After her transformation and rebirth, she manipulates the innocent and ruthless to overthrow the wor

Finally, Ms. He excused herself from feeling unwell and quietly left, allowing Xiao Ran to salvage her reputation, and the storm finally subsided.

"Have a banquet!"

As soon as the eunuch finished shouting, the hall immediately became lively.

The dancers moved gracefully, and the musicians played cheerful tunes, filling the entire hall with a festive atmosphere.

Xiao Ran keenly noticed that Xiao Mu and the emperor walked in together through the side door, and the two seemed to have just discussed something important.

Xiao Mu's face was somewhat gloomy, clearly indicating that he was in a bad mood.

After the music ended, the dancers bowed and offered their blessings:

"May Your Majesty live a long and prosperous life, and may the country be peaceful and prosperous, with good fortune lasting year after year."

The ministers raised their glasses in toast, and Xiao Ran and He Wan also rose to greet the emperor.

The emperor, beaming, raised his wine cup and said:

"My beloved ministers, please rise. Today is the eve of the Lunar New Year, a time to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new. I have some matters to announce."

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally settling on Xiao Mu:

"The first matter is naturally related to the safety of the country, so let the General of the Nation speak about it."

Xiao Mu stepped forward, his expression solemn. His gaze swept over everyone in the hall, lingering on Xiao Ran for a moment, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

He only frowned slightly in the end, cupped his hands, and said in a deep voice:

"Recently, several small countries along the border have repeatedly provoked us and harassed our territory. As the General Who Guards the Nation, I have volunteered to lead troops to defend the border and protect the peace of our land."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent; even the musicians' strings seemed to stop vibrating.

All eyes were on Xiao Mu. Some looked worried, some were deep in thought, and some were exchanging glances.

Xiao Ran's heart sank, and her fingertips unconsciously clenched her sleeves.

She remembered clearly that her father's deployment to the frontier in her previous life should have been a year later!

At that time, Aunt and He Wan joined forces and, taking advantage of Father's absence, plotted to marry her off to Jiang Shaorong.

But why has everything happened ahead of schedule? Is it because her rebirth changed the course of events?

She looked up at Xiao Mu. Her father's figure was still as upright as a pine tree, but the corners of his tightly pursed lips revealed a solemnity she had never seen before.

Xiao Ran felt a vague unease, sensing that something big was about to happen.

"Excellent! General Xiao truly deserves to be called the Great General Who Protects the Nation of Jing! He is a role model for the soldiers!"

Emperor Jingyang suddenly praised loudly, breaking the silence in the hall.

He raised his glass high, his eyes scanning the crowd intently.

"Respect to General Xiao, and also to the countless young men who fight for the land of our Jing Kingdom!"

After saying that, Emperor Jingyang tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, a carefree smile on his face, as if the border crisis was nothing more than an insignificant disturbance.

Everyone in the hall raised their glasses in agreement, but behind those smiles lay an unconcealable worry.

Xiao Ran looked down at the swirling liquid in her glass, her mind racing with thoughts.

She knew that from this moment on, many things would break away from her memories of her past life and head in an unknown direction.

"Is my sister worried about Father?"

At this moment, He Wan spoke up quietly.

Xiao Ran glanced to the side and saw He Wan with a faint smile on her face.

"Do you want your father to guard the border? You've only been in the General's Mansion for a short time, and your name hasn't even been entered into the Xiao family ancestral hall yet. Aren't you worried?" Xiao Ran retorted.

"Wan'er naturally prioritizes national affairs. As for the ancestral hall, it's already a great blessing that Wan'er can stay in the General's Mansion."

He Wan's words were respectful and humble, but Xiao Ran found them inexplicably disgusting.