"My army has never lacked female generals. This time, I personally led a large number of female guards on this expedition."
"I am a woman, and I will not actively belittle women. What I dislike most is when men say that women do nothing at home and are supported by them when they are out in public."
"If women do nothing at home, where do they get their clothes and shoes? They come home every day to a hot meal, but who cooks it?"
"Men work hard outside the home, but women aren't idle at home either, don't you think?"
Shen Lanxi looked at Wei Yan with a faint smile.
Wei Dongzhu finally realized what was happening and immediately reprimanded him.
"How dare you speak nonsense before His Majesty?"
Shen Lanxi: "Alright, little one, I can understand it when you act impulsively and can't control your mouth. Who hasn't been young and carefree?"
After a few words, she didn't continue the topic, but instead discussed the matter as before.
"Do you remember when you were discussing matters with me before?" Shen Lanxi suddenly asked halfway through the discussion.
Many people have begun to reminisce about the past.
Shen Lanxi raised her hand: "Bring up the large biscuit rations."
Wei Dongzhu seemed to wake up from a dream, as did the others.
"Back then, we would discuss matters while baking flatbread over charcoal. In the summer, we would just eat the flatbread directly. If we liked scallions and pickled vegetables, we would also put a few scallions and pickled vegetables inside the flatbread."
Her words easily brought the veterans back to their memories.
"The flatbreads back then smelled so good!"
"Toasted buns are delicious too."
"Your Majesty still remembers that he loved to eat sesame cakes the most."
"His Majesty also likes to dip steamed buns in chili oil."
“You had the biggest appetite back then; you could eat eight pancakes in one meal.”
"Don't talk about me, you can eat too. You can eat seven or eight roasted buns in one meal. We're all here to discuss business, you're just here to freeload."
"Hahaha..." Shen Lanxi laughed loudly while holding Hu Bing.
Wei Yan took a bite of the flatbread. It was nothing special, just like what they usually ate!
The meeting concluded, and three days later, the attack was launched by fire.
...
"Yan'er, I heard His Majesty has arrived." Qiao Niang waited until very late, and several times she was so sleepy that she couldn't stay awake any longer, but thankfully her son finally came back.
"Mother, His Majesty has just finished discussing matters."
Qiao Niang subconsciously touched her face and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "I heard that His Majesty is very young."
As a son, how could Wei Yan not know what his mother was thinking?
"His Majesty is a few years older than Mother, and is no longer young."
Although that is true, His Majesty looks to be only about thirty years old.
If his father and mother stood with His Majesty, they would look like two generations.
"Mother, go to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow."
Qiaoniang lowered her head, her tone complaining, "Why do you all have to get up early every time His Majesty comes? Can't you just do it the usual way?"
Wei Yan: "No, we need to prepare the materials for the fire attack tomorrow. His Majesty has decided to use fire to deal with the Xiongnu in three days."
Qiao Niang's expression shifted: "Wouldn't that be very dangerous?"
Wei Yan was not optimistic about using fire.
"The wild grass on the grassland is so green it seems to be dripping with water, it's impossible to set it on fire. I really don't understand why no one objected when His Majesty suggested using fire."
Qiao Niang said in a low voice, "My child, this is what it means to be the emperor. Just because she is the emperor, everyone has to listen to her, and if they don't, it's considered disobeying the imperial decree."
Wei Yan scoffed, "I don't know what my father and the others were thinking, but I stopped them..."
Before he could finish speaking, the door was kicked open with a bang.
"Young General, we are here on your orders to take you to be executed according to military law: fifty strokes of the cane!"
Qiao Niang's face turned pale instantly.
Wei Yan's face darkened as well.
"Why did my father hit me? What did I do wrong?" he questioned repeatedly.
The soldiers who came to arrest him were simply following orders. No matter how loudly Wei Yan shouted, they had him tied up, lifted up, and left.
"Stop! Where are you taking my son?" Qiao Niang was terrified and hurriedly chased after them.
Before she could reach the door, it had already been locked from the outside.
Qiaoniang was filled with grievances and burst into tears.
No matter how the general treated her, she never complained. But she couldn't beat her son just to please His Majesty.
Fifty strokes of the military rod could kill her son.
Thinking of the letter she had received a few days ago, Qiaoniang staggered into the house.
...
She really hasn't been poisoned in a long time.
Shen Lanxi stared at the food on the table with a deep, unsettling look. Some people are just so eager to die.
"Summon Wei Dongzhu."
Wei Dongzhu was summoned soon.
"His Majesty."
Shen Lanxi: "Someone has tampered with my food today. If there are no unforeseen circumstances, the fire attack we discussed yesterday has also been leaked."
Wei Dongzhu was greatly alarmed.
"Your Majesty, I will investigate immediately."
Shen Lanxi: "I will only give you one day."
Wei Dongzhu's heart sank. Although they hadn't seen each other for many years, he knew from their tone that it was one of his own people who did it.
The chef who cooks for His Majesty is a chef he specially hired from the best restaurant in the city. The chef is from the Northwest and his family has been chefs for three generations. He would never do anything to undermine his own position.
As Wei Dongzhu walked, he thought to himself that, to avoid alerting the enemy, he did not order anyone to arrest them, but instead went to the kitchen to investigate himself.
"Who came to the kitchen today? There's a spy in the manor. If you conceal this, you'll be punished the same as the spy!"
"The vegetable delivery has arrived today."
"The firewood deliveryman has arrived too."
"Feng Gang and Zhang Liao came to ask for food."
Wei Dongzhu's veins bulged as he listened: "Didn't I tell you that when cooking for His Majesty, no one other than those not authorized to step into the kitchen is allowed?"
Suddenly someone below said something.
"Madam is here today as well."
Wei Dongzhu suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Which lady?"
"It's the General's wife!"
Wei Dongzhu's vision went black. He no longer needed to question anyone else; his intuition told him it was this person.
...
After returning from the kitchen, Qiaoniang was filled with anxiety.
She regretted it; she shouldn't have listened to that person.
If His Majesty were to be seriously injured, the Northwest would surely descend into chaos. If the Xiongnu were to attack at this time, her husband and her son would both be in danger.
She's so stupid; how could she believe that person's nonsense?
The door was kicked down forcefully, several soldiers cleared a path, and then Wei Dongzhu came in carrying a lunchbox.
Upon seeing this scene, Qiaoniang's heart sank.
"General, why did you suddenly return?"
Wei Dong opened the lunchbox and placed all the dishes inside in front of Qiao Niang.
"Eat up, this is what His Majesty left over."
Qiao Niang's expression changed, but she forced a smile and said, "I've already eaten."
Wei Dongzhu: "You cannot refuse His Majesty's reward. Even if you have already eaten, you must eat."
The color drained from Qiaoniang's face quickly.
"General, that was His Majesty's leftovers. Do you think I only deserve to eat other people's leftovers?"
In the general's heart, she would always be just a servant.
Thinking of this, Qiaoniang burst into tears. (End of Chapter)
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