Young White Horse: The Poison Sword Master of the Wen Family, Shocking the Apocalypse

After the imperial edict was read, silence fell over the gate.

Xiao Ruofeng lowered his head, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

His elder brother did not punish him, but instead provided generous compensation to the fallen soldiers, which finally eased the heavy burden on his heart.

He kowtowed deeply: "Your Majesty, I, your humble brother Xiao Ruofeng, thank you for your great favor! Long live the Emperor!"

Jin Xuan rolled up the imperial edict and handed it to Xiao Ruofeng, a feigned expression of sympathy on her face.

"Your Highness, the Prince of Langya, you have had a long and arduous journey. You could have achieved great things and wiped out the rebels, but unfortunately, the traitor Baili is cunning and the Wen family is ruthless and vicious... This servant is also saddened for Your Highness!"

He leaned closer and lowered his voice: "But Your Highness, rest assured, although His Majesty has sent you back to your residence to reflect on your mistakes, who knows if there will be an opportunity in the future to lead a large army to conquer the southwest again!"

Xiao Ruofeng sneered inwardly.

The eunuch offered words of comfort on the surface, but every word he spoke was a veiled attack on the heart.

Lead a large army again? Military power has been handed over, and the return date is uncertain. These words are more venomous than insults.

However, he did not show it on his face, and simply said, "The southern expedition was a failure, and we suffered heavy losses. It is already a great favor that His Majesty has not punished us. How could I, Ruofeng, dare to have any other thoughts? Thank you for your comfort, Grand Eunuch!"

Having said that, he stood up, mounted his horse, and without even glancing at the generals behind him, spurred his horse and galloped off towards the Langya Prince's Mansion.

"Seventh Brother! Seventh Brother!"

Lei Meng shouted urgently from behind, "Are you really willing to go back and hide? This defeat is understandable, but we..."

His words were interrupted by Jin Xuan's sinister gaze.

Jin Xuan looked at the generals with a forced smile: "Generals, since His Majesty has given the decree, please return to your residences to rest. The Ministry of War will come to hand over the seals of office later, please cooperate!"

Xun Yichuan and Ye Xiaoying exchanged a glance, both seeing the resentment and helplessness in each other's eyes.

They knew that this imperial edict, though seemingly lenient, was actually ruthless—stripping Xiao Ruofeng of his military power and forcing him to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors was a way to destroy his foundation.

Sending officers of the rank of centurion and above back to their hometowns for six months was intended to diminish their influence in the military and prevent them from forming an alliance with Xiao Ruofeng.

Emperor Mingde played this move brilliantly.

"Your subordinates obey the order!" the crowd responded in unison, their voices filled with suppressed resentment.

Jinxuan nodded in satisfaction, turned around and boarded the palanquin, leaving surrounded by a group of Imperial Guards.

Before the gate, the generals remained silent for a long time.

Lei Mengsha slammed his fist into the wooden stake beside him, sending wood chips flying.

"Damn it! Did you think it was easy for us to fight this battle with Lao Qi? Ye Xiaoying almost lost his life at Tieji Ridge, and we held back the enemy in Hanzhong. We deserve credit for our hard work, even if we didn't achieve anything!"

Now, things have gotten even worse; a single imperial edict has turned them all into criminals awaiting punishment!

Xun Yichuan sighed: "Thunder and rain, all are the Emperor's grace. Meng Sha, be careful what you say!"

Ye Xiaoying's left arm was still in a sling across his chest, his face pale, but he gritted his teeth and said, "I, Ye Xiaoying, have escaped death and I'm not afraid of anything. I just feel sorry for Your Highness!"

"If it weren't for the evil magic of the drug-wielding man, and if Baili Luochen hadn't personally arrived, the situation in the southwest might not have been so dire..."

"Stop talking," Xun Yichuan interrupted him. "Let's all go back to our residences first. Old Ye, we'll take you back."

The three silently handed over the official seals, completed the formalities with the people from the Ministry of War, and then mounted their horses.

Xun Yichuan and Lei Mengsha escorted Ye Xiaoying back to his residence, one on each side. The three remained silent throughout the journey; only the sounds of wheels and hooves echoed through the empty streets.

Upon arriving at the Ye residence, Ye Xiaoying, supported by the Ye family servants, stepped down from the carriage and clasped his hands in greeting to the two men.

"My two brothers, thank you for seeing me off. We part today; I don't know when we'll meet again!"

Lei Mengsha's eyes reddened, and she patted his shoulder hard: "Old Ye, go back and take good care of your injuries. We'll go for a drink again when you're healed!"

Xun Yichuan clasped his hands and nodded, "Take care!"

The three bid each other farewell, turned their horses around, and departed in different directions.

The setting sun cast long shadows of them on the bluestone road, making them look lonely and forlorn.

They lost this battle.

……

Lei Mengsha rode his horse slowly through the deepening night.

The cries from Suzaku Avenue seemed to still echo in his ears; those outstretched hands, those desperate faces, flashed before his eyes. He shook his head, trying to dispel these images, but it was all in vain.

The warhorse seemed to sense its master's dejection, its heavy hooves making a "tap, tap" sound on the bluestone slabs, which was particularly clear in the quiet street.

Turn the corner, and you'll find the alley where the Li family residence is located.

From afar, Lei Mengsha could see two lanterns lit in front of the mansion gate. Under the lanterns, two figures stood silently.

He reined in his horse and squinted to examine it closely—

It's Li Xinyue.

She wore a plain-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a light blue vest over it. Her long hair was loosely tied behind her head, with a few stray strands blowing in the night breeze and sticking to her cheeks.

The little girl they were holding was their daughter, Li Hanyi.

Xiao Hanyi was holding a glutinous rice ball in her hand, eating it in small bites, but her eyes were fixed on the direction of the alley entrance.

When Lei Mengsha's figure appeared at the edge of the lantern's halo, Li Xinyue's body visibly trembled.

She bit her lip hard, her eyes instantly reddening, but she forced herself not to let the tears fall.

But the hand that was holding his daughter's hand was so clenched that his knuckles turned white.

Lei Meng dismounted, took the reins, and approached step by step.

When they were still three zhang apart, Li Xinyue suddenly let go of her daughter's hand, rushed forward, and grabbed his collar!

"You heartless wretch!"

Her voice was trembling and choked with sobs, "You still know how to come back?!"

Before she could finish speaking, tears finally welled up in her eyes and dripped onto Lei Mengsha's silver armor, leaving a dark stain.

Lei Mengsha stared at her blankly, his Adam's apple bobbing, wanting to say something, but unable to utter a single word.

He simply reached out and gently put his arm around her shoulder.

Li Xinyue did not resist; instead, she buried her face in his chest and burst into tears.

This crying had been suppressed for too long—from learning of the defeat in the southwest, to hearing that the Double Swords Battalion had been almost completely wiped out, and then waiting in front of the mansion gate from afternoon to dusk, and from dusk to late at night.

Every moment was torture.

She was afraid, afraid that he would be like those soldiers who remained in the southwest forever, never to return; afraid that he would be missing limbs, covered in wounds; afraid that she would never see him again!

Now that she's back, standing perfectly intact in front of her, she can finally cry.

……