RWNEFE -Chapter 187 I Want You to Serve Me for Two Years!

Shen Lanxi raised an eyebrow, glanced at Liang Shao and Wei Dongzhu, and said calmly, “I am the general, he is the vanguard—of course, it’s a subordinate relationship. I wonder why the Northwest King asks such a thing?”

Wei Dongzhu immediately stood up to explain: “General, I—”

Liang Shao’s voice cut him off: “It’s nothing, just a casual question. As the saying goes, ‘a beauty suits a hero.’ Vanguard Hu and General Shen are very well matched!”

Wei Dongzhu shouted angrily at Liang Shao: “Northwest King, stop speaking nonsense, or don’t blame me for being rude!”

Two of the Northwest King’s subordinates quickly stepped in, one on each side, to hold him back.

“Sorry, our king tends to talk nonsense when he drinks. He just likes to randomly pair people up!”

Shen Lanxi smiled without much emotion, waving her hand: “Take your king down to rest, and next time, don’t go around saying a wolf and a tiger are a perfect match just because they’re together!”

The two subordinates, embarrassed, quickly escorted Liang Shao away.

The rest of the negotiations had already been largely settled, and unless necessary, there was no need to meet Liang Shao again.

Shen Lanxi raised her voice: “Return to Liuzhou!”

“Yes!”

A shadow remained, staring in the direction they had left, unwilling to turn and leave.

Not long after Shen Lanxi returned to Liuzhou, she received a personal imperial edict from the Renxiao Emperor: the assassination of Song Daoxi was to be postponed, with priority given to suppressing the rumors spread by Prince Cheng.

What rumors?

About the former crown prince? Or the Empress Dowager?

She casually tossed the secret edict, which flew to Liu Yanhui in front of her.

The people on either side passed it along.

Liu Yanhui asked: “Do you think what Prince Cheng says is true or false?”

Cheng Zheng wrote: “Among us, only you have been to the capital and served as an official.”

Liu Yanhui protested: “I’m just a minor official. The matter of the former crown prince is classified—how could I possibly know?”

“The Empress Dowager’s matter is even more so—I have no right to enter the palace!”

So the question fell to Shen Lanxi—she was the only one among them who had been to the palace.

Shen Lanxi: “On the surface, His Majesty did nothing wrong and treated the Empress Dowager very well.” She could sense that much!

Liu Yanhui nervously asked: “What do you know about the former crown prince?”

Shen Lanxi spoke honestly: “I have never heard anything.”

The group exchanged glances, none knowing how to resolve the issue.

Suddenly, Qian Feng said: “What about your mother? Does she know?”

The two rows of people all stared at him—he was bold!

After asking, Qian Feng immediately regretted it, embarrassed by all the eyes on him.

Was that not something one could ask?

Shen Lanxi: “Do you think everyone in the world believes what Prince Cheng says?”

“Would anyone dare confront Prince Cheng?”

Clearly, no one would dare.

“Just because he can talk nonsense, others can’t?” Shen Lanxi glanced at the two rows of people.

Others have mouths, so do they!

Seeing others constantly talk, they forgot they even had mouths?

Liu Yanhui’s expression was odd: “Royal matters—can they be spoken of at will?”

Shen Lanxi glanced at him, and he immediately corrected himself: “It’s not a royal matter; it concerns the stability of the Zhou Dynasty and the people’s well-being!”

Shen Lanxi: “Even though Prince Cheng and Eastern Liao King have privately allied, they must secretly be at odds.”

Qian Feng wondered: “How does the general know so much?”

Liu Yanhui, Cheng Zheng, and the others exchanged strange looks.

If the general says there’s conflict, then even if discord has to be manufactured, there will be discord!

One day later, Eastern Liao King’s supplies were burned. Someone reportedly saw Prince Cheng’s men responsible.

The next day, Prince Cheng’s supplies were burned. This time, someone reported seeing Eastern Liao King’s men nearby.

“Let the dogs bite each other while we catch the prey,” Liu Yanhui said with a grin.

Wei Dongzhu: “What if they think it was us?”

Liu Yanhui, confident: “Even if they suspect the Northwest King, they will never suspect us.”

Cheng Zheng wrote, smiling: “Just wait—they’ll withdraw soon.”

Half an hour later, Shen Lanxi announced a retreat to Yonglinzhou.

“Old Cheng, you’re amazing, you actually guessed the general would withdraw!” On the march, Liu Yanhui threw his arm around Cheng Zheng’s neck.

Cheng Zheng wrote: “It’s obvious. We have only five thousand troops. Whether it’s Eastern Liao King or Prince Cheng, if they focus, it would be easy to wipe us out!”

Wei Dongzhu looked back at Liuzhou fading into the distance. He thought he understood Shen Lanxi, but after only a few days, she seemed to have returned to the way she was when they first met.

On the way back to Yonglinzhou, Shen Lanxi again ran into Ban Sicao.

This time he was severely injured. After she rescued him, he remained unconscious all the way to Yonglinzhou.

She handed him over to the medical tent, leaving the women of Liu-Zhao village to care for him, and returned to her work.

Being away for several days had accumulated a pile of official documents. The students at Qinglan Academy had handled many, but some still required her approval.

For example, whether the academy should reopen, and whether students would attend exams on schedule.

Shen Lanxi spent three days resolving everything. Two people were hung on the flagpoles outside the government offices, restoring order.

“Anyone causing trouble from now on will be chained in heavy irons and sent to repair military forts and city walls!”

“Yes!”

Only severe punishment from an authority could maintain order!

As Shen Lanxi’s ruthless image spread, so did Prince Cheng’s claims—distorting the matters of the former crown prince and Empress Dowager as excuses for rebellion, once again stirring public attention.

Prince Cheng immediately countered, appointing Song Daoxi as Imperial Preceptor, and three days later publicly holding memorials for the former crown prince and Empress Dowager in Gannan Circuit.

The saying that “whoever obtains the Ghost Valley heir obtains the empire” was also thrown into the spotlight!

While Shen Lanxi waited for events to unfold, Ban Sicao woke and immediately sought her out.

“I heard you like to adopt sworn sons?”

Shen Lanxi twitched her mouth: “Adopting one comes with conditions!”

Ban Sicao: “I know—money and supplies. If I give more, can I raise my rank in your family?”

Liu Yanhui, who was reporting the accounts, was stunned.

He was bold enough—never seen someone bargain while seeking favor!

Shen Lanxi remained composed and asked: “How much more?”

Liu Yanhui thought: as expected of their general!

Ban Sicao thought seriously: “I’ll give ten thousand taels of silver and ten types of poison.”

Shen Lanxi: “Not enough.”

Ban Sicao: “Twenty thousand taels!”

Shen Lanxi: “Even two hundred thousand isn’t enough!”

Ban Sicao, considering the outside situation, asked: “How much do you want? Just say it.”

Shen Lanxi: “I want you to serve me for two years.”

Ban Sicao hesitated.

“Don’t want to? Then leave!” She was indifferent.

Ban Sicao couldn’t be so indifferent. His internal injuries hadn’t healed; going out now would be a death sentence if he ran into the wrong people.

“One year, then?”

Shen Lanxi lowered her head to the account books.

“Fine, fine. Two years it is. But you cannot interfere with my freedom—I’m not selling myself to you. And I only want your service—you, not your friends or family!”