The fast horse galloped down the empty, long street. The night wind whipped past her ears, yet Shangguan Yunying could not calm her racing heart no matter how hard she tried.
For as long as she could remember, this was the very first time... she had been this close to a man.
When Gu Chengyin frankly admitted that he did not know how to ride, she had originally planned to immediately summon a female official skilled in equestrianism to take him.
But she never expected that Her Highness, who had been silent all along, would speak up at that moment: "Since Steward Gu cannot ride, Yunying, you shall take him along."
With that said, Her Highness flicked the reins and rode off first, giving Shangguan Yunying no opportunity to decline or make other arrangements.
Though her tone was light, it was an absolute decree.
Once Her Highness had spoken, even if it meant charging into a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, Shangguan Yunying would only obey.
With matters at this point, she had to bite the bullet and let Gu Chengyin mount the horse to sit behind her.
Fortunately, the North Gate was already in sight; the distance was not far.
What reassured her even more was that after mounting, Gu Chengyin merely rested his hands lightly against the sides of her waist to maintain his balance.
His grip was gentle, his hand placement was proper, and there were no unnecessary movements or intimate closeness. He behaved like a perfect gentleman.
This unexpected propriety quietly raised Shangguan Yunying's estimation of Gu Chengyin by a few degrees.
...
Outside the North Gate, torches blazed fiercely.
Chen Busha was pacing back and forth, yet there was little anxiety between his brows.
The hidden spies and death-sworn assassins within the city had all been recalled. The entire Golden Feather Guard had obeyed orders, shedding their heavy armor and large supply loads. Carrying only their personal weapons and three days' worth of rations, both men and horses traveled light.
Upon seeing this army, which seemed to have cast off an invisible shackle, Chen Busha felt his initial worries about abandoning their heavy gear strangely fade away.
Replacing it was a sharp excitement, akin to a blade being drawn from its sheath.
"Your Highness!"
The sound of approaching hooves rang out from afar. Chen Busha immediately went forward, clasping his fist in salute to the fake Luo Zhao who arrived first.
Immediately after, his gaze fell upon the figure behind Shangguan Yunying, who had followed closely behind.
"Steward Gu."
Chen Busha turned to Gu Chengyin, who was dismounting. His voice was loud and clear, carrying through the silent night.
"The thirty thousand troops of the Golden Feather Guard have all assembled here. We have finished shedding our heavy gear and await your orders!"
Gu Chengyin stepped down steadily, his gaze sweeping over the dark, dense, yet utterly silent military formation behind Chen Busha.
The firelight illuminated faces that were resolute and silent. No one whispered to each other; no one moved out of turn.
They stood like statues forged of flesh and blood. Only the sound of breathing and the occasional snorts of the warhorses intertwined in the night wind, forming a grim and deadly rhythm.
He walked up to Chen Busha. His voice was not loud, but every word was clear enough for the nearby commanders to hear:
"General Chen, time is of the essence. I will outline three points on behalf of Her Highness."
"First, from this moment on, if anyone encounters any enemy, regardless of their size, the first priority is not to engage in combat."
"It is to stay alive. You must utilize the speed advantage of traveling light, and then, under safe conditions, report the enemy's tracks, troop strength, and movements to Her Highness as quickly as possible."
Gu Chengyin tapped his own forehead. "Intelligence is more important than a momentary victory or defeat."
"Second, on this march, Her Highness will lead the charge at the front. However, the route and pace may change at any time, perhaps even frequently."
"Everyone must follow the banner closely and maintain a highly mobile formation. Her Highness will not allow anyone to fall behind!"
He turned back and pointed at Shangguan Yunying, who had dismounted and was walking over. "Therefore, Her Highness has ordered Lady Shangguan to activate all the Luoshan Tokens from the Internal Affairs Department. I must trouble General Chen to distribute them to the commanders of each battalion."
"Every command from Her Highness will be relayed in real time through the Luoshan Tokens, ensuring that military orders flow smoothly and without the slightest delay."
Finally, Gu Chengyin turned around to face the thirty thousand silent soldiers.
The firelight danced in his eyes. His voice suddenly rose, carrying a soul-piercing power that was clearly delivered to the ears of every soldier listening intently:
"Third."
He paused for a moment, his gaze blazing like a torch as it swept across those faces, some young and some weathered, illuminated by the flickering firelight.
Then, he solemnly raised his hand, pointing at the fake Luo Zhao sitting quietly on horseback to the side:
"A verbal decree from Her Highness:"
His voice was deep, steady, and powerful, every word striking the hearts of the soldiers:
"As long as you follow her banner closely, without falling a single step behind..."
The night wind seemed to stop at this moment. Thirty thousand gazes shot in unison toward that black-clad figure.
"She, Luo Zhao, the Eldest Princess of the Great Luo, will surely bring every single one of you..."
Gu Chengyin took a deep breath and decisively spat out that single, momentous word:
"Home!"
A brief, suffocating silence followed.
Countless gazes locked firmly onto that calm figure on horseback. There was shock, there was hope, there was the exhaustion of surviving bloody battles, and above all, there was a pure, burning loyalty ignited by that very word.
Then, someone let out a low roar, like the lighting of a fuse.
Seething emotions exploded within the military formation, transforming into a deep, thunderous chorus of response:
"Loyalty!"
The voices were not shrill, but carried the weight and resolve of iron and blood. They echoed heavily between the city walls, as if seeking to brand this vow onto the very canvas of the night sky.
Chen Busha's chest heaved violently. He abruptly clasped his fists, his armor plates clashing together. His voice trembled slightly with emotion:
"This general respectfully obeys Her Highness's decree! I am willing to lay down my life for Her Highness!"
Shangguan Yunying stood to the side and behind Gu Chengyin. Gazing at his straight back, she listened to the landslide of promises and the word home echoing in her own heart.
A certain string in her heart was gently plucked, sending ripples through her.
Meanwhile, the real Luo Zhao, floating in mid-air, had already narrowed her phantom-like eyes into dangerous slits.
Traveling light, avoiding battles, prioritizing intelligence, adopting a flexible pace, and using the Luoshan Tokens for communication...
And that final sentence—tying the entire army's morale and loyalty to the name Luo Zhao with the promise of bringing them home.
These seemingly scattered commands began to piece together a blurry yet increasingly clear outline in her mind.
Abandoning frontal confrontations and entrenched defense in favor of extreme speed, absolute information relay, and flexible mobility.
Coupled with the psychological control and morale-building forged in the name of Luo Zhao.
These methods and stratagems made the real Luo Zhao feel that Gu Chengyin was very likely the master strategist she had been searching for all along.
But what left her most palpitating and bewildered was the extreme contradiction within Gu Chengyin.
He had clearly used treacherous arts to attack and control her, yet at this moment, he was unwaveringly anchoring the entire army's spiritual pillar upon her.
So was he fighting for her, or was he merely using her?
If it were the latter, why would he attribute this supreme, unifying honor to her?
If it were the former... then what was the point of his initial attack?
This completely paradoxical conflict between his motives and actions plunged even the deeply insightful real Luo Zhao into momentary confusion.
She watched Gu Chengyin's profile, half-lit and half-shadowed by the firelight, and felt that the fog shrouding this man had not only failed to dissipate.
Instead, it had become even more unfathomable with his every move.