Female General (XI)
The summer in Tianling was clearly unbearably hot, yet at this moment, Xiao Lin's hair stood on end and a chill ran down his spine.
"What did you say?" Gou Su was horrified when he heard this. He strode forward and grabbed the soldier's collar. "What's going on?"
“They…they…”
Perhaps he was frightened, the soldier's brows trembled, his lips shook, and he stammered, unable to utter a single word.
However, before Gou Su could ask anything, the imperial palace's summons came as fast as a soldier's legs.
However, the one who came this time was not the eunuch Zeng from a few days ago, but two senior officials wearing black gauze hats and bright official robes.
The cry of birds tore through the silence of the shady alley. The boots of the Minister of War crushed the mottled sunlight on the ground, and his purple robe and jade belt were soaked with sweat, leaving dark cloud patterns.
The Minister of Rites fell half a step behind, the hem of his official robe kicking up fine dust as it swept across the threshold of the mansion. More than a dozen golden-armored imperial guards filed in, their iron boots making the stone bricks vibrate.
"General Zhaowu, the emperor summons you to the palace."
Their words were cold, and Gou Su stood tall and straight.
Xiao Lin stood there in a daze. Even though the wind was blowing through the iron objects, making them echo, she could still clearly hear Gou Su's deep breathing, as if he was unable to breathe.
Then, Gou Su also replied in an indifferent tone: "Yes, sir."
Seeing Gou Su disappear among the imperial guards, Xiao Lin tried to step forward, but was stopped by someone with his arm across.
"The emperor only allows General Zhaowu to enter the palace."
His voice was cold, as if he had eaten ice all morning.
Now that things have come to this, no matter how anxious Xiao Lin is, he has no choice but to stay in the mansion and wait for news.
She was in a state of confusion at the moment, with all kinds of guesses popping into her mind.
How could it be possible that her ominous meaning came true?
In this seemingly foolproof situation, can accidents still happen even if the emperor is in charge?
If Gou Su is brought into the palace this time, will she be able to come back?
The more he thought about it, the colder Xiao Lin felt on his spine.
She couldn't help but shiver twice, and her fingertips clenched the sticky rag.
As usual, Gou Su's red and white military robe was very eye-catching even when he sneaked into the imperial guards.
Xiao Lin stretched his neck and stared at the hairband flying high behind her. As her body tilted, it swayed in the air of the hall.
The frequent private discussions among the officials tore through the smoke of incense rising from the Chengxiang Hall. The emperor's palms clasped the dragon head of the dragon throne and suddenly slapped it, startling all the officials so much that they lowered their heads.
Beads of sweat slid down Gou Su's lowered neck into the lapels of his martial robe, making a clear echo in the silent hall.
"Ten guest officials from the Ministry of Rites went out to fight, and under your escort, only half of the people entered the city gate alive with their flags?" The emperor's jade belt hit the gilded stool, causing a few crisp sounds.
Gou Su suddenly looked up with a determined look.
The ivory tablet of the Minister of Rites trembled slightly in her sleeve. She heard her own deep voice echoing among the coiled dragon pillars: "Your Majesty, I am too foolish to escort the envoy in person. I hope you will take the trouble to explain what happened here."
The emperor was furious, but he didn't want to lose face, so he waved his sleeves and arbitrarily asked the Minister of Rites to speak for him.
After kneeling, the Minister of Rites placed his tablet in front of his abdomen and faced Gou Su: "General, the court has received reports that the envoys were strangled by bandits on their way to the capital. The envoys were killed on the spot, and the ministers of the Ministry of Rites suffered heavy casualties."
"No, I sent out my best soldiers. May I ask where those soldiers are?"
"The general under your command named Wang Pu has disappeared."
When these words were spoken, Gou Su was shocked. No matter how much he planned, it was not as hurtful as his words.
Seeing this, the Minister of Rites continued, "Not only that, Mr. Huang Heng, who went with us, was also murdered by the villains and remains unconscious ever since."
"Have you caught those evil thieves?"
"We set out as soon as we got the news, but we were still a step too late."
"That……"
Gou Su wanted to continue asking, but his thoughts were interrupted by the sound coming from the dragon throne.
The emperor's eyes widened in anger, his voice hoarse as he pointed at Gou Su below the stairs and cursed: "You failed to perform your duties effectively, causing the envoy to die on the way. You have ruined the morals of our dynasty. Your crime is unforgivable!"
Gou Su kowtowed immediately upon hearing the voice, and all the officials around him also lowered their heads.
"A mere petty thief could slaughter an entire army? What do I keep you for? Where has the glory of killing enemies gone? It was said that one man could defeat an entire army, but now you are in such a miserable state! Hurry and go find them! Within three days, I will see several heads hanging at the gate. If they are not the heads of these traitors, then they will be yours!"
The emperor's anger was like a strong wind, with momentum growing, ready to overturn the bricks and tiles above his head.
Gou Su felt guilty and knelt down at the steps, not daring to say a word in reply.
Indeed, the envoy's death in Kui Xi was a great humiliation, a heinous disaster that could not be undone even if she cut the thief into pieces.
But what else could she do? She had to accept the order, kneel down and leave the hall, deploy troops and capture the real culprit.
While ambition is real, the truth is hard to find.
Her trusted subordinates have disappeared, and the envoys can no longer speak. So, she only has one plan left - the unconscious Huang Heng.
He was the only survivor of the disaster and her last remaining hope.
After the court was dismissed, Gou Su walked down the long steps with a pale face and a listless look, piecing together her inner thoughts step by step.
"General Asu, this matter is really difficult to handle." Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps came from the side of Gou Su, followed by the mellow voice of an old man.
She glanced sideways and realized that this person was none other than the Minister of Rites.
There was another person following behind him. That person had an immortal look and was full of righteousness. Gou Su could see clearly that he was the Minister of War, Huang Zhi.
"Sir Huang." Gou Su bowed first according to etiquette, "It is my fault that I have harmed you..."
"It's okay. My son is still alive. It's a blessing in disguise. Thank you for your concern, General." Before she finished speaking, Huang Zhi replied.
Although Gou Su muttered a few words softly, Eagle Eyes took the opportunity to scan his expression.
Strangely enough, even though his own son was injured and unconscious, he, as a father, seemed quite calm.
How come? He's so aware of the overall situation?
It is well known that civil officials in the imperial court are cunning and have established their own factions. They use their power to protect officials and titles. They are of mixed quality.
She was extremely disgusted, so she joined the army and became a general.
After all, with her mind, how could she guess the intrigues of these court officials?
At this moment, Huang Zhi behaved dignifiedly and showed no fear, which made Gou Su suspicious.
Then, the Minister of Rites said with a smile, "General Asu, I have a humble opinion that I hope you will listen to."
"Your Excellency, please feel free to speak."
On the long steps, officials returning home were scattered here and there, their long robes lifting the breeze, but it could not blow away the heat in the eyes of the three people.
Then, the Minister of Rites adjusted the jade belt around his waist and said leisurely, "Just now in the palace, His Majesty was furious. I am not in a position to speak, but there is one thing that the general must clarify."
"What is it?"
"According to the Ministry of Justice's investigation, the person who killed the envoys was definitely not someone else." At this point, the Minister of Rites' eyes suddenly flashed, revealing a solemn air. "That wound was not caused by a sharp weapon from the Central Plains."
Gou Su frowned upon hearing this, digging his fingertips into his palm: "What's the condition of the wound?"
"Cross-edged sword, the coroner frankly admitted that there are very few people in the Central Plains who wield such a sharp weapon..."
The Minister of Rites spoke in a quiet and elegant manner, but she was inspired by it.
"Cross blade?" Gou Su's eyes flashed with a cold light. "The only one who can wield a cross blade well is none other than Wang Pu..."
Having fought on the battlefields for years to guard the frontiers, she knew very well what weapons her soldiers were good at.
Therefore, when the Minister of Rites mentioned the "cross-shaped blade", she immediately had the answer in her heart.
But this answer made her unable to let go for a long time.
But after she uttered the word "Wang Pu", Huang Zhi, who wanted to avoid this place at first, suddenly stopped.
A frown formed on his brow, and his graying temples twitched a few times. "Wang Pu? The one under your command? Why would he kill the envoy? This matter has no benefit to him at all."
"Perhaps, he intended to kill the envoy and seize his property?" The Minister of Rites intervened and asked with a raised eyebrow.
But Huang Zhi shook his head repeatedly: "The Ministry of War never mistreats its officers and soldiers, and he is under the command of General Zhaowu. No matter how much he loves money, he should not choose this opportunity to take such a risk. Moreover, when you mentioned the cross-edged sword, General Asu immediately responded. Using his own weapon to rob money and kill people is not a strategy that someone who has been on the battlefield for a long time would come up with."
He was right. If it was about money, there was really no need to expose one's true identity.
Then, if it’s not Wang Pu, who could it be?
Under the scorching sun, the three men thought over and over again, sweat running down their spines and soaking their clothes, but they still had no clue.
In the silence, the Minister of Rites, feeling the sun was too intense to bear, was the first to pull up his sleeves to shield his head. "This sun is truly scorching, I simply can't stand it any longer. If you two have anything to discuss, please do so. I will take my leave now."
As soon as he said this, Huang Zhi and Gou Su were woken up.
They both looked up at the blue sky, and their eyes were both stung by the scorching sun.
Huang Zhi also gave up at this point and bowed and said goodbye: "It is time for me to return home. General, please do as you please."
"Sir Huang!" Fortunately, just as Huang Zhi turned around, Gou Su called out to him, "Can this humble official go to your residence and check on Young Master Huang's injuries? After all, he was also injured because of me..."
"General, you may go anytime you wish. However, I have already said that my son's injury has nothing to do with you, General."
Huang Zhi answered calmly, but also indifferently.
Gou Su understood and steadily followed Huang Zhi's footsteps as he left the palace.
The palace walls were deep and dark, blocking out the sun and providing the two with a moment of shade.
When they came out from the side door, what came into view were not only two carriages that had been parked there early, but also the faces of Xiao Lin and the other two.
Ah Chou was the first to catch sight of Gou Su's face and immediately stepped forward: "General..."
But Huang Zhi suppressed the words that were about to come out of his lips.
"Why are you here?" Gou Su's half-closed eyes suddenly widened, and he stepped between the people in three or two steps.
Xiao Lin first glanced at Ah Chou who had paused, then stammered, "We...we are worried about you, General, and afraid that something might happen to you, so we came here to pick you up..."
Unexpectedly, Gou Su sighed and said, "Why don't you go back first? I want to go with Master Huang to the Huang Mansion to check on Young Master Huang's injuries."
Mr. Huang? That man is Mr. Huang? The one Gou Su mentioned, the Minister of War, Mr. Huang?
Xiao Lin secretly glanced at Huang Zhi standing beside him.
"How is Young Master Huang injured?" Mu You suddenly became excited. "He...he was injured? How did he get injured?"
"It's hard to explain in a few words. I'll tell you all about it when I get back home."
"We want to go too!" Xiao Lin spoke faster than he thought. He had never spoken so rashly before, even drawing Huang Zhi's attention. "Mr. Huang, after all, knows us..."
She immediately realized that she had said something rude and apologized repeatedly.
"No problem." Huang Zhi's voice was as loud as a Buddhist bell. As he stepped into the car, he said, "Since you are my child's friend, let's go together."
Before Xiao Lin could thank him, the curtain of the Huang family's carriage shook violently along Huang Zhi's fingertips, and then fell straight down.
It was not until Huang Zhi sat down that the huge stone hanging in Gou Su's heart suddenly fell down.
She put her hand on Xiao Lin's back, intending to get them into the car, but was stopped again by Huang Zhi's voice.
He opened the window curtains and shouted back, "General Asu, I'm afraid your carriage can't accommodate so many people. Why don't you bring a little girl to sit with me?"
Xiao Lin's expression froze, and before he could come to his senses, Gou Su grabbed his wrist and led him onto the Huang family's carriage.
"General... General... It's not a good idea for us to go up like this..."
"I have something to ask Master Huang, but it's not convenient to make it public."
Looking up at the corner of Gou Su's eyes, Xiao Lin felt a sense of panic for unknown reasons.
Gou Su's determination made her heart tremble.
Having been close to Huang Heng before, he caused trouble. Now that he is close to Huang Zhi, will he go astray again?
Or, can the situation be turned around?
Xiao Lin tried his best to figure it out but couldn't figure it out, so he scratched the back of his head anxiously.
However, the silence in the carriage made her thoughts even more confused.
At noon, a thick summer air rose outside the palace gate, and the mottled red-lacquered side door suddenly opened halfway.
The Huang family's gilded wheel axle rolled over the moss between the cracks in the rocks, and the wooden wheel emitted a few sparks in the shadow of the palace wall.
The green curtain hanging from the eaves of the carriage was lifted up halfway by the dry wind, revealing the figure sitting inside the carriage.
Gou Su's body swayed with the carriage, and he suddenly spoke amidst the turbulence: "Mr. Huang...Mr. Huang..."
Huang Zhi turned around when he heard the voice.
"I have something I don't understand."
Huang Zhi: “…”
"Mr. Huang Heng is efficient and courageous, truly a pillar of the nation..." After laying the groundwork, Gou Su changed the subject, "Why don't you recruit him into the Ministry of War?"
Who would have thought that the carriage that had previously still had the lingering sound now only had the clanging sound of the wheels.
Huang Zhi's eyelashes flickered, his gray hair tugged slightly, and he seemed to want to say something but stopped himself.
"Ah, if you don't tell me then..."
"I didn't let him join the Ministry of War because of him."
Xiao Lin Gou Su: “?”
"Ah Heng, he's too thoughtful..."
"Thoughtful?" Gou Su leaned forward slightly. "You mean, he's thoughtful, right?"
"No." Huang Zhi denied it flatly, closing his tired eyes. "He's too preoccupied. He's not focused on foresight, but on scheming..."
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