Gu Ting is so happy!
The strength accumulated over two years is truly fierce and unstoppable.
After finishing my work, I collapsed directly on the bed.
Pei Man snuggled in his arms and asked softly, "Are you leaving again this time?"
"I guess we'll have to go on the expedition again this year!"
"The Xiliang troops have retreated in defeat, so why are they still pursuing them?"
Gu Ting wiped his face and said, "I don't know what the higher-ups are planning. I'm just following orders."
Pei Man was a little sad. "When you're away, it takes at least a month, and at most several years. I don't know when it will end. The children are not close to you."
"I'm sorry for putting so much pressure on you! The children all rely on Li to take care of them." Gu Ting hugged her tightly.
Pei Man shook her head and continued, "Our Pei family has been in the military for generations, and the girls in the Pei family have long been accustomed to this kind of life. For example, my mother and my father have been separated for decades. One is in the northwest and will never return to the capital. The other is the head of the family in the capital, only managing the small piece of land in the marquis' mansion. She never asked about my father's affairs outside, and she never mentioned coming to the northwest to take a look."
After saying this, Pei Man sighed for her mother and thankfully said, "Luckily, we have the Empress's support, so I can follow you to the northwest to settle down. Otherwise, I would have to live alone in an empty house for decades like my mother."
"No! How can I bear to leave you alone in this empty room!"
Pei Man laughed, "We are lucky!"
Gu Ting hummed.
Pei Man asked him, "Do you plan to stay in the northwest and fight like my father and my elder brother?"
Gu Ting scratched his head. "Do you want to go back to the capital? The capital is not interesting except for its prosperity."
Pei Man said seriously, "But the children need to receive a good education. The best education in the Great Zhou, and the most outstanding teachers are all in the capital, at the Shanhe Academy, not in the northwest."
Gu Ting sighed, "Let me think about it. What can I do when I return to the capital?"
"Go to the Jingda Camp to lead the troops for training!"
"No war!"
"Do you like fighting so much? Every time you go out, I'm always worried, afraid something might happen to you. When you came back, did you hear that Han Wulang of Daihou Mansion died? He died in the army. He was shot to death while being protected by many personal guards."
"Han Wulang is dead?" Gu Ting was shocked. He had never heard of this. In the prairie, it was difficult to get news.
"Do you know him?" Pei Man asked casually.
I didn't expect that Gu Ting really knew Han Wulang. "I used to play with him when I was in the capital. But he was a spoiled kid, and I found him annoying, so I stopped hanging out with him after playing with him twice."
Han Wulang is a pampered young man who is particular about everything, while Gu Ting is a rough man who grew up in a wild way. They really can't play together.
"How could he die with so many personal guards around him? He is the son of a marquis, we can't let him go into battle." Gu Ting asked.
Han Wulang's death took him by surprise.
Pei Man lowered her voice and whispered, "I heard that the arrow was shot from behind."
Gu Ting's expression was serious. "You mean someone is shooting arrows in the back?"
"I didn't say this, it's spread all over the northwest. The dead young master of the Marquisate is the one that everyone is talking about the most."
Gu Ting frowned, "What did the Duke of Lu say?"
Pei Man shook her head. "You know, I never ask these questions in front of my father."
Gu Ting couldn't understand, "Who would shoot a cold arrow at him?"
"I heard the Grand Governor's Office is investigating. After so much time, there should be a result. I'm afraid it's not something glorious, so the Grand Governor's Office is keeping it secret."
"My lady, you have a point. Han Wulang is no good. He has offended many people in the past. I guess someone is taking revenge on him in the army. But he is the son of a marquis, so this matter will never end well. Tomorrow I will find out who shot him in the back."
"The person who shot the sneak attack is dead now." Pei Man asked curiously.
Gu Ting nodded. "Shooting someone in the back, especially on the battlefield, is a major military taboo. The other party must have done this with the determination to die."
Pei Man said with some worry: "War is too dangerous. You have to be on guard against the enemy, and also be careful about whether your comrades have ill intentions towards you. If something happens... You are already an adult, are you really not planning to return to the capital?"
Gu Ting scratched his head. "I was always busy fighting and never thought about this problem. If I really go back to the capital, I'm afraid I won't be able to adapt."
After a pause, he continued, "I like the Northwest and the Northwest Army."
"Have you thought about the future of the Northwest Army?" Pei Man suddenly sat up from the bed and questioned Gu Ting.
Gu Ting looked confused and said as a matter of course: "If there is a war, then fight. If there is no war, then rest in the camp."
Pei Man gritted her teeth, and the anger in her heart exploded.
She lowered her voice and said angrily, "You should know something about my father's reputation in the capital. And the establishment of the Northwest Military Governor's Office, do you think it was just for war? When Emperor Chengzong Wende sent the Prince of Qin to lead the troops in the northwest, one of the purposes was to suppress the Northwest Army. You must know this. He's your brother-in-law, and you've never communicated with him? He didn't tell you anything about the inside story?"
Gu Ting's mind was in a mess. "His Majesty and I belong to different camps. We only met twice when he first came to the northwest to train troops. After that, when the war got intense, we haven't met since. He didn't say anything, just told me to focus on the battle and not think about anything else."
"That's because he doesn't want you to have any wild thoughts. He wants to comfort you. Haven't you noticed the tense atmosphere between the Northwest Military Governor's Office and the Northwest Army?"
"Ma'am, what do you want to say? My mind is very confused."
Pei Man looked disgusted. "You are indeed a rough old man, unwilling to use your rusty brain. My father and the Northwest Army are too powerful to be controlled, and are considered a taboo by the court. Do you understand now? My father hasn't returned to the capital for decades. Do you think he really likes to eat sand? The Northwest Army is at odds with the Grand Marshal. Do you think it's just a military quarrel? The Grand Marshal's Office was established from the day it was established to prevent and suppress the Northwest Army."
Gu Ting was shocked. "The Duke of Lu is a meritorious official! How could the court…"
"Isn't there a shortage of examples of the imperial court executing meritorious officials? My father's current situation clearly shows that he's relying on his own strength. But the imperial court won't let this go forever. The Northwest Grand Commander is training his troops for war, just in case the worst happens one day..."
Pei Man's face turned pale and she couldn't continue.
Gu Ting hugged her and asked, "Who told you all this? When did you start thinking about these issues?"
Pei Man took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "My family in the capital is very worried about our safety. But you are the Queen's biological brother. If you can get out in time, it should be no problem to keep your family safe."
"You mean, your mother-in-law wrote to ask you to return to the capital? The Marquis of Lu... aren't you and your mother-in-law worried?"
"Not only has my mother written to me, but my sister has also sent me several letters, each with increasingly harsher words and growing concern. Your Majesty and Your Majesty are men of great courage. They will definitely inherit the will of Emperor Chengzong Wende and one day resolve the issue of the Northwest Army. What can we do then? I can't change my father's decision, nor can I change my eldest brother's decision. They are truly heroes of our time. If they are willing to sacrifice their wives and children, then naturally we are willing to do the same!"
Pei Man gritted her teeth and closed her eyes to prevent tears from falling.
She sat down dejectedly, as if all her strength had been drained away, and threw herself into Gu Ting's arms, feeling strangely uncomfortable.
Gu Ting took a deep breath. He had been through too much stimulation today.
After a long silence, he asked, "Have you met the Marquis? Have you tried to persuade the Marquis?"
Pei Man whispered, "I've tried to probe my father's thoughts. I asked him if he'd ever thought about returning to the countryside after a lifetime of service. He told me that the day he died would be the day he would return to the countryside. He would never give up until his death. But he gave up on us, and his entire family in the capital."
"You can't say that. The Marquis is not that kind of person."
Pei Man gritted her teeth and said, "There's something I've been holding in my heart for a long time."
"What's up?"
"My eldest brother secretly kept two concubines in his city and had three sons. The oldest one is already ten years old."
"What? This, this, this... How could the uncle secretly keep a mistress?"
If you want to raise a pet, you should do it openly.
Pei Man continued, "My eldest brother came back half a month earlier than you did. He came to the city to visit me. I asked him what was going on with the women and children in the city."
"What did he say?"
"You'd never guess what he said. He said he had to leave a bloodline, something for the Pei family... In his eyes, his sister-in-law and nephew in the capital were already dead. Ah Ting, you should understand their thinking now. They've put everything on the line. They decided to give up on that family in the capital a long time ago."
Pei Man was very sad.
Gu Ting hugged him tightly, "Your eldest nephew and second nephew have both been trained in the army and have made military achievements this time."
"Big Brother only cares about the three illegitimate children he secretly raised in the city. He and his two nephews have never spent a single day together, so there's no question of a father-son relationship between them. If the situation really came to a critical moment, he could sacrifice his two nephews at any time."
Pei Man was chilled by the cruelty and cold-bloodedness of her father and brother.
A war is like a magic mirror that reveals so many true faces.
She cried and begged, "Let's go back to the capital. This place makes me sick."
"Let me think about it. I will go to the camp in two days and make a decision." Gu Ting promised solemnly.
Pei Man wiped her tears and hummed, "The Queen sent you two letters. I put them in the drawer and didn't open them."
Gu Ting got up, opened the drawer and took out the letter.
He said to Pei Man cheerfully, "Let's watch it together."
Pei Man burst out laughing.
What she likes is Gu Ting's cheerfulness.
No matter how bad the situation was, he could always find a way to smile and bring joy to life.
The couple lay on the bed, reading Gu Jiu's letter.
The letter was very brief, and the main topic was asking him what his plans for the future were and whether he wanted to return to the capital.
Pei Man suddenly grabbed Gu Ting's hand and said, "The Empress is writing to ask you if you want to return to the capital at this time. Is the court going to take action against the Northwest Army soon?"
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