The victory banquet had wine and meat; it wasn't fancy, but it was definitely enough to fill you up. A group of personal guards and generals, all rough and tough, young and old, were chatting and laughing loudly, having a great time. Some sang military songs, and others performed on their musical instruments. It seemed to be a spontaneous act. Gu Siyan was quite dignified before the banquet started, but after it began, he became very easygoing, chatting and laughing with everyone like an ordinary person.
The atmosphere was quite pleasant to Qi Qi, who was used to being in the palace. He didn't find it rude at all, and it was much more relaxed than the banquets in the palace. No wonder people say that the Zhenbei Army is the people's army, so friendly.
The only downside was that Gu Siyan had said everyone would bring their relatives to the celebration banquet, but what a joke! There were hardly any relatives there. A few boisterous women, seeing the group of men making a ruckus and reeking of alcohol, had a separate table next door.
Although Qi Qi was a friend to women in the palace, he didn't dare to go over after being patted on the shoulder and asked how old he was by several older women when the banquet started... He felt like their eyes were going to skin him alive.
He himself had no idea how delicate and cute he looked standing next to Gu Siyan, who was nearly 1.9 meters tall. Gu Siyan was holding his hand and taking him everywhere. He looked around curiously, and among a group of men who were exposed to the wind and rain, he looked like a little white rabbit that had wandered into a pack of wolves.
Qi Qi asked Gu Siyan twice, and then pinched him hard before he slowly explained, "As you can see, most of the Zhenbei Army are old bachelors. Why would I deliberately lie to you?"
Qi Qi: "..."
Towards the end, someone came forward to report, whispering a few words in Gu Siyan's ear. Gu Siyan smiled faintly, waved his hand, and his men pulled up a few people. Qi Qi knew who they were just by looking at the black gauze hats on their heads.
The group looked panicked. They first tried to explain by crying and pleading, but when the people around them gradually quieted down and started watching them, and Gu Siyan continued to drink with others without saying a word, cold sweat poured down their foreheads. They then knelt down and begged for mercy.
At this moment, the people nearby took out their records and began to loudly report their crimes.
It turned out that the local official was wavering between the imperial court and the Zhenbei Army. He had already pledged allegiance to Zhenbei, but after learning that the imperial court had sent troops to suppress the bandits, he secretly contacted the people from the imperial court who came to test him and slowly transferred his family and property out of the country.
They did it, and they got caught. Isn't this a case of righteous Gu Siyan being caught red-handed? The ancients valued having a legitimate reason for their actions. They hadn't found any fault with them before, and these officials were still somewhat useful in Luoyang, so they were temporarily spared.
Now...
Qi Qizhi saw that Gu Siyan didn't even look at him and simply waved his hand.
Then someone came down with a large knife.
Then.
A cheer erupted from the crowd, but Qi Qi didn't see it because Gu Siyan had blindfolded him: "Don't be afraid."
Qi Qi pulled his hand away and glared at him: "Do you think I've never seen a dead person before? You think I'm afraid?"
Gu Siyan, seemingly drunk but not quite, propped his chin up with his hand and said, "Then what are you afraid of?"
Qi Qi: Afraid of bad people.
Are you drunk?
Gu Siyan said, "You're drunk. How about you take me home?"
This place was originally the residence of a prince in Luoyang. The prince passed away several years ago. It has been simply renovated and is now being used as a temporary general's residence. When the capital of the new dynasty is established here, a new palace will be built.
The soldier who had led the way had disappeared, and there wasn't a single maid or servant in the vast general's mansion. Qi Qi half-dragged Gu Siyan around the houses for quite a while before finally finding them.
Unsure whether Gu Siyan was truly drunk, she couldn't bring herself to scold him as heavily as a pig, as always.
"Don't go."
Qi Qi took a deep breath, raised his hand and pinched the inside of Gu Siyan's arm hard. Gu Siyan's veins bulged, but he didn't utter a sound. He even said, "Are you venting your anger? Why don't you pinch me again?"
Qi Qi slapped him: "Are you drunk or not?"
Gu Siyan suddenly hissed.
Qi Qi was startled; it turned out that he had just hit Zheng Zheng's wound.
Qi Qi was shocked: "Are you crazy! You're injured and you still drink so much!?"
Gu Siyan: "It's a minor injury. I just happened to bump into it."
Qi Qi stared at him without saying a word.
The knife wound left by Huangfu Yi has healed, leaving only a few light-colored scars. Qi Qi took a few more glances, and Gu Siyan said, "I also gave him an arrow in the same spot."
Qi Qi: "..."
Just as his mind was blank and confused, Gu Siyan looked at his face and said again, "I was just kidding. You really do have something going on with him."
"I saw him as a pure white lotus in the Imperial Study, always trying to make you feel sorry for him and pity him. I never expected that he would have such thoughts."
"You've probably been deceived by him. This kind of person will never love others; he'll only love himself."
"He was just using you and the Ninth Prince together."
? ? ?
? ?
?
Qi Qi realized what was happening and said, "Wait, are you bluffing me? It's no use bluffing, he's not here."
Gu Siyan continued, "But since you're here, he's not a good person. You'd be better off liking me than him."
Qi Qi was speechless: "...If that's the case, then why didn't you talk to me or talk to me back then, and even faked your death and ran away?"
Gu Siyan: "It seems you don't deny liking him. Let me guess, is it because he pretends to be pitiful so well that it makes you feel sorry for him and gives you a sense of accomplishment, or is it because he played the hero and saved you from the Fourth Prince?"
Qi Qi immediately interrupted him, saying righteously, "No, because he's good-looking."
Gu Siyan's train of thought was interrupted: "..."
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