RWNEFE -Chapter 207 Using Military Merit to Reopen the Wei Family Army Case!

Zhou Ruyuan’s face went pale, and he hurriedly explained: “Father, it was Shen Lanxi who was rude to me first.”

Shen Lanxi’s eyes flashed. “Uncle, he arbitrarily keeps telling me to leave Bai Qingling alone. I’ve explained to him that since returning to the capital, I haven’t seen her. But he keeps insisting as if he didn’t understand. I am truly the wronged party!”

Zhou Ruyuan glared at her viciously. “Yesterday, assassins entered my residence. Qingling was nearly killed! In the entire capital, only you bear a grudge against her!”

Shen Lanxi retorted calmly: “Catch the thief with the stolen goods, catch the adulterer with the evidence. If you claim I sent assassins, do you have witnesses or proof?”

Emperor Renxiao’s face darkened as he glared at his son—the incompetent fool who failed at everything but meddling.

That girl was unbelievably lucky—she didn’t die!

“Ruyuan, do you have any evidence?” The emperor decided to teach his son a lesson.

Zhou Ruyuan’s face turned even paler. He stammered: “The assassins who entered the prince’s residence were death warriors. When I captured them, they poisoned themselves!”

Emperor Renxiao’s expression grew grim as he sat back down.

“So… no evidence?”

Zhou Ruyuan lowered his head, saying nothing.

He truly had no proof. If he did, he would have confronted Shen Lanxi openly instead of using the position of principal wife as a bargaining chip to make her compromise.

“Nonsense!” Emperor Renxiao suddenly erupted, sweeping the fruit plate from the table to the floor.

All the court ladies and officials’ wives dropped to their knees.

“To slander a court minister without evidence! Zhou Ruyuan, after all these years leading troops in battle, this is all you’ve learned? You are utterly disappointing!”

Zhou Ruyuan’s heart leapt. He hadn’t expected Shen Lanxi to refuse to compromise.

That was the position of Zhen’nan Wang’s principal wife! She was already a discarded wife; finding a good match would be difficult. Shouldn’t she be cherishing this opportunity?

Empress Qi Yingqun observed for a moment, then spoke gently: “Your Majesty, please calm down. Today is a welcome banquet for General Shen and the Third Prince—a joyous occasion. It’s normal for two young people to squabble once in a while. Didn’t we also have minor disputes before? Everything will be fine afterward!”

Emperor Renxiao, face still stern, glanced at Shen Lanxi and Zhou Ruyuan, then took a deep breath: “Fine. Let it be. Their matters shall be resolved privately.”

Qi Yingqun looked at the two of them, her smile gentle as water: “You two should at least thank His Majesty!”

Zhou Ruyuan: “Your servant thanks Father Emperor!”

Shen Lanxi’s eyes flickered, and she also bowed.

Once everyone rose, Qi Yingqun’s gaze fell on Zhou Ruyuan.

“Third Prince, you needn’t go to such lengths to get Lanxi’s attention. You are a hero on the battlefield, and Lanxi is a rare beauty. What beauty doesn’t admire a hero?”

“Your Majesty, the more I see the two of them together, the more they suit each other.”

Emperor Renxiao’s expression softened slightly.

“If not for prior incidents, the two of you would have been a couple admired by all.”

Hearing the emperor and empress in agreement, Zhou Ruyuan began to understand.

“Father, I was foolish before. I will never repeat my mistakes.”

Emperor Renxiao, seeing his son’s words, nodded with mild satisfaction. Not too stupid—if he truly risked everything for that lowly maid, then the emperor would have to be ruthless.

Shen Lanxi smirked internally. Let them put on their little performance—she would seize her own opportunity.

“Your Majesty, I, Shen Lanxi, request that the Wei Family Army’s pay and provisions case be reopened and investigated using military merit!”

As soon as she spoke, the stables fell into silence.

Her? Military merit? Reopen the Wei Family Army case?

Everyone seemed to collectively remember that Shen Lanxi had military accomplishments!

Previously, they only thought of her as a woman, dismissing her merit as irrelevant, forgetting entirely that she was a general—the grand general who had reclaimed most of Dongchuan’s lost territory!

Men earned rewards and titles for their military achievements—what about women?

Emperor Renxiao was displeased. He had been planning to grant Shen Lanxi a marriage match as recognition for her merit. He hadn’t expected her to take the initiative.

“Lanxi, I have already cleared your family’s name. You need not waste your military achievements!” The emperor’s words were ostensibly for her benefit, but what he truly thought only he knew.

Shen Lanxi replied firmly: “The world only knows that the Wei Family Army’s provisions were stolen by the Shen family. Thankfully, Your Majesty, wise as always, knows we were innocent. But others are not as discerning. They believe I earned merit, and that’s why the Shen family was pardoned!”

“Yet the accusation that the Wei Family’s supplies were stolen still hangs over the Shen family. I will not allow history to blame Your Majesty, nor the Shen family to bear undeserved shame. I demand the Shen family serve Your Majesty with a clear name, that the Wei Family Army case be fully vindicated, and Your Majesty’s name remain untarnished in history!”

The stables were eerily silent.

Emperor Renxiao looked at Shen Lanxi, recalling how for more than two years, no minister dared mention the Wei Family Army in court.

After two years, it was again the Shen family—Lanxi!—who raised the matter.

Since ascending the throne, this was the first time the emperor had been cornered like this.

Trapped!

After a silence that felt eternal, Emperor Renxiao finally spoke:

“Very well. Since you insist, you shall have full authority to investigate the Wei Family Army’s provisions case! I decree that all officials involved in the case must fully cooperate. Any official who dares to obstruct will be treated as an accomplice to theft!”

Shen Lanxi: “I accept the decree. My gratitude for Your Majesty’s benevolence!”

Emperor Renxiao saw her sincere thanks and allowed a slight smile.

The Ministry of Personnel and the Court of Justice had never ceased investigating the Wei Family Army’s provisions. All the clues for the past two years pointed to the Shen family.

This wasn’t the emperor’s ploy—it was Shen Lanxi’s own move, digging a hole and jumping in.

In that sense, Shen Lanxi was not a threat.

…

The Shen family sat uneasy.

Why couldn’t Shen Lanxi just behave? At every turn, she stirred trouble.

The Shen family had just returned to the capital with their names cleared—they should tread carefully. The Third Prince, no matter how outrageous, was a prince—they had no standing to argue.

Was Shen Lanxi trying to get them killed?

A mere woman, daring to make demands before the emperor—she must have swallowed a lion’s courage.

The Shen family had already been vindicated. Why reopen the case?

The citizens and officials had almost forgotten the Wei Family Army. Didn’t she fear drawing their ire?

Yet, unexpectedly, the emperor actually agreed. It wasn’t that they didn’t want the Shen family cleared—it was simply not so easy.

If it could have been resolved, it would have been already. Did she think all the ministers were incompetent?

Wasn’t this asking for trouble for the Shen family?

Seeing their family rise again, if she kept investigating, how many people would she offend?