When Gu Jinke returned home, he happened to catch the first snow.
She stood at the door of the mansion, stretched out her hand to catch some snowflakes, and chuckled: "It's snowing. This must be the first snow in the capital this year."
Xun Ji nodded.
When Sang Yi heard that Gu Jinke had returned, she ran over with an umbrella in her hand, bowed, and was about to hold the umbrella for Gu Jinke.
"Your Highness." His breathing was still a little uneven, but there was a genuine smile on his face.
Gu Jinke shook his head, stopping his action, and was in a good mood: "There's no need to hold an umbrella for such light snow, just enjoy the snow for a while."
Sang Yi took a look at the snowflakes falling on his body. They were indeed not big. He hesitated for a moment and then gave up. He slowly followed Gu Jinke like Xun Ji and accompanied her to enjoy the snow.
Gu Jinke walked along the path in the mansion. The lanterns in the Princess's Mansion were lit early, and the scenery was particularly beautiful against the falling snow.
Gu Jinke’s hand brushed past! The leaves of the trees and flowers beside the path were stretched out, and a thin layer of snow had already accumulated on them. When Gu Jinke placed her fingers on them, she felt a chill, and she thought of the northwestern border, which was even colder, and she couldn't help but mutter, "The northwest should be even colder now."
And this coldness will also intensify some conflicts of desire and cause death.
Gu Jinke's gaze was somewhat distant for a moment. Just as everyone thought, she really wanted to go to the northwestern frontier this time to supervise the march. Because she wanted to teach the Barbarian Kingdom a lesson through this battle, so that it would be hurt and scared so that it would not dare to insult the people of the Great Jin Dynasty, and at the same time weaken the Fifth Princess.
If she were in the capital, she would be restricted and controlled by the emperor's orders, not to mention that the emperor was not her.
Therefore, in the past two days, she ran to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works, doing the work personally, and asked Xin Shuang to collect information about the frontier in order to prepare for going to the northwest. Now, as long as she gets confirmation from the Queen, she will go and ask for permission.
And it was indeed colder in the northwestern frontier at this time. The vastness here made the cold wind howl and swirl, blowing on people's faces like a cold knife, and bringing up the dust on the ground to hit this small village on the border.
Listening to the whistling wind outside, the villagers huddled themselves in their worn quilts. Then they suddenly heard the cries of poultry in the yard, the flapping of chickens' wings, the barking of dogs, and a "pop".
The man of the house frowned, looking a little worried, and nudged his wife who was sleeping soundly beside him, "Wife, was the fence at home blown open by the wind? Did you fasten it tightly before going to bed?"
His wife turned over with a grumble, holding his hand, and comforted him in a slurred voice: "Don't worry, it's okay, I tied it tightly before going to bed, it can't be blown open."
But the man was not at all at ease. The chickens and dogs outside were barking even louder and louder. The strange noise he had just heard really sounded like the sound of a fence being blown open and hitting each other. The place enclosed by the fence was the property that the husband and wife had worked so hard to save. If it was blown open and the poultry ran away, he would be heartbroken. He could not fall asleep at all. He tossed and turned for a while, put on his clothes and prepared to get out of bed to take a look.
His movements were not small, and he finally startled the person beside him. His wife opened her eyes in a daze and said, "You are going out!"
"I'm worried and have to get up and take a look," he insisted.
His wife rubbed her eyes and got up, complaining: "Oh, I told you I tied it up, why don't you believe me? Forget it, lie down, I'll go take a look!"
While complaining impatiently, she pushed her husband down to lie down, then fumbled for her clothes and put them on, got out of bed and walked out.
As soon as I opened the door, I was hit in the face by the cold wind and the sand and stones wrapped in the wind.
She quickly came to her senses, shrank her neck, folded her hands, and lowered her head. She heard her husband in the room calling her, "Check carefully."
She responded vaguely, and then muttered, "Hey, this scumbag, instead of caring about me, his wife, he only remembers those beasts!"
But she still smiled in the end. It was not bad to have a husband to take care of the household. Wouldn't life be getting better and better?
By next year, they might be able to give birth to a daughter.
She hummed a random tune and walked to the fence. In the dim light of the night, she saw that the fence had indeed been blown open. The knot she had tied with the cloth strip before going to bed had broken. Although the chicken inside was flapping its wings everywhere, fortunately it did not run out.
She couldn't help feeling guilty. What if her husband saw this... She quickly found another hemp rope, pulled the fence door over, and tried to tie it tight. The dog at home followed her and barked non-stop.
She had to stop and shush the dog, telling it to stop barking. If it continued to bark, it would attract her husband and he would definitely twist her ears when he saw the broken fence.
Thinking of this, she rubbed her ears subconsciously, but the dog, who was always well-behaved, did not stop. Instead, it bit the corner of her clothes and dragged her inside.
She could only bend down and pat the dog's head: "Don't bark, wait a moment, I'll be fine."
She stood up and was about to feel for the hemp rope when she heard the sound of horse hooves louder than the wind, rushing straight towards their village. She looked up in shock and panic. In the dim night, a group of sturdy men wrapped in animal skins grinned and rushed towards her on horseback with swords in hand.
The hostess's mouth was dry and she swallowed uncontrollably. She could not move and shouted in a broken voice, "Barbarians! Barbarians are coming!"
This seemed like a signal that awakened the sleeping village. Everyone woke up from their sleep and hid in panic. For a moment, the sound was all about the crying of frightened children, but it stopped abruptly after a while. They must have covered their hands tightly.
Outside, however, there came the sound of chaotic horse hooves and the wild laughter of the barbarians. Then they came to the doors of each house one by one, holding big knives, and killed the women, children, and the elderly. They only left the men, looked them up with a grin, and then went to look through their stored food.
The hostess who had just gotten up to check the fence ran in hurriedly, pulling her husband to run away, but it was too late. Her home was nearby, and she had informed the whole village, so two or three people came in with grins on their faces.
The hostess picked up the iron hoe she used to plow the field. She was shaking all over, but she still stopped her husband and whispered, "Climb out of the back window, hide, and wait for the army to come."
She knew clearly that these barbarians would not let her go and she would die in the end, but her husband must not fall into their hands, as that would be worse than death.
Her husband grabbed her sleeve and nodded blankly, tears rolling down his eyes. Then he ran to the back window, but it was too late. As soon as he opened the window, he heard a strange sound behind him. He turned his head away in panic.
His wife, who had just been grumbling beside him, had not yet brought down the iron catwalk she had just raised when someone chopped her in the waist with a knife.
"Ah!!" he screamed in shock. His wife could no longer speak. The barbarians opposite were still laughing. He suddenly turned around. His wife's body was shaking, and the iron sledgehammer in her hand was about to fall. He didn't know where he got the courage from, but he held his wife's hand and forced the iron sledgehammer to smash down hard.
"I'll kill you!"
His resistance caught the barbarian off guard, and the still laughing barbarian was hit on the shoulder by his iron hammer, causing blood to spurt out. He immediately became angry, pulled out the knife that was still on his wife's body, and slashed at her without even looking at the wound.
Such tragedies happened more than once in this village. When the border troops came for their routine inspection, they found the village silent, with rivers of blood and corpses everywhere.
Xu Yeliang, the Duke of Zhenguo, was on a personal tour in this area. When she heard the news, she tightened her grip on the reins, closed her eyes, and a cold look flashed across her angular face: "They are really getting more and more rampant!"
Is this the nth village that has been massacred this month?
She asked the attendant beside the horse: "Has the urgent report sent out earlier been delivered to the capital?"
The attendant also clenched the knife in his hand, with deep hatred in his eyes: "It was sent out 800 miles in a hurry. If there are no accidents, it will arrive in the capital in one or two days."
She was so angry that she couldn't help asking, "General, will the imperial court issue an order to attack the barbarian country?"
Xu Yeliang looked at the village in the distance where there was no smoke from chimneys, and did not answer.
The Empress in the capital did receive an urgent report the next day. The snow was not heavy last night, but it had fallen all night and covered the entire palace. The servants were diligently sweeping the snow, unaware that the Empress in the hall was reading the memorial and was so angry that she threw the memorial away: "The barbarians are rampant."
Gu Jinke moved his steps slightly and picked up a memorial from the ground. It was handed over by the Duke of Zhenguo. It detailed the number of times the barbarians had disturbed the border in the past month, the number of casualties in the massacre, and the approximate loss of money and food. She requested the court to order troops to teach the barbarians a lesson.
Gu Jinke looked at the number of casualties and the number of disturbances listed above, and his hands tightened a little. The bone lines on the white back of his hands and forearms were clear, and blue veins were faintly visible. His anger was difficult to contain.
She suddenly knelt down and said in a resounding voice: "Please, mother, order the troops to be dispatched. I am willing to lead the troops to avenge the people of the border and enhance the prestige of our country!"
She originally had many ideas about going to the border, but when she saw this memorial and the cold words on it, all her plans disappeared. Now she was filled with pure anger and hatred, and only wanted to lead the troops to seek justice for her people.
The queen raised her head and looked at the ministers below: "What are your opinions?"
The Queen did want to send troops, but she didn't actually want to arrange for Gu Jinke to lead the troops. The meaning of asking this question was that she needed someone to agree to send troops, but also needed someone to veto the Crown Princess's intention to go out.
This is a serious matter. If the Fifth Princess has already gone, there is really no need to send the crown prince to the battlefield. The danger will increase exponentially.
Moreover, the Queen now has some shadow on Gu Jinke because of her treatment of the Third Princess. Who knows if the Fifth Princess will follow in her footsteps?
Because the matter of sending troops had been roughly decided, everyone who came out agreed to send troops, but rejected Gu Jinke's proposal to go to the border.
"Your Highness is a noble man, how can you go to the battlefield?"
Many people have refuted this.
Gu Jinke looked at them, half smiling, but with a pair of eyes that were particularly sharp. Then he bowed to the empress again, his voice particularly firm: "Please allow me, mother. As a princess of the dynasty, I should set an example and lead the generals to teach the barbarian country a bloody lesson."
The official who had just refuted was silent for a moment, but Prime Minister Gongzhong stood up and said, "Your Majesty, your Highness's proposal is also acceptable. Your Highness is not young anymore. Going to the border can help him gain some experience and appease the people and the army."
Master Jiang stepped forward and said, "I second your proposal. The barbarians are rampant. Your Highness, please go to the border to boost morale!"
The two leaders in the court stood up, and the others, seeing Gu Jinke's determined expression, quickly agreed, and this matter became what everyone wanted.
The Queen gave Gu Jinke a deep look and said, "In that case, Princess, you can go."
After this matter was settled, some other things were discussed. After the court session ended, the empress called Gu Jinke away alone.
Gu Jinke bowed and asked, "What does your Majesty want to see you for?"
The empress sat behind the desk, her eyes somewhat secretive: "My princess, when you go to the border, I hope you will remember to put the important things first, the court first!"
Gu Jinke was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. Don't you know what kind of person I am?"
The Queen was choked by what she said. Indeed, if she did not put on her own selfish motives when looking at Gu Jinke, Gu Jinke's behavior was indeed impeccable.
Seeing that she didn't say anything, Gu Jinke paused for a moment, then continued, "I'm going to the border, so I'd like to ask the Queen Mother to guarantee my logistics!"
When she said this, the Queen's face darkened a little: "Don't worry! As for you, you have never been on the march to a war. If you have anything to do, listen to the advice of the Duke of Zhenguo and General Qi, and don't act on your own."
She certainly wouldn't joke about military matters, and she knew the importance of it.
Gu Jinke nodded: "Your son knows the importance of this matter."
She was not going there to seize command of the war, but just to send a signal to the border. After all, when it came to fighting, she didn't think she was better than the generals and soldiers who had been stationed at the border for many years.
She is just a person who controls the overall situation and knows how to use people well. This is true for the border and the court. She knows clearly her identity and abilities.
The two of them didn't have a very pleasant conversation, but they ended it peacefully.
Gu Jinke left the palace to pack his luggage, then counted the supplies he had prepared beforehand and was about to set off on a long journey.
Although Sang Yi was worried and reluctant, he knew it was not a big deal that he could have any say in, so he went to pack Gu Jinke's bag. Hearing that it was particularly cold at the border, he went to look for thick clothes and was also going to take a few fur coats. However, when he was looking for them, he inevitably found the things that Jiang Mo had sent him before.
He hesitated: "Your Highness?"
Gu Jinke was reading the information collected by Xin Shuang at the window next to him. He looked up and was stunned. Then he said coldly, "Change it. Put all these things in the warehouse."
After this, I probably don’t want to see you again.
Sang Yi was stunned when he heard her cold tone and could only change his clothes silently. In fact, he had also asked the sewing room to make a new fur coat for Gu Jinke these days. He tidied for a while and heard someone reporting outside, so he went out to ask what happened and then came back to report to Gu Jinke, but his face looked a little strange when he came back.
Gu Jinke raised his eyes and asked him, "What's wrong?"
Sang Yi pursed her lips and said, "Your Highness, someone is delivering something from outside."
Gu Jinke didn't ask, but he heard him continue, "It was a big package, which contained a lot of winter clothes and fur coats. And judging by the stitching... it was exactly the same as the fur coat before, it was probably Jiang..."
Gu Jinke interrupted him: "I know, send it back the same way it was delivered here."
We agreed to end it here and not have any connection at all.
Sang Yi bowed and stepped back, but was suddenly stopped by Gu Jinke: "By the way, come back and send back what he sent earlier!"
Sang Yi was stunned and had to do as he was told.
But after a while, he came back empty-handed again: "Your Highness, someone has sent something again."
Gu Jinke frowned: "Didn't I ask you to send it back?"
Sang Yi was stunned: "This is what Master Xue sent. In addition to fur coats, he also prepared a lot of food that is easy to preserve."
Gu Jinke was stunned for a moment. Xue Luan was nominally her fiancé, and it was fair and square. It was not easy to return the gifts, so she said, "Go ahead, and then tell Mr. Xue that there is no need to send any more gifts. You can draw up a gift list and return some gifts."
Sang Yi stepped back and got to work.
Jiang Mo looked at the things that were returned intact, his expression froze, and then he saw the things that had been sent before. It was actually sent back. His lips trembled and turned pale: "It was returned?"
Yes, they have come to this point. She is a person who keeps her word, so how could she accept anything from him? She would definitely avoid him as much as possible.
The young servant responded softly and consoled him, "Sir."
Jiang Mo waved his hand: "Don't talk."
He wanted to be quiet. This was his fault, the outcome he had caused, and now he was beginning to feel the consequences. He wanted to swallow it all alone, tasting the bitterness and despair.
Master Jiang also heard about this and rushed over to see him: "Mo'er."
She knew that the princess did nothing wrong, but she felt sorry for Jiang Mo's expression: "If there is no possibility at all, then..."
Jiang Mo shook his head, his eyes showing some determination: "Grandmother, I owe Her Highness this, I did something wrong, Her Highness can do whatever she wants, this time, I have thought it through, I was the one who provoked Her Highness in the beginning, now I have failed her, no matter what, I am willing to accept it."
Master Jiang paused and said, "The young master of the Xue family also sent something, and Your Highness accepted it."
Jiang Mo's face turned pale, and he forced a smile: "It should be."
…
At the Qiao Family, Qiao Xi was also packing his luggage. The attendant beside him was surprised: "Sir, what are you doing?"
Josh packed his luggage and smiled, "Let's go out."
Gu Jinke is not in the capital, so what's the point of leaving him alone in the capital? Instead of looking at Qiao She, or looking at her stepfather, or getting tired of a few rivals, it is better to go with Her Highness, see the world Her Highness wants, and stay by her side.
"The head of the family?"
Qiao Xi raised his eyebrows and smiled: "Does she dare to stop me? I'm afraid she can't wait for me to leave."
As expected, when he said he was going out for a while, Qiao She didn't ask at all. Instead, he breathed a sigh of relief, with a smile on his face: "Okay, okay, go ahead! Go ahead!"
Li Yuxin, who had just arrived in his hometown, quickly guessed Gu Jinke's intentions based on his own keenness, the movements of court officials, and the news circulating among the people.
He smiled and said, "Your Highness really doesn't want to have a moment of leisure."
In this case, he had to speed up the process. Otherwise, when His Highness arrived at the border, there would be a lot of things to do. If he met another outstanding man, he might have forgotten who he was. That would not be good.
Moreover, he had promised to follow His Highness. The border was dangerous. Even though he knew that the princess must be heavily protected, he was still worried and it would be better for him to stay by her side personally.
Near the border, a soldier in the Fifth Princess's team also frowned, wondering whether Her Highness had received the letter he had asked her to deliver.
But he didn't have time to think. The Fifth Princess hurriedly finished her dry food, picked up the Fifth Prince Tan Xi, who was already exhausted from the long journey, and put him on the horse. She said in a serious tone: "Hurry up, we will set off in a cup of tea!"
The author has something to say:
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution during 2022-06-22 00:01:03 ~ 2022-06-22 23:57:02~
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: 10 bottles of Xuxu;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!
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