Shen Lixue smiled, her cold eyes looking directly at Consort Shu: "Consort Shu, General Mu was drunk and out of his mind. He tried to kill me. I seriously injured him only to protect myself. Was that wrong?"
Consort Shu's gaze was sharp, and her words were incisive: "You can injure other parts of his body to stop him from killing, sever his tendons, and make him a cripple. Even if it means Xiliang loses a pillar of the nation, what exactly are you up to?"
Shen Lixue sneered. Mu Tao was so arrogant and domineering; how could he be called a pillar of the nation? "As Consort Shu said, General Mu is as strong as an ox. When he's drunk, he's not thinking clearly. He'll do whatever he wants. Even if I stab him, his determination to kill me won't change. Left with no other choice, I stabbed his wrist to prevent him from killing anyone else..."
"You!" Consort Shu was furious, a cold glint flashing in her sharp eyes: "Even if you seriously injured the general in self-defense, you still made a mistake. You severed your own tendons, but I will not hold your mistake against you!"
"Your Highness, just now, in front of everyone, I was already showing signs of defeat. It was General Mu who chased after me and tried to kill me. If I hadn't seriously injured him, what you see now would be my corpse!" The implication was that Mu Tao had brought it upon himself by having his tendons severed.
Consort Shu's gaze was icy as she raised an eyebrow at Shen Lixue: "You still dare to argue!"
"Your Majesty, everyone witnessed what just happened. Please tell me, should this humble subject have broken his wrist?"
The group exchanged glances without speaking. They had all seen Mu Tao chasing and attacking Shen Li clearly, intending to severely injure him. Even Princess Qian Yue had conceded defeat on Shen Li's behalf, yet Mu Tao continued his relentless pursuit. It wasn't unreasonable for Shen Li to sever Mu Tao's tendons in order to save his own life, but Mu Tao was a border general. With his tendons severed, he would be crippled and unable to guard the border any longer…
Consort De took in everyone's expressions and smiled gently: "General Mu drank too much and was stabbed in the hand. Consort Shu has always been sensible and considerate of the bigger picture. She forced Xiao Li to harm himself not only because she felt sorry for her nephew, but also because the border was less secure due to the loss of a general. In a fit of anger, she lost her temper. Xiao Li is also a martial artist with decent skills. Why not punish him by sending him to guard the border and serve the country, so he can make amends for his mistake..."
Consort Shu gritted her teeth. What she said sounded nice. Punishing Shen Li by sending him to the border to replace Mu Tao as general was actually a way for the Zhenguo Marquis's family to take over the position of general from the Mu family. The Zhenguo Marquis's family easily gained several thousand more soldiers. This was not a punishment at all; it was clearly a huge windfall that had fallen into his lap. Consort De's wishful thinking was truly brilliant.
Shen Lixue's eyes darted around, and she echoed Consort De's words: "This humble subject is not talented enough to command like General Mu Er and is unfit for the position of general. If Your Majesty wishes to punish me, this humble subject is willing to go to the border to guard it!"
Consort Shu frowned. Shen Li was a skilled physician and a master of martial arts, truly a man of both literary and martial talents. If such a man entered the army, the Emperor would certainly not just make him a common soldier.
She glanced sideways at Mu Tao, whose wrist was now useless and unable to serve as a general. Judging from Shen Li's expression, he longed for the position of general. Hmph, how could the military power of the Duke of Mu's mansion fall into the hands of the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion? "Young Master Shen injured someone by accident. Even if his tendons are not severed, he should still be punished as a small punishment!"
"Xiao Li shall be punished by being confined to the Zhenguo Marquis's residence for a month to reflect on her mistakes, and shall not be allowed to leave the residence to cause trouble!" Consort De issued the punishment order gently, before Consort Shu could.
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness!" Shen Lixue hurriedly accepted the punishment, with no further changes or variables.
"It's good that Consort Xie is so magnanimous!" Consort De looked at Consort Shu with a smile that seemed like a provocation.
"Thank you, Consort Shu!" Shen Lixue said with a smile. She didn't need to look to know that Consort Shu's face must be gloomy and ashen.
Consort Shu looked coldly at Shen Lixue, her chest heaving with anger and blood. Her slender hands clenched tightly, her nails digging into her flesh. Consort De had given Shen Lixue the lightest punishment—confined confinement to reflect on his mistakes—without touching him in the slightest. By thanking her, Consort De was indirectly telling everyone that this punishment had been approved by her, and that she could no longer cause trouble for Shen Lixue.
In today's struggle, Consort De and Shen Lixue won, and the Zhenguo Marquis's Mansion gained the upper hand. Their thanks were clearly a mockery of her. How despicable!
The matter was resolved satisfactorily, and Shen Lixue was not punished. Everyone's eyes turned to him intentionally or unintentionally. Unexpectedly, he was weak in appearance but not in martial arts. He was able to defeat General Mu Er because of his strength, not luck.
Shen Lixue glanced at Mu Tao, who was being carried away, groaning in pain and filled with anger and resentment. She raised an eyebrow. The fight was over, and the longsword could be put back in its place. She turned around and met Ye Qianlong's clear eyes. She was slightly taken aback: "Qianlong, how long have you been standing here?" Judging from his appearance, he had been standing there for a long time.
Ye Qianlong smiled, a clean and clear smile: "Just now."
Fearing that Shen Lixue might misunderstand, he explained again, "I'm afraid you'll get hurt!" He wouldn't stop her from fighting Mu Tao; he would stand silently by her side and help her if she encountered danger.
Shen Lixue smiled gently: "I'll be fine!" She was so focused on her fight with Mu Tao that she didn't even notice when Ye Qianlong stood next to her.
"Did Dongfang Heng teach you your martial arts?" Ye Qianlong had always been curious about Shen Lixue's martial arts, but he hadn't found the right time to ask.
Shen Lixue blinked: "I guess so!" The moves she used were all killing moves, without any fancy moves. Every move was very practical, unlike the elegant moves of ancient times. She couldn't explain it to Ye Qianlong in a short time, so she just let him think that Dongfang Heng taught her.
Ye Qianlong's bright eyes dimmed slightly: "Is he... alright?" When he returned to Xiliang, Dongfang Heng was already terminally ill and could die at any moment. Later, when he learned that Shen Lixue and he were getting married, he silently blessed them, but he was worried about Shen Lixue.
"He's very good!" Shen Lixue smiled, her answer simple and concise. Ye Qianlong and Dongfang Heng were rivals in love, and if Shen Lixue talked too much about Dongfang Heng, Ye Qianlong might be upset.
"Did you come to Xiliang with Dongfang Heng?" Ye Qianlong had seen their relationship clearly. Since Shen Lixue appeared in the Xiliang palace, Dongfang Heng must have been nearby as well.
Shen Lixue nodded: "He's waiting for me outside the palace. We've come to Xiliang to do some things." Ye Qianlong is naive, not stupid. As the Azure Flame War God, Prince An, no one would believe that Dongfang Heng came to Xiliang for sightseeing.
"Do you need my help?" Ye Qianlong asked earnestly, without pressing them about the purpose of their visit to Xiliang.
"No need, it's a very simple matter, no need to trouble you!" Shen Lixue smiled and shook her head, but her gaze dimmed a little when she saw Ye Qianlong.
Ye Qianlong is the Crown Prince of Xiliang. She wants to deal with Consort Shu of Xiliang. She doesn't want Ye Qianlong to be involved. Otherwise, if people find out that she is allied with the Qingyan people to deal with the people of her own country, the ministers will impeach him, the emperor will dislike him, and his brothers and sisters will hate him even more. At that time, he will be homeless.
Under the sunlight, Lu Jiangfeng sat quietly, his dark eyes facing the chrysanthemum bushes, his white jade fingers holding a teacup and taking light sips. Shen Li and His Highness the Crown Prince were indeed acquainted.
“The young masters of the Zhenguo Marquis’s mansion are all outstanding. The eldest and second young masters guard the border, the third young master is a child prodigy in Xiliang, and now there is a distant relative, Young Master Shen, who is also a talented person who is one in a thousand…” Several noble ladies came with smiles to get close to the old lady and the lady of the Marquis’s mansion.
Shen Lixue is both scholarly and martial, and at a young age, he defeated the renowned General Mu Er on the border. His future is limitless. In addition, due to his relationship with the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion, some women with daughters of marriageable age have been subtly inquiring about Shen Lixue's family background.
The old lady smiled kindly, glanced at Chen Lixue, and said without any modesty, "This child lives far away, not in the capital, but she has good character, a good temperament, and great talent. I like her very much. If I had a granddaughter, I would definitely give her to him..."
She knew that Shen Lixue was a skilled doctor, but she did not expect that his martial arts were also quite good, on par with his three grandsons. Naturally, she liked him more and more as she looked at him.
Ye Qianyue frowned slightly, squeezed through the crowd, and sat down next to the old lady. She gently took her arm, her shy gaze frequently turning to Shen Lixue: "Grandmother, actually, granddaughter and granddaughter are pretty much the same..."
Shen Lixue was taken aback, and helplessly rubbed her forehead with her small, white hand. She wondered if she had attracted too many suitors. After all, she was a woman and could not get married.
"Li Xue, would you like to come to my palace for a chat?" Ye Qianlong invited Shen Li Xue with a smile.
Shen Lixue looked at the darkening sky and said, "It's getting late. I need to go back to the manor with the Lady of the Marquis and the others. You can go to the Zhenguo Marquis's manor another day, and we can talk in detail!" There are many people in the palace, and walls have ears. Even in the palace, it's not safe to talk. It's better to find a reliable place outside to chat.
Ye Qianlong's eyes lit up: "Then I'll go to the Marquis of Zhenguo's residence to find you tomorrow!"
“Okay!” Shen Lixue nodded. Ye Qianlong was her good friend, so it was perfectly reasonable for them to talk and chat.
Sitting in the emperor's seat, he could see Ye Qianlong's face and Shen Lixue's back ten meters away. For the first time in more than ten years, the emperor realized that his son could not only laugh, but laugh so brightly and so purely.
His gaze fell on Shen Lixue, who was dressed in white. He was a head shorter than Ye Qianlong and much slimmer. From a distance, they looked like a man and a woman...
Consort Shu also saw Shen Lixue and Ye Qianlong talking. A cold light flashed in her beautiful eyes. The ministers all praised Shen Lixue, and His Highness the Crown Prince also looked at him with new eyes and wanted to entrust him with important responsibilities! No, she would never allow the people of the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion to rise step by step!
As night fell and the chrysanthemum banquet ended, the ministers and their families all boarded carriages and left the palace. Shen Lixue followed the old lady and the lady of the Marquis out of the palace, preparing to return to the Zhenguo Marquis's residence.
Just as he mounted his horse, a young eunuch rushed over: "Young Master Shen, please wait! His Highness the Crown Prince requests your presence!"
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened: "Did Your Highness say anything?" They had clearly agreed to meet at the Zhenguo Marquis's residence tomorrow, so why did Ye Qianlong suddenly summon her to the palace again?