Chapter 181 Slapping the Villain to Protect the Good
Jiang Yutang rushed to the military camp. The soldiers guarding the camp gate saw her and quickly saluted: "Madam Cheng, the general is discussing important matters in the tent."
“Perfect timing, I need to see him urgently.” Jiang Yutang walked quickly toward Cheng Lanzhou’s tent.
I sensed something was wrong as soon as I got close.
In the past, only two personal guards stood watch outside the tent, but today there were two unfamiliar men who were clearly not soldiers.
Her heart sank, and she instantly guessed that the person talking to Cheng Lanzhou inside was most likely Gu Wenxiao.
She stood awkwardly outside the tent, unsure whether to go in or back.
Suddenly, the tent flap was lifted from the inside.
Jiang Yutang looked up and met Gu Wenxiao's smug face.
When the other person saw her, he was slightly taken aback at first, and then a meaningful mockery appeared in his eyes, as if he had expected her to come.
Jiang Yutang's gaze unconsciously drifted into the tent. Cheng Lanzhou was standing by the table, looking at her expressionlessly, his deep eyes churning with emotions she couldn't understand.
She panicked, thinking the two had a bad talk, and was about to take his hand when Gu Wenxiao raised his hand to stop her.
"Are you still as impatient as ever, coming to find me so soon?"
Gu Wenxiao's tone was undisguisedly frivolous, and his gaze swept over her, particularly irritating.
Jiang Yutang's eyelids twitched, and she felt extremely uncomfortable all over.
This scoundrel not only tried to sow discord between her and Cheng Lanzhou, but he also dared to be so insolent!
Without saying a word, she raised her hand and slapped him across the face.
A crisp "snap" sounded particularly clear in the open space of the military camp.
Gu Wenxiao turned her head to the side after being hit, and didn't react for a moment. After a few seconds, she covered her cheek and looked at her with a shocked and incredulous look: "You dare to hit me?"
"So what if I hit you?"
Jiang Yutang grew angrier the more he thought about it. He remembered how the original owner of this body had been used and harmed by him, and his provocative face just now. He raised his hand and slapped him again, this time with even more force than before.
"A scoundrel like you, who rose to power through despicable means and dares to sow discord, deserves to be beaten!"
Gu Wenxiao was shocked that Jiang Yutang dared to hit her a second time. Her expression instantly turned ferocious, and she roared viciously, "You're asking for death!"
As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed her neck.
Jiang Yutang was prepared and kicked out with a "Monkey Kicks Peach" move, accurately hitting the opponent's vital point.
"Hmm—"
This blow to his manhood caused Gu Wenxiao to convulse in pain. He twisted his legs into an inward-pointing stance and squatted down, eventually lying face down on the ground with his buttocks sticking up high. His face turned bright red, and saliva uncontrollably dripped onto the ground.
This sudden turn of events left everyone around dumbfounded.
After a long while, Gu Wenxiao's two attendants rushed forward in a panic, helping him up and asking anxiously, "My lord! How are you? Are you alright?"
Gu Wenxiao was in so much pain that she couldn't even speak. She could only maintain a pained expression and let out muffled groans.
Jiang Yutang, feeling relieved, took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands, turned around and said loudly to the soldiers watching, "Everyone saw clearly that he was the one who laid hands on me, a married woman, first. I was just defending myself!"
The soldiers had witnessed everything. Already resentful of Gu Wenxiao's arrogance and smugness, they now looked at him with disgust and contempt, whispering amongst themselves as they cursed him.
Even Gu Wenxiao's entourage felt utterly humiliated. The two exchanged a glance, then, supporting the still convulsing Gu Wenxiao, they fled the military camp in a disheveled state.
"He got off too easy. I should have used more force and given him a kick that would break his manhood."
Jiang Yutang spat at their retreating figures, but then Cheng Lanzhou's suppressed laughter suddenly came from behind her.
She quickly turned around, cautiously approached Cheng Lanzhou, tugged at his sleeve, and winked: "Are you feeling better now?"
Cheng Lanzhou raised an eyebrow at her: "You think I'm in a bad mood?"
"Mmm!" Jiang Yutang nodded vigorously, her face showing a hint of shyness.
"I'm your bedmate now, how could I not understand what you're thinking? The way you looked at me just now, you were clearly angry."
Cheng Lanzhou smiled gently and reached out to ruffle her hair: "Come in and sit down."
Once inside the tent, Jiang Yutang sighed, "I ran into Gu Wenxiao at the shop today. I felt he was up to no good and was probably after you. I was worried about him, so I rushed over. I didn't expect you two had already met."
Cheng Lanzhou nodded slightly, his expression gradually becoming serious: "He came here for two reasons: first, to read out Judge Li's conviction document; and second..."
He paused, his expression so gloomy it could drip water.
"What is it?" Jiang Yutang felt a bad premonition when she saw his expression.
Cheng Lanzhou looked up at her and uttered a sentence, word by word.
"The imperial court has ordered me to immediately lead my troops to the northern frontier to provide support. The war is urgent and there is no time to lose."
These words struck Jiang Yutang's heart like a boulder.
She stood frozen in place, unable to react for a long time. After a while, she suddenly slammed her hand on the table, stood up, and raised her voice sharply: "What kind of logic is this? It's utter nonsense!"
Hearing the commotion, the guards outside the tent instinctively lowered their heads and pretended not to hear.
Jiang Yutang took two deep breaths to calm herself down, then sat back down in her chair and said seriously, "Is this matter written in the imperial edict?"
Cheng Lanzhou nodded slightly without saying a word, but his eyes were filled with gloom.
Jiang Yutang slumped back in her chair, her eyes fixed on the canvas at the top of the tent, her mind a complete mess.
She clearly remembered that in the original text, Cheng Lanzhou had ultimately turned down this troublesome matter, so why has it changed now?
What exactly went wrong with the emperor's three visits to Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage?
What triggered this unwanted butterfly effect?
She closed her eyes in disbelief, placed her hand on her forehead, and remained speechless for a long time.
Seeing her so distraught, Cheng Lanzhou couldn't help but lower his eyelids, feeling utterly troubled.
"Is it absolutely necessary to go?" Jiang Yutang's voice was slightly hoarse, as if she was holding back tears.
"Um."
Cheng Lanzhou responded, then took her hand that was hanging by her side, trying to convey some comfort with the warmth of his palm: "Don't worry, I will come back as soon as the war over there is over."
"Swords have no eyes!" Jiang Yutang interrupted him abruptly, her eyes instantly reddening. "I know you are highly skilled in martial arts, but there are too many variables on the battlefield. How can I possibly be at ease?"
She sniffled, her voice trembling with tears, and asked, "Is it really absolutely necessary to go? There must be a way, right?"
Cheng Lanzhou hesitated for a moment, then finally shook his head gently.
Jiang Yutang's heart sank completely. She stared into Cheng Lanzhou's eyes and said with absolute certainty, "You're hiding something from me."
Cheng Lanzhou's mouth opened and closed slightly. After hesitating for a long time, he finally chose to tell the truth.
“After we arrived in Danzhou, the people’s livelihood and public security here gradually improved, even more so than in the surrounding prefectures. The emperor thought I was an auspicious sign and felt that sending me to the northern frontier would boost the morale of the army.”
He paused, his voice lowering slightly: "He also mentioned that if I'm worried about my family in Danzhou, I can have someone close to me go with me."
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