Chapter 176 The entire court was in uproar! Shen Lanxi was appointed Grand General to quell the rebellion!

No, they just waited patiently!

Not only were they waiting, but Shen Lanxi was also waiting.

The imperial court, which used to be as noisy as a marketplace, is now so quiet you could hear a pin drop!

Emperor Renxiao, Zhou Chengqian, stared in shock at the people who had been brought to the main hall.

"Who do you say you are?"

Liu Yan returned in a brocade robe, her elegance unparalleled, and spoke eloquently before the emperor she had once served!

"I am a clerk named Liu Yanhui. I have come here on the orders of Lord Shen Lanxi, the commander of the six garrisons of Suiyuan Prefecture, to present the tax revenue of the six counties including Suiyuan Prefecture from last year!"

Zhou Chengqian's face was tense, his expression unreadable, but the hand clenching his sleeve hidden under his dragon robe betrayed him.

"Do you know that the crime of deceiving the emperor is punishable by the confiscation of your property and the extermination of your entire clan?" Zhou Chengqian, having learned of Liu Yanhui's identity through Wang Bao's reminder, was even more enraged!

The Shen family has already been exiled; how could they possibly rise again?

However, Liu Yanhui was indeed an official who was implicated by the Shen family and exiled. He must have had a close relationship with the Shen family!

Liu Yan replied confidently, "Our commander said that it is the King of Dongliao who has rebelled. We, the six prefectures, will not follow the King of Dongliao in acting like traitors."

“Our Commander Shen cherishes His Majesty’s memory and is grateful for the care and protection His Majesty showed us while we were in the capital. In addition to the taxes, he has also ordered me to bring 80,000 taels of silver and a cartload of various rare treasures to present to His Majesty.”

Zhou Chengqian looked at Liu Yanhui kneeling on the ground with an inscrutable expression.

The government and the public were in an uproar!

They didn't hear wrong, did they? Liu Yan was talking about Shen Lanxi?

Shen Lanxi, the former wife of the Third Prince?

Princess Lanxi, once the apple of the Empress Dowager's eye, loved even more than the royal princess.

"Your Majesty, since the rebellion of the King of Dongliao, Commander Shen has been tossing and turning day and night. In the end, his reverence for Your Majesty outweighed his own safety. Commander Shen resolutely joined the army, risking his life to feed the tiger, and was not afraid of any dangers. Finally, he won ten prefectures in northern Sichuan and twenty counties in southern Sichuan for Your Majesty. Now, I beseech Your Majesty to make a decision!"

The court, which had just been buzzing with discussion, fell silent once more!

What did he say?

Dare you say it again?

Zhou Chengqian's lips twitched twice, and he gripped the dragon throne tightly to suppress the shock in his heart.

How could Shen Lanxi, a woman, possibly do that!

She absolutely cannot do it!

It must be that the Shen family wants to regain their position in court by taking advantage of Shen Lanxi's status as the Third Prince's wife, so they deliberately put her out there to curry favor with him!

But do the Shen family really have the ability to reclaim lost territory?

Zhou Chengqian was filled with deep doubt!

Left Chancellor Wu Yanzhi immediately stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, this person's appearance is suspicious; he is very likely a spy sent by the King of Dongliao."

When the Shen family left the capital, he resolutely made his daughter divorce Shen Yuanjing. The two families had already become mortal enemies, and he absolutely could not let the Shen family return!

The Left Chancellor's faction immediately stood up and seconded the motion.

"What the Left Chancellor says makes sense. We have all met Shen Lanxi; she is a weak and frail woman. How could she possibly join the army? How could she possibly have the ability to reclaim lost territory from the King of Dongliao? It's utterly ridiculous!"

"I fear that the King of Dongliao wants to use Princess Lanxi's identity to soften His Majesty's heart and seize the foundation of our Great Zhou!"

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Despite being targeted by so many people, Liu Yanhui showed no sign of panic on her face, and her posture remained perfectly upright.

"Your Majesty, Commander Shen now commands 10,000 troops. As soon as Your Majesty gives the order, we will immediately attack Yonglin Prefecture!"

The people in the court looked at each other in bewilderment.

Yonglin Prefecture, that's practically right on the doorstep of the King of Dongliao!

After passing Yonglin Prefecture, we will reach Sanchuan Prefecture, where the King of Dongliao resides. If this is true, we are only one step away from striking directly at the heart of the enemy!

Zhou Chengqian remained silent, his mind beginning to consider the pros and cons involved.

If it's true, then both Shen Lanxi and the Shen family have rendered meritorious service in eliminating the traitor!

If it's fake... we can let them fight amongst themselves and buy time for the various armies!

Liu Yan replied, "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to ask on behalf of Lord Shen, should we fight or not?"

"Before I came here, Lord Shen repeatedly instructed me that if His Majesty minded that she was a woman, she should immediately disband the 10,000-strong army and retreat to Baihe County."

That's an army of ten thousand!

Zhou Chengqian had made up his mind!

"What women or women? She has recovered so many places for me. Not to mention women, even most men couldn't have done that!"

Liu Yan replied, "Your Majesty, we have always held high the banner of a righteous army, but our name is not legitimate. We beg Your Majesty to bestow upon us a name and vindicate our army!"

Seeing Liu Yan's obedient attitude, Zhou Chengqian was overjoyed.

"Alright, let's call it... the Suppression Army!"

Liu Yan knelt down, full of gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing this name upon us. From now on, our army that quelled the rebellion will no longer be a rabble!"

Zhou Chengqian's eyes flickered, and he said, "Tell Lanxi that if she can take Yonglin Prefecture, I will appoint her as the Grand General Who Pacifies the Rebellion!"

Liu Yan prostrated herself on the ground and shouted, "Long live Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely forbidden!"

"How can a woman be appointed as a general? Your Majesty, this is unprecedented!"

"Your Majesty, appointing a woman as a general is tantamount to disrupting the very foundation of our Great Zhou Dynasty. We urge Your Majesty to reconsider!"

Zhou Chengqian ignored the court officials and replied to Liu Yan, "Go and deliver the message quickly. Winter comes early to Dongchuan, and a snowfall may delay the suppression of the rebellion!"

Liu Yan replied respectfully, "This humble official will go back and report immediately!"

After Liu Yan left the main hall, Zhou Chengqian finally let out a long sigh!

"If any of you gentlemen could conjure up an army of ten thousand for me, I would appoint that person as the Grand General to quell the rebellion!"

The court officials all kept their mouths shut and remained silent after hearing this.

The title of Grand General for Suppressing Rebellions implies that his sole purpose is to quell rebellions. Once there are no more rebellions, is there any need for this Grand General to remain?

Regardless of who is behind Shen Lanxi, they all have to work for him now. If they rebel, he can issue the imperial decree and he can also accept it!

Shen Lanxi received a reply from Liu Yanhui, informing her that Yonglin Prefecture had been captured!

Liu Yan is definitely surrounded by spies now, so this is not the best time to reply.

Fifteen days later, the carrier hawk took flight.

Ten days later, Liu Yan returned with the reply and entered the main hall without any hindrance!

"Your Majesty, Commander Shen has lived up to your expectations, risking his life to capture Yonglin Prefecture!"

The entire court was in uproar once again!

Zhou Chengqian has sent countless spies to Yonglin Prefecture these past few days, but they have not yet arrived. He has also adjusted his mindset these days, and with a slight smile, he very calmly asked Liu Yan to get up.

"I hereby issue the decree, effective immediately, appointing Shen Lanxi as Grand General for the Suppression of the Rebellion. After the suppression of the rebellion is completed, I will personally bestow the honor upon him in the palace!"

Liu Yan replied: "Thank you Lord for your kindness!"

That very day, Liu Yan returned with the gifts bestowed upon her by Zhou Chengqian and rode swiftly to Yonglin Prefecture!

Xiaoxue arrived with the imperial edict before Liu Yanhui.

Shen Lanxi took off the box containing the imperial edict and casually tossed it to Cheng Zheng and the others.

"Look, I'm going to feed Xiaoxue some dried meat!"