Gu Chi thought Tao Yan would ask to meet him.
The result is not.
The person who came was a woman with a strange face.
He dared to swear with his extraordinary memory as a scholar that he had never seen this person, let alone the word "old friend". But there was one thing that Gu Chi was sure of: "Are you Tao Shenyu's man? Did he send you to find me?"
From the moment Gu Chi appeared until he spoke, the woman looked at him without saying a word. As an ordinary person, the woman's eyesight was not as good as that of a brave warrior. Fortunately, the moonlight was bright tonight, allowing her to see the real Gu Chi who only appeared in rumors. The slightly rounded curve when he was young has now become angular, and even because of his long-term illness, he looks skinny.
But based on his temperament, he can also be described as having the bones of a crane and the posture of a pine tree.
The woman said, "So, you were born like this."
The tone seemed wistful, yet also somewhat familiar.
Gu Chi was confused by her, and the other party's thoughts were disorganized and there was no useful information. Just when he was about to guide the other party to reveal her true feelings, the woman said: "I am indeed his person, but I came to see you this time not because of his instructions, but just because I wanted to see you."
Gu Chi: “…”
I swear to God, he really doesn't know this woman.
Unexpectedly, the woman raised her hand and wiped the corner of her eyes, probably wiping away tears. When she spoke again, her voice trembled slightly: "I know you are doubting my identity, but I can assure you that I have no ill intentions in meeting you this time. My last name is Feng, Mr. Gu, do you still remember this last name..."
Gu Chi's calm expression was slightly disturbed.
The woman who was once engaged to him was named Feng.
The person in front of me looks and is of the right age, could it be...
"Of course I remember, but now you and I have nothing to do with each other, and we have already gone our separate ways." Gu Chi didn't understand why his ex-fiancée suddenly came to see him, and why she looked so puzzling. Something must be wrong when things are out of the ordinary. He was alert in his heart, "I wonder what you want to see me about? It's getting late. If it's not a big deal, please leave early. If it gets out, it will affect your reputation."
The woman smiled and said, "Mr. Gu, you misunderstood."
Gu Chi was embarrassed: "Misunderstood? Then who are you?"
"The person who is engaged to Mr. Gu is my elder sister."
Gu Chi: “…”
He had no connection with the eldest lady of the Feng family, let alone the other daughters of the Feng family. The Feng family also added fuel to the fire of his Gu family's plight. Thinking of this, Gu Chi looked at the woman with a little more impatience, and his voice suddenly became colder: "You have seen the person, if there is nothing else, Gu will go back first."
"Gu Guanchao, I..."
When Gu Chi heard this name, his expression suddenly changed, revealing a fierce look: "It's Gu Wangchao! Who are you calling?"
The emotions were so strong that even the literary style could not be controlled.
A strong wind suddenly blew up, and the woman was caught off guard and was forced to retreat several steps.
This detail aroused the curiosity of Bai Su, who was hiding in the dark.
You have to know that when one's strength reaches Gu Chi's level, restraining his literary energy is as natural and simple as breathing. Only when one's emotions fluctuate greatly can it be a little disordered. His literary energy just now was out of control. It seems that this "Gu Guanchao" is really a big thunder.
The woman's face was pale, and she looked at Gu Chi with a bit of fear in her eyes, which was the fear that ordinary people would have when facing a force that they were powerless to resist. Fortunately, it only lasted for a moment. She took a deep breath and said, "Sorry, no offense. I came to see you on behalf of my sister to apologize. She has always been upset about what happened back then."
Gu Chi calmed down and said indifferently, "She has never been mean to me, why should she apologize? If it is because of your Feng family's attempt to take advantage of someone's misfortune, then the one who should apologize is your father. What does it have to do with a weak girl like her?"
Seeing Gu Chi taking a step to leave, the woman blurted out.
"Sister is dead!"
Gu Chi paused and asked in surprise: "What?"
"Return the item to its original owner." The woman stepped forward and opened her clenched hands. A sparkling jade pendant lay quietly in her palm.
Looking at the jade pendant, Gu Chi's eyes showed a long-lost warmth.
His grandfather liked to play with jade and learned jade carving when he was young. When his father was born, he accidentally found a stubborn stone, but it turned out to be a rare and beautiful jade. His grandfather was very happy and felt that this jade was destined to be with his father. He carefully carved it for several years as a gift for his father's artistic spirit. His father also gave it to his mother as a token of love. Later, his mother sent it to the Feng family as a token of engagement, hoping that the two families would get married. Since then, it has been in the hands of the eldest lady of the Feng family. After many twists and turns, it is back again.
Gu Chi accepted the jade pendant.
Asked: "How did your sister go?"
He thought she had died of dystocia, after all, childbirth is the most dangerous hurdle for an adult woman. But the woman said, "My sister, my sister was eaten by someone."
Gu Chi was almost frightened and let go.
Bai Su, who was hiding in the dark and watching the gossip, was almost exposed.
What is...
Was it eaten by someone
This eating, is it what he/she wants to eat
"My sister has a hard life. I often think that if I could marry you, maybe I could escape the disaster." The woman looked at Gu Chi's reaction and looked up into his eyes. "Mr. Gu probably doesn't know that my sister has disguised herself as a servant many times and tried her luck in the tavern you often go to. She met you three times. The first time she said, 'This eldest son of the Gu family is born happy, but he is an annoying knight.' The second time she said, 'Although he is a little reckless, he still has a chivalrous heart.' The third time she didn't say..."
But it is obvious that the girl is in love.
I have some yearning for my future husband and life.
After meeting Gu Chi three times, she no longer disguised herself and went out to wait for people. Instead, she took up needlework seriously and picked up books that she had disliked before. She seemed to have become quieter, but in fact she became more lively.
The woman didn't quite understand why a young man she had only met three times could change her so much. But her elder sister said: Because life in the boudoir is as dull as stagnant water. We are all human beings, but other people can laugh and scold, but we can't laugh and make noise. We have to be reserved all the time and be cautious about everything... But Gu Guanchao is full of vitality, like a free crouching crow on the horizon.
It must be very lively to live with such a person.
But no one expected that something unexpected would happen as the wedding date approached.
The Gu family suffered a disaster and Gu Chi disappeared.
Their father arranged a new marriage for the elder sister, but the elder sister disagreed. Gu Chi's body had not been found yet, so how could they easily conclude that he was no longer alive? Even if Gu Chi was really dead, the Feng family would not have to rush to find a new son-in-law.
Given the friendship between the Feng and Gu families, not only should they investigate the truth and seek revenge for the Gu family, but they should not react in this way, which would make the Feng family seem heartless and disloyal. The eldest daughter of the Feng family, who accidentally touched the head of the Feng family, was slapped in the face by her own father, and was given a ruthless warning: Parents’ orders and matchmaker’s words! You have no right to interfere in marriage! Go back to your room!
Neither sister knew why this happened.
Until the elder sister accidentally discovered that her father's whereabouts were suspicious.
She was offered to the nobles of her homeland by her biological father, and she also worked hard for the so-called restoration of the country. Only then did Ajie slowly come to her senses and figure out who was responsible for the extermination of the Gu family. But what frightened her was that her biological father was also involved.
Sister is straightforward and can't hold back her thoughts. She finally went to the Feng family to ask for an answer, but she was extremely disappointed. Although the Feng family was not the mastermind, they were also accomplices: Father, not to mention that Master Gu has been friends with you for many years, Grandfather Gu also promoted you and took care of you. How could you be so ungrateful... Poisoning his entire Gu family...
As expected, I got slapped again.
My sister's husband also thought that she was still obsessed with her ex-fiancé. In addition, he was a playboy and my sister was dull-looking. Once the novelty wore off, he ignored her. It was not until my sister got pregnant that he started to treat her with a little more favor...
The woman looked at Gu Chi, as if trying to find some love on his face, but she didn't—her elder sister knew Gu Chi, but Gu Chi had never seen her. The woman continued: "... With my father's efforts, we finally found a safe place to stay, accumulating strength while waiting for the best opportunity. As a result, before the Xin Kingdom destroyed itself, Zheng Qiao's army arrived. Although the main force of Zheng Qiao's army was elsewhere, this pass was crucial, and they launched more than 30 sieges... "
Those defending the city and those attacking the city left behind countless corpses.
The two sides fought and blood flowed like a river.
Zheng Qiao had plenty of food and grass, but the city could not last long.
When Gu Chi heard this, he had already guessed the ending.
The woman said this with tears in her eyes.
"… Zheng Qiao's soldiers were brutal and ferocious. Once the city was breached, the consequences would be disastrous. The Xin Kingdom's defenders chose to defend the city to the death, but for some reason, they could not get any more food and grass. The food and grass in the city were depleted day by day, and in the end, even the war horses were killed to satisfy their hunger. Seeing that they were at the end of their rope, someone suggested a surprise attack, which might turn the tide of the war. Before the expedition, in order to boost morale…"
Gu Chi interrupted her: "Don't say anymore."
It's so sad, don't force yourself to recall it anymore.
But he wanted to know: "Did the Feng family's parents allow it?"
For the so-called restoration of the country, he was labeled as ungrateful and heartless, and offered his daughter to show his loyalty, but his daughter ended up like this. Did he know? Or did he have the slightest regret
The woman said tearfully, "My father was struck by a sting while defending the city. The wound festered and he had a high fever. He passed away within a few days."
Hearing this, Gu Chi didn't know whether to sigh or feel regretful.
The head of the Feng family died easily.
"What about you?" Gu Chi asked, "Where are you?"
Judging from the woman's dress and mental state, she is obviously not an ordinary woman in the inner chamber and must have some skills.
The woman did not feel that Gu Chi's questioning was an offense. She said, "At that time, Shen Yu and I were somewhere else. By the time I knew what happened to my sister, it was too late. When I was sorting out my sister's belongings, I found that she kept the jade pendant very well. I think she liked you, but she felt more guilty and regretful. I kept it with me as my sister's relic, but I didn't expect you to be alive. When Shen Yu said you were still alive, I had a strong urge to come and see you again for my sister..."
She added: "I didn't mean any harm... I was just a little surprised to see the real me. You are nothing like what my sister said."
Sister said that Gu Chi was a free-spirited crow full of energy, but the Gu Chi she saw was gloomy, with an indescribable gloom and weakness all over his body. He did not have the carefree and cheerfulness of a knight-errant, but rather seemed like a patient who had been bedridden for many years and would soon die.
"I see."
Gu Chi's expression softened visibly.
The woman breathed a sigh of relief: "My wish has been fulfilled, I will not bother you anymore, Mr. Gu, goodbye."
Gu Chi said: "Goodbye."
The woman turned and walked towards Tao Yan's camp.
Gu Chi watched her figure turn into a dot and disappear into the hazy night, until Bai Su suddenly appeared behind him like a ghost. Bai Su felt that she should say something to break the stalemate: "I didn't expect that someone likes you."
Gu Chi: "... General Bai, there are still many things you don't know. When it comes to being liked by others, when I was young, I would say that the cart was filled with fruit. No one can compare to you."
Bai Su complained: "You also said it was Girls' Generation."
Being smart when young does not necessarily mean being good when grown up.
Now Gu Chi finds an admirer
Gu Chi: “…”
He hated his own scribe ways and would listen to anything.
Bai Su saw that Gu Chi's complexion had improved a lot, so she asked him, "Military Advisor Gu, are you feeling better now?"
Gu Chi: "My complexion is better, but my mood is worse."
I don't know who started this bad idea, liking to use jokes to comfort people, but Bai Su's words did make him feel better. Bai Su suggested going back, and Gu Chi nodded, but not long after he left, he noticed that Bai Su's eyes would occasionally fall on his Wen Xin seal, and her heart was also murmured. Gu Chi said: "You are very curious, why is the seal 'Wang Chao'?"
Bai Su said, "I just think that with the military advisor's talent, he must have chosen the characters before he condensed his literary mind. The characters on the literary mind seal must be something like that... But the characters on the seals that the military advisor usually uses are not... I am a little curious."
Gu Chi: "Because it has been changed."
Bai Su was even more curious: "Changed? But..."
Didn't the master say that once the Wenxin Huayin/Wudan Hufu was engraved, it couldn't be changed? She was scared once before.
Gu Chi said: "As long as you pay the price."
After hearing this, Bai Su no longer asked what the price was.
I don't think it's a simple method.
Bai Su: "... Since the military advisor hated the previous word so much, why didn't he change the two words completely?"
Gu Chi looked at the irregular round moon in the sky.
"Watching the river tide through a pool of water, this is my name and my former courtesy name. Later, I changed it to 'Watching the river tide through a pool of water', not only to express my determination or ambition, but also to show that my blood relatives and loved ones are under the river tide."
"When the tide rises, I can see them."
How could Tao Yan and his group be so kind as to give Gu Chi a chance to live when they killed his entire family? But in order to survive, he did not dare to erect a monument for his grandfather and father. Gu Chi was chased and fell off a cliff into the water, and the charred bodies and broken bones in the house were never buried.
Bai Su heard Gu Chi murmur.
"How can such a deep blood feud be resolved?"
Bai Su said: "No one is qualified to persuade you to let it go."
Upon hearing this, Gu Chi raised his thin lips into a sneer.
Asked: "Isn't that what happened just now?"