Chapter 399 They deserve to die!
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A gust of wind carried the aroma of roasted whole lamb to the noses of Gu Lanzhi and Wuji.
No, it should be said that the fragrance wafted into the tents where the female slaves lived.
Uji shouldn't have slept next to the female slave, after all, he was already big enough;
In the barbarian's eyes, he was already of age to be able to find a woman.
However, the guards watching them tonight were the Xuanjia Army. The Xuanjia Army guarding the door of the female slave's house saw that Gu Lanzhi was a Han woman and thought that Gu Lanzhi must have been forcibly abducted to the Mohe barbarians by accident. So they felt some pity for her and let Wuji, who had come looking for them, into the tent.
However, the Xuanjia soldiers guarding the gate dutifully opened the tent door and stood there watching the people inside.
After a while, someone carried a bucket of porridge to the door.
Uji and Gu Lanzhi drank millet porridge so thin you could see your reflection in it. Everyone in the tent, regardless of age, had a bowl, and there wasn't much more.
The millet was naturally taken from the granary, and it was old millet.
Using someone else's grain, now your own spoils, to cook food, you should naturally use the smallest amount possible.
Moreover, how could they possibly feed these slaves?
People, once they've had their fill, they'll start looking for trouble.
After a water hug, Uji curled up next to Gu Lanzhi and fell asleep.
Although Gu Lanzhi had her eyes closed, she was not sleepy at all.
She was thinking of herself, of Uji, and of Li Shiyue.
Gu Lanzhi, just from her name you can tell she was a beloved Han woman.
The name is filled with the beautiful expectations that her parents and family have for her.
Gu Lanzhi was indeed a girl who was loved and pampered from childhood, but her family was unlucky.
When she, her mother, and her brother followed their father north to find their grandfather, who was a merchant, the family of four encountered barbarian soldiers who had come from the grasslands to the border town to plunder.
Her father and brother were killed on the spot while trying to protect Gu Lanzhi and her mother.
Her mother also committed suicide after being forced by the barbarians.
Thus, only Gu Lanzhi, who was not yet of marriageable age, was left behind, driven by the barbarian soldiers, and along with the other captured Han women, they walked step by step towards the grassland.
Gu Lanzhi was sold to this Mohe tribe.
She met Uji here.
She suffered terribly during the birth of Uji and almost died.
But this birth also brought her one benefit—she could no longer have children.
This was confirmed only after she had not conceived again for a whole year after giving birth to Uji.
Because she was unable to have children, the number of male slaves who came to her at night to force themselves on her decreased significantly.
As Uji grew up, during one of Gu Lanzhi's forced encounters, Uji hit the male slave on the head with a stone, causing him to bleed profusely. After that, no male slave ever came looking for Gu Lanzhi at night again.
That night, Gu Lanzhi held little Wuji and cried silently all night.
In fact, Gu Lanzhi hated Wuji.
Uji looks too much like a barbarian!
Only those eyes still showed a trace of Gu Lanzhi.
So, before Uji threw stones at the male slave, Gu Lanzhi was only taking care of Uji to prevent him from dying.
But ever since Uji protected her, Gu Lanzhi has developed feelings for him—"This is my child!"
From that day on, Gu Lanzhi began teaching Wuji to speak Mandarin at night.
Gu Lanzhi didn't know why she was teaching Wuji to speak Mandarin.
After all, Gu Lanzhi was a weak woman, and she couldn't escape on this vast grassland.
If she were to find a chance to escape the tribe, she might be bitten on the neck by wild animals before she had even gone ten miles.
If she walked ten miles, she might die of thirst on the way.
She cannot leave this tribe; she cannot escape this grassland.
Gu Lanzhi originally thought that her life would be like other female slaves, tending to cattle and sheep all day long, being forced at will, and perhaps one day she would fall ill;
Or perhaps they were kicked by a horse, gored by a cow, or injured.
Or perhaps they were arbitrarily humiliated and beaten to death by nobles in the tribe under some pretext.
Therefore, Gu Lanzhi believed that she would most likely die in this tribe, on the grassland.
So what's the point of her teaching Uji to speak Chinese?
Uji was of mixed Han and Man descent and was the lowest-ranking slave in this tribe.
Even though Uji is strong and robust, he is still too young to be a soldier.
Even if Uji can be a soldier, what use is a soldier who can speak Chinese?
However, Gu Lanzhi still insisted on teaching Wuji to speak Chinese every night in a corner of the tent; she just wanted to teach him.
But now!
Gu Lanzhi felt that her opportunity had arrived!
During the day, she knelt with the female slaves and heard the person sitting at the very front, on the chair reserved for the leader, stepping on the leader's head, speaking in Chinese!
That person was not just a Han Chinese!
She was a female general!
"If I beg her, will she take me back to Dalong?"
Will I ever be able to return to Dalong in this lifetime?
Gu Lanzhi has been on the grassland for thirteen years!
From a young girl who had not yet reached marriageable age to a woman with a twelve-year-old son, she has not missed a single day of returning to Dalong in these thirteen years!
She thought she would never be able to return to Dalong in this lifetime, and that she would only be able to die on the grassland.
But then, Li Shiyue arrived!
Li Shiyue has arrived with the Han army!
While Wang Datou was directing his men to slaughter those Mohe noble barbarians, Gu Lanzhi, kneeling on the ground with her head bowed, smiled. She bit her tongue to prevent herself from laughing out loud.
She really liked this female general!
Yes, why should barbarians be allowed to kill Han people at will?
Can't Han people kill their children?
They deserve to die!
So what if it's just a child?
They deserve to die!
When Gu Lanzhi thought of this, a surge of anger erupted in her chest. Even though thirteen years had passed, she still couldn't forget the scene when the barbarians killed her father and brother!
Gu Lanzhi suddenly opened her eyes. Using the little moonlight that shone through the open curtain, she looked at Uji, who was curled up in a ball next to her.
Gu Lanzhi wondered, if she were to beg Li Shiyue to take her back to Dalong, what would happen to Wuji?
Should Uji stay on the grassland?
Or... should I go with her to Dalong?
Is Uji considered Han Chinese? Or a barbarian?
Gu Lanzhi reached out and touched the top of Wuji's head, her mind filled with complicated thoughts. She didn't fall asleep until after midnight.
The next day, they were still cleaning up the battlefield.
Those who were supposed to continue tidying up the goods were assigned to do so, those who were supposed to dig pits were assigned to do so, those who were supposed to feed the horses were assigned to feed the horses, and those who were supposed to take care of the cattle and sheep were assigned to take care of the cattle and sheep.
Uji still took the wooden stick and followed the male slaves to dig the pit.
This time, Gu Lanzhi went with the female slaves to let the sheep, which had been locked up in the sheepfold for a whole day and night, out to graze.
She turned around and saw Li Shiyue standing outside the sheepfold on horseback.
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