Who put the yellow robe on me?

Zhong Xiaodan arrived, clad in military uniform, his demeanor exuding a heroic presence. He wore jet-black armor with silver stripes, his shoulder armor etched with soaring dragon patterns, a majestic presence. His long hair was pulled high in a red-gold tiara, revealing his angular face. His sword-like brows and starry eyes radiated an unstoppable aura.

Zhong Xiaodan walked into the Wanhe Hall, his posture erect, and he saluted respectfully, kneeling slightly bent. He said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, I, Zhong Xiaodan, pay my respects to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

"Cough, cough, cough..." Emperor Liang was still coughing violently. His face was slightly pale and beads of sweat were oozing from his forehead. It was obvious that his health had not improved.

Seeing Zhong Xiaodan coming in his military uniform, he couldn't help but show some relief in his eyes. His old voice was filled with joy: "Xiaodan, why are you back? How's the situation in the Western Regions?"

The ministers in the hall held their breath and listened quietly. The outcome of the Zhong family's western expedition was the focus of the court.

Zhong Xiaodan lowered his brows and eyes, cupped his hands, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty! I have come here on my father's orders to report victory. The seven prefectures and eighteen states in the Western Regions have been completely recovered. My father, General Zhong Wenbin, has personally led the army to the gates of Kucha. Victory is in sight for the last city!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a cry of amazement suddenly rang out from the Wanhe Hall, and the ministers whispered to each other, discussing:

"Great! It's the Zhong family army indeed, unstoppable!"

"The General truly lives up to His Majesty's grace!"

"Seven states and eighteen counties were conquered in such a short time. The Zhong family father and son are truly the pillars of our dynasty!"

Emperor Liang smiled with satisfaction, a glimmer of light flashed in his tired eyes, and he slowly said, "Very good, Xiaodan. The Zhong family will be credited with the greatest merit in this Western Expedition. When your father returns victorious, I will definitely reward him accordingly."

However, Zhong Xiaodan did not show any joy. Instead, he turned his head slightly, his eyes swept across the crowd and stopped at the sixteenth prince Jiang Chen. There was a hint of respect and complex emotions in the depths of his eyes.

He paused, then said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, in this Western Expedition, we, the ministers, absolutely dare not take the lead."

Emperor Liang was slightly stunned, with a hint of doubt in his eyes: "Oh?"

The ministers in the hall were also surprised. After all, the Zhong family had always been famous for their military achievements and had never yielded. But today, after such a great victory, they actually took the initiative to retreat?

Prime Minister He raised his eyebrows slightly, stroked his beard, and asked slowly, "General Zhong, what do you mean? This great victory is clearly the achievement of the Zhong family father and son. Why are you being so modest?"

Zhong Xiaodan's expression was solemn as he spoke loudly, "Your Majesty, if it weren't for His Royal Highness the Sixteenth Prince orchestrating the battles, allocating supplies, and formulating offensive and defensive strategies, how could my father and the soldiers have won every battle? My father has already detailed His Royal Highness's achievements in the battle reports."

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall suddenly became quiet for a moment, and then there was a whisper of discussion. The expressions of the ministers varied, some were puzzled, some were deep in thought. It was obvious that these words had caused ripples in their hearts.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Liang frowned slightly, coughed twice, squinted his eyes and said slowly: "But, I have never seen this in the battle report."

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister He tilted his head slightly, his eyes deep, and said slowly: "Yes, if there are such achievements, why is there no mention of it in the battle report?" His voice was calm, but it contained deep meaning. His eyes swept towards the Minister of War Su Yunliang with a bit of inquiry.

Historically, reports of victory from the frontiers were reviewed by the Ministry of War, but these reports of victory from the Western Regions did not mention the name of the Sixteenth Prince.

"Chen'er?" Emperor Liang wanted to say something, but in the end he couldn't open his mouth.

At this moment, Jiang Chen smiled slightly, his expression calm and unhurried, and said softly: "Father, I know my position and everything I do is my duty. Why should I take credit for it?"

This statement is flawless, showing both humility and being irrefutable.

The ministers thought to themselves that the Sixteenth Prince had always kept a low profile, but if this was true, then his influence might have penetrated deep into the military.

Emperor Liang pondered for a moment, a trace of contemplation flashing in his eyes. Then he waved his hand and said in a deep voice: "Xiao Dan, now that Princess Jingyi is missing, you should cooperate with Chen'er to investigate this matter together."

Zhong Xiaodan's expression froze when he heard this, and he immediately bowed and said, "I obey your command!"

Emperor Liang nodded slightly, then his eyes fell on Jiang Chen and he asked slowly, "Chen'er, the person you mentioned who rescued Jingyi is Xiao Dan, right?"

Jiang Chen nodded slightly, a hint of a smile on his lips, his tone gentle but firm: "Nothing can be hidden from Father."

Emperor Liang nodded, with a look of approval in his eyes.

Jiang Chen then turned around and bowed to Zhong Xiaodan, saying, "General Annan, Thirteenth Sister and Dianzhang are now trapped. You must quickly go to Prince Yan's Mansion, reunite with Deng Yunde and the others, gather some manpower, and join me in the rescue."

Zhong Xiaodan narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes, and asked in a deep voice: "Your Highness, where should we go to find the Thirteenth Princess?"

Jiang Chen's eyes were cold as he slowly looked around at everyone in the hall. Finally, he fixed his gaze on Cao Shouku, the Minister of Revenue, and said in a deep voice, "Southwest of the capital, the Ministry of Revenue's tax silver warehouse."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the hall, and shock appeared on the faces of the ministers.

"What? The tax treasury?"

"What do you mean? Why would the tax treasury hide someone?"

Cao Shouku's face changed drastically, his whole body trembling. He hurriedly stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said urgently, "Your Highness! You absolutely cannot say such things! The Ministry of Revenue's tax treasury is the nation's treasury, and it's heavily guarded. How could they possibly be hiding someone? Your Highness, could it be that... you can't find an excuse for the princess?"

Hearing this, Jiang Chen's lips curled up slightly. He fixed his gaze coldly on Cao Shouku and said calmly, "Why is Minister Cao so nervous? Could it be...that there is something he cannot reveal?"

Cao Shouku's face grew paler, and fine beads of cold sweat oozed from his forehead. He opened his mouth to speak, but was forced to take a step back by Jiang Chen's sharp gaze. His throat choked with sobs, and he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, I... Your Majesty, I would never dare to deceive you."

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became depressing and tense. The ministers held their breath and concentrated, their eyes shifting between Jiang Chen and Cao Shouku. They obviously realized that this matter was far more complicated than they had imagined.

Emperor Liang narrowed his eyes slightly, sat upright on the dragon throne, tapped the dragon table with his fingers, and said in a low and majestic voice: "Chen'er, do you know what the consequences will be if there is no evidence to support this matter?"

Jiang Chen knelt without hesitation and said in a loud voice: "This son is willing to guarantee with his own head that he will not let down the emperor's grace!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell into deathly silence. Only the sound of Emperor Liang's fingers tapping on the dragon table echoed in the Wanhe Hall, as if knocking on everyone's hearts.

Cao Shouku's face grew paler, sweat streaming down his forehead. He clasped his trembling hands over his chest, trying to steady himself. He forced a wry smile, "Your Highness, your words are overly arbitrary. The Ministry of Revenue's tax treasury is a vital repository for national revenue, and we dare not slack off in the slightest. If any criminals were hiding there, they would have been thoroughly investigated long ago. Such a serious incident would never have occurred. Your Highness, I dare to ask, what is the basis for your statement?"

Jiang Chen stood up slowly, his expression unchanged, his eyes sharp as a knife, and he said calmly: "Evidence? Minister Cao, don't worry, I will show the evidence to father." His eyes were cold, as if he had already seen through all the conspiracies, and now he was just waiting for the moment of conclusion.