Chapter 6

Gao Qianxue turned to look at Ling Yun, her eyes clear and transparent. Ling Yun felt a bit puzzled, wondering if Gao Qianxue had really fallen in love with him at first sight, and because he saved her and had that so-called intimate contact, she had developed feelings for him, and thus refused to marry anyone else. But he quickly shook his head, driving away this absurd thought. He was a man with rich dating experience, and was about to step into the marriage hall; how could he be so easily bewitched? Gao Qianxue must have some ulterior motive. Yes, it must be so.

Gao Qianxue picked up the dagger, put it away, stood up, and tidied her clothes. Then she called out to the willow tree not far behind. Immediately, the young girl Mulan, who had become very familiar with her over the past few days, walked over. She was holding a white fox fur coat in one hand and a wine flask in the other. Gao Qianxue first took the fox fur coat and walked over to drape it over Ling Yun's shoulders, then opened the wine flask and handed it to him.

"Yi Lang has just recovered from his illness, don't catch a cold again."

Ling Yun was indeed a bit cold, having just waded through the pond and sat here for a while, exposed to the night breeze. He picked up the wine flask and took a big sip. It wasn't too strong, but the wine warmed his stomach, making him feel a warm and fiery heat rising from his abdomen. He took two more sips and began to find Gao Qianxue even more inscrutable. It seemed she had foreseen that he would escape tonight, even calculated that he would wade through the water to get here. She had been waiting here, even prepared warm clothes and wine, but deliberately didn't take them out at first. She let him sit in the cold night breeze for a while, only calling out Mulan after he agreed to the marriage. If he hadn't agreed just now, what would have happened? He didn't know, but he was 99.9% sure that Gao Qianxue wouldn't really commit suicide in front of him.

"Mulian, prepare a hot bath and serve Yi Lang. Then tell the kitchen to prepare some food, just some porridge and a few dishes. Yi Lang is still weak after his illness, so he should eat less and drink more."

Gao Qianxue seemed to have transformed into a completely different person, no longer melancholy but considerate and attentive, like a fiancée.

Ling Yun rolled his eyes, too lazy to care about these things. Since he had decided to stay, there was no point in saying more.

"Should we change the wedding date? Getting married tomorrow seems too rushed."

Ling Yun, wrapped in the fox fur coat, asked Gao Qianxue tentatively before leaving.

"Everything will be ready. Tomorrow is a good day, and it's not advisable to change it. Yi Lang should go back and rest well."

Gao Qianxue smiled, but Ling Yun felt that her smile was a bit like a fox who had just stolen a chicken.

Accompanied by the young girl Mulan, Ling Yun returned to the wooden house by the pond. As he passed the servants on the wooden walkway, he felt a bit embarrassed, thinking he had escaped without anyone noticing, but it turned out they had all seen a free show. Indeed, when he got to the house, the hole had already been repaired.

"Yi Lang, the hot bath is ready, please bathe!" Mulan, who usually had a pouting face, now had a smiling expression. She even changed her address, calling him "Yi Lang" directly. This title made him speechless for a long time. Calling him "young master" or "young lord" would have been better, but calling him "Yi Lang" made him feel like he was a赘婿 (a man who marries into a family). Unfortunately, he tried to correct the little girl a few times, but she didn't budge. Under Mulan's guidance, after returning to the house, Ling Yun was thoroughly wiped down by three young girls. If he hadn't been injured, he would have been forced to soak in the large bathtub a couple of times. After bathing and changing clothes, the white-bearded Uncle Qian came to change his medicine, checked his pulse, confirmed that his condition hadn't worsened, and then left with his medicine box.

After such a long night, Ling Yun was indeed tired. He blew out the lamp and soon fell into a deep sleep.

In Gao Qianxue's courtyard, the Gao sisters were still awake.

"Did he really agree?" Gao Mingyue held her sister's hand, happy for her.

"Yes, he has agreed, though it was under the threat of my suicide. But he has indeed agreed to marry me, and the wedding is still tomorrow. The only change is that it's no longer a赘婚 (marriage into the family)."

Gao Mingyue's long, slender eyebrows arched. "Hmph, he will still live in Gao Family Manor after the wedding. What's the difference from a赘婚?"

"But you know, whether it's a赘婚 or not, it's a big deal for a man. Even if he still lives in Gao Family Manor after the wedding, as long as it's not officially a赘婚, it's a big difference."

"Sister, I just received news from the north. King Yingyang has finally decided to send troops. The Mohe Bai Mountain tribe and others have already responded."

Gao Qianxue firmly held Gao Mingyue's hand, comforting her. "Sister, the day of revenge has finally come. This time, they will attack Liaoxi Camp, and no one in the city who betrayed the court and Uncle will escape."

The sisters looked at each other, and Gao Qianxue could clearly see the intense changes in Gao Mingyue's eyes. "Has Gao Yuan finally decided to send troops?"

"Yes, the death of a rabbit makes the fox sad. Moreover, Gao Yuan is young and ambitious, unlike his father Gao Tang, who was patient. Last year, Gao Tang died of worry, and Gao Yuan succeeded him. Emperor Yang of Sui did not grant him the title of King of Goguryeo but instead demoted him to Duke of Liaodong. This was intolerable for a young ruler like Gao Yuan, who wanted to make a name for himself. Last year, the Sui emperor first had the Tujue Khan Dulan kill the Khaqan of the Western Turks, Princess Zhou, and then married the imperial princess Anyi to Dulan. At the same time, he lavishly rewarded the son of the former Mohe Khan, Ashina Yangan, the Northern Khan of the Tujue, successfully driving a wedge between Dulan and Tuli. Dulan, enraged, broke off relations with the Sui and allied with the Western Tujue Khan Dato to attack Tuli. When Tuli was defeated, Emperor Yang immediately sent Changsun Sheng to design a plan to bring Tuli Khan to Chang'an to surrender and grant him the title of Qimin Khan, settling him in Shuo Prefecture."

Speaking of these matters, Gao Qianxue sneered. "Emperor Yang is most skilled in power politics. The Tujue, the mighty of the northern steppes, ended up fighting each other, leaving no strength to invade the south. Back then, Goguryeo allied with the Southern Chen to resist the north, but now the Southern Chen has been destroyed for nine years, and the Tujue are busy with internal strife, unable to spare the time. The Khitan in the north of the Yan Mountains have already submitted to the Sui. If Goguryeo remains inactive, it will not be long before it faces national extinction."

"Sister, can Gao Yuan defeat the Sui army?" Gao Mingyue clenched her fists and asked.

Gao Qianxue stroked her long hair. "Who wins or loses is of no consequence as long as we can avenge our hatred."

"What should we do?"

"Gao Yuan hopes we can contact the powerful families in the south and create unrest to divert some of the Sui's attention."

Gao Mingyue frowned. "The Western Liang and Southern Chen have been destroyed for many years, and the Xiao and Chen families have been relocated to the Guanlong region. Moreover, eight years ago, people like Wang Wenkun from Wuzhou, Gao Zhihui from Yuezhou, Shen Xuan from Suzhou, Cai Daoren from Le'an, Li from Jiangshan, Wu Shihua from Raozhou, Shen Xiaocheng from Wenzhou, Wang Guoqing from Quanzhou, Yang Baoying from Hangzhou, and Li Chun from Jiaozhou all rebelled against the Sui. The rebellion was so loud, but in the end, it only added to the fame of Sui generals like Yang Su, Shi Wansui, Mai Tiedang, and Lai Huer. After the rebellion in Jiangdong was quelled eight years ago, Emperor Yang sent his second son, Prince Yang Guang of Jin, to sit in Yangzhou for several years. Although Yang Guang is a royal prince, you know he is very talented, respectful to scholars, and married the Princess of Western Liang, Lady Xiao of Lanning. He has been stationed in Jiangdu for many years, pacifying the southeast, and has great prestige in Jiangdong. The Jiangdong aristocracy is mostly under his influence. With Linghu pacifying the Lingnan region, the Li and Yue tribes are very loyal. Now the south is stable. It will be very difficult to start unrest in the south."

"I know it's difficult, but if we can succeed, it will greatly help Gao Yuan. Gao Yuan's success is our success. With our own strength, we will never have a day of revenge. It has been over ten years, and we can't keep waiting. Seeing the Sui dynasty becoming stronger and stronger, and us running around, hiding, while those villains live freely, I feel ashamed of their spirits in heaven. If we don't act, I'm afraid we will never have another chance. Before today, I had despaired, thinking we would never have another chance. Now, although the opportunity is slim, we must not let it slip away."

"Sister, tell me what to do."

Gao Qianxue held Gao Mingyue's hand. "To start a large-scale unrest in the south is indeed difficult, but we cannot give up. I plan to contact the Jiangdong aristocracy and powerful families who are dissatisfied with the court."

"Are there any aristocracy and powerful families in Jiangdong who dare to stand up?"

In the ninth year of Kaihuang, the Southern Chen was destroyed, and in the tenth year, almost all of the south rebelled, but the rebellion was quickly defeated. After that turmoil, which Jiangdong aristocracy and powerful families dared to rebel against the Sui?

"Rest assured, there are people like us." Gao Qianxue said, "Gao Ding has already contacted an ally, who will come to meet us in a few days."

The rebellion, a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations, was being discussed calmly by the Gao sisters, as if they were discussing a poem or embroidery.

"Sister, before Gao Ding returns, I will take care of everything in the manor. You can focus on preparing for your wedding."

Gao Mingyue smiled, knowing their identity and their mission. Unlike before, once Gao Ding returned, they would be doing truly dangerous things, risking their lives. Fighting against a powerful court, no one knew when they might lose their lives.

Perhaps that was why her sister suddenly decided to marry a man she had just met. Before the dangerous mission began, marrying a man she didn't dislike, and even liked, and living a normal life, would mean that even if the worst happened, she would be a complete woman, without regrets. If she could leave behind a child, it would be even better.

"Sister, you have good taste. Yi Feng is actually quite handsome!" Mingyue said with a smile.

"Um!" Gao Qianxue replied absentmindedly, her mind elsewhere, her gaze slightly lost.

On the Yangtze River, the wind blew Wang Bao's clothes flapping. He whipped his horse and galloped forward, with a dozen black-clad riders chasing him not far behind.

On the road outside Yangzhou, a group of dozens of merchants was escorting a dozen carts. By the side of the carts, a woman wearing a veil sat on a horse, the black veil covering her from head to toe. At this moment, a cloud of dust rose on the road ahead, and a rider galloped up. The rider, a burly man, dismounted in front of the woman's horse and whispered, "Madam, someone saw Second Brother leave Yangzhou three days ago, and then there was no news. It seems he disappeared outside Yangzhou, without a trace."

The woman's voice was as cold as ice. "Ji Yao was last seen in Yangzhou, and now Second Brother has disappeared after arriving in Yangzhou. It seems the situation is more serious than we thought!"

New book, please support! Let's push it to the top!

Page flip, AD starts

Page flip, AD ends