Inside her body, Ning Yitao looked at Gu Jiangli. He indeed had Duan Qinghuai's facial features, but his temperament was completely different. However, there were still some similarities.
It seemed that the merits on Duan Qinghuai's body were accumulated by saving the common people.
Ning Yitao tried again but still couldn't move. She didn't dare to act rashly for fear of ruining the plot and getting everyone killed.
Ning Yitao looked at the golden thread connecting her wrist to Duan Qinghuai's and let out a sigh of relief.
At least, she had found him now. As long as they went through the plot, she was confident she could take him away from here.
But the two of them didn't care at all about what Ning Yitao was thinking. On their wedding night, they confessed their feelings for each other, and the atmosphere was just right.
When Ning Yitao came back to her senses.
??? How did they end up in bed?
Gu Jiangli's warm fingertips brushed against Ning Yitao's lips, caressing them from time to time.
Ning Yitao was so close to him that she could clearly hear their heartbeats. The smell of wine spread as their breaths intertwined.
Ning Yitao was distracted, thinking that he had drunk some wine when the guests toasted them just now.
Gu Jiangli had Duan Qinghuai's face. Ning Yitao couldn't break free and couldn't avoid the plot. She felt a rush of heat to her head.
In a daze, Ning Yitao felt that the person in front of her had turned into Duan Qinghuai, and there was something different in his eyes.
Ning Yitao's face instantly flushed like a sunset cloud. Her hands, however, uncontrollably went to untie Gu Jiangli's clothes.
Gu Jiangli, who was on top of Ning Yitao, didn't refuse this time. There was a faint smile on his cold face, full of indulgence.
The already shy Ning Yitao stammered, "I, I'm not unwilling."
After saying that, Ning Yitao wanted to cover her mouth. How could this be something she would say?
Ning Yitao's face was as red as a rose. She took a deep breath, trying to ease the current atmosphere.
Gu Jiangli watched her movements. The smile on his lips grew wider, and even the corners of his eyes and brows showed a smile, but he didn't say a word.
He gently pulled her waist, and she fell into his arms.
His Adam's apple rolled up and down twice involuntarily. His breath was close to her ear, and his voice was hoarse and deep: "Okay."
The girl stretched out her slender and soft arms and wrapped them around his neck.
Gu Jiangli's hand had moved from her waist to her graceful back. His left hand, full of calluses, gently held her back, while the other hand slowly grasped her neck, in a completely possessive posture.
Gu Jiangli called her name over and over again. His voice was deep and mellow, which made a shiver run down Ning Yitao's neck when it reached her ears.
The moment their eyes met, Ning Yitao saw a wild light flashing in his eyes.
Accompanied by the clean and refreshing smell of a mature man, he captured every bit of her beauty and occupied all her senses and every nerve.
The bed curtains slowly fell, and the candlelight flickered.
In this story, spring came and autumn went. Time passed so long that Ning Yitao completely integrated into Ye Qianmo's identity.
Or rather, since she entered this world, her consciousness had been blurred, and she had forgotten her past. She didn't care anymore. Subconsciously, she thought she was Ye Qianmo.
She was used to others calling her Mrs. Gu.
She was used to waiting for her husband, Gu Jiangli, who was fighting on the battlefield, to come home.
She was used to living with Gu Jiangli, just like an ordinary couple, loving and trusting each other.
Gu Jiangli fulfilled every detail of what a husband should be. When Ye Zheng and Ye Jinli tried to cause trouble, Gu Jiangli had them beaten out.
When the Ye family framed her, Gu Jiangli crushed the Ye family. No matter what happened, he was like a towering tree, always standing in front of Ning Yitao.
He was just like Duan Qinghuai, always standing by her side. Their shadows were constantly overlapping.
He loved her, and she seemed to be gradually shaken.
In fact, she had been shaken long ago.
Sometimes, Ning Yitao thought that if this kind of life could go on like this forever, it wouldn't be bad.
But unfortunately, fate played a cruel joke. Gu Jiangli had said that he would protect her when they got married, and he would definitely do it.
Even if it meant sacrificing his life.
After marrying Ning Yitao, Gu Jiangli promoted the military generals around him. The army needed fresh blood so that he could spare some time to accompany Ning Yitao.
He had rarely been on the battlefield, and he could even say that he hadn't been there at all. The deputy generals he had promoted by himself could all handle things independently.
He also wanted to be a bit selfish for Ning Yitao. A few days ago, he submitted his resignation letter, wanting to take Ning Yitao away from the intrigues in the court.
But Emperor Gao Zhuo secretly called Gu Jiangli into the palace in the middle of the night.
There was no one guarding outside the palace hall. Inside, only Gao Zhuo was standing in the huge hall, looking worried and pacing back and forth, waiting for Gu Jiangli.
As soon as he stepped into the hall, Gao Zhuo grabbed him and said with a heavy face:
"Brother Duan, the secret report says that the Southern Kingdom is coming in full force this time. They've sent their most elite troops to attack. I..."
Gao Zhuo hesitated for a moment but still said it out.
He wanted Gu Jiangli to personally lead the troops in this great battle.
When Gu Jiangli received the secret report from Gao Zhuo, he knew this would be the result.
But who dared to disobey the emperor's order?
Afraid that he would refuse, Gao Zhuo promised that after this war, he would let him live the life he wanted.
Gao Zhuo played the emotional card, telling Gu Jiangli about the hardships they had gone through together.
But due to various reasons, there was hardly any so - called brotherhood between them.
Gu Jiangli had chosen to step forward just because he didn't want to see so many life - and - death partings.
He had thought that Gao Zhuo was a reasonable person, but after he ascended the throne, he was more in love with power. Gu Jiangli had misjudged him.
But he did love the people, so Gu Jiangli endured it.
This time, the Southern Kingdom was indeed a great threat. In recent years, the Southern Kingdom had secretly colluded with other countries to try to overthrow the Northern Kingdom.
Gu Jiangli, who cared about the world, knew that if the Southern Kingdom succeeded, the world would be in a state of great chaos again.
The Southern Kingdom had a tyrant. Its punishments were severe, bloody, and unreasonable. Gu Jiangli deeply knew that if the world fell into the hands of the Southern Kingdom, there would surely be an endless scene of blood flowing like a river.
For the sake of the common people and for Ning Yitao, he had to go this time.
"This battle will be my last." Gu Jiangli coldly left this sentence and walked away.
What he didn't see was that Gao Zhuo, who had been so obsequious just now, was looking at his back gloomily, like a venomous snake eyeing its prey.
With a distorted face and a strange smile, he murmured, "This time, you will surely die."
**********
Gu Jiangli fought on the battlefield whole - heartedly for the people. He had pushed his long - time brother, Gao Zhuo, onto the throne of the emperor so that he could fight outside without any worries.
But people would change, especially those who lacked self - restraint when they had money and power.
When Gao Zhuo was a commoner, he had wanted to be a wise emperor. But he couldn't resist the temptation of money and power and pursued vanity.
He was not convinced that although he was the lord of the country, the common people trusted Gu Jiangli more. That was when the seed of alienation was planted.
No matter what Gu Jiangli did, Gao Zhuo thought that he wanted to usurp his throne.
This time, he colluded with the Southern Kingdom just to get rid of Gu Jiangli. He was confident that he could manage the country well even without Gu Jiangli. He wanted the common people to see his own glory.
Even though Gu Jiangli had submitted his resignation letter, Gao Zhuo didn't want to let him go. As long as he was alive, Gao Zhuo would never feel at ease.
Gu Jiangli must die.