Everyone present shook their heads cryptically, indicating that none of them had ever seen it before.
These people had served under the late emperor, fighting in the north and south, and had practically watched Xue Shen grow up. Later, the late empress and the late emperor suddenly passed away, and Xue Shen was crippled by a leg injury. Emperor Cheng'an quickly ascended the throne and began to build his own power base, which they all felt was unusual.
Military officers, unlike civil officials, are not as discerning and quick-witted. If they have doubts, they will speak out. As a result, before long, they were demoted one after another, either because they were found to have made mistakes and were dismissed from office, or because they offended someone and were demoted to a local area, where they could no longer hold real power.
They had initially intended to seek advice from Xue Shen, but Xue Shen had already been enfeoffed as the Prince of Qin. Due to his disability in both legs, the Prince of Qin's mansion was tightly closed, and they could not see him at all, so they could only leave dejectedly.
It wasn't until a year later, when Xue Shen suddenly sent someone to find them, that they learned the inside story and secretly began to raise troops for Xue Shen.
Over the years, they had met Xue Shen a few times, but the Prince of Qin at that time was no longer the same as the Crown Prince of yesteryear. He exuded a kind of aloofness that kept people at a distance, and when he occasionally mentioned the deaths of the late emperor and empress, his eyes were filled with a chilling ferocity.
Even these military generals, who were not usually particular about rules, dared not be too presumptuous in front of him.
To be honest, when Pang Lai saw Xue Shen in the capital this time, he almost didn't recognize him. Although he was as decisive and ruthless as ever, the murderous aura hidden in his eyes had faded a lot.
Among these generals, Pang Lai had the deepest friendship with the late emperor. When facing Xue Shen, besides the distinction between ruler and subject, there was also a kind of elder's care for a younger generation. Now that he saw Xue Shen's violent temper had subsided and he was no longer depressed, he was the most gratified and moved.
These changes all occurred after Xue Shen got married. Pang Lai naturally understood Shen Youying's position in Xue Shen's heart, and consequently, he respected Shen Youying even more.
He gave the others a wink, and in an instant, the military officers all sat down properly, not daring to do anything out of line, even more so than when they were in front of Xue Shen.
Some people didn't dare mention drinking anymore, and instead gruffly ordered the maids serving them, "Bring up your best tea. Let's have some tea today and indulge in a bit of elegance."
After speaking, she wasn't sure if pregnant women could drink tea, so she cautiously asked Shen Youying, "Can the Princess drink tea?"
Shen Youying could easily see their cautiousness. Touched, she said gently, "I can drink. Today is a welcome dinner for the generals, so there's no need to be too accommodating to me."
Seeing that they were unusually well-behaved, Xue Shen said, "That's right. You have followed my father for so long, and now you have risked your lives to help me a lot. Now that my father and mother are no longer here, you are my elders. That's why I thought of bringing the princess here today so that you can meet me and know that I am doing well."
Xue Shen was usually a man who rarely showed his emotions, but his words were sincere and heartfelt. Pang Lai and the other oldest generals couldn't help but think of the days when the late emperor was alive, and their eyes even reddened.
Pang Lai said, "We risked our lives and fortunes not for fame or fortune, but to repay the late emperor's kindness. Now, with these words from the prince and princess, it has all been worth it."
He picked up the teapot, took the wine bowl, and poured a full bowl of tea with the same boldness as when he poured wine, saying, "But we can drink wine anytime, so let's not miss this meal. Today, brothers will use tea instead of wine to toast the Prince and Princess."
Seeing this, the others also filled their wine bowls with tea and stood up to toast the two.
Seeing their insistence, Xue Shen stopped trying to persuade them. He poured two bowls of tea into the wine bowl, and the couple drank a cup with them.
Although there were no drinks to liven things up, the atmosphere at the banquet was still very lively due to the heartfelt conversation. Especially with Shen Youying present, these military officers were not only curious about the princess they had never seen before, but also about Shen Mingjiang.
Although they served in the same court, factions existed among the officials. Shen Mingjiang was a former military governor, and his family was a family of military generals. Pang Lai and others, on the other hand, came from humble backgrounds. They gained the favor of the late emperor and followed him in his campaigns, achieving military merits and thus establishing their own power base. Although the two groups served in the same court and knew each other, they did not have much private interaction.
Now that they finally have the opportunity to meet, Pang Lai and the others inevitably ask a few more questions to satisfy their curiosity that has been building up over the years.
Shen Youying told them some old stories about the Shen family army, while Pang Lai talked about some interesting things that happened on the road. The two groups of people, who seemed to have little in common and were not even very harmonious when sitting at the same table, talked with great interest.
Xue Shen observed this and occasionally chimed in with a smile.
After the banquet ended and it was getting late, the group reluctantly saw the two off. Pang Lai, in particular, said, "I have long admired General Shen, and seeing the Princess today has only increased my admiration. When General Shen returns to the capital, I will definitely pay him a visit and exchange ideas."
Shen Youying smiled and agreed on behalf of her father, saying, "Father always complains that he has no opponents when he practices martial arts. If General Pang comes to visit, Father will be very happy."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Xue Shen helped Shen Youying into the carriage and bid farewell to the others.
Once the carriage had gone far away, Pang Lai withdrew his gaze and then remarked with emotion, "Don't you all think the Princess Consort looks somewhat like the late Empress?"
They had initially heard that Princess Qin was the most beautiful woman in the capital, and imagined her to be a delicate and gentle noblewoman, someone they, being rough men, would likely frighten if they raised their voices. But upon seeing her today, they realized she truly lived up to her reputation as the daughter of the Shen family. Although beautiful, she possessed a free and easy spirit befitting someone from a military family, bearing a striking resemblance to the late Empress.
The others recalled the late empress's various actions and chimed in, "Now that you mention it, her personality does seem somewhat similar. We all come from humble backgrounds and our families don't know any rules or etiquette. Back then, it was only because the late empress didn't look down on us and often summoned us to the palace to talk that she never criticized us, even though we didn't know the rules."
Unlike the noble families in the capital, who looked down on them and whose wives and families couldn't get along in the capital, saying they didn't understand the rules and etiquette of the noble ladies and were always secretly laughed at.
Fortunately, the late empress knew about this and often summoned people to the palace to talk. Those people saw the direction of the wind in the palace and thus restrained themselves a bit.
Pang Lai recalled those days of his youth and sighed, "Now that Your Highness is well and your great cause is about to be accomplished, I will have the face to meet the late Emperor and Empress a hundred years from now."
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