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

Shen Lang eats people?

Jiang Mengxuan would never believe such rumors.

How could her husband, such a resolute person, do such a heinous thing?

She absolutely doesn't believe it!

"Jiang Chaoyun, find the person who spreads these rumors about the Emperor immediately! How can my husband be subjected to such slander?"

Jiang Chaoyun looked troubled: "Your Majesty, these notices have been posted all over the city overnight, and there is no way to find out who did it."

Jiang Mengxuan was furious: "Then immediately confiscate all the notices and issue a city-wide order that anyone who dares to discuss this matter will be sent to prison."

Jiang Chaoyun hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, this may be inappropriate. If we do this, wouldn't it confirm the rumors that the Duke of Zhenguo is cannibalistic?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan calmed down.

Indeed, since such rumors have already spread throughout the capital, forcibly prohibiting the people from discussing them would only have the opposite effect.

However, if the rumors are not stopped from spreading, Shen Lang's position may be in jeopardy.

Seeing that Jiang Mengxuan remained silent, Jiang Chaoyun suggested in a low voice, "Your Majesty, why don't we invite the Prince over to discuss this? Back when the Duke of Zhenguo was at Fengsui Fort, only the Prince was closest to him."

Jiang Mengxuan was also flustered and confused. It was only after hearing Jiang Mengxuan's explanation that she came to her senses.

"Go and call the Imperial Uncle over."

Before long, Jiang Shangxian strode into the imperial study.

"Your Majesty, what business do you have with me?"

"See for yourself."

Jiang Mengxuan handed the rumor notice to Jiang Shangxian.

"impossible!"

After reading the content about Shen Lang eating people, Jiang Shangxian was unusually furious.

"Your Majesty, Shen Lang could never have done something so heinous! This is clearly a deliberate frame-up!"

Jiang Mengxuan sighed softly: "Imperial Uncle, I know my husband would never do such a thing, but right now these rumors are circulating all over the city, which is extremely detrimental to him."

Jiang Shangxian knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, I am willing to guarantee with my life that Shen Lang would never do such a thing."

"In the Battle of Fengsui Fortress back then, if Shen Lang hadn't single-handedly held off the enemy for over a month, Bingzhou would likely have already fallen!"

Jiang Mengxuan: "Imperial Uncle, I am really curious about what exactly happened in the Battle of Fengsui Fortress back then. How did Shen Lang manage to hold off the most elite cavalry of Northern Yan all by himself?"

"Didn't His Majesty personally ask him about this matter?"

"In the Battle of Fengsui Fortress, my husband's colleagues betrayed him; he personally killed these brothers who had shared life and death with him day and night."

These years have been so cruel, how could I possibly reopen his wounds?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shangxian sighed softly and said, "Your Majesty, no matter what, you must believe in Shen Lang. He is a man who has experienced life and death."

During the Battle of Fengsui Fortress, I was with General Wang Zhongsi, facing off against the Northern Yan army. It wasn't until Shen Lang hadn't returned to camp for a long time that I changed course to look for him.

When we were thirty miles from the beacon tower, I spotted Shen Lang covered in blood, with the corpses of Northern Yan soldiers strewn all around him.

When he saw me, he was already delirious, and I carried him back to the military camp.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Jiang Shangxian sighed: "He was unconscious for four days and three nights before he woke up. When I asked him, I found out that he had faced Wei Shuyu, the number one general of Northern Yan at the time, at Fengsui Fortress."

"Wei Shuyu!"

Jiang Mengxuan was taken aback upon hearing this.

"I never expected that Northern Yan would send its top general, Wei Shuyu, to deal with Shen Lang. If I remember correctly, Shen Lang was only a captain at the time, right?"

Jiang Mengxuan nodded: "The elite battalion that Shen Lang trained in the Bingzhou army always carried out missions with a slim chance of survival."

The Northern Yan and Great Chu had been locked in a stalemate for many years, with numerous generals assassinated, mostly by the elite elite troops. This naturally attracted the attention of the Murong royal family.

They offered many tempting conditions to recruit the elite vanguard battalion.

Shen Lang, in particular, was the person they most wanted to recruit.

Unfortunately, while Northern Yan bribed everyone in the elite vanguard battalion, they couldn't win over Shen Lang.

"Then how did he manage to hold off tens of thousands of Northern Yan cavalry single-handedly, and how did he annihilate the most elite cavalry battalion and kill Wei Shuyu?" Jiang Mengxuan asked curiously.

Jiang Shangxian: "Your Majesty, I truly do not know the answer to this. I only know that there appear to be signs of fire burning around the beacon tower."

As for whether the fire was a natural disaster or man-made, it would be best if you asked Shen Lang yourself.

After Jiang Shangxian finished speaking, he added.

"Your Majesty, if you say that Shen Lang is ruthless and inhumane towards his enemies, I have nothing to say. But to say that he eats people is definitely slander and a rumor. You must not believe it!"

Besides, after spending so much time together, you should know better than anyone else whether Shen Lang seems like that kind of person.

Jiang Mengxuan: "I trust my own judgment and would never believe such baseless rumors."

Jiang Shangxian: "But I'm afraid that someone will use this rumor to impeach Shen Lang at tomorrow's morning court session."

Whether it's true or false is no longer important; what matters is...

Once Shen Lang's cannibalism is confirmed, even His Majesty might not be able to protect him!

"My husband, I will protect him!"

Jiang Mengxuan's tone was extremely firm.

"He has shown me a clear path, so it is my responsibility to prevent him from being framed by outsiders!"

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

"As long as Your Majesty trusts Shen Lang, everything will be resolved."

"Ah."

Jiang Mengxuan responded emphatically, her eyes unusually firm.

……

On the third day of the eleventh month, Shen Lang and his party finally returned to the capital.

As soon as he entered the city, the people on both sides of the street immediately left, as if avoiding a plague.

Shen Lang didn't think much of it and continued riding forward.

"Wow--"

In the middle of the street, a five-year-old child accidentally fell to the ground and started crying.

Shen Lang immediately dismounted and smiled as he tried to help him up.

Before he could take two steps, a child rushed to his side like a madman, grabbed him and hugged him tightly, then quickly hid back on the side of the street.

Shen Lang could clearly sense the terror in the child's mother's eyes as she looked at him.

"Um……"

After a moment's hesitation, Shen Lang remounted his horse and continued his journey towards the palace.

Ye Mo, who was behind him, seemed to sense the strange atmosphere as well. He spurred his horse to catch up with Shen Lang and said, "Duke Zhenguo, have you noticed that something seems off about this city?"

"I sensed it," Shen Lang replied. "Let's not think about it for now and return to the palace to report."

Along the way, anyone who saw him would flee in panic.

Some vendors simply picked up their goods and left, as if they had encountered a demon.

Such unusual behavior aroused a strange surprise in Shen Lang.

He had a vague feeling that the strange behavior of these people was directed at him.

As they walked to the gates of Weiyang Palace, the guards on the gate were very respectful when they saw Shen Lang and immediately went to announce his arrival.

But the way they looked at him revealed a strange sense of rejection and fear.

Even Ye Mo could sense this unusual atmosphere.

"Duke Zhenguo, the situation is very wrong. Should I go ahead and see His Majesty to find out the reason?"

"No need. I haven't done anything to offend His Majesty. What's there to be afraid of? Let's go."

Shen Lang straightened his official robes, walked to the palace gate, and quietly waited for the imperial decree to enter the palace.

Before long, a guard came to report: "Summon, Duke Shen Lang and Prime Minister Ye Mo, to the Taiji Hall for an audience with the Emperor!"

Upon hearing this, the two stood up straight and strode towards the Taiji Hall.