Who put the yellow robe on me?

After going through untold hardships, everyone finally returned to the capital, and everyone was moved by the experience along the way.

General Zhong Wenbin's face was pale, his injuries more serious than they appeared. After returning to the capital, he was escorted back to his residence to recuperate without even a moment's delay.

Zhou Liangwei was sent to the Imperial Hospital. In the hospital, Zhou Liangwei saw Dianzhang and they smiled at each other.

The two brothers knew that being alive was a blessing in disguise.

The imperial doctors were busy treating their wounds, and their conditions gradually improved.

Emperor Liang and his ministers were in the Wanhe Hall, discussing various situations regarding rescuing the three princesses of Beiqiang.

"Report! Secret reports have come from the northern border!" Above the Wanhe Hall, the secret reports from the northern border were the most worrying.

According to secret reports, Yelu Mengmeng, the third princess of the Northern Qiang, has successfully joined forces with the Black Wolf troops at Shanhaiguan.

Although the Black Wolf troops retreated from Shanhaiguan, they seemed dissatisfied with Yelu Mengmeng's miserable return. They threatened to go to Daliang again to ask for an explanation.

Jiang Chen and his ministers listened to the secret report together. He knew very well that without this rescue, the Northern Qiang would definitely go to war with Daliang.

Although a war was avoided, the turmoil is far from over. It is unknown whether the Northern Qiang will be enemies or friends in the future, and how relations with the Western Regions will develop.

However, this time, Daliang avoided a possible war with Northern Qiang. The recovery of the Longyuan Sword and the three states of Yanyun allowed Daliang to regain its reputation.

Jiang Chen understood this, and so did Emperor Liang.

"Chen'er," Emperor Liang said in a deep and powerful voice, "You have made an invaluable contribution in rescuing the Third Princess and avoiding war with the Northern Qiang. If any reward is given, you should be the first to receive the most meritorious service!"

"Father," Jiang Chen said, stepping out of the line. "I am terrified! General Zhong Xiaodan of Annan fought bravely on the battlefield, and General Zhong Wenbin was seriously injured. Even my guards gave their all. If there were any rewards to be given, I should not be the first to receive the credit!"

"Haha! Very good!" Emperor Liang said, "I like your attitude of not taking credit for your achievements. You deserve a reward, all of it!"

Actually, what Jiang Chen said was not wrong. This time, when they went to rescue the Third Princess of Northern Qiang, everyone else went to fight bravely, but he used his power for personal gain and enjoyed a good time for half a day...

However, at this moment, the Minister of War, Guo Wulie, suddenly stood up, saluted, and said to the Emperor Liang, "Your Majesty, although the casualties in the Western Regions have been heavy, I am concerned that they will not give up. General Sai Zhuo's status in the Western Regions is unimaginable. Whether there will be a counterattack later is unknown."

The meeting hall suddenly became quiet, and everyone knew that what Guo Wulie said was true.

The people of the Western Regions have always been vindictive, and this failure will only arouse their stronger desire for revenge.

Jiang Chen nodded slightly in agreement. "Father! The Minister of War is absolutely right. Retaliation from the Western Regions is very likely on the way. To prevent their surprise attack, I suggest strengthening defenses in the west and dispatching elite troops to garrison the border to prevent any unexpected events."

At this moment, the twelfth prince Jiang Zhan suddenly stood up, with a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

Although his voice was calm, the sharpness in his words could not be ignored: "Sir, I have heard that the soldiers on the front lines of the Western Regions have recently sent urgent reports saying that their military pay is insufficient.

If we were to launch a large-scale war against the Western Regions, how would we solve the problem of insufficient military pay?"

This sentence was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing waves.

Military pay? Military pay again!

The ministers were whispering to each other.

The issue of military pay has always been a concern for Daliang. Now, under this situation, the question asked by the twelfth prince has undoubtedly uncovered a wound that is difficult to ignore.

Guo Wulie frowned slightly, obviously this problem was a bit tricky for him.

As the Minister of War, he knew that insufficient military pay had always been a problem plaguing Daliang. Especially at such an urgent moment, how to solve this problem really required careful consideration.

Jiang Chen's heart couldn't help but feel heavy. He understood that no matter how powerful the army was, without sufficient military pay to support it, it would ultimately be useless.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense.

Minister of War Guo Wulie stood in the center of the hall, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. However, he remained upright and replied calmly, "Your Majesty, I have received urgent reports from the soldiers on the front lines in the Western Regions. Because the Third Princess of the Northern Qiang tribe previously demanded 300,000 dan of grain and wages, the dispatch has been delayed."

Although Guo Wulie's voice was steady, every word carried a subtle sense of evasion.

He deliberately mentioned the Third Princess's request for food, obviously intending to shift the blame onto the Northern Qiang.

These words seemed flawless on the surface, but Jiang Chen couldn't help but sneer in his heart.

Guo Wulie's intention was obvious. He wanted to use the excuse of the Third Princess of Beiqiang asking for military pay to focus his attention on Daliang and Beiqiang, and even to provoke a new dispute between Daliang and Beiqiang.

Jiang Chen's eyes darkened slightly, but he continued to speak calmly, "Minister of War, the three problems facing the Northern Qiang Third Princess have now been resolved. The Dragon Abyss Sword has been returned to Daliang, and the Northern Qiang Third Princess has not asked for military pay. So, have the military pay for the Western Regions been paid?"

Guo Wulie paused for a moment, a barely perceptible panic flashing across his eyes, and then he stammered, "This...hasn't been distributed yet."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Liang's face instantly turned ashen, and a flame of anger ignited in his eyes.

His voice suddenly rose, filled with suppressed anger: "Why hasn't it been distributed yet?"

Guo Wulie was so frightened by the Emperor Liang's anger that he trembled all over. He forced himself to remain calm and said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue's treasury is under pressure, so the military pay has not yet been paid."

The anger in Emperor Liang's eyes grew even stronger. He turned his gaze to the Minister of Revenue, Cao Shouku, who was standing beside him. His voice echoed through the hall like thunder: "Is the treasury in trouble? Where is the Ministry of Revenue?"

Cao Shouku stood in front of the hall, his hands clasped in his sleeves: "Your Majesty, the national treasury is indeed in a tight spot right now, this is an indisputable fact.

However, military pay is a national priority. I believe that even if the national treasury is tight, the Minister of War should have other ways to raise military supplies to ensure the safety of the soldiers on the front lines."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was silence in the hall. Cao Shouku's words seemed to be stating facts, but in fact they contained implicit blame. He was obviously pushing the responsibility back to the Ministry of War, believing that the Ministry of War had not fulfilled its duties.

Guo Wulie secretly hated him, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He knew that arguing at this moment would only bring trouble upon himself, but he could not let himself become a victim of this storm.

He lowered his head, his tone still respectful, but with a hint of suppressed retaliation in his words: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of War has done its best to raise funds, but the national treasury is tight and we are simply unable to continue. If the Ministry of Revenue can allocate more resources, the Ministry of War will naturally do its utmost to ensure the payment of military pay."

These words were like adding fuel to the fire, igniting Emperor Liang's anger once again.

He slammed the throne with a deafening roar, "You are all making excuses! Even if the treasury is tight, do you not care about the lives of the soldiers on the front lines? You are all shirking responsibility, making excuses. If this is the case, how can I entrust you with the task of defending the country?"

Guo Wulie's face was calm, but he was burning with anger in his heart. He secretly cursed the ancestors of the Minister of Revenue Cao Shouku eighteen times in his heart!

He knew that Cao Shouku was trying to shirk responsibility, but he had no way to refute it. After all, raising military rations was indeed the responsibility of the Ministry of War.