ITOTIABSAM | Young General | 96
As Gu Cong had mentioned before, Sanggan City was a place entirely different from Yanjing.
Hundreds of kilometers away, the political maneuvering in the court seemed to have nothing to do with this place. Moreover, Gu Cong didn't like to publicize his personal affairs. The common people only knew that the general had been betrothed since childhood, and this trip back to the capital was for his wedding. However, they hadn't expected him to return so soon, as it had only taken him a month and a half in total.
When the soldiers patrolling the city walls saw the familiar flag from afar, they thought they were seeing things, but soon they recognized the distinctive figure of the horse running at the forefront, "Wuyun."
Such a handsome horse wasn't something you'd see just anywhere.
But who was that sitting atop it...? Since when had their general taken a liking to blue clothing?
As the procession approached closer, racing to the base of the wall, the patrolling soldiers realized that the clothes weren't worn by the general at all, but by the young man he held in his arms.
The color of the fabric was something they had seen in the cloth merchant's cart where the general had rested earlier - it was called "Moon White," a faint color that enveloped the snowy-haired youth like a mist.
It was a stark contrast to the atmosphere of Sanggan City.
They had heard rumors that when the general's betrothed had been chosen years ago, the object of his affections had still been in the womb. Later, they learned it was a boy. People weren't particularly surprised by Xie Ye's gender. They quickly opened the city gates to let the procession through.
Despite nearing evening, the city was still bustling. Acting as a barrier between the grasslands and the Yan Dynasty, it was also a hub for trade between the two sides. During peacetime, there was no curfew, and if there happened to be a festival, celebrations could continue until dawn.
In Sanggan City, despite having a slightly stern face that seldom smiled, Gu Cong unexpectedly garnered attention. Even young children who couldn't yet reach the height of a horse's leg would excitedly shout, "The general is back!"
As for the carriage that Qianbo had spent a fortune on, it attracted even more attention:
"It's so spacious, even more impressive than those brought by merchants."
"It could definitely carry a lot of goods."
"What goods? It's clearly meant for people. The general's new bride doesn't seem like he knows how to ride a horse."
"But he's so handsome."
"Even more so than Wuyun."
"No wonder the general was in such a rush to get married..."
Sensitive to emotions as he was, Gu Cong could discern that there was no malice in these comments, only pure curiosity. It was the first time in his life he'd been compared to a horse in terms of attractiveness. He couldn't help but smile, reaching out to stroke Wuyun's sleek and glossy mane.
After a couple of days of getting acquainted, Wuyun had also become familiar with the youth's voice and scent. Knowing he should treat him just like he did the general, Wuyun obediently nodded his head and nuzzled against Xie Ye's palm.
Seeing Xie Ye happy, Gu Cong felt elated too, and he chuckled, "I told you, this place is different."
No one would judge Xie Ye based on his past.
The days in the border town might not offer the comfort and luxury of Yanjing, but they were simple enough. Even when things went wrong, they did so straightforwardly. This was one of the reasons, apart from his duty, why Gu Cong was willing to be stationed here permanently.
Given Sanggan City's strategic location, it naturally served as an important military outpost. Gu Cong was supposed to make an appearance at the barracks, but Lu Jin, who was following closely behind, had sharp eyes. He rode up and said, "It's almost dark, General. You should head home first."
"After so many years, I could walk back to camp with my eyes closed. I'll take him with me," Gu Cong replied, briefly hesitating before nodding in agreement.
After all, besides the cook who came to prepare meals on schedule, there wasn't even a servant in his house. He couldn't bear to leave the newly arrived Xie Ye alone in the yard. And if he took Xie Ye to the barracks, he worried he might have trouble adjusting.
"Take this carriage," Gu Cong said, pointing to the carriage that had served its purpose, not waiting for Lu Jin's response before cracking the whip. "My house isn't big enough to fit it."
And it was the truth.
The grand and spacious General's Residence, one in Yanjing was enough, and there was only himself living there. Gu Cong had only bought a small courtyard with three courtyards — a move made to maintain the dignity of the General's Residence.
There was a well in the courtyard, and Gu Cong himself would fetch water, chop wood, and light the fire on a daily basis.
After living like this for over ten years, when he brought Xie Ye into the house and looked around, he suddenly felt dissatisfied with everything:
It was too simple.
If he had known earlier, he would have arranged for someone to decorate it in advance.
Living alone was one thing, but now that he was married, Gu Cong didn't want Xie Ye to feel neglected in any way.
"I'll take you to buy whatever you like after we've eaten," silently holding the young man's hand, he explained, "Originally, I intended to buy you a courtyard, but now..."
Xie Ye followed up, "Now?"
"Though we may not be officially married, we've kissed and have decided to live well together," tensing his jaw, Gu Cong said with a serious face, "So, of course, we can't sleep in separate rooms."
Xie Ye: "Oh."
[So the general didn't initially plan to accept me.]
"At that time, I didn't fully understand your temperament," seeing the calm and composed expression break in an instant, Gu Cong gradually increased his speed, "If neither of us were interested, forcing us together would only breed resentment."
After finishing his words, he realized that the young man didn't seem angry at all, but instead had a teasing smile on his lips.
Leisurely, the other person wrote again, "At that time? What about now?"
Gu Cong pretended to be fierce, "Once you're in the thief's den, there's no way to escape. Now, even if it's a forced binding, you'll have to stay with me."
Unfortunately, no matter how cold and hard his expression was when facing Xie Ye, it couldn't hide the softness in the depths of his amber eyes. After a second of eye contact, both of them burst into laughter.
Knowing that this trip would surely delay them for several months, before setting off back to the capital, Tashue was sent to the military camp, taken care of by a designated person, meticulously filling the trough with grass for Wuyun, and fetching water from the well to clean and fill the wooden bucket. Only then did Gu Cong wipe his hands and leave with Xie Ye.
His return was abrupt, the cook who used to prepare meals had left, so they had to go out to the streets to find some food to fill their stomachs. While Xie Ye could cook, without ingredients, it was impossible to conjure up a meal out of thin air. Apart from regular cleaning, Gu Cong's house was empty, lacking not only ingredients but also firewood.
Moreover, in the eyes of the other party, he should be the type who never got his hands dirty.
"Stay closer to me," with a slight hesitation, Gu Cong didn't even lower his head, accurately reaching back to hold Xie Ye's hand, "The main street is crowded, don't get pushed around."
He was right. After entering the city and taking care of a few things, they had just fed the horses. At this moment, it was mealtime, and many stalls were already occupied by passing merchants.
General Gu's reputation in Sanggan City was visibly good. Along the way, people continuously greeted him with smiles, and curious children stared at Xie Ye.
Finally, they sat down at a stall selling lamb. The stall owner seemed to be from the grasslands, with disheveled hair and braids on the sides. Although his Mandarin was not very fluent, he was very enthusiastic, saying, "General, please sit."
"It's been a while since I last saw you."
In earlier years, the battles between the two sides were fierce. However, with a new Khan on the grasslands, although both sides were cautious, there was an overall trend towards peace.
The grasslands revered the strong, and coupled with the Gu family's tradition of never wantonly killing, despite Gu Cong inheriting the name of his father, a famous war god during the Yan Dynasty, the common people on both sides didn't harbor much hostility towards him.
Moreover, there were heavy troops stationed in Sanggan City to maintain order. Regardless of the situation outside, the atmosphere inside was always peaceful.
"Just returned today," Gu Cong answered without any airs, finding the cleanest-looking table and pulling out a chair for Xie Ye before seating himself. "Two roasted lamb legs."
"Just in time, a batch of sheep was delivered this morning," the stall owner said cheerfully. "Although it's not as fresh as slaughtering and eating on the grasslands, it's not much different."
Barbecue required an open flame, but fortunately, the stove was far from the stall, so it didn't smoke them. When the lamb legs were served, Gu Cong personally used strong liquor to clean the knife and then sliced it into small pieces for Xie Ye.
"For the first meal, I should let you taste some uncommon dishes from Yanjing," Gu Cong pushed the plate in front of Xie Ye and handed him a pair of chopsticks. "Care to try?"
"It certainly won't be as tough as the jerky from last night."
Sensing that the other party was teasing him, Xie Ye gave Gu Cong a playful glance, but his hands cooperated well, not disappointing someone's intentions.
The meat was crispy outside and tender inside, fragrant but not greasy. It barely had the usual gaminess of lamb meat. Paired with the salty milk tea the stall owner provided, it was indeed a hundred times tastier than the dry meat strips from yesterday.
However, Xie Ye's body was habitually stressed, his appetite small. Even though he found the food delicious, he couldn't swallow so much meat.
Gu Cong seemed to have anticipated this situation long ago. When Xie Ye put down his chopsticks, he naturally brought over the bowl and plate in front of the young man, cleaning up the "battlefield."
After years of marching, his table manners were normal, but his speed was like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds. Just watching him made it seem appetizing.
1101 even secretly swallowed saliva and suggested, "Xie Ye? Xie Ye?"
[Good host, let me taste it next time.]
He always felt that if his system could cooperate with Gu Cong, they would probably have a lot to talk about. Xie Ye leisurely finished the last sip of milk tea and said, "Depends on my mood."
In the eyes of outsiders, he hadn't spoken throughout the entire meal. Even though he sat quietly in the corner, after a while, it still felt somewhat abrupt. When Gu Cong went to pay, the stall owner lowered his voice, "General, is this your family member?"
Gu Cong: "Yes."
"Are you having a disagreement?" Feeling more confident in his speculation, the stall owner glanced at the young man, who was dressed unlike the others.
"No, he had a serious illness in his childhood, which affected his throat and makes it difficult for him to speak," Gu Cong explained, half true and half false, briefly mentioning the young man's background. Then he added, "If I'm not around in the future, and he goes out alone, please take care of him."
"In addition," he paused, emphasizing again, "Our relationship is very good."
They had come here holding hands. Did he really look like a bandit trying to snatch away a well-to-do young man?
"Of course, of course," never did he expect the other party to take this issue seriously. The stall owner chuckled and said, "I'm just afraid you'll be as stern as before and scare off all those young girls who admire you."
1101: "Oh, young girls."
"Where are there any young girls," seeing the young man looking towards them, Gu Cong put away his purse, pointed at Xie Ye, and said seriously, "Look, did you notice?"
"There's only this young master here."
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