RWNEFE -Chapter 338 Establishing Authority at the Capital Guards Headquarters

Suddenly, Shen Lanxi released the aura around her.

The hairs on Sun Feng’s body instantly stood on end.

Killing intent!

Shen Lanxi threw a punch with all her strength. Although Sun Feng was four or five meters away, his body instinctively dodged to the side.

Boom… crash…

Relying solely on her inner force, Shen Lanxi smashed the main gate more than ten meters away into pieces with a single punch.

Sun Feng wiped his face in disbelief. Looking down, he saw his hand covered in blood.

His face stung painfully—the force of that punch had brushed past him.

“Inner force… you actually have inner force? And you’ve already reached the stage of projecting it outward?”

Sun Feng stared at Shen Lanxi in shock. Impossible—absolutely impossible!

She was only a seemingly delicate woman—how could she have trained to such a level?

Shen Lanxi said calmly, “Deputy Commander Sun, shall we continue?”

Sun Feng scrambled to his feet in a rather sorry state. All the contempt he had shown earlier was gone.

“Commander Shen, I was wrong. I failed to recognize a true master. Please punish me as you see fit.”

Shen Lanxi’s smile faded, and she said expressionlessly, “From now on, anyone reporting for duty at the Capital Guards will take martial competition as the initial entry test.”

Sun Feng clasped his fists, lowered his head, and shouted, “Yes!”

He had judged her through a crack in the door and underestimated her. A woman who had recovered Dongchuan and suppressed the northwest—how could she possibly be ordinary?

All those rumors outside were false.

Thinking of those rumors, Sun Feng felt deeply annoyed with himself.

Shen Lanxi was very satisfied with the authority she had just established. “Are you all right? Do you need time to recover?”

Sun Feng stiffened. Being defeated in a single move by a woman without even a chance to counterattack was humiliating enough—recover from injuries?

“No need, Commander Shen. I’m fine. I’m not injured.”

Shen Lanxi nodded. “Since you’re not injured, then take me around and familiarize me with the Capital Guards’ affairs.”

Sun Feng hurriedly led the way.

Compared with how smoothly things were going on Shen Lanxi’s side, the imperial examination preparations were far less smooth.

Emperor Renxiao specifically asked to see the list of candidates. After looking through the provinces, he frowned.

“Why are there no candidates from Dongchuan or the northwest?”

An official from the Ministry of Rites quickly replied, “Your Majesty, because of the previous unrest in those two regions, the scholars all went to join the army. Even after the rebellions were suppressed, there was not enough time for them to return to their studies, so no candidates have registered from those provinces.”

A flicker passed through Emperor Renxiao’s eyes, and then he spoke in a mild tone: “Those regions were indeed severely affected. In that case, to offer encouragement, slightly lower the difficulty of the provincial examination questions in those areas. When they come to the capital for the final examination, the papers will be unified with those of the other candidates.”

The Ministry of Rites official immediately knelt and offered lavish praise.

“Your Majesty loves the people as a father loves his children…”

Emperor Renxiao finally set aside his last concern and began patiently waiting for the examinations to arrive.

After Shen Lanxi finished work, a visitor arrived at her residence.

Wang Xiangyi’s eyes swept over Shen Lanxi’s official robes and face, and the jealousy in her eyes was impossible to suppress.

Why was it that even after her family had been exiled, Shen Lanxi could rise again? Not only rise again, but even attain the rank of duke—something many men could never achieve.

And she herself, the daughter of a princess, had to marry a worthless man, and now even come here humbly to beg Shen Lanxi.

Heaven was unfair to her. She hated it.

“Why are you here?” Shen Lanxi stopped at the doorway, making no move to let Wang Xiangyi inside.

The Third Princess had been confined by Emperor Renxiao, but Wang Xiangyi herself had not been restricted, which allowed her to come here.

“Shen Lanxi, are you sure you want to talk at the gate?” Wang Xiangyi said coldly, anger in her voice.

Shen Lanxi did not even spare her an extra expression. She turned and walked away.

“Hey, stop! Where are you going? I haven’t finished speaking!”

“You servants—do you know who I am? I’m the daughter of the Third Princess. If you dare touch me, I’ll have your heads cut off!”

The household guards were all soldiers from the Zhenbei Army, now openly assigned to duty.

Soldiers of the Zhenbei Army recognized no one but Shen Lanxi.

They didn’t care whose daughter she was—if she dared force her way in, they would cut her down.

With gleaming blades pointed at her, Wang Xiangyi became furious with shame and began cursing loudly.

“Shen Lanxi, what do you think you are? Half of the blood in my veins is imperial blood. Try touching me if you dare!”

With a loud bang, the gate slammed shut right in front of her.

Wang Xiangyi was both angry and humiliated, feeling her dignity completely trampled.

“Shen Lanxi, come out here…!”

“My lord, should we give the one outside something to quiet her down? She’s too noisy,” Ban Sicao said in a tone full of disdain.

Shen Lanxi replied, “Weren’t you supposed to be watching the princess’s residence? Why are you back?”

Ban Sicao said sheepishly, “There’s nothing to watch. Either they go out to buy supplies, or someone comes out to throw away garbage. The conversations before and after are all the same—there’s nothing unusual at all.”

Shen Lanxi said, “No hurry. As long as they’re confined in the princess’s residence, they can’t escape. Sooner or later, they’ll reveal a flaw.”

Ban Sicao sighed. “I just hope that person shows a flaw soon. I don’t want to keep watching forever.”

Shen Lanxi smiled faintly. “Be patient. Later I’ll give you a gyrfalcon to play with.”

Ban Sicao’s eyes lit up. “You promised to teach me how to train hawks, remember?”

Shen Lanxi nodded. “All right.”

That evening, Shen Lanxi received news that Shen Yuantang had slipped out of the house and headed straight for the Marquis of Jining’s residence.

“Don’t let her die. Otherwise, do not interfere.”

“Yes!”

The next morning, when Shen Lanxi was about to go on duty, someone from the Shen residence arrived.

“Miss, the Old Madam sent this servant to inform you that Miss Yuantang has gone missing.”

Shen Lanxi asked, “Where is my father?”

“The eldest master has gone to court.”

His daughter had disappeared, yet he could still go to court as usual?

Shen Lanxi gave a mocking smile. “And my mother?”

“The Princess Consort has gone to the temple to burn incense and has not yet returned. The Old Madam has already sent someone to notify her.”

Shen Lanxi said, “Go back and tell the Old Madam that I will report this matter to the Capital Guards and handle it according to normal procedure.”

The servant was utterly confused. When a young lady from an official’s family went missing, wasn’t such a matter usually kept secret? He hurried back to the Shen residence.

Shen Lanxi first went to the Capital Guards to report for duty and briefly mentioned Shen Yuantang’s disappearance.

Sun Feng said, “My lord, when a female family member of an official goes missing, it falls under household matters. According to procedure, we first visit the home and ask how the family wishes to conduct the search. If it is done openly, it may damage her reputation, so most families prefer to search privately.”

Shen Lanxi said, “Follow the normal procedure. I am also responsible for the spring examinations and must go to the Ministry of Rites this afternoon.”

Hearing this, Sun Feng immediately breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how capable Shen Lanxi was in combat, she was still a woman; staying among a group of men for too long was somewhat improper.

Because of Shen Lanxi’s connection, Sun Feng personally led a team to the Shen residence.

That afternoon, Shen Lanxi went to the Ministry of Rites. Previously she had used her injuries as an excuse to avoid visitors, and the officials there had been unable to find her to discuss matters. After submitting memorials several times and irritating Emperor Renxiao, he had taken the opportunity—when she came to deliver ginseng—to set a deadline for her to show up.

“Duke of the Great Cauldron, you’ve finally appeared!”

“The title ‘Great Cauldron’ was actually proposed by our Ministry of Rites. Lord Shen has rendered outstanding service to Great Zhou and is a pillar of the state, like a great cauldron that stabilizes heaven and earth and deters the frontiers…”