Chapter 140 Mr. Lu, half the credit for this battle belongs to you!
Mudfish Three, Dong Rou, and the others from the Embroidery Pavilion were both surprised and delighted. They quickly stopped their attempts to drive the animals away and respectfully bowed in Xiao Yeming's direction.
Xiao Yeming glanced at the cheering crowd, nodded slightly, clasped his hands in return to the four directions, and then his gaze was firmly fixed on Lin Yingyu, Zhou Dongjia, Tu Shi, Gu Yun, and the four shop assistants behind them who were being driven away at the entrance of the embroidered building.
They were all stunned, frozen in place as if struck by lightning!
They never expected that Xiao Yeming would actually achieve such a great victory in just over a month!
Even more unexpectedly, no sooner had the good news come than this killing god personally arrived at Lu Ji Embroidery Tower!
A strong sense of unease gripped them instantly, and cold sweat poured down their backs...
Could it be... that he came specifically to thank Lu Zhaoruo?
Zhou Dongjia was the first to react. His face instantly plastered with a fawning smile. He practically tumbled down the steps, rushed to the front of the horse, and bowed deeply, saying, "General Xiao! Congratulations on your victory, General..."
However, Xiao Yeming seemed completely oblivious to everything.
He dismounted abruptly, his black armor clanging, his cloak billowing, and strode up the stone steps in front of the door.
His gaze swept indifferently over the pale faces of Lin Yingyu, Tu Shi, and Gu Yun, without lingering for a moment. As if brushing past a few wisps of dust, he walked steadily toward the embroidered tower gate.
Just then—
Hearing the commotion outside the door, Lu Zhaoruo stepped out of the embroidered tower.
The spring sun was warm, and its soft light spilled over the eaves, illuminating her serene face.
Their eyes met suddenly in mid-air the instant the noise subsided.
He's back.
The next moment—
Xiao Yeming abruptly stopped three feet in front of Lu Zhaoruo, his black armor clanging and his cloak falling down.
He raised his hand, his long, slender fingers deftly untying the strap under his chin, removing the dust-covered, battle-hardened red-tasseled helmet, then bowed and solemnly placed it on the ground beside him.
This "removal of helmet" ceremony is both humble and solemn.
Without hesitation, he knelt on one knee, his right fist pressed heavily against his chest, his bangs hanging down slightly from his unhelmeted forehead, brushing past the newly healed shallow scar on his brow bone.
His voice was deep and slow, yet it seemed to carry the echoes of war and bloodshed at sea, each word carrying immense weight, piercing the deathly silence and striking clearly into the ears and hearts of everyone present.
"Commander of the Jizhou Navy, Xiao Yeming—"
"On behalf of all my soldiers, I thank Mr. Lu for his generous donation, which has helped us defeat the enemy!"
"Half the credit for this battle belongs to you!"
In an instant, all was silent.
The smile on Zhou Dongjia's face froze completely.
Lin Yingyu's smug expression shattered bit by bit.
Tu Shi and Gu Yun stared wide-eyed, as if struck by lightning.
Although the embroiderers and maids in the embroidery shop tried their best to suppress their cheers, their eyes shone with a dazzling light, their fingertips trembled with excitement, and they exchanged ecstatic glances.
Lu Zhaoruo stood quietly in front of the door, accepting his greeting with composure, a very subtle smile curving her lips.
The huge weight that had been hanging over my heart for over a month finally fell to the ground!
She won her bet!
Xiao Yeming not only returned victorious, but also three years earlier than in his previous life!
The embroidered tower struggled for over a month before finally reaching its end.
But to her utter surprise, he arrived with the good news at the same time, and just as he had vowed, he personally came to thank her.
It's more than just expressing gratitude.
In front of the entire city, he removed his helmet and knelt on one knee...
I bestow upon her the highest honor, comparable to that of a king!
This is by no means a personal expression of gratitude, but rather an official, solemn, and public gesture of thanks on behalf of all officers and soldiers of the Kizil Naval Force, one that is worthy of being recorded in military history!
Lu Bohong, who rushed over from the crowd, witnessed this scene and couldn't help but burst into tears. He said in a trembling voice to the person next to him, "General Xiao's actions are announcing to the whole city that from now on, my sister will be protected by him and his thousands of troops! To be her enemy is to be the enemy of the entire victorious army!"
This kneeling act was earth-shattering.
Lin Yingyu's face was deathly pale, her fingernails digging deeply into her palms.
She never imagined that this woman, seemingly confined to her inner quarters, would have the audacity to gamble everything on a general.
And this person was truly so loyal and righteous!
A chill finally crept into her heart...
This Lu Zhaoruo is indeed a ruthless character.
To think that such a powerful backer could be found!
But she immediately sneered.
What good is it if a mere fifth-rank military officer is promoted to fourth rank for meritorious service?
The nobleman from the capital behind her was of a far higher status than her military achievements!
She was naturally unaware that Xiao Yeming, now a powerful figure, would one day become the Grand Commander of all the naval forces across the seas! He would be enfeoffed as a Marquis of the Seas for his military achievements! He would be bestowed with the Sword of Pacification! He would possess the power of life and death, to execute first and report later!
Tu watched helplessly as Xiao Ye knelt down with his armor removed, and heard him say, "Half of the credit for this battle belongs to you." Her head went blank.
Her lips trembled, and her previous harsh and critical demeanor vanished, leaving only a look of horror.
"H-How could this be..."
Her throat gurgled, but she couldn't squeeze out a complete sentence, "She...she was just someone who invested some money...how could she deserve a general kneeling before her..."
She had been mocking and humiliating her for squandering her fortune to curry favor with the navy in order to save face, saying that she was just putting on a brave face and would eventually lose everything and become a laughing stock.
In her youth, she had seen too many merchants donate money and grain to curry favor with military officers, at most receiving a few insincere words of politeness. She had never seen a commander-in-chief personally visit her door and kneel down to express his gratitude with the grand military salute.
Gu Yun, standing to the side, was struck as if by lightning, his whole body trembled violently, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
He stared intently at Xiao Yeming's lowered head, then abruptly turned to Lu Zhaoruo, who was standing quietly receiving the greeting, his eyes filled with disbelief, shock, and fear.
The slanderous words he had just uttered now felt like countless resounding slaps, striking back at his own face, leaving him trembling with shame and utterly humiliated!
A woman who could make a victorious general kneel down in the street to express his gratitude without his armor...
A woman who could be bluntly described as having "only half the battle merits"...
How dare he shamelessly say that she is "not good enough" for him?
This is absolutely ridiculous!
at this time.
Lu Zhaoruo stepped forward calmly, without offering a hand to help him up, but leaned slightly forward, her voice clear and melodious: "General Xiao, you flatter me. Defending the land and resisting the Japanese pirates is a great duty of the nation. What I have done is merely fulfilling my duty as a commoner."
"Only when generals and soldiers fight bloody battles can they truly achieve lasting glory."
Her gaze calmly fell on his lowered head, and her voice was gentle: "General, please rise. I am unworthy of such a bow. If anyone should thank you, it should be me on behalf of all the people of this city to thank you and your soldiers for risking their lives to protect our coastal borders."
Xiao Yeming's heart skipped a beat.
Such extraordinary women, possessing profound understanding of righteousness and unperturbed by honor or disgrace—
He really wasn't mistaken!
After a brief silence, the crowd erupted in even more enthusiastic and heartfelt admiration:
"Master Lu is truly a man of great principle!"
"Not only did they contribute money, but they also have such a magnanimous spirit! They truly are role models for women in Kedah!"
"Yes! The general thanked her, and she thanked the soldiers in return! This is true patriotism!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yingyu, Tu Shi, Gu Yun, and Zhou Dongjia felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave.
Lin Yingyu originally thought that Lu Zhaoruo had only managed to climb up to the general.
Unexpectedly, there are such sophisticated methods to transform this immense favor into higher levels of prestige and power.
Tu's initial fear turned into a mixture of joy and surprise.
To his delight, the person kneeling before the general was his own daughter.
What's alarming is, how am I going to handle her now? I just offended her.
Gu Yun looked ashen-faced.
He listened to the people's support, watched Lu Zhaoruo and General Xiao talk on equal terms, and then recalled his own words, "You are not good enough for me."
Now, it's not that she's not good enough for me; ten of me wouldn't be good enough for her.
As Zhou Dongjia watched the scene unfold before him, a spectacle admired by both the military and the people, he felt a pang of jealousy, his very being wracked with envy and his stomach churning with nausea.
He slapped his thigh hard, filled with regret: "If I had known this would happen, I should have contributed some money back then! This glorious scene, this overwhelming reputation, and the favors from the officials should have been a part of my own fortune!"
But he didn't know...
Lu Zhaoruo donated far more than just a small amount of silver; she also gifted the Japanese pirates a nautical chart of their lair!
Of course, there's also Xiao Yeming's admiration!
He couldn't possibly expect that god-like General Xiao to "admire" him, could he?
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