Rebirth and Rewriting Fate

Three days passed quickly.

Because of the tense war situation, many rumors reached the capital, so the emperor decided not to block the news of sending troops to war, also to boost morale.

On the morning of the day of departure, before dawn, Gu Ruoxiao quietly got out of bed.

As he carefully prepared to put on his clothes, they were snatched from his hands.

He looked up. Yun Chu was looking down, carefully dressing him. Her long hair was slightly disheveled, but she didn't care, focusing solely on dressing him. Her face was lowered, her long eyelashes casting soft shadows beneath her eyelids, obscuring her eyes, which were usually filled with gentleness and determination. Therefore, he couldn't see her expression at this moment—worry, reluctance, or hidden strength—everything was concealed beneath that lowered shadow.

As she tied his belt, he reached out and hugged her, and he sighed.

He knew she hadn't slept all night; though her eyes were closed, her breathing betrayed her secret. Just as he hadn't slept all night either.

"Don't worry, I will definitely come back safely."

"I've been keeping the amulet you gave me with me, and it will protect me."

"Take good care of yourself at home and don't worry me."

"If you're bored, go to Shili Pu or go to the palace to play with the Empress."

"Then remember to write to me!" Yun Chu finally looked up at Gu Ruoxiao, her eyes already red and filled with tears.

"Okay," Gu Ruoxiao said softly, lowering his head to kiss Yun Chu's eye. "I promised you, and I will definitely do it."

"Don't come to the city gate to see me off today. I'm afraid that if you come, I won't want to leave."

Yun Chu looked up at him, and he only had eyes for her. "Okay," she replied.

Therefore, when Gu Ruoxiao left the Prince's Mansion, Yun Chu didn't even go to the gate, but Cheng Bo gave her a lot of instructions.

Gu Ruoxiao looked around at everyone and bowed deeply, causing everyone to gasp in surprise.

"Please take good care of the princess for me."

"Your Highness, rest assured, we will definitely protect the Princess." Sui Bo shouted.

Gu Ruoxiao mounted her horse and galloped toward the city gate.

In the Jingxuan Courtyard, Zhu Ling, Nan Rao, and Mo Han looked at each other.

"Your Highness, are you really not going to see the Prince off?" Zhu Ling couldn't help but ask.

“Going now will only make me more heartbroken and reluctant to leave,” Nan Rao couldn’t help but say.

"Sigh." Zhu Ling sighed.

"Your Highness, why didn't you take me with you this time?" General Xu, standing on the ground, asked Gu Ruoxiao on horseback.

"You must guard the capital well, and remember to report military reports to the Emperor promptly. You are my thorn in the side in the capital, so keep it firmly in place," Gu Ruoxiao instructed.

"Yes, sir! I guarantee I will complete the task assigned by the prince!" Major General Xu shouted loudly.

"Your Highness, everything is ready. We may depart," a soldier reported.

"Pass down the order, let's depart," Gu Ruoxiao commanded.

"Master, look there!" Chengfeng suddenly exclaimed.

Gu Ruoxiao looked in the direction Chengfeng was pointing.

On the city wall, Yun Chu stood there, with Nan Rao, Zhu Ling, and Mo Han standing behind her.

His heart skipped a beat; she had come after all.

The two looked at each other from a distance, and Yun Chu subconsciously took a step forward.

"Master, we have to go." Chiwu whispered beside him.

Gu Ruoxiao gave Yun Chu a deep look, then raised his whip and spurred his horse away.

Yun Chu prayed silently, "Ruo Xiao, you must come back safely."

Days passed by, and every few days Yun Chu would receive a letter from Major General Xu, which he sent to the capital along with military reports.

Gu Ruoxiao misused public resources for private purposes.

In the letters, Gu Ruoxiao would tell her where they had gone, what the people there were like, and he would also tell her some interesting stories.

Yun Chu would then write back to him, telling him what she had done that day, what delicious food she had discovered, and that she would cook it for him when he returned.

Their letters ended with one wishing you peace of mind and the other wishing you safety.

This continued for over two months. What used to be a letter every ten days was now only arriving every two weeks. And Yun Chu hadn't received a single letter this month. It had been a full three months since Gu Ruoxiao left the capital.

Every few days, military reports were sent to the palace. The East Pond had used fire-based weapons, and the battle was fierce, with countless dead and wounded.

Weapons, food, and medicine were transported to Luoshui in truckloads. Yun Chu donated all the food and medicine she had previously stockpiled.

In the dead of night, Yun Chu was filled with unease. Unconsciously, tears soaked her clothes. The worries and fears she had tried so hard to hide during the day quietly surfaced under the cover of night. She hadn't received a letter from Gu Ruoxiao for almost a month.

She had also been to the palace, and she was worried that everyone was hiding something from her. So she forced Gu Chenglin to show her the military report, but the report did not mention anything about Gu Ruoxiao.

Yun Chu could only tell herself that he must have been too busy to write to let her know he was safe, or that he didn't have pen, ink, paper, or inkstone with him. She came up with a thousand reasons for this.

She believed he would be alright, after all, she and he were destined to be enemies for all eternity.

So Yun Chu wrote a letter to General Shen in Luoshui and sent it from the post station to Luoshui, hoping to hear back.

However, the letters sent out in the past few days have all disappeared without a trace.

Yun Chu was restless because she hadn't received a reply. She was so worried about Gu Ruoxiao that she couldn't sleep at night.

There was a particularly loud noise outside today, so Yun Chu immediately sat up.

Knock, knock, knock—someone was hurriedly knocking on the courtyard gate.

“Nanrao,” she called out.

"Miss." Nan Rao, who was sleeping in the west wing, hurriedly came over.

"What's going on outside?"

"Your Highness, it's me," came Chengbo's voice.

Yun Chu put on her coat, and Nan Rao helped her to the courtyard gate.

Mo Han and Zhu Ling also rushed over.

The door opened, and outside, many torches were burning. The leader was bowing to Yun Chu.

"Deputy General Wang?" Yun Chu couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

"Your Highness, I have come on His Majesty's orders to invite you to the palace for temporary refuge."

"Take temporary refuge?"

"A large number of rebel troops suddenly gathered fifty miles outside the city. His Majesty, fearing for the safety of the Princess, specially ordered his subordinates to come here."

"Have you found out which rebels they are from?"

"The time is too short, not yet." The Imperial Guard Vice General lowered his head.

"Is the capital's defense insufficient?" Yun Chu asked doubtfully.

"The number of the rebels is unclear. Most of the guards in the capital have been transferred to the Imperial City, which is the last line of defense that we will fight to the death."

"What about the capital?"

"If we are unable to withstand the attack, we may have no choice but to abandon it. His Majesty's safety must not be compromised."

These words sent a chill down everyone's spines, implying that if the capital were to fall, bloodshed could ensue.

"Lieutenant General! Lieutenant General!" a soldier rushed in to report.

"What's the matter that you're so panicked?"

"I don't know where the people got the news that there was a large number of rebels outside the city, and now they are making a fuss at the east gate, wanting to leave the city and escape for their lives."