Xie Changshi's guess was absolutely correct.
It was indeed Ling Jinhua, the younger sister of Chief Secretary Ling, who volunteered to accompany Gu Yufan to besiege the Duke of Qi.
Ling Jinhua was much younger than Ling Changshi, and with her father having passed away early and her mother in poor health, Ling Jinhua was practically raised by her older brother and sister-in-law, so their bond was naturally very strong.
Her personality was deeply influenced by Ling Changshi. She was not only proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but also had no shortage of intelligence and cunning.
Chief Secretary Ling knew that His Highness was not a good man, so he never prevented Ling Jinhua from showing her talent in public. However, Gu Yufan still found out about Ling Jinhua's existence.
Gu Yufan married Ling Jinhua in an extremely forceful manner and made her his concubine.
At first, in order to make Ling Changshi feel valued, Gu Yufan pampered Ling Jinhua for a while, but soon he found that Ling Jinhua was a boring and wooden beauty, and he quickly lost interest.
It wasn't until Ling Changshi's unexpected death that Ling Jinhua learned the truth from the butler...
At that moment, Ling Jinhua's hatred for Gu Yufan instantly reached its peak.
She already had someone she liked, but Gu Yufan forcibly separated them, depriving her of the opportunity to be with her beloved and become his wife, forcing her to pay her respects to the mistress every day.
She could endure all of this for her brother's sake.
But she never imagined that her brother, who was devoted to Gu Yufan, would be tortured to death by him!
How could she possibly tolerate this!
In order to disrupt the situation and reduce Gu Yufan's suspicion of the Ling family, Ling Jinhua secretly sent a message to her family, which led to the news that Chief Secretary Ling was killed by Prince Qi.
As expected, Gu Yufan's gaze was instantly drawn to the injured Prince Qi.
In the following period, Ling Jinhua appropriately displayed her scheming, and quickly gained Gu Yufan's attention.
When Ling Jinhua learned that the Duke of Qi had gone to Lingnan to mobilize troops and that Gu Yufan was personally leading the expedition, she knew that her opportunity had arrived!
She put on the armor she had prepared beforehand, styled her hair, and deliberately dressed herself up to look imposing. With a small dagger tucked in her hand, she knocked on the door of Gu Yufan's study.
Because the Duke of Qi went to Lingnan to mobilize troops, Gu Yufan knew that Gu Yuchen would definitely send troops against him soon, so he mobilized his troops and planned to set off in the next two days to besiege the Duke of Qi.
Gu Yufan had not initially considered personally leading an expedition to besiege the Duke of Qi; it was his advisors who suggested it.
Considering that his personal involvement would greatly boost the morale of the navy, Gu Yufan agreed after some hesitation.
He appears exceptionally confident to outsiders, but only when he is alone does he openly reveal his fear and anxiety.
After all, he was pampered since childhood, and he couldn't even draw a slightly heavier bow properly, let alone go to the battlefield.
So when he heard someone knocking on the door, Gu Yufan was incredibly annoyed: "Who is it?!"
Ling Jinhua deliberately lowered her voice: "Your Highness, I have a favor to ask of you."
Upon hearing Ling Jinhua's voice, Gu Yufan instinctively wanted to tell her to get lost, but the words caught in his throat: "What is it?"
Upon hearing this, Ling Jinhua smiled and pushed open the study door: "Your Highness! I am here to request permission to go to the battlefield!"
As she spoke, she brandished the dagger: "Although I don't know any martial arts, I can still be ruthless when it matters..."
Ling Jinhua's eyes narrowed, and her tone became more forceful: "Murder!"
Gu Yufan was amused by Ling Jinhua's feigned fierceness, which improved his mood considerably. He stepped forward, hooked Ling Jinhua's chin, and said, "Will you accompany me to the battlefield?"
Ling Jinhua nodded vigorously and said with a smile, "That's right!"
She pouted and snorted, her tone full of coquettishness: "I don't want to be a parasitic vine, waiting for Your Highness's triumphant return in the manor! I want to stay by Your Highness's side."
Suppressing her nausea and disgust, she gently tapped Gu Yufan's chest with her index finger: "I want to personally witness Your Highness's heroic demeanor and also be the first to know of Your Highness's victory!"
The words "heroic bearing" and "victory" resonated deeply with Gu Yufan.
His fear vanished almost instantly.
The advisors are right. He is a prince and doesn't need to go to the battlefield in person. He can just stay in the ship and wait for news, showing his face from time to time to let the soldiers know that he is also there. What is there to be afraid of?
Besides, how many people are in the Lingnan Navy, the Jiangnan Navy, and his private army?
Even if it costs him his life, he can still win this battle!
Gu Yufan laughed heartily, looking at Ling Jinhua in her armor, and felt a strange sensation, his mind wandering for a moment.
He stretched out his long arm and pulled Ling Jinhua into his arms, burying his face in her neck and shoulder, taking a deep sniff. The light and delicate fragrance wafted over, making him almost lose control.
Ling Jinhua rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth turned up. She gently pushed Gu Yufan away, stomped her foot, and said with a charmingly girlish tone, "Your Highness, do you agree with what I said?"
"Besides, Your Highness is leading troops into battle. How can we rest easy without someone to take care of you?"
Gu Yufan chuckled, "Do you have the time to come with me? Let alone take care of me."
"Also, I'm going to war, not to play! If you go and get scared, I'll be heartbroken."
Ling Jinhua giggled and said, "With Your Highness by my side, I have nothing to fear!"
“Unlike my sister, the Princess Consort, I don’t have to manage all the affairs of the household, nor do I have children to take care of. Of course I have time to go.”
Ling Jinhua tugged at the jade pendant at Gu Yufan's waist: "Your Highness, please grant my request!"
She took two steps back, spun around, and smiled brightly: "Your Highness, look, I even had armor specially made so that I could be by your side this time!"
"I assure you, Your Highness, if you agree, I will take good care of you!"
The Duke of Qi was originally a general of the Lingnan navy and was well-versed in naval warfare. Even if he won, it would be impossible for him to resolve the battle in just one or two days.
In addition, starting from Jiangzhou and heading downhill, it would take at least half a month to travel back and forth.
If I don't have a woman by my side for the past two weeks...
Gu Yufan hadn't thought about this before, but now that Ling Jinhua brought it up, he thought it was a really good idea.
However, this person doesn't necessarily have to be Ling Jinhua.
Gu Yufan lifted Ling Jinhua's chin again, his eyes slightly sharp: "Speaking of armor, you've been preparing for this for a long time. What, did you calculate that I would definitely lead the army in person?"
Ling Jinhua stared intently at Gu Yufan, her eyes gradually reddening. She shook her head slightly and said, "Of course I didn't know. I made the armor because I thought that even if Your Highness didn't go, I would still go secretly."
"Since Prince Qi killed my brother, I will watch his father die with my own eyes!"
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