Chapter 509 The Boss's Darling! (First Update)
The Grand Marshal of the Army, who was incorruptible by wealth and power and unyielding to might, once again fell into Gu Jiao's hands.
Now that he's Gu Jiao's henchman, Gu Jiao patted her chest, indicating that she would protect him!
"Alright, alright, you can put the dagger away now. It wouldn't be good if you scared my little brother," Gu Jiao said to Gu Changqing in a matter-of-fact manner.
Gu Changqing put away the dagger.
Gu Chengfeng's lips twitched. This...is...okay?!
Tang Yueshan was a little dumbfounded that Gu Changqing put away the dagger so easily—why did he feel that he had agreed too quickly?
But on second thought, Gu Changqing was, in principle, a gentleman, but he was not foolishly kind. He would not imprison soldiers and civilians on the border for the sake of one person's life.
If killing Tang Yueshan could save everyone, Gu Changqing would not hesitate to raise the butcher's knife.
This was Tang Yueshan's assessment of Gu Changqing, and it was precisely because of this that Tang Yueshan believed Gu Changqing was truly planning to cripple him.
Yes, that's right, Gu Changqing must be serious, he's not just trying to scare me.
I'm not so easily intimidated!
There's nothing to regret!
Those who understand the times are heroes; a true man can bend and stretch. In ancient times, King Goujian of Yue endured hardship and humiliation to achieve his goal; today, Tang Yueshan recognized a traitor as his brother!
After the unexpected ceremony of accepting new followers ended, the group began to discuss serious matters.
In fact, Gu Changqing originally had something to discuss with Tang Yueshan. If Tang Yueshan hadn't come to the prefect's mansion, he planned to visit his grandfather and then go to the wounded soldiers' camp to find him.
"Is it about the siege?" Tang Yueshan asked.
He was still lying in his hospital bed.
Gu Jiao put him on an IV drip.
Now that he's a junior member, his treatment has been upgraded. Gu Jiao has given him an indwelling IV, so he doesn't have to get injections every day.
Gu Changqing sat at the octagonal table in the room, with Tang Yueshan's sickbed directly opposite him and Gu Chengfeng's sickbed to his left. The distance was about the same, but since he was mainly discussing matters with Tang Yueshan, he chose the chair facing Tang Yueshan.
Gu Chengfeng could only purse his lips and look at his brother's profile, deliberately turning over to make a lot of noise!
Gu Changqing was engrossed in discussing the siege, seemingly unaware of his younger brother's subtle mood. He looked at Tang Yueshan and said, "I plan to attack Lingguan City tomorrow evening."
Tang Yueshan pondered for a moment, then frowned and said, "Actually, I suggest you attack Beiyang City first. Beiyang City was the city that resisted the most fiercely back then. The reason why the resistance was so fierce was because the remnants of the previous dynasty had not infiltrated so thoroughly. You are new to the border, so you probably don't know that there is a living Buddha there."
"A Living Buddha?"
Tang Yueshan nodded: "Your grandfather and I only heard about this after we came here. The Living Buddha has gathered many followers on the border, saving all living beings. Even the Prince Consort and Princess Ning'an were his followers. Of course, Princess Ning'an is no longer one of them. She has realized that the Living Buddha is a tool of the remnants of the previous dynasty. Unfortunately, it is too late. A large number of people have been hooked and have a deep belief in the Living Buddha. More than half of the army of the remnants of the previous dynasty are followers of the Living Buddha."
Gu Changqing suddenly realized and murmured, "No wonder they were able to build such a large army on the border without being discovered."
Tang Yueshan said, "The Living Buddha has the most followers in Ye City, which makes Ye City the weakest in terms of resistance among the three cities."
Gu Changqing asked, "What about Yuegu City?"
Tang Yueshan shook his head: "Yuegu City is too small and its strategic location is not important. The remnants of the previous dynasty have not set their sights on Yuegu City, so there are no followers of the Living Buddha in the city for the time being."
Gu Chengfeng curled his lip: "It's unbelievable that a fake Living Buddha would make them oppose the imperial court."
Tang Yueshan said, "Those devout believers are willing to give their lives to the Living Buddha. The Living Buddha came to save them from suffering. The Living Buddha said that Prince Yi is the chosen one, an emperor sent by Heaven to restore order. When Prince Yi ascends the throne, the country will be peaceful and prosperous, and the people will have plenty of food and clothing and will no longer have to suffer from hunger and cold."
Gu Chengfeng didn't believe in these things, and therefore couldn't understand why those common people would fall for such a simple trick.
"The lives of ordinary people are too miserable," Gu Changqing mused.
Tang Yueshan sighed.
The hardships on the frontier are unimaginable to the people of the capital. Crops are difficult to grow, yields are extremely poor, and the people are starving, cold, and unable to afford medical treatment.
These days seem endless.
Why do people believe in living Buddhas? Because they all want to be reborn in the Pure Land and no longer suffer.
At first glance it seems foolish, but upon closer examination it is also heartbreaking.
Gu Changqing said, "There are plague patients in Lingguan City. If we attack too late, I am worried that they will use the plague to attack the people in the city."
Tang Yueshan was taken aback upon hearing this: "What? Is that really true?"
Gu Changqing said, "It's news that Jiaojiao found out at the prefect's mansion in Lingguan City last time."
Gu Chengfeng's eyes widened, and he asked suspiciously, "No, I also went to the prefect's mansion in Lingguan City. How come I didn't know about this news?"
Gu Changqing gave him a look that was hard to describe.
Your sister is definitely better than you.
Gu Chengfeng: "...!!"
How can this be compared to something else?!
He was with that girl all the time, and he never heard of the plague!
Gu Chengfeng turned to look at Gu Jiao, who was giving him an IV drip. He was about to ask Gu Jiao when she heard him say that when he heard her sigh softly, "I told you not to get distracted."
Gu Chengfeng: "..."
"Is the news reliable?" Tang Yueshan asked.
Gu Changqing nodded: "We've visited those plague patients, killed the guards watching over them, and left them medicine. The remnants of the previous dynasty bring them food every day, but they don't go inside to check on them for fear of infection. A patient named Little Stone is posing as a guard and living in the middle room, but we don't know how long he can keep this up. So what I mean is, we should attack Lingguan City as soon as possible."
The consequences of a plague are no worse than those of any war.
If the remnants of the previous dynasty really discover something amiss, and in a fit of rage release those patients or kill them, scattering their clothes and blood among the people of the city.
Lingguan City is in danger.
Tang Yueshan's expression darkened.
Although I knew long ago that the remnants of the previous dynasty were not a good group of people, I did not expect them to use such despicable and vile means.
It seems we really must attack Lingguan City first.
Can the plague really be cured?
Tang Yueshan asked.
In Tang Yueshan's memory, plagues were often not quelled by treatment, but rather by the fact that all the plague patients were isolated and died, preventing further infection, and only then would a plague end.
Only Gu Jiao can answer this question.
Gu Jiao hung the IV drip on the hook by the bed and said, "It can be cured. But it's best not to let too many people get infected, I'm afraid there won't be enough medicine."
She's been overdosing on medication these past few days, and whether it's just her imagination or not, the little medicine box seems to have lost its shine, as if it's been hollowed out...
This girl can even cure the plague... Tang Yueshan clutched his chest, wondering what was causing this sudden sense of pride.
"What is the relationship between the remnants of the previous dynasty and the Chen army?" Gu Changqing then asked.
Tang Yueshan said, "They are not a monolithic group. On the one hand, there are some differences in the distribution of benefits, and on the other hand, their methods of dealing with enemies are also incompatible."
"For example?" Gu Changqing looked at him.
Tang Yueshan said with a hint of sarcasm, "For example, the Chen army demanded that the remnants of the previous dynasty hand over Princess Ning'an and use her to threaten the border soldiers, but the prince consort stopped them."
Gu Chengfeng chuckled: "Is the prince consort truly sincere towards Princess Ning'an? Then why did he destroy her kingdom?"
Tang Yueshan glanced at him: "What do you know? An ambitious man is not content to be a prince consort without real power, especially since he is a member of the former royal family, and restoring the country is his mission."
Gu Changqing asked, "Where is the Prince Consort's uncle, Prince Yi?"
Tang Yueshan said, "He also advocated handing Princess Ning'an over to the Chen army, but the prince consort's desire was too strong. The prince consort's prestige on the border is not low, and Prince Yi has not yet broken ties with this nephew. The reason I did not support your grandfather when he wanted to rescue Princess Ning'an was because I felt that strategically, Princess Ning'an being in the prince consort's hands could cause a rift to always exist in the relationship between the three parties. But if Princess Ning'an were gone, they would be completely united."
Gu Chengfeng sat up: "But what if Prince Yi, in order to get things done quickly, just kills Princess Ning'an directly?"
Tang Yueshan sighed: "That's what your grandfather thought, which is why he risked his life to save him."
Tang Yueshan did not agree with what the old Marquis was doing, but he could not stop him. After all, the old Marquis was bound by the emperor's orders. The emperor had ordered him to bring Princess Ning'an back unharmed, and he had to bring her back.
Gu Chengfeng snorted and lay back down on the bed: "If you send a few more people, maybe my grandfather won't get into trouble!"
Tang Yueshan shook his head: "Going there would be no use. This is information I gathered while I was hiding after the defeat. The prince consort has a very powerful assassin by his side. The three Dragon Shadow Guards that Consort Jing sent to protect Princess Ning'an were no match for him, let alone my soldiers. Your grandfather's martial arts are not weak, and he could win against the Dragon Shadow Guards, but if all three Dragon Shadow Guards attacked at the same time, it would be hard to say."
"Is it that amazing?" Gu Chengfeng exclaimed in surprise.
Gu Jiao silently closed the small medicine box.
Could this assassin be the same assassin who cut off Gu Changqing's legs in the dream?
They were able to defeat three Dragon Shadow Guards, no wonder they were able to ambush Gu Changqing.
However, judging from the fact that he used underhanded tactics, Gu Changqing's combat strength is not weak, otherwise he could have killed him openly.
"What are you thinking about?"
After leaving the house, Gu Changqing asked Gu Jiao.
"It's snowing again." Gu Jiao stood under the porch, looking at the swirling snowflakes, and said, "It's a perfect time for an army march."
"I wonder when it will stop." It would be better to fight after the snow stops.
“Xu Shi (7-9 PM),” Gu Jiao said.
"You can even observe celestial phenomena?" Gu Changqing looked at her in astonishment.
Gu Jiao nodded without changing her expression: "Yes, just a little bit!"
Gu Changqing smiled gently. He took off his cloak and put it on Gu Jiao, tying the ribbon of the cloak with his long, slender fingers covered with thin calluses.
Gu Chengfeng's daybed faced the main entrance. He lay on the bed, watching his elder brother dress Gu Jiao in a cloak with a sour look on his face. He snorted and turned away heavily!
He's never going to talk to his older brother again!
The sound of Tang Yueshan's thunderous snoring came from inside the room.
Gu Chengfeng was upset and covered his head with the blanket, then took cotton from the pillow and stuffed it into his ears.
Unfortunately, martial arts practitioners have incredibly strong hearing; Tang Yueshan's snoring sounded like thunder right next to his ear.
Gu Chengfeng was unsure whether he was angrier at his older brother ignoring him or at Tang Yueshan snoring!
"Hmph! They're all trying to annoy me! Fine! Once I'm fully recovered, I'm going back to the capital! I'm never coming to this godforsaken place again!"
What kind of place is this?
A familiar voice sounded beside his bed, and Gu Chengfeng jumped, his body stiffening.
"Why are you covering your head with the blanket? Isn't it stuffy?" Gu Changqing reached out and slowly pulled the blanket off Gu Chengfeng.
Gu Chengfeng offered a weak resistance, but it was not very strong.
He glanced at his older brother, who had suddenly turned back, and the grievances in his heart surged even more intensely.
He knew he wasn't that great, but he had done his best. His elder brother commended all the soldiers who defended the city, but not him.
He's not bad, is he...?
He transformed from a refined scholar into a blood-soaked warrior, never retreating, never abandoning the city, and never fleeing.
He actually found it very difficult and bitter, since he hadn't grown up suffering from childhood.
He wasn't used to it at all.
But he held back.
He didn't complain at all.
Why can't my older brother see his efforts?
"Does it still hurt?" Gu Changqing asked.
snort!
Now you're finally showing concern for me!
It's too late!
Gu Chengfeng awkwardly moved further inside.
Why aren't you praising me? Why aren't you complimenting me?
"I have something for you," Gu Changqing said softly.
That girl must have chosen what was left over; I don't care for it!
"What?" Gu Chengfeng asked in a low, deep voice.
"Look for yourself." Gu Changqing held something tied with a thin rope above his head.
Gu Chengfeng still didn't turn around to look at Gu Changqing, and very aloofly pulled the thing down with his hand.
He glanced at it casually, just once, and then he froze completely.
He sat up almost instinctively, staring incredulously at the small plaque in his hand, which bore his name, date of birth, and place of origin, with a large "Gu" character on the back.
"This is..." He jumped down from the ground, limping on one arm, and looked at his older brother.
Gu Changqing looked at him, his expression solemn, his eyes revealing an indomitable military spirit: "This is the wooden plaque of the Gu Family Army. From this day forward, you are a true member of the Gu Family Army. You must be loyal to His Majesty and serve the people with utmost devotion! You must obey military orders, punish the wicked, and protect the country and its people! You must also guard every river of Zhao Kingdom and defend every inch of its territory! If the enemy invades, they will have to step over your dead bodies!"
Gu Chengfeng's chest heaved, his eyes reddened and tears welled up. He straightened his back and solemnly swore, his voice choked with emotion, "Gu Chengfeng of the Gu Family Army... obeys!"
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
