How exactly?
"What?!"
This was the first time Xiao Chengyan had lost his composure in front of his subordinates since arriving in the Northern Territory, even though the person in front of him was Changfeng, whom he trusted and knew best.
His eyes looked south, and he seemed to sigh, his tone returning to its usual coldness: "When will you arrive?"
Changfeng replied, "Based on the schedule we have, it should be within the next two days."
When Xiao Chengyan left, he left the illusion with Gu Jinghong. With her own abilities, he was not worried that Gu Jinghong would encounter danger on her way north.
But her resoluteness was even greater than on their wedding day, indicating that she already knew about her own background. If she had truly come here because of her past, he couldn't figure out how to treat her.
...
The next day, the snow continued.
Gu Jinghong sped along, and finally the gate of the Northern Border Camp came into view.
She reined in her horse, and the arrow wound in her shoulder throbbed with pain from the sudden movement.
Before they could even catch their breath, two guards stood in front of the gate, spears crossed, shouting, "Who goes there! This is military camp, no trespassing allowed!"
She glanced at the two of them, then instinctively clutched her injured shoulder, her voice hoarse: "I'm looking for Xiao Chengyan."
The guard's eyes were fixed on her travel-worn appearance and bloodstained shoulder, his expression becoming even more wary: "How dare you address the Prince by his name? Leave immediately!"
Gu Jinghong didn't have time for nonsense.
Her eyes sharpened, she dismounted, and moved like a ghost between the guards. With swift movements of her hands, she disarmed the two men in an instant.
But there were more than two guards at the camp gate.
More soldiers rushed over upon hearing the commotion. Gu Jinghong felt surrounded by a mob, especially since they outnumbered her and she had escaped from a previous attack, though she was injured. In the end, she was restrained and pinned down.
Her eyes were sharp, and the red mole at the end of her eyebrow was like an inextinguishable flame in the icy snow, which made the captain of the guard feel uneasy.
"Let go! I have urgent business with your commander!"
Seeing that the woman was skilled and of unknown origin, the captain of the guard hesitated for a moment and said, "Take her to see the prince!"
Gu Jinghong was escorted all the way to the central military tent.
The moment the curtain was lifted, she immediately saw Xiao Chengyan sitting upright in the main seat.
He was discussing matters with several generals. His black armor was cold and imposing, and his aura was even more severe. His brooding gaze was devoid of any emotion, and just sitting on it made people feel afraid.
Almost at the same time, Xiao Chengyan's gaze also swept over.
His eyes flashed, his pupils contracted slightly, as if he had instantly caught sight of the bloodstains on her bound arms and shoulders, as well as the dust on her fair cheeks.
"Who did this?! Let go!"
This statement is actually inappropriate. Yesterday, everyone tacitly pointed the finger at Gu Jinghong, and today the commander-in-chief openly wants to release this "culprit" who caused the defeat.
But in fact, when Xiao Chengyan's not-so-loud voice pierced through the entire tent, the two soldiers subconsciously let go of each other's hands.
Gu Jinghong stretched her wrist, which was aching from being gripped so tightly. Before she could speak, she heard Xiao Chengyan's icy voice ring out again: "Since when is it allowed to bully women in the military camp? You two, each go and receive twenty lashes!"
The two soldiers looked terrified but dared not argue. They bowed their heads, replied "Yes," and hurriedly withdrew.
The other generals in the tent looked at each other, not daring to breathe or raise their heads, their hearts filled with doubt and uncertainty—judging from the prince's tone, this woman seemed to be someone of extraordinary background.
Xiao Chengyan walked a few steps to Gu Jinghong, so close that he could see the unmelted frost on her eyelashes and the stubbornness in her eyes.
Is she... so impatient? He specially sent her a letter telling her not to go north, but she didn't read a single word of it!
In this freezing weather, she's actually going to venture into the Northern Border all by herself?!
Look how much thinner she is now! Look at the dried bloodstains on her shoulders! How did she manage to survive her journey north?!
Heart-wrenching tenderness and intense anger surged up again, almost causing him to lose control.
He forcefully suppressed his anger, asking, "What are you doing here?"
you.
Everyone immediately understood that the prince was familiar with this young lady, to the point that they could omit the use of titles.
Ignoring the stares of the crowd, Gu Jinghong raised an eyebrow and said, "What would I be doing here? If I hadn't come, the Prince would probably have already sent someone to take my life!"
She wasn't just making things up; she had simply heard the uninformed soldiers in the North cursing and swearing along the way, so she changed course and came to the Northern army camp.
He frowned, stood up, and clenched his fists behind his back, his anger barely contained: "I'll take your life?"
It's really... how can someone be so unreasonable!
Gu Jinghong continued, "The thousand armor-piercing crossbows produced in Jinghongwu... were not transported to the Northern Territory with my approval."
His expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected this, and he simply replied, "Oh? Who brought it over?"
"Gongsun Lie".
The crowd gasped in disbelief—Duke Sun Lie, the Duke of Zhenguo? How could that be? He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Army before, and so many generals and soldiers fought alongside him. How could he possibly turn against his own people?
"Arguments are meaningless!" Xiao Chengyan interrupted sharply, pressing him step by step yet seemingly coaxing him, "The Duke of Zhenguo holds a high position and wields great power. What evidence do you have to accuse him?"
Gu Jinghong met his gaze and, in the depths of that seemingly cold scrutiny, caught a hint of almost anxious guidance.
She suddenly understood—he wasn't interrogating her; he was paving a way for her to clear her name in front of everyone.
It felt like something had suddenly struck my chest, leaving me with a bitter and indescribable ache.
She forced herself to calm down, and her voice regained its clarity and certainty: "Of course there is evidence."
She took out a folded receipt and the token she had lost and found from her bosom.
"The treasurer of Jinghongwu has been bribed by Gongsun Lie, and this is the forged transfer order stub he created. As for the token..." She held up the black iron token and then took out a dark magnet she always carried with her, "My tokens are all soaked in special medicinal powder from the Medicine Master Valley, making them colorless and odorless, but if you look at them through this magnet..."
She brought the magnet close to the token, and to the astonishment of the surrounding lieutenants, several clear fingerprints appeared on the surface of the token.
"The powder is poisonous. When I use it myself, I hold onto the string attached to the token. I wouldn't be foolish enough to touch the token with my bare hands. Once you touch it, your hands will gradually turn black, and you won't be able to hide it..."
The expressions of the northern generals changed instantly. As they whispered among themselves, their indignation towards Gongsun Lie replaced their suspicion of Gu Jinghong.
They were completely devoted to Gongsun Lie, and at the beginning, they even opposed Xiao Chengyan for his sake.
But what about him?
He actually used an armor-piercing crossbow to target his former subordinates.
Xiao Chengyan looked at Gu Jinghong, then raised his hand in a gesture.
Upon seeing this, the generals understood the intention and filed out without saying a word.
Changfeng was at the back of the group. He glanced at the two of them one last time before following the group out.
The air pressure inside the tent suddenly dropped to freezing point.
The two looked at each other, neither of them speaking.
After a long silence, Xiao Chengyan spoke again: "What are you doing here?"
A flame gradually ignited in Gu Jinghong's eyes, but he managed to suppress it: "I have already answered this question once."
Xiao Chengyan stared at her, then took a few steps closer, unsure whether to draw out the anger in her eyes or suppress it.
What are you doing here?
Gu Jinghong rolled her eyes at him and didn't reply.
Xiao Chengyan moved closer to her, pinched her chin with one hand, and turned her to look at him.
"Didn't I write you a letter? Why are you so impulsive, wanting to leave the Duke's mansion?!"
Silence again.
"Go back quickly. I will handle this for you. You cannot leave the Duke's mansion."
As he spoke, he reached out to touch Gu Jinghong's arm.
Gu Jinghong suddenly flung his hand away, then glared hatefully at Xiao Chengyan: "You think you're so smart? You know what kind of person Gongsun Lie is! Do you think I'll have a good life in the Duke's mansion?! You clearly know what my Jinghong Dock is all about, yet you still pushed me there. Do you want me to die? Or..."
He looked at her intently: "Or what?"
Her voice lowered: "...Or do you also covet my Nanfeng's mechanical skills!"
His eyes suddenly dimmed—he was right, she already knew.
The hard shell he had built for himself suddenly crumbled away on its own.
“Ah Hong, I’m sorry, I really… couldn’t find a better way. Gongsun Lie may be a scoundrel, but he covets the strength of your Jinghong Dock, and given his doting on Gongsun Cheyuan, at least you… won’t lose your life. As for this fight with Gongsun Lie, I don’t know if I can achieve final victory. I was thinking…”
What are you thinking about?
For the first time in his life, he looked at her with a hint of helplessness, thinking, "If I fail, the winner will definitely be the fifth son. In that case, the Gongsun family will be safe. Gongsun Lie might use you as a scapegoat, but Gongsun Cheyuan is pure of heart and has a good relationship with you... He will definitely protect you with his life, and Gongsun Lie will not be willing to let his only son suffer any accident."
Gu Jinghong's brows furrowed more and more as she listened: "Xiao Chengyan, do you think you're a god?"
"Um?!"
"...In your world, you can decide everything about me all by yourself? You don't even bother to ask for my opinion? You did the same thing before, pushing me to Gongsun Cheyuan without ever asking my opinion. Now you've come to the Northern Border without asking my opinion again. And you want to give me your military camp?"
"...So many people, why didn't you ask me if I wanted to? Why didn't you ask me if I preferred to die, or to be treated like a useless object to be tossed around by you?!"
Before Xiao Chengyan could react, Gu Jinghong continued.
"And who needs your presumptuous sentimentality? Do our three hundred survivors from Nanfeng need you to rescue them? Do they need you to risk your life to deliver them to my workshop? You clearly know that there is a blood feud between us, so why do you still do such a thing? You make me unable to hate you, and you make me unable to love you, so what exactly do you want from me?!"
Gu Jinghong felt a strange scene filling her mind: countless people with unclear faces demanding revenge, while Xiao Chengyan's face became distorted and pale. He said, "Do it, Ahong."
Her head ached and she felt dizzy.
"bass--"
In the chaos, she drew the sword from Xiao Chengyan's body.
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