Although he said he was setting out with an entire army, he actually didn't bring many people with him. Gu Yan hurriedly selected one thousand of the five thousand men he had brought back from Guizhou to form an iron cavalry, and sent them to the northwest with him and Song Wan.
The remaining four thousand people were left in the care of Gu Lingfeng, with Gu Wen assisting to ensure Li Yu's safety.
As for the 50,000 troops selected from the Beijing camp, Li Yu ordered Song Qin to be the chief general and escort the food and fodder.
Knowing that her husband would have to escort grain and fodder again like he did two years ago, it would be a lie for Wei to say she wasn't worried.
Two years ago, they had been married for only three months when he also received an order to deliver food and fodder, but in the end both the food and the people were gone.
If it weren't for Awan, she and Chichi might never see Song Qin in their lifetime.
The experiences of the past two years have made Song Qin no longer as careless as before. He saw the worry in his wife's eyes and said in a gentle voice, "Don't worry! I will definitely return safely this time!"
"If you don't come back, my father said that he will find a stepfather for Chichi." Wei teased the girl in his arms. Perhaps knowing that she would be separated from her father soon, Chichi unexpectedly no longer disliked Song Qin today and kept asking him to hold her.
"Father-in-law, you're joking. He can't go home by himself now." He is still alive, but his father-in-law wants to find a stepfather for his daughter. How can he tolerate this?
"Be careful or I'll go back and complain. My father is worried that he has nowhere to vent his anger." Wei grabbed Song Qin's waist.
Ever since Wei Xuezhi's "endurance of humiliation" over the years came to light, Wei's uncle and father tried every possible way to return to the Wei Mansion, but Wei Xuezhi refused to let them in. The three of them, all grown up, started quarreling childishly like playing house.
At first, Wei wanted to try to help mediate, but Madam Wei advised her to give up, saying that it would be fine if the three of them just quarreled, since nothing would happen in the end.
Tomorrow is the day of departure. Song Wan asked the cooks to prepare a lot of long-lasting meat jerky and snacks for her and packed them into a big bag.
Passing by Song Qin and Wei's courtyard, Song Wan overheard their conversation. He approached with something in his arms and stood outside the courtyard, only his head sticking out. "Second brother and sister-in-law, are you flirting?"
Wei let go of her hand, a little embarrassed, "No, it's not true. I was just teaching your second brother a lesson. Ah Wan is here. Why are you standing outside? Come in."
"Oh, okay." Song Wan put the bag in her arms on the ground and kicked it aside to be safe. She was afraid that the sharp-eyed kid Chichi would see it and ask for it back.
"I heard everything." Song Wan walked in with a swagger, touched the fat boy's chewy little hand, and looked at Wei with a serious look, "Second sister-in-law, don't worry. If Second Brother doesn't live up to his expectations, I promise to find you a new one."
Wei was dumbfounded: "......"
This new one probably isn't what she thought it meant.
Song Qin's forehead was throbbing. Could he still keep this sister? How could a sister steal her own brother's boyfriend?
"Auntie~Auntie~" The fat boy giggled and tried hard to climb into Song Wan's arms.
Song Qin looked at his daughter in his arms. Well, now his daughter began to dislike him and was asking to kiss her aunt and hug her.
Song Wan carried the little girl and let her escape from her father's arms. However, she did not hug her. Instead, she reasoned with her, "You are already a mature child who can walk. You can't be so clingy anymore."
Thinking back to when she was in the orphanage, she had to compete with other children for food as soon as she could walk. Naturally, Song Wan thought that Chi Chi, who was already two years old, couldn't be so lazy anymore.
"Auntie~Don't~" Chichi walked with her short legs, the two little tufts on her head jumping up and down, and she stretched out her hands to hug Song Wan's legs, being very clingy.
Wei followed behind, step by step to Song Wan's side, putting her hand on her daughter's shoulder, afraid that she would fall.
"ChiChi is so attached to you. I wonder if she will cry when you leave." Wei said to Song Wan with a smile.
"No, children have short memories and forget everything the moment they turn around." Song Wan affirmed. It was just like when she was a child, she would finish her meal one second and forget about it the next, and would want another one.
Song Qin stood opposite the three of them and suddenly felt that they were a family of three and he was an outsider.
After leaving the yard of her second brother and sister-in-law, Song Wan went to the yard of her eldest sister-in-law.
Mrs. Chu was teaching A'nan how to sew sachets. When she saw Song Wan coming, she quickly stood up and went to greet her, "A'wan is here."
"Sister-in-law." Song Wan took a peek inside and said, "Anan has already started learning needlework at such a young age."
When Anan saw Song Wan, she quickly put down her things, got down from the stool, walked over, took her hand, and called out sweetly, "Auntie Wan!"
"I only taught her the last two stitches." Mrs. Chu pulled Song Wan into the house and picked up the sewed sachet. "Anan and I made this together. I added some calming herbs to it. Take it with you on the road, and you'll have a good sleep when you rest."
Song Wan pointed at herself, her eyes widening, "For me?"
Chu smiled and said, "If not for you, who else should I give it to? Your second brother has your second sister-in-law to prepare it, so it's enough for me to prepare yours."
Song Wan happily accepted it. This was her first purse that didn't contain any snacks. "Sister-in-law, I heard everything. You guys are outside, right?"
It was a sentence without a beginning or an end, but Chu understood it after just a moment's pause.
Song Wan put the empty purse on her waist and continued, "Sister-in-law, don't keep many things in your heart. We are a family. If you are unhappy, you should speak out!"
She doesn't know how to comfort people. After thinking for a long time, she can only come up with these few words that don't sound very comforting.
Chu's eyes turned slightly red, and she reached out to touch Song Wan's eyebrows. Song Wan and Song Yu were siblings, and they always had some similarities in their looks.
Song Wan could sense that Chu was sad, so she let her touch her, but she didn't stop talking, "If you want, sister-in-law, I think my brother wouldn't mind you finding a new father for An Nan."
Mrs. Chu couldn't help but burst into laughter. She thought Song Wan was joking, "There's no need for a new father. As long as you can live in peace in the future, that's all that matters."
Song Wan was serious. "Don't be embarrassed, sister-in-law. Don't be afraid of my parents. They won't mind."
Chu: ...
She decided to skip this topic. "When you come back next time, it's time to prepare for your wedding with the second son of the Gu family. I've discussed with your second sister-in-law that we'll help you sew your wedding dress. You just need to mend a few stitches at the end."
When a woman from Dai Yue got married, she had to sew her own wedding dress. Song Wan had never been raised as an ordinary girl since she was a child, and she had only held an embroidery needle a few times. If she were asked to sew her own wedding dress, she probably would never get married in her life.
"Getting married?" Song Wan frowned. She noticed that many people had been talking about the anxious future she and Gu Yan were facing. "We're not in a hurry. As for wedding dresses, if the eldest and second sisters-in-law are bored, they can sew them if they want!"
Chu thought she was just embarrassed and didn't talk about it any further.
Song Wan really didn't care. She felt that whether they got married or not wouldn't make much of a difference. If Gu Yan was anxious about it, then so be it.
The next morning, just as daybreak was about to break, many people gathered inside and outside the city.
Even though it wasn't the first time I saw the marching team, I was still very excited. These were soldiers fighting for their country, and everyone spontaneously made way for them to pass without any hindrance.
A thousand cavalrymen followed behind, in front of them were Song Qi and Gu Wu, and then at the front were Song Wan and Gu Yanji.
Gu Wen will assist Gu Lingfeng in managing the imperial guards in the capital. As for Song Yi and the others, they will stay in the Marquis' Mansion to protect the safety of the masters in the mansion.
Under the city wall, the troops were majestic and magnificent. People could see one in red and one in white leading the way in front, with their black hair standing high.
Gu Yan was anxious for them to know that it was General Gu who had taken up arms at the age of sixteen, commanded two hundred thousand troops, and was stationed in the southwest. The woman beside him was said to be Princess Xiaoyao, who was personally appointed by the new emperor. She was also a great martial artist. It was she who had used the money from the corrupt officials to build a shop and provide rice and money.
Many people pointed at Song Wan and said to their children, "The white rice porridge you ate yesterday was given by this great benefactor."
They looked at the long line, and even though they knew that there would inevitably be casualties in war, they still hoped that everyone who was going out at this time would be able to return safely.
Gu Yan hurriedly picked up the whip again, while Song Wan still held the golden whip. Compared with the solemnity of the others, she was much more relaxed.
This was her first time wearing armor, and it was red.
The armor was harder than she had imagined. Wearing it made the person look particularly majestic. However, there was one downside: the snacks hidden inside were difficult to take out.
Li Yu personally saw them off. Standing on the city wall, he quietly watched the troops leaving the city gate. After a long pause, he slowly said, "I hope that after this, there will be no more wars in Dai Viet."
"I believe that day will come." The person standing beside him said affirmatively.
As soon as the remaining problems in Yuzhou were resolved and the new prefect arrived in Yuzhou, Li Songzhi immediately packed his luggage and rushed back.
Li Yu's face showed a sense of stability that was not common at his age. After going through so much, he had already grown up quickly. "Well, I believe in my second brother and Sister Awan."
On the city wall, Li Yu was accompanied by only Li Song, so he dared to call out "Second Brother" without restraint.
If Li Songzhi had not gone to Yuzhou, after hearing Li Yu call him "Second Brother", he might have frowned and disapproved of the emperor being too close to the Gu family, because this was not good for the emperor or the Gu family. As the saying goes, people's words are scary, even if there is the late emperor's will and handwritten evidence.
But now he is no longer the Li Songzhi who was an official in the capital. He doesn't know when he was changed. Reason tells him that he should advise the emperor. You are the emperor, you should not call a minister your brother. But emotionally, he can no longer be so impartial.
Li Songzhi doesn’t dare to judge what Dai Viet will be like a hundred years from now, but in the next hundred years, the Song and Gu families will definitely be the most solid fortress of the Dai Viet Dynasty.
He believed in Gu Yanji and Song Wan, and believed that under their influence, their descendants would do the same.
The team of only a thousand people, under the leadership of the two and the support of the people, marched out with the momentum of tens of thousands of people.
Today, Chu and Wei also went out to buy rouge and powder to see him off at the city gate. They hid in the crowd and only brought two personal maids with them.
"I hope Awan's trip goes smoothly." Wei said as she looked at the team. In a few days, Song Qin would also set off.
"Of course I will." Mrs. Chu continued with a smile, "Ah Wan is so powerful, you should be more worried about your second brother."
"Why worry about him?" Wei also laughed. "Ah Wan said that if her second brother doesn't come back, she will help me find a new one."
"Awan actually said this to you?" Chu was extremely surprised.
Hearing her tone, Wei couldn't help but speculate, "Did Ah Wan also tell you the same thing?"
Chu nodded helplessly.
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