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Amidst the hopelessness of nearly everyone, including the palace maids, the Shangyang Princess had indeed found her savior, and it turned out to be none other than the renowned General Gu!
The palace maid's heart raced with excitement. If the princess and General Gu developed a good relationship, wouldn’t they get to see General Gu often?
The Shangyang Princess gazed down the path where Gu Bei had long since departed. The end of the road was empty, yet his figure lingered in her heart, and the more she recalled their encounter, the happier she felt.
"That's wonderful! Since he is already a general, his status is worthy of matching the royal family. I will go to Father; he will surely agree to let me marry him!"
A sweet smile appeared on the Shangyang Princess's face, bright and cheerful, as if she could already envision a future filled with love alongside Gu Bei.
The palace maid was taken aback. She hoped for a good relationship between the princess and General Gu but hadn’t expected the princess to leap from their recent meeting straight to marriage.
"Um..." The maid hesitantly asked, "I heard that General Gu is going to eliminate bandits this time, and there are many of them. Those despicable bandits are quite tough; they have already killed many soldiers sent to deal with them!"
What if something happened to General Gu? Wouldn’t the princess be heartbroken?
However, upon hearing this, the Shangyang Princess showed no fear at all. Instead, she raised her chin confidently and said, "How can anyone compare to General Gu? He is my savior! As long as he goes, he will surely subdue those bandits!"
Seeing her confident demeanor, the maid began to believe it too and smiled in agreement. "Indeed! General Gu is our nation's greatest hero; a few bandits are nothing for him!"
"Of course!" The Shangyang Princess was pleased with the maid's words. "When he returns, I will go to Father. I want to marry him!"
The maid laughed and said, "You are of noble birth, and General Gu is a true dragon among men; you two are simply a match made in heaven!"
"Yes!" The Shangyang Princess accepted the blessing without any shyness, radiating confidence.
"Oh no!" The maid suddenly remembered something and exclaimed anxiously. "Time is running out! The Empress has set up a banquet; you mustn't be late!"
Reminded by the maid, the Shangyang Princess realized she had completely forgotten about it. "Quickly! Let’s go! We can't be late!"
With that, she hurriedly led the maid away.
Unaware that he had merely bumped into someone, Gu Bei was currently saying goodbye to the woman he regarded as his wife.
Ye Xiaohan had heard about the bandits in the south before, but she never imagined it was this serious, nor did she expect Gu Bei to be dispatched so quickly.
It seemed the emperor was truly at his wit's end and needed to send the general to eliminate a few mountain bandits.
She glanced at Gu Bei, who was equally reluctant to part, and felt that he truly led a hard life. He had lived for only a few years, yet nearly half of that time had been spent leading troops into battle, with hardly any time for rest throughout the year.
Countless people surrounded him with various motives, wanting to get close, set him up, or gain benefits from him.
It was impossible to feel at ease.
"The emperor's orders are difficult to refuse, and besides, you are going to save people; it can't be helped," Ye Xiaohan suppressed her reluctance and tried to speak as straightforwardly as possible, not wanting Gu Bei to delay because of her.
Ever since they got involved with the court, it seemed they hardly had any time together. Previously, they had to meet in secret; now it was slightly better since they didn't need to climb walls at midnight. Yet now Gu Bei was being sent so far south that even climbing walls wouldn't allow them to see each other.
Even though she understood this in her mind, emotionally she couldn't ignore the frustration: "When do you leave?"
"Tomorrow morning." Even if the emperor was anxious, transferring military authority took time. Moreover, they needed to reorganize the troops and select soldiers for the mission. All of this would take until early morning at the earliest.
Still, Gu Bei had to sort everything out overnight to make it in time.
Gu Bei knew all too well the burden he carried. He understood that no matter how much he delayed, he couldn't postpone for long; he would have to leave soon enough.
But even if it were just for a moment longer, he didn't want to give up. He wanted to cherish this time together; it was precisely because of their impending separation that made their moments together feel even more precious.
"General, it's getting late; there are many matters you need to attend to. It's time to set off!" Gu Da urged from the side. He didn't want to disturb them, but this was an imperial command; they couldn't afford any delays. Otherwise, if someone submitted a petition against them, the general would be in trouble.
Ye Xiaohan understood the situation and could only suppress her lingering feelings as she urged him on: "You should go now; the sooner you leave, the sooner you'll return!"
"I will!" Gu Bei glanced deeply at Ye Xiaohan, as if he had summoned all his strength, and finally turned around, striding forward.
Gu Da looked at Ye Xiaohan with gratitude, bowed to her, and quickly followed Gu Bei.
It was truly a stroke of luck for the general to find a woman like Miss Ye. Only someone as open-minded as Miss Ye could be worthy of the general.
Unaware that she had already gained the approval of her confidants, Ye Xiaohan continued to watch them leave until she could no longer see the dust kicked up by their horses. With a sigh, she turned and headed back.
Gu Bei did not allow them to see him off, and Ye Xiaohan agreed.
However, she only conveyed this instruction to Yang and Qi; she still felt uneasy and secretly ran off.
She merely wanted to blend into the crowd and steal a glance at him without being noticed. After all, the streets were packed with people coming to bid farewell!
Ye Xiaohan squeezed into the crowd, surrounded by people craning their necks to catch a glimpse, making it hard for her to stand out.
"They're here!"
Someone shouted first, and everyone stretched their necks to look. Soon, at one end of the street, Gu Bei led the way, followed by a neatly arranged army.
Gu Bei sat upright on his horse, his gaze unwavering. He wore silver armor that gleamed brilliantly under the sun. He held his helmet in one hand at his side, sitting straight with an aura of fierce determination radiating from him.
Behind him, the solemn Army marched in unison, exuding the same intimidating presence that forced the onlookers back two steps.
The street that had been bustling just moments ago fell silent instantly; one could hear a pin drop. The crowd instinctively stepped back, not obstructing the army's advance.
This was the first time Ye Xiaohan had seen such a side of Gu Bei. It felt both refreshing and somewhat alarming.
Despite her extensive knowledge and experience, she was still a person from a peaceful era who had never witnessed war. When Gu Bei was with her, he always made an effort to suppress his fierce demeanor so as not to frighten her.
It was the first time Ye Xiaohan truly realized that Gu Bei was different from her. In this world, a general's title was earned through blood, sweat, and unwavering determination.
Feeling a pang of sympathy, Ye Xiaohan placed a hand over her heart, wondering what kind of life Gu Bei had lived before—one that could only be described as walking on the edge of a knife.
She couldn't take her eyes off Gu Bei, and fortunately, most people around her were reacting similarly, all focused on Gu Bei, making Ye Xiaohan blend into the background.
As Gu Bei passed by her, she slightly tilted her head, her gaze seemingly casual as it swept across the crowd, meeting Ye Xiaohan's eyes in the air.
In that moment, there was understanding, a hint of amused resignation, and even more so, a reluctant farewell.
But just as quickly as it began, Gu Bei's gaze moved on, returning to the front.
This brief interlude went unnoticed by nearly everyone. Even if someone had seen Gu Bei's action, they would have dismissed it as mere coincidence, not paying attention to such a fleeting moment.
However, for Ye Xiaohan, she found herself almost drowning in that brief instant, reluctant to pull away until Gu Bei returned from the expedition.
Her eyes grew warm with unshed tears as she lifted her head to the sky, reminding herself to calm down. She couldn't afford to cry for Gu Bei in such a bustling place.
If someone with ill intentions saw her, it would only lead to trouble.
Ye Xiaohan continued to move slowly with the crowd, following Gu Bei and the Army until they reached the city gates. She watched until the dust raised by the Army settled back into silence.
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