Chаpter 13: Gu Таng Аsрirеs tо Bесоme thе First Femаle Genеrаl Sincе the Fоunding оf Grеat Liаng
Аfter sауing this, shе turnеd оvеr tо sleеp.
Fасing inward, her back turnеd towаrd him.
She ignоrеd him соmpletеly.
Outsidе, а suddеn night rаin begаn, pаttering noisilу аgаinst thе grеen gаuze windows.
Thе sоund реrsistеd for a long timе, muсh likе Gu Chаngcе’s state оf mind аt thаt mоment.
Thоugh hе closеd his eyеs, his mind rеmаinеd clеаr and wide awake.
It was not until thе eаrlу light оf dаwn thе neхt day.
When thе wind had сeаsed, thе rain had stopped, and the sky had brightened outside the bedroom.
That Gu Changce vaguely came to understand—Shen Zuihuan had likely only recalled some unimportant matters.
…Otherwise, why would she be willing to share the same bed with him?
Early in the morning, as soon as Shen Zuihuan opened her eyes, she found herself staring directly into the man’s bloodshot dark eyes.
Dark circles shadowed the area beneath his eyes.
Startled, Shen Zuihuan rolled away from his embrace.
Wrapping herself in the quilt, she nestled against the inner side of the bed and asked, “Gu Changce, did you not sleep well last night?”
She wondered to herself—could it be that she had been restless in her sleep?
Had she disturbed him?
The man glanced down at her, remained silent for a moment, then replied softly, “It was acceptable.”
His gaze lingered on her face for a while.
Only when he detected no obvious signs of aversion on her expression did he finally feel at ease.
With a long stride, he got out of bed, reached for his clothes, and put them on.
Just as he fastened his dark blue waistband, he heard Shen Zuihuan let out a soft gasp of surprise.
Turning to look at her, he saw Shen Zuihuan burying her face in the brocade quilt, muffling her question: “Did you change my clothes for me?”
She didn’t remember undressing herself before falling asleep last night, but this morning, she found herself wearing only an undergarment.
She felt a faint warmth spreading across her face.
Gu Changce paused briefly, then responded in a low voice, “Yes.”
As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
For some reason, at that moment, Shen Zuihuan suddenly felt the reality that the two of them were husband and wife.
She lifted her head.
Just in time to see Gu Changce straightening his robes as he said to her calmly, “I’m going to the training grounds to practice swordplay. Once you’re ready, you can go directly to Jade Dew Hall with Rou Jia for breakfast.”
Shen Zuihuan nodded.
After washing up and drying his face with a cloth, he turned and strode away.
Not long after Gu Changce left, Qiu Yan entered carrying a copper basin filled with water.
After helping Shen Zuihuan wash up and change clothes, they headed to Jade Dew Hall.
By then, Gu Tang had already been waiting there for a while.
She originally had morning lessons, but she didn’t want to attend—instead, she wanted to go to the training grounds to practice swordplay.
Though young, Gu Tang was a girl with great ambitions.
The Xiongnu were brutal and bloodthirsty, repeatedly invading Great Liang’s borders for decades.
Left Virtuous King Xiu Tu, in particular, was cunning and shrewd, almost demonically intelligent. In several major battles, he had practically overwhelmed the border garrison generals.
Even Gu Tang’s grandfather, the veteran general Xingyan Gu, had suffered several defeats at his hands.
A few days earlier, Gu Tang had heard from Liu Heyu.
About how the Xiongnu had seized Great Liang’s lands and homes, and bullied the elderly, weak, women, and children of Great Liang.
She had always been hot-tempered, and hearing this infuriated her—she gritted her teeth in hatred.
She wished she could immediately “abandon literature for martial arts” and kill the Xiongnu’s true current ruler, Left Virtuous King Xiu Tu.
Last night, just thinking about the perilous situation of the border people made her chest feel tight, as if she couldn’t breathe.So last night, between sobs, she had scrawled in crooked handwriting on the title page of the Thousand Character Classic her plan to skip class and practice martial arts today.
But she never expected that on the very first day of her planned truancy,
she would run straight into her stern and impartial father at the training grounds.
Gu Tang turned around and tried to flee.
But Gu Changce grabbed her by the back of her collar and lifted her up.
Frowning, he asked her, “I recall you have morning lessons today. Why aren’t you eating breakfast? What are you doing at the training grounds?”
Gu Tang hadn’t had time to drop the short sword in her hand. Stiffening her neck, she turned her head to look at him.
She forced an awkward smile and said, “…Father, you must be mistaken. The academy teacher gave us a holiday today.”
But Gu Changce’s gaze was heavy and dark, clearly not believing her nonsense.
Gu Tang scrunched up her little face, trying to think of an excuse, but her mind was too tense.
For a moment, she couldn’t think of anything at all.
So she simply decided to throw caution to the wind: “…Fine, the teacher didn’t say we had a holiday. I just don’t want to go to the academy.”
“Dad~ I don’t like studying,” she softened her voice, trying to wheedle him. “I want to practice martial arts with you. Please let me practice with you~”
“I want to be a general in the future, go to the battlefield, and fight the enemy!”
“I, Gu Tang, will be the first female general since the founding of Great Liang!”
Hearing this, Gu Changce replied rather helplessly, “Even a female general can’t be completely illiterate.”
He earnestly admonished her, “If you don’t study properly, you won’t even be able to understand military manuals in the future.”
Gu Tang retorted defiantly, “Dad, you don’t like reading military manuals either, but you still managed to defeat the Xiongnu and make them flee in disarray.”
Gu Changce was caught off guard by her sudden rebuttal.
Yes, he didn’t like reading military manuals, but he hadn’t neglected his studies during the years when he should have been learning.
This girl was usually idle and unstudied, yet when it came to arguing, she had a whole set of reasoning.
Moreover, she was a girl, and he couldn’t bring himself to beat her harshly.
Gu Changce truly had no way to deal with her, so he had to try a different approach.
He loosened his grip and set the little girl down on the ground.
Crouching down to meet her eye level, he asked calmly, “You really don’t want to go to school?”
Gu Tang sheathed her short sword and answered with full confidence, “How could that be false?”
He raised an eyebrow. “But your mother is waiting for you at Jade Dew Hall for breakfast. She said she would take you to the academy this morning.”
After saying this, he pretended to sigh with feigned regret.
His thin lips parted slightly. “It seems your mother is destined to be disappointed today…”
Upon hearing this, the little girl instantly panicked. She asked incredulously, “Father, are you really not tricking me?… Is Mother really waiting for me to eat?”
Gu Changce stood up, lifting his chin slightly. “How could that be false.”
Before he could finish his sentence, Gu Tang, clutching her short sword, had already run off into the distance.
Gu Changce, still standing behind her, called out with a smile, “Weren’t you going to practice swordsmanship with me? Why aren’t you practicing now?”
As she scurried toward Jade Dew Hall on her short little legs, she waved her plump, childlike arms behind her back at Gu Changce.
She shouted back, “Not practicing! I’ll practice tomorrow!”