Princess and the General

Dispatch Troops and Resist (Part Two)
In the dead of night, the Western Wing’s lanterns burned bright.

Yu Fu sat next to the window and thought about how there was no news about Gu ShuBai from the border. She did not know if this was good or bad.

On the bright side, it meant that they had not found his corpse, thus it was very likely that he had not died. On the other hand, if he really did die, she would not even be able to see his body…

She faintly heard the sound of swords clashing in the middle of this spring night. It was coming from the martial arts training area. Opening the window, she looked carefully in that direction.

Yao Lan entered while yawning, “Young miss, you still haven’t gone to rest? Is the sound coming from the martial arts training area disturbing young miss’ rest?”

Yu Fu shook her head, “Who’s training there so late at night? Is it third brother?”

Yao Lan said: “No, it’s not just third young sir. General Yan, General Huo, and the others are standing guard overnight at Marquis Gu’s Manor, and they refuse to leave. The soldiers that they brought are waiting for day to come. During the day, they are guarding Lord Marquis Gu in case His Majesty sends people to detain him. During the night, they will use that time to train. It’s as if…”

“As if what?”

Yao Lan thought for a bit before finally expressing her opinion, “It’s as if they are preparing for a big battle.”

It was as if a dormant emotion in Yu Fu had suddenly been unlocked, as she grabbed a cloak from the rack, “I’m going to take a look at the martial arts training area.”

Yao Lan was instantly woken up, “What is young miss going to the martial arts training area so late at night for? No, no, I’ll go with you!”

Saying this, she hastily ran to the outer room and wrapped a cloak around herself. Grabbing a lantern, she followed Yu Fu toward the martial arts training area.

The large martial arts training area was brightly illuminated by lanterns. Who knew where the soldiers found the conviction that allowed them to train without needing to rest or sleep and without feeling any exhaustion.

Yu Fu stood at the gate and watched for a while, and Yan Zheng was the first to notice her, “Young miss, why have you come?”

Yu Fu slowly walked in, and Gu HanMo also came over to receive her. She faintly smiled, “What are you doing here? Why are you training here in the middle of the night and not sleeping?”

She had never seen them this lively before during the day, so what exactly were they planning?

Yan Zheng lowered his head in embarrassment, subconsciously glancing at Gu HanMo. Gu HanMo was not a good liar. The emotions reflected in his eyes could not deceive Yu Fu.

Yu Fu immediately understood.

“Third brother, how can you hide this sort of thing from me?”

Gu HanMo felt a little guilty, “Yu Fu, you cannot participate in this. We made up our minds with the resolve to give up our lives, but you absolutely cannot die. I heard that His Majesty has prepared a princess’ manor for you. How about you move out of Marquis Gu’s Manor tomorrow?”

During the day, Gu HuaiJiang had tried to chase her back to Immortals Valley, and at night, Gu HanMo was trying to chase her to the princess’ manor. Yu Fu looked at him miserably, “Third brother, do you not think of me as your younger sister? You don’t want me to participate in Marquis Gu’s Manor’s matters, is that it?”

“That’s not it. Of course, that’s not it!”

Gu HanMo did not know how he should explain it. It was because he thought of Yu Fu as his little sister and wanted to protect her that he hoped for her to leave Marquis Gu’s Manor. But to Yu Fu, this was too cruel.

For a moment, he did not what to do, but Yu Fu said: “Third brother, what are you planning to do?”

Soldiers were trained a thousand days to be used once. The soldiers training tonight meant that the day that they would be used was quickly approaching.

Gu HanMo knew that she had already guessed it, and he did not plan on hiding it from her, “His Majesty gave father ten days to recover from his condition. After that time, he will surely send people to detain him. When that time comes, the Gu family’s army will refuse the decree and protect father. After that…”

He raised the sword in his hand and twirled it around, drawing a flower in the air with the light that lingered from his cold blade. In the end, he pointed his sword toward the east.

Yu Fu looked in the direction that he had pointed his sword. It was pointed in the direction of the imperial palace.

She fell silent for a moment. Just as Gu HanMo thought that she was about to dissuade him from this reckless plan, she raised her head and said: “How many does the Gu family’s army have in the capital?”

Gu HanMo paused for a moment, “There, there are still ten thousand.”

Yu Fu shook her head, “That’s not enough. There are at least ten thousand troops stationed around the capital that are not under the Gu family’s army’s command. There are also ten thousand soldiers in the imperial guard. Although the Gu family’s army is strong, head general is sick and confined to bed, unable to lead the army himself. As a result, our strength should be considered less than usual. With this, we have no way of guaranteeing that we could obtain absolute victory over all of the troops in the capital. Third brother, you should know what the outcome would be if we cannot obtain an absolute victory.”

How could Gu HanMo not know? He faintly sighed, “I know that we might not be able to win. That’s why I said that we have resolved to give our lives. Regardless of what happens, we cannot allow them to take father away!”

Yu Fu tightly furrowed her brow, and her tone became a little more forceful, “Third brother, you cannot resolve to give up your life. None of us is allowed to die! Regardless of whether it’s head general, you, or any soldier from the Gu family’s army, nobody can sacrifice themselves in vain! You clearly don’t have a grasp on the situation, yet you want lead the troops into battle. Won’t this put the Gu family’s army on the brink of collapse?”

“Young miss, we aren’t afraid! For the sake of saving you and head general, we aren’t afraid of death! The Gu family’s army does not have any cowards. What do you guys say?”

Yan Zheng raised his arm and shouted, and the other soldiers present responded with a deafening shout.

Yu Fu continued: “As to whether or not the Gu family’s army colluded with Western Kun, you would all know better than I! But have you ever stopped to consider the fact that once the soldiers take up their arms, the stigma around the Gu family’s army will never be cleared up. You might be able to endure it, but is that something the loyal head general can endure?”

“To have him endure the burden of being called disloyal and treacherous, he would surely find that even more unbearable than death.”

Everyone lowered their heads even further. They knew that Yu Fu was right, but they did not know how to resolve the problem before them.

Gu HanMo bit his lip, “Yu Fu, will you insist on stopping us from going?”

“No, I won’t stop you.”

Yu Fu abruptly changed and turned the topic around, “Everything that I just said was contingent on us not having enough fighting power to guarantee victory. If we can gain the support of the other troops around the capital, we might be able to win.”

Based on her harsh tone, the group thought that she would surely try to stop them. They did not think that she would have this idea in mind.

“That’s right, if we can win over some of the generals stationed in the capital, wouldn’t we have a better grasp on the situation?”

“How should we try to win them over? Whom should we try to win over?”

The group started to discuss this matter, and Gu HanMo suddenly thought of something, “Yu Fu, have you already thought of someone?”

Yu Fu thought for a bit and then faintly nodded, “There’s only one. Fourth brother might be clearer on the people who frequent the manor. Fourth brother, please look through the list of honest generals who have a good relationship with Marquis Gu’s Manor to see if we can find someone to try and win over. As for the person I was thinking of…”

She pursed her lips, and a look of determination flashed through her eyes, “I will go and see them personally.”

The person whom Yu Fu was speaking of was none other than Mo HuangSha, the general responsible for protecting the peace in the capital. He had been rewarded for his contributions to protecting the capital when Ning ChengZhi first ascended the throne.

Ever since he first met Yu Fu, he had been full of reverence and admiration for this young princess, and he would often praise Yu Fu’s character to others.

Yu Fu had also learned a lot about Mo HuangSha through that incident.

He was an uncut piece of jade. He had talent and ability, but he had a humble background that was rather unflattering. As a result, he never rose very high in rank.

After resolving the matter of peace in the capital, it was as if he had become a piece of cut jade. He shined in court, and he saw an increase in the number of troops under his command.

On this day, he was eating dinner at his manor when he suddenly heard a servant suddenly come to report, “General, Princess ZhenJiang has come to visit!”

“Pft.”

Mo HuangSha nearly spat out a mouthful of soup and managed to swallow it with great difficulty. He stared at the servant, “What did you just say? Princess ZhenJiang?”

What sort of status did Princess ZhenJiang have? How could she personally have come to visit his manor?

He wondered if there was something wrong with his ears, but the servant was certain, “It was the princess. She has already come in. General, please quickly go and receive her, or it will be too late!”

Mo HuangSha hastily stood up and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Before he could walk out, he saw Yu Fu walk in.

She was wearing a black cloak, and the brim of her large hat was so low that her face could not be seen; however, the aura surrounding her made her identity clear to everyone around her.

Mo HuangSha immediately stepped forward and cupped his hands, “This lowly general, Mo HuangSha, greets princess!”

Yu Fu removed her hat and stepped forward to help him up, “General Mo, there’s no need to be so courteous. Let’s go inside to speak.”

Mo HuangSha quickly ordered for the best tea in his manor to be prepared. Yu Fu entered the room and saw that dinner was placed on the table. She felt a little apologetic, “Has General Mo still not finished eating dinner? How about I go and wait in a side room. Let’s speak after general has finished eating!”

Saying this, she started walking out, but Mo HuangSha hastily moved to stop her.

“No, no, no, there’s no need for princess to worry. I have already finished eating!”

He was so nervous that he didn’t know what to do. He ordered tea and pastries be brought out and ordered for the remaining food on the table to be taken away. He then opened the windows to allow some clean air into the room.

Only after taking care of this busy work did he order the servants out of the room, leaving only the two of them and Yao Lan.

Yao Lan bowed to Yu Fu and then walked over to the door to stand guard, preventing anyone from eavesdropping.

Mo HuangSha observed the battlefield before him and then thought about the strangeness of Yu Fu coming to visit him so late at night. He then thought about the things that had happened to Marquis Gu’s Manor’s recently. This allowed him to faintly have an idea of the reason for Yu Fu’s visit.

She had definitely come to talk about Marquis Gu’s Manor’s situation.

Thinking along these lines, Mo HuangSha was no longer as nervous as before, as he cupped his hands toward Yu Fu and said: “Princess, please sit. Let’s take our time with our chat.”

Yu Fu did not act reservedly, “General Mo, please sit too. Since I am visiting at night, there’s no need for you to be so courteous.”

Mo HuangSha followed her instructions and sat down, hearing Yu Fu say: “General Mo once led the protective force and fought alongside the Gu family’s army. I wonder, what sort of existence is the Gu family’s army in General Mo’s eyes?”

Mo HuangSha said: “The Gu family’s army is disciplined, so even if they just stand there and do not do anything, they still look different from this general’s protection force. The Gu family’s army has fought in a hundred battles and has a hundred victories. THey are the strongest army in Eastern Ling.”

Yu Fu smiled, “The Gu family’s army has heard this praise too many times. I did not want to ask General Mo about this. Instead… I want your view on the head general and the Gu family’s army’s actions. His Majesty suspects the Gu family’s army of colluding with Western Kun. What do you think of this matter?”

Mo HuangSha fell silent for a moment. When the current ruler was brought up, he needed to be careful.

He subconsciously glanced at the door and saw that there was nobody aside from Yao Lan, thus he felt at ease to speak his mind on the matter, “Princess, this lowly general has a humble background, but my eyes are not muddles. The discerning people can tell that His Majesty is trying to force princess to marry him by framing Marquis Gu’s Manor. Anyone in Eastern Ling could have colluded with Western Kun, but Marquis Gu is the only exception. If not, this great country would have fallen into Emperor Kun’s hands long ago.”

It was difficult for him to think so clearly and speak so frankly.

Yu Fu nodded and felt that she had a decent grasp on the purpose of her visit today.

She said: “His Majesty only promised to give head general ten days to recover, and after that period is over, he would be arrested. If he has not committed any crimes, why should he be arrested? His Majesty is ruthless in his pursuit, and he is treating a loyal subject like this. We cannot just sit idly by.”

Mo HuangSha’s heart skipped a beat, immediately understanding the reason for Yu Fu’s visit.

He leaped up from his seat as if there was a fire burning under his chair, “Princess, you… you mean to resist His Majesty?”

It was as if Yu Fu did not think that he had been sufficiently frightened, as she broached the topic directly, “Since ancient times, punishing foolish rulers has been the righteous course of action. If His Majesty was a wise ruler, our Marquis Gu’s Manor would have perished without any complaints. But does General Mo truly feel that His Majesty’s actions as a ruler would provide the citizens with peaceful lives?”

Mo HuangSha’s heart chilled, “You mean to say that you want… to raise troops and enter the palace?!”

Yu Fu stood up from her seat, “That’s right. It’s just that the Gu family’s army has limited numbers in the capital. Would General Mo like to help us?”

…

At the same time, Gu HanMo and Gu WenQing were representing Marquis Gu’s Manor, as they negotiated with the generals that would be inclined to side with Marquis Gu’s Manor.

They were very cautious with their choices, as they only chose those that would not sell out Marquis Gu’s Manor even if they refused to agree to the plot.

As a result, almost all of the people with whom they held negotiations agreed.

In the dead of night, a woman wearing a cloak quickly traversed through a small alley and did her best to avoid being spotted.

She knew that the area around Marquis Gu’s Manor was always under surveillance by Yin Shuo’s subordinates. As soon as they called their troops, they would be discovered by Yin Shuo, and the outcome would be obvious.

Outside of Marquis Gu’s Manor’s gates, a dark figure hid in a tall tree. Seeing that it was almost time, one of the Gu family’s army’s soldiers stretched and walked out, “Hah, head general usually says that we should keep a low profile, with peace being our priority. Now that Marquis Gu’s Manor has fallen to this point, what’s the point in us keeping a low profile?”

“That’s right.”

Another soldier walked up while yawning, waving his hand around as if he was holding a sword, “Regardless of the time, as long as we are standing guard outside of this gate, we will see all sorts of ghostly things. It’s truly annoying. Tonight… let’s just vent our frustrations!”

Before he finished his sentence, he drew his sword and soared toward the tree. A muffled groan broke the silence, as a person’s figure fell from the tree.

The people keeping watch were taken aback, as they did not expect that their locations had been exposed. As a result, they decided to engage in battle against the soldiers from Marquis Gu’s Manor.

With the sound of swords clashing coming from the entrance to Marquis Gu’s Manor, a door in the inner courtyards was suddenly opened. Lian Bi and the others stood guard there, “Young miss, quickly come in!”

Just as Yu Fu was about to step inside, she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind. As she started to listen more closely, she saw Gu HanMo and Gu WenQing stealthily running along the rear alley while wearing cloaks.

“Third brother, fourth brother!”

Yu Fu waved to them, “Quickly come in to speak!”

The door was closed, and Yu Fu eagerly asked: “What’s the situation on your end?”

Gu HanMo said: “It was more successful than expected. The guards stationed at the hunting ground and the guards of the imperial mausoleum expressed that they want to support us. These two armies usually don’t stand out, and they have a combined force of five thousand troops.”

Gu WenQing said: “In truth, I feel that the commander of the Imperial Guards, Meng Fei, has a character that will allow him to be won over, but that’s a bit risky. If we can win him over, His Majesty will be completely unprotected…”

Yu Fu reflected on Meng Fei’s character. He had led the Imperial Guard for many years. Under his leadership, the Imperial Guard was a very orderly group. Even when Imperial Consort Xian and the eldest prince had tried to snatch power, the Imperial Guard did not do anything selfish.

Gu HuaiJiang himself also praised Meng Fei, saying that he was a courageous and valiant member of the younger generation.

Gu HanMo said: “Meng Fei is a big topic that we need to carefully discuss. We are not in a rush. Right, Yu Fu, how did your discussion with Mo HuangSha go? With his capital guards being responsible for the protection of the city’s residents, winning him over is crucial.”

Yu Fu nodded, “Don’t worry. Mo HuangSha has already agreed. What we need to do next is to organize the troops that we are currently able to mobilize and plan our formation. Third brother should have more experience in this matter than us.”

Gu HanMo was someone who had set foot on the battlefield, and he was obsessed with studying martial arts. When it came to military strategy, he was very proficient.

He nodded, “Let’s not stay here to speak. Let’s go to my courtyard first. We can sit down and take our time.”

The three left together, but before they could step out of the backyard, they saw a tall figure leaning against the door. Gu HuaiJiang was standing there with a cane and staring at the three.