The fiercest soldier of the border army

Led by Li Qing'an, Tang Shun stepped into the main hall. The charcoal fire was burning brightly in the copper basin, making the carvings between the beams and pillars appear and disappear.

Li Qing'an smiled gently, "Your Highness, Tang Shun has arrived."

Crown Prince Zhao Lang sat upright in the main seat, dressed in a bright yellow robe and wearing a jade crown. His brows were relaxed. When he saw him enter, he actually stood up from his seat and laughed as he took two steps to greet him.

"You're back?" Zhao Lang's voice was cheerful, as if he had been waiting for this moment. "The pillar of our Great Qian Dynasty has finally returned!"

Tang Shun immediately knelt on one knee and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I, Tang Shun, pay my respects. I am but a humble subject and do not deserve to be addressed as Your Highness."

"Absolutely!"

Zhao Lang reached out a hand to help him up, his tone leaving no room for argument, "In just over ten days, grain prices have plummeted to one-tenth of their peak, and tens of thousands of displaced people have food and work. How can this not be commended?"

"If you are not fit to be called a pillar of the nation, then who in this world is worthy of being called a pillar?"

After he finished speaking, Zhao Lang's gaze suddenly sharpened. His smile remained, but his eyes had become more intense.

He stared into Tang Shun's eyes and slowly said:

"Previously, Xie Anzhi, who accompanied you, sent three memorials to the military governor's office, accusing you of disregarding human life, imposing harsh policies, and that the people were going to revolt!"

"I was furious at the time and ordered you to be arrested and brought back to Tingzhou for questioning." He paused, lowering his voice slightly, "Do you resent me?"

Tang Shun remained kneeling, his head still raised.

This is both a confession and a test.

If Tang Shun dares to harbor even the slightest resentment, or if there is even the slightest dissatisfaction in his words, all the merits of Wenchi will be wiped out!

"Your Highness, when I arrived at Wenchi, I learned that local grain merchants had banded together to refuse to sell, causing rice prices to skyrocket and leaving the people with no grain to buy."

"If the granaries are not opened and grain is not distributed, great chaos will surely ensue."

Tang Shun carefully explained, "However, the official granaries have less than ten days' worth of grain. If we release it forcibly, there will be no follow-up support. Therefore, my subordinates made a temporary decision to lure merchants from all directions into the city with high grain prices, and then use official grain to suppress the market and force them to lower prices."

"This was a risky move by the army, and the failure to report it in time has caused His Highness worry and anger, which is a grave mistake."

"Your Highness ultimately refrained from punishment, which is a sign of your magnanimity. Your Highness's promotion of your subordinates from humble beginnings is an act of profound kindness."

Tang Shun paused, then looked up directly at the Crown Prince. "I am more than grateful; how could I possibly harbor any resentment?"

The crown prince looked at him, his smile deepening, and finally he burst into laughter, stepping forward to personally help him up.

"Excellent! Well said!"

He patted Tang Shun's shoulder forcefully, "I love hearing these words."

"A person who doesn't shirk responsibility, doesn't make excuses, can take on burdens, and can endure injustice—that's a truly capable person!"

He turned and walked back to the main seat, saying as he went, "I originally set a three-month deadline for this competition, but I thought that with over ten thousand refugees, it would be fortunate if even one-tenth of them died or were injured."

"Who knew you'd get the results in just over ten days? Only a few dozen people starved to death; the rest have work to do and food to eat. Excellent! Excellent!"

He sat down, his hand resting on the table, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "Tonight, I have discussed with Commander Li and we have prepared a banquet in the mansion to celebrate your victory."

"All the officials and staff of the military governor's office were present, not one was missing."

Zhao Lang paused slightly, chuckled softly, as if speaking casually, yet each word was clear and distinct, "Let them all get to know you—the Prefect of Lingzhou."

Tang Shun's breath hitched.

He remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was extremely excited!

The Prefect of Lingzhou—the chief official of a prefecture, in charge of civil administration, military affairs, taxation, and criminal law. From then on, he was no longer a minor general on the frontier, but a true regional governor.

From then on, they could recruit soldiers, build cities, establish garrisons, and set up markets, no longer needing to depend on others.

This was the first time since he had transmigrated that he had truly stepped into the threshold of the center of power.

Tang Shun knelt down again, his knees slumped, and kowtowed deeply: "Tang Shun thanks Your Highness and the Commander for their kindness and trust! I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations!"

"Get up, get up." The Crown Prince waved his hand with a smile. "You saved the common people, not me. The credit is yours, and the official position is rightfully yours."

"Li Jiedu recommended you as a capable official long ago, and I have seen it with my own eyes today, and it is indeed true."

His gaze swept over Tang Shun's casual clothes, and he said, "Tomorrow, go to the governor's office to receive the seal. You will receive the empty title for now, and the official edict will be issued three days later."

"You should change your clothes."

Tang Shun stood up, his hands at his sides, his expression respectful yet not servile.

The title "Prefect of Lingzhou" is not just a reward, but also a boundary marker.

He will be an official with real power, personally acknowledged by the Crown Prince.

Li Qing'an stroked his beard gently, a smile always on his face.

How could he not be pleased with a capable official who had no powerful connections in the court, no aristocratic family background, and who rose to prominence entirely through his own abilities in Beiting?

Tang Shun rose from humble beginnings to a high position, and even within the Beiting Military Governor's Office, there was no talk of taking sides or engaging in infighting.

It can be described as a clean blank sheet of paper!

Just as the crown prince was about to speak again, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the door.

A pale-faced eunuch tumbled and crawled into the main hall, his face ashen. He rushed to the crown prince's knees, knelt down with a thud, and held up a sealed letter sealed with wax.

"Your Highness! Urgent news from Chang'an! It's an urgent dispatch, traveling 800 li (approximately 400 kilometers)! It has just arrived at the south gate of Tingzhou!"

The prince paused in his smile, his brows furrowed slightly, and he reached out to take it.

The sealing wax seal was still on; he flicked his finger, tore open the envelope, and quickly scanned the inner pages.

In a moment, his expression changed drastically, his pupils contracted, and he almost crushed the letter in his hand.

His previously warm expression instantly turned cold, his lips tightened, and a vein throbbed slightly at the temple.

He stared at the letter, saying nothing, his breathing becoming heavier.

The temperature inside the hall seemed to drop suddenly.

Something terrible must have happened!

Tang Shun immediately composed himself, took a half step back, stood with his head bowed, and remained silent and still.

He stood there, like a stone statue, his gaze lowered, fixed on the inch of ground in front of his boot tips.

Zhao Lang remained silent and did not look up.

His fingers gripped the letter tightly, his eyes shifting between light and shadow, as if a storm was brewing within them.

Seeing this, the young eunuch lowered his head even further, afraid that his disrespectful behavior would offend the nobleman.

"Your Highness, has the State of Chu invaded our borders?" Li Qing'an asked.

Zhao Lang shook his head, his voice hoarse, "The world has changed."

He abruptly stood up and walked straight away from the side of the main hall. "Li Jiedu, come with me!"

Li Qing'an was puzzled and quickly followed the Crown Prince.

Soon, only Tang Shun remained in the vast main hall.