My vicious dog, my horse, I can do whatever I want with it

The bead curtain rustled, and Gao Jiayue walked out from behind the barrier.

After many years, Zong Yanli finally met the Princess of Gao again. The imperial concubine was extremely beautiful, with charming eyes and eyebrows. Her face was as white as the moon, and her pair of phoenix eyes looked at her. She was truly extremely beautiful.

Even Zong Yanli couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Compared to Gao Jiayue back then, she was now mature, dignified, noble and beautiful.

"Young General, how are you?" Gao Jiayue looked at Zong Yanli in surprise, and called out after a long time.

"I am ashamed to say that I am honored to have the Imperial Concubine care about me like this." Zong Yanli bowed his head with a very respectful attitude.

"General, why should we be so distant with each other?" Gao Jiayue looked at Zong Yanli with a bit of resentment, turned around and called her to sit next to him, and the maid beside her went to make tea.

Gao Jiayue looked at Zong Yanli, her beautiful eyes seemed to wander over her face. After a long while, she said, "I haven't seen you for many years. The general has become more heroic. Even though I am far away in the capital, I often hear about the general's achievements."

Gao Jiayue's expression was somewhat complicated and nostalgic. She clenched her hands in her sleeves and said, "I often recall the journey from Gao Country to Wu Country, and the general risked his life to save us in the dangerous border town."

Zong Yanli was somewhat at a loss, and said with his head down: "These are all things that I should do, and I don't deserve your Majesty to worry about me so much."

"Hehe..." Gao Jiayue smiled, with a sad look in her eyes, and said, "No one regards my life as life, but just treats me as a commodity to be exchanged back and forth."

"Your Majesty, please don't say such self-deprecating words. Now that you are in a high position and are favored by the emperor, who would dare to disrespect you?" Zong Yanli raised his eyes slightly and looked at Gao Jiayue.

Gao Jiayue seemed to be extremely displeased with such words, with a slightly gloomy look in her eyes. She turned to look at Zong Yanli and said with a smile: "Let's not talk about me. Is the general doing well in the army now?"

She looked at Zong Yanli with bright eyes and said, "In just a few years, the general has already reached the position of leading the army. He is truly heroic and brave."

"When you live in the palace, you must always be careful about your words and actions. I have long wanted to ride a horse but never had the chance."

"Now that I have come here, could you please teach me how to ride a horse?"

Gao Jiayue blinked at Zong Yanli, and her brows seemed to reveal a bit of girlish beauty. In terms of age, Gao Jiayue was only eighteen or nineteen years old, but she had experienced a lot.

Zong Yanli obviously had no right to say no, and therefore learned that Gao Jiayue would stay for a few days.

After coming out of the imperial concubine's tent, Zong Yanli was called away by Qin Wujiu.

"Did Concubine Gao reveal anything to you?" Qin Wujiu did not bother to be polite and asked directly. It was obvious that he was asking about Gao Kingdom's aid and Concubine Gao's return to visit her relatives.

"No." Zong Yanli shook his head solemnly: "The Imperial Concubine did not say a word about the reinforcements from the country, only..."

Zong Yanli said in a strange tone: "I just thought you wanted to learn the art of horse riding and asked me to teach you..."

Qin Wujiu was stunned for a moment, then his eyes fell on Zong Yanli's face. He didn't know what he was thinking of, but his expression changed and he laughed: "Young general is so heroic, I think he has won the favor of the imperial concubine. Since the imperial concubine has asked you to accompany her, you can go."

Qin Wujiu smiled and said, "If the imperial concubine mentions anything about the Gao Kingdom, I must report it to you."

"Yes." Zong Yanli responded respectfully.

The arrival of Concubine Gao not only made the military discipline even stricter, but the ground outside the tent was flattened so that there was not a single blade of grass. The military tents were cleaned tidy, and the troops were lined up for training on time without any slacking off.

The soldiers including Concubine Gao certainly could not see it, but the eunuchs and guards who followed Concubine Gao did see it.

Since he came here under the pretext of inspecting for the emperor, it was natural for him to inspect the army once or twice.

When Gao Jiayue said she wanted to learn horse riding, Qin Wujiu immediately had someone cordon off a piece of land as a horse farm for the imperial concubine. The farm was surrounded by heavy military guards, and anyone who entered was repeatedly interrogated, and outsiders were not allowed to approach.

So when they saw Zong Yanli being able to come and go so freely, they all speculated about his relationship with Concubine Gao.

Zong Yanli carefully selected a relatively docile warhorse from the stable. Most of the horses in the army were warlike, so it was not easy to select such a docile one.

"General, please protect my queen." Hong Jian, the maidservant beside Concubine Gao, repeatedly reminded Zong Yanli.

"Yes, I will definitely take good care of the imperial concubine." Zong Yanli responded in a low voice.

Gao Jiayue changed out of her complicated dress and wore a maroon riding suit today. Her hair was tied up in a bun and pinned with a plain hairpin, revealing her bright face, slim waist and long legs, which made her look quite ostentatious.

She came forward with a long whip in her hand, looked up at the yellow horse, and said with a bit of excitement and excitement: "My father and brothers also taught me to ride a horse when I was young. Now so many years have passed, I almost forgot what it feels like to ride a horse at full speed..."

Gao Jiayue reached out and touched the horse's head, then turned to Zong Yanli with some trepidation and said, "General, are you willing to help me get on the horse?"

Zong Yanli took two steps forward upon hearing this, and stretched out his hand to Gao Jiayue, saying, "My queen, please be careful. I will be there to protect you."

Gao Jiayue's heartbeat suddenly accelerated as she looked at Zong Yanli's outstretched hand. Her cheeks flushed as she looked at Zong Yanli. She saw that his face was solemn and his expression was unchanged without any strange expression. His outstretched hand was covered with a layer of rough calluses, and he had a protective gear on his wrist and his posture was calm and serious.

"Thank you, General." Gao Jiayue stretched out her hand and placed it in her palm. Zong Yanli held it with his backhand and led her to step on the small stool and the stirrups to the horse's back.

The yellow horse snorted twice and stamped its hooves, which frightened Gao Jiayue so much that she leaned back and wanted to retreat.

Zong Yanli put his hand on her lower back and said in a steady voice, "Don't be afraid, madam. Just get on the horse."

Gao Jiayue clearly felt the broad palm pressing against her lower back. Her legs suddenly felt weak and she was almost forced by Zong Yanli to sit on the horse.

Zong Yanli pulled the reins of the horse, turned around and patted the horse's neck as if to comfort it, and said to Gao Jiayue: "Your Majesty, don't be nervous. Hold the horse's belly tightly. I will lead you for a walk first, so that you can get familiar with the feeling of being on horseback."

Gao Jiayue's eyes were shining. She sat on the horse's back with a little nervousness. Her heart was beating wildly. Looking at Zong Yanli standing beside the yellow horse, she couldn't tell for a moment whether her violent heartbeat was because of nervousness or because of him.

Zong Yanli led the horse in front of him without looking back.

After about two laps, she handed the reins to Gao Jiayue and said, "Your Highness, try it yourself."

"Ah?" Gao Jiayue's confused thoughts came back to her senses. Seeing Zong Yanli walk away so coldly, leaving her to ride the horse by herself, she felt a little blocked in her heart for no reason. She looked at the reins in her hand and tentatively drove the horse to walk slowly in the field.

After Gao Jiayue had been driving the horse alone for a while, she probably felt that the horse was very obedient and gradually found the joy of riding the horse, so she changed from a slow walk to a trot.

Zong Yanli stood at one side and watched, and saw Gao Jiayue's smile, which was bold and bright.

On the observation deck outside the horse farm, Ning Chi and Xiang An crowded on the deck, stood on tiptoe and looked out, saying, "Oh my god! Our general is still leading a horse for someone else!"

"I ran two steps too slow last time, and the teacher almost kicked me to death." Xiang An simply couldn't imagine that his teacher could be so gentle?

"Who hasn't been kicked..." Monkie said softly. If anyone doesn't take the military training seriously, our general will use the whip in his hand to really whip them.

"No, could it be that the imperial concubine has taken a fancy to our general?" Ning Chi leaned forward and stared at the horse farm. Even from such a distance, he could still see the silhouette of people. His face was filled with worry as he asked, "What if she recruits the general as her lover?"

“Make way, make way, you are blocking me!” Lu Hao squeezed his head and tried to move forward.

Pei Liang, who was completely unable to get up to the observation tower, shouted from below: "You guys! If you don't come down and wait for the general to come back, I will complain!"

When Monk and his companions heard this, they were shocked and turned to scold Pei Liang, "You little bastard!"

Gao Jiayue had already dismounted from the horse in the stables, and heaved a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "Thank you, General, for your protection."

Zong Yanli raised his hand and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is very intelligent and quick to understand. I did not do anything."

"It's still early today, General, would you be willing to keep me for a cup of tea?" Gao Jiayue did not go anywhere else, but warmed the wine and boiled the tea on the high platform in the horse farm. Zong Yanli followed her and sat down. She saw Gao Jiayue pouring wine for her and poured himself a cup of tea.

"I haven't felt so relaxed in a long time." Gao Jiayue looked at Zong Yanli through the smoke from the boiling tea, and said with a slightly complicated expression: "General, do you think I am still Gao Jiayue now?"

"Why do you say that, Your Majesty?" Zong Yanli straightened his expression and turned his head to look at her.

"Although I am in a high position now, I have to do many things that I cannot help." Gao Jiayue looked sad, with a mist in her eyes. She stared at Zong Yanli and said, "General, can you understand my difficulties?"

"I am a humble general, and I only know that the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. If Your Majesty had not come forward to ask for help from Gao State, I would not have the leisure to sit here and brew tea at this moment." Zong Yanli said while choosing his words.

Gao Jiayue looked at him, smiled and said, "If I say that I came up with this idea because I knew that the general was guarding the city, would you believe me?"

Zong Yanli: “…”

Zong Yanli was unusually confused. She deliberately led the topic to Gao Guo, just wanting to hear what Gao Jiayue would say so as to guess what she meant. However, she never expected that Gao Jiayue would actually say such a thing.

"When the military report on the fall of Yuanshi Pass was submitted to the Emperor, I was beside the Emperor and heard about the general's bravery with my own ears." Gao Jiayue looked at Zong Yanli steadily and said, "Wu State has a general as brave as the general, and how many others can set foot on the territory of Wu State."

"Asking for help from Gao Country is just a gesture of goodwill, and I also want to ask the general..."

"When I am in trouble in the future, or when Gao country is in trouble, you can be my spear." Gao Jiayue looked at Zong Yanli deeply, and the words she uttered made Zong Yanli's mood change a lot.

"I am unworthy of this honor." Zong Yanli lowered his head and said.

Gao Jiayue took a deep breath and suddenly smiled, "I heard that the general has a younger sister?"

Zong Yanli's expression changed slightly, but he didn't reveal too much. He then heard Gao Jiayue say, "I saw him from afar at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet last year, but I didn't summon him rashly. The general is far away at the border, so it must be difficult for him to take care of his family."

She looked at Zong Yanli with a smile and said, "As long as the general says the word, I will treat your sister as my own sister."

Zong Yanli frowned and took a deep breath. When she raised her eyes again, her demeanor had completely changed. Her eyes were sharp and a little cold. She stared at Gao Jiayue and said, "Noble Concubine Gao has said this. I will not deal with you anymore."

"Which prince are you lobbying for?" Zong Yanli stared at her with a sullen look in his eyes. "Is it the crown prince? Or... Prince Shou?"

Gao Jiayue's expression changed slightly, her breath stagnated, and her eyes showed a bit of strangeness. She slowly sat up straight, looked at Zong Yanli calmly and said: "The general is so perceptive, he must have known the political affairs in the capital."

Gao Jiayue lowered her eyes and said, "Prince Shou did show a lot of kindness to me, but... he was too anxious."

Gao Jiayue's words revealed her disdain for Prince Shou. She clutched her sleeves and said, "I took the risk to come here, and even used the name of Gao State to meet the general, just to get a chance. If I say this for myself, would the general believe me?"

"My clan Yanli is weak and has only a handful of soldiers. Compared with the Chen and Qin families, they are insignificant."

"Your Highness the Imperial Concubine has risked her life to come here to invite me. I don't understand, so how can I believe it?"

Zong Yanli looked at Gao Jiayue with a stern look in his eyes and said this.

Gao Jiayue nodded and said, "Yes, in the current situation, the Zong Yan family is indeed insignificant, but..."

"I believe that one day the general will rise to the top and realize his great ambition!" Gao Jiayue's eyes were clear and revealed the faith of a gambler. He looked at Zong Yanli and said, "I am willing to take a gamble. If I lose, I will just die. If I win..."

"I want my son to be the most honorable emperor in the world."

"Will the General help me?"

As Gao Jiayue spoke, she placed her hand on her lower abdomen and looked intently at Zong Yanli.

Zong Yanli had long known that Gao Jiayue had some ambitions. Without such ambitions, how could she survive in the palace? However, she never expected that Gao Jiayue's ambitions went beyond that. Instead of relying on Prince Shou or the Crown Prince, it is better to rely on herself.

Her plan was far more profound than Zong Yanli had expected, so much so that when Zong Yanli returned to the camp from the horse farm, his face was gloomy and his eyes were filled with sadness.

"General, is there something on your mind?" Wen Nian walked in and saw Zong Yanli sitting at the desk in deep thought. He couldn't help but step forward and ask.

Zong Yanli rubbed his brows with his hand, frowned, looked at Wen Nian and said, "Tell Xiang An not to come over tonight, and prepare writing materials for me. I have something to discuss with my father."

Wen Nian bowed and turned to leave.

The matter was too secretive, and Zong Yanli did not trust others, so he wrote a letter and asked Wen Nian to deliver it to Zong Yanhongtu's tent, which was then delivered to Pingnan Camp by Zong Yan's descendants, who were Zong Yanhongtu's personal soldiers.