"This time, the ladies of your family have successively made remarkable achievements. The Saint is very happy to hear about it... But there are many strange voices in the court regarding the issue of bestowing titles. Many adults think that it is incompatible with the rules for women to serve as generals, and they are arguing about this..."
The eunuch said this, bowed to the emperor, and continued, "However, the sage cherishes talent very much, and believes that although Madam Chang is a woman, she has the potential to be a general... The sage rejected all objections and cited the will of heaven, and only then did he issue this precedent-breaking imperial edict of reward."
Chang Kuo was grateful and frightened when he heard this, and raised his hand: "In this case, Chang Kuo would like to thank the Saint for his love and attention on my daughter's behalf."
But what did Qiao Yang's letter say? Was the matter of conferring the title of military commander the result of the elderly Master Chu's arguing at the morning court? It didn't matter. He just knew it.
Chang Kuo maintained an expression of gratitude on his face.
The imperial eunuch smiled and held his hand.
Then, he looked at Xiao Min who was standing beside him, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, I heard that there are two generals in the army now, and everyone is united. I believe they will be able to repel Xu's rebellion soon..."
Xiao Min: "I am still young and will have to rely on General Chang and General Ning Yuan in the future."
The imperial eunuch nodded with a smile. Very good. He is not competitive and knows how to show weakness and disguise himself. He is a smart man who can keep his composure.
He was also happy to "cooperate" with Xiao Min's humble words and praise Chang Kuo highly: "The saint has always placed high hopes on General Chang... General Chang is already a first-rank cavalry general of our dynasty. If he can repel Xu Zhengye this time, when he returns victorious to the court in the future, he will surely be awarded a title of nobility based on his merits."
The expressions of the people around were slightly moved.
Be granted a title of nobility?
Although the eunuch envoy said this from his own standpoint, since he dared to say it in public, it must be the intention of the saint... Is the saint making a promise to General Chang in advance?
As for the imperial envoy's visit this time... they originally thought that they might wait for the order to change the commander. After all, after what happened with Li Yi, everyone can see that General Chang is the most suitable candidate to be the commander-in-chief now. But until now, there has been no movement to change the commander.
Therefore, the saint still has no intention of letting General Chang be the commander-in-chief and take charge of the military power...
Was this because frequent changes of commanders were detrimental to the morale of the army, or was it some kind of precaution? The promise of a title of nobility, in addition to being an incentive, was probably also meant to appease the troops...
Is this how a king controls his subordinates? The generals had their own guesses and opinions.
Chang Kuo was totally unaware and just laughed loudly, saying, "Then I will dare to borrow your auspicious words and look forward to the future!"
He looked like he was very excited and enjoyed the pie.
Which military general doesn't want to achieve unprecedented achievements, be granted the title of a king or a duke, and leave his name in history for future generations to pass on?
Chang Kuo was very enthusiastic about this. It was obvious that his daughter's appointment as a general made him very proud. Therefore, he specially asked someone to present a red envelope: "... You eunuchs have come from afar at the end of the year. It is really hard work. This is a small gift from Chang. Please don't refuse it!"
The eunuch pretended to decline twice, then accepted it with a smile. He congratulated Chang Kuo again and again, and praised: "...General Chang has such a daughter, which is really enviable!"
Chang Kuo really liked to hear such talk about the ancestral grave being on fire, and he didn't mind the eunuch talking too much, and the smile on his face became more and more genuine.
Finally, the eunuch looked at Chang Suining and said with a smile: "The saint also has a message for us to convey to Madam Chang."
He looked at the girl in green robe, who was listening quietly but not at all flattered or nervous, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty wishes General Ningyuan to quell the troubles in the south of the Yangtze River as soon as possible. Your Majesty will wait in the capital for the news that Madam Chang returns home safely..."
Chang Suining's expression remained calm, he only lowered his eyelids.
Go home?
Is this word "home" a gesture of goodwill? Or is it telling her that she has confirmed that it is her?
Want to wait for her to return to Beijing and continue their "family" relationship? The words sounded really nice, and he even tried to treat himself as a family member, but in fact, he didn't even dare to try to hand over the military power - because the other party knew very well that if Lao Chang was made the commander, the military power would be handed over to her.
Chang Suining was not dissatisfied at all, nor was she disappointed. The other party was an emperor. It was understandable that he was suspicious and cautious before he saw her true "loyalty" that she could control.
Everyone has a choice. She could understand the other party's choice to be an emperor and the many actions he took for this purpose.
But she really found it hard to agree with the repeated use of family affection as bait to ask her to offer credible loyalty.
Besides, since everyone has the right to choose, she should also be able to make her own choices now that she is a second-life human being, right?
They are both free, and no one has the right to force the other to do anything. In both of her lives, she has never tried to ask the other to be a so-called "mother" in the secular sense. Similarly, after repaying the other's kindness, the shackles of "daughter" will never bind her again.
The two of them owe each other nothing, nor do they need to influence each other. What happens in the future will depend on their own abilities and fate.
Chang Suining raised his hand and said, "Thank you for your appreciation, Saint."
The imperial eunuch smiled and nodded to her.
Then, he asked about Chang Sui'an's injuries with concern.
After expressing his concern, he asked, "Where is Chang Langjun recovering from his injuries? Before leaving, the Saint mentioned Chang Langjun many times. He was really worried about him, so he ordered us to bring some medicinal herbs and supplements to visit him on his behalf..."
"My brother is now recuperating at the home of a miracle doctor. Everything is fine." Chang Suining said, "But the miracle doctor's residence is hundreds of miles away from here. There are traces of rebel troops along the way. You eunuchs are all imperial envoys with divine orders. It is easy for you to be secretly targeted by the rebel troops. It is not advisable to take the risk and go there."
"This..." The imperial eunuch looked thoughtful and hesitant.
He could tell that the young lady's words conveyed two meanings. One was that she was worried that they would fall into the hands of the rebel army, and the other was that she did not want to expose Chang Sui'an's recuperation place because of them.
This means that I don't want them to disturb me.
Chang Kuo followed suit and said, "I appreciate the saint's kindness. But the current situation is special. I can only wait until I return to the capital in the future and bring my son to the palace to thank the saint for his grace."
Having said that, insisting on meeting him would make his intention unclear, so the eunuch could only say, "In that case, we will not disturb Mr. Chang from recovering from his injury for now."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Xiao Min said, "You eunuchs must be tired after a long journey. The accommodation has been prepared. Why don't you go and rest for a while, and then have a drink and chat at the banquet in the evening."
Reminiscing about the past was naturally just a polite conversation. In Xiao Min's opinion, all the back and forth conversations were full of ulterior motives, and it was tiring to listen to them - he felt tired for General Chang and Mrs. Chang.
After expressing their gratitude, the eunuchs left.
Looking at those disappearing figures, Chang Suining and Chang Kuo exchanged an almost imperceptible glance.
The empress ordered people to visit Chang Sui'an, probably for other purposes besides to save face as a benevolent monarch.
Who knows if after seeing this, he would "persuade" Chang Sui'an to return to Beijing to recuperate on the grounds that "the situation in Jiangnan is dangerous"?
To prevent this from happening, it is of course better not to meet.
Besides, he is at Princess Xuan'an's residence and there is no way to see him.
As soon as the eunuchs left, Yuan Xiang, Deputy General Jin and others all rushed up.
"Congratulations girl!"
"What girl? You should call me general now!"
"Yes, we should call him General Xiao Chang!"
“…”
The news that Chang Suining was granted the title of General Ningyuan spread quickly throughout the military camp, causing a sensation.
Following the good intention that good things come in pairs, Xiao Min and Chang Kuo had a brief discussion and decided that it was better to do it today than to wait for another day, so they decided to strike while the iron was hot and issued an order to appoint Chang Suining as the chief instructor of the march.
The competition between Chang Suining and Coach Fang was still a hot topic, but now that the officers and soldiers heard about it, they were no longer surprised, and no voices of doubt were raised, at least not on the surface.
On this day, Chang Suining's surroundings were very lively, with voices of congratulations everywhere.
She was also very conscious of being a new official, and as it was the first day of the new year, she was very generous and gave New Year's money to Xier, Azhi, Ache, Adian, Yuanxiang, Chang Ren and others.
But when they were halfway through distributing the food, a soldier came in to deliver some charcoal, so he was also given a portion.
At that time, Chang Suining had not yet realized the seriousness of the matter.
After the soldier left, people started to come into her tent one after another. At first, two or three people came to see her for some reason, and later they came in groups to congratulate her.
Poor General Ningyuan and chief coach Chang Suining had to go out frequently and had limited money with him... So, his style gradually changed from being lavish to being shabby, and he used copper coins instead of small change.
The soldiers who got the copper coins were still very happy.
Lieutenant General Jin turned around, strung the copper coins together, hung them around his neck, and happily hid them under his armor.
Master Fang, who was in his zodiac year, saw this and thought it would be a good idea to use it to ward off evil and eliminate disasters, so he followed suit.
All the generals and soldiers followed suit.
As a result, the trend of "wearing the consecrated copper plate, getting the aura of a general, achieving extraordinary merits, and bringing honor to ancestors" became unstoppable.
Those who didn't get the copper coins were so jealous that their eyes were red. Some even asked their comrades in a tactful way: "Brother, if you treasure this thing so much, where do you plan to put it when you sleep at night?" Those who heard this immediately covered their robes tightly.
…
In the evening, a banquet was set up in the camp to entertain the eunuchs.
After the banquet, Xiao Min congratulated Chang Suining again and again.
Looking at the sincere face of Coach Xiao and listening to his repeated congratulations, Chang Suining realized the key point: "..."
She said tactfully and anxiously that she really didn't have any left.
That night, Xiao Min had two large boxes of copper coins carried to her tent with a clang.
Coach Xiao said he could bring his own.
Madam Chang is only responsible for the consecration! Xiao Min did this for the sake of his subordinates. There was no other way. His personal soldiers found him today and told him that the things were not a big deal and they were not the kind of people who cared about it. But seeing that other soldiers had them, they felt bad because their necks were empty. The brothers felt that they could not raise their heads!
For the sake of his soldiers, Commander Xiao had no choice but to pay out of his own pocket.
The next day, Xiao Min received two large boxes of copper coins that had been "blessed". Before distributing them, he secretly hid some for himself.
He planned to take one for himself, and the rest he would bring back to Beijing in the future to give to his family members! Regardless of whether it was useful or not, who could refuse the words "for good luck"?
If a person doesn't even want good luck, then what's the point of him living?
In short, being willing to believe in metaphysics is also a reflection of a positive attitude.
Coach Xiao felt at ease with a purse full of consecration copper coins in his hand.
Until the leading imperial eunuch came over.
Xiao Min quickly hid his purse, stood up straight and bowed to the visitor.
The imperial eunuch looked at him with a smile and signaled the eunuchs behind him to wait outside the tent.
Xiao Min understood and asked his men to guard outside.
"General Xiao has lived up to the Saint's high hopes. In a short period of time, he has established a firm foothold in the army." The imperial eunuch's eyes were full of praise.
"You are too kind, eunuch." Xiao Min raised his hand to signal the other party to sit down, and said, "This is not Xiao's achievement, but because of General Chang's careful support."
Chang Kuo gave him enough dignity and respect, and the talents under him never looked down on him.
The eunuch's expression of approval became even stronger: "We have seen that General Xiao is very good at getting along with others, which is very good... The Saint also hopes to see General Xiao and General Chang become good friends, so that they can better fight the enemy together."
After a slight pause, he sighed and said, "It's just... I may have to inconvenience General Xiao a little."
As the commander-in-chief, he is always suppressed by the deputy commander-in-chief. It is foreseeable that he will feel dissatisfied.
“……” Xiao Min was silent for a moment.
So, did the other party regard his attitude in front of General Chang as forced smile, gritting teeth to flatter, and enduring humiliation?
Is there a possibility that... he is not acting at all? Seeing that he was silent, the eunuch took it as his acquiescence and gave him some comfort and advice.
Finally, he whispered to him to pay more attention to the movements of Chang Kuo and his daughter, and report to the saint in time if necessary.
Xiao Min: "...Xiao understands."
This is the main reason why the eunuch came to see him today.
The sage was suspicious of General Chang and asked him to pretend to be friendly with him so that he could keep a close watch on him.
This was not an easy task for him, especially the suggestion of "pretending to be friendly", which was quite unreasonable.
After everything was arranged, the eunuchs did not stay long and set off for Beijing three days later.
During these three days, everyone in the military camp was talking about it like crazy. If Yuan Xiang dared to say he was second, no one dared to claim to be first.
This was because he was busy following Chang Suining around during the day, and at night he would stay up late to secretly write letters to his own commander-in-chief.
Why did it take three nights to write? Isn't it because there are too many things to write?
Especially the scene when the Chang family girl was sparring with others on New Year's Eve. He spent two nights writing it and even broke two pens... He simply couldn't finish it!
On the third night, Yuanxiang, who wanted to write everything, realized that he could not indulge himself any longer, otherwise, he might not be able to send the letter out in the first month of the lunar year...
In order to ensure that the Grand Commander could see the letter in time, Yuan Xiang compressed and simplified it again and again, and then stuffed the twenty pages of letter paper into two envelopes that were about to burst.
Finally, he did not forget to let others take the "blessed" copper coin with them - if others have it, his general should also have it!
…
Just as Yuan Xiang had sent the letter out, Chang Suining also received several letters, all from the capital.
Chang Suining sat cross-legged behind the sand table, picked up the top letter and read it. When he saw the handwriting on it, he immediately felt something was wrong.
Hey, the one who comes to ask for punishment is here.
Thank you for your monthly tickets. Good night.
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