After raising the emperor, he always wanted to marry me

There are only two cities in Jiang Guo, one is the capital and the other is the outer city.The vast majority of military and civilian officials live in the capital.

After the army entered the city, Gu Xiu gave the order.

One, people are not allowed to be killed in vain.

Second, looting of property is not allowed.

Three, do not embezzle supplies.

The well-trained Guocha army entered the city in an orderly manner, appeasing the residents while collecting money and food.Although Han Mochu and others attacked the city quickly, the attack did not happen in the city.

After the army was stationed and reorganized, it was already late at night.

After all, Gu Xiu did not live in Jiang Guo's inner palace, but still lived in the barracks with the generals.

The charcoal fire in the camp was burning warmly and vigorously, and the suddenly rich Huotou army veteran You happily cooked a delicious meal of pork meat for the whole army.

A big victory made Guochao's land increase by one point, and everyone will be a hero who expands the territory in the future.

Everyone in the army was rejoicing, but Gu Xiu was the only one who was still as sullen as usual.He still left himself in the tent for dinner.Han Mochu came back with all the soldiers to celebrate his victory, while Gu Xiu had already taken off his armor and went to sleep.

The young man's body was curled up, with most of his back exposed.Han Mochu covered his shoulders with Gu Xiu lightly, and when he got closer, he suddenly found that Gu Xiu, who was sleeping soundly, was frowning, and a teardrop was slowly falling from the corner of his eye.

Han Mochu paused with his hands, turned around and saw the sand table in the middle of the tent, and suddenly understood.

Here, it is too close to the Northern Wilderness.

120 miles outside Jiang State, there is an endless wilderness among the snow-covered mountains all year round. This is the northernmost border of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The environment here is harsh, no grass grows all year round, wild beasts run rampant in the mountains, almost deserted.

There are only more than 200 defenders in the desolate area, symbolically guarding more than 100 criminal families around the periphery.

Han Mochu waded through the snow with dry food in his arms and a cart full of usable supplies. After a day and a night, he finally found an extremely simple cabin in the wilderness.

In front of the wooden house, a middle-aged man wrapped in a coat made of various animal skins was guarding a bunch of weak dry firewood and kneading hay.

Seeing this, Han Mochu got off his horse, stood in front of the man, clasped his fists and bowed his hands, and made a national court military salute: "Dare to ask this place, but where is the Yun clan?"

The man was taken aback for a moment, stretched out his thick black hands and rubbed his cloudy eyes, raised his head to look at the handsome man in silver armor and helmet in front of him, frowned and asked, "Who are you?"

"I have met you, Han Mochu, the fourth rank of the king's division in the Xia Dynasty." Han Mochu bowed deeply to the man: "I am here to visit you with these dry rations and charcoal fire under the order of His Royal Highness the Seventh Highness."

The man trembled his hands, rubbed his ears in disbelief, and asked tentatively, "You mean, Your Highness the Seventh?"

"Yes, Your Highness Seventh." Han Mochu affirmed.

"Master! Come out, master! His Royal Highness has sent someone over!" The man shouted in shock, and yelled into the wooden house.

"Yunjing, what do you think happened to Yunchi?" A man also dressed in animal skins quickly walked out of the room. The man's beard and hair were neatly tidied up, and the word "criminal slave" was tattooed on his cheek.Like Gu Xiu, he is tall and straight, with firm eyes.

The man who came out was named Yun Jue, the youngest younger brother of General Yun Yao, who was only 17 years old when the Yun family was convicted.The Yun Jing who was talking to Han Mochu, Han Mochu actually knew him, he was a retainer of Yun's surname.After Yun Yao rescued him that year, she ordered this Yun Jing to take him to a safe place.

Yun Jing carried him all the way to the outskirts of Beijing, and handed him over to Mr. Yi Ji who passed by here.

"Master, this military lord said that he is someone close to His Highness the Seventh Highness, and he was ordered to visit us." Yun Jing's voice was very happy, and it could even be said that he was a little incoherent.

"Are you really someone close to His Highness? Since you are someone close to His Highness, why did you come here alone? But what happened to His Highness in court?" Yun Jue looked at Han Mochu, who was quite unfamiliar in front of him, and couldn't guess for a while. , can only care about chaos.

"No, your Excellency misunderstood. Your Highness is fine. Your Highness is now appointed as a third-rank general to defeat the enemy. He fought against the Mohe rebellion for His Majesty. Now, for some reason, Jiang State is destroyed. Your Highness has no choice but to send me to greet you." Han Mochu stood in front of him. In front of people, he replied softly.

"Leading the army at the age of 15? As expected of a child of my Yun family." Yun Jue praised him sincerely.

After a few years of separation, Gu Xiu who was in the palace had almost no news, but now that he is close at hand, they cannot see each other.

Yun Jue thought of Gu Xiu's back when he returned to the palace alone. A small person had to go back to the treacherous palace alone after experiencing the pain of losing his mother.When parting, Gu Xiu couldn't say a word, couldn't shed a single tear, and couldn't even have any hesitation in his steps.

Because they are criminal officials and Gu Xiu is the prince.

Even if they felt extremely reluctance in their hearts, they could only bow down on the ground and watch Gu Xiu being taken away by the edict.

In a flash, it has been almost four years now, and I don't know what this child has gone through to gain a foothold in the army in these few years.

In short, it can never be because of the king's favor and appreciation.

"Master joining the army." Yun Jue wiped the moist eye circles and said in a deep voice, "It's too cold outside, come in and say something."

Han Mochu followed Yun Jue's footsteps into the wooden house. There was no usable furnishings in the not too big room. There were about a dozen men of different ages sitting together crowded together. Everyone was wearing patchwork clothes. Small animal skins, cheek tattoos.

But everyone here has a straight posture, guarding a small hanging stove, and when they saw Han Mochu, they still gave the military salute of the Great Zhou.

When Han Mo first saw these members of the Yun clan, he finally knew where Gu Xiu's arrogance came from.

A military family with many heroes, even if they are in the wilderness and face serious crimes, their natural strength of character cannot be worn away.

Everyone knew about Han Mochu's intentions, but everyone was very restrained.

Han Mochu smiled and told them about Gu Xiu's recent situation and the effectiveness of Gu Xiu's management of military affairs, but he didn't tell them when and how many days Gu Xiu was also injured by an arrow.

While everyone was relieved, they asked Yun Jue to take Han Mochu to see the surviving members of the Yun clan one by one, and asked him to report to Gu Xiu that they were safe.

Yun Jue took Han Mochu to look at the hut where Gu Xiu lived when he was a child.Sure enough, there was no couch in the hut, it was empty, only a small desk, on which Yunyao's tablet was enshrined, and the only tribute under the tablet was a shoulder armor engraved with the Yun clan emblem.

Han Mochu respectfully bowed three times in front of the memorial tablet.

I can't help but admire this female general Yunyao from the bottom of my heart, such a harsh living environment, and the despair and humiliation that weigh heavily on my heart all the time.She was able to raise Gu Xiu into such an outstanding boy.

Yun Jue led Han Mochu out and brought him to a well-repaired stable where nine horses of different colors were grazing with their heads down.

That is the only precious property of the entire Yun family.They rely on these horses to hunt in the mountains and maintain the most basic survival.It is also necessary to rely on these horses to carry heavy loads, bring back fuelwood and timber from farther places, and so on.What's even more ironic is that these war horses were originally good horses bred by the Yun family's army. They fought with them on the battlefield, but in the end they brought them here with a prison cart.

Yun Jue pointed to one of the tall chestnut horses and said slowly: "This horse is called Dongyang, and it is Yunchi's first pony. This kid likes to ride horses since he was a child, and he has been riding on horses all day long since he can't walk steadily. Running in the shed, there was nothing I could do to stop him. Once he was almost kicked in the head by a horse, and the eldest sister was so angry that he beat him up so hard that her palms were swollen from the shock." Yun Jue said The corner of his mouth drew a curve that could barely be called a smile: "But the child didn't cry or complain of pain, and he still ran to the stable the next day until the elder sister agreed to teach him how to ride a horse."

After listening to Yun Jue's words, Han Mochu couldn't help but say something in his heart: see eighty at the age of three.Gu Xiu, a little wolf cub, has been so stubborn since he was a child. Fortunately, when Han Mochu saw him, he was already sensible. Otherwise, the ruler in Han Mochu's hand probably would have been broken.

"His Royal Highness is really good at riding and archery. Few people in the palace can match it." Han Mochu said with a smile: "Your Highness's knowledge and experience are much higher than those of young people of the same age. Although His Highness is young, but the experience of leading the army this time The general's talent revealed really convinced the soldiers."

"Elder Sister is very strict, but there's nothing I can do about it." Yun Jue grabbed the fodder from the manger and fed it to Dongyang's mouth, and said with emotion: "He can't get stronger soon, no."

In Yun Jue's impression, Gu Xiu, a child who was able to understand human speech after one year old, seldom cried loudly.

No matter how hard it is to study or practice martial arts, this child has never flinched.

The Yun family's children were born like this.It was the same in his childhood. His parents told him that the four words of defending the family and the country flowed in their blood.

But Gu Xiu has to bear more than them. He was born with a heavy crime, which is a humiliation hundreds of times worse than death.

They couldn't bear to let Gu Xiu lose a child's ability to cry and laugh, and used the standards of a bloody man to demand him when he was just able to stand.It is even more unbearable for this child to live in a place like Beihuang from birth to death for decades, unable to save or protect himself, and let others slaughter him.

Gu Xiu doesn't even have the right to do bad things.

Because it is a matter of life and death.

Her eldest sister, Yunyao, couldn't hold Gu Xiu in her arms like a normal mother, singing songs to lull him to sleep.We can only use the strictest method to let him learn as many things as possible.

When Gu Xiu was three years old, she seldom let her hug him anymore. It wasn't because there was a rift between mother and child.But at that time, Gu Xiu no longer regarded himself as a child.

He clearly remembered how Gu Xiu hid from his elder sister's arms that day, and called her mother with a stern face, how sad his elder sister cried with the child behind her back in the night after that.

"The sharp edge of the sword is self-sharpened, and General Yunhui has worked hard, His Highness has always understood it." Han Mochu chuckled softly.

"Your Highness has been in the palace for the past few years, thank you very much." Yun Jue stood beside Han Mochu and said calmly.

"Why did you say that?"

"Lord Han, since His Highness allowed you to come here, he regards you as the most trustworthy person. The fact that you can run this trip alone for His Highness also shows that your relationship with His Highness is not as simple as a relationship between a monarch and a minister. I also know, Your Highness To be able to achieve today's achievements, he can't do it alone as a young man. As a prince and a young master, you have been able to support the young master to this point, which has far exceeded the original responsibilities of a young master."

"Your Excellency, you are too serious." Han Mochu said warmly, "I am willing to do so."

"Everyone in the world regards the Yun family as a scourge. My lord is willing to support a child who has the blood of the Yun family. I am afraid that the Yun family will not be able to repay this kindness in this lifetime."

"The Yun clan doesn't want to repay their kindness, and I don't want to repay this kindness." Han Mochu put the words to the right place and stopped talking.

"Since that's the case, thank you for your kindness." Yun Jue clasped his fists in both hands, bowed deeply and said, "From now on, I will have Lao Han to join the army."

Han Mochu talked with the members of the Yun family for a while, left the supplies he had brought, and said goodbye to them, got on his horse and returned to the barracks alone.

When Han Mo returned to the camp for the first time, it was already noon on the third day.

As a staff officer with the army, Han Mochu left the camp for three days without authorization, and took away a whole load of supplies. This matter is a big deal in any army.

In the tent, Gu Xiu stood with his hands behind his back with a sullen face.

Han Mochu came back from outside the tent covered in snow, walked straight behind Gu Xiu, and saluted: "The final general will see Your Highness."

Gu Xiu asked in a cold voice, "Han Mochu, are you convicted?"

"Your Highness, please calm down. The old minister sees that there must be a reason for Han to join the army this time. Why don't you ask?" The old general Xun Zilong couldn't think of anything to cover up for Han Mochu for a while, but he knew in his heart that Han Mochu was definitely not such a person He could only hold Gu Xiu steady while winking at Han Mochu.

"Your Highness, I'm guilty." Without any hesitation or excuse, Han Mochu cupped his hands and knelt on one knee: "As a staff officer with the army, I left my post without permission and embezzled supplies. Please punish me, Your Highness."

"Han joining the army?" Old General Xunzi looked at the two anxiously, not knowing which one to persuade first: "Your Highness, this..."

"In that case, let's deal with it according to military law."

Gu Xiu's voice was devoid of any emotion, nor a trace of emotion.Xun Zilong knew that Gu Xiu was never an emotional person, but he never thought that Gu Xiu would be so unkind to someone like Han Mochu who took care of and supported him all the way.

"Your Highness, the military affairs are heavy at this time, and the military report submitted to His Majesty to dispatch officials to Jiang Guo has not yet been sorted out. If you punish Han Canjun at this time, wouldn't it be a delay in military affairs? Please read the merits of Han Canjun in the past, and don't add any more punished."

"Since he knows that the military affairs are heavy, he shouldn't leave his post without permission. Since he knows the military regulations, he shouldn't embezzle military supplies." Gu Xiu stood with his back, and didn't give General Xun a chance to continue, but turned to look at Han Mochu who knelt on one knee: "Han Mochu, you have behaved badly this time and have to be punished. Can you admit it?"

"I accept the punishment." Han Mochu raised his eyes and gave Gu Xiu an affirmative look.

"Well, I will punish you with thirty lashes according to the military regulations." Gu Xiu turned to the old general Xun Zilong: "Order, all the generals and school officials above the seventh rank should line up outside, so that I can watch him receive the punishment. In my king's army , Military discipline is the highest. Regardless of the size of the official position, the merits and demerits, those who violate the prohibition will be punished according to the law."

"Yes." With military discipline in mind, Xun Zilong had no choice but to follow orders.

Not long after, Xun Zilong walked into the camp and saluted Gu Xiu softly: "Your Highness, the outside of the tent is ready."

"understood."

Outside the camp, 170 generals and school officials from Wang Shijun lined up neatly.Han Mochu had already been stripped of his armor, and was naked in the cold wind! His upper body was naked, and his hands were supported on the wooden torture frame.The executioner behind him, Zhu Ze, was holding a long whip, waiting for Gu Xiu's order.

The biting cold wind slashed on Han Mochu's exposed skin like a steel knife, and the numbness brought by the cold swept over his limbs and bones. These days, his left ear, which always hurts from time to time, also screamed at this moment.

"Your Highness, give your order quickly. It's too cold today, and Han Canjun won't be able to bear it." Xun Zilong stood beside Gu Xiu, looking anxiously at everything in front of him.

Gu Xiu looked intently at Han Mochu not far away who was already trembling slightly from the cold wind, and shouted loudly: "Hit!"

The executioner Zhu Ze made the order, swung the long whip in his hand, and hit Han Mo Chuchi's naked back with incomparable precision.The man's strong and well-proportioned back immediately raised a long and thin scar as thick as a thumb.

Han Mochu didn't make a sound, except for the instinctively tense shoulder blades when the whip touched the penis, he didn't make any movements that could reflect his pain.

Then came the second whip, the third whip, and the long whips fell on Han Mochu's back one after another. His hands were tightly gripping the wooden handles on both sides of the torture rack.

Every time the whip fell, his fingers clenched tightly until the veins on the back of the hand bulged and the knuckles turned white.

There are rules for whipping in the army. Every five whips must be hit on the same place with incomparable precision. When the fifth whip was hit, the long whip finally brought out a bloody light, blood splashed, and the flesh rolled up, like a blunt knife from.

Gu Xiu's heart also trembled.

He wanted to order it to stop at this moment, but he couldn't.

In fact, ever since Han Mochu took away the cart of supplies, he had already guessed where Han Mochu had gone.Seeing Han Mochu's snowy body when he returned, he was more sure of Han Mochu's whereabouts on this trip.He was seen through by Han Mochu again, perhaps because he would always let go of his defenses when facing Han Mochu, so he was always seen through easily.In order to make him feel at ease, Han Mochu did it for him silently.After returning, Han Mochu has not explained to him, nor defended himself.Even in order to fulfill his reputation of rigorous military management, he did not hesitate to be blamed in public.

Gu Xiu looked at Han Mochu with a cold and resolute expression as he braced himself to be punished.

With every sound of the whip, his heart would be struck like a blunt hammer.He had to keep his face still, he was so stuffy that his internal organs were colicky, his throat seemed to be blocked by a red-hot iron block, he couldn't spit it out, he couldn't swallow it, he could only suffer from the pain.

Ten lashes, eleven lashes, twelve lashes...

The scars on Han Mochu's back piled up more and more, and the splattered blood exaggerated the tragic punishment.

Gu Xiu tightly clutched his wrist behind his back without saying a word.

"Your Highness! I beg Your Highness, for the sake of Han's several meritorious service in the army, don't punish him any more!"

"Your Highness! I beg you!"

"Your Highness! Please stop!"

Among the generals and officers watching, there were many people who knelt down to plead for Han Mochu.

For a time, all the joint ventures knelt down.

The executioner Zhu Ze, who has always been stern and selfless, also stopped his movements, turned around and cupped his fists at Gu Xiu: "Your Highness, there are only twelve lashes left, please..."

"Remember, the military only talks about military regulations, not private affairs, and today's matter is ruthless!" Gu Xiu's voice was still blunt and without any emotion: "Continue to execute!"

Zhu Ze got the order, helplessly calmed down, and continued to execute with the whip.This is the most difficult time since he took the whip.

The person he hit was someone he admired.

Han Mochu took thirty lashes without saying a word, and there were six bloodstains neatly and horizontally on his clean back.With a slight movement, the cracked skin began to bleed, and streams of blood flowed slowly along the person's back, tearing the person's back like a dilapidated graffiti painting.

"Return to Your Highness, the execution is over." The executioner Zhu Ze wrapped the whip around his hands again and reported to Gu Xiu.

"Okay, take Han Canjun down, I hope everyone will take it as a warning." Gu Xiu gave the final order with a cold face, and no one noticed that the wrist that had been behind his back had been pinched bruise by himself.

Gu Xiu turned and went back to the camp, and the kneeling generals immediately surrounded him and helped Han Mochu off the rack.The soldiers waiting at the side immediately put Han Mochu's loose cloak on his back: "Master Han, please bear with it, the military doctor is already waiting."

"It's okay, you don't have to help me, please come to my camp to deal with the military doctor."

Han Mochu tightly tightened his cloak, and left towards the barracks, his steps were steady, not at all as if he had received such a heavy punishment just now.

The cold wind in the deep winter made him unable to feel the pain of the whip wound on his back. He could only feel that the scar on his back was wet and sticky as he walked, and his whole back was numb.The inexplicable dull pain in the left ear was even more unbearable than the whip wound on the back, because the dull pain made people's eyes darken and the sky spin.

So he has to walk quickly, not to faint.

He knew very well that if he couldn't hold on now, Gu Xiu, the kid, couldn't hold on either.

It was already late at night when Gu Xiu returned to the barracks after dealing with the pre-military affairs.

At that time, the scars on Han Mochu's back had been treated, and he was wearing a loose cloak and guarding the night light to sort out the military reports that had accumulated for several days.

Gu Xiu silently sat behind him, wrapped his hands around the man's waist, and gently pressed his face against the man's back. A faint smell of fish and medicine covered the original warm smell of paper and ink. sad.

"Huh?" Gu Xiu's cold and hard armor made Han Mochu feel a little pain, he straightened up a little bit and smiled and patted the back of his hands around his waist: "Your Highness, I can't write when you hold her like this."

"Are you in pain?" Gu Xiu pressed against Han Mochu's body, without any intention of letting go.

"It doesn't hurt." Han Mochu put down the pen holder in his hand and let Gu Xiu hold it: "The popularity of the minister in the army is not that bad, so the beating is not serious."

"You don't have to lie to me." Gu Xiu lowered his head against Han Mochu's back, "I asked the military doctor."

"Since your Highness has asked the military doctor, you should know that the wounds from the whip are all flesh wounds, but they look serious. After six or seven days of using the medicine, the scabs will heal."

Gu Xiu didn't answer, and kept his face against Han Mochu's back in silence without saying a word.

Gu Xiu didn't know what was wrong with him. From the moment Han Mochu was punished, the overwhelming pain in his heart didn't subside for a moment. Only by sticking to Han Mochu's body like this could it be barely relieved.

"Your Highness, I have seen your little uncle." Han Mochu stroked the back of his waist and said warmly, "And your relatives, they are all very good. I am very pleased to know that Your Highness led the army to victory this time. And Those supplies are enough for them to survive this winter, His Highness can rest assured."

"..." Gu Xiu was silent.

"The tablet of General Yunhui, I have also paid homage to His Highness. I also fed the pony that His Highness rode when he was a child. It has grown up just like His Highness."

Gu Xiu didn't speak, Han Mochu patted the back of his hand and dictated softly what he saw in Beihuang that day.

I don't know whether to comfort or appease.

As he spoke, a warm damp heat suddenly came from Han Mochu's back, and the damp heat slowly dissipated, making the wound on his back itchy slightly.

He knew that those were Gu Xiu's tears.

"Your Highness, you are right. You are right in front of Beihuang right now. The former court's eyeliner is indispensable in this army. Whether you go or not, you will be criticized by others. Only the courtier who is so self-assessed and courteous will be criticized again." Your Highness punishes you in public, and only when it reaches His Majesty's ears can you prove that His Highness has no selfish intentions." Han Mochu tilted his head, and he could only see Gu Xiu's silhouette from the corner of his eyes: "Doesn't Your Highness understand everything in his heart?"

"It's because I understand that I'm unhappy." Gu Xiu let go of the hand around Han Mochu's waist, took the position opposite him, and looked at Han Mochu with burning eyes: "Why, why are you willing...willing to be so... I can repay you... not that much."

"Your Highness, do you still remember what I said when I high-fived the oath with His Highness that year?"

Gu Xiu's words made Han Mochu secretly laugh, Gu Xiu and Yun Jue were of the same clan, they said exactly the same thing.

"Advance and retreat together, never doubt."

"Since that's the case, what is your Highness talking about in return?" Han Mochu raised the corners of his mouth and smiled indifferently.

"But..." Gu Xiu frowned hesitantly: "After all, I didn't do anything for you... I didn't do anything for you..."

"Your Highness, I remember that when I drew the map of all nations with you that year, I said that I and you are looking forward to the same world. Since we will walk side by side in the future, why bother? Today you repay me, Tomorrow, I will repay you, so I have to pay you nothing?" Han Mochu pretended to be disappointed and shook his head towards Gu Xiu: "It turns out that everything I have done these years is a conspiracy in return in the eyes of His Highness. business?"

"No!" Gu Xiu growled.He was originally a bad-spoken person, especially when facing Han Mochu.At this moment, the more anxious he was to argue, the more he couldn't say anything, he could only look at Han Mochu's eyes and repeat: "No, no..."

"Okay." Han Mochu suddenly leaned on the cushion behind him, and said with a gentle smile, "I want to eat walnuts."