Nine out of ten gamblers lose; I've run into a jerk!

Chapter 145 Building Momentum

An eerie silence fell over the Hall of Diligent Governance. From the Crown Prince down to the ministers, no one spoke for a moment, but their eyes were fixed on Shen Shi, listening intently for what he would say next.

Even Wang Mao, who had spoken first to provoke and mock, fell silent, alarm bells ringing in his mind, instinctively feeling that he had unintentionally lent Shen Shi a helping hand.

"Your Highness, Marquis Yongyi requests an audience."

"Send it quickly!"

Although Que Jin was somewhat surprised that Lu Zhen, who should have been recuperating in his residence, suddenly requested an audience, his arrival was timely and could break the strange stalemate at the moment.

Lu Zhen was seriously ill, and the thirty-pound armor was a bit too heavy for him. He walked slowly into the main hall, and the sight of a valiant man in his twilight years evoked a sense of melancholy.

"Your Highness, this humble subject greets you."

"No need for formalities," Que Jin rose to greet him, offering a hand in a gesture of support. "How are you, my dear minister?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I was so grieving over my son's death that I almost neglected state affairs."

"Haven't all the important military matters, such as the deployment of troops in the southeast garrison and the casualties in the Battle of Yucheng, been reported in the memorial? What other important matters require you to come to the palace in person at this time?"

"To select talents for the country!" With that, Lu Zhen knelt on one knee, holding the memorial high in his hand, and said in a resounding voice, "Shen Qingxi, the eldest daughter of the Shen family, saw through the enemy's plan to fortify the city and clear the fields during the Battle of Yucheng, thus saving innocent civilians from being slaughtered, and even killed the commander and captured the flag amidst ten thousand troops!"

"Your subject, Lu Zhen, requests credit for Shen Qingxi!"

Silence—you could hear a pin drop in the Hall of Diligent Governance.

This is outrageous, absolutely outrageous! It's understandable for a woman to disguise herself as a man, compose a poem, and take down a few thugs, but taking the head of an enemy general amidst a vast army is basically only a legend. Is this really something a human could do? And by a delicate young woman?

But Lu Zhen wouldn't tell such an easily exposed lie. Whether it works or not can be tested, so... it's actually true!!!

Having learned his lesson, Wang Mao refrained from speaking first. With a glance, the Imperial Censor understood and feigned a sigh of regret.

"Mrs. Shen is truly a remarkable woman of our time." Then, she changed the subject, "I heard that Mrs. Shen is engaged to Prince Lu. What a pity, otherwise, it would have been a beautiful story of husband and wife working side by side."

Grand Tutor Song frowned and said, "The Shen and Lu families have a history, but they have not exchanged birth charts to establish a marriage alliance."

"Is that so, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat?"

Song Yuan clenched his fists, which were hidden under his sleeves. These words were not only harsh but also full of traps. He couldn't agree to them, nor could he refuse. Either way, he would damage Qingxi's reputation.

“What you two say is true,” Shen Shi said calmly. “Back when the Shen family was migrating north, they were attacked by bandits. It was Marquis Yongyi who came to their rescue in time, saving the lives of hundreds of my family members. My late father once said that if I gave birth to my second daughter, he would marry her to the heir of Marquis Yongyi.”

Shen Shi was too frank, which made the Imperial Censor's expression somewhat unnatural. He twitched his lips and said, "That's truly regrettable..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Shi suddenly turned solemn and bowed to Marquis Yongyi.

·

A quarter of an hour later, most of the court officials who came out of the Hall of Diligent Governance were in a daze; the news was too big for them to handle.

There must be something fishy going on when things are not going well. Years of ups and downs in the officialdom have left them with many doubts but they have kept their mouths shut. Even the most talkative Censor-in-Chief has become a man of silence. The actions of the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and the Marquis of Yongyi must have a deeper meaning. Before they can figure it out, they dare not speak rashly for fear of falling into a trap.

The wisdom of one person cannot be compared with another. For example, after only a few steps, Da Changqiu realized what was happening and spat out, "Old fox!"

Upon reaching the imperial steps, the Grand Marshal cursed the old scoundrel under his breath and immediately turned towards the princes' quarters. Even though he was Consort Rong's own brother, he could not enter the inner palace at will. He could only go through the Third Prince to give Consort Rong a heads-up.

Song Yuan followed behind Grand Tutor Song along the palace road with a grim expression. What had he heard? Shen Shizhen's resounding voice was still echoing in his ears.

"My family, the Shen family, are by no means treacherous. My daughter will also emulate the virtuous female generals of old, who defended the border in place of her husband!"

Uncle Shi wants to marry Qingxi to Lu Yu, a dead man!!!

How could this be? How could such a huge change happen in this life, far beyond his expectations? What exactly is Qingxi trying to do? The situation is becoming increasingly unpredictable, far beyond his expectations.

Upon reaching the palace gate, Grand Tutor Song's expression was inscrutable. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Ziyan, prepare the visiting cards. I must go to the Shen residence."

Song Yuan then snapped out of his daze and replied, "I have to go too!"

Wang Mao, who was still in the Hall of Diligent Governance, asked directly, "What are Shen Shi and Lu Zhen putting on?"

Faced with his own nephew, Wang Mao was too lazy to even think.

The Crown Prince's expression was quite complex as he sighed, "The Marquis of Yongyi is entrusting his son to someone else."

"Entrusting his son to someone?" Wang Mao wasn't stupid; he immediately realized, "He's dying?"

Yu Lian, who was standing to the side, nodded. "It'll only be a matter of one or two years."

Wang Mao immediately understood and said excitedly, "The Shen family intends to seize military power. They are truly insatiable. Yan Qing, you must not let them succeed!"

Que Jin was reflecting on the fact that the royal family hadn't given its ministers enough confidence; otherwise, Lu Zhen wouldn't have needed to ask Shen Shibao for help with his funeral arrangements.

After hearing Wang Mao's words, Que Jin pulled a report from the table and threw it to him.

Wang Mao took the document, opened it, and exclaimed, "The Northern Barbarians have withdrawn their troops! This is good news!"

Que Jin did not show any joy on his face. "The Northern Di strategist Zhuge Xuan is so intelligent that he is almost supernatural. He persuaded Jingguo and Anguo to launch a surprise attack on the southeastern border. If Shen Qingxi had not passed by and seen through the plan, Xuanguo would have lost a third of its territory by now."

"The Battle of Jiayong Pass was also commanded by Zhuge Xuan, forcing General Qi to retreat a hundred miles."

"So what? Jia Yong Pass was eventually recaptured by General Qi and Prince Lu, and Zhuge Xuan still slunk back to Di Capital in disgrace."

Que Jin shook his head. "According to reports from the Northern Di spies, the Di king has passed away and a new king has not yet been enthroned. At that time, Zhuge Xuan rushed back to the Di capital, and he was no longer in the army when Prince Lu plotted against the Di army."

"These two close calls were mainly due to luck. After the turmoil in Didu is quelled, Zhuge Xuan will definitely make a comeback."

"The founding generals of my Xuan Kingdom are either deceased or old, and it has been a long time since we have had a famous general who can awe the world."

Wang Mao understood Que Jin's meaning, but disagreed, "Does Your Highness think Shen Qingxi can become such a famous general? She is just a woman after all, what can she possibly achieve?"

Que Jin smiled and took out a report, saying, "A month ago, the princess of Cangyue defeated all her brothers and ascended to the throne."

"..."

Wang Mao remained silent for a long time, his eyes darkening. "Is Your Highness not afraid that Shen Qingxi will follow in the footsteps of Phoenix Lord Feng Xilan?"

Que Jin scoffed, "Historically, men who rebelled were as numerous as carp crossing a river, while women who rebelled were extremely rare. To be honest, Uncle, the possibility of you plotting a rebellion is much greater than that of Shen Qingxi."

"Your humble servant dares not!" Wang Mao's heart trembled, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

Que Jin stood up, put his hands behind his back, and gazed at the sky. "In this era of great strife, one either advances or falls behind. What can we rely on to advance? If not by recruiting talented people, are we to rely on jealousy and envy of those who are capable?"

Wang Mao then realized that he was facing the crown prince of a country, the future king who would vie for the throne, and that the interests of the Wang family were naturally secondary.

“Famous generals are always legendary,” Que Jin turned around and picked up his pen, “so I will make her a legend.”