Chapter 61 [VIP]
Gu Zhizhuo remained silent.
Jiang Youzheng was extremely frustrated. Let alone Miss Gu, anyone would hate her to death.
An uproar immediately erupted in the crowd.
"Young lady."
Old Dan finally returned. He squeezed through the crowd with great difficulty, abandoning his horse, and quickly reported, "I've inquired, and all the coffins at the funeral parlor are custom-made; there aren't any ready-made ones."
How long does it take to order a custom-made pair?
"Three days."
Jiang Youzheng advised, "Miss Gu, why don't you wait for three days?"
Gu Zhizhuo lowered his head and looked down, saying, "Go and ask again how long it takes to order a wooden box, and expedite it."
Old Dan blurted out, "Young lady! This...this is impossible..."
“Father won’t mind, go ahead. Besides…” Gu Zhizhuo smiled bitterly, “What will we do with the coffin?”
She had just thought of that too; they were traveling at a great speed, and if they were dragging a coffin, wouldn't her father inside be thrown around violently if they started to bump into things...?
Lao Dan: "...Yes."
The most appropriate place for my head is in a properly sized wooden box, that's what I think rationally, but I can't stop the pain in my heart.
The people closest to the village heard these words.
Who would have thought that the dignified Duke of Zhenguo would not even have a coffin?
"Miss Gu!"
Just as Lao Dan was about to leave, an old woman, supported by her daughter-in-law, came over shakily. Behind her were two teenagers pulling a cart, on which was a black coffin.
The old woman stared at the severed head in Gu Zhizhuo's arms, and tears welled up in her eyes, pooling on her wrinkled face.
They were ordinary people in the city of Aur. Six years ago, her three sons all died in the battle.
She originally thought that she, her daughters-in-law, and her grandchildren would not escape the calamity either, and that the whole family would huddle together and wait to die. However, the Duke arrived even faster than the Black and White Impermanence. He found them lying in the pile of corpses and had them dug out.
Their lives were all given to them by the Duke.
Her grandchildren have all grown up, and she even has a great-granddaughter. They originally didn't even have a chance to survive.
She heard from her neighbor that the Duke's daughter had arrived, so she hurried out to see what was going on. She intended to kowtow from afar, but when she passed by the coffin shop, she heard someone asking about buying a coffin. The accent was clearly from the capital. She asked the shopkeeper a few questions and then quickly sent her grandson back to bring over the coffin she had prepared.
The old woman said earnestly, "Miss Gu, if you don't mind, please use this coffin."
Despite her slurred speech, she managed to explain, "It's clean, freshly made."
The black lacquered coffin was ordinary, even somewhat simple.
People of that time had the habit of preparing their own coffins while they were still alive; this was something the old lady had prepared for herself.
Gu Zhizhuo was stunned.
After a while, she held back her sobs and murmured, "Thank you."
She accepted the offer.
"No, no," the old woman waved her hands repeatedly. "It is my good fortune and great luck that the Duke can use it."
Lao Dan and the others helped unload the coffin from the cart, and Gu Zhizhuo personally placed the head into the coffin.
But just as she had expected, the coffin was too big, and the small head was simply not able to be properly placed.
She stared blankly, wanting nothing more than to cover her face with her hands and burst into tears.
"Miss Gu, please put some yellow paper in."
Someone in the crowd brought a large box full of yellow paper and laid it on the empty coffin.
"I have one at home too. I'll go get it."
"I still have some paper money at home."
The Ghost Festival is just around the corner, and many families have prepared yellow paper and paper money for offerings. They brought a lot of these items from one family to another and personally covered the entire coffin.
The head was placed inside and no longer shook.
Gu Zhizhuo closed his eyes and closed the coffin.
"Alkynes".
Gu Zhizhuo called out softly, and without her saying anything more, Gu Yique understood immediately.
He knelt down with her and sincerely kowtowed to the old woman and the surrounding people.
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't accept that."
The old woman, caught off guard, helped her up and cried, "This is all I can do for the Duke."
There were echoes of responses all around.
“Miss Gu.” Jiang Youzheng knew he shouldn’t have made his stance clear, but he couldn’t help himself and said from the bottom of his heart, “Everyone remembers the Duke. Everyone in the entire Western Frontier is grateful to the Duke!”
"It was the Duke's spear that saved us. We will always remember this kindness."
After the Duke of Zhenguo died in battle, every household in the western frontier erected a memorial tablet for him and offered incense in his honor.
Don't hate us because of Liu Nuo.
"Seeing off the Duke."
I don't know who shouted that.
"Farewell, Your Excellency!"
Then, voices came together one after another, some from men and some from women, some from hoarse old voices and some from clear children's voices.
The bitterness that Jiang Youzheng had been suppressing in his chest welled up, and almost instinctively he knelt down on one knee and saluted.
"Farewell, Duke!"
"Farewell, Duke!"
Gu Zhizhuo let the tears well up in her eyes, but didn't let them fall.
She said, "Let's go."
Gu Yique was already in tears. He sniffed and walked to the other side of the coffin.
After his father died in battle, he cried alone for a very long time.
He felt hurt and resentful.
They hate why there is a war, and they hate even more why the Gu family has to bear such a heavy responsibility.
His mother told him that his father only said two words before he died: "Worth it."
My mother said she had never been to the battlefield, and asked him to see for her in the future whether it was worth it.
As he grew up, he buried all his resentment deep in his heart, never telling anyone. His uncles, however, forbade him from going to the northern frontier, fearing that if something happened to him, the second branch of the family would die out.
On this trip with his older sister, he saw his uncle's body, which was torn to pieces, and heard Liu Nuo's words, "The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion committed atrocities and deserved to die." The blood-stained talisman pierced his heart, and hatred grew like weeds, clinging to his heart.
However, just as his beliefs were about to crumble, the people of Aur dispelled the fog in his heart.
He suddenly understood why his father had said: It's worth it!
Gu Yique lowered his head, and a tear fell onto the coffin.
He was startled and nervously wiped his face with his sleeve.
"It's nothing," Gu Zhizhuo said. "The Gu family is full of murderous aura and has no taboos."
Looking into Gu Yique's tear-filled eyes, Gu Zhizhuo continued, "Killing ten thousand to save a million, even if the blood flows like rivers, saves the common people. This is the merit our Gu family has accumulated."
It is absolutely not about creating karma through indiscriminate killing!
Merit? Gu Yique didn't know if he was just seeing things from crying, but he noticed that the setting sun was shining golden on his uncle's coffin.
The people spontaneously made way for them, from the garrison headquarters all the way to the city gate. The entire city's population came out to see them off from Aur City.
Gu Zhizhuo supported the coffin, her steps heavy, yet each one powerful.
Firm, without any hesitation.
Even after leaving the city gates, one could still faintly hear suppressed sobs coming from inside the city.
Jiang Youzheng escorted them for a full three miles before taking his leave.
"Commander Jiang," Gu Zhizhuo asked softly, "I've heard that Liang people have been spotted nearby. Have you received any information about this, Commander Jiang?"
"It's near the mountains to the east," Jiang Youzheng pointed in the direction and said, "Don't worry, young lady, there are many of you, the Liang people won't dare to attack."
He couldn't help but sigh, "The nearby villages will suffer."
Liu Nuo, wielding his power, forbade the deployment of troops and the provision of relief. He even proposed that the people from several villages under the jurisdiction of Aur City settle in the city, but Liu Nuo refused.
He said the Liang people only came to Daqi territory to beg for food because they couldn't survive. If those people were kinder and shared some of their grain with them, they wouldn't have been killed. After this string of classical Chinese phrases and quotations, Commander Jiang almost wanted to strangle him.
Left with no other option, Jiang Youzheng could only secretly mobilize about a hundred people to investigate the movements of the Liang people and do his best to protect the people under his jurisdiction.
Each time the Liang people come, there are at most three to five hundred people. If there are guards patrolling nearby, they will not confront them directly. Anyway, the territory of Western Xinjiang is large, and they can go to other villages to rob.
Jiang Youzheng was powerless to do anything about it.
He couldn't possibly abandon his political career and break ties with Liu Nuo completely.
Thank you.
Gu Zhizhuo bowed and thanked him.
The coffin was strapped to a flatbed cart. Lao Dan drove the cart, while Gu Zhizhuo and Gu Yique rode their horses on either side of the cart to prevent it from tipping over.
"Young lady."
Qi Fu rode up from behind, trailing her by a horse's length, and said, "This humble general can infiltrate Aur City and kill that Liu Nuo!"
This was an insult that even he, let alone a young woman, couldn't swallow.
Gu Zhizhu shook his head.
Qi Fu said urgently, "Young lady, this humble general is willing to bear all the consequences."
"Commander Qi, listen to my orders." Gu Zhizhuo said without turning his head, "Take some men east and find out the movements of that group of Liang people."
Qi Fu was unaware of the reason.
Is the young lady afraid that they will encounter cold people on their way back?
Is it still for the sake of the people of Western Xinjiang that they plan to wipe out this group of Liang people before leaving?
Oh well, it's not like I can't kill him anyway.
"This humble general will ensure that they never return."
“No.” Gu Zhizhuo’s phoenix eyes were sharp. She stroked the mane of the jade lion. “You spread the word that a fat sheep will go to Shangxu Temple tomorrow. It’s very fat.”
She beckoned her finger backward as she spoke.
Qi Fu leaned forward slightly, and after listening, he composed himself and said in a low voice, "Yes, this subordinate will certainly take care of it."
"Wait until Garrison Commander Jiang leaves before you go."
Qi Fu glanced back and saw that Jiang Youzheng was still standing in the same spot.
He waited until they disappeared from sight before leading his men back to Aur City on horseback.
The people had all dispersed.
Today, only 20,000 to 30,000 people remain in this city, and even fewer young and middle-aged adults.
It will take at least ten years for Western Xinjiang to recover, and the Liang people keep coming to plunder. The city is alright, but he is worried about the nearby villages.
"Commander Jiang."
As soon as he stepped into the garrison commander's residence, Liu Nuo's advisor was already waiting, his attitude as condescending as Liu Nuo's: "Governor Jiang, Lord Liu wants you to see him after you return."
Jiang Youzheng tolerated him for three years.
Liu Nuo acted like a tyrant in Aur City, interfering in military, political, and people's lives. Even his guards and servants were arrogant and domineering, acting like local emperors.
In the past, when the late emperor was still alive, there was never a practice of placing military supervisors at the border.
The great victory in the Western Frontier not only saw the Prince of Jin reap all the credit for the military achievements, but the higher-ups also sent over a useless supervisor who knew nothing yet insisted on babbling on. For the sake of his career, he could only endure it...
I'll tolerate it my foot!
"Get lost. He's a fifth-rank official, while I'm only a fifth-rank garrison commander. Do you think I'll go just because he tells me to?!"
"His Majesty appointed him as the military supervisor, but there is no war taking place in Aur now, so there is no need for him to supervise."
Jiang Youzheng turned and left.
This was the first time Jiang Youzheng had been so impolite. The clerk, feeling slighted, hurriedly went to report back to Liu Nuo.
Liu Nuo's neck was wrapped in layers of gauze, thickly.
He lay sprawled on the couch, groaning and moaning, as if he were about to die.
Seeing that the advisor hadn't brought Jiang Youzheng, he frowned, about to explode in anger, but then remembered that he was "seriously injured," so he didn't dare to speak loudly, only cursing, "That brute surnamed Jiang!"
"I...I must impeach him!"
The clerk quickly said, "My lord, please don't be angry. It's important to get well soon."
"Useless thing."
Liu Nuo covered his neck and cursed, "How could I be wrong? If these warriors didn't want to make merit every day, why would they want to engage in so much fighting and killing?"
"Stopping war is true martial arts, and that is the greatest virtue! Ouch." Liu Nuo pulled at the wound on his throat, gasping in pain.
The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion! He'll remember this grudge.
“Your Excellency is absolutely right. A nation, however large, will perish if it is fond of war,” the advisor chimed in. “If it weren’t for the Duke of Zhenguo’s relentless pursuit of war, the Great Qi would have been a prosperous and flourishing dynasty long ago.”
He stroked his beard and sighed, "Back then, Gu Xie burned tens of thousands of Northern Di people to death, creating a blood feud that has led to generations of endless wars. Unfortunately, Emperor Taizu trusted Gu Xie too much. Back then, my classmates and I went to the Meridian Gate to beg Emperor Taizu to punish him severely, but we were all stripped of our academic titles."
Emperor Taizu valued military prowess over civil administration, and was not a wise ruler.
He lost his official rank, and despite his talents, he could only take a job as a secretary. Now he is past the age of knowing his destiny.
The advisor reminded him, "Sir, we should report today's events to the young master."
He was referring to the heir apparent of the Prince of Jin.
That's right! Liu Nuo finally snapped out of his tirade.
"Of course I must report back..."
"Go and draft a letter for me. Fine, I'll do it myself!" Liu Nuo gritted his teeth. "Go and prepare pen and ink for me."
He scrambled up from the couch, clutching his neck. Somehow, his ankle twisted suddenly, and he almost lost his balance, the pain bringing tears to his eyes.
"Help me, help me..."
The advisor was startled and quickly came over to help him.
Liu Nuo limped to the table, and after much deliberation, finally finished writing the letter.
He habitually flicked his brush, but perhaps the movement was too forceful, and his wrist slammed onto the desk, sending the brush flying out of his hand and splashing ink all over the table, even the newly sealed envelope was covered in ink specks.
He clutched his wrist, hopping on one leg in pain. He didn't know where he bumped into, but his foot slipped, and he fell heavily to the ground.
Now, my whole body aches.
The clerk was stunned. He rushed over and hesitated before saying, "Sir, could it be that talisman?"
Upon hearing the words "talisman paper," Liu Nuo immediately shuddered, and that nauseating feeling surged up again.
Yes, yes!
It must be that talisman!
Liu Nuo covered her throat, her voice trembling as she said, "Do you...do you remember that the young master said he asked a Taoist temple to suppress that thing?"
"Shangxu Temple. It is the Changfeng Zhenren of Shangxu Temple."
"Yes, yes. Shangxu Temple is alright."
Liu Nuo remembered it too.
He paced back and forth anxiously for a while, then ordered, "Go and have someone prepare things. In a couple of days... no, tomorrow, I'm going to Shangxu Temple tomorrow!"
His bad luck is almost certainly because he swallowed that talisman.
Since this talisman originated from the Taixu Temple, Master Changfeng must be able to decipher it!
Regardless of whether Liu Nuo believed in these things before, he now believes them wholeheartedly.
Just thinking about that eerie talisman made Liu Nuo feel a sharp, stabbing pain from his mouth to his throat and even his stomach.
He didn't sleep well that night. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see that Miss Gu holding a human head, staring at him eerily.
He was almost startled awake.
He left the city in a hurry before dawn.
Shangxu Temple is the most popular Taoist temple among the thirteen cities of the Western Frontier. Even in the war-torn border region, Shangxu Temple has countless devout believers, and Master Changfeng is even known as a living immortal.
Liu Nuo had been there a few times before.
Shangxu Temple was a bit far from Aur City. He brought seven or eight guards and traveled by carriage for three or four hours.
With his eyes closed, he swayed with the bumps of the carriage, pondering how to write his memorial to the emperor.
The thought of the entire city's inhabitants chanting "Lord Zhenguo" filled Liu Nuo with dread. The Zhenguo Duke's mansion was inciting unrest at the border, which was definitely a sign of treason! These people only had the Zhenguo Duke in their hearts; they had no regard for the Emperor!
He has been in the western frontier for three years, and it is very peaceful here!
Only occasionally would some scoundrels come to plunder. Even in Daqi, there are always people who become outlaws.
Moreover, the fact that they came to plunder shows that Liang Kingdom is impoverished and unable to make a living.
They had no choice.
The people from Liang would leave after they had finished looting; they never stayed long.
They were all military men who loved to spread alarmist rumors, saying things like the border was in turmoil and barbarians were massacring cities. It was just a bunch of tricks to make the emperor believe that the Great Qi Dynasty couldn't do without them. In the end, they just couldn't bear to give up their wealth and status.
Liu Nuo deeply felt that what the Great Qi needed least was these commoners.
Using force to stop force will only lead to resentment, fighting, and endless disputes!
As a great celestial empire, we should educate the barbarians with the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, and offer princesses as marriage alliances to foster blood ties. How could the barbarians then cause trouble again?!
Yes, that's how you write a memorial.
Suddenly, the carriage stopped, and he lifted the curtain and asked, "Have we arrived?"
Before he could finish speaking, two curved blades were placed against his neck.
Liu Nuo cautiously raised his eyelids and saw a group of burly and strong Liang people riding tall horses.
A cold-blooded man sneered, "The fat sheep has arrived!"
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