Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

"What? Shen Lang wasn't feeling well and went home early, he didn't come along?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, Shen Lang is indeed tired from his long journey. I saw his dejected appearance..."

Fearing to disturb the imperial procession, he was told to go home and tidy himself up first.

Shen Lang's sudden cancellation left Jiang Shangxian completely dumbfounded.

But after all, he was a good brother and a future family member, so naturally he couldn't let anything happen to him. Jiang Shangxian decided to close his eyes and say a few lies for him.

Unfortunately, the lies were so outrageous that Jiang Mengxuan didn't believe a single word of them.

"In just a few months of this expedition, the Imperial Guards recovered Luoyang, restored the old capital, and annihilated the Western Xia, completely quelling the chaos in the northwest for our Chu Kingdom."

Such an astonishing feat leaves me momentarily speechless.

"You are all men of great merit, no less than the founding heroes of the Great Chu. I will absolutely not treat you poorly."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Lu Meng and the others bowed in unison to express their gratitude.

At this time, there were no outsiders in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, only the emperor, his ministers, and a few close confidants.

Logically speaking, such an important matter should have required all officials to attend court.

However, the Empress still listened to Ye Mo's advice: the matter of how to reward those who have made contributions must be decided first.

Yes, the Imperial Guard's achievements are so great that the entire court trembles with fear.

The slogan that the Chu Kingdom had been chanting for hundreds of years—to reclaim the old capital and wipe out the Western Xia—was accomplished in just a few months by the more than 10,000 guards led by Shen Lang.

This achievement is worthy of being recorded in history and will be remembered for eternity.

However, precisely because of his great achievements, how to reward him became the biggest problem facing the entire court.

A reward is definitely in order.

This was a common understanding among all the civil and military officials and major political parties in the court.

But what to reward and how to bestow the honor were questions that the court had to answer.

If the reward is too small, the soldiers will be disheartened.

Too many rewards would make those former military officers lose face.

Because of this problem, the imperial court has been debating for nearly a month without coming up with a feasible solution.

With the arrival of Changsun Yang, the head of the powerful clans in Guanzhong, to meet the emperor in the capital, the officials knew that the established official structure was destined to be broken, and they had no interest in discussing how to settle the meritorious soldiers of the Imperial Guard.

Therefore, when the Imperial Guards returned to Beijing today, Jiang Mengxuan decided to keep a low profile and did not make a big fuss about it.

"How long has Shen Lang been gone?"

The Empress eventually steered the conversation toward Shen Lang, asking a question before fixing her gaze on Jiang Shangxian.

Jiang Shangxian replied, "Well, it's been about an hour or two."

"I don't know the specifics either. Perhaps I could go to the villa now and take a look on behalf of Your Majesty?"

"No need."

Jiang Mengxuan gently shook her head.

"In less than a year, he went on two expeditions, and his contributions to the country are truly remarkable."

It's good to let him rest for a while; let's not disturb him for now.

Imperial Uncle, please take a few meritorious soldiers to the reception hall for a meal first.

He instructed the imperial kitchen to quickly deliver the palace meal to the Imperial Guard camp outside the city.

Never mistreat any meritorious soldier.

"Yes, Your Majesty's will be conveyed to every member of the Imperial Guard. We will now take our leave."

After Jiang Shangxian finished his greetings, he left the Huangji Hall with Lü Meng and the other three.

As soon as the others left, Jiang Mengxuan frowned slightly: "What are you up to now?"

With that in mind, she decided to go to Bie Ting Ju to find Shen Lang herself.

The thought had barely formed in her mind when Mu Qingqiu appeared behind her with a smile: "Little girl, are you feeling romantic?"

"Second Senior Sister, can you please stop appearing and disappearing like this all the time? It's kind of scary."

"a ha ha ha……"

Mu Qingqiu's cheerful laughter brought a rare moment of relaxation to the solemn hall.

"To be honest, Junior Sister, you have excellent taste. You've chosen a truly remarkable husband; it's astonishing."

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed that he could have recovered the entire Heluo and Guanzhong regions in just a few months.

Such an outstanding man, junior sister, you must keep a close eye on him and make sure no other woman snatches him away.”

Jiang Mengxuan: "Thank you for reminding me, Second Senior Sister. I believe Ah Lang won't do that."

She was naturally pleased when someone praised her man to her face.

"We should still be more careful," Mu Qingqiu said. "You probably don't know this yet, do you?"

In Chang'an, there was a wealthy young lady who, even after learning of Shen Lang's engagement, still wanted to force him to marry into her family.

"What did you say!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan's face instantly turned cold.

"Who is so audacious as to seduce my fiancé? Aren't they afraid I'll exterminate their entire family?"

"Alright, alright, don't get agitated," Mu Qingqiu comforted her. "Actually, it's only natural that you, Junior Sister, having lived in the palace for so long, are unfamiliar with the situation in the Guanzhong region."

Your man is so outstanding, it's perfectly normal for him to attract the attention of unmarried women who also consider themselves talented.

Don't even mention that you're not married yet; some women from well-off families even force couples to divorce in the street, and it's not uncommon for them to coerce couples into marrying them.

Jiang Mengxuan fell silent. She knew something about the prevalence of Hu culture in Guanzhong, but hearing it from someone else was a different story.

Mu Qingqiu continued, "However, your man was quite decisive, directly rejecting the woman's advances, which broke her heart."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan breathed a sigh of relief.

She knew her judgment wasn't that bad, and that Shen Lang wouldn't do anything shady behind her back.

"But junior sister, relationships require mutual effort to have a good outcome. If you don't take the initiative, even the best man will eventually change his mind."

"What do you mean by that, Senior Sister?"

"Today is Shen Lang's first day back. He has made such a great contribution for you. Shouldn't you repay him?"

"Repay?"

"Yes, what day is it today? It's Girls' Day. On such a special day, shouldn't you and Shen Lang strengthen your relationship?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan's ears burned slightly.

In fact, when she heard that Shen Lang had returned home halfway, she had already prepared to go to the villa.

"Thank you, Second Senior Sister, I understand."

……

Inside the villa, Shen Lang was digging around in the courtyard with a hoe.

The stone slabs under his feet had long been reduced to broken stones and rubble under his rampage.

Finally, after more than a dozen boxes appeared, Shen Lang dropped his hoe and forcefully lifted the boxes out.

Upon opening it, what greeted the eye was a dazzling expanse of gold, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Fortunately, I've accumulated some savings. Although it's not much, it's enough to live off for a few years. Isn't this exactly what I've been working so hard to protect myself from?"

This is the wealth Shen Lang has accumulated over the past year by exploiting the Empress's resources; it amounts to a staggering 30,000 taels of gold.

He quickly put the gold into a storage ring he had obtained from the Guanzhong region, and only then did he feel much more at ease.

After returning to the house and packing some personal belongings, I intended to leave immediately.

"This sweat is really uncomfortable. Maybe I should take a shower first."

But after glancing at the sky, he figured it was still early, so he decided to take a shower before heading out on his journey.

Half an hour later...

When Shen Lang changed into a clean set of clothes, picked up his bundle, and opened the door, he was immediately stunned.

In the messy courtyard, Jiang Mengxuan, dressed in a blue silk dress, was sitting in front of a stone chair.

Upon seeing Shen Lang, she couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Ah Lang, I've been waiting for you for a while. Where are you going with all those bags?"

"Your Majesty? Why are you here?"

"Ah Lang, what did you call me?"

"..."

Shen Lang was instantly numb.