ebookland Chapter 322 The March
Chapter 322 The March
Shen Li's farewell to Gu Chang'an was not as sad as she had imagined. Gu Chang'an simply held her in bed and talked about the future.
The consensus was that with the Crown Prince's downfall and Emperor Cheng's obvious loss of control, it was time to find a way to secure his position as soon as possible.
"After this is over, let's go for a walk in the East China Sea together," Gu Chang'an said, kissing her forehead.
Shen Li replied softly, "I will listen to my husband."
She longed to go out with him.
"Alright, don't think about the rest. We have to go on a campaign tomorrow, so get some sleep." Gu Chang'an didn't want her to overthink things.
Shen Li felt grateful to Gu Chang'an, who not only didn't stop her but also didn't want to put any pressure on her.
She didn't say it this time, but she believed Gu Chang'an could sense it.
"I'm coming back to bring a gift for my husband." She changed the subject to something lighter.
Gu Chang'an continued talking, and the two chatted for a long time before going to sleep. The next day, Shen Li woke up very early.
The emperor, along with his officials, saw off the 50,000-strong army at the city gate. The people on both sides were deeply moved. At that moment, everyone had only one hope in their hearts: to win the battle.
Wearing armor, Shen Li followed the general to bid farewell to Emperor Cheng and her parents. Her gaze lingered on Gu Chang'an's face for a moment before she turned, mounted her horse, and departed with the army.
Xiao Bailing held Shen Zizai's hand tightly, her eyes reddening.
Gu Chang'an did not show his worry, but his gaze followed Shen Li's departing figure as if he wanted to go with her.
Another imperial censor accompanied Shen Li, and he was sitting in the carriage.
Shen Li put on armor because she didn't intend to travel with the army; she had her own path to follow.
This army of 50,000 was also the main force of the three major camps. The commander was over fifty years old and was a former subordinate of the Xiao family, named Xu Sheng.
Shen Li rode up to Xu Sheng and rode alongside him.
"Lord Shen, what can I do for you?" Xu Sheng immediately bowed to Shen Li, his demeanor neither humble nor arrogant, exuding righteousness.
Anyone with common sense knows that military governors are even more terrifying than enemies; the swords in the hands of their censors are invisible, making it all too easy for them to kill someone.
Xu Sheng's fighting skills were average, and his time with the Xiao family's army had made him indifferent to life and death, so he was not afraid of the censors.
He respected Shen Li mainly because of her relationship with the Xiao family.
"Uncle Xu, with you in charge, the army will surely be safe. I'd like to take a small team and take a different route. What do you think, Uncle?" Shen Li asked directly.
She learned from her maternal grandparents' home from a young age that it's best not to beat around the bush when speaking to military officers, otherwise they might not understand each other's meaning.
“No, the marching route was determined by the Ministry of War. Changing the route without authorization is a capital offense.” Xu Sheng frowned.
Upon hearing this, a fleeting thought flashed through Shen Li's mind, but due to being preoccupied with other matters, it vanished quickly before she continued, "It was His Majesty's approval."
Xu Sheng looked at Shen Li with a surprised expression.
When they set up camp at noon, Shen Li's gold medal had already been handed to Xu Sheng. Xu Sheng swallowed and said, "In that case, I can't control you anymore, but you can only take your three thousand soldiers with you."
Shen Li agreed to all of them, and finally held up one finger: "I will only take one thousand people with me, please take care of the others, Uncle."
"That's not difficult." Xu Sheng raised his hand with an air of importance and asked, "Where are you going?"
Shen Li looked at the map hanging in the tent and uttered two words with conviction: "Jiangnan."