Chapter 1683

Artillery fire filled the sky, and smoke billowed everywhere. Gu Yi, sword in hand, led the charge at the very front. His figure was like a bolt of lightning amidst the flames of war; wherever he went, the enemy was struck with terror.

"General, watch out!" suddenly, a soldier shouted and lunged to tackle Gu Yi.

A shell exploded where Gu Yi had just been standing, and the blast wave knocked them both to the ground. Gu Yi climbed up, looking at the soldier who had saved him, his heart filled with gratitude: "Thank you, brother."

The soldier gave an honest smile: "General, you are our backbone; you cannot be harmed."

Gu Yi nodded, a firm light flickering in his eyes: "Rest assured, I will be fine. We will definitely win this battle!"

Encouraged by Gu Yi, the soldiers' morale soared. They fought bravely, engaging in a life-and-death struggle with the enemy. The squad that had circled to the enemy's rear also successfully launched a surprise attack, throwing the enemy into disarray.

The enemy's defensive line began to collapse, and they retreated one after another. Gu Yi directed the army to pursue the victory and completely rout the enemy. Peace was restored to the border region once again.

After the battle, Gu Yi stood on the mountaintop, gazing at the distant sky. His heart was filled with emotion: "This battle was truly not easy to fight."

The deputy walked to his side and said softly: "General, your foresight is truly divine. If you hadn't discovered the enemy's weak point, we might still be in a bitter struggle."

Gu Yi shook his head: "This is not my achievement alone. It is the result of everyone's joint efforts. Every soldier deserves credit."

The two were silent for a while, then the deputy suddenly said: "General, have you ever thought about what you would do if one day you no longer led troops into battle?"

Gu Yi was slightly stunned, then laughed: "Then I would go home and farm. Be an ordinary farmer and live a plain life."

The deputy looked at him in surprise: "General, you are a great hero! How can you go farming?"

Gu Yi smiled: "Heroes are also human. I also have the right to live an ordinary life. Besides, I think farming is quite good. Watching the crops grow day by day, that sense of achievement is no less than fighting a war."

The deputy nodded thoughtfully: "General, you are right. No matter what you do, as long as it makes you happy and makes your family happy, that is the best life."

The two chatted for a while, then Gu Yi suddenly said: "Right, we must hurry back. There is still a lot of work waiting for us to do."

The deputy responded, and the two walked down the mountain side by side. They knew that although the battle had ended, the subsequent reconstruction work was equally arduous. They must continue to work hard to make the border region truly prosperous.

After returning to the camp, Gu Yi immediately summoned officials and soldiers for a meeting. He detailed the deployment for the upcoming reconstruction work, including repairing damaged buildings, restoring agricultural production, and strengthening border defense.

"Everyone," Gu Yi stood on the platform, his gaze firm as he spoke, "Although the battle has ended, our mission is not yet complete. We must make the border region truly prosperous and let the people live stable and happy lives."

Hearing this, everyone expressed their agreement. They knew that under Gu Yi's leadership, they would surely be able to overcome all difficulties and complete this arduous task.

In the days that followed, Gu Yi led the officials and soldiers into the intense reconstruction work. They rushed about day and night, sparing no effort, just to let the border region regain its vitality as soon as possible.

As time passed, the border region became increasingly prosperous under Gu Yi's governance. However, Gu Yi's heart always held an unspeakable heaviness. Whenever the night was deep and quiet, he would always stand alone at the highest point of the camp, gazing at the starry sky, his thoughts wandering.

"General, what are you thinking about?" the deputy arrived behind him at some point and asked softly. He had followed Gu Yi for many years and knew well that although this general appeared firm on the outside, he hid many unknown emotions within.

Gu Yi did not turn back, just quietly gazing into the distance: "I am thinking, although this war has ended, when will true peace arrive? We have paid so many sacrifices; can it really exchange for long-lasting tranquility?"

The deputy was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly: "General, we all understand your intentions. But you must know that you have already done well enough. It was you who led us out of the predicament and let the border regain its vitality. The people are all grateful to you, and we all admire you."

Gu Yi sighed lightly and turned to look at the deputy: "I know you are all comforting me, but I know in my heart that peace cannot be exchanged for by one or two victories. It requires everyone's joint efforts and the accumulation of time. I just worry whether everything I have done can truly stand the test of time."

The deputy looked into Gu Yi's deep eyes, and a warm current surged in his heart. He patted Gu Yi's shoulder: "General, don't blame yourself too much. You have already done well enough. And I believe that as long as you are here, we will surely be able to welcome true peace."

Gu Yi smiled slightly, his eyes flickering with gratitude. He knew that he could reach this point today because of the support of these loyal comrades and the people. He took a deep breath and temporarily put aside the worries in his heart: "Alright, let's not talk about this. We still have a lot of work to do. Let's go, let's go see the newly built school together."

The two walked down the mountaintop side by side and arrived in front of the newly built school. Watching the children laughing and reading in the classroom, a surge of inexplicable emotion rose in Gu Yi's heart. He seemed to see the hope of the future and the scene of the border region becoming even more prosperous.

"General, look at how happy these children are," the deputy said with a smile, "They are our future."

Gu Yi nodded: "Yes, they are our future. What we must do is create a better environment for them so they can grow up healthy and happy."

As he spoke, Gu Yi walked into the school. He came to a child who was reading and gently touched his head: "Little friend, what is your name?"

The child looked up, gazing into Gu Yi's kind eyes: "General, my name is Xiao Ming. When I grow up, I also want to be like you and become a hero who protects our homeland!" ===== CHAPTER 1684 =====