Qingpu Garden.
Gu Shaoyu was busy until late in the evening before returning home.
Looking at the warm yellow lanterns hanging at the door, I felt a warmth in my heart.
He quietly entered and asked Hongshu, who opened the door, "Is Madam resting?"
"No, Madam is still waiting for you!"
Gu Shao walked towards the island in the middle of the lake, and halfway there he saw Xie Zhaozhao coming to greet him.
"How are you today? Feeling any better?"
Xie Zhaozhao is five months pregnant. Although she doesn't vomit as badly as she did a few days ago, she still can't stand the smell of cooking oil every day.
The weight I gained during early pregnancy has all disappeared, and I've lost a lot of weight. Now, apart from my belly looking bulging, I'm thin everywhere else.
Xie Zhaozhao held his hand and walked slowly in the courtyard, telling him softly, "You're feeling much better today, you even ate an extra bowl of porridge! You haven't had dinner yet, have you?"
"Your Majesty invited me to stay for dinner, but I've already eaten."
The two strolled slowly along the courtyard, listening to the chirping of insects in the summer night, thinking about the child growing in her womb. Gu Shaoyu held her hand, feeling very at ease.
The two walked around the courtyard for quite a while before holding hands and returning to the peony garden.
Aunt Cui stewed some hot milk, and Gu Shaoyu took it to feed Xie Zhaozhao. Xie Zhaozhao laughed and said, "Why be so fussy?"
He took the bowl, drank it all in one gulp, and handed the bowl to Aunt Cui.
Aunt Cui and Yuan Yuanman immediately left, sensing the danger.
Gu Shaoyu squatted down in front of her and touched her stomach.
My belly is hard, but not too big. When I put my hand on it, I can feel the baby moving, but not frequently.
Xie Zhaozhao lowered her head and looked tenderly at him as he pressed his ear against his stomach.
She gently stroked a few stray hairs on his forehead and said, "What is it? Just tell me. I'm not a delicate hothouse flower."
Gu Shaoyu paused for a moment, looked up, and their eyes met.
Xie Zhaozhao's eyes were extremely gentle, yet very firm.
Even the tenderness in Gu Shaoyu's eyes couldn't be contained; his Zhaozhao was so intelligent that she could guess everything.
He sat down beside her, took her hand, and said with some shame, "His Majesty's intention in the Northwest campaign is for me to be the commander-in-chief."
"You're leading the army?"
"Yes! The Wei family made two preparations. When the Crown Prince's attempt to force the emperor to abdicate failed, Wei Anyuan immediately rebelled in the Northwest."
Some of the generals originally sent by the imperial court betrayed the government and defected to Wei Anyuan; those who did not defect were either killed or taken hostage.
Wei Anyuan has already launched a campaign in the northwest, while the Uyghurs, Western Xia, and Eastern Liao have simultaneously raised troops to invade the border. This battle must be won, otherwise the surrounding countries will inevitably encroach upon our territory, and our own country will be engulfed in war, resulting in widespread suffering and death.
Gu Shaoyu said that those in the court capable of leading troops had already gone to fight against the Western Xia and Eastern Liao. The army facing Wei Anyuan lacked a commander who could coordinate all forces.
After careful consideration, Emperor Hui sent Gu Shaoyu.
"But you are a civil official." Xie Zhaozhao wanted to say, "The court has so many military officers, why would it need you, Gu Shaoyu?"
Gu Shaoyu said that the Duke of Zhenguo's 100,000 border troops had to guard the western border to prevent the enemy state of Guzang from invading, so they could not move. Therefore, the army could only be mobilized from the inland.
Moreover, Gu Shaoyu had studied under the military commander for two years before entering officialdom, so he was not a complete novice.
After the Crown Prince's attempt to force the emperor to abdicate failed, the court immediately prepared for a major battle against the Wei clan, and had been consolidating its punitive army in recent days.
To date, a total of 350,000 troops have been integrated.
Among them, the Cao family army (the virtuous concubine's maternal family) numbered 100,000, the imperial court sent 100,000 troops, the Yin family army sent 100,000 troops, and the Xie family's Xuanyi Guards numbered 50,000.
With so many forces at play, no one can be the ultimate leader.
There must be someone who can lead all the different groups.
Gu Shaoyu is not a military general, but he can unite and command various military generals.
Xie Zhaozhao knew that his explanation to her was also a way of informing her.
The decision has already been made in court and cannot be changed.
When do you plan to leave?
"Ten days later."
These ten days were actually given to the various armies to assemble.
Which top generals were selected?
Xie Zhaozhao knew that the questions she asked today were actually presumptuous, because these were confidential matters of the court, and she, as a wife of an official, was not qualified to ask them.
But she wanted to know, because she was also preparing to send troops.
Gu Shaoyu did not hide it from her.
"I am the commander-in-chief. The Cao family army has five generals, and the leader is Cao Wei, the eldest grandson of the Cao family's eldest branch."
The Black-Clad Guard has three generals, but their names have not yet been submitted.
The Yin family army has five generals, and the Xun Guo Guild is once again taking to the battlefield.
What are the odds of winning?
"It's hard to say. Although we have Yin Er's new weapons, we don't have enough. It's a long-distance raid, and we're on Wei Anyuan's territory. He's well-rested and ready to fight. Our chances of winning are only fifty percent."
The Wei dynasty's army of over 300,000 men colluded with the invading Western Xia, Uyghurs, and Eastern Liao, boasting a million-strong army.
With the imperial court sending 350,000 troops, plus new weapons, it's hard to say who will win or lose.
Xie Zhaozhao's heart clenched.
I wanted to tell you not to go, but the country is in trouble. If you don't go now, the future of our work will be in jeopardy. What good will it do to stay in the capital?
That night, the couple didn't speak again and tossed and turned, unable to sleep well.
Gu Shaoyu was worried about national affairs, and also about Xie Zhaozhao's health.
However, when the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact? If the country is destroyed, where will the family find refuge? If we do not shoulder our responsibilities, and the country is destroyed, Gu Shaoyu will likely be among the first to fall, and how will Zhaozhao and the child escape?
The next morning, Gu Shaoyu went to court. Xie Zhaozhao had been thinking all night and was about to go to Yin Jin'an to discuss it when Yuanyuan rushed over to report that Zhou Tangtang had started her pregnancy the night before.
Because it was a twin pregnancy with complicated fetal positions, the delivery was difficult. People from the Xie family came to ask Uncle Chai for help.
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