Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 102 War Erupts

For nearly five months, the two sides of Da Chu and Nan Zhao have been engaged in back-and-forth battles, with the battle lines stretched out and war breaking out on all sides.

Initially, a single Nanzhao general seized Liquan Pass and plundered Liquan County, Mingzhi County, and Caoguan County. Later, reinforcements from the Great Chu court arrived and directly attacked the three passes and four counties of Nanzhao. Both sides suffered losses and were evenly matched.

The battle was extremely intense.

Logically speaking, Nanzhao was weaker than the Great Chu in terms of national strength. However, in recent years, the Great Chu court has become corrupt. The emperor was obsessed with alchemy and the pursuit of immortality, neglecting to handle state affairs. Factions formed within the court, and some people even secretly exchanged goods with neighboring countries and amassed wealth in private. As a result, people in many parts of the Great Chu were suffering.

Nanzhao seized this opportunity, plundering and massacring cities without any scruples.

Therefore, Nanzhao's military expedition was not only due to its geographical advantage, but also because the internal turmoil of the Great Chu created an opportunity. In addition, Nanzhao's unexpected breach of the pass threw the troops stationed in many parts of the southwest of the Great Chu into chaos.

Fortunately, the generals of the Great Chu were quite brave, and although the army was not particularly strong, it was still quite loyal to its duties.

Even now, the two sides remain deadlocked and have suffered losses on both sides, but the Chu army has more soldiers and generals and is still gaining a slight advantage.

Until news came that the Nanzhao Kingdom hoped to negotiate peace with the Great Chu.

Gu Qingyue was also surprised when she heard the news. Although Nanzhao had not gained the upper hand, it was making great strides in many parts of Da Chu and had taken the lead in proposing peace talks.

Just as Gu Qingyue had thought, most of the military generals of the Great Chu were opposed to the war, while the anti-war faction in the court proposed that the two sides make a marriage alliance as a premise and a sign of sincerity in the negotiations, which was opposed by the upright faction in the court.

An imperial censor strongly advised: "If a mere woman has the ability to bring peace and stability to the country, what use are the court officials, military generals, and soldiers? What will become of the court's reputation? What will become of the reputation of the ancestors of the Great Chu?"

The Great Chu Kingdom has been established for nearly three hundred years, and has never had a princess sent to marry a foreign ruler.

Because of this incident, the censor committed suicide by hitting his head against a pillar in the main hall. At that time, the crown prince was overseeing the country and was so angered by the censor and a group of scholars that he nearly fainted and reportedly vomited blood, causing chaos in the court.

Meanwhile, several vassal kings in their fiefdoms were stirring up trouble, secretly making waves in the court. In nearly a year, the situation in the Great Chu had spread from the southwestern border to the court and all parts of the country.

It was another sunny morning. Although it was late summer, the southwest was still mostly humid and hot, but the morning was relatively refreshing.

Gu Qingyue stood at the highest point of the camp, where there was a crooked tree, scientifically known as hawthorn.

By now, the hawthorn trees were laden with small fruits, creating a lively scene.

Leaning against a tree trunk, he pondered the battle reports coming from various passes over the past few months, his mood somber.

She had overheard Zhao Lansheng and some military officers casually mentioning the changes in the court. As the Great Chu was in turmoil, she, as a military doctor and the owner of Wenxianglou in Lizhou Prefecture, would naturally be affected.

Gu Qingyue hadn't seen Mu Yun Chu in the camp for quite some time.

According to Zhao Lansheng, the army under Colonel Mu has been moving around to provide assistance in many places and it is still unknown when they will be able to return to the Lizhou camp.

Gu Qingyue neither confirmed nor denied this.

She only hoped that Mu Yun Chu would be safe and sound; she didn't want to think about anything else.

Gu Qingyue sat down on the ground, enjoying the refreshing morning breeze.

She wanted to go back to Lizhou. She had promised Rong Zesheng that she would take him to see Rong Qingqing when she returned to Lizhou.

Recalling how Rong Zesheng cried uncontrollably upon learning of his grandfather's passing, Gu Qingyue felt a pang of sympathy.

She wasn't a good person, so she often couldn't empathize. However, she did think of her deceased grandfather. She hadn't thought about her past life for a long time; it was too far away.

Gu Qingyue squinted and looked up at the blue sky without a single cloud. The sky was high and vast. If only it were a bird.

Lowering her head, she thought of what was happening before her, and that she herself was on the battlefield where two armies were fighting. A sense of unease and panic swept through her heart. She desperately wanted to go back to Lizhou!

Since returning from Yuding Pass with Mu Yun Chu, war broke out quickly, and she has never returned to Lizhou again. She was so busy that she didn't even have time to sleep.

Last night she finally found some free time and spoke with the head of the military doctor's office, and was granted a few days' leave.

Once the handover is completed today, you can leave.

The next day, Gu Qingyue, along with Rong Zesheng, who had been working as a 'temporary worker' in the military camp, rode towards Lizhou City.

Because Mu Yun Chu received a message from Rong Zesheng (then Xu San) in advance during the operation to eliminate the Dark Eagles, the mission was successfully completed, and Rong Zesheng made a great contribution.

Therefore, when he arrived at the Lizhou camp, he was temporarily assigned to the armory to guard the weapons. Rong Zesheng himself did not want to join the army, so Gu Qingyue took him back with her when she returned to the city.

Upon entering the Gu residence, Gu Qingyue saw a row of young men standing in front of her.

They were all in high spirits, and their overall demeanor had undergone a dramatic transformation. In particular, they had grown taller in just over half a year, and their once thin shoulders had become strong and muscular due to long-term martial arts training. They all had rosy cheeks and were full of energy.

Gu Qingyue was very gratified. With her meager efforts, she had prevented these children from starving to death on the streets, but instead gave them a brand new life, and they were living vibrantly.

Thinking of this, Gu Qingyue was deeply moved.

She calmed herself down and then introduced Rong Zesheng to everyone.

Upon hearing this name, Rong Qingqing rushed over, grabbed Rong Zesheng's arm, and her eyes welled up with tears of excitement.

"You're Rong Zesheng? Where have you been for the past five years? Do you know how long your grandfather waited for you? How much he suffered?"

As Rong Qingqing spoke, she thought of her uncle's death again, and grief welled up within her, causing her to choke out a sob.

Upon hearing this, Rong Zesheng's amber eyes were filled with sadness and regret.

He had already heard from Gu Qingyue that his grandfather's death was related to Pan Shisan's coercion, and he had already repented a thousand times over. He had been Pan Shisan's henchman for five years, while his grandfather was suppressed and coerced, and lost his life.

He felt that although he was forced to join Dark Hawk to protect his family, he was also afraid of death and cowardly.

Rong Zesheng clenched his fists tightly, lowered his head, and fiercely suppressed the sorrow and tears that were about to burst forth. His shoulders trembled slightly, and he couldn't say a word. He felt guilty.

I remember when I was young and impetuous, I pestered my grandfather to let me go on a trip. At first, my grandfather disagreed, but later he couldn't resist my insistence and nodded in agreement.

"Remember, nothing else matters. Just stay alive and come back safe and sound, and Grandpa will be at ease." Rong Zesheng will never forget the look in his grandfather's eyes when he left, a look of worry, relief, and deep reluctance.

He returned, burdened with a blood feud and having failed his grandfather's expectations, but he finally came back.

He will definitely avenge himself!

"Alright, go inside, tidy up, go see your grandfather, light some incense for him, and tell him you're back safe and sound. He worries about you the most."

Rong Qingqing wiped away her tears and looked at the man, who was suppressing his sadness and had his head down. She couldn't be too harsh on him anymore and just hoped that he could live well as her uncle had hoped.

Only after watching Rong Qingqing lead Rong Zesheng away did Gu Qingyue and the boys come to their senses.

The boys immediately ran over and surrounded Gu Qingyue.

Wen Qinghong patted Gu Qingyue's shoulder: "Qingyue, why are you still so thin? Hmm, you've grown taller, but why aren't you more muscular?" He then pinched her arm, quite dissatisfied: "Why are your arms still so thin? Are you not getting enough to eat in the army?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyue wanted to roll her eyes. If she were also strong and muscular, wouldn't she be devastated?

Gu Qingyue revealed a smug and wicked smile: "My natural physique is that of a tall, slender, and handsome man. Are you envious?"

Gu Qingyue casually patted Wen Qinghong's chest. Hmm, it feels good, solid and robust!

In just over half a year, he grew much taller. The fourteen-year-old boy was already almost 1.8 meters tall, which shows that more exercise does help him grow taller.

Wen Qinghong's eye twitched. "How can you call yourself a man when you're so skinny? What's with all this pride?"