Early in the morning, Gu Ting brought his wife and children to the palace to pay his respects.
Xu Yousi was waiting to greet him at the palace gate.
"General Gu is finally back. The Queen has been looking forward to this day for a long time. General, Madam, please follow us. The Queen is waiting for you two and the three young masters in the Imperial Garden."
The three children were very nervous.
It was my first time in the capital and my first time in the palace.
The scenery is completely different from that of the northwest. The heavily guarded palace is filled with an oppressive atmosphere.
Pei Man took the three children and quietly comforted them, telling them not to be afraid and to just follow the rules.
A family of five followed Xu Yousi to the Embroidery Tower in the Imperial Garden.
"The Queen is waiting for you upstairs, please go up."
Gu Ting held Xu Yousi, "How is the queen?"
Xu Yousi smiled and said, "Thanks to the general, the queen is in good health and everything is fine. She's just a little busy."
Gu Ting nodded, straightened his collar, and asked Pei Man quietly, "What do you think of me?"
Pei Man pursed her lips and smiled, "Very good! Let's go up quickly, don't keep the queen waiting for too long."
"You're right."
Gu Ting walked in front and was the first to climb the stairs.
There was a noise on the stairs. Gu Ting, who had never been defeated in battle, suddenly felt uneasy.
That's his own sister, how could he be so weak?
Could it be that a change in identity really affects one’s mood?
The embroidery building was unexpectedly large, large enough to accommodate seven or eight desks.
A figure was sitting on the floor, leaning against the window.
She heard the noise and turned around, her eyes full of surprise, "Brother!"
Gu Ting was excited, but he did not forget the rules, "I pay my respects..."
"Brother, please don't be so polite!" Gu Jiu interrupted Gu Ting with a smile, "Where are my sister-in-law and nephews and nieces? Call them up quickly, I want to take a good look."
Gu Ting seemed to have found the feeling he had when they were brothers and sisters. He grinned and said, "Etiquette cannot be abolished!"
"Brother, there's no need to be polite in front of me. Hurry and invite my sister-in-law and nephews and nieces up."
Pei Man walked up to the embroidery building with her child, feeling a little uneasy.
The children were so nervous that they were at a loss for words, after all, they had never seen someone of such high status.
Gu Jiu looked at Pei Man and then at the three children with a smile in his eyes.
She was very excited, but she hid it well.
She invited everyone to sit down, "Don't be shy! Come sit down and talk! We haven't seen each other for many years, and we've all changed a lot."
Pei Man pursed her lips and smiled, "Your Majesty is still the same as before, she hasn't changed at all."
Gu Jiu loved hearing this. She laughed out loud, "Sister-in-law, you're joking. Time makes people grow old, and I can't avoid it. But sister-in-law, you've taken good care of yourself. The wind and sand from the northwest haven't left any trace on you."
Pei Man looked at Gu Ting and smiled shyly, "The general has always taken care of me."
"Brother has actually learned to take care of others, not bad, not bad!"
Gu Ting chuckled, "I always take care of people."
This is a bit shameless.
Gu Jiu laughed and asked about the situation of his three nephews and nieces.
The embroidery building is big, yet also small.
Compared to the palace, the atmosphere of the embroidery building is very suitable for the family to sit down and chat.
The three children, who were originally so nervous that they couldn't move their hands or feet, now relaxed and answered the questions confidently.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "What a good child. Come, invite the princess and the fourth prince over and let them meet their cousins."
The palace maid took the order and left.
Gu Ting asked curiously, "Are the First and Second Princes not in the palace?"
"The eldest has gone to the Jingda Camp for training and only comes back once every few months. The second has gone to the Shanhe Academy. He's tired of being in the palace, so he's just living in Xiaozhu. I sent someone to call him back yesterday, but it looks like he'll be back a little later."
"Your Majesty is blessed!" Pei Man complimented.
"Sister-in-law is also blessed."
Soon Niuniu and Ge'er arrived at the embroidery building. They greeted each other and got to know each other.
Gu Jiu ordered, "You are the host family, take your cousins downstairs to play. Remember not to go near the construction site and are not allowed to play in the water."
Niu Niu agreed without hesitation, thinking that it was impossible not to play in the water in such hot weather.
The children left the embroidery building.
There were only three of them left upstairs.
Pei Man was very tactful, "Excuse me, Your Majesty, but I'm in a hurry. Can I..."
Gu Jiu nodded with a smile and ordered the palace maid to take Pei Man downstairs to rest.
As a result, only the brother and sister were left upstairs.
"Brother, how has he been doing in the army these years?"
"Very good! A second-rank general, promoted through actual military merit!"
"Brother is amazing! I promise I didn't interfere with your promotion."
"I know. Based on my merits, I was promoted to a second-rank military general, and it was justified." After saying this, Gu Ting grinned, his pride evident in his expression.
Gu Jiu pursed his lips and smiled, "Now my brother's rank has caught up with my uncle, it's amazing!"
Gu Ting's true form was revealed in a second. He scratched his head and said, "It's not as powerful as my sister said!"
Gu Jiu picked up the teapot and poured tea himself, "Brother, have some tea!"
"I'll do it myself, don't do it yourself. You are now the Queen, and you are no longer the same as before. How can I let you do it yourself?"
Gu Jiu laughed, "I am the queen, so my brother won't recognize me as his sister?"
"How can that be! This isn't about distinctions between high and low. We have to follow the rules."
"Rules are for outsiders to see. We are just siblings, so there's no need to be so particular about them. Did your journey back to the capital go smoothly?"
"It went pretty smoothly. We had Sanhe Express bring all the big stuff back, so we only had to bring some gold and silver jewelry and other things we needed for the journey. With Sanhe Express, it's much more convenient than before. Even the military supplies are delivered by Sanhe Express. It's timely and safe, and there's never been a problem."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "That's because most of the people who deliver supplies to the military are veterans. They are loyal, reliable, and have clean backgrounds, ensuring that there will be no mistakes. Ordinary civilian items are delivered by ordinary couriers."
"There's even this particular detail, I didn't even notice it."
"Sanhe Express has two operating teams, one of which is specially set up for the war and the military." Gu Jiu didn't mind saying more.
Gu Ting said with emotion: "Sister, you've worked hard! When you founded Sanhe Express, I was worried that you would lose money."
Gu Jiu couldn't help laughing when he thought about that time. "I still remember the first one or two years after Sanhe Express was founded, we often received items sent by you from the northwest. At that time, were you worried that I would lose money, so you took care of the express delivery station's business?"
Gu Ting scratched his head and chuckled, saying everything without saying a word.
Gu Jiu felt warm inside.
My brother never said anything, he just silently supported me with his actions.
"Thank you, brother!" she said solemnly.
"I didn't help at all, but you helped me a lot. I should say thank you."
“Having my brother’s support is the greatest help to me.”
"Brother will support you all your life, no matter what you do."
"If I want to deal with the Northwest Army, will my brother support me?"
Gu Ting was stunned on the spot.
He was still hesitating about how to bring up the topic of the Northwest Army, but he didn't expect his sister to be more direct than him.
He looked embarrassed and hesitant. "Has the court made up its mind?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "This matter has not yet been brought to the court for discussion, but His Majesty and I have already reached a decision and have made sufficient arrangements. If you see Pei Meng, tell him that I will not take his life. I just want him to sit down and have a good talk."
This, this, this...
"May I ask, Your Majesty and Your Highness, what are your plans for dealing with the Northwest Army?"
Gu Jiu said vaguely, "Don't worry, brother. Everything can be discussed. We are all from the Great Zhou. War is not the only way to solve problems."
Gu Ting didn't quite understand. He thought for a moment and said, "It's impossible for the Marquis of Lu to return to the capital."
He understands this.
"My Lord is unwilling to be trapped in the capital. They were born to be generals, destined to make their name in the military and die in it."
"I know everything! Over the years, I have been studying the Marquis of Lu and his son, and the Northwest Army."
Gu Ting opened his mouth wide, somewhat incredulous.
"Brother, don't ask too many questions. You just need to know that neither I nor His Majesty has any intention of killing anyone. The court has spent a lot of money and food to train them, and it is not easy. We will not fatten them up and slaughter them."
Gu Ting let out a long sigh, "I hope we can come to a conclusion!"
Gu Jiu said affirmatively: "Of course there will be results."
She prepared an irresistible path for the Duke of Lu and his son, and for the Northwest Army.
"Brother, tell me about yourself. Are you used to coming back to the capital? What do you want to do? I am now the queen, and it would only take a word for me to ask for an official position for you."
Gu Jiu joked lightly.
It's a joke but it's the truth.
Gu Ting said, "I plan to rest for a few days, but I still want to continue my military service. I'm used to military life and can't do anything else."
"How about going to the Beijing camp? We can adjust for a year or two, and then go to the south to train troops."
"Going south?" Gu Ting was surprised.
Gu Jiu nodded. "After resolving the northwest, we should also start to resolve the chieftain and border issues in the south. Of course, this is a big deal and will take time to plan. If brother can adapt to the hot and humid climate in the south, he can go there to train the troops in advance. When fighting in the south, we must use soldiers born in the south to minimize the casualties caused by the climate."
Gu Ting felt a little dizzy. He asked, "Does the court still want to fight a war?"
Gu Jiu laughed, "Brother, you're such a jokester. The imperial court raises soldiers to fight wars, not just to eat for free?"
"But we've just finished fighting in the northwest, and now we're going to fight in the south. Won't the officials object? Does the Ministry of Revenue have the money to fight?"
"Emperor Chengzong Wende was able to finance a war that lasted for years without imposing taxes or labor service. Your Majesty and I are only stronger, not weaker. Brother, don't worry about money and food. Just tell me, are you willing to go to the south to train troops?"
"Can you give me a few days to think about it? My mind is a bit confused."
While he was still worried about the Northwest Army, he had to go to the south to train troops and fight. The jump was too fast and he could not keep up with Gu Jiu's thinking.
Gu Jiu took a sip of tea and suddenly asked, "Brother, can you swim?"
"Of course! As a man, how can I not know how to play in the water?"
Gu Jiu laughed, "I'm not talking about playing in the water, I'm talking about serious swimming. You can have water battles inland or naval battles on the sea."
This, this, this...
Sister, please stop jumping so fast. Let me digest and absorb it first.
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