Chapter 192: Feng Chenlanxi was granted the title of Marquis of Valor, a hereditary title for three generations!
Just as overwhelmed as Wu Tong was Emperor Renxiao.
What he couldn't understand was that the two supervisors he sent out died before the battle even started.
Was there some conspiracy involved, or were the two supervisors just incompetent fools?
The battle report, delivered personally by the Imperial Guards, was dictated in accordance with Wu Tong's written account. Both supervising officers lost their lives due to their ambition and eagerness for glory.
Emperor Renxiao could not accept it. His face was dark and gloomy, and all the officials in the hall were so suppressed that they dared not even breathe!
"Your Majesty, I suspect there's more to the deaths of the two military supervisors than meets the eye!" The Left Chancellor stepped forward to present his report.
Emperor Renxiao ordered someone to bring him the memorial, which was written in the handwriting of his good nephew.
If someone else had delivered the report, Emperor Renxiao would have been suspicious. But the one who delivered the report was a member of the Imperial Guard, and one he had sent himself, one of his trusted confidants.
How could it be fake!
After reading the report, Wu Yanzhi's face turned ashen. He cursed Wu Tong in his heart hundreds of times. He must have written two reports to the court. If he had read them in advance, he wouldn't have made such a fool of himself in court.
"Your Majesty is merciful and has pardoned Zhao Chengkai, but Peng Rong must not be let off lightly. If it weren't for him, my army would not have suffered so many casualties among its elite troops!" Wu Yanzhi had been an official for many years and was shrewd and astute; otherwise, he would not have been able to sit in the position of Left Chancellor.
He was adept at understanding the emperor's mind, and his primary responsibility now was to get His Majesty to vent his anger.
Who could be more suitable than Peng Rong!
Emperor Renxiao was furious: "Peng Rong is ambitious and loves to make a name for himself. He disobeys orders and even dares to forge imperial edicts for the sake of military power. His intentions are despicable!"
Wu Yanzhi immediately pleaded, "Peng Rong is utterly treacherous and ambitious. I implore Your Majesty to severely punish the Peng family as a warning to others!"
Emperor Renxiao: "The entire Peng family will be executed, and their property will be confiscated and deposited into the national treasury!"
The entire court proclaimed, "Your Majesty is wise!"
At this time, no one dared to plead for Peng Rong. Everyone knew that punishing Peng Rong was a show for the army suppressing the rebellion and for the people of the world.
"The army that quells the rebellion cannot be without a supervisor. My beloved ministers, if you have a suitable candidate, please recommend him without regard to precedent!" As soon as Emperor Renxiao said this, no one dared to respond.
Another military supervisor has died, and the army tasked with suppressing the rebellion has become a hot potato that's hard to touch. Everyone can see that this position of military supervisor is not easy to hold; it's shrouded in an eerie atmosphere!
As time went on, Emperor Renxiao's expression grew increasingly grim as he saw that no one dared to accept the offer.
Suddenly someone stood up.
"I dare to recommend someone!" It was Wei Jie, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, who stepped forward.
Emperor Renxiao's expression softened slightly, and his tone became gentler as he asked, "Please speak freely, my dear minister."
Wei Jie bowed and clasped his hands: "Your subject recommends Che Mingyuan, the former military supervisor of the Southwest Army!"
Emperor Renxiao's face immediately darkened upon hearing this.
He had long forgotten who Che Mingyuan was, but the words "former Southwest Army" made him very unhappy!
Wei Jie continued, "When Che Mingyuan was in the Southwest Army, he was never taken seriously. Later, he accidentally injured his leg during a drill and resigned to retire to his hometown!"
When Emperor Renxiao heard the words "not valued," his brows relaxed.
Since it's a retirement, the person must be quite old.
Emperor Renxiao thought of some elderly, conservative ministers in the court, and a subtle smile appeared on his lips.
"Very well, let Che Mingyuan go. He doesn't need to come to the palace to express his gratitude. He can go directly to Yonglin Prefecture!" Emperor Renxiao waved his hand and dismissed the court.
A few days later, news spread that the supervising officer of the pacification army, taking advantage of his male identity, had stolen credit from Shen Lanxi and expelled her from the pacification army.
Some even composed a rhyme: "When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked; when the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away." This alludes to the idea that the royal family needs Shen Lanxi during times of war, but once things are stable, they will seize power from her and kill her.
This gust of wind somehow blew into the palace, and when Emperor Renxiao found out, he was furious!
"I have already executed Peng Rong's entire family. What more do they want?"
Emperor Renxiao had rarely lost his composure like this since ascending the throne. His hair and crown were disheveled, and he looked as if he had been driven to desperation. He knocked all the tables, chairs, and memorials in the imperial study to the ground, looking like a beast driven to madness!
"Your Majesty, please calm down. These are just the wild tales of ignorant and unruly people. Do not believe them!" Wang Bao advised with concern.
Emperor Renxiao harbored a burning resentment, which was ignited when the rebellious king caused chaos and has not been extinguished to this day.
"Wang Bao, haven't I been good enough to her? She joined the army as a woman, and not only did I not punish her, but I also exonerated her family, reinstated her father to his original position, and even exceptionally appointed her as the Grand General for Pacifying the Rebellion. What more does she want?"
Wang Bao bent over, head bowed, and kept trying to comfort him.
"Your Majesty, please take care of your health! In my opinion, someone must be trying to sow discord and throw Your Majesty off balance!" Wang Bao said ambiguously.
Emperor Renxiao was startled and shook his head vigorously to clear his mind.
Yes, no matter how powerful she is, she's still just a woman. Because of her gender, she's nothing to fear.
Wang Bao cautiously glanced at Emperor Renxiao, his eyes flashing, and whispered, "Your Majesty, no matter how capable she is, she is still a woman. She is also a discarded royal wife, so she will definitely have a hard time getting married in the future. What woman in the world doesn't hope to find a good husband who suits her? If she really returns victorious in the future, Your Majesty can bestow a marriage upon her to offset her military achievements!"
Emperor Renxiao's eyes lit up; how could he have forgotten about this?
If that's the case, it would be best if Shen Lanxi had extraordinary abilities and returned victorious. Even if she made great contributions, just because she is a woman, those contributions would only be a flashy but impractical garment, and would not be of much use!
Seeing that His Majesty's complexion was gradually improving, Wang Bao breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "These rumor-mongers are truly despicable. They are all incompetent at quelling the rebellion, but they are experts at spreading rumors!"
Emperor Renxiao was amused by Wang Bao's angry outburst while making a delicate gesture with his fingers.
Yeah, what's there for him to be conflicted about?
It's wonderful that the General Who Suppressed the Rebellion is a woman!
"Wang Bao, immediately draft an imperial edict to confer upon Shen Lanxi the title of Earl of Valor, a hereditary title for three generations, with a fief of one hundred households, to be used concurrently with the title of Princess Lanxi!"
"I feel deeply remorseful for Peng Rong's false imperial edict, which led to the Marquis of Yingyong being tricked into leaving the army to quell the rebellion. Wang Bao, personally select some gifts and entrust them along with the imperial edict to a reliable person to deliver it!"
Wang Bao understood: "This old servant will send my apprentice to deliver the imperial decree!"
Emperor Renxiao nodded in satisfaction.
Before the imperial edict arrived, Shen Lanxi already knew its contents.
"General, Deputy Military Supervisor Wu requests an audience!"
Shen Lanxi had been staying at her residence in Yonglin Prefecture for some time. This was the fifth time Wu Tong had requested an audience with her since she left the military camp.
Shen Lanxi: "I won't see you!"
The guard immediately went to report back.
These days, Wu Tong has been losing clumps of hair from his scalp, partly from worry and partly from scratching.
He has already personally invited Shen Lanxi back, giving her such a great deal of face, why hasn't she come back yet?
How could you be so ungrateful!
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