Gold and Jade on the outside [Rebirth]

Chapter 68 The end is also the beginning

On the day of the Northern Expedition, it was sunny and the people seeing off the soldiers lined up all the way to the city gate. The disaster victims outside the city were also eagerly waiting to see the army leave.

Gu Chen sat astride the war horse, his expression indifferent, showing no emotion.

General Meng turned back to look at him then slowed down to ride side by side with him. He said in a low voice: "If Your Royal Highness regrets, there is still a way to turn back. Once you cross the city gate, it will be too late."

Gu Chen raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why does General Meng say this?"

"In my opinion, Your Highness's action are of no use. With Zhu Wei's fall, the Eldest Prince has lost his most powerful support. Your Highness's stay in the capital at this time will serve as a check and balance. If Your Highness go to the northern frontier and the two armies fight, any accident may happen. By then, Your Highness may not even be alive so what will he fight for?"

Gu Chen only smiled faintly and did not answer.

Meng Tingwei's shrewd eyes flashed with surprise and asked: "Why is Your Highness laughing? Did I say something wrong?"

Gu Chen said: "If others said this, gu would not find it funny but it was just said by General Meng. It's quite interesting. If you have to question the stakes first in everything, then gu dares to ask the General, what is the benefit of leading an army of 50,000 in the Northern Expedition at the age of sixty-years-old?"

Meng Tingwei's eyes were bright. He looked at the vast sky, raising his hand to cover the dazzling light, he said: "I spent half of my life on the battlefield, sacrificing my life for the country and wrapping my body in horse leather. This is my lifelong ambition."

Gu Chen smiled and said: "The General's righteousness is far superior to that of gu. Gu just privately thinks that the Gu family's country should be guarded by someone named Gu."

Meng Tingwei's hand holding the reins trembled. He looked back and saw that the boy's face was still childish but his black eyes were deep and sharp, making it hard to see through.

Through this face, he seemed to see Emperor Taizong's appearance when he was young. He was equally unfathomable with a restrained edge but with the potential to swallow the sky. The Emperor once stood on the top of the clouds in the Tianshan Mountains, pointed to the great rivers and mountains and said to him: "Fansheng, do you see that from now on, the surname of these thousands of miles of rivers and mountains is Gu!"

Meng Tingwei looked away, his face stained by the wind and frost of the years. A smile escaped from the corner of his mouth and he said: "I am ignorant."

- Your Majesty, can you see that the grandson you personally selected is worthy of great responsibility.

Among the crowd seeing them off, there was a white-faced scholar with a child in brocade clothes. They were squeezing around in the crowd and looking embarrassed. It was Liu Jinyun and Lu Ziyan.

Lu Ziyan rode on Liu Jinyun's shoulder and urged: "Master Liu, no matter how high it is, I still can't see."

Liu Jinyun complained incessantly. He must have been stupid to agree to Marquis Lu and be his nephew's teacher. It is better to be ridiculed by the novice monks in Jinguang Temple than to battle wits and courage with this youth every day.

He stood up on tiptoes with difficulty and advised: "Brother Yan, if you have seen enough excitement, let's go back to your house and study. If the Marquis finds out, we will both suffer."