Chapter 291 Back to the Capital! That Northwest Butcher!
Xiao Fang: "You really can't underestimate women. I thought she would ask where the child was buried, but I didn't expect her to not ask a single question."
Shen Yuanjing: "She didn't even blink when she killed the Zhang family members!"
Qian Feng: "Even without us, she would avenge her family. It's just a matter of time."
Ban Sicao: "She's still no match for our general!"
Liu Yan replied, "You certainly know how to speak the truth!"
...
The Zhenbei Army traveled day and night and finally arrived in the capital at the end of September.
On this day, Emperor Renxiao personally led his officials to welcome him at the city gate. The people blocked the city gate, and the entire capital was decorated with red and colorful decorations, with drums, music and firecrackers going off incessantly.
Shen Lanxi, dressed in red, led the charge, followed by her fierce generals, then by valiant female guards and strong young men.
The people all opened their eyes wide, eager to be the first to witness the splendor of the first female general of the Great Zhou Dynasty!
Shen Lanxi stopped thirty meters from the city gate, raised her hand to signal, and dismounted.
She walked at the front, followed by her attendants, military advisors, and strategists carrying the peace treaty documents, as well as several generals seated below.
When Shen Lanxi approached and bowed, Emperor Renxiao rose from his throne and offered a slight gesture of support.
"Minister Shen, you must be tired from your journey. Please rise!"
Shen Lanxi clasped his hands in a fist and said in a firm voice, "Your subject presents the ten-year peace treaty between the three Turkic tribes, as well as the reparations they will pay to our Great Zhou. All of this is in the document!"
Spring Snow and Autumn Frost handed the two trays of documents to the Grand Eunuch, completing the handover.
Emperor Renxiao, like a loving elder, patted Shen Lanxi on the shoulder and helped her up.
"Okay, I knew you wouldn't let me down!"
Shen Lanxi raised her voice: "Thanks to Your Majesty's great fortune, I have successfully fulfilled my mission and reclaimed the Northwest!"
The phrase "reclaim the Northwest" resounded throughout the city, its powerful message echoing across the entire capital for a long time.
Countless ordinary people and officials were moved to tears, and Emperor Renxiao's eyes also reddened.
"The Northwest has been pacified, a great achievement indeed. By imperial decree, the three armies shall be rewarded!"
"My lord, thank you Lord for your kindness!"
Emperor Renxiao, like a loving elder seeing his children and grandchildren returning from the battlefield, had Shen Lanxi accompany him.
This was an honor that even the God of War Zhou Ruyuan had never received, and for a time, Shen Lanxi was in unparalleled glory.
Following Shen Lanxi's return, her ex-husband Zhou Ruyuan has once again been thrust into the spotlight.
"How come the God of War is not as good as a woman in battle?"
"Could it be that he called for too much water last night?"
"Hehehe..."
Following the pacification of the Northwest, the topic of how many times the water was called out in one night overshadowed the pacification of the Northwest and became the hottest topic in the capital.
These past few days, when men meet, they don't ask each other if they've eaten. Instead, they jokingly ask each other how many times they called for water last night.
...
Among those who came to greet them were members of the Shen family.
The Shen family was given a separate place by Emperor Renxiao so that Shen Lanxi could see her relatives as soon as she returned.
A complex mix of emotions surged through the Shen family members once again: bitterness, jealousy, resentment, anger, and regret.
Especially the fourth branch of the Shen family, they had all these emotions.
The second and third wives both had sons serving in the Zhenbei Army, but the fourth wife did not.
Looking at Yuan Jing and Yuan Jun from the first branch of the family, Yuan Xu and Yuan Kun from the second branch, Yuan Peng and Yuan Hao from the third branch, and several illegitimate children, the people from the fourth branch were so jealous that their palms were practically bleeding.
If they had known that fighting would be so easy, they would have sent at least a few of their illegitimate children to join the army. Now, not a single member of the fourth branch of the family has joined the army. They are all alone, as if they have been separated from the army. Shen Congyi was so regretful that he bit his teeth until they bled.
No, the Shen family's fate is intertwined; they rise and fall together. Don't even think about excluding their fourth branch.
~
Emperor Renxiao was full of vigor and walked with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, his every step exuding confidence.
Just yesterday, the imperial court received an urgent message from Dongchuan: the two rebels had withdrawn their troops and were heading towards their fiefdoms.
Dongchuan has also been pacified.
Although this was expected, Emperor Renxiao was still pleased to hear the result.
The two traitors are very good at reading the winds. They must have seen that the Northwest was pacified and were afraid that he would send troops to reinforce Dongchuan, so they hurriedly retreated back to their fiefdom.
Emperor Renxiao's eyes turned icy as he thought of the two traitors, and his mood didn't improve much when he thought of the Third Prince Zhou Ruyuan.
If news of the pacification of the Northwest did not reach the Northwest, Dongchuan would likely continue to make concessions step by step.
Thinking of the Third Prince, Emperor Renxiao glanced at Shen Lanxi beside him without making a sound.
Good things always come with difficulties!
Shen Lanxi boarded Emperor Renxiao's imperial carriage directly. Emperor Renxiao was very concerned about the war in the Northwest and kept asking about the situation in the Northwest along the way.
A victory banquet has been prepared in the palace, awaiting the return of the emperor and his ministers to take their seats.
Also accompanying the imperial procession were the wives of officials and noblewomen. Unlike the officials, who rode in carriages arranged by the Ministry of Rites and could follow the imperial procession with great fanfare, the wives' carriages were all parked several streets apart, and no one dared to get too close, for fear of obstructing the imperial procession and incurring punishment.
Among these people were pampered daughters of officials. After Emperor Renxiao had gone far away, they gathered in groups of three or five to gossip.
"I thought the female butcher from Northwest China had three heads and six arms, but she looks like that!"
"Little sister, what do you mean by 'that'? Why aren't you saying anything? Are you too scared to speak?"
"Pah, you wouldn't dare say that. That female butcher has the face of a vixen!"
"Shh, keep your voices down! Are you guys out of your minds? What if someone hears us?!"
"Go away, you coward. I'm not the only one who calls her the Northwest Butcher. Everyone in the capital calls her that."
"Oh dear, I'm really scared of you guys..."
Why are you walking so fast? Wait for us!
The voices faded into the distance, and then two people emerged from around the corner.
"Northwest Female Butcher? What a lame name!" Ban Sicao said with a look of disgust.
Liu Yanhui chuckled, "It's not like I was calling you, and you're already complaining."
Ban Sicao said matter-of-factly, "Anyone would dislike this nickname. Who gave the general this nickname? Do they have a grudge against our general?"
Liu Yan replied, "Of course, the hatred is immense!"
Ban Sicao looked exasperated: "The general probably won't leave the palace until evening. I'll go for a stroll first."
Liu Yan watched as Ban Sicao disappeared into the crowd in a few steps. She wanted to call out, but she didn't know who to call.
The imperial court bestowed the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion upon the general, and he needed to make arrangements in advance. He originally wanted to ask Ban Sicao for help, but that kid was clearly not the kind of person who would do things properly; he would run away as soon as he was asked to do something.
After Shen Yuanjing and his group entered the city, they saw the Shen family. Now that Emperor Renxiao had gone far away, there was no one to restrain them. Several of the younger generation took turns going to the Shen family to say a few words and arranged to meet in the palace.
In the past, victory celebrations were attended only by civil and military officials and victorious generals, with no female relatives present. However, because Shen Lanxi was the victor this time, the celebration was slightly adjusted to allow officials to bring their families.
"My son has lost so much weight." Liu held her son Shen Yuanxu's hand, her face full of heartache.
After greeting his elders, Shen Yuanxu looked around, frowned, and asked in a low voice, "Mother, why is no one from Uncle's room?"
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