Chapter 81: Triumph
On September 16th, before dawn, the Zhenguo Duke's mansion was already brightly lit. The servants got up early to do a final check on the arrangements inside and outside the mansion. The vermilion gates were wide open, and the brand-new Zhenguo Duke's banners fluttered in the morning breeze. The street in front of the gate was swept clean, and even autumn chrysanthemums were placed on both sides to mark the occasion.
Su Wanrou rose earlier than usual. Her maids, including Yunbin, helped her with her makeup and dressing, and she put considerable thought into choosing her clothes. Finally, she selected a begonia-red brocade dress embroidered with gold butterflies, over which she wore a plain Hangzhou silk jacket, exuding both the dignity and nobility of a duchess and the bright, charming beauty of a new bride. Her hair was meticulously styled, and she wore the ruby headdress Gu Yangui had previously given her, its shimmering light highlighting her snow-white skin. Her features retained both the youthful beauty of a young woman and the composed elegance of a wife and mistress.
The matriarch was also dressed in full imperial robes, which made her appear even more dignified. Mingxuan was dressed up like a little prince, his face full of excitement and nervousness, constantly asking when his father would arrive.
After breakfast, the family waited in the newly decorated main hall, "Chong'an Hall." Inside, the cool sandalwood incense that Gu Yangui was accustomed to burning burned, and the ancestral tablets of the Gu family were enshrined on the incense table. Time seemed to pass exceptionally slowly, each moment stretching out. Su Wanrou sat upright, her hands slightly clasped in her sleeves to suppress her slight trembling. She listened to the dripping of the water clock and the increasingly loud noise from the street outside.
Closer, even closer.
First came the faint sound of drums and music, followed by the resounding, rhythmic thud of horses' hooves on the cobblestones, like muffled thunder, interspersed with the thunderous cheers of the people: "Long live the Duke!" "Congratulations on the Duke's triumphant return!"
Although the servants stood respectfully, their faces all showed expressions of pride and excitement. Mingxuan couldn't help but stand on tiptoe, craning his neck to look outside. The old lady's fingers, which were holding prayer beads, quickened slightly. Su Wanrou felt her heart pounding so loudly that it almost drowned out all the sounds outside. She involuntarily stood up, her gaze fixed on the direction of the gate.
Finally, the boiling roar reached its peak in front of the mansion gate, and then gradually subsided, leaving only the sound of horses dismounting in unison and the clanging of armor rubbing together.
A series of steady, powerful, and rhythmic footsteps approached from afar, treading on the bluestone path within the mansion. Each step felt like a blow to Su Wanrou's heart. She held her breath, watching the tall figure, familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar, walk step by step into Chong'an Hall against the bright light from outside.
Gu Yangui, still clad in his dark iron armor and draped in a black cloak, appeared weary from his journey, yet showed no sign of fatigue. Months of frontier hardship had sharpened his already stern features, making him appear like a drawn sword, radiating a chilling, battle-hardened aura and an imposing, unyielding authority. However, as he entered the hall and his gaze swept over the three people present, his icy eyes visibly melted away, replaced by warmth and guilt, ultimately transforming into a deep, unyielding tenderness.
He first looked at the old lady, quickly stepped forward, lifted the hem of his armor, and was about to perform a grand salute: "Grandmother, your unfilial grandson has returned. I'm sorry to have worried you!"
The old lady had already gotten up and helped him up. Before she could speak, tears streamed down her face, and her voice choked with sobs: "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back! Get up quickly, let your grandmother take a good look at you!" She touched the cold iron armor on Gu Yangui's body and looked at his skin, which had become rougher from the scorching sun and sandstorms of the border. Her heart ached beyond measure. "You've lost weight and gotten darker... My son has suffered so much."
Gu Yangui held the old lady's trembling hand and said gently, "Grandson is not suffering. It is my duty to be loyal to the country. It is only because I have caused Grandmother worry that I have failed."
At this moment, Mingxuan could no longer hold back and called out "Father!" He then pounced over like a little swallow and hugged Gu Yangui's leg.
Gu Yangui looked down at his son, who seemed to have grown even taller in the few months he hadn't seen him, and a genuine smile finally appeared on his usually cold and hard lips. He bent down and easily picked Mingxuan up. The little guy wrapped his arms around his neck, his face pressed against his cold breastplate, both curious and affectionate.
"Father, you are a great hero!" Mingxuan said in a childish but extremely serious voice.
Gu Yangui smiled and gently patted her son's back with her wristband-protected hand: "Have you been listening to your grandmother and mother at home?"
“Yes! Mingxuan is very obedient! Mother can testify!” Mingxuan nodded vigorously and looked at Su Wanrou.
At this moment, Gu Yangui's gaze finally fell completely and unobstructed upon Su Wanrou.
Su Wanrou stood quietly the entire time, her gaze following him from the moment he entered until he spoke with his grandmother and showed affection to his son. The instant their eyes met, she felt all other sounds fade away, and the world seemed to consist only of his deep eyes. In them lay the weariness of travel, the joy of seeing loved ones, and an intense emotion she had never witnessed before, an emotion that almost overwhelmed her.
She stepped forward and, following the proper etiquette, gracefully bowed. Her voice trembled slightly, yet remained clear and gentle: "This humble servant respectfully welcomes my husband's triumphant return."
Before she could finish speaking, Gu Yangui, carrying Mingxuan, strode in front of her, his free hand reaching out to firmly support her arm, preventing her from bowing. His palm was large, warm, and strong; even through his sleeve, one could feel its scorching heat and the calluses on his palms from years of wielding weapons.
"Please rise, Madam." His voice was deep and husky, even more magnetic than when he left home, as it rang above her head. "Thank you for everything at home, Madam."
A short sentence, devoid of any flowery language, yet weighing a ton. Su Wanrou raised her head, looking into his eyes, where she saw undisguised admiration and gratitude, and something deeper that made her heart race. She gently shook her head, her eyes shimmering with tears, but she tried to maintain a smile: "It is my duty, I dare not complain of hardship. My husband's fighting for the country is the real hardship."
Looking at the scene before her, with her son so brave, her daughter-in-law so virtuous and filial, and her grandson so clever and adorable, the old lady felt that nothing could be more perfect than this. She smiled and wiped away her tears, saying, "Alright, alright, it's good that you're back. Family reunion is better than anything else! Yan'er, you've had a long journey. Don't stand on ceremony. Quickly take off this heavy armor, wash up and rest!"
Gu Yangui then released Su Wanrou's arm, put Mingxuan down, and said to the old lady, "Grandmother is right. I still need to go to the palace to meet the Emperor and report back to express my gratitude. I will discuss it with you and Madam in detail when I return."
"Important matters are important, important matters are important!" The old lady nodded repeatedly.
Gu Yangui looked at Su Wanrou again, his gaze gentle: "I'll be right back."
Su Wanrou nodded obediently: "I understand. Hot water and a change of clothes have been prepared. My husband can wash up as soon as he returns from his audience with the Emperor."
Gu Yangui gazed at her deeply, as if a thousand words were unspoken, but ultimately only a slight nod sufficed. He bowed to the Old Madam again, patted Mingxuan's head, then turned and strode out, his black cloak drawing a sharp arc behind him. The clanging of armor faded into the distance, but the reassuring yet powerful aura he brought still lingered within Chong'an Hall.
He left, but this time, Su Wanrou felt no emptiness. She knew he would return soon, back to the home where she would be waiting.
She helped the old lady sit down, gently comforting the still excited Mingxuan, and instructed the servants to prepare refreshments. The mansion seemed to have been infused with a new soul since the head of the household's return; every corner was filled with vitality.
Su Wanrou walked to the door, gazing in the direction Gu Yangui had left. The sunlight was perfect, mirroring her mood. A thousand longings and countless worries finally found their tangible form at this moment. Real married life was about to begin. Her lips unconsciously curved upwards, forming a sweet and expectant smile.
The glory of victory belongs to him, while the warmth of reunion will belong to each and every one of them.
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