The prince loves me like his life, but I force him to rebel

"After all, it is not allowed to be seen in public for a man to fall in love with another man in Dasheng. I am not afraid of what people say. After all, I am a prince, and rumors can't do anything to me. But Mr. Gu, you are just a weak scholar. If someone points fingers at you, I am worried that you can't bear it."

Gu Nianzhi knew Sima Yao's concerns and immediately took over the conversation.

"So, we just need to know our relationship among ourselves, and there is no need to announce it to the world. This will only cause unnecessary trouble."

"Nianzhi, you think the same as I do, which is really great."

Sima Yao gently held Gu Nianzhi's hand.

Gu Nianzhi's hands were as soft as if they had no bones. Apart from the few shallow calluses that had formed from practicing sword skills over the past few days, overall, they looked a bit like a woman's hands.

Sima Yao was stroking it gently when Lin Heng suddenly pushed the door open and came in, scaring Gu Nianzhi so much that she quickly pulled her hand back.

When Lin Heng saw Gu Nianzhi in the room, he was stunned at first, and then he immediately reported to Sima Yao: "The emperor urgently summoned the prince to the palace quickly, there must be no mistake."

Without caring about the lingering affections, Sima Yao washed up as quickly as possible, then rode a fast horse and headed for Duanmen.

Qinzheng Hall.

A group of military officers gathered at the door.

Seeing Sima Yao arrive, everyone came forward.

"Prince Yao, you are finally here. The Emperor is waiting for you."

"Why don't you guys go in?"

"The Emperor said that he would summon us to the throne after discussing it with you. This is extremely urgent. Please go in quickly."

Inside the Qinzheng Hall, there were the emperor and Bai Feng sitting beside him.

The Qibei Kingdom, which borders the Qiangyi Kingdom, took advantage of the fact that Dasheng was busy with many events and had no time to take care of other things, and joined forces with the surrounding Xichuan and Modong to declare war on Qiangyi.

Although Da Sheng does not directly border these three countries and is separated by Qiang Town, if Qibei occupies Qiang Town, it will be equivalent to directly confronting Da Sheng, which is not a good thing for Da Sheng.

In addition, Qibei is located in a very cold zone, and their cavalry eat raw meat and drink blood, and are physically strong, especially the cavalry team, which is a super fighter. If they really want to use Qiangyi as a springboard to start a war with Dasheng, no one can guarantee the final outcome.

"Your Majesty means that you have been training in Dingxi Prefecture for a long time and are most familiar with the local terrain. If you can lead the troops in person as a prince, your chances of victory will be greater."

Sima Yao looked at Sima Ye, who was sitting on the dragon throne, high above.

Seeing that Sima Yao did not express his opinion, he spoke up: "Although Qiangyi has been in constant conflict with our country on the border, the two countries are still on good terms on the surface. If Qiangyi is destroyed by Qibei, Xichuan and Modong, perhaps there will really be war."

"Although these three countries are not large in area, their fighting power is quite strong. Without the help of Da Sheng, they will fight from three directions at the same time. I am afraid Qiangyi will not be able to hold out for long." Bai Feng analyzed: "If I were thirty years younger, I would definitely volunteer to go to war, but now there is no one in the court, so we can only ask King Yao to lead the troops himself."

It’s not that Sima Yao didn’t want to go to war, but the rise and fall of his country was at stake and he couldn’t care about anything else.

He also knew clearly that whether to lead troops to war was not decided by his own will. Once the emperor gave an order, he had to obey even if he was reluctant.

But this matter was too sudden and he was unprepared.

"Third brother, are you unwilling?"

Sima Ye's face darkened when he saw that Sima Yao had not expressed his opinion.

Sima Yao immediately knelt down and said, "Sima Yao will obey my brother's orders and will protect the safety of Qiangyi and Dasheng even at the cost of his life!"

After getting the statement he wanted, Sima Ye's face flashed a smile.

This expedition was a life-threatening one.

If Sima Yao died in Qiangyi, he could just change another general and fight again.

If Sima Yao managed to come back alive, it would be more legitimate to send him to Dingxi Prefecture.

No matter what the result is, it will be beneficial to his throne.

Bai Feng summoned all the generals into the hall and had an intensive discussion on the selection of deputy generals and the deployment of troops.

Sima Yao only made one request, that Shu Huaiyuan go with him.

Sima Yao did not come out of the palace until the sun was setting.

Duanmen.

A man on horseback stood outside the door.

Seeing Sima Yao walking out of the palace gate, the man jumped off his horse and ran to Sima Yao's side.

"I heard that you will be sent to Qiangyi to fight for Qiangyi?"

"Yes."

"The forces in Qiangyi are divided, like a pile of loose sand. How easy is it to get them to cooperate in battle?" Gu Nianzhi frowned, walking back and forth while analyzing the current situation. "Our troops have traveled a long distance and are not used to the local climate. After arriving in Qiangyi, their combat effectiveness will definitely be reduced..."

"Don't think too much. We have already made a decision. There is no turning back. We can only move forward." Sima Yao grabbed Gu Nianzhi's wrist, "Don't walk around. You are making me dizzy."

Gu Nianzhi stood still, worry evident on his face.

"Let's walk back slowly."

Sima Yao and Gu Nianzhi walked side by side, with the reins loosely in Gu Nianzhi's hand, and the two of them and their horse walked on the street.

"This expedition is different from the last one when we sent the imperial edict to welcome the bride. We will be marching quickly along the way. Mr. Gu is weak, so you will not go with us. Just help me guard Prince Yao's Palace."

Sima Yao looked at the shadows of the two people cast by the setting sun on the road ahead, and naturally arranged Gu Nianzhi's direction.

Marching and fighting is unlike anything else. If you are not careful and lose a battle, the entire army may be destroyed.

He didn't want Gu Nianzhi to see him shed blood on the battlefield, and he didn't want to see Gu Nianzhi fighting on the battlefield.

Obviously Gu Nianzhi is also a man, but for some reason, Sima Yao always feels that he should care for him like a woman.

"I don't want to." Gu Nianzhi immediately refused. "I want to go with you."

"Don't be petty. War is no joke."

"We went through such a dangerous situation together last time when we sent the imperial edict for marriage. I am not afraid. Maybe I can help you this time."

"Mr. Gu is extremely intelligent, but being smart is not enough to fight a war. Life and death are just a fine line, and I don't want to... I don't want to experience life and death with you."

Gu Nianzhi stopped.

Sima Yao also stopped.

Gu Nianzhi knew that Sima Yao was just being euphemistic.

She understood that Sima Yao was aware that this trip was likely to be dangerous. Not only would he have to fight on the battlefield, but he might also face a trap set by Sima Ye in the court.

After all, with Sima Yao's death, there would be no more prince who could compete with Sima Ye.

Even if Sima Yao had no intention of seizing the throne, Sima Ye and the Bai family would not allow him to achieve anything.

Victory is a dead end.

Defeat also means death.

However, facing the endless wars that the people living in the border areas might face, Sima Yao could not remain immune.

So, he has no choice.

But he was unwilling to face all this with Gu Nianzhi.

"Take me with you."

Gu Nianzhi spoke sincerely.

"If necessary, I can save your life. Trust me."

"Silly boy. Do you want to die so much?" Sima Yao smiled, but his eyes were about to shed tears.