Everyone ate dry rations that night, but Gu Nian had everyone boil and store the water from the pool. Although Gu Ren was used to drinking cold water, she couldn't bring herself to drink it. Someone in the Great Zhou army had found a water source in the desert and felt unwell after drinking it. If it weren't for the high skill of the military doctor, that person might not have survived.
Therefore, everyone listened to Gu Nian's instructions.
They continued walking for six days until the group reached the Shalin tribe.
King Salim warmly welcomed Gu Shouxin and his party. The next day, he sent his eldest son, third son, and youngest daughter with prepared gifts and an entourage to follow Gu Shouxin and his party.
Originally, the Salin tribe only planned to send the eldest prince and the little princess, but the third prince insisted on going. There was no other way, so the Salin king had to agree. It would be good for one more person to go and learn more.
The Salim tribe had a group of three hundred people, no more and no less, making for a rather large group when they walked together.
Princess Shalin joined Gu Xin and the other girls chatting. In the past, Princess Shalin had accompanied Gu Xin to the Liusha Kingdom, and the two had a good relationship. Moreover, since Princess Shalin could not understand the Great Zhou language, it was still convenient for Gu Xin and the others to talk.
Over the next few days, Princess Salim, with her intelligence, discovered some of the content of their conversations.
The day before arriving in Gorz, Princess Salin quietly asked Gu Xin, "Sister Xin, does Sister Huo like Brother Peng Si, and does Sister Xie like Brother Peng Er?"
Gu Xin was startled: "Why do you ask that?"
Princess Shalin said, "There are young ladies who like my eldest and second eldest brothers. In front of my eldest and second eldest brothers, it's like Sister Xie in front of Brother Peng. And my cousin and cousin-in-law's relationship before their marriage last year was like Sister Huo and Brother Peng. Sister Huo is fierce on the surface, but if you look closely, you'll see her blush. Although Brother Peng is a bit dark-skinned, you can't see him blush, but he's like my cousin-in-law. He gets embarrassed and angry in front of Sister Huo, and his ears turn red."
Gu Xin: "...Little Yanyan, I remember you're twelve years old today, right? You seem to know so much!"
The royal family of Salim is surnamed Yan, so Gu Xin doesn't call her by her given name, but just calls her Xiao Yan Yan, which she thinks sounds nice.
Princess Shalin proudly raised her chin: "Of course! I've witnessed no fewer than a hundred couples since I was seven. My father and mother said that women in the Great Zhou are more reserved, unlike here. Sister Xinxin, you should know that in Shalin, marriage isn't arranged by parents or matchmakers; couples have to be mutually attracted before their parents even reach that stage. So, since I was seven, I've met my cousins from my uncle's family, my cousins from my uncle's family, the sisters of ministers, and the palace maids and servants. I can't guarantee I can judge every single one of them accurately, but couples like Sister Huo and Sister Xie definitely have feelings for each other."
Gu Xin sighed, "The girls in the west are so pretty!" and asked curiously, "So, do you think Brother Peng has feelings for Sister Xie?"
Gu Xin herself could see Peng Silang's feelings for Huo Yanyu. Peng Silang was too overtly pleased, and Gu Xin wasn't stupid.
But Gu Xin wasn't sure about Peng Erlang, who treated everyone the same. She hadn't paid close attention to Peng Erlang's micro-expressions and small gestures.
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