After being forced to leave the marriage, I became the wife of a top scholar.

He destroyed Luanheng, seized four cities, helped redress injustices, and protected peace.

After this battle, the Northern Dynasty will have no energy left to harass the borders of the Shang Dynasty for at least the next ten years.

"Hero, General Lin is a hero."

Cheers erupted in the streets. Bai Wanqing looked towards the city gate and saw a figure riding a reddish-brown horse in the distance, his silver armor gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

That was the figure Bai Wanqing was most familiar with.

Lin Yunche sat on his tall horse, looking around at the people on both sides of the street.

He had seen this scene countless times in his dreams, but when the day finally came, only that one person's face remained in his mind and heart.

"Big Head, look! It's your mother and the others!"

Da Ya waved the Lin Family Army flag in the teahouse, standing out among the many onlookers.

Lin Yunche raised his head slightly and saw the person he had been thinking about day and night these past few days.
The other women standing in the teahouse covered their faces and exclaimed in surprise when they saw such a handsome young general.

"My goodness, everyone says the Lin family produces handsome men, but I never imagined that General Lin would also be so good-looking."

"Look, he seems to be looking this way!"

Other women in the know said disappointedly, "They're not looking at us, though."

"Look at the neighbors next door!"

All the women's eyes fell on Bai Wanqing, who was sitting by the window with a calm expression.

"Wow! Could this woman be the legendary Madam Lin?"

"Is she the woman who single-handedly led everyone to defend Huaizhou City?"

Instantly, the girls who had been drawn to Lin Yunche all turned their attention to Bai Wanqing with admiration.

Many people also sent Bai Wanqing invitations, hoping she would grace them with her presence.

Lin Yunche pursed his lips slightly, looking at Bai Wanqing, who was even more popular than him, and felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

Wow! So his rivals in love aren't just those young men!

Amidst blooming flowers and joyful laughter, Lin Yunche and his companions were summoned directly to the palace to meet the emperor after their parade through the streets.

To show his importance to this great victory, the Emperor had long ago arranged for the Ministry of Rites to make preparations, and he personally greeted the emperor at the palace gate.

Because it was within the palace grounds, the common people could only gaze at it from afar.

Looking at the triumphant Lin family army, the young emperor said with satisfaction, "Good! Good!"

"I knew I hadn't trusted the wrong people."

"How was the journey? Was it smooth?"

Lord Cui led his men in kneeling before the Emperor, saying, "Your Majesty is wise. We have fulfilled Your Majesty's mission and returned safely."

The Emperor glanced at Marquis Cui, then turned his gaze to Lin Yunche, and said in a low voice, "Good! Good that it went smoothly!"

"Now, all the soldiers have also traveled a long distance and are physically exhausted."

"By my decree, hold a grand banquet to reward the three armies and the Lin family army!"

The soldiers knelt down to express their gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

The soldiers revelled all night, and even Lord Cui and Lord Cheng drank quite a bit. After Lin Yunche and Lin Feiyun helped the two officials into the carriage, they prepared to go home.

The palace gates opened, and an eunuch jogged toward them.

"Generals, please wait!"

Lin Feiyun and Lin Yunche recognized the eunuch as the one who had been by the Emperor's side all day.

"May I ask, sir, what brings you here?"

"By imperial decree, the two generals are invited to the Imperial Study."

Lin Feiyun and Lin Yunche exchanged a glance, and Lin Yunche bowed and said, "Please lead the way, sir!"

Inside the Imperial Study, Prime Minister Wei stood beside the Emperor, waiting with him for Lin Yunche and the others to arrive.

After leading the two inside, the young eunuch wisely withdrew.

"Long live the Emperor!"

"Alright! There aren't that many people here, no need for so much formality!"

"Besides, your Lin family has never been one to stand on ceremony!"

These words told Lin Feiyun and Lin Yunche that the Emperor was angry.

Lin Feiyun looked at Prime Minister Wei, who shook his head slightly. Lin Feiyun and the others lowered their heads and dared not utter a sound.

"Lin Yunche, you have some nerve! How dare you sneak into the Northern Dynasty behind my back?"

"Not only that, but they also found a double to carry out my orders and send troops in your name."

"Do you know that the crime of deceiving the emperor is a crime that will cost your entire family their heads, even if your Lin family has made great contributions?"

Lin Feiyun and Lin Yunche were startled and quickly offered an explanation.

"Your Majesty, I had no choice but to do this."

"No other choice?" The Emperor raised an eyebrow, his face full of disdain.

Lin Yunche bowed and said, "Yes, it was unavoidable!"

"Then tell me, what exactly was the reason you had no choice?"

Lin Feiyun was sweating profusely at this moment. Lin Yunche paused and said, "I have three reasons that I have no choice but to accept."

"Quite a few!" the Emperor sneered.

"I obeyed the Emperor's grace and sought a position in Huaizhou. Who would have thought that I would inadvertently discover the Prince of Huai's rebellious intentions? However, my status is special. If I were to remonstrate with the Emperor, I fear that I would face opposition and rejection from many ministers." "I had no choice but to borrow Lord Hai's letter to accuse the Prince of Huai of treason. I searched for evidence of the Prince of Huai's collusion with the Northern Dynasty and went alone into the Northern Dynasty."

"This is the first thing I had no choice but to do."

The emperor raised his eyes but did not speak.

"Entering the Northern Dynasty was extremely dangerous. When I met my uncle, I learned the truth of what happened back then. It was the Prince of Huai who colluded with the Northern Dynasty to frame the Lin family army, forcing our dynasty to surrender four cities without resistance."

"I learned of my uncle's ambition to seize the city. In order to cooperate with my uncle in sowing discord between the Prince of Huai and the Northern Dynasty, I made both sides isolated and helpless."

"I am unable to return to the Northern Dynasty for the time being, so I have no choice but to ask Young Master Wushuang to take my place and restrain the Prince of Huai."

"This is the second thing I have no choice but to do."

The emperor twitched the corners of his mouth, a chill rising in his eyes.

Lin Feiyun was so frightened that he dared not move and gestured to Lin Yunche to stop talking.

But this kid seemed to have eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard, and continued to speak: "My uncle and I acted separately in the Northern Dynasty. My uncle deceived the ruler of the Northern Dynasty and asked for tens of thousands of elite soldiers to go to the northern border. He used a trick to make these tens of thousands of elite soldiers kill each other with Luan Heng."

"I will lead the people of Luobing Shang Kingdom to form an army, fight our way back to the Northern Dynasty, and support the exoneration of the Prince of Huai."

“I am using the name of a soldier or general from the Northern Dynasty; this is the third reason I have no other choice.”

"Your Majesty, both I and Young Master Wushuang are loyal to Your Majesty. Although we may have acted improperly, it was all for the purpose of protecting Your Majesty."

"If Your Majesty wishes to punish others, it would be better to spare them. I am willing to bear the full responsibility."

After speaking, Lin Yunche kowtowed on the ground and obediently listened to the order.

Upon seeing this, Lin Feiyun immediately bowed down, waiting to be punished.

The Emperor stood up, paced slowly around the study, and said in a deep voice, "Lin Yunche, you're not afraid of death!"

"They actually came up with so many excuses for their audacity."

"This prevents me from convicting you."

Lin Yunche lowered his head and said, "Your subject dares not!"

The Emperor smiled slightly and said, "Do you know that although I cannot convict you, the peerless young master is your brother-in-law Bai Chengdong, who is incredibly audacious. Not only did he impersonate an official of the court, but he also dared to break into the palace and force me to send troops to the north?"

"If it weren't for the fact that your Lin family had been exonerated, I would have had him arrested, convicted, and beheaded in the next couple of days!"

After the Emperor finished speaking, he recalled that day when a young man with Lin Yunche's face knelt in front of the Imperial Study, stubbornly pleading with him to issue another decree to send troops.

For those two days, everything was uncertain. The truth of Lin Sishu's promise to him was still unknown, and those old foxes who were watching from the sidelines refused to send troops. Could he really solve the problem by issuing another decree?
What use is it for this brat to kneel idly in front of my study?

At that moment, he wished he could just kill that kid!
However, considering the current situation, the emperor consulted with Prime Minister Wei on countermeasures. In the end, the emperor personally dispatched a team of envoys to persuade the armies of various territories to send troops.

But now that I think about it, it was that kid's persistence that gave him a boost.

But what exactly is it about Northwind City that would make that kid so reckless as to dare to clash with him?

Thinking of this, the Emperor heard Lin Yunche speak up: "Your Majesty, please consider my merits and spare Bai Chengdong."

"Your subject is willing to spend his life guarding the northern lands and ensuring peace for future generations."

The Emperor's eyes twitched slightly; the bond between the brother-in-law and brother-in-law was indeed deep.

Just as Lin Yunche finished speaking, the eunuch from earlier came in to report.

"Your Majesty, Bai Chengdong has gone to the Dali Temple to turn himself in."

The Emperor paused, and Lin Feiyun and Lin Yunche also looked shocked.

The Emperor's anger instantly subsided by half. The eunuch whispered in the Emperor's ear, "Your Majesty, Lord Huang of the Dali Temple now wishes to question you about Bai Chengdong."

"Lock him up for a few days and teach him a lesson."

Lin Feiyun and Lin Yunche breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing the Emperor's words.

It seems the Emperor doesn't really intend to punish Bai Chengdong.

Seeing that the two had seen through his thoughts, the Emperor made a small attempt to salvage the situation: "Ahem! I am certainly not the kind of person who would discard someone after they have served their purpose."

"Bai Chengdong has both faults and merits; let's keep things separate!"

"Your Majesty!"

After talking about Bai Chengdong, the Emperor thought of Lin Sishu again.

"Lin Yunche, why didn't Lin Sishu return with you from the Northern Dynasty this time?!"

"I still have many things I want to ask him."

Lin Yunche and Lin Feiyun lowered their heads abruptly. "Your Majesty, Lin Sishu was ambushed by Princess Yunni during the battle to reclaim the four cities of Luobing. He perished along with Feng Huai and Yunni and could not return."

The Emperor frowned slightly. "Oh? This wasn't mentioned in the military report."

"Your Majesty, I haven't had a chance to speak yet!"

"That's a real pity. Such a brave general of our Shang Kingdom has died like this."

"What a pity! What a pity!"

"In that case, let's call it a day!"

Lin Yunche breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the Emperor did not press the matter further.

Lin Feiyun turned and left the Imperial Study.

Prime Minister Wei walked to the Emperor's side and frowned, saying, "Your Majesty, Lin Sishu, he..."

"Let him go! A general without legs is no different from being dead!"

"Besides, I will give him what he wants!"

"As for the rest of the Lin family, Prime Minister Wei, come and draft an imperial edict for me!" (End of Chapter)