RWNEFE -Chapter 199 Shen Lanxi and Zhou Ruyuan Meet at the City Gate!

After receiving the imperial edict, Zhou Ruyuan’s face was full of disbelief!

The Pacification General mentioned in the edict… was really Shen Lanxi?

Bai Qingling also looked equally shocked. She had already borne Zhou Ruyuan’s child and was now pregnant again. Yet the royal family had not granted her any formal status, and her child hadn’t even been recorded on the imperial registry. How could she not feel resentment?

She would never forget that it was Shen Lanxi who had brought all this humiliation upon her.

And now the edict stated that Shen Lanxi had been appointed Pacification General? What—was there no one else in court capable of taking the position?

“I must see the Emperor! I will see His Majesty!” Zhou Ruyuan stubbornly refused to accept the edict.

The eunuch delivering the edict glanced at Bai Qingling, who quickly advised, “Your Highness, first accept the edict. If you wish to have an audience with the Emperor, you can submit a memorial afterward!”

Refusing the edict would be pointless; the eunuch might return and exaggerate the matter before the Emperor.

Previously, every time an edict urged them to expedite the negotiations, the Emperor would send someone afterward to scold them.

At first, Bai Qingling had ignored these eunuchs. But after repeated lessons, even she had to yield to reality.

“Your Highness, please accept the edict first. The eunuch has traveled a long and arduous road; let him rest properly!” Bai Qingling gently nudged Zhou Ruyuan.

After a moment of fury, Zhou Ruyuan swallowed his anger and accepted the edict.

His anger wasn’t toward Shen Lanxi—it was toward the content of the edict itself.

How could Shen Lanxi… the woman who had gradually faded from his memory, now resurface so vividly?

She could fight—and fight well!

Even so, she was still just a woman with martial skills. Did she understand military strategy? Did she know how to command troops and deploy formations? How could the Emperor think to have someone like her replace him?

Bai Qingling sent off the eunuch after properly arranging matters and returned to Zhou Ruyuan’s side.

“Your Highness, I think this is definitely the Emperor’s provocation tactic!” she suddenly said.

Zhou Ruyuan froze and asked, “What do you mean?”

Bai Qingling’s eyes flickered. “The negotiations have dragged on so long without progress. The Emperor must be anxious. He deliberately used this method to urge us to conclude the talks quickly!”

Zhou Ruyuan nodded, then shook his head. “If it were truly a provocation, he wouldn’t issue an edict. He would just send someone to inform us.”

Bai Qingling grew slightly anxious. She didn’t want Zhou Ruyuan to think about Shen Lanxi any further.

“Your Highness, let’s ask about the Emperor’s intent directly. After all, the negotiations are deadlocked, the foreign forces haven’t made a move, and a few days’ absence won’t matter!”

Zhou Ruyuan considered this, then turned and entered his study. He remained there for over an hour before coming out.

Meanwhile, Shen Lanxi had received the imperial edict!

“By the Mandate of Heaven… General Shen is commanded to return to the capital with her family, then serve as an envoy for the royal marriage, and proceed to the Northwest…”

Shen Lanxi: “I accept the edict!”

…

“Yuanjing, Yuanxu, Yuanpeng… go inform the family to pack up. We leave for the capital in three days!”

“Yes!”

After the Shen sons left, Shen Lanxi immediately called her aides for a meeting.

That evening, six small units departed successively toward the Northwest.

The next day, before dawn, two units departed for the capital.

Every day afterward, small units would set out in either direction.

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

After the edict arrived, the Shen family’s restrictions were lifted. During these three days, they busied themselves preparing for the return to the capital, leaving no time for idle gossip.

“Mother, I’ve laid three layers of thick blankets in the carriage, and padded both sides as well. Yuanxu says the horses will be pushed fast along the way, changing at each relay station. The carriage must be thickly padded, or the journey will be torturous!” Madam Liu smiled and helped her grandmother.

Old Madam Shen personally oversaw the preparations, so she knew exactly how it should be done.

Finally, Madam Liu showed some cleverness!

Meanwhile, Shen Yuanjing and Shen Yuanxu helped Old Master Shen into a carriage. To ensure comfort, the carriage was heavily padded, leaving no space for many others.

Old Madam Shen and Old Master Shen each rode in their own carriage; the rest of the family occupied the remaining three carriages.

Once everything was in order, Shen Lanxi shouted: “Depart!”

Cavalry rode ahead, carriages in the middle, more cavalry behind—a thunderous procession charging toward the capital!

Meanwhile, Zhou Ruyuan received his orders and immediately prepared his luggage.

Previously, taking the long boat route had been dangerous. This time, without mobs or rebels blocking the way, Shen Lanxi and her group sped ahead like a storm. After two days of relentless travel, the elders could barely endure!

“General, let’s rest a moment. Grandfather and Grandmother cannot endure this pace!” Shen Yuanjing said with concern.

Shen Lanxi: “Hold on a bit longer. We’ll rest at the next relay station!”

“Yes!”

Shen Yuanjing worried that if they didn’t rest, the ones returning to the capital might be his grandparents’ corpses.

Not to mention the others—Madam Liu and the soldiers riding alongside Shen Lanxi were also exhausted after two days of nonstop travel.

Whenever they thought they could go no further, they reminded themselves of Shen Lanxi.

If one woman could endure this, how could they, as men, falter?

Clenching their teeth, they finally heard the General say there would be rest at the next relay station. At last, a glimpse of relief!

Shen Lanxi was strict with training but never skimped on food.

“Good meals, good dishes—don’t worry about the money!”

The guards cheered internally.

They had joined the army for a proper meal; no hardship could surpass hunger. Even when exhausted, seeing a good meal would revive them.

The elders were different. After two days, vomiting took an entire day; the rest of the time, they were dizzy.

They were carried into the relay station, while others helped each other down, legs weak as noodles, heads spinning in all directions.

No appetite remained—they longed only to lie down and rest.

After a night’s rest, they continued the journey.

During times when Old Master Shen and Old Madam Shen could barely continue, they had already endured over ten days of river travel, then resumed overland.

Water and land transfers took two months and nine days, finally reaching the capital.

From afar, the city gates appeared both changed and unchanged.

In her heart, Shen Lanxi silently thought: Capital, I am back!

Those holding military positions returning with troops must legally stop outside the city and wait for summons; without summons, entry is forbidden.

Shen Yuanjing stepped forward and presented the memorial.

The guards at the gate had already spotted them. Seeing Shen Yuanjing approach, they became alert.

“Pacification General Shen Lanxi, returning to the capital with her family by imperial edict!” Shen Yuanjing raised the memorial high and called out.

Just as the gate officer reached to take it, the thunderous sound of hooves rang out.

“Prince of the South, Zhou Ruyuan, returning to the capital by imperial edict!”