Ji Yunsheng gave Gu Yi a gentle hug and then let him go. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"I don't know."
Although Gu Yi already had an answer in mind, he wasn't certain. So he shook his head.
"I'm here to teach you how to ride a horse today."
Ji Yunsheng bent down and gently rubbed the tip of Gu Yi's nose with his finger.
"Great!"
Gu Yi was overjoyed to get the answer he wanted and jumped up and down. When Gu Yi wasn't looking, Ji Yunsheng took a pain - suppressing pill from the white porcelain bottle on his waist. Then he put on a smile again.
For several consecutive days, Gu Yi stayed by Ji Yunsheng's side to learn how to ride a horse. Ji Yunsheng taught very carefully, and Gu Yi learned quickly. In just a few days, he could ride on his own.
When Gu Jiangyue saw Gu Yi again, he had changed greatly. His hair was neatly tied up in a high bun, and he sat upright on the horse, his face beaming with a smile as he looked at Gu Jiangyue.
"Sister, I can ride a horse now!"
Gu Yi no longer looked cold and weak as before. Gu Jiangyue could truly see the air of a general in him.
Before Gu Yi turned five, when his health problems hadn't been detected yet, he liked to play with swords and spears. Although he was young, he was very chivalrous, and many commoners had praised him. Gu Jiangyue still remembered those words clearly.
"Sure enough, he is the son of General Gu. Even at such a young age, he has such a bearing. In the future, he will surely serve the country and make a name for himself."
However, as Gu Yi's health deteriorated, those once - kind praises became harsh sarcasm. This was the first time Gu Jiangyue had seen Gu Yi like this.
She felt a lump in her throat, and a tear slid down from the corner of her eye. Gu Yi quickly dismounted and stepped forward to wipe away the tear from Gu Jiangyue's face.
"Sister, why are you crying?"
Gu Jiangyue came to her senses. She reached out and stroked Gu Yi's head, smiling.
"Sister is just too happy."
Only then did Gu Yi feel relieved.
"Dad will be back tomorrow. We'll go to welcome him together. He'll be very happy to see you like this."
Gu Jiangyue had just received the news that Gu Yanwu would be back tomorrow. She was about to go find Gu Yi when he showed up.
"Okay, sister. I will surely become a great hero and make you all proud of me!"
There was a sparkle in Gu Yi's eyes, and his smile was especially bright. Gu Jiangyue couldn't help but reach out and stroke his head.
"No matter what you do, I'll always be proud of you. Don't care about what others think. Your choices are always right."
Gu Jiangyue's words were a bit profound. Gu Yi nodded half - understandingly. Although he didn't fully understand, as long as Gu Jiangyue supported him, he was happy.
The news that Gu Yanwu would return to the capital the next day also reached the ears of everyone in the Gu Mansion. Gu Jiangyue couldn't sleep all night. She always felt that after Gu Yanwu's return, things would become more complicated, and the Gu Mansion wouldn't let it go easily.
Early the next morning, Gu Jiangyue and Gu Yi got into the carriage prepared by Xie Jiuan and headed straight for the city gate. Along the way, there were lively discussions on both sides of the street.
"General Gu is coming back. Let's go and have a look?"
"Isn't he a criminal official? Why do you still call him general? It's better to go and watch a joke."
"The Gu Mansion said that because there was a criminal official named Gu Yanwu in the Gu family, they felt ashamed and were going to distribute porridge to the refugees to atone for their sins."
"I don't think General Gu is guilty. Most of the country's territory was conquered by General Gu. On the contrary, the Gu Mansion is preparing to atone for their sins even before he comes back. There must be something fishy going on."
"The whole capital is buzzing about it. Can it be false?"
The continuous discussions around the carriage reached Gu Jiangyue's ears. She frowned imperceptibly. Gu Yi seemed to notice and said,
"Sister, don't listen to them. They are just talking nonsense."
Gu Jiangyue looked up at Gu Yi and found that his face was also filled with anger.
"Okay, I believe Dad." Gu Jiangyue whispered.
The Gu Mansion was distributing porridge. It seemed that the old matriarch had really gone to great lengths to distance herself from her father and gain some popularity. Gu Jiangyue sneered inwardly. The Gu Mansion was going to be in big trouble this time.
There were already many onlookers gathered at the city gate. The carriage couldn't squeeze through, so Gu Jiangyue and Gu Yi simply got out of the carriage and made their way through the crowd.
"Isn't this Gu Jiangyue, the daughter of Gu Yanwu? I heard that she begged the old matriarch of the Gu family for a long time, but the old matriarch is an upright person and still drove her out."
"What is she doing here?"
Hearing this, Gu Jiangyue couldn't help but sneer. The old matriarch of the Gu family being an upright person was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard.
"I'm here to see how the shameless Gu Mansion is going to turn things around this time."
A teasing smile played on Gu Jiangyue's lips. She stared coldly at the person who had just asked the question and answered his question directly.
Gu Jiangyue's voice wasn't loud, but her calm and confident words stood out among the whispering of the crowd. Almost everyone around heard what she said.
"The daughter of a criminal official. What's so..."
The man was a bit dissatisfied and mumbled in a low voice when he saw that a little girl like Gu Jiangyue could overpower him. But before he could finish his sentence, he was stared back by Gu Jiangyue's cold gaze.
Then the man ran away without even daring to look back. This action made more people notice Gu Jiangyue. They were like avoiding the plague god and made way for her.
It seemed that as long as they touched Gu Jiangyue, they would be beheaded together.
"Yier, let's go."
Gu Jiangyue directly took Gu Yi's hand and walked along the path that had been cleared for them.
"Isn't this Gu Yi? Is his illness cured?"
Only then did the people around notice Gu Yi's figure. Gu Jiangyue didn't care about those doubts and directly pulled Gu Yi away.
Gu Jiangyue pulled Gu Yi all the way to the best position at the city gate. As soon as she stood still, she felt someone staring at her. She looked around and sure enough, on the opposite side, she saw a familiar figure.
Shen Menglan was supporting the old matriarch and standing on one side. Both of them were staring at Gu Jiangyue and Gu Yi.
They couldn't figure out how Gu Yi's illness had been cured, and why Gu Jiangyue still came out when the rumors in the capital were so unfavorable to her.
But these doubts were soon pushed aside by the malice in their hearts. All they wanted now was to see Gu Jiangyue, Gu Yi, and Gu Yanwu being chased and beaten.
"The old matriarch of the Gu family doesn't stay in the mansion but comes out so high - profile to distribute porridge and slander me. Do you think you've already won?"
Gu Jiangyue didn't avoid the matter at all. She stared directly into the old matriarch's eyes. Beneath her calm eyes, there seemed to be a hidden storm.
In an instant, all the discussions around stopped, and all eyes were on them.
"How dare you talk to me like this? You're really lawless. I don't know how Gu Yanwu raised you!"