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墨書 Inktalez
Murong Cheng's expression twisted for a moment upon hearing the words, but he quickly regained his composure.
"General Gu is truly straightforward. I am delighted to associate with someone like you," Murong Cheng said with a smile. "In fact, this banquet is to apologize to you, General."
After he finished speaking, he expected the other party to respond, but this time he was facing Gu Bei.
Gu Bei did not reply; he simply looked at Murong Cheng calmly. This made Murong Cheng feel a bit displeased, but he held it back.
"There was some misunderstanding between us before, and it was my fault for not being diligent enough in my duties. I failed to uncover the truth in time, which led to the unnecessary misunderstandings between us."
Murong Cheng smiled and continued, "Now that the matter is clear and the misunderstandings have been resolved, let’s not dwell on the past. From now on, you and I are on the same side, working together for the Emperor and for our nation and people!"
Only then did Gu Bei realize that Murong Cheng intended to win him over, hoping he would join the Crown Prince's faction and serve him.
Is this person out of his mind?
This thought crossed both Gu Bei's and Gu Da's minds simultaneously.
Years ago, Murong Cheng had allied with Gu Rong, causing the deaths of so many soldiers and nearly costing Gu Bei his life. Afterward, he had been left in despair, almost fading away in obscurity in the countryside.
Now this man actually believed he could persuade Gu Bei to join his camp and serve him?
A surge of anger washed over Gu Bei in an instant; however, it was not the right time to confront the Crown Prince. So just as Gu Da was about to act, Gu Bei discreetly stopped him.
"The Crown Prince is being too modest," Gu Bei replied calmly, his voice as steady as his expression. "I am not one to hold onto trivial misunderstandings."
As for those facts that were not misunderstandings, he would never forget them.
Murong Cheng hit a soft wall; a flicker of anger flashed in his eyes. However, considering Gu Bei's strength, he suppressed that anger.
"General Gu has a broad mind; I am ashamed by comparison," Murong Cheng said as he pointed to the exquisite dishes on the table, shifting the topic. "We have a new chef who can prepare dishes from various regions; please give it a try."
Gu Bei ate and drank as he pleased, but he did not agree to anything he shouldn't have.
During the gathering, Murong Cheng repeatedly mentioned wanting to win Gu Bei over, but each time he was skillfully declined. Eventually, as time could no longer be delayed, Gu Bei had to leave after enjoying a free meal.
"Damn it!"
Once Gu Bei had departed, Murong Cheng was so furious that he overturned all the tables and smashed everything he could get his hands on.
Meanwhile, Gu Da gave a thumbs up to Gu Bei. "Your ability to handle social engagements has really improved; it’s quite impressive."
Gu Bei smiled slightly, though there was no hint of joy in his expression. "After all, it's been so many years."
It felt as if he had lived a whole new life; everything from before seemed like it belonged to a past life.
Half a month was neither too little nor too much.
While recovering from his injuries, Gu Bei frequently shuttled between the military camp and Ye Xiaohan's residence, quickly finishing his leave.
On the last day of his holiday, Gu Bei lingered at Ye Xiaohan's house, refusing to go back.
"I haven't had a proper break in years; shouldn't I be compensated now?" Gu Bei complained. "The emperor only granted me half a month—isn't that a bit too little?"
Ye Xiaohan stared at the tall man before him, unable to reconcile his irresponsible words with the Gu Bei he had known before.
Ever since Gu Bei expressed his feelings, he had transformed from the indifferent man he once was into someone clingy. He followed Ye Xiaohan everywhere; wherever Ye Xiaohan went, Gu Bei was right behind him, sometimes driving Ye Xiaohan to the point of wanting to hit him.
Although Gu Bei often displayed such behavior, they spent very little time together due to his busy schedule, so Ye Xiaohan hadn’t noticed much.
Now that Gu Bei was on leave and had plenty of free time for recovery, Ye Xiaohan found it unbearable and wished he could send him back to the emperor as soon as possible.
"As a general, do you have any sense of responsibility? Why do I see you everywhere?" Ye Xiaohan exaggeratedly patted his chest in mock relief. "The emperor is wise; strict discipline is what keeps you from becoming a general who neglects his duties!"
Gu Bei simply smiled at her.
"Put away that silly face of yours!" Ye Xiaohan complained. "Someone came to the tavern specifically to see the famous general, but when they saw your foolish face, their life shattered. They cried to me for a long time!"
Of course, this was an exaggeration, but there was some truth to it.
Gu Bei didn't care how others viewed him; he went to the tavern solely for Ye Xiaohan. As long as she was within his sight, everything else could be ignored.
"By the way," Ye Xiaohan suddenly remembered and asked, "Has the decision regarding those Bandits been made?"
At that time, besides those who were killed, many were captured or surrendered. A significant portion of them were the elderly, women, and children. Although they had lived off the Bandits, they had never killed anyone themselves.
Ye Xiaohan hoped that the emperor would show mercy and spare the lives of those who were not guilty of death. Gu Bei fully supported her idea. After years of warfare, he had witnessed much death and understood even more the value of life.
After Gu Bei's repeated petitions, and in order to demonstrate the court's leniency—so that other Bandits or criminals would see that surrendering might lead to lighter penalties—the emperor agreed to this request.
The most vicious were brought to justice, while the elderly, women, and children were exiled to remote areas where they could never return. They would be strictly guarded to prevent any further incidents.
In any case, they had managed to save their lives.
Ye Xiaohan was quite satisfied with this outcome. She felt no sympathy for those Bandits; they should have considered the consequences of their actions when they committed murder and robbery.
However, life is precious, and if there is hope for survival, one should grasp it as tightly as possible.
"I hope they can find some enlightenment there and learn to live well," Ye Xiaohan thought of those who had been captured at the Bandit Hideout. Those people had treated her kindly.
Even with their guard up, it did not diminish their enthusiasm towards Ye Xiaohan.
Gu Bei knew that Ye Xiaohan valued loyalty and affection. Even though she often spoke about money and seemed uninterested in anything else besides making a profit, she would not engage in unnecessary interactions with others.
Yet Gu Bei had always noticed the tenderness within Ye Xiaohan's heart.
"Don't worry, someone is keeping an eye on them. Even if they are unwilling in their hearts, they can't do anything," Gu Bei reassured. "After some time, they will get used to this way of life and won't think about returning to the days of living on the edge."
Gu Bei's words lacked any technical embellishment and sounded somewhat harsh, yet they managed to calm Ye Xiaohan's restless mood.
"You're right; I'm just worrying for nothing," Ye Xiaohan replied with a smile, unconsciously softening her attitude towards Gu Bei.
Seeing the slight smile at the corner of Ye Xiaohan's mouth lifted Gu Bei's spirits as well. He casually asked, "What does 'worrying for nothing' mean?"
Ah, Ye Xiaohan rolled her eyes. It slipped out so easily that she forgot this world had no such story of 'worrying for nothing.' Gu Bei was really something; why did he have to nitpick? Couldn't he find something else to talk about?
Ye Xiaohan shot Gu Bei an annoyed glance, unwilling to explain. Instead, she busied herself, saying, "You should hurry back. We have court tomorrow; you can't keep dragging this out. Your injury has just started to heal, and you're running around everywhere. You might as well stay home and recuperate! Go on, go!"
With no choice but to leave reluctantly, Gu Bei returned to the General's residence. He hadn't even figured out how to propose yet and was already being frequently sent away.
He felt a bit melancholic.
During the second court session, Gu Bei became the center of attention. The Emperor praised him endlessly, and the officials echoed the Emperor's sentiments, stepping forward to congratulate Gu Bei.
"Gu Ai Qing, you have made great contributions in suppressing the bandits. I intend to hold a celebration banquet for you. What do you think?" The Emperor was in a good mood; with the country stable, he could afford to relax a bit.
Once the Emperor spoke, even if Gu Bei was unwilling, he absolutely could not refuse. After all, when the Emperor made a statement like that, it wasn't a discussion; it was a notification.
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