In the end, Gu Zhan still didn't say that word.
He had been living in fear these past few days, and even while riding his horse, his mind was entirely on the carriage behind him. He would check on it every day, both during meals and at night when he was resting.
Only after confirming that Xu Nian's breathing was stable and that there was nothing wrong with her could they leave with peace of mind.
That day, he led his troops onto the path and saw her fighting with Li Hong'an and the others from afar. He spurred his horse and rushed over, but he still almost lost Xu Nian forever.
They only managed to stop the last blow that hit her before they captured Li Hong'an and his gang of thugs!
Xu Nian had already staggered to the ground, covered in blood, pale-faced, and lifeless, which frightened Gu Zhan so much that his heart stopped on the spot!
It felt like someone was squeezing my neck, and I couldn't breathe at all!
He rushed forward and caught Xu Niandi's body, feeling dizzy and as if the whole world had collapsed.
If the accompanying military doctor hadn't checked on Xu Nian and confirmed that her heart meridian hadn't been damaged, he would have loved to go with her right then and there!
Even so, Li Hong'an and the others were still severely tormented by Gu Zhan, who was consumed by anger and had nowhere to vent his frustration!
It's currently hanging weakly behind the army, barely clinging to life, and probably won't last much longer.
Now, Xu Nian noticed her husband's eyes light up, but before he could even speak, he launched into a tirade of accusations. How could someone recovering from a serious illness care about such things?
Overwhelmed by her pent-up grievances, she pouted and tears streamed down her face. "Why are you being so fierce? I was just worried about you. I've been stabbed so many times, it hurts me too."
This was the first time she had ever acted so coquettishly, and when her voice came out with a sob in it, Gu Zhan's anger dissipated by most of it.
He hurriedly reached out to wipe away Xu Nian's tears, his rough fingers tracing his wife's warm and supple skin. Only then did his previously shaky and uneasy heart slowly settle down.
I felt a real sense of life, and I came alive in that moment.
"Alright, alright. Don't cry. I know I was wrong, it was my fault." But the more he wiped away the tears, the more they flowed. Marshal Gu panicked. "Is your wound hurting? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you. Don't cry."
Gu Zhan probably had never coaxed anyone much in his life. Now, his body was stiff and his speech was so limited that he didn't seem like a marshal who commanded the entire army at all.
They are no less capable than those greenhorns who are just starting out.
Xu Nian couldn't help but laugh out loud, which aggravated the wound on her waist, making her face turn pale with pain. "I don't care, I'm sticking with you from now on. You can't send me away."
Taking advantage of her current injuries, she turned her face away playfully, as if she would ignore Gu Zhan if he didn't agree.
In fact, given her current injuries, even if she wanted to leave, Gu Zhan might not agree. Marshal Gu had already counted; Xu Nian had more than twenty wounds of varying sizes on her body!
The most serious wounds were on my waist, shoulders, and back.
The sharp weapon had penetrated too deeply; when the medic treated it, the exposed flesh was stuck to the clothes, a horrifying sight. Gu Zhan had suffered many wounds on the battlefield, but at the time, none seemed as severe as Xu Nian's.
Now that she has finally regained consciousness, her injuries haven't even healed yet. How could he let his wife go back like this?
"Alright, I won't send you away." Xu Nian heard Gu Zhan sigh and said helplessly, "Just focus on recovering from your injuries. Once you're healed, you can be my servant."
There were women in the army; some soldiers' wives also accompanied them on campaigns. They would usually settle down in nearby cities.
She wanted to find a job to earn money to support her child while staying by her husband's side and watching the ongoing war.
It's clearly unrealistic for Xu Nian to follow those aunties around. She can cook and farm. But how could Gu Zhan bear to see his wife doing those things now?
Moreover, she had gone to great lengths to stay in the army with him, leaving Xu Nian behind. Gu Zhan was genuinely worried that she might do something shocking again.
If you can't take care of yourself, and something unexpected happens, you'll regret it.
Therefore, it's better to keep her by my side and watch over her at all times so I can always feel at ease.
Having received Gu Zhan's assurance, Xu Nian finally smiled broadly. For many days in a row, the smile on her face never faded.
Because of the Emperor's decree, her relationship with Gu Zhan could no longer be hidden. In just a few days while she was unconscious, the entire army knew about the Marshal's wife's feat of using lightning magic to fight against the vicious mountain bandits.
By the time she was able to walk, countless versions of the message had already circulated.
Every soldier looked at her with admiration, awe, and even a hint of eagerness. They treated Xu Nian like a deity who could command the wind and rain!
Especially the family members who followed him, every time Gu Zhan spoke to them, they were extremely respectful and dared not get any closer.
She said helplessly, "Sister-in-law, you don't need to be like this. Everyone here came out to fight with their husbands, including me. There's no such thing as a 'madam' here. Just treat me like your younger sister. There's no need to be so polite."
Haha, history always repeats itself.
I remember that when the streamer first demonstrated his abilities, some of the villagers had this kind of expression.
[It seems the streamer is going to try and reclaim that title again.]
The bullet comments had been turned off for several days, but now that Xu Nian had turned them back on, there was another round of complaints followed by schadenfreude about her current predicament.
The woman she called "sister-in-law" was only in her early twenties, with a four- or five-year-old child by her side. Her husband was said to be a centurion in the army.
He was considered to have some influence within this group of family members.
Seeing her come over, people always respectfully offer her their seats, and even when children try to get close to her, she gives them a stern warning, which is really embarrassing.
Hearing Xu Nian say this, the sister-in-law was still a little reluctant. "Madam, what are you saying? You've just recovered from a serious illness. We can do these things ourselves. Why don't you help me look after the children? They're a bit naughty, so please bear with them."
Although they still say the same thing, at least there has been some progress.
Xu Nian was very pleased and took the children to play on the side. In just a few days, she had become closer to all the family members, and at this time, Gu Zhan's army finally arrived at the foot of Cangque Mountain.
Adjacent to Mount Cangque are three cities: Cangxuan City, Cangque City, and Canggu City.
Cangque City was at the forefront, serving as the first pass of the entire Cangque Mountain Pass, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. When Gu Zhan's army arrived, the Xiongnu troops were still outside the city, not having advanced an inch.
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