Chapter 160: His military exploits were so great that even the emperor had to compromise
“…”
Xie Junlin suddenly looked towards the door.
The document from the Suzhou prefect just arrived this morning. Didn't the document say that Xiao Lingzhao would leave in a few days? How come he arrived so soon?
Could it be that Xiao Lingzhao had to travel day and night to force his way back?
How much love does it take to make yourself work so hard?
Xie Junlin was in mixed feelings.
Shen Yuanwei was overjoyed.
She looked at General Xiao excitedly, "Dad, Ling Zhao is back, he's here to take us home!"
The old general was also very happy.
Today is such a good day, his grandson was born, his son returned safely, and his daughter-in-law can finally go home, it's triple happiness!
Upon seeing this, Prime Minister Wei quickly said to Xie Junlin, "Your Majesty, General Xiao has come with the imperial edict you gave him to take his wife home. He has made great contributions in this war and has traveled so hard to come back to the capital just to get his wife. There are so many ministers outside watching, so please help him."
“…”
Xie Junlin clenched his fingers tightly on his knees.
His possessiveness towards Shen Yuanwei could not match Xiao Lingzhao's love for Shen Yuanwei.
At least he couldn't do such a desperate thing to rush back day and night...
He no longer had any reason to keep Shen Yuanwei.
There is no reason at all.
Xie Junlin slowly loosened his fingers, hiding all the pain.
He maintained his imperial dignity and said calmly, "Explain."
Chen Hai immediately turned around and left.
After a while, someone walked into the hall outside.
The ministers in the hall were greeting him one after another. He hurriedly responded and came to the door.
He has a deep voice.
"Your Majesty, I, Xiao Lingzhao, come to see you."
"Come in."
As soon as Xie Junlin finished speaking, the tightly closed door was pushed open.
Shen Yuanwei turned her head and stared at the door, seeing the person she had been waiting for for months finally standing in front of her alive.
It’s not like in TV dramas where farewell is forever.
He was intact, with no limbs missing.
Standing there, he is still so majestic and imposing.
He was wearing silver armor and his cape was covered in dust. His face was exhausted, but it couldn't hide his handsomeness. He was still so handsome that people couldn't take their eyes off him after just one look.
Shen Yuanwei looked at her long-lost husband with joy, and suddenly, her gaze froze.
She saw a long scar on Xiao Lingzhao's neck!
It is not difficult to imagine that if the weapon that wounded him had been an inch deeper, his neck would have been cut and he would not have survived.
That injury made Shen Yuanwei instantly remember all the hardships, dangers and sufferings he had experienced in the past few months.
Shen Yuanwei's eyes turned red.
"Xiao Lingzhao, your neck..."
Xiao Lingzhao stood at the door and looked greedily at Yuan Wei, whom he had not seen for a long time.
He rushed back day and night, but he didn't expect that Yuan Wei had already given birth.
And the child was born in such a tragic way.
The blood-stained handkerchief on the floor and the frail appearance made him feel terribly distressed.
He raised his hand and touched his neck, shook his head and said lightly, "I was ambushed by a little thief, but it's okay. They didn't cut my neck, and I came back alive."
He smiled brightly at Shen Yuanwei.
Although his body was full of murderous aura left over from the fierce battle, he smiled at his Yuan Wei with ease and tenderness. That smile melted the ice and snow and was full of intoxicating warmth.
He walked into the room, came to the bed and kowtowed to Xie Junlin.
"Your servant Xiao Lingzhao has fulfilled his mission and killed the nine major bandit leaders of Taihu Water Stronghold, 86 of their hall masters and deputy hall masters, 366 small leaders, and wiped out more than 4,700 bandits—"
"There are more than 3,000 slaves, women and children who were forcibly taken back to the water fort. They are being detained in the water fort. We need to investigate them carefully. If they have not done any evil, they will be released back to their hometowns. If they have blood on their hands and have killed people, they will be killed!"
"The Taihu Water Fort has now been fully recovered. It now belongs to the imperial court again. It will never be taken away again, and no more bandits will gather to harm the people around it."
Although Xie Junlin didn't want Xiao Lingzhao to come back and compete with him for Shen Yuanwei, he couldn't help but admire Xiao Lingzhao's achievements.
This problem had been bothering the imperial court for many years, but Xiao Lingzhao solved it in just four months.
He really liked this capable god of war from the bottom of his heart.
Therefore, I always can't bear to be too harsh on others.
He took a deep breath, smiled and helped Xiao Lingzhao up.
"Okay, I know that as long as you, Xiao Lingzhao, go there, you will be able to wipe out all those little thieves!"
Xiao Lingzhao stood up.
He looked at Yuan Wei, who was lying on the bed, staring at him with gentle eyes.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your trust."
While looking at Shen Yuanwei, he bowed to Xie Junlin and said:
"Your Majesty, it's getting late. You should all go home. I have traveled day and night to get back. I also want to go home with Yuan Wei first. I will go to court tomorrow to report to Your Majesty about the Taihu Water Fort."
Xie Junlin's smile froze slightly.
Xiao Lingzhao took two steps back, bent down, and raised the imperial edict above his head.
"Your Majesty, I am here with the imperial edict you wrote in person to ask you to keep your promise. Please grant me your wish and let my wife go home."
“…”
Xie Junlin looked at the imperial edict, then lowered his head to look at Shen Yuanwei.
He hates himself.
Why would he write such an imperial edict to trap himself?
He thought he would never like Shen Yuanwei, but in the end, he simply couldn't control his heart.
He was moved, but Shen Yuanwei still looked down on him. The imperial edict he wrote that day had now become a joke, and he had no choice but to fulfill his promise.
Shen Yuanwei quietly watched the struggle and pain in Xie Junlin's eyes.
She knew that Xie Junlin might have some romantic feelings for her...
But so what?
There are so many people who like her, she can't possibly agree to all of them.
It doesn’t matter if others like her. Whoever she likes is the one she wants to spend the rest of her life with.
She said firmly, "Your Majesty, I want to go home with Xiao Lingzhao."
“…”
Xie Junlin was abandoned by Shen Yuanwei again without hesitation, and he couldn't help but feel a dull pain in his heart.
He gritted his teeth, pointed at the two babies in the cradles, and asked Shen Yuanwei for the last time.
"Are you really willing to abandon two children?"
"Look at them. They are your own flesh and blood that you carried for eight months with great difficulty. They should be your treasures, and you should be their favorite person. If you are abandoned by the world, they will become the enemy of the whole world to protect you, their mother!"
"But if you leave them today, they will be raised by others. They will think that the queen is their biological mother. They will love the queen the most. When they see you again, they will treat you as a stranger."
"If one day you have a conflict with the Queen, they will stand before the Queen to protect the mother who raised them. They will not hesitate to raise their swords and swing them at you, their biological mother."
"Shen Yuanwei, I'm going to ask you one last time—"
"Do you really want to abandon your children? Do you really want to become strangers to these two children who are closest to you?"
Xie Junlin's words made Xiao Lingzhao suddenly nervous.
He knew how great a mother's love for her child was, and he was afraid that Yuan Wei would be heartbroken and compromise because of the emperor's assumptions, and choose to stay...
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