After pondering for a moment, Chen Jin turned around and walked back into the imperial study. Li Longze was reviewing another memorial with his head down and seemed not to notice his return.

Chen Jin stepped forward and briefly reported to the emperor what had just happened outside the palace. At the end, he added, "The old general seemed to have understood your majesty's intentions and left."

Upon hearing this, Li Longze raised his eyes slightly, with a hint of approval and complexity flashing in his eyes.

"Duan An is a loyal minister left to me by my father." He sighed softly, and then regained his usual composure.

Chen Jin bowed and nodded, but he knew in his heart that all this was just a game of chess between the emperor and the old general, and he was just a messenger and mediator in this play.

"Your Majesty, you have read the recommendation list of the Minister of War. Are you satisfied with these young generals?" Chen Jin asked at the right time.

Li Longze pondered for a moment and tapped the table with his fingers.

"They are all descendants of the several aristocratic families that supported me to ascend the throne. They still need to be honed. They can be kept as backups for now. It won't be too late to make arrangements when the time is right."

Chen Jin accepted the order and was about to leave when Li Longze suddenly called him.

"Chen Jin, you have followed me for many years. Do you know what I value most?"

Chen Jin was slightly taken aback, then replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, the country and the people are the most important thing to you, and the safety of the people is your top priority."

Li Longze nodded, a barely perceptible glint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

"You're right, but besides that, there's something else that's equally important—loyalty. Whether it's Duan An, you, or every minister in this court, the word loyalty must never be forgotten."

Chen Jin's heart trembled, and he quickly knelt down and solemnly promised: "This servant will remember this in my heart and swear to be loyal to Your Majesty until death, and I will never have two hearts."

Li Longze nodded with satisfaction, then looked at the sky outside the window, thinking about the next step of the game in his mind.

In this game of power, everyone is a chess piece, and he is the chess player who controls the overall situation.

The loyal and brave general Duan An walked slowly out of the palace gate. Before he mounted his horse, he saw Jingzhao Yin Li Zhengxuan hurriedly getting out of the official sedan chair, holding a nameplate and signaling to the imperial guards that he was ready to enter the palace to meet the emperor.

"Sir Li, may I ask if you are coming from the prefectural yamen or from the Xingyuan Marquis' Mansion?" General Duan shouted in a deep voice. He asked this question because when the imperial guards came to the general's mansion to read the imperial edict, the name of Xue Yuanchu, the eldest son of the Xingyuan Marquis' Mansion, was clearly mentioned.

Li Zhengxuan was surprised to see General Duan looking haggard, with his white hair and beard a bit disheveled. He then stepped forward and bowed, saying, "General, may you be safe. I am acting separately from the Imperial Guards and heading to the Xingyuan Marquis' Mansion."

Duan An heard him say this and looked out at the imperial road in front of the palace gate. Seeing that no one was following him, he seemed to be thinking: "Didn't the Xingyuan Marquis' Mansion send anyone to plead for mercy?"

A wry smile suddenly appeared on Li Zhengxuan's face. "Old General, you may not know this. As soon as I entered the Marquis' Mansion, before I even read the imperial decree, I ran into the old lady of the Marquis' Mansion, holding the imperial staff with dragon patterns bestowed by the emperor, enforcing the family rules on the young master."

"That dragon-patterned staff swung down, breaking the Crown Prince's leg bones and causing him to bleed... This scene terrified me so much that I had no choice but to rush into the palace to seek instructions from His Majesty."

"...Old General, let's not talk about this matter for now. I need to report to His Majesty immediately." After saying this, Li Zhengxuan lifted the hem of his official robe, trotted off in a hurry, and his figure quickly disappeared inside the palace gate.

Duan An stared at Li Zhengxuan's back as he walked away in a hurry, feeling mixed emotions.

A breeze blew by, gently rolling up a few yellow fallen leaves. After circling in the air for a few times, they finally lay quietly on the ground.

His eyes then lowered and he stared at the fallen leaves, as if he saw in them a microcosm of his life.

A sense of relief washed over him, and a hint of self-mockery appeared on the corner of his mouth as he whispered, "Fallen leaves return to their roots, with no regrets in their hearts."

After saying this, General Duan straightened his back, and a sense of unyielding pride arose spontaneously.

Mounting his horse, he looked back at the towering palace walls again, his eyes no longer filled with reluctance.

In less than a day, this earth-shattering news had spread throughout the capital, from prominent officials to ordinary civilians: the eldest son of the Xingyuan Marquis's Mansion and the son-in-law of the Zhongyong General's Mansion had teamed up to embezzle military rations from the three major camps!

Those diners in teahouses and restaurants who knew something about the scandal had already exaggerated the story and spread it all over the city, causing a sensation.

"Have you heard? The old general has been kneeling in front of the Qianqing Palace since early morning until the sun is high in the sky, but His Majesty refuses to summon him. It seems that his disappointing son-in-law is in great danger this time."

"What a misfortune for our family! The old marquis's lifelong reputation has been ruined by Feng Shaoying in his later years!"

"What's that? Haven't you seen the servants of the Xingyuan Marquis's Mansion searching all over the capital for a bone doctor? I heard they're willing to pay ten taels of silver for any doctor who can come to see you!"

"Who was injured in the Marquis' Mansion?"

"Oh, you're so out of touch! It was the old lady of the Marquisate who personally enforced the family discipline, and the one who was beaten was none other than the Crown Prince!"

"How is this possible? The old lady has always been a vegetarian and a Buddhist, doting on her children. How could she be so cruel?"

"This is absolutely true, there is no falsehood!"

Under the feet of the emperor, no matter whether it is the secrets of the deep palace or the scandals of the powerful, they will eventually spread to the streets and become a topic of conversation among the people after dinner.

At this time, the carriage that Hong Yingrong was riding in slowly stopped outside the Dong'an Gate of the imperial city. This was the only gate that the ladies of honor had to pass through to enter the palace for an audience with the emperor.

Xue Zhongfu presented a visiting card to the imperial guards guarding the city on behalf of his mother. The door curtain was lifted, and Hong Yingrong, dressed in luxurious attire for a lady of noble birth, sat dignifiedly, with a barely perceptible anxiety revealed between her brows.

However, as time passed, no eunuch appeared from inside Dong'an Gate to deliver the message.

Hong Yingrong sighed softly, her fingers unconsciously stroking the embroidery on her lapel, thinking secretly in her heart.

Xue Zhongfu saw this and whispered comfortingly, "Don't worry, mother. Perhaps you were delayed for a moment due to the busy affairs at the palace. I'll go and ask around."

After saying that, he walked towards the royal guards guarding the gate again and asked politely.

After a while, he hurried back with a slightly solemn expression.

"Mother, the guards said that General Duan entered the palace early this morning and knelt in front of the Qianqing Hall for half a day without being summoned..."

Upon hearing this, Hong Yingrong felt even more nervous. The current situation did not seem optimistic.

Just as the mother and son were waiting anxiously, a burst of hurried footsteps came from afar, and a eunuch came straight towards their carriage.

"Madam, Lord Xue, the Queen Mother invites you into the palace. Please follow me." The eunuch delivered the message.

Hong Yingrong and Xue Zhongfu looked at each other. Although they had thousands of doubts in their hearts, they could only follow silently.