Ye Jingchen looked up at the sky. The sun was already high in the sky. If what Ye Jingyu said was true, that the emperor had kept all the officials in the Taiji Hall since the morning court session, then it meant that the officials had been waiting in the Taiji Hall for several hours.
The emperor himself was in his prime, so sitting on the dragon throne for a few hours might not be a problem for him. However, there were many elderly officials like Prime Minister Wang who were quite old. Given their physical condition, waiting for a few hours in the Taiji Hall could very well lead to their deaths.
For the sake of those veteran officials' lives, Ye Jingchen had no choice but to ride back to the city as fast as he could with Xie Chang'an and Xu Jingjing.
Horses were not allowed to ride freely in the imperial city, so they chose the route closest to the palace gate and hurried towards it as fast as possible.
Zhang Shunde, the eunuch, led two young eunuchs to personally guard the palace gate. When they saw Ye Jingchen in the distance, they ran to greet him.
After exchanging greetings, without even a moment for pleasantries, Eunuch Zhang grabbed Ye Jingchen and rushed into the palace.
Xie Chang'an and Xu Jingjing didn't understand what had happened and thought something had happened in the palace. They followed behind with solemn expressions.
Since a son shouldn't expose his father's faults, Ye Jingchen didn't know what to say to them.
He just doesn't understand his dad's thought process. Why does this kid have to show off?
If showing off his child causes some problems for several elderly and frail officials, wouldn't his father be drowned in the spittle of the censors?
After being pulled along by Eunuch Zhang for a while, Ye Jingchen complained that he was walking too slowly, so he strode forward and ended up dragging Eunuch Zhang along.
After climbing all ninety-nine steps of the Taiji Hall in one breath, Ye Jingchen took the opportunity to straighten his clothes while catching his breath, and then walked into the Taiji Hall with measured steps.
"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived—" Before Zhang Gonggong could catch his breath, he announced loudly in a high-pitched voice.
Because of this response, all the civil and military officials in the Taiji Hall turned to look at Ye Jingchen.
"Congratulations to His Highness the Crown Prince on your victorious return!" Led by a somewhat familiar voice, all the officials bowed and offered their congratulations.
The emperor also stood up from his dragon throne, looking at Ye Jingchen from afar, his arrogance written all over his face.
Looking at the emperor like this, Ye Jingchen suddenly felt a little guilty and ashamed.
As an emperor, he may have shortcomings, but as Ye Jingchen's father, he was very good.
But she was destined to hurt and disappoint such a good father.
All we can do is compensate him with an ever-growing and powerful abyss!
Ye Jingchen stood there, listening to the emperor praise him in front of the court officials for a full quarter of an hour, and then listening to the court officials flatter him in front of the emperor for at least two quarters of an hour, until several old ministers were already unsteady on their feet. Only then did the emperor finally announce the end of the court session, still feeling unsatisfied.
After the court session ended, the emperor instructed Zhang Shunde to arrange for palace servants to escort the elderly ministers back to their residences, so that they would not collapse on the way.
Ye Jingchen and the other two followed the emperor back to Chengqian Palace. The palace servants had already prepared the imperial meal, and the table was full of dishes that Ye Jingchen liked to eat.
He hadn't satisfied his taste buds for more than two years since leaving the capital.
In the Divine Might Army, eating has only one purpose: to fill one's stomach.
He immediately sat down, took a soup spoon in one hand and chopsticks in the other, and started eating.
While eating, he didn't forget to invite Xu Jingjing and Xie Chang'an to sit down as well, his attitude was quite casual.
"Eat slowly, be careful not to choke—" The emperor originally wanted to put on an act in front of Xu Jingjing and Xie Chang'an, but when faced with Ye Jingchen, who looked like a starving ghost reincarnated, he couldn't keep up the act anymore, and reminded him helplessly with a bit of heartache.
"Father, you don't know this, but I haven't had much of an appetite on the way back! Others can quench their thirst by looking at plums, but I can only satisfy my hunger by looking at the imperial food!" Ye Jingchen said to the emperor while picking up some food.
The emperor couldn't help but smile, and his expression towards Xu Jingjing was also quite gentle.
"General Xu, Chen'er's trip to the Northern Frontier this time was all thanks to your care. Please don't be shy, make yourself at home!"
"His Highness is exceptionally wise and intelligent. He trains diligently in the army without ever slacking off, and leads from the front on the battlefield. He doesn't need our help at all! He earned the recognition of the Divine Might Army soldiers through his own efforts, and he also defeated the Northern Barbarians through his own wisdom!" Xu Jingjing said earnestly.
These are the kinds of things the emperor likes to hear, especially from people in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
So what if Xie Shaoling looks down on him? His son accomplished in just two years what the Duke of Zhenguo and his son couldn't do in decades!
Just as the emperor was in high spirits, Xu Jingjing abruptly changed the subject, saying, "The expulsion of the northern barbarians was entirely Your Highness's achievement, and had nothing to do with my son Chang'an. The position of Deputy Commander of the Eastern Palace Guard is of paramount importance, as it concerns Your Highness's personal safety. I hope Your Majesty will rescind your order!"
Xie Chang'an's heart skipped a beat, and his expression changed.
However, it was only for a moment before he realized that he shouldn't have changed his expression in front of Emperor Shengping, so he quickly lowered his head to hide the expression on his face.
“General Xu, Chang’an is your and General Xie’s only child. He is fully capable of serving as the deputy commander of the Eastern Palace Guard. I’m just afraid that you might not think highly of this position and feel that it would be a disservice to Chang’an,” Ye Jingchen said, putting down his chopsticks and spoon.
He could understand Xu Jingjing's thoughts as a mother; she didn't want Xie Chang'an to be in danger.
However, the reason the emperor appointed Xie Chang'an as the deputy commander of the Eastern Palace Guard was to cut off his possibility of joining the Divine Might Army. Xu Jingjing brought up this matter as soon as she returned, which made it hard not to arouse the emperor's suspicion.
"Mother, I am willing to become the deputy commander of the Eastern Palace Guard and swear to protect His Highness the Crown Prince's safety with my life!" Xie Chang'an said in a deep voice.
“Your Majesty, Chang’an is the only child of me and the Crown Prince. We don’t expect him to be outstanding in his life. We just hope that he can be an ordinary rich man and live a peaceful life!” Xu Jingjing continued, enduring the pressure of the Emperor’s gaze.
She knew all too well that refusing the assignment on behalf of Chang'an would arouse the emperor's suspicion, but she could not allow Chang'an to become the deputy commander of the Eastern Palace Guard.
No one knows a child better than their mother. If you put a mouse in charge of guarding the rice jar, how could the mouse possibly resist stealing food?
But the Eastern Palace is not like the Northern Frontier. The Eastern Palace is right under the emperor's nose. If even the slightest clue about the relationship between the two children is revealed, it will be a catastrophic disaster for the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion!
"Xie Chang'an, would you like to be a rich man's son?" the emperor asked Xie Chang'an meaningfully.
When Xie Chang'an was a companion reader in the Wenhua Hall, he was the best at riding and archery among all the people.
After arriving in the northern frontier, his performance was remarkable, both in the military camp and on the battlefield, and he was no less capable than Xie Shaoling. Naturally, the emperor could not allow such a capable young man to become a threat to the crown prince.
However, Xie Chang'an was, after all, Ye Jingchen's own chosen companion, and Ye Jingchen had always done a good job in managing his subordinates, so the emperor felt that he should trust Ye Jingchen.
Therefore, after careful consideration, he decided to let Xie Chang'an join the Eastern Palace Guard.
If Ye Jingchen can tame Xie Chang'an, then Xie Chang'an will definitely become the sharpest knife in his hand.
If he cannot be tamed, then Xie Chang'an will spend his entire life in the Eastern Palace Guard.
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