The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 35 The feeling of waiting

Early in the morning, Guo was waiting at the Longjin Bridge.

She heard that Lady Weiguo... no, she should be called the Queen now. Half a month ago, the Emperor sent back an edict from the front line, saying that he wanted to make Lady Weiguo the Queen.

Anyway, Guo didn't quite understand these things. She only knew that the queen went to Shangcai Station to welcome the emperor yesterday.

The army seems to have rested for one night at Shangcai Station and should return to Tokyo today.

Guo couldn't help but blame the queen in her heart, saying, "It's bad enough that you miss your husband, but you have to delay him for so long."

Don’t other people miss their families and want to see them soon?

But she is the queen, an extremely noble woman who can do whatever she wants. Guo could only complain in her heart.

However, when she thought about the man she had been thinking about coming back, Guo's resentment towards the queen disappeared for the most part.

Let the Queen be willful if she wants to, anyway, my Brother Yi is coming back.

During the months when the Imperial Guards were on the expedition, news kept coming back to Tokyo from the front lines.

What Guo didn't expect the most was that Yi Ge'er had actually made a great contribution.

It is said that he killed the most powerful general of the Northern Han Dynasty in battle, and later repelled the Liao army and killed the enemy's general.

Today, Yi Ge'er's deeds are being praised both inside and outside Kaifeng.

Guo heard from those who came to the shop to eat that Li Yi, the inner palace guard, was the main contributor to this expedition.

Every time she heard these words, Guo became extremely excited. She wanted to tell those people that the person they were talking about was her brother-in-law, her Yi Ge'er.

But Guo only dared to think so in her heart...it would be embarrassing for her to say it out loud in public.

In fact, Guo didn't care how great Li Yi's achievements were or how big the rewards were. As long as he returned safely, it would be more important than anything else.

However, when she heard someone praising her beloved, she couldn't help but feel proud, because her brother Yi was supposed to be such a person.

Yi Ge'er had great ambitions since he was young. Now he has achieved what he wished and made great achievements. Guo is happy for him from the bottom of her heart.

In June in Tokyo, the sun was still very scorching during the day. Guo had been waiting here for a whole day. Her face was sunburned and her body was sticky with sweat. Her underwear was wet and stuck to her body, which was very uncomfortable.

But she no longer cared about these things. Even the breakfast shop was closed these days. Her mind was full of Yi Ge'er and she had no energy to do anything else.

Guo had been waiting here this morning and hadn't even eaten yet. It was only at noon when she couldn't stand the heat anymore that she ran to hide under the tea stall next to her and drank a few large bowls of ice-cold pickled plum water.

Seeing the sun setting lower and lower in the west, but no sign of the army, Guo couldn't help but start to get anxious.

I heard from others that the imperial guards coming from Xiacai Station must have gone through Nanxun Gate to enter Tokyo, then go north along the Imperial Street, and then pass through Zhuque Gate to enter the inner city.

This route must pass through Longjin Bridge.

So Guo didn't run to the city gate to join the crowd. She couldn't squeeze in anyway, so she simply waited at Longjin Bridge next to the shop.

But now Guo was a little suspicious that the person who spread the news might have made a mistake, and the imperial guards did not come from this side.

Ugh--

This feeling of waiting is really unbearable...

……

By dusk, the Later Zhou army finally arrived at the city of Tokyo.

When he set out on the expedition, he passed through Chenqiao Gate in the north, and when he came back, he went to Songling.

So the army entered the city from Nanxun Gate in the south.

It was already dark at this time, but the city of Tokyo was still bustling with activity, and many people came to watch the triumphant imperial guards.

Many of them were families of the imperial guards, who had come to wait early in the morning, eagerly anticipating the army's return.

For relatives, honor and rewards may not be that important. It is enough as long as their husband, son or father returns safely.

Even if the soldiers who returned alive did not receive any rewards, at least they were still alive and could hug their families and express their longing for them.

As for those who are buried in foreign lands, their relatives cannot even see their bodies, and all that is left is pain after they shed all their tears.

"Wrapping one's body in battle" sounds nice, but in reality, it's just digging a grave and burying it. If the battle is urgent, there won't even be time to collect the bodies, and it's common for them to be left exposed in the wilderness for days.

How sad it is when a person dies without leaving even a thought for his loved ones?

Not a moment later.

The emperor's carriage entered the city first. The Imperial Street was smooth, but this was a road reserved for the emperor and was not normally open to the people.

However, the alleys on both sides of the Imperial Street were crowded with people, and many families of the imperial guards were waving and shouting loudly to their husbands.

Some people even squeezed forward and stuffed food and tea into the soldiers' mouths, and there were women holding their men's hands and crying as they followed the team.

The scene was a little chaotic for a while.

The generals of various departments were too lazy to even scold them, pretending not to see anything. Some generals even left the ranks to hug and talk with their families.

But at the same time, when some people are happy, others are sad.

Some relatives of the imperial guards did not see their family members in the queue, so they anxiously went to ask the soldiers in the same team.

When they learned that someone had died in battle, his family would either cry out in despair or collapse on the ground.

Joys and sorrows all seemed to appear in the same place at the same time.

The inner palace guards followed the emperor's carriage.

Li Yi rode at the front of the team. He was not wearing armor, but a gorgeous brocade robe with a jade belt around his waist.

As the saying goes, a man wearing a brocade robe and jade belt is a true hero.

These are clothes and accessories bestowed by the emperor. They are a symbol of status and a kind of honor.

During the Five Dynasties period, if military generals made great contributions, the emperor would reward them with these two things.

It is a bit like the nature of a certificate of honor in later generations.

Li Yi's outfit was very conspicuous among the inner palace guards. He actually didn't want to be so flashy, but the emperor asked him to wear it.

Firstly, it was to allow him, as the first meritorious person, to enjoy the admiration of the people of Kaifeng.

Secondly, it was also to bring honor to the emperor and tell the people that this expedition had been a great victory.

But you know what, it’s true that clothes make the man.

Li Yi is a handsome man, and with this luxurious attire, he has the bearing of a young master from an aristocratic family.

"Envoy Li is very proud of himself, but it's a pity for those girls. They won't be able to sleep at night!"

"Look at us, our Li Dushi is both talented and handsome. I'm afraid if he just waves his hand, there are countless girls rushing to him."

Ma Renyu couldn't control his mouth again.

But Li Yi had no intention of paying attention to him now.

Didn’t you come... or did you not know that the Imperial Guards would be back today?
Li Yi looked at the crowd on the side of the road for a long time but didn't see Guo. He felt a little disappointed.

I am now rich and enjoying the attention of everyone, but I lack the person who wants to share this joy with me. No matter how great the happiness is, it is meaningless.

When the imperial guards marched to the Longjin Bridge, Li Yi subconsciously glanced in the direction of the breakfast shop.

Suddenly, he smiled.

Guo stood under the willow tree by the bridge and saw Li Yi riding a horse from a distance. It was hard not to notice Li Yi's colorful outfit.

Brother Yi must have seen me too... Humph, he's laughing like a fool.

Guo rubbed her eyes vigorously. She felt that she should be happy. Yi Ge'er not only came back alive, but also made great contributions.

How can I cry?
But for some reason, I couldn't stop crying.

Guo secretly cursed herself for not living up to her expectations.

(End of this chapter)