RWNEFE -Chapter 235 To All the Soldiers, Thank You for Your Hard Work!

The reinforcements that came with Qian Feng were the Northern Expedition Army under Zhou Ruyuan. Although they had never met Wei Dongzhu in person, they had heard of the Wei Family Army’s exploits and deeply admired the Wei family’s character and the army’s discipline.

At the same time, they felt a pang of unease. The Wei Family Army had once guarded the northwest like an iron fortress. Now, with the Northern Expedition Army arriving, they had suffered setback after setback, and it left a faint sting of embarrassment.

Everyone in the marriage delegation had expressions flickering between thought and shock.

“The Wei Family Army… what a shame!”

That day, a few carrier pigeons and messenger hawks flew off toward the capital.

Ever since Wei Dongzhu appeared, everyone was surprised by his attitude toward Shen Lanxi.

He actually called her “General Shen” with great respect. What did that mean?

Of course, a few people interpreted it differently, their eyes gradually revealing disdain and contempt.

…

Since recognizing Wei Dongzhu, Baru immediately instructed his Wala subordinates to look for the documents previously given by the Wei Family Army.

Of course, he had met Wei Dongzhu before. Naturally, he approached him to chat.

“Major General, I’m Baru. Do you remember me?” Baru gazed at Wei Dongzhu’s unusually pale face, full of doubt. Previously, Wei Dongzhu’s face wasn’t as dark as his, but it certainly wasn’t this pale.

Wei Dongzhu had already noticed Baru examining his face and knew what he was thinking. Everyone who saw him thought the same.

“My face was burned. After seeing the doctor, I’ve been wearing this mask and haven’t been exposed to the sun.”

Baru exhaled deeply, his doubts unspoken but pressing.

“Major General, I want to ask… is your mission this time to negotiate a marriage with the Turks?”

Wei Dongzhu smiled faintly. “I cannot tell you now. You are here as guards, so follow the General’s orders. Once we reach Huangtu City, you will know.”

Baru felt a mix of impatience and curiosity. The Wala tribes were always straightforward and frank, unlike these Great Zhou people, who spoke in half-truths, deliberately leaving others in suspense.

Zhou Yunyue remained silent for a long moment before starting to curry favor with Shen Yuanjing.

“Take this ginseng soup to Shen Yuanjing and say it was personally prepared by me, the princess.”

“Yes!”

Zhou Yunyue found it inconvenient to deliver it personally from the carriage, so she sent it instead.

She didn’t expect Shen Lanxi to actually have some skill. The reason her subordinates obeyed her likely had something to do with Wei Dongzhu.

A woman like her seemed impossibly lucky. First Zhou Ruyuan, now Wei Dongzhu. She was relying on her beauty to manipulate men—but such a person, Zhou Yunyue had long seen through.

Still, that worked to her advantage. No matter how high Shen Lanxi climbed, the future belonged to Shen Yuanjing.

She resolved to finalize her marriage with Shen Yuanjing as soon as possible. As for his dull mind, she could teach him later.

With the escort of the Northern Expedition Army, they soon arrived at Huangtu City.

Shen Lanxi looked at the war-torn city and the soldiers standing motionless on the walls like iron. She felt deep respect.

“To all the soldiers, thank you for your hard work!” she shouted as she dismounted.

The Northern Expedition soldiers were surprised. The soldiers on the city walls tilted their heads, unsure how to respond.

None of them had ever heard a general say such words before. It stirred something in their hearts.

“General, thank you for your hard work on the journey!” Captain Sun Zhong of the Northern Expedition Army opened the city gates to greet her.

Shen Lanxi replied, “I haven’t worked hard. You all are guarding our Great Zhou lands and standing as a shield against our enemies. That is the real merit.”

Sun Zhong glanced at Shen Lanxi curiously, then dared not look again.

He had already heard of the fame of the pacification army, and that a woman led it, and that she had once been the wife of General Zhou Ruyuan. He had prepared himself mentally, yet upon seeing her, he felt a slight shock.

He had imagined a woman as muscular and imposing as a small mountain, not a beauty capable of wielding swords and lifting long wooden stockpiles with her slender arms.

To send someone like her as an envoy for marriage—was the Emperor abandoning the people of the northwest?

Sun Zhong’s heart sank further.

After entering the city, Shen Lanxi was directly escorted to the former residence of Zhou Ruyuan.

“General Shen, this is the best mansion in Huangtu City, previously…” Sun Zhong hesitated mid-sentence.

The house was indeed the best, but given Shen Lanxi’s connection to Zhou Ruyuan, he wasn’t sure whether she would take offense that Zhou had lived here.

“Zhou Ruyuan lived here?” Shen Lanxi asked directly.

Seeing that she showed no awkwardness, Sun Zhong thought to himself that she had a straightforward nature.

“Then we’ll just stay here. As long as there’s a place to live, that’s enough. I didn’t come here for luxury!”

Sun Zhong quickly acknowledged her words.

Once Shen Lanxi confirmed, Wei Dongzhu instructed people to inspect the residence. The quality could wait—the priority was security.

“All the attendants can leave. I have my own people; they will arrive later,” Shen Lanxi said succinctly.

Everyone understood that eventually, the Northern Expedition Army and the pacification army would rotate duties. Preparations had already been made before the Southern Zhen King left, and Sun Zhong had been waiting for news.

“Yes, sir!” The mansion staff, mostly local townspeople, were sent off after receiving their silver coins.

Another residence not far away was prepared for the princess. It was similar in size, but the garden wasn’t tended since she would soon leave for the marriage, making Shen Lanxi’s mansion the better option.

Sun Zhong expected the princess to fuss about, but she simply asked about the house’s location and then instructed people to prepare it.

Earlier, when Zhou Yunyue left, she had lingered by Shen Yuanjing for a while. Sun Zhong noticed an odd tension between them.

“General Shen, have the Turks or the other three tribes shown any unusual activity recently?” Shen Lanxi asked immediately upon entering the residence, before even taking tea.

Sun Zhong had intended to wait until after the welcome banquet and after the party rested to give a full report. He hadn’t expected Shen Lanxi to be so impatient.

“The three tribes probed us several times. They likely noticed our commander was absent. Over a month ago, they attacked Shahaicheng, forcing us to retreat here.”

Shen Lanxi said, “No need to prepare a welcome banquet. I want the detailed reports of the past six months’ battles and the troop deployments of the three Turkic tribes.”

Sun Zhong was taken aback.

“General Sun, is it difficult to prepare these?” Shen Lanxi asked calmly.

He instinctively lowered his posture, replying respectfully, “No problem, General. I’ll prepare them immediately!”

Only after leaving the mansion did he recover his thoughts. For a moment, had Shen Lanxi’s presence seemed overwhelmingly commanding?