My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 503: The Expedition is Imminent
Gao Yu is indeed spending time with Yang Changchu right now.

It's not that I have a lot of pent-up anger that I need to vent, but rather that I need to spend time with my child.

Yang Changchu was holding her second son and breastfeeding him. The little guy was less than three months old, so you couldn't really tell anything from him.

But with fair skin and large eyes, she'll likely grow up to be quite beautiful, inheriting her parents' good genes.

Seeing the little guy eating so heartily, Gao Yu also came over and stared at him. The father and son stared at each other, but the little guy had the upper hand. While he was staring at him, he was not idle with his mouth.

They were sucking on it with such relish; how could it not taste delicious?

Yang Changchu could easily understand her man's thoughts, and her pretty face flushed red. "Husband, don't be silly."

Gao Yu scratched his head. He was always busy outside when his woman was pregnant or giving birth, so this was a rare sight.

His little scheme was exposed, and he couldn't help but let out a cold snort of embarrassment and anger.

"Hmph, would I steal food from my son?"

"Then stop staring at me."

Gao Yu coughed awkwardly and looked away. The woman who had just given birth was very plump, and Yang Changchu had indeed undergone secondary development after giving birth, becoming much larger.

Seeing the golden anklet on his second son's fair foot, he touched it and asked, "Did my elder sister give it to me?"

Yang Changchu nodded.

Gao Loujin is still living in Yecheng for the time being, which is the scene she most wants to see, watching her two younger brothers have many children.

Gao Huan is alright.

Gao Yu used to be the one who caused her the most trouble, getting married so late, but now, Gao Yu's offspring are almost in the double digits, even if some of them are not strong enough and unfortunately die young.

But given the sheer number, it's impossible for them all to be so unlucky as to die young, right?
After feeding the baby, the wet nurse came and took the second son away.

Gao Yu then took the opportunity to put his arm around his wife, and his hands began to wander. They were an old married couple, and as soon as Gao Yu started to touch her, Yang Changchu could only blush and lean against him, panting like a fish out of water.

"My husband, my husband."

Grabbing Gao Yu's wicked hand, Yang Changchu said, "I am not feeling well. If my husband wants someone to serve him in bed, just send someone to call Zu Yi and Zu E. Don't you dote on them very much?"

"What? Are you jealous?"

"Does my husband see me as a jealous person?"

Yang Changchu gave the dog of a man a disdainful look, looking utterly aggrieved.

After all, Yang Changchu was only in his early twenties. In modern society, at that age, he would still be considered a college student with clear eyes.

She had her own interests in mind, and she was also thinking about Gao Yu, but what woman would be willing to push away the man she loves?
Gao Yu hugged her and kissed her forehead. "I'll just hold you like this while I sleep."

"Isn't my husband feeling uncomfortable? Although I'm not feeling well, I can still..."

As she spoke, Yang Changchu turned over and slowly bent down.

Half an hour later.

Yang Changchu cleaned her swollen lips and leaned back into Gao Yu's arms. She asked, "Is my husband going out?"

"Ah."

Gao Yu nodded. “When the army reaches Shanyang and prepares to conquer Hanoi County, I need to lead men there. This battle is very important... I cannot stay in the rear.”

Yang Changchu sighed softly.

She was well aware that she was enjoying the benefits brought by Gao Yu's foundation, and she couldn't just stand there and talk without understanding the situation.

Throughout history, which person who conquered the world in a chaotic era didn't personally lead the charge on the front lines?
After a long silence, she said softly, "I await my husband's good news and his triumphant return."

"Haha, don't worry, everyone says that your husband has the courage of an ancient overlord, how could ordinary people be my match?"

"Hurry up! Be quick!"

Beside the fields, fierce-looking soldiers in armor urged the farmers to hurry up and harvest the wheat.

Looking out, everything was golden, but some wheat in the fields was still green, meaning it was not yet ripe. But the soldiers didn't care about that at the moment.

"General, General, the wheat will be ripe in a few days, we can't harvest it now!"

Many farmers ran to the soldiers and cried out their grievances.

Harvesting wheat before it's ripe isn't entirely useless; it can't be eaten by humans, but it can be used as fodder for horses. However, such waste of grain is too extravagant for farmers whose lifelong wish is simply to have a full meal.

"General, a large amount of wheat is not yet ripe. If we harvest it prematurely, how will we common people survive this winter?"

Perhaps they're just annoyed.

The soldier kicked the weeping farmer to the ground, drew his sword with a clang, pointed it at the trembling farmer, and threatened viciously, "The rebel Gao Yu's army is coming soon! Do you intend to keep this wheat to support the traitor?"

"I...I dare not."

"Obey orders now and you may live until winter. But if you dare to make any more noise, I will send you to your deaths today!"

"Quickly! The Prime Minister has ordered that not a single grain of rice be left for the traitor Gao Huan!"

Upon learning that Dou Tai's army was advancing, Erzhu Rong immediately gave the order.

Regardless of whether the wheat in Jianzhou was ripe or not, it was all harvested ahead of schedule. Ripe wheat was naturally the best, but unripe wheat was also harvested to serve as fodder for the warhorses.

That's not all.

After able-bodied men transported the harvested wheat to Hanoi County, they were forcibly detained, while the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled were left unattended.

Scorched earth, leaving not a single grain of rice or a single able-bodied person alive.

Erzhu Rong was also determined to maintain a stalemate with Gao Yu within Jianzhou...

If Jianzhou is not lost, he can still use it as a shield. However, if Jianzhou is lost, the connection between Luoyang and Bingzhou will be 'severed'.

This disconnection does not mean a complete loss of connection, but rather the complete loss of the shortest communication route.

After all, if one were to travel south from Shangdang County at full speed, one could reach Luoyang within two days, making the speed of message transmission crucial.

If Jianzhou is lost.

If news from Luoyang were to reach Bingzhou, it would have to detour through Jinzhou and pass through Zhiguanxing, doubling the time required, which was not what Erzhu Rong wanted.

"Report, Commander, there are enemy cavalry ahead, about four or five hundred men."

"Burn the rest on the spot, we'll retreat first!"

"Here!!"

The figures that were busy in the fields suddenly disappeared without a trace, leaving behind those who were covering the rear. They looked at the dust rising in the distance and heard the rapid sound of horses' hooves.

Without a second thought, they all turned and fled. Staying behind would be suicide, wouldn't it?
After a while.

The sound of horse hooves is getting closer.

The leader was Duan Shao. He looked around at the empty fields, which still showed some signs of burning, and frowned.

"Is the enemy planning a scorched-earth policy?"

"Guard, go back immediately and report to the general truthfully, understand?"

"Here!"

(End of this chapter)