Grand Master's Mansion.
Tian Yunpo kept himself bored in the study all day long, always paying attention to Xikun's movements.
His desk was filled with a steady stream of letters and newspapers, including official documents from the army and secret letters from spies. Some of them were sent by his own people, and some were sent by Bao Taifu and others.
Yufu punished him for his impulsive words that day in the name of recuperating in the government, and he has not been allowed to return to the court so far, but his attention to state affairs has not diminished in the slightest.
Seeing that Xikun became more and more calm under the leadership of Gu Shubai, and the forces of all parties gradually stabilized, he didn't know whether to be happy or unhappy.
"Yun'er, I think you should stop being stubborn with His Majesty."
A woman in a fine dress came in from outside the house, holding food in her hand, "You have been so obsessed with watching the movements of Xikun that you have lost weight. Auntie made you a tonic soup, drink some Rest and rest."
Tian Yunpo rubbed his eyes, only then realized that his spirit was not as good as before.
In the past, he traveled around the palace and the mansion every day, full of energy and never tired. After staying in the mansion for more than ten days, he seemed to have suffered from a serious illness.
He smiled, put down the paperwork in his hand and walked towards the woman, "I'm probably working hard, and I'm only fit to work in the court, not to rest in the mansion."
"Nonsense, you are the eldest son of the old grand master, and you are the son of a noble family, how can you say that about yourself?"
The woman gave him an angry look, and brought him a bowl of soup with her own hands, "Drink it, my aunt is here to watch you drink. I heard the boy say that you don't think about food and drink these days. If I don't come, I'm afraid you will drink it." I'm really going to burn myself out."
The woman is the younger sister of Tian Yunpo's mother, his parents are gone, and only this aunt is the elder who is the closest relative to discipline him.
Tian Yunpo didn't dare to disobey, he honestly picked up the soup bowl, but the woman sighed.
"Yun'er, listen to Auntie. That General Gu is Your Majesty's husband, and His Majesty should trust him. Besides, he didn't do anything suspicious, why are you holding on to him?"
"I'm not holding on to him."
Tian Yunpo drank the soup slowly, "I didn't say that he would definitely support his troops to occupy Xikun and refuse to return it, nor did I say that he would rebel against His Majesty. I just advised His Majesty to be cautious, Shubai cannot be trusted, and the safest way is to take back the imperial seal and soldier talisman and send him back to the country."
The woman also felt quite reasonable when she heard it, "Since you think so, why don't you talk to Your Majesty? I heard that all the important officials in the court were there that day, and you refused to listen to Taifu Bao's dissuasion and kept talking back to Your Majesty with very violent words. Isn't the monarch and his ministers always in harmony? How did it get to this point!"
Tian Yunpo had nothing to answer, there were some things he couldn't say, and didn't want to say.
The woman was not as ignorant as he thought, and looked at him seriously, "Actually, it's because you like His Majesty, right?"
He almost spit out the soup.
"Aunt, aunt... how did you know about this?"
As soon as he thought about it, he knew that there was an "internal traitor" around him, and the boy must have told his aunt about it, otherwise how would she know about it
The woman hurriedly said: "You don't have to worry about how I know, anyway, I already know. I think His Majesty also knows? No wonder she simply let you not go to court in a fit of anger."
Tian Yunpo didn't quite understand, "Auntie, what do you mean by that?"
"Aren't you always very smart? Can't you even figure this out?"
The dignified and elegant woman couldn't help but give him a blank look, "Your Majesty is a daughter's family, and my aunt understands her thoughts best. You hope that she will recall General Gu for safety, but in her opinion? You They said those words because they were jealous of General Gu and intended to destroy the relationship between their husband and wife."
The woman now fully understands.
She was surprised at first, it wasn't a big deal at all, why did the monarch and his ministers turn against each other
Now I know that one of them spoke fiercely because of admiration and couldn't control his emotions, and the other suspected that the other party was framed because of jealousy, so he was angry and disappointed.
How can the two of them explain this clearly when they have their own petty thoughts and are not honest with each other
Tian Yun broke his face and said: "Auntie, you watched me grow up, you should know that I am not such a person, I am indeed thinking of Bei Li, and I have absolutely no intention of framing me!"
"My aunt understands you, but Your Majesty has only known you for a long time. Why do you ask her to understand you like my aunt?"
Just like he doubted Gu Shubai, and Yufu believed in Gu Shubai unconditionally.
If he had known Gu Shubai for a longer time and knew him better, would he trust him like Yufu trusted him
Tian Yunpo put down the spoon in his hand in a daze, and couldn't help thinking deeply.
…
"Come on, I want to make an order!"
Kun Wushang sat in the imperial study and shouted outside, and immediately a young eunuch bowed in.
The imperial case is full of bright yellow silk, and he has to make several orders a day to cooperate with all of Gu Shubai's policies, even if the imperial seal has been handed over, his orders are no different from waste paper.
"Decreed to revoke Xikun's defenders on the border of Beili. From then on, Beili and Xikun are one family. There is no border and no defenders."
"yes."
The little eunuch held out the imperial decree respectfully, and Kunwu was so sad that he was so bored that he went out to wander in the imperial garden.
The palace had already been taken over by Gu Shubai's elite soldiers, and when those soldiers saw him, they all saluted respectfully, without any neglect or disrespect.
Kun Wu seemed to be walking casually, but felt a sense of disappointment in his heart. He deeply felt the strictness of Gu Shubai's command of the army, and couldn't help but wonder if it would be more convincing if Gu Huaijiang was on the scene.
Thinking about the time when he led the Xikun army to attack Zhuguan and had a big battle with Gu's army, it is ridiculous to think about it now.
Hitting a stone with an egg is beyond one's own strength.
"General, we have all been in Xikun for two months, when can we go back?"
In the military tent, Yan Zheng excitedly walked around Gu Shubai, Gu Shubai looked at him curiously, "Are you in a hurry to go back?"
Could it be that he secretly had a woman he admired, so it was like an arrow to return
Yan Zheng touched his nose and laughed, "It's not that I'm in a hurry, I'm worried about General Kun. Her two sons are still in the palace, and the children look different every day. I'm afraid I won't know my mother if I go back later. !"
"Stop using me as a shield!"
Kun Yuyang walked in from the outside and gave him a white look, "Yesterday I saw a handkerchief embroidered with mandarin ducks in your sleeve, and said, which lady gave it to you? I'm going back late. My son won't say no." Acknowledge me, I'm afraid that if some people go back late, the girl you like will go away with other men!"
Kun Yuyang was as tough as a Xikun woman by nature, and she was not at all ashamed when she said such words, but Yan Zheng blushed in anxiety, "You're talking nonsense, she won't go away with other men!"
He couldn't say no to Kun Yuyang, so he quickly asked Gu Shubai to help him, "General, do you think His Majesty will leave with other men? How is this possible!"
"Hey, what are you doing with His Majesty?"
Kun Yuyang snorted softly, "Your Majesty and the General are already married, how about you? Is your young lady married to you?"
Yan Zheng couldn't say no to her, so he released his trump card in a hurry, "What about your Lin Xuan? I heard the soldiers in the army say that you have been getting very close recently!"
Kun Yuyang was taken aback for a moment, and a smile slowly condensed on his face.
Yan Zheng regretted his slip of the tongue, women take their reputation very seriously, he really shouldn't say such things to a widow who lives alone.
When he was about to apologize, Kun Yuyang turned his head and opened the curtain, and strode outside.
clatter—
The lifted curtain slapped Yan Zheng's face forcefully.
Yan Zheng looked back at Gu Shubai cautiously, "General, what should I do? I seem to have made her anxious..."
"fine."
Gu Shubai shook his head lightly, "She's not angry because of your joke. Xikun women don't have a rule that they can't remarry if they are widowed, even Bei Li doesn't. She is not angry because of your joke, but because..."
Gu Shubai smiled, but did not finish speaking.
Yan Zheng couldn't stand him saying half of what he said, and begging his grandpa to tell his grandma, begging him to finish the sentence, Gu Shubai said vaguely: "She is annoyed because she hasn't seen her heart clearly, just give her some time." .”
Yan Zheng half-understood what he heard, and soon thought about the matter of returning to the country, and his mood was lifted again, "I think His Majesty's reward will be delivered soon, right? What will reward the general this time? I think You are already unsealable, what position is more honorable than Wang Fu?"
He said happily: "I hope that Your Majesty loves the house as much as you want, and share some of your credit with us, so that I can return to Beili in a good way..."
"Back to Beili what?"
Gu Shubai looked at him with a smile, "Go back to Beili to marry a wife? You are a fourth-rank lieutenant general, even if His Majesty does not confer rewards, your wife can still wear Fengguan Xiapei and get the imperial order."
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly heard the voice of reporting from outside the tent, "Report—the court messenger came to see the general!"
"Say Cao Cao, Cao Cao is here!"
Yan Zheng's eyes lit up immediately, "It must be the intention of rewarding His Majesty! Let me guess what His Majesty will say. The reward must be amazing for such a great contribution to conquering Xikun!"
Gu Shubai just smiled and didn't speak. After a while, soldiers came in with a messenger sent by the court.
A group of six or seven people saluted without being humble or overbearing. When they got up, they saw the leader of the minister who looked very familiar, and Gu Shubai recognized him immediately.
"Isn't this Sun Shilang from the Ministry of War? Why did His Majesty send you to deliver the letter in person?"
Sun Shilang got up, with a serious and strange face, "It's not a letter, it's an order, Gu Shubai accepted the order!"
Gu Shu raised his brows, vaguely felt that something was wrong, he knelt down and respectfully said: "I accept the order."
Yan Zheng knelt behind him, raised his head suspiciously at Sun Shilang and the imperial decree in his hand, and always felt that the atmosphere was weird, not like announcing a happy event.
"General Gu Shubai, hand over Xikun State Seal and Bing Talisman to the imperial envoy, and set off to return to Beijing to report on his duties within three days after receiving the order. Hereby."
There is no Jin Feng, no reward, not even a word of praise.
Yan Zheng stared blankly at Gu Shubai's back, he couldn't see Gu Shubai's complexion clearly from his angle, only felt that his back suddenly stiffened.
Hand over the imperial seal and soldier talisman, and hand them over to the military minister in front of you...
Even Yan Zheng understood what this decree meant to a general who was on a conquest, so naturally Gu Shubai would not understand.
His figure kneeling on the ground remained motionless.
After Sun Shilang read out the decree, he didn't get a signal from the other party to accept the decree for a long time, so he couldn't help but frowned and became nervous.
A group of envoys looked at Gu Shubai expectantly and worriedly. In the slightly cool spring day, there were big beads of sweat on someone's forehead, rolling down their cheeks.
Sun Shilang opened his mouth, and when he was about to form a sentence to say something, he saw Gu Shubai standing up by himself.
His mouth subconsciously grew, and he couldn't be more surprised—
He, he stood up by himself!
He didn't accept the order!
"Gu... General Gu, you, what do you mean?"
The word "resisting the decree" was on the lips, and Sun Shilang swallowed a mouthful of saliva, not daring to say it.
He was afraid that if he said it, his retreat would be blocked.
When Yan Zheng saw the person in front of him stand up, he also stood up.
He didn't understand what Gu Shubai's actions were for, and he didn't understand what it meant to stand up, he only knew that he was absolutely obedient to the person in front of him.
The military order is as big as the sky, and sometimes Gu Shubai doesn't need to speak, he just follows closely.
The corner of Gu Shubai's mouth twitched, sensing the other party's nervousness, he couldn't help but find it ridiculous, "Sun Shilang, do you dare to ask that His Majesty personally drafted this decree?"
After all, Sun Shilang was sent out to be an imperial envoy. After a moment of nervousness, he regained his composure, "Tian Taishi is recovering from illness in the mansion, and now all affairs in the court are presided over by Bao Taifu. Bao Taifu personally ordered the Imperial Academy to draft His decree is naturally His Majesty's decree, does the general suspect that the decree is false?"
He turned around and took a long object from his subordinate, which was tightly wrapped with bright yellow silk, and when he opened it, it turned out to be a sword.
"Shang Fang's sword is here, if His Majesty comes in person, will General Gu not accept the order?"
"Shang Fang's sword?!"
Yan Zheng exclaimed, never expecting that even the legendary Shangfang Sword was deployed.
He knew that there was such a precious sword in the Beili Dynasty, which would only be handed over to ministers with special responsibilities.
Now that Sun Shilang brought out the sword, he had the intention of killing Gu Shubai on the spot if he refused to hand over the imperial seal and soldier talisman.
Yan Zheng couldn't help becoming nervous, fixed his eyes on Gu Shubai, waiting for his decision.
After a long time, Gu Shubai smiled.
This smile is completely different from his usual gentle and bright smile, with a trace of desolation, a trace of loss, a trace of... despair.
Yan Zheng was taken aback by his own thoughts.
No, things are far from hopeless.
They are already husband and wife, they have supported each other life and death to this day, how could Yufu really suspect that he intends to rebel
However, Gu Shubai's knee finally fell to the ground, "Minister, accept the order."
The bright yellow silk was handed over to him, and the hearts of Sun Shilang's group finally returned to his stomach. Gu Shubai turned his head and said to Yan Zheng: "Go and take out the Xikun Imperial Seal and the Military Talisman."
Reluctantly, Yan Zheng turned around and entered the inner tent, and took out the two brocade boxes after a while.
Inside the big box is the Xikun Imperial Seal, a square piece of sapphire, as big as a palm, with a lifelike green dragon carved on it.
Inside the small box are the soldier talismans of the Xikun army. The three soldier talismans of the three major military sects have different shapes, but the bloody killing spirit is equally shocking.
After Sun Shilang checked the items, he ordered someone to put them away, and then looked at Gu Shubai, "General Gu, you seem to have missed something?"
Gu Shubai frowned, and Yan Zheng said loudly: "The imperial seal and the soldier talisman are here, Xikun only has these three soldier talismans, if Master Sun doesn't believe it, just send someone to investigate!"
Sun Shilang only looked at Gu Shubai, "There is also the soldier amulet of Beili's 100,000 troops in General Gu's hand, please hand it over to the officer."
Now Yan Zheng was completely dumbfounded.
Gu Shubai stared at Sun Shilang, his gaze became a little sharper, "Your Majesty personally handed over the talisman of the 100,000 army to this general, not to mention the fact that the number of the army has increased from 100,000 to 250,000. Time to relax. If General Ben handed over the soldier talisman to you, will Mr. Sun be responsible for any changes in the 250,000 troops?"
Sun Shilang sneered, "As long as there is no change in General Gu, how can there be any changes in the 250,000 troops? The officials have just arrived and heard many praises in the city. General, I don't know that there is a Beili female monarch, doesn't General Gu know it in his heart?"
These words are close to blatantly saying that Gu Shubai has rebellious intentions.
Yan Zheng said anxiously: "General, why did you hand over the military talisman to him? His Majesty gave it to you personally! On your wedding night, you rushed to Weizhou and captured Xikun for your hard work. Not only did you not get any reward, but you were also confiscated. The humiliation of the soldier talisman, why?!"
－－－－－Off Topic－－－－－
The cuties know what is going on with this Shangfang sword.