Chapter 19: Retreat to Advance

"Oh? Lord Lin, please tell me why you deceived the emperor." Emperor Xuande asked.

The look he gave me was scrutinizing.

Song Yanxi was also a little curious about what Lin Tingfeng was planning.

But there was one thing she was very sure of.

Being as selfish as he is, there is no way he would gamble his bright future by saying something as ridiculous as Zhuang Shihan being his wife in front of the emperor.

Lin Tingfeng did not disappoint Song Yanxi.

He never mentioned Zhuang Shihan, only saying, "As a general, I should have prioritized the safety of my soldiers and the border, but due to a moment of confusion, I chased all the way into the enemy camp.

Although I succeeded in taking the commander's head, I caused my fellow soldiers to mistakenly believe I had died in battle and sent back a false report. I deserve to die!"

Emperor Xuande nodded and said, "As a commander, being greedy for merit and advancing rashly is a big taboo in military strategy."

This one sentence successfully changed Lin Tingfeng's expression.

How come this is completely different from what he imagined?

Song Yanxi stood behind him with her head down, finding it extremely funny.

He didn't mention a single word about the three hundred soldiers who went deep into the enemy camp with him, protected him in obtaining the enemy general's head, and guarded his retreat, but in the end none of them survived!

He keeps saying that he deserves to die, but every word he says is trying to show off his achievements.

It's true that birds of a feather flock together. He and Zhuang Shihan are truly a perfect match.

Just when Lin Tingfeng was hesitating whether to push the responsibility away, Emperor Xuande suddenly laughed.

"It is a great blessing for our dynasty to have such a young and brave general as the Lin family. I have no time to reward you, so how could I punish you?"

"Your Majesty, thank you for your praise. The fact that the war was settled was the result of the coordinated efforts of all parts of the army, not the work of me alone."

Apart from General Lin Tingfeng, the only one who could command the generals was Emperor Xuande. This flattery was so subtle.

Emperor Xuande was obviously pleased and said with a smile: "I said that the Lin family has made great contributions, so you should not be so modest. Tell me what reward you want from me."

Lin Tingfeng lifted his robe and knelt down, straightening his back and saying respectfully, "I do not need any reward. I only have one thing to ask for, Your Majesty."

"Tell me about it."

"This time, I was seriously injured and my life was hanging by a thread. If it weren't for Princess Shihan's tireless care for me, I would not have survived to see Your Majesty."

Mentioning this, Lin Tingfeng's expression was inevitably excited, "It's not easy for a woman to make a living in this world, and she went to the battlefield regardless of worldly matters. Not only did she rely on her wonderful art to save many soldiers, she also took the trouble to eat and live with the soldiers, and never cried or felt tired.

I have only met one other woman in my life who is so brave and undaunted by hardship and possesses such noble character."

The smile disappeared from Emperor Xuande's face.

Since he knew that it was not easy for a woman to find her footing, why didn't he think about his wife who was left at home by him on their wedding day and had been waiting for her for two years?

Suppressing his displeasure, Emperor Xuande looked at Song Yanxi, who was standing behind Lin Tingfeng and had not said a word since she came in. He couldn't help feeling sorry for her.

The child has been sensible and kind since she was young. When she was young, he held her in his arms and joked with her grandfather that he wanted to ask her to be the daughter-in-law of his son Xiaowu.

If Xiaowu hadn't gotten into trouble later, the two of them would have been a good match.

Lin Tingfeng didn't dare look directly at Emperor Xuande. He kowtowed respectfully and said in a firm tone, "I have long admired Princess Shihan. I hope Your Majesty will grant us a marriage."

Emperor Xuande's voice was a little cold, "Do you know what you are talking about?"

"I know I am not worthy of Princess Shihan, but I cannot help myself. I beg Your Majesty to forgive me."

"Bastard!" Emperor Xuande's face darkened and he grabbed the nanmu paperweight on the table and smashed it hard.

Lin Tingfeng didn't dodge or evade. The paperweight hit his forehead and blood immediately flowed down his cheek.

Seeing that he didn't even frown, Emperor Xuande couldn't help but think of his own youth when he was crazy and desperate for the one he loved.

Aren’t they today the same as he and Ashu back then?

Emperor Xuande sighed lightly, looked at Song Yanxi, and said in a deep voice: "Yanxi, I want to hear what you have to say."

After a pause, he continued, "General Lin will be leaving for battle on the day of his wedding. It has not been easy for you to stay in the general's mansion these past two years. If you don't want to, today I will be the wicked one who forcibly separates you from your lover."

As soon as these words came out, Lin Tingfeng immediately looked at Song Yanxi with a warning in his eyes.

Song Yanxi knew that he was afraid.

He was afraid that she would rely on the emperor's "protection" to force him to give up Zhuang Shihan, and he was even more afraid that she would ignore the matter and ask the emperor for a divorce.

He had just come back from the dead, and right after that he divorced his wife who had been waiting for him for two years, who took care of the household affairs and had an excellent reputation both inside and outside the mansion. How would the court view him?

How can we maintain our reputation among the people?

But she also heard that Emperor Xuande intended to help Lin Tingfeng and Zhuang Shihan get together.

Not to mention that she had no intention of divorcing Lin Tingfeng at this time, even if she had originally planned to use this opportunity to meet the emperor and divorce, she couldn't mention it now.

The emperor's favor is getting less and less each time she uses it, so she can't be ungrateful.

Seeing Song Yanxi's pale face, as if she had something difficult to say but couldn't speak, Emperor Xuande couldn't help but lower his voice, "Yanxi girl, I'm here today, you don't need to care about what others think, just say what you think."

If someone else said this, Song Yanxi's eyes would immediately turn red, and she would expose her grievances openly so that others could judge for herself.

But he was Emperor Xuande, and he was an emperor with great political skills. Although his words appeared to be unconditional support for her, they actually contained an implicit warning.

Song Yanxi knelt down and bowed respectfully towards him. Her voice was clear but resounding, "Your Majesty, Princess Shihan is of noble status. I am willing to ask to be your concubine and help them become a couple."

At the end of the words, there was a barely perceptible sob.

Since Emperor Xuande was willing, she would help him.

This would allow him to win the favor of Emperor Xuande and at the same time allow him to stay in the general's mansion and disturb his family. Why not do it?

In this life, if she doesn't make the Lin family destroyed and Lin Tingfeng die without a burial place, she will not be able to swallow the anger in her heart!

Lin Tingfeng breathed a sigh of relief visibly, completely unaware that Emperor Xuande's eyes were terribly gloomy.

Song Yanxi is not only the legitimate daughter of the Yongchuan Marquisate, but also the granddaughter that Yan Yichuan holds in his palm so tightly that he is afraid of dropping her. If you think about it carefully, her status is even more noble than that of a princess of the royal family.

Letting her be a concubine is simply ridiculous.

Before Lin Tingfeng could come to his senses, Emperor Xuande had already issued an edict, granting Zhuang Shihan the title of general's concubine and setting a date for the wedding.

"I thank Your Majesty for your grace!"

Lin Tingfeng kowtowed excitedly, his joy at having won the beauty was beyond words.

Compared with him, Song Yanxi, who took the initiative to give in and was even willing to ask to be a concubine, seemed particularly sensible and generous, and was also particularly pitiful.

Emperor Xuande felt guilty and immediately said, "Yan Xi, it was General Lin who wronged you first. If he dares to wrong you again in the future, you can come directly to the palace and find me. I will allow you to divorce him."

As he spoke, his heavy gaze fell on Lin Tingfeng and continued, "When you first got married, I was worried that Prince Jin hadn't prepared any gifts for you. Do you like Yuzhou?"

Song Yanxi nodded honestly, "Yuzhou has beautiful scenery and simple folk customs. I have only heard of it from my grandfather and mother before, and I have always longed for it."

Her grandfather was very open-minded and never told them what women should do. He only told them that women should stand tall in this world just like men.

If her mother had not been trapped in the backyard of the marquis's mansion with her two children, she would have been the freest woman in the world.

Emperor Xuande smiled and nodded, "As long as you like it, I'm glad. When I first made you a princess, I actually forgot to grant you a fiefdom.

From today on, Yuzhou will be your fiefdom."

Lin Tingfeng was obviously stunned and quickly said, "Your Majesty, this is unreasonable!"

Song Yanxi glanced at him with a fearful look in her eyes, and said in a slightly trembling voice:

"Your Majesty, I appreciate your kindness. I beg you to rescind your order."