Chapter 441 Envoys sent by the two rebellious kings!
As Shen Lanxi had predicted, the envoys sent by the two rebel kings arrived one after the other the following day.
Each of them brought ten cartloads of gifts, including gold, silver, cloth, local specialties, and various exquisitely crafted ornaments and porcelain.
Emperor Renxiao assigned Shen Lanxi to receive the two. He knew what had happened at the post station and disapproved of Zhou Ruyuan's handling of the matter.
They are traitors, so they must be suppressed by force.
If they dare to make any rash moves, Shen Lanxi will give them a good beating.
In fact, Shen Lanxi had secretly received an imperial edict from Wang Bao, instructing him to give the two traitors a warning.
Two of the rebel king's men were led by officers and soldiers to the entrance of the post station.
Shen Lanxi greeted them at the entrance of the post station as usual.
Emperor Renxiao's orders should be obeyed.
The officers and soldiers escorted the envoy sent by the rebel king to the entrance of the post station and left. The company of men waited and waited, but no one came out to greet them.
Their grand gifts, coupled with the friendly correspondence Emperor Renxiao had previously exchanged, all seem to be a lie.
The envoys from both sides looked grave, sensing something was wrong.
"I am Wei Sinong, an envoy sent by the Loyal and Brave Emperor of Shu."
"I am Wu Shifang, an envoy sent by Emperor Shouren of the Qing Dynasty."
"We two have come specifically to represent our country to offer our congratulations to the Emperor of Great Zhou on his birthday!"
The officials at the post station had already been instructed, and upon hearing the two men introduce themselves, they immediately began to show disdain and contempt.
"What Shu Kingdom? What Gan Kingdom? Never even heard of them. Judging by your Great Zhou Kingdom attire, you must be some swindlers trying to cheat us at our post station!"
A burst of laughter erupted. Even though the two envoys had prepared themselves for difficulties, they still looked ashamed and indignant upon hearing their former subjects speak like this.
They couldn't possibly be called princes who rebelled against the Great Zhou, so their clothing and appearance were naturally the same as those of the Great Zhou.
"We are carrying congratulatory gifts for the Emperor of Great Zhou. Please send someone to inspect and count them."
Post station official: "Do you have any customs clearance documents, or a special document bearing the imperial seal of our Great Zhou Dynasty?"
Of course not.
"Our Shu Kingdom has only been established for a short time and has not yet had any dealings with the Great Zhou!" They were practically at war, and the fact that they could pass through was due to an edict issued by Emperor Renxiao.
"We have the edict written by His Majesty the present!"
The two envoys quickly brought out the imperial edict.
The post station official glanced in Shen Lanxi's direction and then said, "So you are two rebellious kings who have turned against our Great Zhou?"
Wei Sinong's face turned ugly after passing Wu Shifang.
Their king did rebel against the Great Zhou, but he was forced into it.
What do these ignorant commoners know? They're just recognizing a thief as their king; their own king is the true chosen one.
"Our King and His Majesty are brothers. His former identity was that of a Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a position of great prestige. How dare you, a mere postmaster, question such a thing? Don't you want your head?"
The post station official looked at Shen Lanxi with pleading eyes.
"I was wondering why it was so lively outside today, turns out it's you all here!" Shen Lanxi walked out of the inn.
"Who are you?" Wei Sinong asked with a stern face and a frown.
Shen Lanxi: "I am Shen Lanxi, the Duke of Protector of the State."
Wei Sinong and Wu Shifang's expressions changed. Others might not know Shen Lanxi, but they did.
Previously in Dongchuan, Shen Lanxi governed Dongchuan like an iron barrel, firmly keeping them out of Dongchuan. They had no choice but to withdraw from Dongchuan and return to their fiefdom.
They encountered many hardships and dangers along the way, and lost a lot of soldiers, all thanks to Shen Lanxi.
"I've heard so much about her, and it's truly an honor for me to meet her today!" Wei Sinong stood on the opposing side, hating Shen Lanxi to the core.
But it must be said, she is a remarkable person.
"I've heard so much about you!" Wu Shifang echoed.
Shen Lanxi's name is renowned throughout Dongchuan! It's a mystery how a treacherous and wicked person like Emperor Renxiao could tolerate her existence.
Shen Lanxi smiled and said, "His Majesty sent me to wait at the post station a few days ago. Unfortunately, something happened at the post station these past two days. I was supposed to greet him at the city gate, but I had to stay at the inn to handle the affairs."
Whether something is true or false, it all depends on what people say.
Wei Sinong and Wu Shifang were both tactful people, so when they heard her say that, they naturally smiled and nodded.
"A murder has occurred at this post station, and all the envoys have been confined here to assist in the investigation. Please come with me to an inn to rest for the time being!"
Wei Sinong and Wu Shifang exchanged a glance and nodded with smiles.
Is it a trap that they were allowed to stay so easily?
Shen Lanxi sent people to take inventory of the items the two had brought, and at the same time sent someone to report back to Emperor Renxiao.
"Please rest here for now. This inn has been requisitioned by the imperial court. If you need anything, just let the waiter know."
The more amiable Shen Lanxi was to them, the more uneasy Wei Shinong and Wu Shifang became.
"Please rest here for now. Tomorrow I will take you to the palace to see His Majesty."
Wei Shinong and Wu Shifang rose to see them off.
After Shen Lanxi left, the two immediately huddled together and had the guards stand watch at the door.
"Both of us came here with the determination to die, yet Emperor Renxiao has just let it go so easily. What does that mean?"
"Could it be that he really was so quick to split the land apart?"
...
When Shen Lanxi returned to the palace to report back, it was already completely dark when she returned to the Duke of Huguo's mansion.
The meal at the residence is about to end.
"Lanxi, you're back. Have you eaten? Quickly have the kitchen send over a set of bowls and chopsticks," Madam Shen asked with concern.
"Grandmother, no need, I've already eaten at the palace!"
Shen Shuniang and Shen Huiniang exchanged a glance.
"His Majesty truly relies on our Lanxi!" Shen Shuniang said with a smile.
Liu replied with a proud look, "Of course."
Shen Huiniang: "Lanxi is busy with official duties every day, and she must be very tired. How can she not even have someone to run errands for her? It just so happens that my son is smart and clever. He can stay by Lanxi's side in the future and help her share the burden."
The three sisters-in-law of the Liu family turned pale upon hearing this.
The Shen family's offspring are mostly idle at home, she's really shameless!
Shen Lanxi: "No need, we still have a lot of young men at home who don't have a place to go."
Hearing her say that, Liu and her two sisters-in-law immediately felt relieved.
Outsiders will never get the better of Lanxi's sharp tongue.
Shen Huiniang's face stiffened, and Old Madam Shen immediately put on a stern face.
"Why are you bringing this up during dinner? Can't you see how tired Lanxi is? You have no tact!"
Shen Huiniang looked embarrassed and said, "I was just saying it casually."
Shen Shuniang immediately chimed in, "Even if it's an arrangement, it should be for my two sons. They're both grown up and spend their days doing nothing at home. As their mother, it's heartbreaking to see them like this."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud bang was heard.
Shen Congwen turned his rice bowl upside down on the table.
Shen Shuniang's heart skipped a beat, as if she had been slapped in the face; she couldn't save face.
Judging from my father's expression, he probably already knows about the leg injury.
Shen Lanxi: "Grandmother, Father, Uncle and Aunt, Aunt, I'm going back to my room now."
Seeing that her eldest son looked like he was about to explode with anger, Madam Shen quickly waved her hand to let Shen Lanxi leave.
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