That winter, as snow began to fall in the capital, battle reports from the northern frontier had already arrived.

The 30% increase in military supplies enabled the northern frontier to achieve a major victory this year.

However, there was also bad news: the Duke of Zhenguo was wounded when he fought a direct confrontation with a Northern Barbarian general on the battlefield.

When the Duke of Zhenguo led his troops into battle, he always took the lead. Before this, whether facing the soldiers or generals of the Northern Barbarians, he had always been fearless and unstoppable.

It was under his leadership that Xie's army achieved such a rapid and unstoppable advance.

But this time, he was wounded.

Although his armor concealed his injuries on the battlefield, preventing the enemy general from noticing, after returning to camp, his hands were so sore that he couldn't even hold a gun!

After the military doctor's diagnosis, he said that the tendons and bones had been injured and that the patient would need to rest for at least three months.

The Duke of Zhenguo's injury cast a shadow over this victory.

Although the northern barbarians have been repelled, they might return if they learn that the Duke of Zhenguo was injured.

However, this news could not be kept secret for long, so the Shenwei Army urgently needed a general to replace the Duke of Zhenguo!

The generals sent by the emperor to the northern frontier were not yet capable of gaining the respect of the people, nor were they able to lead the Divine Might Army to fight against the northern barbarians.

Upon learning of the Duke of Zhenguo's injury, Xie Shaoling took the initiative to enter the palace to meet the emperor and requested to go to the northern frontier to take over the Duke of Zhenguo's position, allowing the Duke of Zhenguo to return to the capital to recuperate.

The emperor did not want Xie Shaoling to go to the northern frontier. His original plan was to delay for a few more years until the people he arranged had accumulated enough military merit and prestige, and then let them directly replace the Duke of Zhenguo.

If Xie Shaoling is sent to the northern frontier this time and becomes the new commander of the Divine Might Army, then his people will have no way to replace Xie Shaoling in a short period of time!

Xie Shaoling's first request to enter the palace was rejected by the emperor. The reason given was that the Northern Barbarians had just been defeated and should not be able to invade again in the short term. The border would have at least half a year of peace, and the emperor could wait until the Duke of Zhenguo recovered from his injuries.

However, seven days later, an urgent message arrived from the northern frontier: the northern barbarians had learned of the Duke of Zhenguo's injury and launched a surprise attack on the border defense camp, thus reigniting the war.

This time, more than half of the officials in the court recommended Xie Shaoling to go to the northern frontier.

Among the Six Ministries, Yan Xu was highly capable, but he was never under the emperor's control. This time, he was the first to recommend Xie Shaoling.

Wu Youcheng immediately agreed with him, for reasons that everyone knew perfectly well.

Fan Tong was the third to agree, despite the glare from Cao Jin, the Minister of Revenue, who looked like he could be stabbed to death.

Yunyi is the fourth.

Since Ye Jingchen went to the Ministry of War, Zheng Mingxuan, the Minister of War, seems to have sensed something and has been very cautious in everything he does. Now, Yun Yi is in charge of many things in the Ministry of War.

After Yun Yi, many others followed suit and recommended him, including Zhang Zhe.

For the emperor, beset by internal and external troubles, he had no choice but to relent and agree to let Xie Shaoling go to the northern frontier.

The messenger went to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and after announcing the imperial edict, conveyed the emperor's oral decree that Xie Shaoling could go directly to the northern frontier and did not need to go to the palace to express his gratitude.

The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion had made all the preparations in advance. Xie Shaoling took the imperial edict and set off. Xie Chang'an and Xu Jingjing escorted Xie Shaoling to the post station outside the imperial city.

Ye Jingchen disguised himself and went with them to deliver the package.

The official road was surrounded by flat plains, offering a wide view, but Xie Chang'an kept looking in that direction until Xie Shaoling's figure disappeared from sight.

“Chang’an, don’t worry about your father. He’s overjoyed to be able to go to the Northern Frontier! If the timing weren’t so bad, I would want to go too!” Xu Jingjing comforted him.

Xie Chang'an remained silent and continued to watch.

Xu Jingjing led the others back first, leaving only Xie Chang'an and Ye Jingchen behind.

Ye Jingchen knew that Xie Chang'an wasn't worried about Xie Shaoling, but he wasn't completely unconcerned either. He was definitely worried, but not much. After all, he had been longing to go to the Northern Frontier, but now that opportunity had been snatched away by Xie Shaoling.

This is what they mean by "Man proposes, God disposes"!

Xie Chang'an had planned everything. Once the war in the northern frontier ended, he would start causing trouble and get the emperor to exile him to the northern frontier. But before he could even make his move, his grandfather got into trouble first.

The Northern Barbarians' return this time is quite aggressive, and only someone like my father, who already has a high reputation in the Divine Might Army, can stabilize the morale of the troops.

So, having no other choice, Xie Chang'an could only use his connections and, with tears in his eyes, grant his father's wish.

My grandfather also needs to return to the capital to recuperate as soon as possible.

His eyes were red, not from worry about his father, but from anger.

Because once my father goes to the northern frontier, unless he comes back, I will never have the chance to go there again!

Unless—the person on the dragon throne is changed.

"Don't be sad, there will be other opportunities in the future."

"How about I take you to that location?" Ye Jingchen and Xie Chang'an said at the same time on the way back to the city.

"Outrageous!" Ye Jingchen said to him.

"Don't cause trouble. I don't want to sit in that position right now. It's not the right time!" he quickly said.

He wants to enjoy another thirty years of leisure!

"When is the 'right time'?" Xie Chang'an asked with an unfriendly expression.

"Of course, it has to wait until after my father's death. I am a filial son, and I would never do anything rebellious for that position!" Ye Jingchen said righteously.

Xie Chang'an snorted coldly, "I don't think you want to sit in that seat at all!"

If you can't even see through Ye Jingchen's little thoughts, then you've known him for seven years for nothing!

Everyone flocks to it, but he avoids it like the plague. He's sick!

Ye Jingchen patted Xie Chang'an on the shoulder, "You should think of it this way: although your wish has been dashed for the time being, your father's wish has been fulfilled! He has been trapped in the capital for seven years. At the age when he was most full of vigor, he could only play with cats and dogs all day long and could not do anything else. Don't you feel sorry for him?"

Xie Chang'an understood this principle, but he was simply unwilling to accept it.

He dreamed of going to the northern border region because only there could he find true freedom and the power to protect his loved ones!

"You're still young, you'll have plenty of opportunities in the future!" Ye Jingchen comforted Xie Chang'an, seeing that Xie Chang'an had a cold face and red eyes.

Xie Chang'an glared at him.

“You’re still young, only thirteen. Even if there’s a chance, my father would never let you go to the northern frontier. Otherwise, he would be drowned in spittle by the censors!” Ye Jingchen said, taking the opportunity to reach out and pat Xie Chang’an’s head.

“If you don’t want this hand, I can chop it off for you!” Xie Chang’an said in a deep voice, grabbing his hand.

"How about this, next year I'll have Yun Shu accompany Jing Yu on a study tour, and you can go along too. Then we can arrange an unexpected escape and sneak off to the Northern Frontier for a few years?" Ye Jingchen suggested with a smile.

Xie Chang'an was quite tempted by the proposal. As long as he left the capital and got rid of the emperor's eyes, he could join the Xie family army in the northern frontier and start as an ordinary soldier. In just two or three years, he could gain a foothold in the Xie family army and be promoted to general based on his military merits!

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