Chapter 43: Ancestor Worship in Wuwei City

Tang Zhao acted with lightning speed to grab Gu Ci's arm, refusing to let go no matter how much the man struggled.

Who was she risking her life for to go to Wuwei City?

For whom? Huh?

Was she going to use military treatises or maps?

Tang Zhao glared at Gu Ci, thinking of what it meant to be an ungrateful ingrate and a "wolf in sheep's clothing."

As the woman held his arm tightly against her chest, he could feel her softness. Gu Ci's ear tips turned bright red; his left hand hovered in the air for a long time, unable to find a place to rest without being improper.

"Let go!" he snapped angrily.

Tang Zhao saw through his bluster. "No! Not unless you promise to send me to Wuwei!"

"My mother has already refused you. Stop pestering me!"

Tang Zhao corrected him, "Mother said if you accompany me, I can go!" She pressed her entire body against him. "I want to go, I want to go, I want to go!"

Gu Ci stepped backward repeatedly to avoid her, but the woman pressed forward step by step, even climbing onto his neck while he was momentarily dazed.

Unable to endure it any longer, Gu Ci closed his eyes. "Get down first!"

"No!" Tang Zhao stood on her tiptoes, desperately bringing her head close to his. "If you don't send me to Wuwei, I'll bite you!" As she spoke, she made a motion as if to open her mouth.

While dodging her head, Gu Ci shouted, "Someone, come here!"

Chaohui and Chaoyi were waiting outside the door. Hearing their master's call, they pushed the door open to enter, only to see their master and the Princess locked in an embrace. They immediately turned around and retreated.

They even blocked Maomao Li and the others, who had rushed over at the sound, from entering.

Betrayed by his subordinates and unable to shake off the woman clinging to him, Gu Ci felt utterly exhausted. He surrendered, "Fine, I promise you."

Tang Zhao pushed her luck. "We leave tomorrow!"

"The day after tomorrow." Since Gu Ci had given his word, he had to make full preparations; he needed time to mobilize troops.

"Then the day after tomorrow," Tang Zhao said, being quite easy to deal with now that she had achieved her goal, but she didn't forget to threaten, "Whoever lies is a little puppy!"

Gu Ci merely snorted in disdain.

As the farce ended, Tang Zhao finally realized her recent behavior—she had acted exactly like a rogue and a hooligan.

Gu Ci turned away, unwilling to look at her. Before leaving the room, he huffed coldly, "Do not act like this again!"

Having experienced so much social death in her past life, her thick skin and psychological resilience were far beyond that of an ordinary person. Tang Zhao felt no embarrassment at all, only the triumph of having achieved her goal.

*Do not act like this again? This trick is so useful; she'd have to be struck by a pig to stop using it!*

Tang Zhao straightened her clothes and walked back to her bedroom with an air of swagger, amidst the admiring and awe-struck gazes of the people in Bidan Courtyard.

Maomao Li ran to Minghui Hall as if she were riding the wind and fire wheels to report the matter to the Princess of Xuan.

Tang Zhao called Chunfeng and the others over and told them about the upcoming trip to Wuwei City to worship her ancestors.

"Maomao is getting older and it is not suitable for her to endure the hardships of travel, so there is no need for her to come this time," Tang Zhao stopped Maomao Song. "I will have to trouble you to help me look after the shops and the manor."

Maomao Song finally agreed after much persuasion.

"Chunfeng and Dongmei will accompany me to Wuwei," Tang Zhao arranged the personnel. "Xiamu, continue making brine—the more, the better. Remember to keep it secret."

"Qiuyu, use this time to renovate the shops according to the blueprints. Have Song Sheng select some useful people from the dowry staff to train well. Once I return, our tofu workshop will open."

Everyone responded in unison and went about their respective tasks.

Since receiving her mission, Tang Zhao's tense mind finally relaxed for a moment. She lay on the bed in her clothes and fell fast asleep.

Suppressing his anger, Gu Ci dispatched fifty guards from the Prince's mansion and mobilized five hundred troops from Lanzhou City to escort them.

Tang Zhao sat in the Princess's carriage, surrounded at the very center by the guard detail. Gu Ci mounted his horse and rode at the very front to clear the way.

An exquisite and spacious carriage stopped not far from the Prince's mansion, following behind the infantry and refusing to stop even twenty miles past the city gates.

The driver had to persuade her, "Miss, you haven't brought many guards for this trip. Leaving the city so casually is too dangerous."

*Dangerous?* The young girl sitting upright in the carriage watched the troops gradually fade into the distance. Wherever Brother Yuanye was, there would never be danger.

It was just that now, the one Brother Yuanye protected was no longer her.

Seeing her mistress weeping in sorrow, the maidservant spent a long time comforting her before finally managing to lead her back.

In the distance, a lone rider followed the carriage at a moderate distance. Only after seeing the carriage return to the Marquis of Zhongyong's manor did he spur his horse to catch up with the main force.

"Reporting to Master, Miss Bai has returned to the manor safely," Chaoyi whispered.

Gu Ci nodded and focused on the road ahead.

Tang Zhao knew nothing of this. She watched the scenery, which was vastly different from Luoyang, with great interest. She treated this trip as a spontaneous journey, even enjoying the experience of camping in the mountains.

Gu Ci's perception of her began to change slightly.

Seven days later, they arrived at Wuwei City.

The Prefect of Wuwei had received word from the Prefect of Lanzhou and the Prince of Xuan's mansion in advance and was already waiting outside the city. He bowed and said, "This official greets the General of the Cavalry."

Gu Ci dismounted and personally helped the Prefect up. "Lord Lu, there is no need for such ceremony."

Dongmei drove the carriage forward. The Prefect of Wuwei stepped forward to pay his respects. "I, Lu Ying, Prefect of Wuwei, pay respects to Princess Zhaoshan. May the Princess be well."

Chunfeng lifted the carriage curtain, and Tang Zhao spoke from inside, "Lord Prefect, please rise."

"Thank you, Princess."

"I must trouble the Prefect to lead the way," Tang Zhao's face showed an unmistakable urgency despite her fatigue. "This Princess wishes to pay respects to my maternal family as soon as possible."

"Yes," Lu Ying complied, mounting his horse to lead the way at the front.

The Protector General's Mansion was located in the northwest corner of Wuwei City. It occupied a massive area, nearly half of the western city. Sitting in the carriage, Tang Zhao crossed the entire city from the eastern gate before reaching the mansion.

Gu Ci dismounted, strode to the front of the carriage, and held out his arm. Tang Zhao leaned on his arm to step down.

On the massive, heavy vermilion gates of the Protector General's Mansion was a plaque written by the late Emperor and supervised by the Ministry of Rites. Standing before the gate was an imperial archway, a gift bestowed in honor of the Song family's loyalty and sacrifice.

It was a symbol of both glory and grief.

She was not the Tang Zhao of the Protector General's Mansion, but her current status and peace were entirely dependent on the protection of this house. Tang Zhao felt immense gratitude.

"Please, Princess," Lu Ying ordered his men to open the central gates.

Tang Zhao took the first step over the threshold, with Gu Ci following closely behind her.

Following the memories of the young Tang Zhao, she walked toward the ancestral hall. The scenery along the way was identical to her memories.

Lu Ying explained, "By imperial decree of the late Emperor, the successive Prefects of Wuwei are ordered to look after the Protector General's Mansion, just as the Protector General did during his lifetime."

Tang Zhao expressed her thanks.

The group followed Tang Zhao along the central axis until they reached the innermost part of the rear courtyard, where the Song family ancestral hall was located.

Lu Ying stopped. "It is inconvenient for us officials to enter. I ask the Princess and the General of the Cavalry to convey our respects on our behalf."

The two agreed. Gu Ci pushed open the doors and waited outside for Tang Zhao to enter before following her in.

Lu Ying and the others retreated to the front courtyard.

Everlasting candlelight illuminated the spacious ancestral hall. Countless spirit tablets were offered high upon the altar. The breeze blowing in from the door caused the flames to flicker, as if the ancestors of the Song family were gazing upon them.

Tang Zhao and Gu Ci lit the incense, placed it in the burner, and respectfully knelt on the prayer mats, performing three prostrations and nine kowtows.