Chapter 20 Military Merit Confirmed: What a load of rubbish!

The Han family.

Kneel down!

Han Dahai gripped the hilt of his sword, furious. He hadn't even sat down when he got home; he turned around, his face flushed, and yelled at Han Jiqing, who had just entered.

His eyes were bloodshot. He was a general on the battlefield, but he retired from the battlefield in his old age. Now, holding the sword hilt, his aura was no less than that of Han Jiqing on the arena today.

Han Jiwen was pushed aside by Han Jiqing. Without saying a word, he knelt down on the ground and looked straight up, saying, "Father."

"Bang—bang—"

The dull thud of the sword hilt hitting his body rang out several times in succession. Finally, Han Dahai got tired and threw the sword hilt straight to the ground. "Clang—clang!" The sword hilt contained his sword from his battlefield days. An ordinary person could not lift it. It hit the ground at an angle, leaving a circular crater.

Han Jiwen quickly stepped forward, picked up the sword, and placed it some distance away.

"What exactly do you want! To marry a princess? Do you think you can just marry a princess like that?"

Han Dahai shouted, "You think you're some kind of war god general just because you recaptured a lost city! If the two countries were on the verge of mutual destruction, I wouldn't care about you at all!" He paced back and forth anxiously, "It hasn't come to that yet. The eldest princess of the family doesn't consider us mortal enemies!"

"You're really something! You're already stationed on the frontier, and now you've married a princess! You won't even know how you lost your head!"

Han Jiqing hadn't intended to speak, but upon hearing this, he looked up and asked, "What do you mean by that, Father?"

"What's the meaning?"

Han Dahai sneered, "Will His Majesty keep you around because your merits are too great? Or will he keep you around to take the princess to the frontier? No matter what you do, as long as you marry the princess, you will now have the opportunity to collud with foreign countries in Xiao Kingdom!"

Han Jiqing frowned, his robes already disheveled. He disagreed with Han Dahai's opinion, kneeling on the ground and enduring several slaps without bending his back in the slightest. "I have only seen the Princess riding to the front lines to reward the troops before. I have never seen such a beautiful woman."

The moment he saw her training eagles alone on the sand, his son knew he would only ever love her!

His ears were burning, but his eyes were still slightly red as he looked directly at Han Dahai, his tone light and airy, "My son didn't want anything, he just married the woman he loved."

Han Dahai let out a long breath and swallowed hard. "Marry the woman you love? Don't you even know who your beloved woman is!"

"The marriage alliance between Xiao and Yun Kingdoms is perfectly legitimate. My son defeated the other young men in the arena! My son is also a seven-foot-tall man with military merits, so why can't he marry the princess?"

Han Dahai laughed in exasperation.

I meant to say—

Han Jiqing interrupted him directly, "Father is referring to His Majesty."

Han Dahai snorted coldly and turned to sit down in the main seat.

The two men were on the verge of conflict the moment they entered. Han Jiwen had already dismissed the maids around them, and only then did he have time to light the candles. The dim light that slowly illuminated the main courtyard shone on Han Dahai's stern face. The veins on the back of his hands were bulging, and he was still breathing heavily from anger at his son.

He said in a deep voice, "I told you back in the palace that we shouldn't look at what His Majesty thinks, but at what we do."

Han Jiqing met Han Dahai's gaze, and the two faced off in silence for a moment before he looked away and asked, "Does His Majesty not trust the Han family, or does the Han family not trust His Majesty?"

"Han Jiqing!"

Han Dahai stood up and pointed at him with a trembling finger.

"Father, there's no one else by His Majesty's side!"

“Your Majesty and I grew up together. Your Majesty is neither an ungrateful person nor a murderer who kills innocent people indiscriminately.”

"But he is the emperor after all!" Since ancient times, the emperor's favor has been unpredictable. No matter how loyal and righteous a person is in his youth, once he steps onto the throne, he can only be the emperor.

The courtyard was so quiet that the faint crackling of the candlelight could be heard, accompanied by the heavy, rapid breathing of the two people.

"So you're willing to gamble with your own life! What you should do most is protect yourself and the Han family!" Han Dahai stepped forward and stood in front of Han Jiqing, hot tears sliding down his nose and down his cheeks. He wiped them away haphazardly, snorted coldly, and turned away.

"My son is protecting the Han family."

Han Dahai was startled.

“The son understands him better than the father. If the Han family makes no mistakes, then they are truly standing on the edge of a precipice.”

His tone was firm: "By marrying the Princess, my son is entrusting the lifeline of the Han family to His Majesty. Only in this way, with His Majesty holding the reins of the Han family in his hands, can the Han family truly be invincible!"

Han Dahai turned around in astonishment, remaining silent for a long time. His heart pounded harder and harder as he met Han Jiqing's gaze.

A look of astonishment and realization flashed across Han Jiwen's eyes, who had remained silent all along. Yes, how could His Majesty possibly keep a flawless military family by his side?

If someone's achievements overshadow the emperor's, then hand over the reins that hold their head to the emperor. Only the Han family's situation can be controlled at will, and only then is the Han family truly safe.

"You!" Han Dahai's anger had subsided considerably, but his voice trembled. "Even if you hand over the reins of the Han family, what can you do if the Emperor issues an order!"

"Your Majesty would not."

Han Jiqing spoke firmly, “Not to mention that your son has never believed that His Majesty would take action against the Han family. Even if His Majesty were to be like the emperors in history, as your father thinks, he would not do it.”

"If there were two wolves on the grassland, one that I, Father, would lead and control, and the other that would follow beside me without a rope, which would I choose?"

"Will Father kill the one that can't resist, or the one that roams freely beside him?"

Han Dahai remained silent for a long time.

"Moreover, my son standing on the stage is also a way of proving to His Majesty that the Han family will always believe in His Majesty."

The three remained silent for a long time, when suddenly a series of hurried footsteps came from not far away.

Han Dahai only married one wife in his life. His wife, Liu Yushuang, was a true lady of high birth. Upon hearing the message from her maid, she hurried into the main courtyard, exclaiming, "Oh dear, why is Qing'er still kneeling on the ground!"

Liu Yushuang married Han Dahai at the age of eighteen and is now only in her fifties. The two have a very good relationship and have never had any worries about domestic matters over the years. Liu Yushuang looks to be only in her thirties.

Her phoenix eyes darted back and forth over Han Jiqing. Her already slender figure was even more noticeable standing next to Han Jiqing. She glared at Han Dahai with her delicate eyebrows and then turned to Han Jiwen, saying, "Come and help your brother up!"

Han Jiqing was helped to a chair by the two men. He hadn't felt anything when they finished hitting him, but now the burning sensation hadn't stopped for a moment.

"What did my son do to you! Look at you, all you think about is war, war, war!" Liu Yushuang stood beside Han Dahai and began to scold him. "Let me tell you! My son is good enough to marry a fairy, let alone a princess. I support Qing'er in whatever he does. What kind of look is that? I'm telling you something and you're not happy about it."

Han Dahai's figure was like a small mountain beside Liu Yushuang. The once imposing Minister was now being scolded by his wife and didn't even dare to frown. The former lady of a prominent family couldn't utter any foul language now, but Liu Yushuang was also a lady who rode horses and shot arrows. She glared at Han Dahai again, then turned and left.

"Oh, husband—"

"Come here," she called to the servants and maids outside the courtyard, "take the young master back to his room and quickly fetch the family physician."

Liu Yushuang left without even glancing at Han Dahai.

Only Han Dahai and Han Jiwen remained in the main courtyard.

"father?"

Go back to sleep!

-

In the Imperial Study at dusk, a large table was covered with open books, stretching as far as the eye could see. The chair by the window was also piled high with books. Thirteen and Fourteen stood in front of the books and finally handed the final result to Gu Huizhou.

"Your Majesty, the military merits have been investigated. Three people have the merits to be promoted to general, and countless others have made outstanding contributions in battle."

Liang He was not involved in this matter among the three, and it was already a favor that he was spared punishment out of consideration for the Liang family.

Gu Huizhou nodded, and then the two of them immediately put away the books filled with detailed records of military achievements.

"The announcement will be made at the morning court tomorrow."

Thirteen responded, and tomorrow the New Year festival would be over. After the announcement, preparations for bestowing titles and mansions upon the generals could begin. However, Liang He's family had originally been confident of winning the title of general. Now that the second-rank Zhenguo General had fallen to General Han, while he could only maintain the fourth-rank Zhenwu General, he was bound to be furious.

Gu Huizhou also considered this point. He put down his book and leaned back on the dragon throne. If the Liang family was dissatisfied, then so be it.

"Your Majesty, I have investigated the matter of Li Wenjing's villa. It was orchestrated by Liang Chengfeng of the Liang family. Liang Chengfeng has temporarily left the capital under the pretext of traveling to Jiangnan, and it is likely that he will not return to the capital until Liang He is successfully appointed as a general."

"No rush, he can't cause any trouble yet. Keep a close eye on Liang He and Liang Fu, and report back immediately if there's any movement."

"yes."

The following day, the morning court was much more lively than usual. It was almost divided into two groups, just like the scene when the general returned to court that day. Han Jiqing and Liang He were each surrounded by a group of people saying nice things to them.

The position of Grand General of the State will be conferred at the morning court session today, and the choice will be made between these two men. The ministers are not worried about making the wrong choice, since even if they do not become a second-rank general, they will at least become a third-rank general.

And its future potential is immeasurable.

"General Liang looks very well today. He must have been back in the capital for some time now, and his injuries must have healed considerably! It is thanks to the General and his men who fought bravely on the front lines that we have such a peaceful and prosperous world today. With the people well-fed and clothed, is this not a truly prosperous age!"

Liang He smiled smugly; he was tall and looked down at the man almost with his nostrils tucked under his nose.

Liang Fu waved his hand, "You flatter me, sir. It is only right and proper for the soldiers on the front lines to be wounded. It is a blessing to be able to share the Emperor's burdens! Whether it is those who bravely fight on the front lines or us who speak on behalf of His Majesty in court, it is all for the country and the people!"

"Hahaha, Lord Liang sees things very clearly!"

With Cui Xiangzhu's loud cry, "Attend court!", the officials quickly found their seats and stood before Gu Huizhou, saying, "Your subjects pay their respects to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Rise." Gu Huizhou held a book in his hand, playing with it, a smile playing on his lips. "My dear ministers must be getting impatient. Why don't you all tell me, who do you think is the best candidate for the position of Grand General Who Protects the Nation?"

No one spoke; the ministers' eyes were filled with terror. Who dared to speak?

The ministers who had been fawning over the two fell silent, prompting Gu Huizhou to scoff, "Tsk."

Then he laughed, "Then place your bets, and bet on them. I still have some loose silver on hand. Each of you, my esteemed ministers, write your general's name on a slip of paper and attach one tael of silver. After court today, I will personally send someone to deliver one hundred taels of silver to your residence. Is that acceptable?"

Only the emperor knew who was written on the note, but once it was written, it would become a handle for future use. The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment, but at this point, they had no chance to back out. A row of eunuchs poured in from the back of the hall and stood in front of each minister, with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones placed before them.

"Why--"

A minister sighed, gritted his teeth, wrote his full name on the note, then wrote his own name, casually put down a tael of silver, frowned, and waved the eunuch away.

The sound of broken silver falling onto the table echoed throughout the hall until the last eunuch left. Gu Huizhou then declared, "Fun, wasn't it?"

Fun my ass!

They dared not speak out against their anger, and could only nod and smile when they heard Gu Huizhou say this.

When Cui Xiangzhu produced the imperial edict, the hall fell silent. Originally, only the Han and Liang families were tense, but Gu Huizhou's actions had everyone holding their breath, knowing that from now on, their names would be recorded among the two great families.

Gu Huizhou took the document, glanced at the assembled officials, and felt relieved to see their terrified expressions. "I hereby decree: General Han Jiqing is hereby appointed as the Grand General Who Guards the Nation..."

Gu Huizhou handed the imperial edict to Cui Xiangzhu, then looked up and said, "Cui Xiangzhu, give the Golden Armor and Tiger Tally to the General as well."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Han Jiqing stepped forward, his eyes reddening, and knelt down to receive the imperial edict. His hands trembled.

It was actually the Han family...

Liang He did not even get promoted to the third rank.

The ministers looked at each other, neither regret nor pride could be openly displayed at this moment.

Liang He's eyes widened in disbelief. He had clearly arranged everything perfectly, how could this be!

"Your Majesty!" He strode forward. "Your Majesty, I believe there may be something else going on regarding the determination of military merits!" Liang He glared at Han Jiqing, who had just stood up. "I pride myself on my outstanding military achievements; I am certainly no less capable than General Han!"

"That's right, how could General Han fall to someone as brave and skilled in battle as General Liang?"

"Old Chen, who did you write about?"

"Go away, I'm not telling you."

"I'll be relying on Brother Han from now on!"

Han Dahai remained silent, only smiling slightly.

Liang Fu clenched his fists. He absolutely could not afford to lose this second-rank general position now, as the Liang family was already unstable. "Your Majesty, I also believe that this matter is somewhat biased. Could we perhaps decide on it later?"

The ministers beside Liang He exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and said, "Your Majesty, we also believe that a further inspection is necessary."

Gu Huizhou was not surprised that the two brothers stood apart from the other officials. He stood up and waved for Han Jiqing to go back. Behind him, Cui Xiangzhu had already prepared things, with the military merit book neatly placed to his side.

"My dear minister, I am not satisfied."

Gu Huizhou stepped off the stage, standing only a step away from the two men. He looked helpless. "Bring it over for the General and the Minister to see."

"yes."

Cui Xiangzhu walked to Gu Huizhou's left side with small steps, while another eunuch stepped forward with Cui Xiangzhu and stopped on the right side.

"Would you two like to see the military achievements first, or the battle reports first?"

————————

[Heart][Heart][Heart]

My new novel, "What to Do When Your Roommate Keeps Dying," is available for pre-order.

Ren Qingyuan is a college student who has just entered university.

He always felt he was lucky. The most obvious reason was that because there were an odd number of boys in his class, he was "unlucky" enough to be singled out and paired with the newly popular school heartthrob from the next room.

As Ren Qingyuan stepped into his dormitory room with his suitcase, he immediately felt hopeful about the next four years of university. Private bathroom, open balcony, water dispenser, air conditioning, underfloor heating…

It turned out that it was all because his roommate had been frail and sickly since childhood, so the school and parents discussed and approved a separate double room!

Ren Qingyuan: My biological father!

Ren Qingyuan, a sports student, was tall and physically strong. His teacher entrusted him with the important task of "taking good care of your roommate."

"Don't worry, teacher, it's all covered!"

Ren Qingyuan felt that he had benefited greatly from the other person's kindness, so it was only right and proper for him to take care of him. Besides, he was not at a loss to have a handsome guy who was taller than him as a roommate.

That evening, after taking a shower, he was about to call his roommate to shower as well. Although the dormitory was nice, the hot water was still turned off at a certain time. He called once but there was no response. He called twice but still no response. Ren Qingyuan looked at the bed opposite him. His roommate, who was so handsome it was almost divine, was lying on his side facing the wall, his face pale and his chest flat.

Ren Qingyuan's heart pounded as he carefully checked Ren's breathing.

"Teacher! My roommate is dead!" He rushed out the door.

However, when Ren Qingyuan returned with the teachers and principal looking regretful, his roommate stood up from the bed with a smile and said, "What's wrong, teacher? I just woke up and was about to take a shower."

I gasped.

Ren Qingyuan was stunned. Dude, weren't you dead?

This time, he realized he had overreacted. Perhaps it was just that his roommate was breathing shallowly and looked thin. Ren Qingyuan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the dormitory was about to be destroyed.

"I'm glad you're alright."

However, just one week into the semester, his roommate died six times?!

Sitting from dusk till dawn, feeling his roommate's hand go from icy cold to warm, Ren Qingyuan felt that he might be the one who was sick. He went straight to the hospital on the weekend, "Doctor, is it possible that I have delusions? That is, mental illness?"

Pei Anning felt that continuing to lie like this was not a solution, so he decided to confess to his roommate.

“My birth chart is weak, and the master said I am very susceptible to being taken by ghost messengers. So he gave me this talisman. Once the bracelet vibrates and I feel ghost messengers approaching, I crush the talisman and swallow it to temporarily seal my soul.”

Ren Qingyuan's mouth dropped open. "And then the underworld officials can't find you?"

"yes."

After nineteen years of materialism, this year I have no choice but to embrace idealism. Ren Qingyuan is convinced this must be true, otherwise he would truly be insane.

After the two talked things out, the frequency of misunderstandings decreased significantly. Ren Qingyuan volunteered to become Pei Anning's bodyguard, saying, "Don't worry, when you die, I'll be responsible for carrying your body back to the dormitory."

"……Thanks."

As fate would have it, Ren Qingyuan carried his roommate's body in various places: the playground, the cafeteria, the woods, the hotel, and even the morgue...

"Holy crap! Your black eyeshadow and red lips actually look pretty good!"

Pei Anning: "...Thank you."