meet
“Your Highness,” Zhao Youyi entered the military tent where Princess Fu’an was being held. Seeing her pale face and stubborn expression, he couldn’t help but smile. “It’s been a long time. I heard that the princess is currently on a hunger strike. What is she trying to do?”
When Princess Fu'an saw that it was her who came in, she looked frightened and said, "Why is it you? Where is Sister Liu?"
“You want to see Zhi Mo, but Zhi Mo doesn’t want to see you.” Zhao Youyi looked at her with great interest.
Upon hearing this, Princess Fu'an glared at her intently.
"Are you trying to use me to threaten my brother and mother?" Princess Fu'an asked.
Zhao Youyi gently shook her head: "Do you think you are of any value to your brother? As for your mother... the Song family has long since collapsed and scattered, she is not worth me doing this for.
"You came here of your own accord, and now that you've fallen into my hands, I naturally won't let you go." Zhao Youyi narrowed his eyes, looking at her like he was sizing up prey.
Upon hearing this, Princess Fu'an's eyes widened: "What exactly do you want to do?"
“Of course I want our precious princess to see what the world has become because of your Chu royal family.” After saying this, Zhao Youyi turned and left without hesitation.
Zhou Yaqing whispered to her, "My lord, what should we do with the princess inside?"
Zhao Youyi rubbed her temples, feeling an immense headache: "Go talk to Liu Zhiming! Let her clean up the mess she left behind."
Zhou Yaqing keenly sensed that she was in a bad mood and guessed after a moment's thought that it was because His Highness the Prince of Chu had left. "Yes, my lord, I will go and ask Military Advisor Liu right away."
Zhao Youyi returned to her military tent and arranged the affairs of the army one by one. With Chu Chanyin's help, the plans they had discussed some time ago had been implemented one by one. No matter what the reason, she should go to Wanzhou to see Gu Qiyu. Although she did not have a good impression of Gu Zeyu, the Gu family was the Gu family and Gu Qiyu was Gu Qiyu. After all, they had been close friends for many years, so she had to meet him.
After arranging matters in the army, she mounted her horse and headed straight for Wanzhou. Two bodyguards of the Wu generation accompanied her. Seeing her somber expression, Wu Yi couldn't help but ask, "Master, going to see Miss Gu is a good thing. Why do you look so preoccupied?"
Zhao Youyi glanced at Wu San, who understood immediately and tapped Wu Yi on the head: "Are you stupid! Of course the mistress is happy to see Miss Gu, but she doesn't like the other members of the Gu family."
Wu Yi scratched his head, looked at Zhao Youyi with an innocent and pitiful expression.
Zhao Youyi rarely brought them out. If it weren't for the fact that this trip would take some time and she was afraid of encountering assassins, she wouldn't have bothered bringing Wu Yi, that clueless fool, and Wu San, that violent maniac.
"Alright, you two stop bickering, we'll be in Wanzhou soon," Zhao Youyi said.
Zhao's army was stationed at the border of Wanzhou and Youzhou, very close to both cities, and it took only half an hour to get there.
Zhao Youyi had residences in both cities, which had been passed down through generations of the Zhao family. After returning to his residence and taking a decent gift, Zhao Youyi went straight to the Gu residence.
Gu Qiyu had received news of Zhao Youyi's impending arrival long ago, and she couldn't wait to keep looking towards the gate of the mansion. When she saw a figure in red riding a horse towards her, Gu Qiyu couldn't help but feel her eyes well up with tears.
"A-Wan!" Gu Qiyu lifted her dress and ran a few steps toward the starting line, her excitement undisguised.
Zhao Youyi dismounted, and before she could even stand up, she was embraced by a soft body. Zhao Youyi reached out and put her arm around her: "Sister Gu, you've lost weight in the months we've been apart."
Gu Qiyu's tears welled up as she looked her over carefully: "Awan, you're the one who's lost weight. You must not have been eating properly."
Gu Qiyu reached out to tidy her messy hair, her voice choked with emotion, "I never thought that you and I, sisters, would meet again. Awan, how have you been these past few months?"
Zhao Youyi patted her shoulder reassuringly, "Let's go inside and talk."
Gu Qiyu realized that she had been crying uncontrollably in front of her own mansion and had even forgotten to invite the person into the mansion. "Yes, you must be exhausted from the long journey. I have prepared your favorite water chestnut cake in the mansion. You must try it."
Zhao Youyi smiled, took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears, "Yes, Sister Gu is the best. I will definitely eat all the pastries that Sister Gu prepared."
Gu Qiyu took the handkerchief, wiped away her tears, and pulled Zhao Youyi into the mansion.
Gu Qiyu led Zhao Youyi into her boudoir and had servants bring over pastries and milk tea. Holding Zhao Youyi's hand, she couldn't help but shed tears: "Awan, is the Prince of Chu treating you badly? I've heard everything. You two are now living apart, and people outside are saying you're a fake couple."
Zhao Youyi quickly handed her a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. Gu Qiyu was a few years older than her and had treated her like a younger sister since they were little. She cared a lot about her affairs. Seeing her friend crying for her so many times, Zhao Youyi felt bad too: "Of course not. Brother Huai Cong is very good to me. Don't worry, Sister Gu."
Hearing her address the Prince of Chu so intimately, Gu Qiyu believed her words to some extent. She couldn't help but sigh for her brother, who probably would never have the chance to be with Awan in this lifetime.
Gu Qiyu held her hand tightly: "I am at ease knowing that His Highness the Prince of Chu is good to you. The world is not peaceful now, but I hope he can protect you."
Zhao Youyi smiled slightly upon hearing this, took her hand and said, "I don't need him to protect me. I can protect myself. Didn't Brother Gu tell you? I have reorganized the Zhao family army and it is now stationed on the border."
Gu Qiyu looked at her in surprise and disbelief: "Awan, you just said you reorganized the Zhao family army?"
Zhao Youyi nodded. "Not only that, I also founded the Women's Army, allowing women from the border regions to join and embark on different paths."
Gu Qiyu was already shocked when he heard the news that she had reorganized the Zhao family army, but he never expected that she would also create an army of women. It was truly astonishing.
"So women can also go to the battlefield to defend their country..." Gu Qiyu murmured to herself, her eyes lowered. "Although our Great Jin has had female generals, it has never had a female army. Awan, you did a good job. Women have more than one path to take: marriage and childbirth!"
Zhao Youyi grasped her hand, her expression resolute, and asked, "Sister Gu, do you want to join?"
Gu Qiyu looked up in disbelief: "Me? Can I do it too? But I don't know how to fight, and I don't know how to kill..."
“Sister Gu, you have been intelligent since childhood and are very knowledgeable. Even if you can’t go to the battlefield to fight the enemy, you can still sit in the rear and give me advice. I believe that with your abilities, you can definitely take the Women’s Army to a higher level.” Zhao Youyi said earnestly.
Gu Qiyu was pleasantly surprised upon hearing this, but a moment later, hesitation appeared on her face. "But Awan, don't you mind that the Gu family and the Song family are related by marriage?"
Zhao Youyi held her hand and patted it reassuringly: "You are you, and the Gu family is the Gu family. Besides, it was normal for Uncle Gu to do what he did back then. After all, the Song family was powerful, and no one expected the emperor to be so ambitious that he would not hesitate to take action against the Song family, who had helped him ascend the throne."
Seeing how much she trusted him, Gu Qiyu was so moved that her eyes welled up with tears: "To have Awan trust me so deeply, I... I am truly overjoyed."
“We are like sisters. It is already difficult for women to survive in chaotic times, so naturally I want to protect you,” Zhao Youyi said.
Gu Qiyu pulled her into his arms and solemnly promised, "Awan, I will never let the Gu family become your enemy in the future, nor will I let you be troubled because of the Gu family."
Zhao Youyi patted her on the shoulder: "I believe in Sister Gu."
“You’ve been away from the capital for a long time, so even if you have spies, they probably don’t know much about the situation there. Let me tell you,” Gu Qiyu said.
Zhao Youyi naturally had no reason to refuse.
“After you left the capital, rumors about the ambitious Prince Chu spread like wildfire. Everyone said he wouldn’t take you seriously since you have no powerful backing. I investigated, and these rumors all came from the Song family,” Gu Qiyu said as she poured her tea.
Zhao Youyi took a sip of tea, his eyes narrowed, his gaze filled with murderous intent.
"Later, the Song family began to frequently arrange marriages with important officials in the court. For a time, the court became the domain of Prime Minister Song. Although the Song family had become powerful in recent years, there were still the Zhao, Liu, and Gu families to rival them. Unexpectedly, Brother Zhao died unjustly, Imperial Censor Liu was demoted, and Third Sister Song married my brother. With the Song family gaining power, they became even more disregardful of the emperor." Gu Qiyu frowned slightly.
Although her family had always raised her to be the matriarch of a prominent family, her political acumen was in no way inferior to her father's. However, the Gu family had always only taught men about court politics, while the women could only learn poetry, literature, and etiquette to prepare for marriage in the future.
She was unwilling and fought back, but in the end, she was stopped by the words, "Take care of the family's future and your brother. It's not your place as a young girl to show your face in public."
Zhao Youyi and Gu Qiyu had known each other since childhood. Before the Gu family gained power, their ancestral home was in Wanzhou. Whenever Zhao Youyi came to the border region as a child, he would play with Gu Qiyu. Zhao Youyi naturally understood her ambitions. The Gu family valued etiquette the most and did not tolerate "unconventional" women like the Zhao and Liu families. Gu Qiyu had followed the rules since childhood and had a very difficult life.
Gu Qiyu took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in her heart: "The Song family is becoming increasingly arrogant, and the members of the clan are acting recklessly. The emperor seized on the mistakes of the direct descendants of the Song family and reprimanded Prime Minister Song in court for his lax family discipline, ordering him to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors."
"What happened to the Empress Dowager's coma?" Zhao Youyi asked.
Gu Qiyu's face turned even uglier upon hearing this: "The Song family's past history of abusing their power to kill innocent people and sell official positions has been brought to light. Many of the Song family's sons in the court have been demoted, exiled, or imprisoned. When the Empress Dowager heard about this, she had a big argument with the Emperor, and then rumors spread that the Empress Dowager had committed adultery in the palace."
"Defilement within the palace?" Zhao Youyi frowned, somewhat surprised that such a shrewd woman as the Empress Dowager would be defeated by rumors, after all, she regarded the Empress Dowager as a formidable opponent.
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