Today is the first day that Duke Chen attended court after returning to the capital.

Although Shang Xiye got up very quietly, Ji Fengyao still woke up. She stretched out a hand from the warm quilt and pulled him, her eyes still sleepy, looking charming and cute: "Your Highness, have you considered the matter mentioned in the letter that Song Huiru sent to you the other day?"

"I just took a look, it's okay, you can sleep a little longer." Shang Xiye turned around and rubbed the little bandit's fluffy head, then leaned down and kissed her forehead before getting up and leaving.

The imperial court was indeed extremely lively.

As soon as Shang Xiye entered the court, he heard the old voice of the Duke of Chen crying so bitterly that it brought tears to the eyes of all who heard it and saddened all who saw it.

The brothers Chen Shiyu and Chen Xiaoyi were also described as tragically miserable.

Although they had recovered somewhat from the winds of the post station on their way back, they were still pale and thin, looking much thinner than when they left Kyoto.

In contrast, Ji Chenhai and his son, who were also going to the Northwest, were radiant and full of energy, with smiles so bright they could blind anyone.

Especially Ji Fengming.

When others returned from the Northwest, they were all dark and rough; but after he went to the Northwest for two months, he grew to have fair and tender skin, with a rosy complexion, and his skin was even better than that of a young girl!

Upon seeing Shang Xiye enter, Ji Chenhai and his son greeted him with smiles.

The three men, including the Duke of Chen, kept grim faces and pretended not to see anything.

A short while later, Shang Xiche, looking pale and weak, came from the back of the hall.

The ministers shouted and paid homage.

Eunuch De had just finished chanting, "If there is anything to report, speak up; otherwise, the court is adjourned."

Duke Chen immediately knelt down in front of the palace and began to sob again: "Your Majesty, please do justice for this old minister!"

Shang Xiche was already tired of reading about the messy affairs of Duke Chen at the border in his memorials.

This time, the father and his two sons returned to the capital in defeat, which made Shang Xiche unhappy.

But seeing the miserable state of the three men, including the Duke of Chen, who looked like refugees, he still patiently refrained from losing his temper in court: "I have read all your memorials; your Chen family has lived in seclusion in the capital for many years and has not fought in battles for a long time. In addition, last year was exceptionally cold, so it is only natural that you have suffered some setbacks; you should stay at home and recuperate. I hereby grant you permission to skip court for half a month."

"Your Majesty, if it weren't for the interference of Marquis Anping and his son, my father and I would never have been defeated," Chen Shiyu said solemnly as he stepped forward with his hands behind his back.

"Yes, Your Majesty, if it weren't for Marquis Anping leading his men in disguise to repeatedly rob us of our grain and supplies, leaving us without clothes to keep warm and without food to fill our stomachs, our Chen family army, with its superior equipment and well-trained discipline, would never have suffered a defeat." Chen Xiao also stepped forward, pleading repeatedly, "When we first arrived at the border, we also wiped out many evil enemy troops and rescued many border villages!"

Ji Fengming scoffed: "Wherever you go, it becomes a dead village, an empty fortress. You have the nerve to say you've saved the village? Why don't you say you were just picking up the scraps after the village was massacred?"

"Pfft!"

Several suppressed chuckles rose from the court.

Although the border is far from the capital, battle reports from the border are frequently sent to the capital, and those in the court who are even slightly well-informed know that what Ji Fengming said is true.

"In front of the Emperor and all the officials, are you still trying to confuse the public? We went out to defend against the enemy, but we never expected that you traitors would rob us. We are attacked from both sides, and now we have to be ridiculed by you scoundrels!" Duke Chen was so angry that he pounded the ground and vomited blood.