Forced to be a concubine? I turned around and married the scumbag's father.

When Yuan Zhongyong saw the two men approaching menacingly, his guards tried to stop them, but were blocked by Chi Yu and his men's guards.

Gu Hua rushed straight to Yuan Zhongyong, raised her dagger, and stabbed him in the face.

Startled, he sobered up halfway and hurriedly backed away, cursing under his breath, "You bitch, Mu Junyan doesn't have time for you. I'm here to help you. You're asking for it!"

Gu Hua was so angry that her face turned pale. She took a step forward and slapped him hard across the face.

The blow made him stagger and lose his balance, landing hard on his backside. The uneven, gravelly ground made his buttocks feel like they were about to split in two, causing him to scream in pain.

Gu Hua shouted, "They're so drunk they're behaving inappropriately! Where are they as government officials? Throw them all into the pond to sober them up!"

Upon hearing this, Akabane grabbed Yuan Zhongyong and threw him into the pool.

Immediately afterwards, with a series of splashes, more than a dozen people were thrown into the pond like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

On a winter night in December, a thin layer of ice formed on the surface of the pond.

They were immediately jolted awake by the cold, and the alcohol instantly wore off.

A group of people were splashing and cursing in the pond, just like a group of frogs croaking.

Gu Hua said coldly, "If your mouth is dirty, you're not sober. Keep soaking."

Akabane and his guards stood watch by the pond, swords in hand. Whenever one tried to climb out, they would knock it back; each time one climbed out, they would knock it back again…

The dozen or so people were shivering from the cold, and they saw that the people on the shore didn't seem to want to let them go.

Terrified, they dared not shout anymore, and Yuan Zhongyong lost his arrogance, shivering from the cold.

Gu Hua felt it was about time, so she leaned down and asked, "Lord Yuan, are you sober now?"

"You, you, snap, you, snap, how dare you... Heh heh!"

He was talking while his teeth were chattering and he kept sneezing, which made his face covered in snot and tears.

Gu Hua stood up straight and placed her hands on her abdomen: "Is the hangover soup ready? Bring it over and give everyone two jugs!"

"You dare! Heh heh heh!"

The attendant quickly went to do it.

Gu Hua said coldly, "Of course I dare. You dare to insult the Duke of Yong. If I don't teach you a lesson, wouldn't I be disgracing the Duke of Yong?"

Yuan Zhongyong hugged himself, his neck stiff: "What is the Duke? Our Yuan family is related to the imperial family..."

Gu Hua interrupted him: "Our Duke doesn't rely on any powerful figures. He risked his life, leading hundreds of thousands of soldiers of the Mu family army, to earn this honor. You can try going to the Emperor and comparing your imperial relatives with the Duke of Yong to see who has a harder head!"

"Without these soldiers who eat coarse grains and drink thin porridge to guard the frontier, where would your wealth and glory come from? Without them, you could still wear fine silks and satins, eat delicacies and wild game, and still seek pleasure and have women on your left and right!"

A short while later, the servants brought over two large buckets of hangover soup.

"Bring them out, two jugs each, and make sure they finish them. If anyone dares to talk nonsense again, give them another jug ​​to make sure they are completely clear-headed."

After Gu Hua finished speaking, she didn't want to look at them anymore and turned to leave.

But no one dared to shout or curse again.

The next day.

When Gu Hua woke up and was eating breakfast, she heard Dong Hua say with a smile, "They were all dealt with badly by Madam last night. After they went back, they all obediently crawled into bed and went to sleep. They all left early this morning."

Gu Hua swallowed the steamed bun in her mouth: "Has Chi Yu sent a message to the military camp?"

In case they find an excuse to cause trouble, Mu Junyan must be prepared.

"It was delivered last night." Donghua looked at Gu Hua and suddenly gave her a thumbs up.

Gu Hua: "What are you doing?"

Donghua leaned closer: "Madam, I admire you so much. You were so powerful last night. Even Chiyu said he never expected you to be so amazing."

Gu Hua, holding her bowl of porridge, said, "They've gone too far. If I don't fight back, am I still worthy of being your lord's woman?"

Donghua nodded vigorously: "None of us expected this. Madam, you seem like a completely different person."

Gu Hua pulled her to sit down: "Let's eat together."

Donghua didn't stand on ceremony, and the two of them grew closer along the way.

Gu Hua was approachable and treated her like a sister.

"What I've seen and heard along the way has truly shocked me. You didn't go to the military camp and see those wounded soldiers. If you had, you would have been even more ruthless than me. Even though we've sent so much food, it's still a drop in the ocean for them. They eat coarse black flour and thin porridge every day, with no vegetables, at most some pickled vegetables. But once a battle breaks out, they are still as fierce as tigers."

Donghua stared at her blankly.

Gu Hua turned to look at her: "I have to become strong. I don't want to be a burden to you."

Donghua snapped out of her daze and nodded vigorously: "Madam, you are not a burden at all. You are intelligent and kind, you are so good."

As Donghua spoke, her eyes reddened.

Gu Hua rubbed her forehead: "Don't praise me so much. Hurry up and eat, let's go check out the porridge stall."

Four soup kitchens were set up in Juzhou City, located inside the four city gates.

She also heard that there was a children's camp that took in all the orphans of soldiers who died in battle and orphans whose parents died in the war.

In addition, there is a retirement camp where the childless parents of the fallen soldiers also live, as well as some elderly soldiers who are spending their retirement there.

When Gu Hua heard Mu Junyan talk about it, she was very shocked. She did not expect Mu Junyan to be able to do things so meticulously.

No wonder the Mu family army is so brave in battle, no matter how difficult the situation.

Akabane immediately objected when he heard that she wanted to personally go to the soup kitchen, as well as the children's camp and the old people's camp.

“Children’s camps and retirement camps are safe, as they are all our own people, but the people around the soup kitchens are a mixed bag, with all sorts of people.”

Akabane hesitated for a moment, then stopped worrying and said in a low voice, "Luodian Border City will attack Shicheng County tomorrow."

Gu Hua was surprised: "So fast?"

"His Majesty suddenly sent someone, and such a thing at that. My lord is worried that something might have gone wrong. If we don't take Shicheng County in one fell swoop and defeat them so badly that they have no strength to fight back, I'm afraid there will be resistance at the front and trouble from behind."

Akabane was also furious when he talked about Yuan Zhongyong.

The Yuan family, relying on their kinship with the Empress Dowager, considered themselves imperial relatives and acted as lackeys of the Jiang family, displaying an arrogant and domineering attitude.

Gu Hua stood up in surprise: "What happened behind the scenes?"

Chiyu knew that Gu Hua was naive and completely unaware of the dark side of the imperial court.

He shouldn't have told her this military intelligence, but he worried that if she stubbornly believed it was helping, it would actually put his lord at risk.

In the past, our lord had no worries and fought without regard for his life.

But now he is worried about Gu Hua's safety. If something happens to her, the master will definitely be distracted.

But Akabane couldn't say such things to the lady; she might not understand, and it would only hurt her feelings.

Seeing his troubled expression, Gu Hua knew that military matters were not convenient to discuss in detail, so she did not press him further.

After a long silence, he guessed what Akabane meant: "You think it would be best for him if I went back to Bianjing, right?"

Akabane looked into Gu Hua's clear eyes, and though reluctant, nodded honestly: "Yes."

"However, it wasn't what my lord said, it's... what I think."

Gu Hua nodded slowly.

She didn't blame him.

Perhaps Mu Junyan thought the same way.

After encountering Yuan Zhongyong, she also reflected on her actions.

Although she did not consider herself to be Mu Junyan's weakness.

But Mu Junyan's enemies will definitely try to use her to attack him.

Even if she does nothing, as long as she stays in Juzhou, she is a danger to him.

Gu Hua gritted her teeth: "Fine, send me to Jiangling, and I will have the Pei family send someone to escort me back to the capital. You immediately send the news of my return to the military camp in Luodian border city, and take a few guards to escort me back so that he can focus on fighting."

Akabane breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Mu Junyan also instructed him to try his best to persuade Gu Hua to return to Bianjing.

Anyone could see that the lord cared deeply for his wife, but it was precisely this deep care that distracted him from his upcoming battle.

On the battlefield where life and death are at stake, a moment's distraction can be fatal.

Akabane said excitedly, "I will send the message to my lord immediately. I will escort you back to the capital right away."

Gu Hua nodded: "Okay."

She didn't want to be a burden to them.