How come the academies she established taught the court officials to be so rigid?
Their lives are about to end. Will they have any regrets about living such an upright and proper life?
Shen Lanxi immediately arranged for people to capture the son-in-law.
Two hours later
"Your Majesty, one of the three students claimed to have a fiancée, another claimed to have a wife and children, and the third claimed to be gay."
Shen Lanxi immediately burst into laughter.
"Investigate their claims immediately. If they are true, I will punish them for deceiving the emperor!"
If it's fake, then she's witnessed a new level of rejection for marriage.
Now that Aolai Kingdom is well-managed, Shen Lanxi's subordinates have been idle for a long time. Now that they finally hear His Majesty assigning tasks again, they are all as excited as if they have been injected with chicken blood, and immediately go to investigate.
In less than a day, the entire background of these three people was thoroughly investigated.
"Your Majesty, none of the three are married, and none of them have betrothed or married. As for the homosexuality, there is no evidence to prove it at the moment."
Suddenly, Shen Lanxi had a flash of inspiration and asked, "Give them two choices: one is to be sent to a distant post, and the other is to keep me company and relieve my boredom. Let them choose!"
The subordinates will take immediate action.
Soon, all three gave the same reply: they were willing to go to the palace to entertain His Majesty.
Shen Lanxi became even more curious.
"I am so old, while you are all in the prime of your youth, keeping me company and relieving my boredom. Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by the world?"
One of them quickly replied, "No, people will be too envious to even think about it, they would never laugh at us."
The second person followed up, saying, "I am a son of a concubine in my family. There are many children in my family, so I do not need to manage the household or take care of my parents."
The third person chimed in, "Your Majesty, I am the second son in my family, and both my parents have passed away. I am capable of making my own decisions, and I simply wish to entertain Your Majesty."
Looking at the serious faces of the three people, Shen Lanxi actually started to consider this question.
Sometimes, a thought comes to mind in a flash of inspiration.
"Alright, each of you will learn a skill. Once you have mastered it, I will summon you to the palace to relieve your boredom."
The three men were overjoyed and immediately agreed to leave.
Soon the court officials learned of this matter, and they all had strange expressions, but they all tacitly refrained from discussing it.
Compared to the previous emperors who were incompetent and had numerous concubines, how many people has Your Majesty employed?
It's just about finding a few people to pass the time; it's not like I'm some kind of emperor who brought ruin to the country by favoring a vixen.
They felt that only when someone was by the emperor's side did the emperor truly resemble an emperor.
Before the three could complete their training, an urgent message arrived from the Northwest.
"Your Majesty, the Xiongnu have broken the treaty and invaded the territory of my Aolai Kingdom. General Wei led his troops to resist them, but unfortunately he was seriously wounded."
Shen Lanxi said coldly, "The Xiongnu again? Our Aolai Kingdom is now militarily strong and well-equipped. Have they lost their minds?"
"Your Majesty, the Xiongnu are untamed and will frequently provoke our Aolai Kingdom once they get a chance to breathe. Your Majesty was magnanimous before, but this time we must not give the Xiongnu any more opportunities."
Shen Lanxi thought of Shen Yuantang, who had been married off for political reasons, and a cold smile appeared on her lips.
"Issue the order: I will personally lead the expedition to conquer the Northwest once again!"
The entire court was instantly in an uproar
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
"Your Majesty, your health is of utmost importance. The Xiongnu are just a small fry; any general sent can easily wipe them out."
"Your Majesty, the emperor cannot be away from court for too long, lest trouble arise!"
Shen Lanxi: "My mind is made up. There is no need for you to persuade me any further."
"Even if the Wei family army has already wiped out the Xiongnu by the time I arrive, I still want to show the foreign tribes that although I am old, I am not weak."
"Our Aolai Kingdom, like myself, has a profound and unshakeable foundation!"
Shen Lanxi swiftly issued the order with an attitude that brooked no refusal.
The homing eagle flew to the northwest six times.
northwest
"Father, news has arrived from the capital! His Majesty says he will personally lead the expedition!" Wei Yan strode into the main tent.
Wei Dongzhu was in the main tent discussing strategies to repel the enemy with his soldiers.
Upon hearing Wei Yan mention "Your Majesty," Wei Dongzhu dropped the bamboo pole in his hand with a thud, his mind momentarily blank.
"Father..." Wei Yan thought his father's injuries had worsened, so he rushed forward anxiously.
"I'm fine." Wei Dongzhu's eyes were filled with hesitation and unease.
What did you just say?
Wei Yan handed the letter to his father: "News from the capital: His Majesty is coming to the Northwest to personally lead an expedition!"
Wei Dongzhu immediately said anxiously, "Nonsense! How can Your Majesty joke about your own health?"
The lieutenant advised, "This is no joke. The reports are constantly saying that His Majesty strikes the sword sixty times a day, without fail, regardless of the weather. That sword, even if all of us put our hands together, we couldn't lift it."
Wei Dongzhu froze.
Although she was incredibly strong, the long journey from the capital to the Northwest was too much for her, given her age.
"Reply to the capital immediately, reply to His Majesty. Write that we will surely annihilate the Turks within ten days."
The soldiers were somewhat troubled; it seemed impossible to accomplish this within ten days, and it would take at least a month.
"Father~" Wei Yan tried to persuade his father, but was immediately stopped by his words.
"My mind is made up. Let's discuss a plan to annihilate the enemy immediately!"
Looking at his father's anxious expression, Wei Yan sighed helplessly.
Even when the moon was high in the sky, the tent was still brightly lit.
Wei Yan looked at his father, who was almost possessed by demons, and quietly left the tent.
"Mother, are you still awake?"
Although Qiaoniang's eyesight wasn't very good, she could still recognize her son just by his voice.
"Your mother will sleep after you come back."
After a moment of silence, Wei Yan said, "Father isn't coming back today either, so Mother doesn't need to wait anymore."
A fleeting bitterness crossed Qiaoniang's face.
“Your mother knows, you don’t need to worry about it.”
Wei Yan glanced at the black robe placed to the side and felt sorry for his mother.
My father never wore the robes my mother made, never ate the food she cooked, and never even allowed her near him. For so many years, my mother's status remained that of a servant.
Although he was his father's only child, he knew that many of his relatives secretly called him the son of a servant.
There are many of His Majesty's former subordinates in the Northwest, and none of them speak ill of His Majesty. When he was young, they thought he couldn't understand, and they often discussed His Majesty and his father in front of him.
They said that if it weren't for his mother and him, His Majesty and his father would definitely be a match made in heaven.
Later, as he grew up, he understood some things and wanted to refute those people. His father and mother had known each other longer than his father had known the Emperor, so why didn't those people say it was the Emperor? Was it simply because she was the supreme ruler?
At that time, he understood some things, and he also understood that His Majesty was not someone he could speak to.
As he grew older, he saw his father feeling both angry and helpless whenever his mother was not around.
Since His Majesty has abandoned Father, why can't Father live a good life with Mother? (End of Chapter)
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