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墨書 Inktalez
The Emperor had made up his mind; he wanted to take this opportunity to help Gu Bei reestablish his authority.
This was also in consideration of the Emperor's own interests. Since Gu Bei was loyal to him, the greater Gu Bei's authority, the more beneficial it would be for the Emperor to consolidate his power.
Murong Cheng still wanted to object but was silenced by the Emperor's reprimand.
"Prince, I have made myself very clear. The previous defeat was not solely Gu Bei's fault; in fact, he was the one who was wronged," the Emperor said with a stern tone. "As the Crown Prince, you should not view matters so narrowly, focusing only on others' mistakes while ignoring their contributions to the nation. Your perspective is too limited!"
Such words from the Emperor carried significant weight, especially when directed at the Crown Prince, causing numerous thoughts to arise among the officials present.
Although Murong Cheng had been named Crown Prince, anything could happen before the next emperor ascended the throne.
There were others who had their eyes on that throne besides Murong Cheng.
Given the chance, who wouldn't want to try for it? Once successful, it would mean wielding supreme power.
Understanding this dynamic was why Murong Cheng felt so anxious and was willing to go to great lengths to get closer to the throne.
Now, being reprimanded by the Emperor in front of the officials, Murong Cheng could only glare fiercely at Gu Bei, wishing he could bore two holes into him with his gaze.
No one else voiced any dissent, and thus the matter was settled. Due to the urgency of the situation, Gu Bei had to be dispatched immediately. The Emperor summoned Gu Bei and several ministers to the Imperial Study to discuss specific details.
While they called it a discussion, it mainly involved reviewing previously gathered intelligence. After the ministers dispersed, the Emperor kept Gu Bei behind for further instructions.
Having done everything possible, all that remained was for Gu Bei to go into battle and fight against their enemies.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not disappoint the Imperial Favor. I will certainly eradicate the Bandits and restore peace for the people!"
Gu Bei knelt on one knee, pledging his oath.
As a general burdened with responsibility, he had to live up to that honor.
The Emperor personally helped Gu Bei to his feet and said, "I naturally believe that you will achieve success swiftly!"
As a sovereign ruler, the most important thing is to learn to recognize and utilize talents. The Emperor was always confident in his ability to judge character. He believed that Gu Bei would become a pillar of the court, a capable right-hand man.
Once the encouraging words were spoken, the Emperor allowed Gu Bei to leave. The mess in the south awaited someone to clean it up; Gu Bei could not afford to waste a single moment.
Gu Bei hurried out of the palace. There was still time; he wanted to say goodbye to Ye Xiaohan and the others while his subordinates were preparing.
The situation with the Bandits in the south was dire, and once he left, Gu Bei did not know how long he would be gone.
At least he wanted to see them one more time before departing.
He focused on his path, his attention slightly distracted by his surroundings. Inside the palace courtyard, outsiders were not allowed to linger, leaving little chance of encountering anyone here.
Those who were already within the palace walls acted with great caution; every word and action needed to adhere to etiquette. No one would run around inside the palace and disrupt the order.
Thus, Gu Bei had fewer concerns and simply wished to leave quickly. Unconsciously, he took larger strides.
However, this time, as if to mock Gu Bei's empiricism that had led to trouble, someone hurriedly rushed through the palace, disregarding all decorum.
The two individuals approached each other from opposite sides and turned a corner, colliding right into one another.
"Ouch!"
Gu Bei was startled by the sudden presence of someone in front of him. He quickly steadied himself, trying to lean away to avoid knocking into the other person, but it was too late. The other person was sent stumbling backward several steps, barely managing to catch themselves against the wall beside them, thus avoiding a humiliating fall.
The startled cry that escaped the person's lips was crisp and melodious, like the song of a lark—pleasant to hear—but it belonged to a woman. She lifted her head, revealing a delicate face as she looked at Gu Bei.
Gu Bei quickly apologized, "I was in a hurry and accidentally bumped into the Shangyang Princess. I hope you can forgive me."
"Ah, it's you!" The Shangyang Princess clearly recognized Gu Bei and exclaimed in surprise, raising her voice.
Then, sensing that her reaction might have been too dramatic and somewhat impolite, she blushed slightly and said, "It's nothing; you didn't actually hit me. But why are you in such a rush? Is there something urgent? Do you need my assistance?"
Gu Bei had never had much interaction with the Shangyang Princess. His familiarity stemmed solely from his duty as a general to protect royal family members.
Even if there were something she could assist with, Gu Bei would never ask the Shangyang Princess for help.
Politely declining her offer, Gu Bei stated that he had an imperial command to attend to and took his leave.
The Shangyang Princess watched Gu Bei's retreating figure, her eyes sparkling with intrigue.
"It’s you! I finally found you!" Shangyang murmured to herself, a slight smile curling at the corners of her mouth, clearly in high spirits.
At that moment, a maid from the Imperial Garden, who had been thrown aside by Shangyang Princess, finally caught up, panting heavily as she approached. "Princess, wait for me! I can’t run anymore."
"Did you see that person just now? Who is he?" Shangyang Princess asked, completely ignoring the maid and pointing in the direction where Gu Bei had left.
The maid had just come from that way and must have crossed paths with Gu Bei.
"That person?" The maid turned her head, puzzled as she followed the direction Shangyang Princess was pointing. Suddenly enlightened, she exclaimed, "Princess, are you talking about General Gu? I heard that General Gu is being sent by the Emperor to the south to suppress bandits. He looked quite rushed just now; I greeted him, but he didn’t respond."
Shangyang Princess asked in surprise, "General Gu? Which General Gu?"
Could it be the one she was thinking of?
Her instincts proved correct as the maid nodded in confirmation. "Who else could it be? Naturally, it’s our kingdom's most formidable Flying Dragon General, Gu Bei!"
The maid blushed; today was truly her lucky day to have seen General Gu in the palace. She couldn’t wait to boast about it in front of everyone when she returned.
After all, General Gu was a busy man, often away fighting battles. It wasn’t easy for the dignitaries in the capital to catch a glimpse of him.
However, why did the princess suddenly ask about this? Hadn’t she always shown little interest in court affairs?
Unaware of the maid's confusion, Shangyang Princess gazed into the distance, her heart racing with excitement. "So he’s already a general and has been right by my side all along!"
"Princess?" The maid, noticing the Shangyang Princess murmuring to herself, couldn't help but call out curiously.
Only then did the Shangyang Princess seem to notice the maid. Excitedly, she grabbed her and said, "I saw him! It turns out he is General Gu!"
"Him? Which him?" The maid thought for a moment and then exclaimed in surprise, "Is it the one who saved the princess?"
The Shangyang Princess nodded vigorously. "That's him! The moment I saw him, I recognized him! He looks exactly like he did back then, not a bit changed!"
If only she had paid a little more attention in the past. Because she had never dared to take an interest in court matters, the Shangyang Princess had never approached anyone from the court. Moreover, Gu Bei had always been a prominent figure; she had only ever heard his name and even pretended not to have.
Little did she know that this had caused her to miss the person she had been searching for all along.
"I knew he would achieve great things; after all, he is my savior!" The Shangyang Princess said proudly, as if she shared in all the glory that Gu Bei received.
The maid covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "Princess, now that you've found your savior, what do you plan to do?"
For so long, the Shangyang Princess had kept mentioning her savior, and those maids who had been with her for a while were almost tired of hearing it.
But after all these years, the Shangyang Princess had not found him. Almost everyone except herself believed that this benefactor could only exist in the princess's descriptions.
Unexpectedly, there was still a twist of fate awaiting her.
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