Although the emperor disliked and resented Xie Shaoling, he never doubted his abilities.

If Xie Shaoling were a good-for-nothing or not so outstanding, he wouldn't have held a grudge for so long.

With Xie Shaoling leading the troops to quell the rebellion, there was naturally no chance of failure.

However, the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion already enjoys a high reputation in Dayuan. If it wins another crushing victory, the people of Dayuan will probably only know about the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion and not the Emperor!

But this was not the emperor's biggest concern.

The emperor was worried that if Xie Shaoling took command of the guards, they would break free from his control, just like the Divine Might Army.

The Imperial Guards protect the safety of the capital. If they are loyal to Xie Shaoling, he will probably never be able to sleep soundly again.

"Your Majesty," the Minister of Justice advised, "since returning from the northern frontier, Prince Xie has been spending his days playing around and has not touched a thing in the affairs of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. We simply cannot find any fault in him. But it would be different if he were to lead troops to quell the rebellion. There are far too many unforeseen circumstances that could be created. We could easily pin a crime on him and then make sure it is proven. Wouldn't Prince Xie be completely at your mercy?"

These words quite moved the emperor.

If they could seize the opportunity of suppressing the rebellion to frame Xie Shaoling for treason, they would not only eliminate the Jiang family but also Xie Shaoling and the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion behind him.

However, doing so carries great risk. If Xie Shaoling decides to go all the way and directly confirms the crime of treason, then his reign as emperor will be over.

“The young master Xie is rebellious by nature. Your Majesty has always been worried that he will one day become too powerful and hold military power. Why not use this opportunity to quell the rebellion to test him?”

"With Prince Xie's abilities, dealing with 60,000 rebels, 60,000—no, 50,000 guards would be enough. His Majesty only gave him 50,000 guards, so even if he really wanted to rebel, His Majesty still had 150,000 guards at his disposal, plus the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Household Department, which would be more than enough to deal with Prince Xie's 50,000 remaining troops!" The Minister of Justice persuaded him with all his might.

The emperor was even more tempted.

However, it is not a glorious thing for a ruler to plot against a meritorious official simply because of his own suspicion. If this were to be discovered, he would be infamous for eternity.

Therefore, the emperor was only interested but did not express his opinion.

"But this is only the worst-case scenario." The Minister of Justice changed the subject. "If Prince Xie can still uphold his duty as a subject in the face of His Majesty's test, then His Majesty will no longer need to be wary of him. Wouldn't it be a wonderful story if the ruler and his subject lived in harmony?"

Harmony between ruler and subject...

He and Xie Shaoling?

Is that possible?

The emperor was madly tempted, but as the Minister of Justice himself said, Xie Shaoling was rebellious by nature. If he knew that Xie Shaoling was testing and plotting against him, could he really be completely without resentment?

That seems impossible, doesn't it?

The emperor hesitated, but the matter of suppressing the rebellion could not be delayed any longer, and Xie Shaoling was indeed the most suitable candidate at present.

So he hesitated for only one night, and the next morning at court, he issued an imperial edict appointing Xie Shaoling as the commander of the Imperial Guard, ordering Xie Shaoling to immediately lead 60,000 Imperial Guards to Jizhou to quell the rebellion and recover Jizhou.

When Xie Shaoling set off on his expedition, Xie Chang'an took a special leave to see his father off outside the city.

Recommending Xie Shaoling to lead the expedition was Ye Jingchen's scheme.

Xie Chang'an initially disagreed, but Xie Shaoling insisted on it.

He was willing to believe Ye Jingchen, and Xie Chang'an's opposition was useless.

On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes; anything can happen. Even though Xie Chang'an had made thorough arrangements, he still couldn't rest easy.

The emperor had 200,000 guards, but was only willing to give Xie Shaoling 60,000. Although this number was 10,000 more than their lowest expected amount, it still did not make them feel at ease.

Xie Chang'an could only be thankful that it was his father who led the army to quell the rebellion this time. His father was unconventional and did not have any foolish idea of ​​being loyal to the emperor to the death.

He came with his mother, who had grown up in the military and was used to such farewells, so there was no scene of reluctant parting, just a few simple words of advice.

After giving his instructions, Xie Shaoling turned around gracefully, picked up his spear, and prepared to mount his horse.

Xie Chang'an, who had been silent all along, could no longer hold back and stepped forward to hug his father's leg.

It was a rare sight to see his usually aloof son so affectionate, so Xie Shaoling was delighted. He picked up Xie Chang'an with one hand while holding his gun with the other.

"What's wrong, little Chang'an? Are you reluctant to part with your father?" he asked with a smile.

Xie Chang'an reached out and put his arm around Xie Shaoling's neck, leaned close to Xie Shaoling's ear, and whispered, "Your safety is the most important thing. Nothing else matters. If anything happens to you, I don't mind becoming the first traitor in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion!"

Xie Shaoling's smile froze for a moment. If he hadn't been holding a gun in his other hand and couldn't free his hand, he would have definitely spanked Xie Chang'an in front of 60,000 soldiers.

"What kind of tough talk is this kid who hasn't even grown his first hair? Do you think you're so cool?" He held Xie Chang'an in one arm, bounced him around in mid-air several times, and then put the slightly dizzy Xie Chang'an down before gracefully mounting his horse.

"Wait for my triumphant return!" he said to Xu Jingjing with a smile, then spurred his horse and galloped to the forefront of the guard.

"The army is marching!" he shouted, raising his spear.

Xie Shaoling led 60,000 guards who had never been on the battlefield away. Xu Jingjing and Xie Chang'an waited until the army's formation disappeared from sight before returning to the city.

Although Xu Jingjing was very composed when she said goodbye, Xie Chang'an noticed that his mother's mood had clearly become depressed as soon as she turned to return to the city.

"Father will return safely," Xie Chang'an comforted his mother.

"Of course I believe in your father's abilities, but parting is always sad. It'll be alright in a few days," Xu Jingjing said with a smile, reaching out to pat Xie Chang'an's head.

The next day, during his morning exercise, Ye Jingchen clearly sensed that Xie Chang'an was in a bad mood, and his aura of "keep away" was more pronounced than usual.

"They're just a motley crew of 60,000. Uncle Xie will be fine," Ye Jingchen reassured him.

"It wasn't your father who went to the battlefield, so of course you're fine," Xie Chang'an couldn't help but mock.

When he parted yesterday, the words he whispered in Xie Shaoling's ear were not empty words, but came from the bottom of his heart.

If Xie Shaoling were to get into trouble, he would not hesitate to betray Dayuan and repeat the mistakes of his previous life.

In the two months since his rebirth, he has secretly made many preparations based on his memories from his previous life. This time, he is determined to protect the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

Ye Jingchen didn't take his attitude to heart, but instead laughed and joked, "If it were my father going to the battlefield, then Dayuan might be doomed!"

Xie Chang'an: ......

His mood was originally heavy, but upon hearing these words, he suddenly felt like laughing.

It seems that Ye Jingchen not only understands him and his father well, but also understands his father even better.

What a filial son!