.
I understand her but I don't indulge her at all. She has a bad temper, worthy of being the Duke's daughter.
When they arrived at the garrison and led them in, Jiang Youzheng's attitude became more sincere.
Liu Nuo sat down at the top, looking gloomy and with a look of displeasure written all over his face.
Gu Zhizhuo didn't even glance at him. She was too lazy to socialize or drink tea, so she just asked, "Captain Jiang, where are my father's remains?"
Jiang Youzheng was silent for a moment, feeling a little embarrassed to speak: "Miss Gu, please accept my condolences."
Gu Zhizhuo's heart beat wildly a few times, his expression expressionless: "Captain Jiang, please speak frankly."
"It's like this..." Jiang Youzheng stood up and said, "Miss Gu, please."
Seeing that Gu Zhizhuo didn't even think he existed, Liu Nuo simply gave up and sat in the main hall, holding his breath, waiting for them to come back.
Gu Zhizhuo followed Jiang Youzheng to the back hall.
The back hall was decorated like a mourning hall, with a square wooden box placed on a black lacquered wooden altar.
The wooden box is only big enough to hold a head.
Gu Zhizhuo's heart seemed to be plucked by a big hand, and the pain was so severe that he could hardly control himself.
She could hardly control her steps and stumbled over.
Her hands were shaking, even her fingertips were trembling.
"Young lady..."
Lao Dan wanted to say, why not he come.
Gu Zhizhuo shook her head silently. She bit her lower lip tightly, and a faint smell of blood filled the air between her lips and teeth.
Gu Zhizhuo slowly opened the wooden box.
Inside the wooden box was a dried-up head.
Without the support of flesh and blood, the dried skin clung to the skull, leaving only deep depressions where the eyes should be. At first glance, who could recognize that this was the graceful and majestic Gu Taotao?
The pain of being connected by blood burned in Gu Zhizhuo's heart, and tears flowed like a spring.
She fell to her knees and placed her hands on her forehead.
The others also knelt behind her and bowed deeply.
Even Jiang Youzheng knelt down.
Gu Zhizhuo let her tears fall down and drip onto the ground. After a while, she stood up and kowtowed again.
By the time she bowed her head for the third time, she had already stopped crying and suppressed all the grief that was gushing out.
Daddy once said that as a general, one must never let oneself be burdened by emotions and must always remain calm and sober.
Although she was not a general, she still had four hundred people behind her.
She had brought them out, and she would bring them back.
Gu Zhizhuo stroked the hem of her skirt, stood up, walked over and held the wooden box in her arms.
"Jiang Shou..."
Just as Gu Zhizhuo was about to turn around and speak, she suddenly frowned and put the wooden box back on the table.
She took a deep breath, lifted the head out with both hands, and said to Qingmei, "Turn this wooden box over."
Her voice was extremely cold, as if she held a mouthful of ice.
"yes."
Qingmei turned the wooden box over as she was told.
"Smash it open."
!
Everyone was shocked. Lao Dan rushed over, but Qingmei was faster. After Gu Zhizhuo said these two words, she had already drawn her sword and chopped it down.
"Girl, please think twice!"
Although this is not a coffin, it contains the remains of the Duke and cannot be destroyed at will!
"Big girl!"
They thought she was overwhelmed by sadness, and then the next moment, everyone fell silent.
There was actually a thin layer at the bottom of the wooden box. Qingmei smashed the layer open with a knife, and found a talisman stuck inside.
The talisman looked very old and was stained with blood.
The blood had turned black and red due to the passage of time, mixed with the words on the talisman, which was shocking to see.
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