Who would have thought that the old Duke would also want to throw his responsibilities to the three Zhou Wei brothers and head to Nanchu!
Even Sheng An, the eldest princess who had been his wife for a lifetime, did not foresee this. According to her plan, the old Duke was never considered. She couldn’t believe that after a lifetime of devotion to his country and his people, he was willing to let go. In her mind, wouldn’t he want to see the Crown Prince ascend the throne with his own eyes?
This was indeed beyond expectation.
When Su Xingze arrived, he saw Yan Huisheng silently staring at the old Duke, seemingly at a loss for words. He seemed to be quite bothered, yet the old Duke seemed to be in good spirits?
The old Duke noticed Su Xingze and asked with a smile, "Xingze, did that little girl also write to you?"
Knowing he was referring to Su Rong, Su Xingze nodded, "Yes, Old Duke, indeed she did."
"What did she say in the letter?"
"The great wedding will take place in half a year."
The old Duke scoffed, "Nonsense."
Su Xingze didn’t know what to say, he also thought it was a bit rushed.
The old Duke stood up, "Do you have something to discuss with the Crown Prince? You two talk. I am going to rest." After he finished, he left on his own.
After the old Duke left, Su Xingze asked Yan Huisheng tentatively, "Crown Prince, your discussion with the old Duke was about..."
Yan Huisheng sighed, "The old Duke is thinking of retiring after returning to the capital."
Su Xingze was shocked, "But the old Duke is still quite robust."
He had only fallen ill once after fighting for several months. The military doctor gave him a few prescriptions, and he recovered after a few days of recuperation.
Yan Huisheng said: "I also think so, but the old Duke argues that he has spent his life in military service for Daliang, and wants to enjoy his retirement traveling with his great-aunt. If I force him to stay, that would be ungrateful."
Su Xingze: "..."
Was the matter really that serious?
He was silent for a moment, defending the old Duke, "The Duke’s eldest son and the two younger sons are quite capable and can take over. It is feasible for the old Duke to retire."
Yan Huisheng glanced at him, "The old Duke wants to go to Nanchu."
Su Xingze paused and said, "Actually, I also..."
"No, you don’t," Yan Huisheng interrupted him, "If everyone goes to Nanchu, who will be left to assist me?"
Su Xingze cleared his throat, "I will return, merely to attend the wedding ceremony. As you know, I care for my seventh sister. I’ve never missed a single birthday of hers since she was a child, let alone her wedding."
Yan Huisheng stared at him expressionlessly, "She celebrates her birthday every year. Do you plan to go there every year too? Half a year from now, she will have her wedding. Another half a year later, she will ascend the throne. Do you plan to go to all these events? If you keep going back and forth, will you have time to work?"
Su Xingze looked helpless, "Yes... Only this big wedding... Once... "
"I disagree." Yan Huisheng said, "This is a crucial time that requires our utmost efforts. When I return to the Capital City, you need to stay at the border and handle the post-war negotiations with Dawei. "
"The eldest son from the Duke Residence can stay." Su Xingze suggested, "And Young Master Xie."
"I want to bring Xie Lin back to the capital, and Zhou Wei will also return to the capital with me, but he will leave a few days later. With the old Duke retiring, someone needs to stay in the Duke Residence in the capital. I will leave Zhou Shen and Zhou Che here, but to guard against any tricks from Dawei, it’s important for you to oversee these matters." Yan Huisheng said.
"But in half a year, it can be completed..." Su Xingze still wanted to fight for it.
"Then complete it first. Anyway, I disagree now." Yan Huisheng was resolved, he couldn’t stop the old Duke from leaving, but he could certainly refuse Su Xingze.
Su Xingze was helpless, regretting that he should have come earlier. Before the old Duke announced his retirement, the Crown Prince might have agreed. But now, he didn’t know if he could settle the post-war issues within half a year. He couldn’t possibly ask his seventh sister to delay her wedding for him, could he?
After Yan Huisheng dispatched personnel and handled affairs, he returned to the Capital City with the old Duke. The army was still stationed at the border, and Yan Huisheng, the old Duke and others traveled light.
On the day they returned to the Capital City, the Emperor led all civil and military officials to welcome them outside the city. The people also came out to admire the generals. The Imperial Guard, the Wucheng Soldier Horse Division, and the Jingzhao Prefecture were all busy blocking the streets to control the enthusiasm of the people.
Looking at this grand scene, the old Duke sighed, "Crown Prince, no one can shake your position henceforth."
Yan Huisheng also felt somewhat emotional, but his face did not show it. He calmly replied, "Thank you, old Duke, and the Duke Residence, for supporting me."
"It’s your own abilities." The old Duke didn’t think that Yan Huisheng would be able to stand tall if he didn’t have the support of the Duke Residence.
Arriving at the city gate, Yan Huisheng dismounted from his horse from afar, greeted the Emperor, "Father, your son has fulfilled his mission."
The Emperor had been emotional for days. The defeat of Dawei happened during his reign. This achievement would be recorded in the annals of history and would be attributed to him. No matter what foolish things he had done in the past, this feat of supporting the Crown Prince in the war against Dawei could not be erased.
He quickly reached out to support Yan Huisheng, extremely excited. He praised him three times "Good, good, good. I knew that you wouldn’t disappoint me." He added, "I have always known."
After the father and son chatted for a while, the Emperor gripped the old Duke’s hand and said, "Old Duke, you have contributed greatly. I have arranged a victory banquet in the palace. Please come with me directly."
The old Duke replied, "Your Majesty, it’s still early now. You must have a lot to talk about with the Crown Prince since you haven’t seen each other for a long time. I also miss my family. After I return home and tidy up a bit, I can come to the palace later."
"Alright," the Emperor nodded, "I’ll personally escort you to the Duke Residence."
The old Duke again tried to decline.
The Emperor refused and ended up forcibly escorting the old Duke to the Duke Residence. From the city gate to the Duke Residence, the Emperor chatted with the old Duke all the way.
The generals who returned to the capital, those who had made contributions on the battlefield, all had the privilege to attend the victory banquet. Xie Lin, Chen Zhou, Jiang Xing, and others rushed to their homes to change clothes after entering the city.
When the old Duke returned to the Duke Residence, no one greeted him. He was sent back by the Emperor. He walked alone into the Residence, even the guard at the gate was shocked, "Old Duke? You’re back?"
The old Duke was displeased, "Why are you making such a fuss?"
The guard quickly explained, "The eldest princess said that even if you return today, you would be invited to the palace by the Emperor. The palace has prepared a banquet, and when you come out, it will be night. If you get drunk, you may just stay in the palace, so... no one was sent to the city gate to meet you..."
After all, even if they had greeted him, they wouldn’t have brought him back. Who knew they would guess wrong, and he actually came back.
The old Duke understood. If he hadn’t declined, wouldn’t he have ended up going to the palace?
He walked back to the Main Courtyard. The eldest princess Sheng An and others had also received the news and rushed out to greet him in a hurry.
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