Chapter 1255 A Brilliant Move

Has the invincible King of Qin truly admitted defeat?

This doubt instantly seemed to transform into a shadow, covering the entire Liangyi Hall and leaving a deep gloom in everyone's heart.

Only Pei Xingyuan managed to breathe a sigh of relief.

But at this moment, he dared not look up. He lowered his head to calm his pounding heart. He looked rather dejected. Yuwen Cheng's gaze swept over him, adding a touch of smugness, before finally looking at the supreme emperor above the main hall.

Behind the slightly swaying jade tassels, Yuwen Yuan's thick eyebrows relaxed, and the sternness in his eyes, which had been filled with sharp light, disappeared, replaced by a gentle smile, like a beast tamer who had finally tamed a wild beast. His smile contained not only satisfaction and pride, but also an indescribable sense of relief.

He said, "Oh? Is that really true?"

Yuwen Ye lowered his head and said, "How dare your subject deceive the emperor?"

"..."

"Moreover, I am the Grand Chancellor of Shaanxi East Circuit, and it is my duty to govern the affairs of Luoyang."

"Good, well said."

Yuwen Yuan withdrew one hand from the tightly gripped armrest and placed it diagonally on the table. He leaned slightly forward to look at Yuwen Ye and said, "I am deeply gratified by the Prince of Qin's filial piety."

"..."

"With you in charge of Luoyang, I can rest assured in Chang'an."

Yuwen Ye remained expressionless and continued, "However, after I leave Chang'an, I wonder what Father Emperor will do—"

This time, Yuwen Yuan raised his hand to stop him before he could finish speaking, and said, "With the Prince of Qin gone to Luoyang, I feel as if I have lost an arm. I also need some capable people to share my burdens."

"..."

"Xiao Yuansui is a man capable of undertaking great responsibilities."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall silently lowered their heads.

Although he had already realized this, it was now even clearer: the emperor was using Xiao Yuansui's life to coerce the Prince of Qin into retreating to Luoyang. Otherwise, with Xiao Yuansui dead, countless men under the Prince of Qin would cause trouble. Now that the Prince of Qin had surrendered, Yuwen Yuan no longer needed to pursue him relentlessly.

Yuwen Ye asked, "Then, I wonder how Father intends to deal with him?"

Yuwen Yuan laughed and said, "The reason I wanted to kill him before was simply because the Qianniu Guard and Xiaowei Army disobeyed orders and acted recklessly. Many of these people were his former subordinates, and I wanted to make an example of them."

"..."

"Now it seems that while military discipline must be strict, it cannot be completely ruthless. Although Xiao Yuansui once defied orders, he has now repented and submitted to our Great Sheng. His heart is pitiful and his actions are commendable."

With that, he raised his hand and said, "Summon Xiao Yuansui."

Eunuch Yu, who was serving closely beside him, stepped forward and announced loudly, "Summon Xiao Yuansui!"

The sound spread out of the hall like ripples on a calm lake, continuously expanding outwards. The sound waves reverberated throughout the nine-tiered hall, making people's eardrums buzz. Yuwen Ye subconsciously turned his head and saw a familiar figure slowly walking into the hall.

It was Xiao Yuansui.

Compared to his somewhat disheveled appearance yesterday, he was completely transformed today. He had changed into a court robe, and his hair was neatly combed. Although he was still a bit thin, his tall and handsome appearance remained largely unchanged. As soon as he entered the main hall, he immediately drew sighs from the crowd.

This is Xiao Yuansui, who has been a headache for the Great Sheng Dynasty for years!

This is Xiao Yuansui, who was once praised as a "pillar of the state" by Emperor Wen of the Daye Dynasty!

At this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on him again. Xiao Yuansui did not lose his composure under such intense gazes. Instead, he became even more calm and composed, walking steadily to the center of the hall and bowing to Yuwen Yuan, saying, "This sinful subject Xiao Yuansui pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"

Yuwen Yuan smiled and said, "I have already pardoned your crimes; you are no longer a criminal."

Xiao Yuansui bowed again: "Xiao Yuansui thanks Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized what was going on, and Yuwen Cheng couldn't wait to step forward from behind Yuwen Ye and loudly said, "I wonder how Father Emperor plans to bestow titles upon Xiao Yuansui."

Yuwen Yuan said, "Xiao Yuansui, I recognize your exceptional talent and remarkable reputation, and hereby bestow upon you the position of tutor in the Crown Prince's residence. You must diligently and conscientiously assist the Crown Prince and live up to my high expectations."

Xiao Yuansui said, "Your humble servant obeys the decree."

Yuwen Yuan continued, "If they can serve the country, I will reward them generously; if they have any disloyal intentions—" He paused here, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his somewhat cloudy but still majestic tiger eyes: "I will punish them severely without mercy!"

He spoke those last words with particular weight. After all, while this exceptional promotion of Xiao Yuansui was a good move in the game with Yuwen Ye, Yuwen Yuan himself understood that a chess piece is just a chess piece, and a person is just a person. A chess piece is placed only according to the heart of the player, but a person has their own thoughts, beliefs, and actions, and can never be as obedient as a real chess piece.

Especially pawns like Xiao Yuansui.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuansui remained silent for a moment before immediately kneeling down, burying his face deeply between his arms, and loudly proclaiming, "This sinful subject is deeply grateful for the Emperor's grace and will devote himself to the cause until his dying breath, daring not to harbor any unfounded thoughts."

Yuwen Yuan then raised his hand and said, "Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After speaking, Xiao Yuansui slowly raised his head and stood up straight. The moment he raised his head, Yuwen Ye, who was standing beside him, had already swept his face with his sharp and cold eyes, taking in the fleeting glint in his eyes.

Just then, Yuwen Cheng laughed and said, "Father, Xiao Yuansui is skilled in both literature and martial arts. It would be a waste of his talents to only make him a tutor in the Eastern Palace."

Yuwen Yuan looked down at him: "You mean—?"

Yuwen Cheng smiled and said, "What I mean is that the position of Right General of the Thousand Ox Guard is still vacant. How about letting Xiao Yuansui take command?"

After saying that, he immediately turned to look at Yuwen Ye and said, "Second Brother, as the General of the Twelve Guards, you won't have any objections, will you?"

Yuwen Ye glanced at him indifferently, and then said, "The Grand General of the Twelve Guards is nothing more than the Emperor's subject. As long as it is the Emperor's decree, the subject will obey without question."

"good!"

Yuwen Yuan withdrew his other hand from the armrest of the dragon throne, sat there steadily, and said loudly, "Xiao Yuansui, receive the title."

Xiao Yuansui knelt down again, and Yuwen Yuan said, "I appoint you as the Right General of the Thousand Ox Guard, to guard the Eastern Palace."

Xiao Yuansui said, "Your humble servant accepts the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude!"

Yuwen Yuan nodded and continued, "Now that the matter in Chang'an is settled, I only care about the affairs of Luoyang. Prince Qin, I hereby order you to guard Luoyang, pacify the four directions, settle the people, and reorganize the military to consolidate the foundation of the country."

"..."

"We will set off in ten days."