The outer courtyard of the Marquis's Mansion.
The eldest master Gu Zhiwen and his eldest son Gu Rui stood in front of the bed.
There was a strong smell of medicine in the room, mixed with other smells, which was a bit pungent.
The eldest master, Gu Zhiwen, repeated Gu Jiu's words and then said, "My son has been wondering, could it be that something big is going to happen in the court, and Xiao Jiu got the news in advance?"
The old marquis closed his eyes and thought deeply, without saying a word.
Gu Rui said, "Whether or not something major has happened, Sister Xiaojiu's reminder must have a profound meaning. Starting tomorrow, I will personally train the personal guards in the palace."
The old marquis suddenly opened his eyes and pointed at Gu Rui, "You are right to think so. Starting tomorrow, we will start training the personal guards. When I die, don't stop during the funeral. If you don't practice for a day, you will be useless. If you don't practice for three days, I'm afraid you won't even be able to hold a weapon steadily."
"Father..." The eldest master Gu Zhiwen was overcome with grief.
"My grandson will follow my grandfather's teachings." Gu Rui had a resolute expression and sharp eyes. He was no longer the eldest grandson of the marquisate who had been mourning for Jia.
The old marquis was very pleased. "If I'm not mistaken, you'll have a battle soon. Whether the Marquisate can prosper again depends entirely on you. Fight in battle, make great achievements, and perhaps the title of Marquisate will be further enhanced and passed down for generations."
If you can't seize the opportunity and don't have the ability to eat the meal of fighting in the battlefield, you'd better give up and be a good second-generation rich kid. At least you can keep some of your family property."
The eldest master, Gu Zhiwen, turned pale. He knelt before the bed and asked in a low voice, "Are we really going to fight? Who are we going to fight?"
The old marquis chuckled, "Fool, who else can you fight?"
"Beirong? Or Xiliang?" The eldest master Gu Zhiwen was not really stupid, he just didn't dare to trust his own judgment.
Beirong, Xiliang, and the Great Zhou hadn't fought a single battle in over a decade. Even when there were conflicts, they were small-scale. Why were they suddenly going to war?
He asked, "Is the court prepared? Last year, the court couldn't even provide food for disaster relief. Where will the food and fodder come from for war? Will we have to use the capital's granaries?"
The old marquis lowered his voice and said, "Bei Rong and Xi Liang will not stop fighting just because the Great Zhou is unprepared. I estimate that Bei Rong and Xi Liang have had a hard time in recent years, and it has reached a point where they have to fight. Once the war starts, it will surely be a war that will destroy the whole country. Xiao Jiu reminds you not to forget to train during the period of mourning, so that you can make achievements and establish yourselves."
Zhou Rui knelt down and said, "I will not disappoint grandfather's high expectations and will not bring shame to our ancestors."
The old marquis looked at Gu Rui with satisfaction, "Take your brothers with you to train, and don't put too much pressure on yourself. I estimate that even if this war is to be fought, it will take another year or two."
Beirong and Xiliang need time to prepare food, fodder, and troops, and the Great Zhou also needs time to prepare food, fodder, and troops. Remember to keep an eye on grain prices in the capital. Any abnormal price fluctuations mean war is imminent."
"Grandson, remember your grandfather's teachings!"
The elder master, Gu Zhiwen, frowned, "At my age, I wonder if His Majesty will choose me to fight at the border."
The old marquis said, "After I leave, you will be the head of the Marquisate. In this war to conquer the nation, you will represent the Marquisate and must go to the border. So don't forget to train."
The eldest master, Gu Zhiwen, felt a little guilty. "My son hasn't held a weapon for many years. I really feel ashamed of my ancestors."
The old marquis snorted, appearing very dissatisfied.
"While there are still a year or two left, hurry up and pick up your martial arts skills, so as not to lose your life on the battlefield."
The old marquis is not polite to his own son.
The eldest master, Gu Zhiwen, nodded. "I will remember your father's teachings and will train with Gu Rui and the others. I am just worried about how we will fight this war and how long the food and fodder will last. Although the Ministry of Revenue has finally achieved a balance between income and expenditure, it has very little savings. Even if we have a year or two to prepare, it will probably be a drop in the bucket. If the war cannot be resolved within a year, once the battle line is prolonged, the consequences will be disastrous."
Master Gu Zhiwen's words are very insightful.
When fighting a war, what we fight for is money, food and logistics.
As long as there is enough money and food, the enemy can be outlasted.
Beirong and Xiliang can solve their food problem by looting the Great Zhou.
Who else can the Great Zhou rob?
Beirong and Xiliang are poor, the royal city is far away and it seems that there is no target to plunder.
If the battle line is extended and goes deep into the grassland, the supply of food and grass will become the biggest problem.
The old marquis closed his eyes and was also thinking about this problem.
Gu Rui suddenly said, "Sihai Trading Company, and the Shaofu."
"What?"
"My grandson said that with Sihai Trading Company, Shaofu, and Sanhe Express, even if the battle line is extended, the supply of food and grass will not be a problem." Gu Rui said in a loud voice.
However, to the old marquis and the eldest master, these words were like a bolt from the blue.
The old marquis asked, "Da Lang, why do you think Sihai Trading Company can solve the problem of food supply?"
Gu Rui said honestly, "Grandfather, I simply trust Sister Xiaojiu. I believe she has also considered the issue of food and fodder and is working on it. She reminded us to prepare early on, so this war was obviously within her expectations. Sister Xiaojiu has always been methodical in her work, and I think this time will be no exception."
"You think the food problem can be solved just because you trust Xiaojiu?" The old marquis found it unbelievable.
Gu Rui nodded. "If it were the imperial court that was responsible for preparing the food supplies, to be honest, I wouldn't have much confidence. The imperial court's approach has many drawbacks and wastes time. However, if Sister Xiaojiu were to take charge of the food supplies, she would always be able to accomplish things that others couldn't, and would always create miracles. I believe she could do it."
"Why do you have such great confidence in her?" asked the eldest master Gu Zhiwen curiously.
Gu Rui said solemnly, "Grandfather and father haven't had much contact with Little Sister Jiu, so they don't know her well. My wife, Zhou, has frequent contact with Little Sister Jiu, so she's actually more familiar with her. My confidence in Little Sister Jiu comes from what she's done over the years."
The old marquis sighed, "I am really old!"
The eldest master, Gu Zhiwen, questioned, "Even if Xiaojiu has a way to solve the food problem, His Majesty may not use her."
The old marquis laughed. "I remember how many times when the late emperor was still alive, she overcame all the impossibilities and made them possible. If Xiaojiu really has a way to raise food and fodder, I believe she can convince Your Majesty. It's just that the time has not come yet, and it's not time to reveal everything. This matter only needs to be kept between you and your son, and it must not be passed on to anyone else."
The eldest master, Gu Zhiwen, had doubts. "Little Wei can't hide it. If she knew the inside story, she would definitely alert the Zhuguo Mansion and the Han family."
The old marquis said sternly, "Then find a way to keep it a secret from her. The Zhuguo Mansion and the Han family have their own channels of information, so there's no need for us to worry about them. Most importantly, this matter is clearly still in the secret preparation stage. Xiaojiu has risked her life to remind us not to put her in danger. If the news leaks out and alerts His Majesty, Xiaojiu will be in trouble."
The eldest master, Gu Zhiwen, nodded and said, "Son, I listen to my father. I will find a way to keep it secret from her."
The old marquis looked at Gu Rui again.
Gu Rui hurriedly said, "Grandfather, don't worry. I will keep this a secret from everyone and won't reveal a single word."
“Very good!”
The old marquis has set a major plan for the Marquisate for the next ten years, hoping that the Marquisate will have a chance to rise again after his death.
A few days before his death, the old marquis submitted a petition to express his loyalty on behalf of everyone in the mansion.
Emperor Wende read the old marquis' memorial and seemed to be thinking about something.
"Gu Mu, the Marquis of Pingnan, a great hero of his generation, has also reached the end of his life."
The impermanence of life made Emperor Wende feel a little emotional.
After several days of deliberation, Emperor Wende issued an imperial edict.
The imperial edict was delivered to the Marquis' Mansion, and the eldest master Gu Zhiwen successfully inherited the title of the Marquis' Mansion, the third-class marquis.
The old marquis smiled with relief, his wish fulfilled. He closed his eyes with a smile and passed away!
Everyone in the Marquis’ Mansion is in grief!
White lanterns were hung at the gate of the Marquis's mansion, and the housekeeper led people to announce the death from house to house.
Gu Jiu was overwhelmed with grief when he heard the news of the old marquis's death.
She lay in Liu Zhao's arms, sobbing softly twice, feeling very uncomfortable.
Liu Zhao hugged her and comforted her softly, "Tomorrow I will go to the Marquis' Mansion with you to pay my respects."
Gu Jiu nodded. "Although I haven't had much contact with the old marquis, I know he is very kind and caring towards the younger generation. As the patriarch of the Gu family, he has fulfilled his responsibilities as patriarch and is very caring towards the Gu family and the members of the clan.
My father and my great uncle were able to enter officialdom smoothly back then thanks to the help of the old marquis. Now that they are gone, it feels like an era has ended with them, and I feel strangely sad.
Liu Zhao said, "Don't be too sad. You're not in good health, so don't be overly happy or sad. The old marquis' generation is dwindling. When those old guys are gone, an era will be completely over. This is an inevitable result. Being able to leave your mark in these turbulent times and not come into this world in vain is a blessing!"
Gu Jiu wiped away her tears and gave Liu Zhao a cold look.
"Your thoughts always exude a cold aura, appearing extremely cold and ruthless."
Liu Zhao said frankly, "I wasn't familiar with the old marquis, so I can't empathize with his passing. I can only speak my true thoughts. Although they may be cold, they are honest enough."
Gu Jiu bit his arm and said, "Stop provoking me. Everyone understands the truth, but not everyone is willing to listen to you."
Liu Zhao readily agreed, "Then I'll say less."
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
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