They traveled all the way back to Beijing from Luzhou.

When Mu Zian's army appeared outside the capital, countless people had already gathered.

Everyone wanted to see what the Duke of Zhenguo, who had led 30,000 men to defeat 100,000, was really like.

At this moment, all of Mu Zi'an's generals stood tall and proud, welcoming the glory that belonged to them.

"Congratulations on your triumphant return, Duke Zhenguo!"

"Congratulations on your triumphant return, Duke Zhenguo!"

"Congratulations on your triumphant return, Duke Zhenguo!"

......

A mighty roar rose and fell, followed by a sharp, drawn-out sound that grew louder as it approached.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Thump! Thump! Thump!

A loud drumbeat rang out, and then Emperor Xiao Yu of Dali was seen walking out slowly, surrounded by civil and military officials.

Logically speaking, Mu Zian's trip was merely a suppression of a rebellion, and there was no need for such a large-scale operation.

But who can blame him when he's the only Duke of Zhenguo in the current dynasty? That's the kind of prestige he commands.

Dressed in military uniform, Mu Zian dismounted and bowed to Xiao Yu.

"Your subject, Mu Zi'an, has lived up to your mission! Today you return victorious!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu laughed heartily and stepped forward to help Mu Zi'an up.

"Excellent! You truly are Zhan Ying's son! Today, I feel as if I see his shadow in you once again."

Seeing this, Xiao Xiuning couldn't help but laugh.

"Father has been mentioning your name for several days now."

Xiao Xiuning's slight smile made even the most beautiful flowers in the world pale in comparison.

Suppressing his amazement, Mu Zian stepped forward and said.

"Your Majesty, I also have a gift to present!"

Xiao Yu was pleasantly surprised to hear this.

"Bring it here immediately."

With a wave of Mu Zi'an's hand, Zhao Yun, clad in silver armor, brought the decades-old carriage to a steady stop.

As the black cloth covering the carriage was lifted, countless heads of Qiang cavalrymen were neatly stacked in the carriage bed.

Everyone gasped in shock at the sight.

These are the heads of genuine elite Qiang cavalry, and judging by their numbers, it's no less than a major victory.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Yu's smile grew even brighter.

"By imperial decree! The army will be rewarded today!"

"I will spread the heads of these Qiang cavalrymen throughout the world, so that those foreign tribes will know the consequences of invading my Great Li!"

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

At midnight, a grand banquet was held in the palace for the guests.

Zhang Han, Jia Xu, and Zhao Yun were all among those invited.

However, Lu Yunxue, who rushed back to the capital, was excluded.

She wasn't even allowed to attend the victory celebration banquet, let alone receive a reward for the entire army.

Pei Jianzhi, who had narrowly escaped death, also returned to the capital with her.

The palace was brightly lit at this moment, and Pei Jianzhi, who looked extremely haggard with his scarred face, had a look of disgust on his face.

"Hmph! They just defeated some rebellious scoundrels, what's so great about that!"

"If I hadn't led three thousand elite troops to exhaust the elite of these rebels, how could Mu Zian, a spoiled brat, have achieved such military exploits!"

"If we're talking about merit, I, Pei Jianzhi, am no less than Mu Zian! What right do I have to be allowed to attend the palace banquet tonight? Isn't it just because he's the son of the Duke of Zhenguo?"

Pei Jianzhi was somewhat indignant. In his opinion, Mu Zian had simply gotten lucky and reaped some credit!

Upon hearing this, Lu Yunxue felt only bitterness in her heart.

She was momentarily at a loss for words when faced with Pei Jianzhi's bandit theory.

After a long silence, Lu Yunxue finally spoke.

"No matter how you look at it, we have lost this battle. We made a boast before His Majesty, but now we don't know how to end this."

Upon hearing this, Pei Jianzhi's face turned pale and then purple.

He could convince himself, but he couldn't convince the world.

"It's just a minor defeat. You and I both made great contributions back then. His Majesty won't do anything to us. We can always find another opportunity to earn back our military merits later."

"With our combined strength, as long as we don't underestimate the enemy and act rashly next time, military merit will surely be within our grasp."

"Besides, I have already used my family's connections to minimize the impact, so Xue'er, you can rest assured."

Lu Yunxue was skeptical when she heard this, but seeing Pei Jianzhi's confident appearance, she chose to believe him anyway.

After the two parted ways, Lu Yunxue returned home.

As soon as I arrived at the door, I saw my grandmother running out excitedly.

"Oh dear, Xue'er, why are you back so early? I heard that His Majesty is hosting a banquet in the palace. You are a rising star, why don't you make more connections with high-ranking officials?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yunxue gave a bitter smile.

“I was not among those invited.”

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Lu's expression changed.

"What! How can you be left out of the victory celebration banquet after such a great victory?"

Lu Yunxue remained perfectly calm upon hearing this.

"Having suffered a defeat before achieving merit, it is already an immense favor that His Majesty has not directly punished me for dereliction of duty."

"To bring shame to the imperial court, and yet He Lianmian attends the victory celebration banquet."

Upon hearing this, the smile on Grandmother Lu's face vanished instantly.

"You! You! You! You're really going to drive me crazy! My Lu family is still waiting for your reward after you win so we can buy rice to cook!"

“Now, not only has the construction of your Marquis of Jin Guo’s mansion been halted, but in order to repay the debts of the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion, even the family’s fields and houses have been mortgaged, and the debts are still quite substantial.”

"Our whole family is waiting for your reward to save our lives, and now you're telling me there's nothing? Are you trying to force our whole family to die?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!