Destined

Everyone was stunned upon hearing these words. Prince Liang instinctively exclaimed, "Impossible!"

If there were truly only ten thousand soldiers, how could Gu Jiusi be so audacious, even leading troops to pursue him?

He himself commanded a hundred thousand troops—who gave Gu Jiusi the nerve?!

"You scoundrel, how dare you deceive me!" Prince Liang angrily drew his sword, ready to execute Qian San on the spot. Qin Si quickly stopped him and calmly said, "Prince Liang, let's hear him out further."

Stopped by Qin Si, Prince Liang glanced at him, gritted his teeth, and dismissed everyone, leaving only Qian San and Qin Si in the tent.

Qian San was terrified by Prince Liang's actions, trembling and unable to speak. Qin Si stepped forward and said gently, "Brave sir, there's no need to fear. Our prince is a magnanimous man. As long as you speak the truth, not only will he spare your life, but he will also reward you handsomely. Gold, silver, and beautiful women will be yours for the taking. If we can capture Hope Capital City, you will be credited as the chief contributor. High office and generous rewards are within your grasp—the prince will not treat you unfairly."

Hearing this, Qian San gradually calmed down.

He had passed by the camp earlier, thinking of Prince Liang and Gu Jiusi, and had already planned this very scheme.

By leaking information to Prince Liang, he could not only get rid of Gu Jiusi but also earn a sum of money—why not take the opportunity?

Steadying himself, Qian San immediately declared, "Your Highness, every word I speak is true. If there is even a hint of falsehood, may I be struck by lightning and die a miserable death!"

Prince Liang's face remained stiff as he nodded. No matter what, he couldn't believe that the city held only ten thousand soldiers. If that were true, hadn't he been played for a fool by this young upstart?!

A youth not yet of age had made a mockery of him—if this got out, wouldn't he become the laughingstock of the entire realm?!

But Prince Liang kept these thoughts to himself, saying nothing more. Qin Si helped Qian San up and inquired in detail about his background. Qian San honestly recounted the entire story of his conflict with Gu Jiusi, which somewhat reassured Prince Liang and Qin Si. Still puzzled, Qin Si then asked, "Even if you have a grievance with Gu Jiusi, Hope Capital is still your hometown. Aren't you afraid that your actions today will implicate your relatives and friends?"

"Sir," Qian San smiled, "I am not from Youzhou. I am from Yangzhou."

"So that's how it is," Qin Si nodded. "It seems you came with the Gu Family from Yangzhou. You could be considered a loyal servant, yet Gu Jiusi treated you so unjustly."

"Exactly," Qian San said through gritted teeth. "My wife served the Gu Family with utmost dedication, and I followed them all the way to Youzhou, doing many tasks for them. Even if there was no great merit, there was hard work. Who would have thought they would treat us like this? Your Highness," Qian San turned to Prince Liang, "I have long admired you and wished to pledge my allegiance. Being granted an audience today is a blessing earned over three lifetimes. I am willing to serve you in any capacity, even as your ox or horse—I beg you to grant me this honor!"

With that, Qian San knelt and kowtowed deeply to Prince Liang. Flattered by the sycophancy, Prince Liang felt thoroughly pleased and chuckled before saying, "Enough, I recognize your loyalty. Now, tell us more about the specific situation inside the city."

Qian San hurriedly began to speak, holding nothing back as he detailed the circumstances. The more Prince Liang and Qin Si listened, the more their brows furrowed, and Prince Liang grew increasingly furious.Gu Jiusi had not received any advance intelligence to set up a trap for him. In the previous battle, the one before that, or any other engagement, if he had been slightly more aggressive, he could have taken Hope Capital City—yet he stubbornly refrained!

For a moment, he felt resentful toward Qin Si, but he knew better than to complain about his subordinates at such a critical juncture. Seething with pent-up frustration, he waited until Qian San had finished relaying what little useful information he had, only to hear the same worthless details repeated. Impatiently, he waved his hand and snapped, "Drag him away!"

Qin Si could see Prince Liang’s displeasure and was well aware that some of it was directed at him. Knowing the prince needed a scapegoat to vent his anger, he remained silent.

Qin Si’s men rushed in and seized Qian San, hoisting him up. The sudden turn of events left Qian San bewildered. He cried out urgently, "What are you doing? What is the meaning of this?"

"What are we doing?" Prince Liang retorted irritably. "A traitor who betrays his master and abandons loyalty—do you expect respect? Take him out and behead him!"

At these words, Qian San’s face instantly paled. He began to plead in panic, "Your Highness! Please, no! I can still be of use! You still need me—"

Prince Liang let out a cold laugh. Qian San was dragged away by the soldiers, his screams fading into the distance before falling silent.

A short while later, a woman’s weeping and cursing could be heard from outside. Prince Liang looked up, annoyed. "Who’s crying out there?"

"Please calm yourself, Your Highness. I will go and see."

Qin Si rose and stepped outside, where he found Wang Mei kneeling on the ground, clutching Qian San’s corpse and wailing loudly.

"Who is this?"

Qin Si glanced at a nearby soldier, who whispered, "She claims to be his wife. She’s been shouting and cursing outside for some time now."

Frowning as he listened, Qin Si gave Wang Mei a once-over, then raised his hand and ordered, "Execute her as well. Don’t let her disturb the prince."

With that, Qin Si turned and reentered the tent. By the time he returned, the noise outside had ceased. Prince Liang, still agitated, asked, "What was that all about?"

"It was Qian San’s wife," Qin Si replied respectfully. "The matter has been dealt with."

Prince Liang nodded, indifferent. After a moment, he finally declared, "I believe we can return."

Qin Si had been waiting for these words. Calmly, he responded, "The man’s words did not seem false. I, too, believe we can go back."

Previously, unaware of the city’s true defenses, they had been hesitant and anxious. Now, knowing that only ten thousand troops remained inside, Prince Liang’s spirits soared. He immediately rushed out, rallied his forces, and led them back to attack once more!

The remaining half of the army consisted of the truly loyal. Freed from the influence of Gu Jiusi’s earlier words, there was no longer any need to suspect who might surrender and who would not. Those who intended to flee had already done so, leaving only those beyond doubt. Thus, the army’s morale was unexpectedly boosted.

With fifty thousand troops launching a fierce assault on a city defended by only ten thousand, and with Prince Liang as an experienced commander, it was virtually a crushing advantage.

Prince Liang knew that Gu Jiusi would assume he had withdrawn. By turning back abruptly, he could catch Gu Jiusi off guard—speed was the key to victory.

So Prince Liang urged his forces onward at a breakneck pace, charging back toward the city.

Meanwhile, inside the city, the defending troops were removing their armor to rest, tending to the wounded, and handling the dead. They chatted casually, many men boasting triumphantly about how easily they had repelled Prince Liang’s army.Gu Jiusi had also returned home. After taking a hot bath and changing clothes, he was having breakfast with Liu Yuru.

His safe return filled Liu Yuru with immense joy, evident from the extra dishes she had prepared. Noticing her delight, Gu Jiusi couldn't help but remark, "So happy? Were you worried all night?"

"No," Liu Yuru quickly replied, "I slept through the night and only heard about your victory when I woke up."

Gu Jiusi opened his mouth to say something but ultimately swallowed his words.

He had already learned upon returning that Liu Yuru had knelt in the prayer hall all night.

He should have known—he could never hide anything from her. It was always she who deceived him; he could never conceal anything from her.

He smiled, noticing the dark circles under her eyes, and placed some food in her bowl. "Ah," he sighed, "winning my first battle has left me feeling somewhat lost."

"Lost about what?" Liu Yuru asked, puzzled by his seemingly troubled expression.

"I'm unsure whether you should call me 'My Lord' or 'General' from now on," he mused, "or perhaps both together."

Liu Yuru pressed her lips together, recognizing his jest. "So, what did you decide?"

After a moment of feigned seriousness, Gu Jiusi declared, "I've thought it over—'Husband' is best. Saves time and effort," he added with a flirtatious glance, "and sounds lovely too."

Liu Yuru laughed, but before she could respond, they both felt the ground tremble noticeably.

Shortly after, Munan rushed into the main hall in a panic, exclaiming, "Young Master, Prince Liang has attacked again!"

Gu Jiusi sprang to his feet, not even bothering to grab his outer coat, and dashed outside.

Seeing his urgency, Liu Yuru quickly called for servants to bring his armor, fox-fur cloak, and hand warmer, then mounted a horse to follow him.

Gu Jiusi hurried to the city gate tower and spotted Ye Shi'an directing soldiers up the walls from a distance. Reining in his horse, he anxiously asked, "What's the situation?"

"Go up and see for yourself!" Ye Shi'an urged before turning to shout at the men behind him, "Bring the oil up! Quickly!"

Gu Jiusi bounded up the steps and reached the tower just as Prince Liang's army charged into range without hesitation. "Fire arrows!" he roared.

A dense rain of arrows descended. Gu Jiusi watched as most of the front-line soldiers were pierced like hedgehogs, yet a few survivors pressed forward. Waves of soldiers surged ahead, spurred by cries from the rear: "Charge! Deserters will be executed! Those who scale the walls rewarded with a hundred taels! One tael per kill!"

They advanced like ants, swarming relentlessly toward the city, while the defenders on the walls fired arrows desperately.

Gu Jiusi organized the archers into three rotating rows: the first row shot and immediately moved to the rear to reload, followed by the second and third rows in succession.

The attackers below seemed to disregard their lives entirely. Their bodies littered the battlefield, staining the land outside Hope Capital City crimson.

Every yard gained was paved with corpses, yet they pushed onward.

Beyond the moat, soldiers fell into the water one after another, their battle cries echoing ceaselessly.Gu Jiusi gazed upon the battlefield and the unfolding scene, his heart trembling faintly.

This battle was entirely different from the previous one. In the last engagement, he had relied on clever tricks, while Prince Liang had no intention of facing him head-on. One side pressed the advantage in pursuit, the other fled in panic; one had no desire to annihilate completely, the other still valued self-preservation.

But now, it was different. Everyone was fighting desperately for every inch of land, and the frantic sense of human life being as cheap as grass vividly surfaced in Gu Jiusi’s heart.

He desperately wanted to call for them to stop, to cease the fighting.

Why?

Why attack Wangdu? Why wage war? Why treat their own lives so carelessly, sacrificing themselves to such an extent for someone else’s empire, someone else’s power?

A hundred taels for scaling the walls, one tael per head for a kill.

Was a human life worth only one tael?

The chaos stained with blood left him at a loss, but he couldn’t afford to dwell on it. He knew only that he must defend this city. Behind these walls were the common people, his parents, and… Liu Yu Ru.

The moment Liu Yu Ru’s face appeared in his mind, the moat was already littered with corpses. In some places, the bodies piled up, blocking the waterway, allowing Prince Liang’s soldiers to tread over them and charge to the base of the city walls, setting up scaling ladders.

Soldiers were usually already positioned at the top of the ladders. As soon as the ladders touched the walls, these soldiers would launch a frenzied assault, and in that instant, those below would surge upward.

Gu Jiusi ensured a continuous supply of soldiers. Whenever a ladder was raised, he and some mobile troops rushed over to help cut down the enemy and pour Oil down.

Flaming arrows and Oil worked in tandem, setting the area below the walls ablaze. Screams of agony rose one after another. On the walls, Gu Jiusi poured Oil and fired arrows, his face smeared with the blood of those who had just climbed up, his entire body trembling.

The fierce siege lasted from afternoon until night. Besides the scaling ladders, the most challenging area to defend was the city gate. The enemy erected bridges and used a battering ram to repeatedly strike the gate.

The battering ram chariot was a primary target. From the moment it entered firing range, Gu Jiusi ordered constant attacks on those pushing it. The chariot moved with extreme difficulty across the battlefield, each step forward paid for with human lives. However, by nightfall, hindered by poor visibility, the battering ram finally reached the city gate.

At the first sound of the ram striking the gate, Gu Jiusi knew it was bad. He quickly redirected troops to stand by below the gate.

Below the gate were two small entryways, each barely wide enough for one person to pass through. About fifty feet beyond these lay the main gate. Gu Jiusi had the main gate opened a crack and stationed elite troops there, ready to engage in close combat the moment the outer gate was breached. They would fight at the small entryways, using human walls to block the enemy’s advance.

As the sound of the ram echoed, Liu Yu Ru was taking inventory of the weapons. She turned around in alarm and asked, “What was that?!”

“I’m afraid they’re battering the gate,” Yin Hong replied, also frightened.

Hearing this, Liu Yu Ru gritted her teeth, handed the ledger to Yun Yun, and said, “I’m going to check.”

With that, she rushed out.She rushed all the way to the city gate and saw chaos among the soldiers at the base of the tower. Ascending the tower, she found Gu Jiusi wielding a blade amidst the fray. Amidst the flying blood and gore, her entire body trembled, but she forced herself to stay calm. A quick scan revealed wounded soldiers piling up, many unable to descend immediately after being injured.

There were far too few support personnel.

Liu Yu Ru instantly grasped the situation. After assessing the scene, she hurried down the tower and raced back, pounding on doors along the streets as she ran, shouting, "Fellow townspeople! Wangdu is in peril! Come out and lend a hand!"

At first, few responded to her frantic knocking. But as one door creaked open, others followed, and people gradually emerged.

Gasping for breath, Liu Yu Ru surveyed the anxious, bewildered faces. Scanning the crowd, she declared earnestly, "Everyone, with the enemy at our gates, Lord Gu and his soldiers alone cannot hold them back. I implore you—men, ascend the tower to serve as reinforcements under command; women, follow me to transport the wounded."

Hesitation hung heavy in the air. Liu Yu Ru understood their fears.

Going into battle meant risking their lives. Gritting her teeth, she burst out, "Do you think hiding will save you?! If Prince Liang breaches the city today, do you believe anyone in Wangdu will be spared?!"

"Maybe... maybe not necessarily," someone muttered quietly. "If Lord Gu surrenders..."

"Even if he surrenders, Prince Liang won't spare us! Why is he attacking Wangdu? Not for wealth, not for women—do you think he's storming the city to play the benevolent ruler and aid the people?!"

Liu Yu Ru roared back: "Have you not seen the towns plundered by Northern Liang beyond the Great Wall? Or have you forgotten how many cities Prince Liang slaughtered when he attacked the Eastern Capital? After expending such effort to take Wangdu, you still dream of safety? Wake up from your delusions!"

Her words struck a chord, and doubt crept into the crowd. Liu Yu Ru nodded grimly. "Fine, I get it. Everyone for themselves—that's how the world works."

With that, she yanked banknotes from her robe and shouted, "Then we'll pay you! Go up the tower today—see how those soldiers risk their lives to protect you! See how my husband fights with everything he has to shield us! Pick up a blade—one tael of silver for every enemy slain. Follow me to carry the wounded—ten coppers each. Will you go?!"

"I'll go!" a burly man suddenly called out, stepping forward. "Manager Liu, forget the money. If I live, it's my duty—no payment needed. If I die, give the silver to my wife and old mother."

"If you die, I'll ensure they're cared for—clothed and fed for life," Liu Yu Ru vowed without hesitation.

An elderly woman rushed out weeping, "No, my son, the battlefield is too dangerous..."

"Mother," the man patted her hand calmly, "I'm going to protect you, my wife, and my child. Don't worry."

"I'll go too," a woman beside him declared as he finished speaking. Handing her child to an older woman behind her, she met the man's gaze and said, "If anything happens to you, I'll carry you back myself."The big man chuckled, and as someone took the lead, more and more people around them stepped forward in response.

Liu Yuru watched them, nodding repeatedly. She couldn't quite describe what she was feeling, only that an inexplicable emotion surged within her, a sour ache clogging her throat. She took a step back, bowed deeply to the crowd, and said earnestly, "Yuru thanks you all here."

"Manager Liu, you jest," someone replied. "This is our Hope Capital City too. We remember everything you and Lord Gu have done for us."

Hearing this, Liu Yuru couldn't help but smile. Suddenly, she felt that everything was worth it.

She took a deep breath and then instructed the big man, "Please go door to door to call for people and organize them. Separate men and women into teams. If any women know martial arts, have them join the men. I will go take inventory of the weapons. All of you head toward the city tower—I'll bring the weapons there to distribute."

With that, Liu Yuru ran back to the armory, had Yin Hong gather all the weapons, and they all headed toward the city tower. Afterward, she also brought medical supplies and physicians, setting up a shelter not far from the tower.

Under Liu Yuru's direction, everyone orderly collected what they needed. The women put on white cloth skirts, carried life-saving medical supplies with them, and lifted stretchers. The men and stronger women donned simple armor and picked up weapons.

All of this was completed in less than half an hour. Just then, the outermost small city gate was finally breached. Gu Jiusi quickly dispatched a thousand soldiers down. The assault on the city walls showed no signs of stopping—Gu Jiusi had already worn out three blades from relentless fighting. As soon as he issued the order, Ye Shi'an rushed up, urgently reporting, "Jiusi, we're running out of people."

"What do you mean, running out of people?"

Gu Jiusi kicked a soldier down from the wall. Ye Shi'an hurriedly explained, "We're being attacked from all four sides. The other three sides each have three thousand defenders, and the remaining seven thousand are all at the east wall. We've already taken in four thousand wounded. Right now, there are a thousand at the gate and two thousand on the walls—we simply don't have anyone left to carry the injured!"

"Jiusi!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Jiusi heard Liu Yuru's call. He and Ye Shi'an turned simultaneously to see Liu Yuru leading a group of people carrying stretchers up the wall. Liu Yuru stood at the forefront while the women, under Yin Hong's direction, orderly lifted the wounded and carried them down.

Both Gu Jiusi and Ye Shi'an were momentarily stunned. Liu Yuru placed her hands in front of her, smiling gently as she said, "I was afraid you might be short-handed, so I brought the city's residents to help."

"Don't be afraid," Liu Yuru's voice was soft, reminiscent of willow branches swaying gently in Yangzhou's spring breeze. "There are two hundred thousand residents in the city. We are all here."

Hearing this, not only Gu Jiusi and Ye Shi'an but even the soldiers shooting arrows nearby were moved to tears in that instant.

"Good."

Gu Jiusi's voice was hoarse as he looked at Liu Yuru. Under the moonlight, the girl appeared almost ethereally beautiful.

He suddenly felt incredibly fortunate in this life—

to have met this person.

He couldn't help but smile.

"I'm not afraid."

Behind him were the two hundred thousand residents of Hope Capital and Liu Yuru.

Even facing thousands of troops and horses, he was not afraid.

The involvement of the citizens instantly mitigated Prince Liang's numerical advantage.Although these civilians had received no professional training, the soldiers mixed with the common people, leveraging the advantages of the city gate and walls, actually managed to prevent Prince Liang's army from advancing even a single step further.

As the sky gradually brightened, Gu Jiusi and Shen Ming guarded the city walls and the gate tower respectively, while Liu Yu Ru and Ye Shi'an commanded from the rear in an orderly manner, ensuring the supply of weapons and providing maximum aid to the wounded, significantly reducing the mortality and disability rates.

The initial fear and unease gradually transformed into high morale as dawn broke.

Hope Capital City would not fall.

At that moment, everyone firmly believed that as long as Gu Jiusi was there, as long as Liu Yu Ru was there, Hope Capital would never be breached, let alone defeated.

The sounds of hacking, clashing, and war drums.

All these noises intertwined on that early morning.

As the sun rose from the east, a tremor shook the ground in the distance.

Qin Si was the first to notice. He urgently reported to Prince Liang, "Your Highness, a large army is approaching!"

"How is that possible?"

Prince Liang exclaimed in disbelief. Yet, at that very moment, on the distant hill, the banner bearing the character "Zhou" fluttered proudly under the sunlight.

Standing on the city tower, Gu Jiusi saw the "Zhou" character and couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.

Zhou Ye led the charge at the front, accompanied by a petite figure who appeared to be a female general.

They galloped forward on horseback, shouting battle cries. Just then, Shen Ming let out a loud roar and spurred his horse to charge out!

Zhou Ye's troops encircled from the rear, while Shen Ming led his men out from the city, trapping Prince Liang's army in a pincer attack. Gu Jiusi stood on the tower, watching as Zhou Ye and Shen Ming joined forces to decimate Prince Liang's troops. Clutching his blade, dressed in a long robe thoroughly stained crimson and tattered from blood, he quietly observed it all.

At that moment, he heard movement behind him. Liu Yu Ru approached, wearing a red dress with a white base adorned with white plum blossoms. In her hair was the phoenix hairpin he had once gifted her, and she carried a tray with wine.

The wind swept icy particles as it blew, gently tousling her hair. Gu Jiusi watched her quietly, unable to suppress a smile. "Dressed so beautifully—what's the occasion?"

"I thought," she replied with a soft smile, "if the city holds, we should celebrate, so naturally, I ought to dress well. If it falls, and we journey to the underworld together, I should still dress well."

She carried the tray to the city wall, poured two cups of wine, and handed one to Gu Jiusi. Tilting her head, she smiled. "For your first victory, my husband, we ought to raise a toast."

Gu Jiusi took the cup from her hand. He glanced down at it, smiling faintly as he toyed with the vessel, then lifted his gaze to meet Liu Yu Ru, who held her cup aloft. In his eyes lay the morning light, the mountains and rivers, and her.

So breathtakingly beautiful it was mesmerizing, enough to make one drown without regret.

Liu Yu Ru was slightly taken aback as Gu Jiusi reached out, linking his arm with hers in the gesture of a ceremonial toast.

"I had thought to hold another wedding ceremony to properly share this ceremonial wine with you. But now I realize no moment could be more fitting than this."

"With the spirits as witness and heaven and earth as our proof," Gu Jiusi said earnestly, gazing at her, "you are my wife, Liu Yu Ru."

"Under the bright sun and moon, with the mountains and rivers as our matchmaker," Liu Yu Ru looked at Gu Jiusi, her smile tinged with equal seriousness, "you are my husband, Gu Jiusi."

Gu Jiusi looked at her and chuckled softly. "If I said you would be the only one for me in this lifetime, would you believe me?"

"You need not say it," Liu Yu Ru replied gently. "I will wait and see this lifetime through to know."

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi laughed heartily. Together, they bowed their heads and brought the cups to their lips.

The sunlight fully emerged, casting its glow upon them. As they drank the ceremonial wine in unison, they watched the dawn break through the clouds, illuminating the world below.