Reborn, the daughter of the Marquisate went crazy

The sun was high in the sky, yet the biting cold could not be dispelled. The streets were already crowded with people, shoulder to shoulder, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the heroic figure of General Jiang, the God of War.

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves was heard, and a commotion broke out among the crowd. Then, with flags fluttering, a group of cavalrymen marched slowly into the city in an orderly formation.

Amidst the cold glow of their iron armor, the leading old general, wearing a silver helmet and a white tassel, exuded an air of majesty without even being angry. The people erupted in cheers, their cries of "God of War" and "Great General" ringing out incessantly.

Xie Qingli squeezed into the crowd, her eyes burning with tears as she gazed at her grandfather's towering figure. In this life, she would protect these loved ones.

However, the generals of the Northwest Army entered the palace to meet the emperor, but they were not seen leaving the palace for a long time.

In the Ruifu Hall of the Jiang Mansion, the air was filled with the aroma of sandalwood, and all the members of the Jiang family gathered together. General Jiang had not returned home for three years, and now they were about to be reunited, and the whole room was filled with unconcealable joy.

Jiang Muxue also came with her two children to wait. She was very nervous, wondering whether the knot in her father's heart caused by her marriage could be untied this time.

As the sun gradually set, the atmosphere in the room began to grow solemn. Normally, entering the palace to see the emperor was just a formality, so why did the emperor detain someone in the palace?

Xie Qingli stood in the corridor, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the handkerchief tightly. In her previous life, when Emperor Yingtian was alive, he hadn't taken action against the Jiang family. Could it be that in this life...

Xie Tingyu had been worried ever since he learned about his past life. He immediately sent his confidant to investigate. However, the palace gates were tightly shut, and the imperial guards stood in awe. Not a single word leaked out.

It was not until the sun shone in the west that news came from the palace: the emperor was holding a banquet in the Linde Hall tonight to welcome the generals returning to the capital, and all royal relatives and officials above the third rank were required to bring their families to the palace to attend the banquet.

According to the etiquette of the dynasty, a First Rank Imperial Consort could bring a personal maid with her when attending a banquet in the palace. Xie Qingli, feeling anxious and uneasy, changed into plain clothes, applied yellow powder to her face, and disguised herself as a maid to accompany Old Madam Jiang into the palace.

Inside Linde Hall, a red carpet snaked along, and gilded palace lanterns lit up one after another, illuminating the hall as if it were daylight. Eunuchs and palace maids moved in and out with measured demeanor, while delicacies flowed freely. This meticulous arrangement must have been the product of long-planned planning, not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Imperial relatives and important court officials, dressed in splendid attire, entered in groups of three or five. Xie Qingli stood at the side of the corridor pillar, his head bowed, his eyes slightly dark. A simple welcoming banquet had been lavished with such fanfare. He wondered what the emperor was up to...

As he pondered this, he suddenly caught sight of Xie Jingyuan and Xie Qingyao approaching. According to imperial rules, Xie Jingyuan, a minor official of the fifth rank, was not eligible to attend such a palace banquet. However, due to Xie Qingyao's engagement to the Third Prince, he was now among the imperial family. The two of them strode with their heads held high, their faces etched with unconcealed pride, a truly amusing sight.

The golden bell rang three times, and Shao music suddenly began to rise. Emperor Yingtian sat aloft on the Dragon Throne, sitting on the Imperial Terrace with the Empress Dowager and Empress Meng. The adult princes who were supposed to be present had been ordered out of the capital to provide disaster relief, leaving only a few younger princes seated with the concubines.

Emperor Yingtian was in high spirits today. He raised the golden cup high and said in a loud voice: "My Dongling Kingdom is forever secure, thanks to the soldiers who bravely guarded the border."

His gaze shifted to Jiang Zhong, who sat at the head of the military officer's table. "Especially Jiang Aiqing, who has guarded the Tianmen Pass in the northwest for decades, keeping the covetous Linyuan jackals out of the country!"

He gently shook the golden cup in his hand, his eyes blazing, "Lord Jiang, you have worked hard and made great contributions. I will not hesitate to spend gold, silver, pearls, jade, or beautiful women as long as you ask for it!"

Jiang Zhong abruptly stood up, strode to the Imperial Court, and knelt on one knee. Everyone in the hall held their breath. This should have been a scene of mutual respect between the emperor and his subjects, with the general expected to offer some pompous words like, "I am willing to die for Your Majesty." Instead, he pressed his fist to the ground and shouted, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace! I, your humble servant, have a request!"

A cold glint flickered in Emperor Yingtian's eyes. The Jiang clan, commanding three hundred thousand cavalrymen across the northern border, had always been a sword hanging over the imperial family's head. This old man had always been a loyal subject, so why was he acting so erratically today?

He slowly raised his eyes and said calmly, "My dear Jiang, please feel free to speak up. As long as it can be done, I will definitely make the decision for you."

Jiang Zhong clasped his fists and bowed deeply, his voice resonant: "My daughter, Mu Xue, was mistakenly married to Lord Xie in her youth. Now, we have parted ways and gone our separate ways. However, it is difficult for a woman to make her way in the world. I, an old minister, am willing to dedicate my life's military achievements to the gracious request of Your Majesty to grant her the right to raise her own family with her two children!"

The hall erupted in an uproar, with everyone whispering to each other, their eyes filled with astonishment. Who would have thought that this great general, known for his military achievements, would seek neither reward nor protection, but rather such a family matter?

Emperor Yingtian's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "What's the difficulty..."

"Your Majesty, wait a minute!" There was a sudden commotion at the end of the table.

Xie Jingyuan staggered out, rolled and crawled to his knees in the center of the hall, and said in a shrill voice: "Your Majesty, please think twice! Tingyu is the only son of our Xie family. If you agree to this request, I am afraid that a hundred years later, I will not be able to face my ancestors!"

His eyes rolled slightly. The troublemaker Xie Qingli would be a nuisance if she stayed in the mansion, so it would be better to go along with it. He wiped his tears with his sleeve and choked out a sob, "Your humble servant is willing to let my daughter Qingli serve Jiang, just to fulfill this kinship."

Emperor Yingtian frowned slightly, his gaze shifting between Jiang Zhong and Xie Jingyuan. He sighed, his voice filled with resignation, "Lord Jiang, this matter concerns the inheritance of the ancestral temple's incense. I... truly find it difficult to make a decision."

Jiang Zhong knelt on the ground, lips tightly pursed. He loved Tingyu dearly. If he stayed with the Xie family, he wondered if he would eventually become estranged from the Jiang family. However, the laws of Dongling were strict; since ancient times, a divorce had never involved taking children with him. Even so, getting Li'er out of the house was a small comfort to Xue'er.

Thinking of this, he slowly stood up and said in a calm and restrained voice: "I will obey your Majesty's will."

"Since that's the case—" Emperor Yingtian pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly, "Since Jiang Muxue is a first-rank imperial concubine, why not confer the title of Princess Zhaoning on her daughter Xie Qingli, allow her to establish her own residence, and grant her a fief of 300 households in Heyang County."

Everyone's heart was stirred. Heyang County, the fortress of Amaterasu Prefecture in the northwest, was only thirty miles from the Northwest Army's main camp, a battleground for military strategists. Was this title bestowed by His Majesty a reward or a test?

Emperor Yingtian raised his lips slightly, a dark light flashed in his eyes, and he asked in a gentle voice: "Lord Jiang, are you satisfied?"

Jiang Zhong knelt on the ground, his posture respectful: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace!"

His expression remained respectful, but a hint of sarcasm flickered in his eyes. Even if the person on the throne had hidden agendas, so what? Given the Jiang family's achievements, even Li'er deserved the title of princess.

Jiang Zhong slowly returned to the table. The sound of stringed instruments resumed, and the hall was filled with the clinking of glasses, a harmonious and joyful atmosphere. Only Xie Jingyuan and Xie Qingyao, sitting at the end of the table, forced smiles, unable to conceal the resentment swirling in their eyes, like two defeated fighting cocks, no longer possessing the high spirits they had when they entered the hall.

Xie Qingli was waiting outside the palace. Her inner strength was profound, and she could hear every word of the conversation inside. When she heard her grandfather plead for mercy for her mother with his lifelong military achievements, her heart trembled, and even her breathing stopped for a moment.

Besides being shocked, a warm feeling welled up from the bottom of my heart, and my eyes became slightly hot. It turned out that my grandfather had never really blamed my mother. Under his cold and hard attitude over the years, he actually hid such deep concern.

Unfortunately...A Niang claimed to be ill and didn't come today. If she were here, she would hear these words with her own ears, how wonderful it would be...