Chapter 199 Shen Lanxi and Zhou Ruyuan meet at the city gate!
After receiving the imperial edict, Zhou Ruyuan looked on in disbelief!
Is the general mentioned in the imperial edict who quelled the rebellion really Shen Lanxi?
Bai Qingling was equally incredulous. She had already given birth to a child for Zhou Ruyuan and was now pregnant again, yet the royal family had not even given her a title, nor had they registered her child on the royal register. How could she not hate them!
She will never forget that the person who brought her all this humiliation was Shen Lanxi!
The imperial edict now says that Shen Lanxi has been appointed as the Grand General for Suppressing the Rebellion. What? Is there no one else in the court who can be relied upon?
"I want to see the Emperor! I want to see His Majesty!" Zhou Ruyuan stubbornly refused to accept the imperial decree.
The eunuch delivering the imperial decree glanced at Bai Qingling, who quickly advised, "Your Highness, please accept the decree first. If you wish to have an audience with the Emperor, then you can submit a memorial to His Majesty!"
What's the use of not accepting the imperial decree? Maybe when I get back, the dead eunuch will embellish the story and spout nonsense in front of His Majesty.
In the past, His Majesty had issued several imperial edicts urging them to expedite peace talks, and afterwards, he would send someone to reprimand them.
At first, Bai Qingling didn't take these eunuchs seriously, but after being taught a lesson time and time again, she had no choice but to succumb to reality.
"Your Highness, please accept the imperial decree first. The eunuch who delivered the decree has traveled a long and arduous journey, and should be allowed to rest properly first!" Bai Qingling gently nudged Zhou Ruyuan.
After his initial anger subsided, Zhou Ruyuan reluctantly accepted the imperial edict.
He wasn't angry at Shen Lanxi, but at the contents of the imperial edict.
How could Shen Lanxi... a person who had faded from her memory was slowly resurfacing.
She knows martial arts, and her skills are quite good!
Even so, she was just a woman with martial arts skills but no knowledge of military strategy or troop deployment.
Why would the Emperor allow someone like this to succeed him?
After seeing off the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree and making proper arrangements, Bai Qingling returned to Zhou Ruyuan's side.
“Your Highness, I think this must be His Majesty’s way of provoking you!” Bai Qingling suddenly said.
Zhou Ruyuan was taken aback and quickly asked, "What do you mean?"
Bai Qingling's eyes flickered as she said, "The peace talks have been going on for so long without any results. His Majesty must be getting impatient. He's deliberately using this method to urge us to reach a successful peace agreement as soon as possible!"
Zhou Ruyuan nodded and then shook his head: "If it were really a provocation, they wouldn't issue an imperial edict; they would just send someone to tell us!"
Bai Qingling felt a little anxious; she just didn't want Zhou Ruyuan to mention Shen Lanxi again.
"Your Highness, let's go and ask His Majesty again. Anyway, the peace talks have been deadlocked, and the foreign tribes haven't made any moves. It won't hurt for us to leave for a few days!"
Zhou Ruyuan thought for a moment, then turned and went into the study, where he stayed for more than an hour before coming out!
Shen Lanxi has received the imperial decree!
"By the mandate of Heaven... General Shen is ordered to bring his family back to the capital, and then serve as an envoy for a marriage alliance, heading to the Northwest..."
Shen Lanxi: "Your subject accepts the decree!"
...
"Yuan Jing, Yuan Xu, Yuan Peng... go tell your families to pack their things and return to the capital in three days!"
"yes!"
After the Shen family members left, Shen Lanxi immediately called a meeting to discuss matters.
That evening, the six teams set off in the northwest direction one after another.
The next day, before dawn, the two teams set off towards the capital.
Every day after that, small teams would set off either towards the capital or in the northwest.
Three days have passed in the blink of an eye.
After the imperial edict arrived, the Shen family was released from confinement. For the next three days, they were all busy preparing to return to the capital, so busy that they didn't have time to gather and engage in veiled insults.
“Mother, I’ve laid three thick quilts in the carriage, and I’ve also tied thick bedding to both sides of the carriage. Yuanxu said that we’ll be riding fast all the way, and we’ll change horses at the post station to continue. We have to lay thick bedding in the carriage, otherwise we’ll definitely suffer along the way!” Liu said with a smile, reaching out to help her mother-in-law.
Madam Shen personally oversaw their work, so how could she not know how it should be laid out?
Liu finally showed some cleverness!
On the other side, Shen Yuanjing and Shen Yuanxu helped Old Master Shen into the carriage. To ensure comfort, the carriage was covered with thick quilts, so there was not enough room for so many people.
Madam Shen and Mr. Shen each rode in one carriage, while the rest of the people sat in three other carriages.
After everything was packed, Shen Lanxi shouted, "Let's go!"
Cavalry led the way, followed by horse-drawn carriages, and then more cavalry, rumbling all the way toward the capital!
Upon receiving the reply, Zhou Ruyuan immediately ordered his men to pack their bags.
Previously, they had taken a detour by boat, but this time, without any refugees or rioters blocking their way, Shen Lanxi and the others sped along at breakneck speed for two days. After that, the two old people couldn't take it anymore!
"General, let's stop and rest for a while. Grandfather and grandmother can't hold on any longer!" Shen Yuanjing said with a pained expression.
Shen Lanxi: "Hold on a little longer, we'll rest when we get to the post station!"
"yes!"
Shen Yuanjing was worried that if he didn't rest soon, he might bring back the corpses of his grandparents to the capital.
Not to mention them, the Liu family is also having a hard time.
The soldiers who rode alongside Shen Lanxi for two consecutive days felt like their internal organs were about to shift.
Whenever they felt like giving up, they would think of Shen Lanxi.
If she, a woman, can endure it, then it would be shameful for men to not be able to.
I gritted my teeth and waited until the general said we'd rest at the next post station. Finally, I saw the end of the road!
Shen Lanxi was strict in training her troops, but when it came to food, she would never mistreat her subordinates as long as the conditions allowed.
"Good food, don't worry about the price!"
The guards were overjoyed when they heard her say that.
Their initial motivation for joining the army was simply to have a full and good meal. They would rather suffer any hardship than have their stomachs suffer!
People who have experienced hunger can still eat even when they are physically unwell, as long as they see good food. But it was different for Old Madam Shen and the others.
I walked for two days, and I vomited for one day straight. The rest of the time I felt dizzy.
The two elderly people were carried directly into the post station, and the others also helped each other. When they got off the carriage, their legs were as weak as noodles, and they were so dizzy that they couldn't tell which way was which.
I have no appetite, I just want to lie down and rest!
After resting for one night at the post station, we continued our journey.
When Mr. and Mrs. Shen could no longer endure the journey, they took a boat trip for more than ten days before continuing their journey.
The journey, involving both land and water transport, took two months and nine days to reach the capital!
Looking at the city gate from afar, it seemed to have changed, yet it also seemed unchanged.
She silently vowed in her heart, "The capital, I'm back!"
Those holding military rank who return to the capital with troops should, according to the law, stop outside the city and await an audience; without an audience, they may not enter the city!
Shen Yuanjing stepped forward and handed over the memorial.
The city guards had already spotted them and were on guard as Shen Yuanjing approached!
"General Shen Lanxi, the Grand General who quelled the rebellion, has been ordered to return to the capital with his family!" Shen Yuanjing raised the memorial with both hands and announced loudly!
Just as the city guard was about to take it, he suddenly heard the thunderous sound of horses' hooves.
"Prince Zhou Ruyuan of Zhennan is hereby ordered to return to the capital!"
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