Zhang Hu quickly convinced himself.
The Emperor had finally managed to take military power back from Shen Yunting, so how could he possibly give it back to Shen Yunting?
Not to mention that the Emperor has always been wary of Shen Yunting.
Thinking of this, Zhang Hu slowly smiled and was no longer worried about the emperor's choice.
As for how to fight the Xiongnu, he didn't care.
If Shen Yunting could rout the Xiongnu army, he certainly could too.
Moreover, this time he will completely deter the Xiongnu from invading the border.
This way, everyone will know that he is far stronger than Shen Yunting.
What he needs to do now is return to his residence and await the Emperor's decree.
The imperial study was silent, and the emperor remained silent for a long time.
Shen Yunting couldn't help but ask first, "Does Your Majesty have something to ask this humble subject?"
"How did you find out about the Qian and Zhao families? Did you suspect something was amiss and secretly investigate?" the Emperor questioned.
The way he said those words carried an unusual meaning.
On the one hand, Shen Yunting learned that the Qian and Zhao families were secretly targeting the border soldiers and him, but he did not report this to the Emperor, which showed his distrust of the Emperor.
On the other hand, Shen Yunting's secret investigation of this matter suggests he has his own intelligence network, as he was able to uncover information that cannot be found online.
Whether it was the former or the latter, the emperor couldn't help but think about it more.
This was something Shen Yunting had anticipated long ago.
He told the emperor everything without hiding anything.
"You mean it's all a coincidence? The Zhao family tried to force their daughter to marry the Qian family and frame your son, but you accidentally discovered Qian's conspiracy six months ago."
A hint of suspicion appeared in the Emperor's eyes.
As a suspicious emperor, he naturally could not easily believe such an absurd story.
Shen Yunting, on the other hand, seemed much more composed, since it was indeed the truth.
He replied, "That's right. When I first discovered this, I couldn't believe it, but I never expected that the truth would actually be like this."
"This was also my oversight. I failed to discover the conspiracy between these two families at the time, which led to losses for our army. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
After saying this, Shen Yunting knelt on the ground, awaiting punishment.
But then the Emperor asked, "Since you discovered this, why didn't you report it to me? Let me seek justice for you and for the soldiers who died unjustly on the border."
"If I were to report this to Your Majesty without any evidence, it would only cause you concern, and I also worry that the court would think I was intentionally framing loyal ministers and generals."
Shen Yunting paused for a moment, then continued, "I am more worried that these words are fabricated by the Zhao family woman, so I thought of secretly collecting some evidence to report to Your Majesty, so as to save Your Majesty from worrying."
The Emperor's expression softened, and he then asked, "Have you considered why the Zhao and Qian families would so brazenly make things difficult for you?"
"Naturally, it's because they were blinded by greed," Shen Yunting said calmly.
He was well aware that, given the interests at stake, it was understandable for both companies to do such a thing.
The most important reason, of course, is that they presumptuously speculated on the emperor's intentions.
They felt that even if something happened to Shen Yunting, the Emperor wouldn't investigate thoroughly, making it easier for them to tamper with things.
Just like now, Shen Yunting has investigated the matter thoroughly, which has aroused the Emperor's suspicion.
The emperor understood this principle, and his gaze became somewhat unfocused.
A surge of anger welled up inside me.
He was indeed wary of Shen Yunting, but he couldn't accept that time and again someone would use him as a backer to frame Shen Yunting at will because of this matter.
Do these people even care about him and the people?
Did they not consider the consequences of their actions in framing Shen Yunting?
The emperor felt a wave of fear whenever he thought about how he had indirectly condoned these events.
There was even a sense of relief that Shen Yunting was alright.
The Emperor looked at Shen Yunting with a complicated expression, then asked, "I want General Shen to personally go to the border to deal with the Xiongnu. Are you willing?"
Shen Yunting breathed a sigh of relief and cupped his hands, saying, "Your subject is willing."
"Very well." The Emperor spoke again: "Then I order you to go to the border tomorrow to quell the Xiongnu."
"Your subject obeys the decree."
After Shen Yunting thanked the emperor and left, the emperor watched his departing figure, his emotions remaining unsettled for a long time.
He was willing to give Shen Yunting another chance, hoping that the other party would not disappoint him.
Meanwhile, at the Zhang family home, Zhang Hu had been waiting for a long time and finally received the imperial edict. He immediately looked up to the sky and laughed loudly.
This time, he finally won against Shen Yunting.
But when he heard that the Emperor had appointed him as the deputy general of Shenyunting, his face immediately fell.
How could this be?
Why would the Emperor order Shen Yunting to quell the war?
Isn't he afraid that Shen Yunting will take this opportunity to do something?
Zhang Hu was momentarily dazed until he heard his father-in-law's impatient reminder: "General Zhang, why don't you quickly accept the imperial decree and express your gratitude?"
He then realized what was happening, suppressed his doubts, and accepted the imperial edict with mixed feelings.
His mind started racing at that moment. Could it be that the Emperor wanted to take this opportunity to make him get rid of Shen Yunting?
If that's the case, he'll have to think about it carefully.
Looking across the entire army camp, the only person who could overpower him was Shen Yunting.
Once Shen Yunting falls, no one will be able to threaten him anymore.
Not to mention the countless grudges between the two of them.
The news of Zhang Hu being appointed as deputy general reached Qu Jingyun's ears immediately, along with the imperial edict.
She couldn't help but sneer: "The Emperor is quite the schemer, having Zhang Hu watch over you. Doesn't he know the feud between you two? Zhang Hu isn't the kind of person who would obediently listen to you."
Qu Jingyun had initially changed her opinion of Shen Yunting because the emperor ordered him to go to the border.
It seems that the emperor is no different from before.
Shen Yunting was not surprised by this. He reached out and gently embraced Qu Jingyun.
With an amused expression, he said, "It's not a big deal. I know you're feeling indignant on my behalf, but let it go."
"This is a chance for the Emperor, and also a chance for myself. If he insists on this, then we will have no choice but to fight each other."
Upon hearing this, Qu Jingyun's expression turned cold, and she immediately made a decision.
“I’ll go with you.”
“How can this be allowed?” Shen Yunting’s first reaction was to object.
This trip involves not only facing the Xiongnu, but also the emperor behind them and Zhang Hu by their side.
It was extremely dangerous. How could Shen Yunting be willing to let Qu Jingyun face such dangers?
Unexpectedly, Qu Jingyun pouted in dissatisfaction after hearing this: "What do you mean? Do you think I'm not fit for the battlefield?"
"Don't forget, you also lost to my spear and sword. Although I have wasted a lot of time over the years, I may still be able to go on the battlefield."
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