Chapter 87
Lin Qingyu refused to open his eyes. In the blind darkness, the touch became clearer. He felt something dripping on his face. He opened his eyes a little and met Gu Fuzhou's gaze.
Gu Fuzhou…had been looking at him, the youthfulness in his eyes had faded away, leaving only the surging undercurrent of a grown man. Gu Fuzhou just looked at him, seeing his face flushed and his lips slightly parted, revealing an expression that would never appear on his face under normal circumstances. What was dripping on his face was Gu Fuzhou's sweat. It was so cold outside, but Gu Fuzhou was sweating all over.
Lin Qingyu couldn't help but ask: "Are you tired?"
Gu Fuzhou laughed: "No. Why do you think so?"
"If you're not tired, why are you sweating so much?"
Gu Fuzhou paused and said in an uncertain tone: "Well... maybe it's because you can't bear it?"
Lin Qingyu was stunned for a moment, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
Gu Fuzhou smiled and asked, "Do you want to help me?"
Lin Qingyu raised his hands, not knowing where to put them, and then put them down again: "Forget it, I... don't really know how to do it."
He can't even do this himself, let alone help others.
"Hmm? Doctor Lin, there are still some things you don't know how to do." Gu Fuzhou said with a smile, "But it's not a big problem. I can teach you. It's very simple..."
As he spoke, Gu Fuzhou really grabbed his hand and taught him step by step.
Lin Qingyu closed his eyes again, Gu Fuzhou's breath lingering in his ears. Gu Fuzhou would talk to him from time to time - calling him "Qingyu", "baby", and later "wife". The word "wife" almost made him wilted. He couldn't help but suspect that the word "wife" certainly did not mean an old woman in Gu Fuzhou's hometown, otherwise he really could not accept Gu Fuzhou's habit.
Fortunately, at this time, Gu Fuzhou kissed him. As they kissed each other, he temporarily put the "old woman" out of his mind. Then Gu Fuzhou started praising him again, praising his long eyelashes, his beautiful body, his nice voice, and coaxing him to call her "husband", which almost made him wilt again.
Lin Qingyu knew that Gu Fuzhou was a talkative person, but he really didn't expect that Gu Fuzhou could be so outspoken in bed. Gu Fuzhou spoke in a low, cutting voice, and every word he said seemed to have drugged him, causing strange and bizarre reactions in him - of course, with the exception of "husband, wife", which were probably poison.
Gu Fuzhou got what he wanted and successfully soiled his beautiful wife. Afterwards, he got out of bed without complaint and asked the servant to bring him a basin of hot water.
The people on duty in the master bedroom that night were Hua Lu and a maid named Yun. After bringing in the hot water and towel, Nanny Yun said with a smile, "We have finally waited for this day. I thought the general and his wife would live in such a celibate state for the rest of their lives."
Hua Lu asked curiously, "Madam, how long have you been waiting for?"
Nanny Yun smiled happily: "The young couple wanted hot water and towels in the middle of the night. What else could it be for other than that?"
Hualu reacted and blushed immediately. She had been with Lin Qingyu for so long and had never thought about such a thing. In her opinion, even if the young master married the general, they would still be respectful and polite to each other. Unexpectedly, such a celestial figure as the young master was eventually dragged into the hustle and bustle of the world by General Gu.
Nanny Yun said cheerfully, "People on night duty will have to make more trips in the future."
Gu Fuzhou cleaned up the scene, changed himself and Lin Qingyu into clean pajamas, and the two fell asleep in each other's arms. With the physical contact without any barriers, their relationship also lost the immaturity and innocence unique to adolescence. After that, the bed in the general's bedroom was replaced with a large bed, and the "historic" bunk bed was moved back to the study. When the day comes that the general makes his wife angry and is kicked out of the bedroom, he can still make do in the study, lie on the bunk beds and reminisce the glorious years when they were sworn brothers.
The winter of the first year of Chu Xi came earlier than in previous years. However, at the end of October, the first snow fell in the capital. Lin Qingyu, wearing Dayu's winter official uniform, was walking on the road after sweeping the snow in the palace. A eunuch followed closely behind him, holding an umbrella for him steadily.
Arriving at the gate of the Qinzheng Palace, Lin Qingyu actually saw her husband and asked in surprise, "When did you enter the palace?"
"Half an hour ago, the palace sent someone to invite me to your house." Gu Fuzhou looked at the plaque hanging at the entrance of the palace, "It seems that something big has happened."
After Xiao Jie ascended the throne, Gu Fuzhou entered a semi-retirement mode. He seldom entered the palace unless it was a major event like the coronation ceremony. Lin Qingyu had previously worried that he would lose his prestige in the court because of this. As it turned out, his worries were unnecessary. Gu Fuzhou has that ability. While staying at home, he can also understand the situation in the court and win people's hearts. He can hold the military power firmly in his hands without exhausting himself.
When they supported Xiao Jie to ascend the throne that day, one of the conditions they set was that General Gu should not be burdened. Xi Rong would not alarm Gu Fuzhou with ordinary minor disturbances, so it must be a big deal that made him invite Gu Fuzhou to the palace.
The two entered the temple together. In addition to Xiao Jie and Xi Rong, Empress Dowager Wen was also in the palace. In the presence of the Queen Mother, Xi Rong restrained himself and behaved like an ordinary eunuch in charge.
Lin Qingyu and Gu Fuzhou bowed and greeted Xiao Jie and the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother frowned and Xiao Jie's face was as pale as paper. "You are here," said the Queen Mother, "please sit down."
Lin Qingyu asked: "What happened?"
The Queen Mother closed her eyes and said, "Xi Rong, bring the things here for the General and Imperial Doctor Lin to examine."
Xi Rong handed Lin Qingyu a palm-sized brocade box. Xiao Jie watched Lin Qingyu open the brocade box and shrank back in the dragon chair: "Doctor Lin, you must be prepared and don't be scared by what's inside."
Xi Rong's eyes dimmed slightly: "Your Majesty, don't worry. Imperial Doctor Lin is knowledgeable and has seen a lot. He will not be afraid of anything he sees."
Even though he guessed that there wouldn't be anything good inside, Lin Qingyu still froze when he saw a piece of dried "meat strip" in the brocade box. Gu Fuzhou stood behind him and smelled a bloody smell wrapped in cold air. He frowned and asked, "What is this?"
Lin Qingyu quickly closed the brocade box and said coldly: "Tongue - human tongue."
Gu Fuzhou also paused and asked, "Whose?"
Xiao Jie said in a trembling voice: "Zhao Mingwei, General Zhao."
Lin Qingyu felt Gu Fuzhou's breathing suddenly slow down, and his own chest also felt constricted.
Zhao Mingwei, a famous general of Dayu, was once a deputy general under Gu Fuzhou. Although he was not as victorious as Gu Fuzhou, he was also a talented person who was very good at using troops. After Gu Fuzhou returned to Beijing, Zhao Mingwei continued to lead the Northwestern Army to defend Yongliang. Over the past year, under his leadership, Dayu's Northwest Army was evenly matched with the Western Xia, with both sides winning and losing.
Earlier, Zhao Mingwei suddenly sent news that there was hope of annihilating the Western Xia army in one fell swoop, but Gu Fuzhou felt that it was inappropriate. Although he had not had a head-on confrontation with the Western Xia military advisor, it could be seen from the Northwest Military News that this man was unfathomable and full of cunning schemes. In his memorial, he suggested that Zhao Mingwei make plans before taking action. The military order had been delivered to the northwest, but he had no idea whether Zhao Mingwei obeyed it or not.
"What exactly is going on?" Lin Qingyu asked, "General Zhao... has died for his country?"
Xi Rong looked at Gu Fuzhou and said, "Western Xia defeated Zhao Mingwei's army of 200,000 men. Yongliang, which General Gu had defended for more than ten years, was lost. After being captured, General Zhao committed suicide and died for his country. Western Xia cut off his tongue and sent it to the capital along with the news of Dayu's defeat."
Yongliang is an important city in the northwest and the strongest line of defense on the border of Dayu. Once this city is broken, the gateway to the northwest of Dayu will be wide open.
"They are too much, they are simply not human!" Xiao Jie said hoarsely, "The people of Yongliang have no time to escape, and their lives are in the hands of Xixia. General Gu, if Xixia wants to massacre the city and cut off everyone's tongue, what should we do then..."
"This winter is even colder than two years ago. There has been heavy snow in the northwest for days, and several roads for transporting food and grass have been closed. Even if we gallop, it will take half a month to get from Yongliang to the capital." The Queen Mother's armor was firmly embedded in her palm. "That is to say, Zhao Mingwei died half a month ago. Now, I don't know what the situation is in Yongliang."
Lin Qingyu was silent for a long time, and said: "Western Xia has been harassing Dayu's border for many years, and all they want is money, food, cattle and sheep. Since they have already captured Yongliang and captured General Zhao alive, why don't they use this opportunity to negotiate with Dayu, but instead cut off General Zhao's tongue as a provocation?"
Gu Fuzhou laughed, but there was no trace of smile on his face: "It's probably because the military advisor of Xixia doesn't want money, food, cattle and sheep."
Xiao Jie asked: "Then what does he want?"
"There is a kind of people who like to fight and enjoy the feeling of being in control. Only on the battlefield do they feel that their lives are meaningful." Gu Fuzhou said coldly, "So, he would hope that there will never be a war between Dayu and Xixia."
Xiao Jie was shocked: "Would there be such a person?"
After a moment of silence, the Queen Mother said, "When the late Emperor was still alive, he asked the Imperial Master to calculate the fortune for Dayu's country. The hexagram said 'Struggle for the throne, marriage in the northern border, ghost commander of Xixia'. The struggle for the throne, fratricide, the decline of the royal heir, and the factional struggles have caused many civil and military officials to lose their official hats, or even their heads. The marriage in the northern border was the source of the former crown prince's dethronement. The first two things the Imperial Master said have come true, and they are both related to Dayu's national destiny. The last sentence, 'ghost commander of Xixia', could it be the mysterious military advisor of Xixia?"
Xi Rong said, "Your Majesty, Queen Mother, let's not discuss whether this Xixia military advisor is the person mentioned by the celestial phenomena. Now that Yongliang has been lost, the northwest is leaderless, and the heavy snow has blocked the roads, so food and wages cannot be delivered on time. This is a golden opportunity bestowed by Xixia. If we let it go, I'm afraid they will be unstoppable and may even attack the capital one day. The most urgent task is to send a general to the northwest as soon as possible to take charge of the situation."
The Queen Mother was quite disgusted with the eunuchs' participation in politics, but the situation was urgent and she had to agree with Xi Rong's opinion. "General Gu," the Queen Mother said in a slower tone, "Looking at the court, you are the only one who can save the Northwest now."
Before Gu Fuzhou could answer, Lin Qingyu said, "Not necessarily. The general's old injury has relapsed recently, so it is not suitable for him to go to the battle."
Xi Rong said meaningfully: "General, whether your old injury has recurred or not, you should know best."
Gu Fuzhou said calmly: "It's relapsed."
Xi Rong narrowed his eyes. The Queen Mother sighed and said, "Let's summon the ministers of the Cabinet to the Qinzheng Palace to discuss the matter."
On the way back to the general's mansion, Lin Qingyu and Gu Fuzhou were silent all the way. After returning to the room, Lin Qingyu spoke: "I am also very sad about General Zhao's matter. But you are not allowed to go."
Gu Fuzhou said slowly: "The army has been without a great general for a long time, then Yong Liang..."
"What does Yongliang have to do with me?" Lin Qingyu said coldly, "I just want you to be well."
Gu Fuzhou shook his head: "It's too small, the pattern is too small."
"What do you mean?"
"The Xixia military advisor and Xixia general are the same person. He is both an advisor and a commander. There is not much description of this person in the original book "Huai Bu Shi Jun", but he is a genius in using troops. If you let him burn Yongliang today, he may attack the capital tomorrow. By then, I will definitely not survive. And you, 80% of the time, will be - damn, I am so angry just thinking about it."
Lin Qingyu frowned: "So, you really want to go?"
Gu Fuzhou paused and said, "No, I just feel like there really is no one else."
Lin Qingyu's eyes were cold.
Gu Fuzhou said helplessly: "Baby, don't be angry first, come and hug me."
Gu Fuzhou opened his arms and wanted to hug Lin Qingyu. Lin Qingyu had a sullen face and backed away: "I won't let you hug me."
Gu Fuzhou was not angry after being rejected. He sighed exaggeratedly and said, "Are you serious about taking a half step back? Such a small action can cause so much damage."
Lin Qingyu gritted his teeth and said, "It's already this hour, and you're still in the mood to joke. You said yourself that you rely on luck in fighting. Do you think you can beat the genius selected by the author?"
"I don't think so." Gu Fuzhou said honestly, "I was still studying before, and every time after the exam I felt that I did very badly, but I always got first place."
Lin Qingyu: “…”
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