Chapter 121
If we talk about how deep the entanglement between Gu Mingyue and Gu Mingxi is, they have been irreconcilable since they were born.
Gu Mingyue's hatred for Gu Mingxi can be seen in her bones and blood.
She harbored three hatreds. First, she resented Gu Mingxi for usurping her position as the legitimate daughter of the Gu family, forcing her to become a servant and suffer humiliation from a young age. Second, she resented Gu Mingxi for stealing her parents' affections, forcing them to adopt her as their daughter, and even after returning to the Gu family, she was still only fit to be Gu Mingxi's wife. Third, she resented Gu Mingxi's shameless act of brazenly preempting her marriage. Gu Mingyue had vowed to marry the best man in the world, but the man who had captivated her for the first half of her life was Gu Mingxi's childhood fiancé.
She always used to think that if Gu Mingxi had not taken over her, she would have had loving parents and a smooth life.
Gu Mingyue will always remember the moment she was recognized. She was brought into the Gu family home in rags. Amidst the carved beams and painted buildings and the blossoming flowers in the garden, a young man, as graceful as a breeze and bright as the moon, stood there. At first glance, Gu Mingyue fell in love.
Since returning to the Gu family, Gu Mingyue has endured countless injustices. She's a member of the Gu family, yet she lives like a helpless child. She once challenged her biological parents to treat her fairly, demanding justice for the suffering she endured. But all she got was accusations of viciousness, saying they shouldn't have taken her back.
In order to protect Gu Mingxi, her biological parents had to stay hidden from the public.
Gu Mingyue could tolerate all of this. She didn't expect anything she hadn't had since she was a child. The only thing she couldn't tolerate was that the person she liked was actually Gu Mingxi's fiancé. Zhou Jingchen was supposed to be the fiancé of the Gu family's second daughter, but in reality, he should have been hers! Why should her destined fiancé, the person she loved, be given to Gu Mingxi?
Gu Mingyue couldn't understand, let alone accept it. But crying, making a scene, and even trying to commit suicide were all in vain. The Gu family didn't care whether she lived or died.
To dissuade her from thinking about him, Gu's parents even considered marrying her off early. After overhearing their secret plot, Gu Mingyue suddenly understood a truth. The weak can only be manipulated, and the weak can only beg for mercy. Tears simply can't change fate, so when Zhou Ye reached out his hand, she grasped it without hesitation.
Sure enough, Zhou Ye's life underwent a dramatic transformation. From a shady person, she became a legitimate daughter, written into the Gu family tree. Especially after Zhou Ye ascended the throne, she made the entire Gu family grovel at her feet and kowtow to her.
Gu Mingyue never regretted it, but a face kept appearing in her mind when she woke up in the middle of the night. If she couldn't have it, then Gu Mingxi couldn't have it either.
If Zhou Jingchen had stayed in the northwest forever, she might not have thought of him again. But Zhou Jingchen came back. It only took him five years to come back. He was indeed the man she loved, the man who most deserved her in the world. Gu Mingyue's dead heart was revived. In the past, she was humble and weak, unable to get what she wanted. Now she is the most noble woman in Dayan, and she can get the person she wants with confidence.
So Gu Mingyue made a deal with Gu Mingxi.
In reality, Gu Mingyi could change the fate that Gu Mingyue couldn't. His death shattered Gu Mingxi's otherwise smooth life like a sharp knife. From the once-celebrated Gu Mingyue, she fell from grace, becoming an ordinary person. The malicious targeting of the first wife and the resentment fostered by the rejection of the second wife, which fueled resentment among her siblings, made Gu Mingxi's situation within the Gu family difficult.
In less than two months, Gu Mingxi went from being the pampered daughter of the second wife to a jinx. Gu Mingyue was delighted to see this.
But for some reason, the Gu family suddenly turned around some time ago and was valued by Zhou Ye.
More than Gu Mingxi's favor, Gu Mingyue resented her blind and heartless biological parents and the profit-seeking Gu family. They were supposed to be her family, but instead of standing by her side, they allowed Gu Mingxi to bully her. The Gu family's rise to power displeased Gu Mingyue, so she decided to cause trouble for them.
She put aside past grudges and gave Gu Mingxi a chance to become a superior person.
She promised Gu Mingxi a chance to strike back at the Gu family. In return, she would just listen to her and return her marriage to Zhou Jingchen. When she proposed this deal, she expected Gu Mingxi to disagree, or at least use some coercion. However, Gu Mingxi, a short-sighted, vain woman with no sense of integrity, agreed without a second thought.
Not only did he agree to admit to Zhou Jingchen in the future that he was the one who had the real engagement, but he also gave her a token of their engagement.
Gu Mingyue was initially surprised, but then she thought about what Gu Mingxi had done when the incident at Prince Jing's mansion had occurred. Gu Mingxi was a white-eyed wolf in sheep's clothing, completely devoid of any sense of righteousness.
"That's not your engagement token at all!" Gu Mingyue's eyes were bloodshot with rage. She grabbed Gu Mingxi by the collar and threw him to the ground. "You're taking me for a fool!"
"So what?" Gu Mingxi knew this would be exposed. Although he felt guilty, he didn't feel guilty at all. "You're just stupid, can you blame me?"
Gu Mingyue didn't expect that she had the courage to mock her, so she rushed up and slapped her again.
Gu Mingxi wasn't one to passively take a beating. She hadn't been relied upon to yield before, but now they were both favored concubines, so why should she? Gu Mingxi sneered, gritted her teeth, and rushed over to grab Gu Mingyue's hair.
The two favorite concubines fought each other like this, and the palace servants on both sides were scared to death.
They stood there helpless, unable to pull it away. Gu Mingyue was unlike any other woman in the boudoir; she possessed immense strength. They tried to push her away several times, but were always shoved away. With no other options, they rushed out to find someone.
...Who else could stop them? Only the current Emperor of Dayan, Zhou Ye.
Zhou Ye arrived very quickly. When he heard that Gu Mingyue had actually rushed to Zhongcui Palace and beat up Gu Mingxi, the corners of his mouth flew up.
The palace servants who were waiting on the side knew what he was thinking. They followed him closely and sighed, "The master finally lost her patience. She rushed to Zhongcui Palace to beat people up. How angry must the master be..."
"Hmph, it's good that she knows she's jealous." Zhou Ye was in a good mood and soon arrived at Zhongcui Palace.
As soon as they stepped into Zhongcui Palace, the two people inside stopped fighting.
Gu Mingyue was standing perfectly fine except for some scratches on her face and messy hair. Behind her, Gu Mingxi's cheeks were swollen and his hair was bald in a patch. He looked rather unsightly. Before he could even get close, Gu Mingxi rushed to him, clutching her cheeks and about to burst into tears. She sank to her knees and cried, "Your Majesty, please help me!"
Gu Mingxi was a master at complaining. She pitifully exposed her injuries and cried miserably, "The Empress rushed over and beat me without asking any questions. Look at how she beat me. My face, Your Majesty..."
"Are you willing to come out to see me?" Before she could finish her words, Zhou Ye had already left her and walked to Gu Mingyue's side.
This simple sentence brought Gu Mingxi's sobs to a halt. She stared wide-eyed at the man standing before Gu Mingyue, his head bowed, his expression utterly shocking, almost dazed. Zhou Ye, however, didn't even glance at her, his lips curled as he continued to talk to Gu Mingyue. His expression was like that of a cat who had gotten what it wanted; anyone with eyes could tell he was delighted.
Gu Mingxi was stunned, his head buzzing with disbelief: "Your Majesty..."
"Yue'er," Zhou Ye raised his hand and tucked Gu Mingyue's messy hair behind her ear. A flash of murderous intent flashed across his eyes when he touched the wound on her face. "As long as you are willing to admit your mistakes to me, I can deal with anyone you dislike."
These simple words made Gu Mingxi, who was kneeling on the ground, tremble uncontrollably.
Suddenly, she couldn't cry anymore. She lowered her head, lowered her sleeves, and clasped her hands together. She was a little confused, but even more puzzled. Why had His Majesty ignored all the injuries she had suffered, only caring about Gu Mingyue? Hadn't His Majesty been doting on her these past ten days? Were all those sweet words, those lingering affections, fake?
The color on Gu Mingxi's face faded bit by bit, and an indescribable horror rose from the bottom of his heart.
Everyone said the current emperor doted on Gu Mingyue to the point of madness, saying he'd do anything for her. She'd always thought Gu Mingyue was just putting on an act. Gu Mingyue was nothing but a lowly, ignorant bumpkin, completely unworthy of His Majesty's favor. But now, she had a feeling... Gu Mingyue's favor might be genuine.
Naturally, Gu Mingxi lost everything in this farce. Her once-favored status was shattered by Gu Mingyue's beating. Gu Mingyue's change of heart made all the beauties pale in comparison. The once bustling Zhongcui Palace suddenly became deserted.
Not to mention that Gu Mingyue's move caused Gu Mingxi to fall from the position of a favored concubine to the bottom of the valley. After being neglected for ten days, Gu Mingxi knelt in front of the gate of Weiyang Palace.
Inside Yanjing, those in high positions continued to live a life of debauchery. Outside, Zhou Jingchen, upon receiving the tip, felt a mixture of laughter and tears. Zhou Ye truly had no fear. Was he certain Yanjing would be safe, or was he truly fearless? The situation was so dire, yet he still had time for romance. Yet, when Gu Mingyue sent a second informant to him, offering to help, Zhou Jingchen raised his brow in understanding.
"Master, what does this Gu Mingyue mean?" Li Wenzhu was shocked.
A queen who was once the most favored of the time, who had given birth to two children for Zhou Ye, sent a message to the enemy leader at the gates, offering to be an insider. How cruel and heartless could someone be to do such a thing!
Zhou Jingchen wasn't surprised at all, because Gu Mingyue was just like that. In her previous life, she had done the same thing without hesitation.
Ah Jiu shrugged. He had emerged from the shadows after the Eastern Expedition and appeared in the military camp as a general. "She made the right decision. Dayan sees that the situation is hopeless. It would be foolish for her to continue to cling to the predicament and not seek a way out. At this time, she might even get a chance to save herself by abandoning the dark side and joining the light. This Gu Mingyue is a smart person. However, she is somewhat ruthless."
That was true, but Li Wenzhu's expression turned grim: "...This woman is a bit too cruel."
Cheng Yi listened intently to what everyone was saying. Suddenly, he said, "Master, what should we do now? Should we agree to her?"
Although the border defense troops surrounded Yanjing, it was not so easy to capture Yanjing.
Yanjing was unlike any other city previously captured by the border troops. It was the heart of Great Yan. Nearly all of Great Yan's powerful and influential members resided there, so the imperial court naturally had to defend it. Zhou Ye was a man deeply afraid of death. After ascending to the throne, the largest military force he mobilized was to bring his strongest forces from all regions to bear on Yanjing.
The border troops had been besieging Yanjing for half a month, but they couldn't get within ten miles of the city gates. Atop the three-meter-high city wall stood a row of archers, armed with thirty large crossbows. These large crossbows had a range of a hundred meters and were extremely lethal, making it nearly impossible for them to get close.
Zhou Jingchen was waiting, waiting until the arrows in Yanjing City were exhausted. Only then could they attack the city in one swift move. There must be imperial guards guarding the city, at least 50,000 of them.
The battle situation in Yanjing was intense, and the situation in Suiye Town was not very good either. Spies had already detected signs of Wuhuan activity a hundred miles from Suiye Town. Ye Jia had no idea when these people would launch a surprise attack on Beiting, so the construction of the earthen fort was urgent.
Suiye Town served as the western gateway to the Beiting Protectorate. Its capture would have drastically reversed the situation. Zhou Jingchen had already led most of the Beiting Protectorate's forces out, and the Anxi Protectorate had also been largely withdrawn to hold back the Lingnan army. The remaining forces were stationed in the northwest and northeast, and could not be easily redeployed. This line of defense bordered the Turkic Mongols, making it imperative to hold this line.
In other words, if the Wuhuan invaded the west, Beiting would not have enough troops to contain them, and they would march into the heart of Dayan with unstoppable force. The border troops would then be caught in the middle and attacked from both sides.
Ye Jia would not allow this to happen.
After arriving in Suiye Town overnight, Ye Jia led her men to the westernmost part of the town to survey the terrain. She also sent everyone she could to explore various locations in Suiye Town, including lakes, grasslands, and hills, as quickly as possible.
Drawing the blueprints was incredibly quick. With her previous experience with the Libei Town fortress, Ye Jia only needed to make minor modifications based on the terrain of Suiye Town. However, the difficulty wasn't figuring out how to build it, but rather the current slow pace of construction. The Libei Town fortress was already constructed because Zhou Jingchen had already laid out a prototype, so she only needed to make minor adjustments based on the original. Suiye Town, on the other hand, would need to be built from scratch.
“How soon can it be completed?”
"One year."
Ye Jia brought almost all the skilled craftsmen over. "What if we simplify it a little bit?"
Zhao Weiqing has become more steady since being tempered by Ye Jia: "That will take at least half a year."
Six months was too long, and the Wuhuan's occasional small movements were enough. If they discovered that Beiting had long been deserted, they would surely descend upon it like leeches on the scent of blood. Regardless of their strength, even if they only had a hundred or so, a hit-and-run attack would surely wear them down like the horse bandits of the past. Furthermore, the Wuhuan had already crippled the Cheng family caravan, so their forces must be formidable.
"It's been too long. We need to think of another way." Ye Jia frowned and paced back and forth in the room. After thinking about it, she couldn't help but think about the local people. "We can increase the manpower and borrow the power of the people in times of emergency."
It's not impossible to leverage the power of the people, but human hearts are fickle. Those below don't understand the concerns of those above them, and without effective means, the people simply won't be willing to work for nothing. Of course, offering them benefits would certainly have a different effect. However, building earthen forts is a very costly undertaking, and I'm not sure if Beiting's tax revenue can sustain it.
Regardless of whether you can mobilize the people or not, you will only know whether it works after trying it.
Ye Jia said coldly, "Give the order and have people spread the news from street to street. Anyone who comes to work outside the city will be paid 30 coins a day, including lunch. No matter if it's a man or a woman, as long as they can do manual labor, they can do it."
This was the first time that Ugus worked with Ye Jia. To be honest, this conversation shocked him.
He stared blankly at Ye Jia's decisive actions, and before he knew it, he'd already followed her orders. Ye Jia sat upright behind her desk, pinching her earlobe anxiously. Her overly sharp intuition was starting to flutter again. It was definitely too late to build an earthen fort. They could only hope that the first layer of defensive walls could be completed. If the Wuhuan ever set foot in Beiting, it would provide some protection.
"Tunnels. If the earthen forts aren't built well, we'll need to dig some tunnels to hide in." If extreme circumstances truly arise, calling on the entire nation to join the war is unavoidable. No matter what, the Wuhuan must be kept out of Beiting.
Her mind was full of the tunnel warfare and guerrilla warfare of later generations. When there was a huge disparity in combat power, she could rely on her flexible mobility to pin down the enemy, or even wear them down and destroy them.
Ye Jia felt the importance of maps in ancient times. Unlike later generations, maps in ancient times were not public and detailed. At that time, maps were fragmented and incomplete, and sometimes even misunderstood.
After thinking for a long time, Ye Jia ordered someone to call Ugus over again.
Oguz had already ordered people to call on the people to repair the city walls, and when he came in, he thought he would receive more orders.
"Oghuz, is there anyone in the local area who knows the situation of the Wuhuan?" Knowing nothing about the enemy is the most terrifying thing.
"Wuhuan is a small nation in the Western Regions." Oghuz knew very little about the Wuhuan. Although the Beiting Protectorate had been harassed by foreign invaders for years, the primary targets were the Turks and Mongols. Relations with the Mongols had eased somewhat in recent years, thanks to the marriage of a Mongolian princess into the imperial family. However, the Turks, on the other hand, had never been quiet. It was precisely because the Turks attracted so much attention that the tiny Wuhuan had remained largely unnoticed.
Ugus looked embarrassed, and Ye Jia's heartstrings unconsciously tightened again.
"I do know someone," Ye Qinghe, who had been standing silently in the corner, suddenly spoke up, "He might know."
His sudden voice startled Ye Jia, but Ye Jia immediately came to her senses and looked up at him: "Who?"
"Cheng family."
Ye Qinghe naturally knew about the relationship between Ye Jia and Young Master Cheng, and his eyes wandered as he spoke. But after glancing at Ye Jia's face several times and seeing that she looked normal, he continued, "The Cheng family has been traveling back and forth between the five kingdoms of the Western Regions for many years, so they're very familiar with this route to the Western Regions. The Wuhuan are on this route, so they might know something about them."
After saying that, he glanced at Ye Jia again.
Ye Jia had actually forgotten a bit about her entanglement with Cheng Feng. After being so busy for so long, her memory of the plot had become fuzzy. After hearing this, she just frowned and considered it. After a moment's thought, she agreed: "Who else is in the Cheng family?"
"Master Cheng also came with us this time." Although it was not someone he brought here, Ye Qinghe felt inexplicably guilty.
"He's coming?"
Ye Jia was really surprised, "Why is he here?"
Ye Qinghe couldn't explain this matter clearly. Ye Jia didn't have time to worry about these details. She heard that it would be better if Cheng Feng was here, so she wouldn't have to waste time going back and forth to find someone. Ye Jia directly asked someone to find Cheng Feng.
Cheng Feng arrived very quickly. He had been recuperating in the military camp for some time. Ever since he knew Ye Jia was also there, he had no intention of returning. He had originally come here secretly, but who knew Ye Jia would look for him? He walked in quickly, and before his smile could bloom, he saw a room full of people. He glanced at the crowd, and the smile on his lips faded: "Mrs. Jia...."
Calling her by her name was inappropriate, and calling her by her maiden name was even more inappropriate. Cheng Feng could only choose a compromise.
Ye Jia nodded and asked about Wuhuan.
"Wuhuan is a small country to the west of Beiting. Its territory is not very large." Cheng Feng was not vague when asked about the serious matter. "Wuhuan is a country with rugged terrain and poor soil, which is not conducive to farming. Most of the people are engaged in herding. It can be said to be a country on horseback."
The country on horseback immediately transformed into three messages in Ye Jia's mind: good at fighting, brave, and small in number.
This wasn't Ye Jia's random guess; anyone who'd studied history knew it. Since ancient times, nations with agricultural civilizations have tended to thrive. Peoples raised on horseback often have limited populations due to factors like nomadic lifestyles and limited living conditions. Sure enough, when Ye Jia asked about the population, it turned out to be a small nation. But a small population didn't mean Beiting couldn't be conquered. Beiting's current military might wasn't necessarily greater than that of the Wuhuan.
"Cheng Feng, do you roughly know the area of Wuhuan's territory?" As a practical engineering student, Ye Jia always habitually speaks with numbers.
Cheng Feng blinked: "Land area?"
"Well, it's the territory." Ye Jia didn't know how to describe it, "or should I say, how big the Wuhuan are."
Though Ye Jia's words were vague, Cheng Feng understood her meaning. He hadn't previously noticed the size of the Wuhuan, but his extensive business travels left him with some impression of the places he'd been. Cheng Feng had been to the Wuhuan before, trading food for furs. Reflecting on this, he said uncertainly, "About one-third smaller than the Beiting Protectorate."
"What about the terrain? What about the topography?" Ye Jia started calculating in his mind as he listened.
"It's mountainous and full of Gobi Deserts." Cheng Feng frowned. "Because of their bellicosity and xenophobia, the Wuhuan people all cluster together with the same surname. Each village has no more than a hundred households. It's warmer in the south, and cold in the north, so most of the Wuhuan people flee south."
"Are there many rivers? How much water is there?"
"It seems like there is only one mother river running east to west."
Ye Jia nodded, quickly calculating in his mind. If we take two-thirds of Beiting's area, one town with six villages, and one village with a hundred households, the population wouldn't exceed 40,000. Taking into account the uninhabitable mountainous desert, the harsh living environment, and water resources, as well as the elderly, children, women, and Wuhuan, the population shouldn't exceed 20,000.
This was calculated by Ye Jia, assuming that all Wuhuan soldiers were soldiers and that living conditions were comparable to those in Beiting. If one considers the fact that some Wuhuan did not participate in looting and the nomadic nature of the Wuhuan, the estimated number of fighters was around 5,000.
After this calculation, Ye Jia finally felt at ease. With this number of people, Beiting could still fight for it. He was just worried that the Turks would provoke trouble at this time.
Everyone watched Ye Jia quickly calculate on paper, unsure of what she was doing. But once she finished, her expression brightened considerably, and they all exchanged glances, each inexplicably relieved. Ye Qinghe, though unsure why Ye Jia was asking these questions, felt a certain awe in her: "Sister, are we still going to repair the city walls and earthen bunkers?"
"Xiu," Ye Jia put down the pen, "be fully prepared and don't let your guard down for even a moment."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
