When news of the Xiongnu invasion reached the capital, it caused an uproar.

When Shen Yunting returned to the capital in triumph, he was carrying with him the surrender documents of the surrounding countries.

But who could have imagined that the Xiongnu would openly violate the surrender agreement signed between the two countries?

I wonder what they have to rely on?

As soon as the news was announced in the imperial court, all the ministers' eyes immediately fell on Shen Yunting, filled with deep suspicion.

Zhang Hu was the first to step forward, sternly accusing, "It was General Shen who signed the contract with them back then, but now the Xiongnu are invading again. There must be some shady dealings involved that others don't know about."

He knelt on one knee and addressed the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead troops to quell the rebellion of the Xiongnu, but I also implore Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this matter and give the soldiers on the border justice."

"The Xiongnu disregarded the original agreement and came to visit rashly. I'm afraid countless soldiers will be threatened with death as a result."

Zhang Hu snorted coldly, a hint of smugness creeping into his eyes as he glanced at Shen Yunting.

Seeing this, Shen Yunting's eyes grew colder and colder.

At this critical juncture, he is still preoccupied with how to deal with me; he is truly unworthy of being a general.

"What is General Shen's opinion on this?" The Emperor finally turned his gaze to Shen Yunting.

His expression was calm, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

His bodyguards had informed Shen Yunting of his secret actions a few days ago.

When faced with Shen Yunting, he was at a loss for what to do.

Previously, he had always been wary of Shen Yunting, feeling that the other party held military power and was deeply loved by the people, which might threaten his position as emperor.

But as time went by, he gradually became willing to believe in Shen Yunting.

But to his surprise, the other party dealt him a blow at this moment.

What exactly is Shen Yunting trying to do? The Emperor was somewhat confused.

Shen Yunting's expression remained unchanged as he stepped forward and knelt on the ground.

"I also request to lead troops to the border to quell the rebellion. The Xiongnu are nothing but my defeated enemies and are not worth fearing."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Hu gave a cold snort without any politeness.

He said with a disdainful look, "The Xiongnu were indeed defeated by General Shen, but after signing the surrender document, they still came back with a vengeance, showing no regard for General Shen at all."

"I wonder if the Xiongnu are just bold, or if they have some other conspiracy?"

Shen Yunting glanced at him sideways and asked in a cold voice, "In the imperial court, before the emperor has spoken, is it General Zhang's turn to say anything?"

“You…” Zhang Hu was furious.

He was about to speak up in rebuttal, but Shen Yunting did not give him the chance.

Kneeling before the hall, Shen Yunting spoke to himself, "Your Majesty, I have another matter to report."

"I hereby accuse the Zhao and Qian families of embezzling grain supplies destined for the border six months ago and of ordering their own men in the military camp to leak the battle plan, which led to a surprise attack by the Xiongnu."

"In the end, our army suffered heavy losses, and I was also seriously wounded as a result."

Upon hearing this, everyone was astonished and quickly turned their attention to Lord Zhao behind them.

Lord Zhao never expected that the fire would inexplicably burn him.

He was stunned for a moment, then quickly knelt down and begged for forgiveness.

"Your Majesty, I am innocent! I beg you to see the truth. I have never done such a thing."

Seeing this, Zhang Hu spoke even more bluntly: "General Shen, what do you mean by this? Could it be that you're trying to find a scapegoat to cover up your incompetence?"

“I have already inquired about what happened at the border that day. It was clearly your own decision that failed. If you hadn’t been lucky enough to turn the tide later, you would probably have been buried at the border along with the soldiers.”

Zhang Hu's smug smile grew even wider, and he finally said bluntly, "General Shen, are you trying to find a scapegoat in advance because you're worried about suffering another crushing defeat against the Xiongnu and want to find a pretext for yourself?"

"In that case, General Shen doesn't need to go through all this trouble. He can just stay in the capital."

Shen Yunting looked at him coldly, as if he were watching a clown.

She ignored him and simply looked up to meet the Emperor's gaze.

He solemnly declared, "I have evidence to prove this matter."

Then she had her father-in-law present the evidence.

This was something he and Qu Jingyun had investigated and verified over a long period of time.

The original plan was to present it to the Emperor through someone else.

After much deliberation, Shen Yunting still felt it would be better for him to personally hand the person over to the Emperor.

This was his last chance for the emperor, and also a chance for himself.

If the final result is that the emperor is unwilling to believe him and even wants to take action against the general's mansion, then it can only be said that he misjudged him.

The emperor looked at the evidence before him one by one, his face showing a look of fury.

His murderous gaze fell on Lord Zhao, and he threw the memorial in his hand at him heavily.

"What do you have to say now?"

Lord Zhao glanced at it casually, especially the letters, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.

How could this be?

So much time had passed that he assumed the evidence was long gone and no one would bother to investigate.

But who could have imagined...

"I am innocent! I have no past grudges or hatred with General Shen, how could I possibly harm him?"

Lord Zhao kept kowtowing until blood slowly oozed out, but he seemed oblivious to it.

"The evidence is conclusive. How dare you cry foul in the court, before me?" the Emperor roared.

His gaze swept over Shen Yunting before he spoke, "Zhao Boke has withheld military rations and colluded with the Xiongnu. The evidence is conclusive. He shall be imprisoned in the Imperial Prison from today until further notice, pending his fate."

Lord Zhao Bai wanted to defend himself, but he was suppressed by the guards, his mouth was gagged, and he was forced to speak.

Shen Yunting's lips curled slightly. Just as he looked away, he noticed the Emperor's scrutinizing gaze and quickly lowered his head.

The emperor withdrew his gaze shortly afterward.

All that could be heard was the Emperor's stern voice: "As for who will lead the army to the border, do any of you have any opinions?"

At court, some recommended Shen Yunting, while others recommended Zhang Hu.

A cacophony of voices arose in the court, giving the emperor a headache. He pressed his temple with his finger before looking at the crowd with an increasingly complex expression.

Finally, he slammed his hand heavily on the table.

"Since everyone is unable to reach a conclusion through debate, then allow me to make a decision again. Tomorrow morning, I will issue an edict to personally appoint a general to go to the border."

After saying this, the Emperor stood up and his gaze fell on Shen Yunting again.

"General Shen, come with me."

Shen Yunting gave a soft "hmm," didn't give anyone else a second glance, and quickly followed.

Upon witnessing this scene, everyone exchanged bewildered glances, inevitably pondering further.

Zhang Hu, in particular, felt a growing unease deep down.

Could the Emperor's final choice be Shen Yunting?

If he achieves great success on the frontier again, when will I ever have a chance to rise in the ranks?