Chapter 221
The early morning sun passed over the horizon, the sky was a fiery red, and the whole sky was filled with a light mist. Suddenly, a military flag pierced the silence of the early morning. The flags connected into one, shining brightly against the distant sky.
Then, the sound of horse hooves rang out like thunder, startling a flock of birds and waking up the soldiers in Yandu City.
The soldier woke up from his nap and stood on the city wall looking into the distance. He saw a high-raised "Thank You" flag coming towards this side at a very fast speed. He said happily: "The army has returned triumphantly. Go and report to the gentlemen that the army has returned triumphantly." As soon as he finished shouting, the inside and outside of the city gate suddenly became lively. The people coming in and out also heard the soldiers' shouts and rushed forward at the same time.
Many shops on the street were open in the early morning. When they heard the noise, they all looked over to ask what was going on. After being told that Captain Xie had returned from a victorious battle, there was an instant of excitement and everyone rushed to the city gate, determined to join in the fun.
Several soldiers hurried forward to organize order and clear a path for the army.
Xie Chen rode his horse in the front, and when they saw him, the onlookers cheered loudly. Xie Chen greeted the Huben Captain, Tunqi Captain and others, with a hint of anticipation in his heart. He scanned the people on the roadside one by one, but he looked left and right but could not find Lin Shuge, and even Lin Xuan and Lin Qingyuan were not there.
"What are you looking for, sir?" He Xin asked when she saw his actions.
"You don't even know this, you must be looking for Lord Lin. But I haven't seen where he is. Is he waiting for Lord Lin in the mansion?" Old Zhang stretched his neck and looked around.
"That's not right. Our master is returning today, why doesn't Lord Lin come to greet him?" The more He Xin thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. He couldn't help but look at Xie Chen. Xie Chen nodded at him. He Xin understood and immediately dismounted to inquire.
The army continued to advance. Xie Chen had to pay a visit to Emperor Yongyuan first. The Xiongnu nobles who followed behind him looked at Yandu curiously. They had seen the prosperity of Dingyuan County and felt that the Han people were really good at governing the country and producing.
I didn't expect that today when I saw the capital of Dayan, I knew what the capital of a country was. The shops on the street were full of all kinds of cloth, porcelain, and food. The houses were built tall and majestic, and even the pedestrians on the roadside were dressed very brightly. If they didn't have to go to the audience with the Emperor of Dayan first, they would have dismounted and headed straight for the shop.
He Xin came back soon and whispered to Xie Chen about what had happened recently. When Xie Chen heard He Xin say that Emperor Yongyuan had suspended Lin Shu Ge from his post and confined him to his room for more than half a month for unknown reasons, veins popped out on his hands holding the reins and his face turned very ugly.
"Sir," Lao Zhang said carefully, "We have to go to the palace first. We can discuss anything after we see His Majesty."
Seeing his frown and gloomy face, He Xin also said: "Lord Lin is only under house arrest." As soon as he finished speaking, he was met with Xie Chen's cold eyes. He gritted his teeth and said: "It can be seen that it must not be a serious crime. We will talk to Lord Lin in detail after seeing His Majesty."
There was still coldness in Xie Chen's eyes, and he snorted in his heart, wondering what else it could be about. He flicked his whip and rode away with everyone.
He Xin followed him hurriedly, fearing that he would run back to the Lin Mansion if something went wrong, snatch Lord Lin out of the mansion, and then go to the emperor to question him.
Later, I saw that he was heading towards the palace, and I felt relieved.
Inside the Yunfu Palace, Emperor Yongyuan had already received news of the army's triumphant return today, and the report of the great victory had already been placed on his desk.
This expedition against the Xiongnu defeated their main force. The Right Wise King and the Right Guli King led their people to surrender, leaving only Hurke and the Left Wise King who fled westward. Dayan completely controlled the vast land west of Jiwei Mountain, and its territory expanded unprecedentedly. It might be able to reproduce the feats of the previous dynasty in the Western Regions.
He glanced at the civil and military officials under the Danbi and was very pleased. After meeting with the Xiongnu nobles, he conferred titles of marquis on the Right Wise King and the Right Guli King. He gave the Right Wise King's eldest son a Han surname and lived in Yandu from then on. The rest of his subordinates were appointed lieutenants to protect the Xiongnu as a token of his kindness.
The Xiongnu nobles were overjoyed after hearing this. They all knew that this was the conciliatory policy of the Emperor of Great Yan towards them, but they did not expect such a generous reward. After all, Muye Chanyu's head was sent to the capital of Yan. They then bowed and paid their respects.
Emperor Yongyuan was overwhelmed with emotion as he watched the powerful enemy of Dayan for hundreds of years kneeling before him. Several generations of emperors of Dayan had failed to subdue the Huns, but now the great threat had finally been eliminated. As the emperor of Dayan, he had finally lived up to his ancestors.
After rewarding the Huns, the next step was to reward the heroes of this battle. Marquis Jingyuan and the governor of Dingyuan County were both greatly rewarded. The generals who followed Xie Chen into the war were also rewarded with money and promoted to higher positions. Those who killed many enemies, such as He Xin and Lao Zhang, were given titles such as General of the Five Officials and General of the Tiger Guards.
As for Xie Chen, as the commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition against the Huns, Emperor Yongyuan recalled his astonishing military exploits in the battle reports. He looked at the handsome young general below him and sighed that he was indeed a born general.
"Thank you for your great contribution. I will confer you the title of Marquis of Xiping and grant you a fief of 10,000 households. If you have anything else to ask for, I will naturally agree to it given your contribution." Emperor Yongyuan waved his sleeves and said generously.
Xie Chen was dressed in military uniform, and the armor was dazzling in the sun. He suddenly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I want a promise from Your Majesty."
"What did you say?" Emperor Yongyuan's eyes suddenly became sharp and pierced Xie Chen. Xie Chen met his gaze and said, "Today, I heard that the former Grand Secretary Lin Shuge was confined to the palace by Your Majesty. I want to know what crime he committed to anger Your Majesty? I hope Your Majesty will forgive his sins for his loyalty over the years."
Ruan Qingyun was desperately winking at Xie Chen, and Du Hexin and Lao Zhang, who were standing behind him, were extremely anxious, but they could not help. They both looked at Ruan Qingyun, hoping that he would come out and say something.
The ministers on both sides were dumbfounded, and several officials were whispering and exchanging gossipy glances with each other.
Emperor Yongyuan stared at Xie Chen who was kneeling on the ground. Well, one by one, no wonder everyone says that their love is stronger than gold.
Emperor Yongyuan was so furious that he asked everyone to leave and left Xie Chen alone.
Lin Mansion.
Lin Shuge waited and waited but Xie Chen didn't come back. He heard the news of the army's return in the morning and had been looking forward to Xie Chen coming in, but it was already dark and there was no sign of Xie Chen. Maybe something had happened.
He couldn't go out at this time, so he could only pace back and forth anxiously, making the twins dizzy.
"Brother, don't worry. Maybe something has delayed him." Lin Xuan couldn't bear to see her brother so anxious, so she spoke out to comfort him.
Lin Qingyuan also said: "Yes, maybe tonight we will celebrate the victory, Erlang is a great contributor, so naturally he will be kept."
That's what makes sense, but Lin Shuge always feels that something is going to happen. If Xie Chen knew his current situation, no one knows what he would do.
But Lin Shuge couldn't say this in front of the twins, and he was still silent when the door, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly opened, followed by the sound of footsteps and weapons dragging on the ground.
The sound of iron rubbing against each other made Lin Shuge's heart skip a beat. He took a few steps towards the gate and saw the heavy iron door being pushed open from the outside, slowly revealing Xie Chen's handsome face.
The moon was above the willow trees, and the hazy moonlight shone on Xie Chen, as if it had coated him with a layer of light. It was already curfew time and there were no pedestrians on the street. The two looked at each other and their hearts trembled.
Xie Chen was the first to react and walked in with big strides. Lin Shuge's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he was suddenly lifted up by Xie Chen. Ignoring Lin Shuge's exclamation, he walked straight to the bedroom.
Old Zhang, who had been following happily behind him, took a few steps back almost instantly, and pulled the twins, who were standing beside him with their mouths wide open in shock, away.
Lin Shuge felt pain in his chest from the hard armor, "Zhongxuan, put me down quickly."
Xie Chen put him down, and Lin Shuge was about to accuse him of doing such an intimate thing in public, but he was picked up by him again.
With a "bang", Xie Chen kicked open the bedroom door. Lin Shuge felt dizzy and closed his eyes in fear.
"What are you afraid of, brother? How could I hurt you?" Xie Chen pressed him against the door panel. They were very close to each other. His breath while talking sprayed on Lin Shuge's slender white neck, bringing a sense of itchiness.
Lin Shuge moved slightly, but he held him tighter. Lin Shuge could only give up and tried to comfort him: "Zhongxuan, I know you are angry that I didn't tell you the truth, but I am fine. But you are far away on the battlefield, you can't let this little thing disturb your mind."
"Really? So brother thinks your matter is just a small matter to me." Xie Chen's face suddenly turned cold, and his eyes, which used to be full of affection, were now frost-filled. A closer look revealed that he was feeling aggrieved.
Lin Shuge smiled and said, "It's my fault. What compensation do you want, Xie Lang?"
Xie Chen still had a stern face, as if saying, "Don't think I will forgive you just because you say a few nice words."
Lin Shuge put his hands around his neck, pulled him slightly towards himself, and then kissed him. The lovesickness that had accumulated over the days was instantly revived. Xie Chen felt his delicate kiss with a cold face, and then kissed him back impatiently, with an aggressive look mixed with a hint of revenge.
The two of them tangled all the way from the door to the table. When Lin Shuge was thrown onto the bed, he finally woke up and quickly stopped Xie Chen and said, "Wait, I have something else to ask you."
"What do you want to ask?" Xie Chen took off his outer robe. The man who had been so cold-hearted just now now had a burning look in his eyes, and the fire was spreading across the prairie and was about to burn in an instant.
"Did you say anything to His Majesty today?" Lin Shuge clearly saw that all the soldiers surrounding the palace had withdrawn.
Xie Chen said nothing, but buried his head in his neck, even moving it all the way down. His hands were also dishonest, reaching into Lin Shuge's underwear which had been torn open long ago and stroking it carefully.
Lin Shuge panted hastily, "Don't talk yet, Zhongxuan, Xie Chen, explain it clearly first..."
Xie Chen leaned over and blocked his lips. After a long time, he sat up and said, "I asked him for a promise."
"What promise?" Lin Shuge quickly stood up and asked.
"I no longer doubt you." Xie Chen said.
Lin Shuge asked anxiously: "What did you promise him? Xie Chen, you said I was hiding something from you, but now you are still hiding it from me..."
Xie Chen put his finger on his lips and said softly, "I'll tell him whether his merits in expelling the Huns and protecting the people should be rewarded with trust."
"So, you're using your military merits to exchange for this frivolous promise?" Lin Shuge was so angry that he wanted to bite him. "Zhongxuan, whether this promise is useful depends only on him. Don't you know that?"
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