The princess regretted it.

Chapter 254: The Storm of Victory (2)

After hearing the eunuch's report, the three people in the imperial study tacitly stopped their conversation. The emperor sat up slightly straighter, his expression becoming increasingly solemn. He gently lifted the sleeves of his luxurious robe, and then said in a low and powerful voice, "Announce."

The eunuch quickly replied "Yes" in a clear and crisp tone, and then respectfully backed out of the imperial study.

A moment later, Zhang Chengde, dressed in formal court robes, entered with steady, swift strides. Upon entering, he quickly glanced at Prime Minister Mu and the Duke of Huguo, who stood inside. He wondered, "How could these two have arrived so quickly? Could they have rushed to the palace as soon as they received the news?" Even with this thought, he walked straight to the front and, without pausing, bowed respectfully to the emperor, who sat high on the dragon throne. His movements were meticulous, demonstrating the reverence of a subject.

The emperor raised his hand, his tone calm but revealing unquestionable majesty, and said, "Minister Zhang, please stand up."

Zhang Chengde hurriedly thanked His Majesty for his grace again, then turned sideways, with just the right smile on his face, bowed slightly to Prime Minister Mu and the Duke of Protectorate, greeted them politely, and then retreated to the other side in an orderly manner, stood with his hands hanging down, waiting for the emperor's instructions.

The emperor's gaze fell on Zhang Chengde, and he spoke calmly, "The report of General Mu's victory in the northern border has been delivered to the palace today. All matters concerning Minister Zhang's Ministry of War will be under your overall management. You must carefully prepare for the many follow-up matters. After all, while this victory is a joyous occasion, General Mu will submit a list of meritorious individuals. You will be responsible for recording and rewarding them accordingly. Furthermore, the subsequent deployment of troops, the allocation of supplies, and rewards must all be properly arranged. These matters must be handled properly, without fail."

When Zhang Chengde heard the emperor call his name, he quickly turned to face the emperor, his posture erect and respectful, bowing slightly as he listened intently to the emperor's instructions. After hearing the emperor's words, his expression froze, and he quickly and firmly responded, "Your Majesty, I will do my utmost to live up to your trust."

"Okay!" The emperor nodded slightly.

"Your Majesty, the Zhenbei Army was able to defeat the Yu Kingdom so quickly this time, it was truly as if it had divine help. I am really curious, do you have any unique strategy that led to this great victory?" Zhang Chengde bent his body slightly, with just the right amount of confusion and curiosity on his face, and asked tentatively.

When Prime Minister Mu and the Duke of Protectorate heard his words, they first looked at each other, then looked up at him, and then turned to the emperor at the top.

The emperor also looked at him meaningfully, his eyes deep and sharp, as if he could see through his thoughts. After a moment's silence, he slowly said in a deep voice: "This great victory is thanks to the timely delivery of the grain and fodder, which greatly alleviated our army's food shortage. Of course, there are two outstanding young generals in this army. Their bravery and fearlessness in battle, as well as their control of the battle situation, are far beyond ordinary people. They played a significant role at the critical moment."

"Two young generals? I wonder who they are? I had no idea that there were such powerful and capable people in our army." Zhang Chengde said this, but his mind was full of thoughts.

When he heard the Emperor mention the timely delivery of grain, his heart skipped a beat, and he wondered if something had truly happened to Zhenyuan. But then, upon hearing about the outstanding performance of two young generals, he couldn't help but feel a surge of doubt and a tinge of anticipation. A fleeting thought flashed through his mind: Could Zhenyuan have changed his strategy, not robbing the grain as originally planned, but instead cleverly infiltrating the Zhenbei Army using the grain transports, and then excelling on the battlefield? As he thought about this, a complex mixture of nervousness and anticipation crossed his eyes.

The Emperor glanced at him calmly. His gaze seemed calm, yet it seemed to contain a profound insight. He then spoke calmly, "General Mu didn't specify which two young generals were involved. He simply sent word back that upon his return to the capital, he would personally meet with the Emperor and explain the details in detail."

Seeing this, Zhang Chengde knew that it was not convenient to ask any more questions at this moment, so he had to suppress the many speculations in his heart and responded respectfully: "I see, those two young generals must have extraordinary abilities, so General Mu treats them so cautiously. I am also looking forward to knowing about their heroic deeds as soon as possible." As he spoke, he lowered his head slightly, trying his best to make his expression appear more natural, but the trace of worry in his heart could not be shaken off, and he was still constantly considering various possible situations.

......

Jin'an waited in Feiyu Palace for a long time, but there was no news. He could not sit still any longer, so he hurriedly called Zhao Ma to help him get the cloak. After putting it on neatly, he took Zhao Ma to the direction of the imperial study.

When she arrived outside the imperial study, she knew that her father must be discussing with a group of ministers at this time. She did not rush forward, but found a secluded corner not far away, slightly poked her head out, and stared at the door of the imperial study.

A little later, the vermilion door of the imperial study slowly opened, and the first to stride out was Prime Minister Mu. Jin An saw this from afar, and was delighted. She was about to step forward, but at this moment, her eyes passed over Prime Minister Mu and saw the Duke of Protectorate following closely behind him. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks as if she had been cast under a spell. There was nothing she could do. The Duke of Protectorate was her future father-in-law. When she thought of this, she felt inexplicably shy and was too embarrassed to step forward rashly. She could only stand there, watching the two of them walk further and further away until they left. However, looking at the unconcealable joy on the faces of her grandfather and the Duke of Protectorate, Jin An secretly thought to herself that the news from the northern border was good, and her previous worries were probably unnecessary.

Just as they descended the steps, another figure emerged from behind the imperial study's door. It was Zhang Chengde. Jin'an hadn't paid much attention to him at first, but then he noticed he tilted his head slightly, his gaze gazing toward the imperial study behind him. A fierce, ruthless look shone through his eyes, as if harboring some hidden agenda. Then, he hurried away.

Jin An saw this scene, her brow furrowed slightly, a wave of unease rising within her. She stood there, pondering for a moment, feeling that something was amiss. Her curiosity and worry grew stronger. Finally, she turned and slowly walked toward the imperial study.