(Quick Transmigration) Small Cannon Fodder Has Great Power

The Duke of Zhenguo went directly to the palace with his children to pay homage, while his personal guards remained outside the city.

The Emperor was overjoyed at the triumphant return of the Great General, and the Empress personally descended from her seat to greet him.

"Haha, no need for formalities, General, you've worked hard. You truly deserve to be called a pillar of our nation, and you've achieved another great feat!"

The general remained respectful and said, "Your Majesty flatters me; it is my duty."

The emperor warmly praised the man and then asked, "My dear minister, is there anything you wish to be rewarded with? Please tell me."

"Your Majesty, I have merely done my duty and dare not claim credit for anything." She paused, "However, upon my return, there is indeed something I would like to trouble Your Majesty with..."

"Oh?"

"My son has followed me in battle for many years and is now twenty-four. He is past the age for marriage, which is a matter that weighs heavily on my mind..."

"Does my subject wish for me to arrange a marriage for the young general?"

The Duke of Zhenguo bowed deeply. "This humble subject has only one son. Although he is perfect in my eyes, I also know that he is getting old and is not the delicate man that women like. This marriage is really..." She sighed, "But I can't bear to see him suffer. Therefore, I am thinking of having him marry down. The woman's family background is not important, but she must marry his principal wife, preferably someone who can get along with my son. I would like to trouble Your Majesty... to help my son find a match."

The emperor listened and nodded understandingly. But choosing a candidate wasn't so easy. "My dear minister, allow me to carefully consider this matter. By the way, the hunt is coming up soon; you can also take the young general to see if there are any ladies of official rank that you fancy."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After meeting the emperor, the Duke of Zhenguo felt somewhat relieved to receive the emperor's approval.

Back at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, the old general changed out of his armor and into civilian clothes, asking his husband, "I just saw Miao'er go out?"

"Miao'er and her older sisters went to find their comrades for drinks."

"Oh. You're finally back, it's time to relax."

The general's wife, however, disagreed. "He spends all his time with the women of the army; he doesn't act like a boy at all. How will he ever get married? Sigh... I never agreed to let our son go to the border with you, but you insisted that this was how a son of a general should be born..."

"Alright, alright, it's been so long, why are you still bringing this up?"

The gentle and dignified man slapped her hard on the back, saying, "You don't like hearing this!"

The slap felt like a tickle to the Duke of Zhenguo, but she still pretended to cry out in pain, "Ouch, my husband, did you hurt your hand?"

Her husband couldn't help but laugh, giving her a reproachful look. "You should really show your soldiers how unserious their general can be." He then added, "This time when you come back, don't let Miao'er go to the border again. He has already wasted his youth; he can't let him spend his whole life at the border."

"Yes, that's what I was thinking too. This time when I went to the palace, I asked His Majesty to help Miao'er find a husband."

"You've finally done something good."

···

As the ninth princess, Gu Yunyun received a monthly stipend. Since she did not indulge in extravagance and had almost no need to spend money, she was quite well-off.

Since transmigrating, her biggest hobby has been to carry money around and eat her way from one end of the street to the other, eating whatever she wants, which is nothing compared to her current financial situation.

"Your Highness, are you going out today as well?" the servant asked.

"Yes, you don't need to come with me, I can go by myself."

"Yes, your veil."

"Mm." Gu Yunyun naturally took the veil and put it on, then strolled out of the Princess's residence and headed towards the bustling commercial street.

It was nearing evening, a time when people who had been busy all day were relaxing, and also the busiest time for vendors. The capital city had a vibrant nightlife, with brothels and casinos brightly lit as night fell, and entertainment venues bustling with people.

Gu Yunyun often goes to Kyoto's largest night market, where there is a wide variety of local snacks and interesting trinkets.

Because Gu Yunyun's appearance was quite striking, she usually wore a veiled hat when she went out. Under the halo of being called "the most beautiful woman in the Yu Kingdom," wearing veils gradually became a new fashion trend in the capital, and both men and women wore them on the streets. Now, you could see people wearing veils everywhere, so Gu Yunyun's attire was completely hidden among them, and she didn't have to worry about attracting attention.

Gu Yunyun bought a serving of fried wontons and sat down at a table next to the stall, enjoying them with a veil covering her face. She took a bite of the crispy and savory fried pork wonton, which was sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Every bite was bursting with flavor.

The system was heartbroken by her neglect of her duties: "It was one thing for you to spend your days eating and shopping before the general returned to the capital, but now that he's back, why are you still loafing around and not doing anything productive? Do you even remember your mission?!"

"I am a princess. The moment the Duke of Zhenguo returned to the capital, I rushed to see his youngest son who was still unmarried. What do you expect the Duke of Zhenguo to think? What do you expect the Emperor to think? Wouldn't he think I have ulterior motives?"

"When is the right time to take action?" The system watched Gu Yunyun's live mukbang and couldn't help but swallow hard.

"The spring hunting season is in a few days, that will be the perfect time to get close to him. Crack, crack..." The fried wontons are golden and crispy, truly a rare delicacy.

"How much longer are you going to eat... Never mind, I'll disconnect for a bit. Call me if you need anything." The system, clutching its rumbling, hungry stomach, disconnected the connection.

Gu Yunyun ate a small bowl of fried wontons, strolled around for a while, and then saw a stall selling frontier-style roasted lamb skewers. The marinated lamb, with its alternating layers of fat and lean meat, was roasted until it sizzled and dripped with oil, filling the air with its aroma.

"Boss, three skewers of lamb, please."

"okay!"

Gu Yunyun was afraid that the oil on the lamb skewers would stain the veil of her hat, so she moved the veil aside to make enough space to accommodate the lamb skewers. The skewers were still hot from being grilled, and she carefully took small bites while lifting the veil.

Gu Yunyun was engrossed in eating her lamb skewers, but someone nearby was drawn to her face as it peeked out from behind the gauze curtain.

After finishing her lamb skewers, Gu Yunyun happily placed the bamboo skewers in a special bamboo basket next to the stall, lowered the gauze curtain, and continued walking forward.

She hadn't taken two steps when someone came from the opposite direction and blocked her way. Gu Yunyun didn't mind; in this bustling night market, it was normal to have to give way when you bump into someone. So she took a step to the side, intending to go around them, but the person in front of her also happened to move a step in her direction, blocking her way again.

Gu Yunyun's mind was filled with the image of the thin-skinned, generously filled, and translucent shrimp buns at the end of the street. She casually took another step to the side, but the person in front of her blocked her path once again. This time, Gu Yunyun finally noticed the person in front of her.

Looking up, the first thing I saw was a face with a lewd and greedy grin.

The woman in front of me, dressed in brocade, was fairly plump, but seemed to lack energy and spirit. Despite her young age, her eyes were dark, the whites of her eyes were cloudy and yellowish, and her lips were pale and bloodless.

"This person has kidney problems." The system reappeared at some point.

"You know quite a lot. Where were you just now?"

"I just bought a bowl of wontons. Burp... Too bad they didn't have fried ones."

Seeing Gu Yunyun looking at her without speaking, the woman's smile deepened, and she leaned closer. "Young master, why are you out alone so late?"

The system, utterly devoid of companionship, laughed, "Your accent is definitely confirmed; people are mistaking you for a young gentleman, hahaha..."

Gu Yunyun glanced at the guards the woman had brought. They had silently surrounded her, blocking her escape routes, seemingly quite experienced in this kind of situation. She felt a surge of disgust towards this clearly ill-intentioned woman. "None of your business."

The woman was taken aback by the unusually handsome "young man's" scolding, then her smile became even more lewd. "Oh ho, young man, you've got a temper! Interesting! You've got guts!"

At the same time, at his father's request, Zhong Simiao invited two close comrades-in-arms to his residence for a small gathering.

The guards' camp wasn't far from the Duke's mansion. The three of them strolled leisurely from the camp, chatting as they walked towards the mansion. They passed by the night market and planned to buy a few jars of wine along the way.

Passing by a lantern riddle stall, the lieutenant, on a whim, urged Zhong Simiao to try his hand at it, and he won a palace lantern. Zhong Simiao reluctantly carried the lantern toward the wine shop, while the lieutenant beside him chuckled and teased him.

"Si Miao, you're holding this lantern painted with flowers and plants, and you're speaking so sweetly, haha—"

The soldier next to him slapped the deputy general, saying, "How can you talk like that? Si Miao is a boy, okay?"

"Huh? Right..."

Zhong Simiao held the palace lantern, not wanting to speak.

While waiting for the wine seller to dispense his wine, the aroma of roasted lamb skewers wafted over on the evening breeze from not far away. It was dinnertime, and the smell made one feel a little hungry.

"Hey, look." The military advisor tugged at the deputy general.

"What are you looking at?" The lieutenant stared intently. "Oh my god! Harassing an innocent man in broad daylight?!"

Zhong Simiao didn't speak, but followed the gaze of his two subordinates.

A young man, likely a frail and solitary figure, wearing a plain veiled hat, was trapped in the middle by a group of people led by a woman. The woman seemed to be reaching out to touch the young man's slender waist.

"Hey, don't try to steal my chance to be a hero and save the damsel in distress, I'm telling you..." The lieutenant rolled up his sleeves and took a step forward, ready to rush forward.

Gu Yunyun saw that the woman in front of her wasn't satisfied with just verbal flirting, and now she wanted to lay a hand on her? She wouldn't show any mercy to this kind of scoundrel, and slapped the female hooligan across the face, making her head tilt to the side and see stars. She took two steps back, lost her balance, and tripped to the ground.

The excited deputy general paused in his tracks.

The soldier laughed and said, "This young man has quite a fiery temper."

"That woman must be lazy and overindulgent, she's so unsteady on her feet that she got slapped down by a young man, tsk tsk..."

The guards nearby quickly helped the spoiled young woman up. Enraged, the young man roared, "You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to drink the penalty cup! I only let you off the hook because you're a weak little boy, you shameless slut! Tie him up!"

The guards responded immediately.

Zhong Simiao and his two subordinates had already arrived. He held a palace lantern in one hand and grabbed a guard who was about to step forward with the other, throwing him aside with a thud at the feet of the纨绔女 (a spoiled young woman).

When another guard saw someone suddenly attack his companion, he turned around and rushed over with his fists raised, but Zhong Simiao kicked him in the chest with what seemed like a casual kick, and he was knocked aside and couldn't get up for a long time.

The lieutenant and the adjutant quickly subdued the other thugs. All three had fought on the battlefield for many years, and dealing with a few petty thugs was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut; they even had to control their strength to avoid killing them outright.

"Who...who are you people? What do you want?" The arrogant young woman's face had lost its previous smugness, and she cowered, bluffing as she said, "Do you...do you know who my mother is? My mother is a second-rank official..."

The lieutenant punched her in the nose, saying, "Even if your mother comes, I'll still beat her."

The spoiled young woman let out a miserable scream, clutching her bleeding nose and retreating hastily, leaving behind the cannon fodder's most common closing line, "You wait!", before running away in a flustered manner.

The soldier discreetly tossed a small pebble, which landed precisely on the back of the spoiled girl's knee. The girl, already terrified, fell flat on her face and bumped her nose.

Zhong Simiao decided to go back and investigate which official had allowed his family to act so arrogantly, and he was determined to report her to the authorities.

"Hey hey hey! It's the mission target! It's Zhong Simiao!" The system practically wanted to celebrate.

Gu Yunyun was also quite surprised.

"Hey, young man, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you all for your help." Gu Yunyun lifted her veil and thanked them politely.

The three men were momentarily stunned by Gu Yunyun's beauty, with the deputy general even exclaiming in exaggerated breath.

It's said that after three years in the army, even a sow can rival Diao Chan (a legendary beauty). The military woman, still reeling from her recent return to Beijing, was understandably shocked upon seeing Gu Yunyun's stunning beauty.

Although Zhong Simiao was born a man, he had been in the army since he was young. The female soldiers usually talked about how many enemies they had killed and about men. They did not regard him as a man because of his bravery and courage, and they often said dirty things without any taboo.

At this moment, Zhong Simiao suddenly recalled the boasts she had heard from the female soldiers in the military camp about how many handsome and alluring men they had seen. At the time, she thought it was an exaggerated exaggeration, but now she suddenly realized that there really were men in the world who were even more handsome than they had described.

The lieutenant stammered, "Young master, I am twenty-five years old and still unmarried..."

After a moment's realization, the soldier quickly covered the deputy general's mouth as he began to ramble on. "Young man, you are truly as beautiful as an angel. We sisters were so embarrassed; please forgive us."

Gu Yunyun chuckled, unintentionally delivering another blow to the military woman who had just come to her senses.

“It’s getting late, and it’s not safe for you to go out alone, sir. Let me take you home,” Zhong Simiao said bluntly, not wanting to see his subordinate make any more foolish moves.

“I am a young lady, how can I ask you, my lord, to escort me home?”

"It's okay, so you just asked us to deliver... what?! A woman?!"

The three then noticed that she had no Adam's apple and that her voice was clear and melodious, typical of a woman.

Gu Yunyun didn't mind at all. She smiled generously, cupped her hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you all for your kindness. I can go back by myself. Goodbye."

The system was dumbfounded: "Huh? They're gone already?"

"Just get acquainted with her today, don't be too eager." Anyone who's seen her face, the most beautiful woman in the land, will never forget it. When we meet again during the hunt, we can naturally strike up a conversation.

The three of them stared blankly as she gracefully turned and left.

Suddenly, Zhong Simiao looked down at the palace lantern in his hand and, as if possessed, called out, "Please wait a moment, young lady."

"Ok?"

"this is for you."

Gu Yunyun saw the palace lantern he handed her.

Zhong Simiao didn't know why he suddenly did this. For some reason, he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. He coughed lightly and made up an excuse, "It's dark on the road, you can take the light."

The two subordinates behind him looked up at the bright lights of the night market, then looked at their boss.

Gu Yunyun chuckled softly, "Thank you."

She took the palace lantern, walked a few steps, then turned back and lifted the veil of her hat to reveal her face. "Until we meet again."

The young girl carried a palace lantern with a floral and bird design, slightly lifting her veil with one hand. Under the dazzling light, she turned her head and smiled gently, her eyes shimmering with light and shadow, creating a scene that seemed both real and dreamlike.