sn't doing well right now. It's a rare occasion for our family to get together today, so let's not dwell on these unhappy things."Du Zixian patted his wife's hand and said in a low voice.Zhou Minhui g...Qi Shaohang left, but he still shouted:

"Save the people first!"

Immediately, a squad of guards followed Qi Shaohang and went after the Concubine.

This cavalry unit of the Hu people were experts in hit-and-run raids. Seeing that Gu Die'er's convoy was large, they wanted to steal some things, create some chaos, and then return to their territory. They didn't expect an unexpected gain, so they didn't linger in battle. After getting what they wanted, they quickly retreated.

Soon after, the news reached Xin Yuan that Gu Fei had been attacked and taken captive by the Hu people. He was so angry that he smashed the teacup in his hand. What the Hu people had done was a humiliation to him.

So he immediately mustered his troops, preparing to personally go and rescue them. At this time, General Fan, the commander of the border city, stepped forward to block him.

"Your Majesty, please think carefully before acting. Perhaps this is a scheme by the Hu people to make you lose your composure and lead you into mistakes. If this is their trap, luring Your Majesty to them, then they will threaten Consort Gu and we will lose the initiative."

Xin Yuan's steps faltered for a moment. He had to admit, General Fan made a lot of sense. Empress Gu was bait in their hands, intended to lure him into action, allowing Hu Yan to find his weaknesses and ultimately take him down.

"Concubine Gu must be saved!"

"Your Majesty, leave the rescue to us. We will bring Lady Gu back safely."

Seeing that his words had taken effect, General Fan immediately said.

"Alright, I shall await your good news."

When General Fan received the order, he immediately set out with his men. It took three days, and when he returned, he brought back the body of Consort Gu and the corpse of Hu Yanchi's son, Hu Yanhui.

Xin Yuan clutched his chest, suddenly feeling a sharp pain. He slumped down in his chair and gritted his teeth, asking:

"Fan Lin, this is the person you brought back for me!"

"Your Majesty, please forgive my tardiness. I arrived a step too late and failed to complete Your Majesty's order. I have let You down. Please punish me as you see fit."

General Fan knelt directly on the ground to plead guilty.

Xinyuan calmed himself down and then said:

"Tell me more about it."

"Yes."

General Fan then explained everything in detail.

After Gu Die'er was taken away, she was caught up by Qi Shao Hang and his men, and the two sides even fought.

Qi Shao Hang was afraid that the other party would bring Gu Die'er back to the Hu tribe's territory, so they would be fish on a chopping board. Therefore, he ordered an all-out attack on the enemy cavalry, forcing them to change their route and driving the Hu people into a cliffside in the forest.

Qi Shaohang's goal was to save people, so he didn't dare to kill. He could only surround the opponent's every retreat.

The leader of this cavalry unit was Hu Yanlie, the youngest and most beloved son of Hu Yanzhi. He led the bravest Hu tribe cavalrymen, but he secretly came out for military glory, so his reinforcements couldn't arrive immediately.

But he also discovered that the woman in his hands seemed very important, important enough that the Liang Dynasty soldiers surrounding them didn't dare to make a decisive move. He immediately became arrogant, placing Gu Die'er in front of him as a human shield, trying to use her to escape.

Qi Shaohang was anxious, but he still played along with the other party until General Fan arrived with his troops. When Huyan Lie realized he had no chance of escape, he decided to use Gu Die'er to break through.

Despite always being at the mercy of others, Gu Die'er suddenly exerted herself. She used her hairpin to stab Hulan Lie's arm, which was holding her captive. The man let out a cry of pain and retracted his arm. Gu Die'er took advantage of this opportunity to push him to the ground, then shouted at General Fan and the others:

"I was held captive by bandits for a day and a night, I am no longer clean and cannot serve the emperor. I don't want to cause the emperor any trouble, please tell the emperor for me to avenge me, and on my face, do not punish the Gu family."

After finishing his words, he jumped off the cliff without hesitation. Everyone was shocked, especially Qi Shaohang. His heart ached for a moment, and then when Huyan Lie reacted and tried to escape, he also charged forward with his sword, piercing the opponent's heart with one strike.

General Fan was greatly shaken. He knew this time he would probably be punished, so he immediately waved his hand to have his men disarm the remaining Hu cavalry. Then, from these men, he learned of Huyan Lie's identity.

Subsequently, General Fan immediately ordered someone to search for Gu Die'er's body at the bottom of the cliff. The Emperor definitely wanted to see the living and the dead.

The next day, General Fan's subordinates found the body of Consort Gu. She had already passed away, so they could only carry her corpse back to report.

Xin Yuan finally arrived at the stretcher. He glanced at Gu Die'er, whose face was pale, covered in blood and wounds. In the end, he helplessly waved his hand:

"After properly preparing the body, it was sent back to Gu's family in Youzhou and buried in their ancestral tomb. This fulfilled the filial piety owed to Lady Gu."

"Yes!"

Xin Yuan closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, there was only cold ruthlessness in them.

"Hanging Hulan's body on the city wall is my return gift!"

"Yes!"

Both corpses were carried away, only their destinations differed. While Qi Shao Hang and the others remained kneeling outside the main tent, awaiting the emperor's punishment. They blamed themselves for not protecting Consort Gu well enough, which led to this tragedy.

Xin Yuan knew now was not the time to deal with these people. He only had them punished by being given unfavorable guard duty, beaten with ten military rods, and then assigned to the front line troops, where they charged into battle at the forefront.

Qi Shao Hang had no objections to this punishment. He acknowledged his mistake, and since the Emperor had given him a chance to make amends, he would do his best to compensate. Therefore, when he went into battle against the Hu tribes, he was exceptionally valiant.

And Hu Yanchi, seeing the corpse hanging on the city wall spit out a mouthful of blood, was utterly enraged. He recklessly launched a full-scale assault, determined to reclaim his youngest son's body and avenge him.

Because of his rage, Hu Yanzhi still revealed flaws, allowing Xin Yuan to seize the opportunity and defeat him in one fell swoop. The opponent's head was chopped off by Qi Shaohang, which also avenged Gu Die'er.

Xin Yuan finally ended the battle before winter arrived. He enfeoffed meritorious generals in Liangzhou, gave the border a major overhaul, and then returned home triumphantly with his accomplishments.

Qi Shaohang, having slain the Hu chieftain, was considered to have made a great accomplishment. He was thus assigned to the Vanguard Camp as a deputy general, stationed in Fengmi City. In case of war, they would be the first to engage the enemy.

While Mrs. Gu, upon receiving her daughter's corpse, was overwhelmed with grief and fell gravely ill, Gu Minglang quickly took over the family business. However, due to his youth and the fact that the family's finances were already strained, he found himself scrambling. As a result, the Gu family's business began to falter.

As colleagues, some people are like sharks that smell blood and immediately pounce, causing Gu's business to go downhill.

Just when Gu Minglang was at his wits' end, Madam Gu finally fell seriously ill and passed away. Gu Minglang could only put aside his current affairs and first arrange for his mother's funeral.

Because Gu Die'er's coffin was brought back, there were no other appointments besides the emperor's, so some people thought that Gu Die'er had been abandoned by the emperor and only brought back after she died.

And the news that Gu Die'er was raped before her death also spread back to Youzhou. The number of mourners who came to offer condolences immediately dwindled, while those who came to collect debts instead made a huge commotion at the funeral and accidentally smashed Gu Minglang's skull.es. Don't be stingy with the rice and noodles either. Make them for my younger brother. While he's young, we should nourish him."The Dong family hired a cart to take me. I bought some things in town,...