RWNEFE -Chapter 245 The Auspicious Mascot of Huangtu City!

Shen Lanxi lowered her gaze and said, “Even if you give me the tiger tally, the Northern Expeditionary Army cannot become the Wei Family Army.”

Seeing that she had misunderstood, Wei Dongzhu quickly explained, “That’s not what I mean. This is the most precious thing I own. I once thought about rebuilding the Wei Family Army, but after pledging my service to you, that thought disappeared.”

Shen Lanxi still kept her head lowered, eating her grilled fish unhurriedly. Her expression was calm, as though she were dealing with routine military affairs.

“I…” Seeing her like this, Wei Dongzhu’s eyes dimmed slightly, then grew resolute.

“I admire you, General,” he said. After saying it, he suddenly felt his chest lighten.

Shen Lanxi put down the half-eaten grilled fish and looked at him with a deep, unreadable gaze.

“The great enmities of our two families have yet to be avenged. How could we allow ourselves to be delayed by romantic feelings?”

Wei Dongzhu felt overwhelming shame. That one sentence had already exhausted all his courage.

With the forty thousand fallen souls of the Wei Family Army unavenged, how could he have the face to indulge in romance?

“General, I understand,” Wei Dongzhu said, slowly closing his eyes.

Shen Lanxi clapped her hands and stood up. “Let’s go back.”

Wei Dongzhu, unable to hide his disappointment, put the tiger tally away. When he looked up again, he was once more the cold and stern man he had always been.

On the way back, Qian Feng’s eyes kept darting between Shen Lanxi and Wei Dongzhu.

Something felt different—yet at the same time, it felt like nothing had changed at all.

…

When they returned, they happened to run into the Northern Expeditionary Army parading the Companion Moon Saber through the streets.

In less than a single day, the Companion Moon Saber had become the undisputed mascot of Huangtu City.

At first, it had simply been placed at the city gate, with both civilians and soldiers crowding around to admire it. Then Sun Zhong had a flash of inspiration and came up with the idea of parading it through the streets.

They paraded it through the military camp first, then through the streets, and after that back to the city gate.

The main idea was a mobile exhibition—so that every soldier and civilian in Huangtu City could look up in awe at the mascot’s splendor!

Sun Zhong’s half-day of joy far surpassed the happiness he’d felt in the past three years—he was even happier than during the New Year.

After watching the crowd escort the mascot away, Shen Lanxi and the others finally entered the city.

Sun Zhong was truly a talent!

…

Shen Yuanjing’s body had mostly recovered. To avoid Zhou Yunyue, he had been claiming all along that his injuries had not yet healed.

Zhou Yunyue came again to deliver chicken soup.

“Move aside! How dare you stop me? I am a princess of Great Zhou!”

“You blind fools! I’ll have Shen Lanxi chop off your heads!”

Zhou Yunyue shrieked nonstop outside the door.

Ever since that lowly maid had taken her place as the princess, the palace servants had driven Zhou Yunyue into the room where Yinxing used to live. Their reason was simple: Yinxing was now the princess, so Zhou Yunyue would henceforth be Yinxing.

That wretched maid dared to humiliate her like this—and those servants actually listened to her?

Yesterday, Zhou Yunyue had been so furious that she smashed everything in her room and even went to look for Shen Lanxi.

Unexpectedly, the guards refused to let her leave. No matter how she cursed or threatened them, they paid no attention.

She spent the whole night in panic. Early the next morning, she ordered chicken soup to be prepared. When the palace servants refused to pass on her message, she caused a huge scene—arguing with the servants, quarreling with the guards, and even making trouble in the kitchen.

In the end, she finally bullied the kitchen staff into stewing a bowl of chicken soup for her.

After all this, she became convinced that Shen Lanxi was deliberately trying to intimidate her, forcing her to obediently agree to the political marriage. Dream on!

The more Shen Lanxi treated her this way, the more it proved Shen Lanxi was afraid. She was a princess of the imperial family—who would dare replace her?

If Shen Lanxi truly dared to do it, that would be tampering with imperial bloodlines, defying the imperial edict, and putting on a show of obedience to her father while secretly defying him.

The worse Shen Lanxi treated her, the more anxious she must be.

Hmph—serves her right! After the way Shen Lanxi treated her before, she would make sure Shen Lanxi paid dearly!

“Yuanjing, get up!”

“Yuanjing, don’t think I’ll leave just because you won’t answer me. I’m not leaving—I’ll wait right here at your door!”

“Shen Yuanjing, in life I’m yours, and in death I’m your ghost. Don’t even think about shaking me off…”

Listening to the curse-like voice outside, Shen Yuanjing buried his head under the blanket in agony.

Eldest Sister, I was wrong. I’ll never trust another woman again!

Eldest Sister, please come save me…

When Shen Yuanxu and the others returned from outside and heard Zhou Yunyue’s shouting, they immediately turned around and left.

“Brother, are we really just leaving like this?”

“Shouldn’t we save Yuanjing?”

“If you want to save him, you go.”

“I don’t dare go alone—I’m afraid she’ll latch onto me.”

“If even you’re afraid she’ll cling to you, how would I dare go?”

“If Yun Jing finds out, he’ll definitely say we’re disloyal!”

“After this, I finally understand—never underestimate any woman. Stay far away from women, except for Eldest Sister!”

“In the future, I’ll only marry one woman… Heaven bless me, don’t let me run into someone like Zhou Yunyue. If I do, I’d rather become a monk!”

“Peh, peh, peh… you little brat, don’t say such inauspicious things…”

The Shen brothers turned on their heels and went to look for Cheng Zheng.

With Cheng Zheng, they could finally find some peace and quiet.

…

The exchange between the two armies officially began. After seeing off the first group, Shen Lanxi turned back to the residence to handle official matters.

On the way back, she chatted briefly with Sun Zhong.

“I thought you would leave in the first group.”

Sun Zhong had indeed been on the first list, but he chose to leave last.

Leaving now felt a bit like fleeing in disgrace.

“Compared to the others, I’m the most familiar with the northwest and with Abu Khan. Leaving others behind—I wouldn’t feel at ease.”

Shen Lanxi said, “You’re a good general. If things don’t work out under Zhou Ruyuan, you can come and join me.”

Sun Zhong’s mouth twitched slightly. Was Shen Lanxi always this direct when she spoke?

Qian Feng said quietly, “I was formerly of the Southwest Black Tiger Army.”

Sun Zhong’s eyes flickered. He lowered his head and said nothing.

As the first batch of Northern Expeditionary troops departed, the conscription order was carried to all parts of the northwest.

Huangtu City posted the conscription notices as well. Along with the troop exchange, Zhou Ruyuan petitioned to disband the female guards. The court sent the conscription order to Shen Lanxi with eight-hundred-li urgent dispatches.

Emperor Renxiao did not trust her, but he trusted his own son. Half of the pacification army consisted of women—how were they supposed to fight a war?

How could such delicate women safely reach the northwest in the bitter cold of winter?

Was he handing Shen Lanxi nothing but an empty shell?

If it were truly handed over like that, the northwest would collapse in an instant!

Thus, the conscription order was given to Shen Lanxi, commanding her to recruit soldiers at once—so that when the pacification army arrived, they would not be faced with a pitiful sight of remnants and weak troops.

When Emperor Renxiao received his son’s petition, he was first furious, then filled with guilt.

But once the conscription order was issued, that guilt vanished in an instant.

He was an enlightened and generous ruler, treating every subject like a benevolent father!

Sun Zhong and the other officers couldn’t help but laugh when they saw the conscription order.

After three years in the northwest, where were there any soldiers left to recruit?

Were they supposed to dress children who weren’t even knee-high in armor, or have white-bearded old men tremblingly shoulder spears to guard the city?

Yet Shen Lanxi’s next order struck them like a bolt from the blue, exploding over their heads.

“Recruit female guards—did I hear that right?”

“You heard right. Female guards.”

“Isn’t this utterly absurd? Since when do women go to war?”

“Why wouldn’t they? Isn’t the one issuing the order a woman herself?”

At once, everyone fell silent.