Chapter 1096: Chapter 1090: Unperturbed by Favor or Humiliation
Bai family elder sister has always been true to her word. Once at the gates of Dadu City, Bai family elder sister said... after he achieves merit in the military, she will give him her red tassel silver spear!
Bai Qingyan had not yet said she would give the red tassel silver spear to Lu Yuanpeng, yet Lu Yuanpeng had already sensed he would become the next owner of the red tassel spear, unconsciously wiping the sweat from his palm on his clothes.
"It seems... Yuanpeng already knows why I called him over?" Bai Qingyan looked at Lu Yuanpeng’s expression, her brows full of amusement.
Lu Yuanpeng chuckled dryly, seeing Bai Qingyan take the red tassel silver spear from Wei Zhong, he stood even straighter.
"I once said, once you enlisted, I would give you this red tassel silver spear. Now you have done even better than I imagined, even General Shen and General Cheng sing your praises!" Bai Qingyan fondly arranged the red tassel on the spear before walking over to Lu Yuanpeng, smiling, "This spear was crafted for me by General Shen when I went to the battlefield..."
Shen Kunyang’s smile deepened upon hearing this, his gaze fixed on Lu Yuanpeng.
"General Shen once said he hoped I would use this silver spear to slay many enemies and achieve great merit!" Her smiling eyes earnestly looked at Lu Yuanpeng, "Today... I give you this silver spear, hoping you will also slay many enemies!"
Lu Yuanpeng’s bright black eyes glanced at Shen Kunyang, once again wiping his palm on his clothes, accepting the red tassel silver spear from Bai Qingyan with both hands, gripping it tightly, and solemnly declaring: "Bai family... Your Majesty, rest assured! Yuanpeng will surely slay many enemies! I must become a general as formidable as Your Majesty! Bring honor to this red tassel spear! And make my family proud!"
Seeing Lu Yuanpeng’s earnest expression, Bai Qingyan nodded: "You will become a good general, learn much from General Cheng in the future!"
"Yes!" Lu Yuanpeng held the red tassel silver spear in his arms and made a fist and palm salute to Bai Qingyan, unable to contain his chuckles.
Bai Qingyan then turned to the respectful posture of Sima Ping, who had lost all his previous laziness and recklessness from when he was in Dadu City, saying: "General Shen told me you have the talent of a general, yesterday on the city wall... I saw your excellent swordsmanship."
Yesterday, Lu Yuanpeng was extremely brave, charging on horseback, even surpassing Cheng Yuanzhi, breaking through to the direction of the city tower...
Sima Ping was uneasy and had been following closely behind.
It was because Lu Yuanpeng charged too quickly that he didn’t have time to dodge the giant elephant, resulting in his warhorse being kicked out.
Hearing Bai Qingyan saw him on the city wall yesterday, Sima Ping’s palms tightened, feeling happy inside, yet he still lowered his gaze with a respectful attitude, as if indifferent to both favor and disgrace.
Wei Zhong stepped forward with small steps, holding a longsword, and handed it to Sima Ping.
"This longsword was acquired yesterday, crafted with ink from the Tianfeng Kingdom, it’s said to cut through hair, today I gift it to you as a token of appreciation." Bai Qingyan said with a smile.
Sima Ping raised his head, took the longsword with both hands, gently pushing against the hilt with his thumb, even without unsheathing it, he could feel its sharp aura, indeed... an exceptionally rare sword.
Sima Ping quickly kneeled on one knee: "Sima Ping thanks Your Majesty!"
"You are injured, stand up! No need for ceremony!" Bai Qingyan said to the two, "Go back and heal well, soon... our Zhou will go to war with the Tianfeng Kingdom, at that time, you must fight fiercely."
"Yes!"
After Lu Yuanpeng and Sima Ping happily left with their newly acquired weapons, Bai Qingyu, with his hands behind his back, slowly stepped forward and said: "Elder sister, since we will engage in battle with Xiliang and Tianfeng Kingdom tomorrow, I think... after setting a general strategy, you should return to Dadu City to take charge."
"With our mother and Commandant Lu in Dadu City, I am very reassured." Bai Qingyan, knowing A Yu worried about her safety, calmly told Bai Qingyu, "I am here also to let you know, in this battle... our Zhou has no retreat, once spring comes, we will lose our advantage, so we must drive the Tianfeng Kingdom back before winter ends!"
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The Empress Dowager of Yan, who had just arrived in Mengcheng, heard that Murong Li had been injured last night while rushing to support Zhou’s Pingcheng, and immediately panicked, nearly collapsing when stepping down from the carriage, had it not been for the quick reaction of her maid who supported her.
Murong Yan was surprised to know his sister-in-law had already arrived in Mengcheng, he didn’t expect to receive no news at all before she was here.
As the regent Ninth Prince who held power in Yan, he should at least appear estranged from the Emperor and Empress Dowager in public, thus Murong Yan did not go outside the city to welcome, Murong Li was sipping medicine upon receiving the news, quickly threw on a cloak and rushed out, just as the Empress Dowager’s carriage stopped in front of the great black and gold studded six-panel gate.
Murong Li hurried down the high steps to welcome, the Empress Dowager Yan seeing Murong Li, rushed over, clasping his shoulders and scrutinizing him over and over...
She touched Murong Li’s face but dared not touch his body casually, afraid of hurting his wounds, feeling helpless, she choked and asked, "Where are you hurt? Huh? Tell your mother where you’re hurt?!"
"Mother... I’m fine!" Murong Li smiled while holding his mother’s hand with his left hand, "The injury is on the arm, it’s a superficial wound, Doctor Hong has looked at it, said as long as I change the dressing on time and avoid water, it will heal in three to five days."
As he spoke, Murong Li moved his arm: "See, it’s really nothing."
The Empress Dowager Yan’s tears fell down, she touched Murong Li’s head, held Murong Li’s hand tightly and walked with him inside the residence, scolding him along the way: "How could you be so daring? You are the Emperor of Yan, if anything happened to you, what would happen to Yan? How would your mother live?"
"Mother, don’t worry, Yue Shi is by my side protecting me, and there’s also General Xie and the Ninth Uncle!" Murong Li smiled, justifying himself.
Mentioning this, the Empress Dowager Yan was furious, unhappy with Murong Yan letting Ah Li accompany them to the battlefield, yet with palace maids, eunuchs, and guards around, she could say nothing...
"Mother, why did you suddenly come to Mengcheng? Neither I nor the Ninth Uncle received any news." Murong Li smiled and asked his mother.
The Empress Dowager Yan tugged the corners of her mouth: "Since New Year’s Eve is coming soon, I couldn’t bear to have you spending it alone outside, worrying day and night, so... your grand uncle knowing I missed you managed to have me secretly leave the palace, sending people to bring me here."
The news of the Empress Dowager Yan coming to Mengcheng was kept tightly under wraps, at this time... even the ministers in the Yan capital believed the Empress Dowager was bedridden, seriously ill, for recuperation.
Upon hearing the words grand uncle, Murong Li’s brow tightened slightly.