A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Sha Yanxiao kissed Gui'er's forehead and said, "Guier, I want to tell you something very important, a matter of life and death."

He lowered his head, as if thinking about something. After a while, he slowly said, "Actually, I hit him hard on purpose today. When I saw him hugging you in that instant, I really wanted to kill him."

Gui'er quickly said, "Brother, you don't have to feel guilty. You did it all to save me. As long as we don't tell anyone, no one will know."

Sha Yanxiao smiled and said, "Actually, I've given my father some medicine before, medicine that can help him recover more slowly."

Gui'er immediately thought of what Manager Liu said about the Marshal being suspected of being poisoned.

"My feelings towards the Marshal are actually quite complicated. I've known for a long time that he's my biological father, but he only appeared once or twice while I was growing up. I also know that he has many illegitimate children scattered among the people. I don't think I'm any special to him. To me, the leader of Qingfeng Village is more like my father. He said that he and my father were comrades-in-arms, and he still does shameful things for my father."

"But while I was studying abroad, I suddenly received news that my adoptive father had died of a serious illness and had been buried upon my return. Afterwards, Qingfeng Village was wiped out, and the Marshal suddenly appeared before me, bringing me back to recognize my ancestors. I've always felt that there were many suspicious circumstances surrounding my adoptive father's death. At first, I was very grateful for his protection and wholeheartedly followed his plan to train me to be his successor. Later, various signs indicated that it was because he felt that my eldest brother's leg was no longer recoverable, and a Marshal couldn't be crippled. Among his many illegitimate children, I was the only one who grew up with bandits who had semi-military training. I am proficient in fighting, riding, and archery. Moreover, my biological mother's status is also quite prominent, making me a very suitable candidate for the Marshal's successor."

"From the day I returned to the Marshal's Mansion, my wife and eldest brother have been hostile to me and have set countless traps behind my back. I can understand this. After all, I took his son's original position. I thought that as long as the Marshal had a favorable view of me, that would be enough. But then I met an old man from Qingfeng Village. He told me that my adoptive father's death was most likely the Marshal's doing because Jiangcheng was stable and didn't need his black glove. I was very conflicted at the time. If it were anyone else, I would definitely take revenge immediately, but the Marshal is my biological father. I was deeply entangled in the contradiction and suffered. Later, I found out that in the Marshal's mind, his only son was the eldest young master. He would take care of everything for him and pave the way for him to take a position in the central government. As for me, he was still observing and guarding against me, fearing that I would seize his power. I even found out that he was secretly contacting other illegitimate children to observe whether they could be used to replace me."

Gui'er listened in great shock. She felt a little sorry for Sha Yanxiao. For so many years, he had been bearing all of this alone. She had been by his side for so many years and never knew about these things.

She couldn't help but reach out and touch Sha Yanxiao's face: "Brother, you have suffered so much over the years."

Sha Yanxiao tightened his grip around Gui'er. He whispered softly in her ear, "It's okay, Gui'er. You're the light of my life. I still remember when I first brought you into the mansion, you weren't very willing and were very wary of me. But I'm still filled with joy, because in this world, you're the only one who truly cares about me. Over the years in the Marshal's mansion, you might have thought I was protecting you, but it was actually you who gave me a place to call home."

Gui'er didn't know what to say. She had never thought that Sha Yanxiao would think this way. She felt her heart was full, not only touched, but also with an indescribable emotion.

"However, I discovered that the Marshal had feelings for you, which I could not accept. From then on, I slowly prepared to take over the Marshal's position. Only when I became the top leader of Jiangcheng and Fengcheng could I completely protect you."

"Doctor He was actually good friends with my adoptive father and the Marshal, so he knew what kind of person the Marshal was. After he became the Marshal, he wisely kept his distance and became an ordinary doctor instead of becoming his staff member or military advisor. My wife and eldest brother don't know too much about the Marshal's past, because the Marshal did a lot of shameful things to climb to this position, and he almost eliminated all his old friends. This time, Doctor He came back to help me."

"How, how can I help you? This matter is too dangerous. If big brother finds out, he will never let you go." Gui'er said worriedly. Although the Marshal was her nominal adoptive father, she was not surprised at all that someone wanted to kill him. She knew how many lives the Marshal had taken since she entered the mansion.

"Doctor He is not only my father's friend. He is also a highly respected doctor in Jiangcheng. He can make the Marshal's death more reasonable and legitimate. This is also the reason why I called him here. It will give me ample time to deal with any possible attacks from my wife and eldest brother."

Gui'er felt a turmoil. On the one hand, she was grateful for Sha Yanxiao's trust in her, and she was also the reason why he got rid of the Marshal. But on the other hand, she was hesitant. Was getting rid of the Marshal really a good idea? Although he was completely confused and unable to do anything, he was still the leader of Jiangcheng. If he lost this leader, would Jiangcheng fall into chaos? Should she talk to Song Xichen about it?

"How long will it take, Marshal?" She felt that she should at least tell Song Xichen a time.

"It's hard to say, but it will probably be within this month. Are you scared? Don't worry, even if this incident happens, it has nothing to do with you. Besides, my brother and his wife love you very much and will never implicate you." Sha Yanxiao said firmly.

"I'm not afraid. In fact, my feelings towards the Marshal are quite complicated. When I was little, he occasionally treated me like a real elder and cared about me that way, but he changed after I grew up. And he did kill a lot of people by mistake. I'm just worried that the political situation in Jiangcheng and Fengcheng will change once he's gone. Now that the country is in crisis, we can't be the first to cause chaos."

Sha Yanxiao smiled softly. "Don't worry. In fact, I have basically taken over all the political and military affairs of Jiangcheng and Fengcheng in the past two years. Although the Marshal is suspicious, he has taken to smoking opium for some reason in recent years. His entire spirit has been depressed. Seeing his current state, most of his old subordinates have already turned to me. Even if something unexpected happens, if there are one or two who are willing to swear allegiance to him, it won't be a big problem. I can handle it."