Similarly, the other officials held the same view.

An eerie silence fell over the hall.

But soon, Imperial Censor Wen stepped forward and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I do not agree with Lord Wang's proposal."

"As everyone knows, there are some conflicts between General Li's family and Lord Wang's family, which caused quite a stir in the capital."

"Now that General Li is being handed over to the Dali Temple under Lord Wang's jurisdiction, it is hard to guarantee that Lord Wang will not use this as a pretext for personal revenge."

Wang Zechen snorted coldly and interrupted, "Imperial Censor Wen, it's common knowledge that you have an excellent relationship with the Li family. Isn't your protection of Li Qiusheng akin to covering up for someone else?"

Imperial Censor Wen smiled and said, "That's why I didn't say Li Qiusheng was innocent, just to avoid suspicion. Everything will have to wait until after the investigation."

"Although I would stake my life on General Li's innocence, I also believe that His Majesty will handle the matter impartially and will not allow certain villains to succeed!"

"You..." Wang Zechen wanted to retort.

The Emperor interrupted their argument and turned to ask the Marquis of Xinting, "This matter occurred within the Northern Expeditionary Army. Although you have provided the testimonies of the soldiers, it seems they are not convincing enough. What do you think should be done about this?"

Upon hearing this, the courtiers secretly glanced at Marquis Xinting, all envying the emperor's trust in him.

Marquis Xinting thought for a moment and then said, “Your Majesty, Li Qiusheng has done nothing wrong, but the Chen family has suspicions. It is reasonable to investigate, but there is no need to arrest and imprison Li Qiusheng.”

"If he goes to jail, the entire population of Xindu will probably think that Li Qiusheng's crimes have been proven true. This will damage the reputation of the Li family!"

"I suggest that Li Qiusheng be suspended from his post and allowed to reflect on his mistakes in seclusion. Your Majesty should send someone else to investigate until the truth is revealed, and then reinstate Li Qiusheng to his post."

The emperor nodded, and the courtiers also felt that this was a reasonable course of action.

Chen Chuan was dissatisfied!

His son is dead, yet the murderer can enjoy a life of luxury at home, eating and drinking well until the New Year?!

He crawled two steps on his knees, and was about to cry out again when the Marquis of Xinting spoke again.

"Your Majesty, the new recruits have been in the camp for quite some time now, and they are beginning to resemble an elite force. I suggest that they be granted three days' leave to go home and visit their families, so as to comfort their elders who miss them."

The Emperor immediately replied, "Granted! During the New Year, we need to guard against the barbarians from Jiangbei causing trouble, so it's not appropriate to grant a holiday. Now is the perfect time!"

The courtiers seemed unable to believe it, staring wide-eyed at Marquis Xinting, never expecting him to voluntarily grant the new recruits leave!

Remembering the nagging of his elders at home and the constant tears of his wives and concubines, the courtiers were overjoyed and quickly knelt down to express their gratitude.

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!"

In an instant, the Qiankun Palace was in an uproar because of this great blessing.

Caught between the crowd, Chen Chuan and Wang Zechen, their faces grim, could no longer insist on arresting Li Qiusheng.

Marquis Xinting easily undermined the neutrality of his ministers with just three days of vacation!

Seeing his ministers' joy, the Emperor smiled and immediately ordered the Ministry of War to thoroughly investigate the cause of Chen He's death.

The Minister of War accepted the assignment without showing any sign of difficulty.

Chen Chuan gritted his teeth in hatred.

He wasn't stupid; he could clearly see that the Ministry of War wasn't going to do its best.

After all, the Marquis of Xinting commanded the Northern Expeditionary Army and wielded immense power; the Ministry of War dared not offend him easily.

Now that the Marquis of Xinting is clearly trying to protect Li Qiusheng, how could the Ministry of War possibly find out that Li Qiusheng is guilty!

The Emperor seemed to think the matter had been resolved satisfactorily, and after the court session ended, he enthusiastically invited the Marquis of Xinting.

"I have acquired a golden birdcage. Would you like to come with me to take a look?"

If it were anyone else, they would have agreed immediately.

But it was the Marquis of Xinting who was invited. "I thank Your Majesty for your kindness, but the new recruits are going on leave, and the veterans are bound to be restless. I must return to the camp immediately."

The emperor was taken aback by the decisive rejection and his expression turned sour.

But he didn't say anything, waved his hand and went back to the inner hall.

The civil and military officials all turned and walked out, occasionally glancing back at Marquis Xinting, truly at a loss for words.

Fortunately, the Marquis of Xinting was a cousin of the Emperor, and he had earned his great military achievements through real battles. Otherwise, someone else would probably have been dead long ago.

He actually dared to refuse the Emperor's invitation...

But they quickly put the matter out of their minds, eager to go home and share the good news.

These past few months, the children at home have been suffering in the military camp, and the parents and elders at home have been worried, unable to eat or sleep well either.

Now, the children are finally coming back, which is even more joyous than the Lunar New Year!

Cleaning the house, preparing the children's favorite meals and new clothes and shoes—every family is incredibly busy.

The next day, as soon as the city gates opened, countless carriages rushed to the military camp by the river.

After picking up their respective young masters, they ran back to Xindu like madmen.

Soon, cries could be heard from the doorways of every household.

The same was true in the Jia family courtyard.

Old Madam Jia held her grandson tightly, wiping away tears as she looked him up and down.

"Grandma's Dun'er, let Grandma see, he's gotten so thin! Waaah, Dun'er has suffered so much."

Madam Jia's eyes were also red from crying. She held onto her son's hand tightly, not daring to let go.

She was afraid that if she let go, her son would disappear immediately.

A mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles, let alone when he has joined the army. No one can guarantee when he will be fighting the barbarians in real combat.

Now that she saw her son standing in front of her, tanned and strong, smiling憨憨厚厚ly, she could finally feel at ease.

Master Jia and Master Jia Er stood to one side, not daring to approach.

Madam Jia the Second advised, "Mother, sister-in-law, it's cold outside, let's come inside. Dun-ge'er has a three-day holiday, so we'll have plenty of time to talk."

Both Madam Jia and Madam Jia nodded and quickly pulled Jia Dun into the house, one on each side.

The maids and servants served tea and snacks, all of which were Jia Dun's favorite foods.

Baozhu placed a box in front of her brother and showed it off, saying, "Brother, I've made a good friend. I call her Sister Jiayin."

"Sister Jiayin opened a pastry shop in the shopping street, and everything she sells is delicious. These are all my favorites, so I specially asked someone to buy them for me this morning."

"Brother, try it! If you like it, I'll have someone buy more."

Jia Dun'er patted his sister with his large hand and said with a smile, "Thank you, Baozhu. I'm happy with whatever I eat. Keep your money for yourself and don't buy anything for me."

"When my brother goes to war and earns military merit, he will use the money he earns to save up for your dowry."

The Jia family members were surprised to hear this, but before they could say anything, Baozhu had already shouted, "Brother, you used to trick me out of my money to gamble, and you even said that girls are like water spilled out of a bowl, and that giving them a dowry would only benefit outsiders! How come things are different now?"

Jadun blushed and replied, "I was immature back then, don't hold it against me. I'm different now, I'll definitely treat you well from now on."

Grandma Jia held her grandson's hand and kept praising him.

"Good, good! Grandma's Dun-ge'er has finally come to his senses! He was led astray by those bad friends before, but now he's really sensible."