In the evening, a victory banquet was held by the Central Plains Army.
Whether it was soldiers from the Plague City or the royal court, after going through life and death cooperation, there were no barriers left in their hearts.
At this moment, they were people of different standings, yet each held mutual admiration and cherished each other's company.
At this moment, they became cordial to an unprecedented degree, referring to each other as brothers.
“Sister Ge, you all are women of valor. In my life, there are only two people I admire, one is the towering General Guan, and the other is you, Sister Ge. Let me raise a toast to both of you.”
“Sorry for our initial encounter as I fooled around, I hadn't anticipated the depth of your courage. You had the guts to stitch up wounds by hand—I am impressed! Not to mention the crucial role you played in today's battle. Had it not been for you and the other female heroes, we would not have won so easily today!"
“Come, everyone, raise a toast to our women warriors! Sister Ge, teach us the shoulder throw you used. When I saw you throw a man weighing over two hundred jin (roughly 220 pounds) to the ground today, I was astonished beyond words."
“Strong leaders breed strong followers. The Elder Princess is so formidable, and you are equally so, challenging my understanding of women. I won't dare underestimate women in the future!”
“Women aren't restricted to the four walls of the home after all—we were narrow-minded before.”
“......”
Campfires burned brightly everywhere, and joyful laughter filled the air.
After proving themselves through actions, the women warriors who could fight, heal, sustain logistics, and form surprise attack units were unanimously respected and recognized by the army.
Even the prestigious and stern General Guan had profound respect for them at the bottom of his heart.
He even secretly pondered about training female warriors for combat himself.
“Congratulations, you've won a great victory!"
Gu Sang's sudden appearance shocked the generals. They instantly became alert.
What...what was that?
What was that ghostly voice?
But when they saw General Guan's calm expression, the generals relaxed from their alert stance and started curiously looking at the floating screen.
Some even tried to pass their hands through the screen and back.
Wow!
The screen isn't disappearing!
My hand actually went through it!
General Guan watched Gu Sang with an inscrutable expression and asked: “Miss Gu, can you find me anywhere and anytime?”
This was the second time General Guan had seen this suddenly appearing screen.
Thus, he was curious about why Gu Sang could always appear precisely in front of him.
However, Gu Sang sold out Zhou Qichen with one sentence.
“No, I contacted Zhou Qichen. It's his private line.”
General Guan laughed sarcastically and glanced at Zhou Qichen, who awkwardly grinned back, hoping to smooth over the situation with his cheerful smile.
Gu Sang asked calmly:
“General Guan, you haven't reported to the court yet about your independent venture to the borderland, right?”
“Now that the Xiongnu Army has been completely annihilated and the city has been recaptured, the Emperor will likely overlook our independent operation given the magnitude of this accomplishment.”
"Just one question for General Guan, if Pei Changying orders you to leave the frontier again, will you obey?"
On hearing this, the faces of the other generals turned serious, their smiles fading as they directed their attention to Gu Sang.
General Guan's face was as stern as ever, his hardened visage bearing the marks of long exposure to the harsh frontier weather, seeming even more weary in the flickering light of the bonfire.
He had grown old, yet he still defended his homeland at this inhospitable border.
His entire life had been spent on these vast, desolate lands.
"I understand your concerns. I've spent my life here at the border. For you all, summer brings rashes and winter frostbites. There are only two seasons here, extreme cold and heat, alternately. This place is simply unfit for habitation."
"Despite the severe weather, I've grown accustomed to this vast space, watching the locals struggle to survive in this harsh environment. I am used to watching the eagle circling in the sky to hunt, the sky full of stars, the yellow sand in the wind, the icy and snowy world in which I am the only one walking alone, the ice cliffs a hundred feet high..."
"Palace intrigues and politics don't suit me, nor do I wish to leave the border anymore. As for your royal power struggles, I have no interest in them."
"I just want to spend the rest of my time protecting my homeland. As long as the Guan Family Army exists, the Xiongnu will not step into the Central Plains."
General Guan's answer was a tacit rejection of Gu Sang's invitation and also a clear statement.
He would not join the Elder Princess's camp.
In future, he won't be leading soldiers away from the border.
General Guan and his Guan Family Army, the first line of defense at the border, will not leave!
Indirectly, General Guan made it clear that even if the Elder Princess invades the capital, he will turn a deaf ear.
As for the palace and royal power struggles, let them duke it out.
Gu Sang could understand General Guan's dilemma and his determination to guard the frontier year after year.
No matter the circumstances, Gu Sang admired General Guan's efforts to protect the homeland.
She got up, raised her right hand with straight fingers, and gave General Guan a modern salute.
"This is a salute for soldiers in our future times."
"General Guan, your thoughts and actions have earned my respect. You deserve a modern military salute!"
Hearing Gu Sang's words, General Guan burst into hearty laughter, echoing under the night sky.
The soldiers looked curiously in this direction, wondering what could make General Guan laugh so openly.
"Then I'll call you Miss Gu, Miss Gu, I'm very curious about your future world."
"When I have the time, I hope to see what the future world is like. I really want to see what kind of place can be called prosperous."
"Do the Xiongnu still exist in the future?"
"Can common people have enough to eat in your future times?"
"In your future times with so many advanced weapons, does everyone only rely on these weapons and forget to exercise and strengthen the body?"
The others too looked at Gu Sang curiously, as they had all heard more or less about the live broadcast.
They also knew about the powerful and promising future.
Unfortunately, they only heard about it, they did not have the chance to witness it themselves.
Facing the questions from everyone, Gu Sang patiently explained:
"For the first question, there will be an opportunity, and by then, you will all be able to watch the so-called live broadcast."
"All of you here will be able to witness the dream of a great nation and a strong military in the future. Perhaps next year, if I'm still broadcasting, you will even get to see the National Day military parade!"
"The parade ceremony is on a five-year lesser cycle and a ten-year grand cycle. Next year will be a lesser parade, and there will be onlookers even from foreign nations who come to admire it."
"By then, you will truly understand just how formidable the might and technology of the future really are."
