Nine out of ten gamblers lose; I've run into a jerk!

Chapter 146 Imperial Guard Competition

"Wow—"

With a flick of his long sleeves, the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table were swept to the ground with a clatter.

Li Su's face was contorted with rage as she hysterically roared, "Shen Huai'an! How could you treat my daughter like this!"

"My lady, let me explain..."

"I won't listen! Don't give me any grand principles! Whether it's your Shen family wanting to repay a debt of gratitude or exchanging interests with the Lu family, it can't come at the cost of my daughter's happiness!" Li Su's chest heaved violently with anger.

Shen Shi said helplessly, "A-Su, calm down..."

"I can't calm down! Because she's not yours..."

"Li Su!" Shen Shi slammed his hand on the table and stood up. The loud noise obscured Li Su's voice. The servants guarding outside the door were startled but did not hear what their mistress had said in the last two words.

"Be careful!"

Li Su was also taken aback by Shen Shi's sharp words. After realizing her mistake, she was still furious and sneered, "You, Shen Huai'an, how imposing is the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat!"

After saying that, he turned around, flung his sleeves, opened the door, and strode away.

Shen Shi couldn't stop her in time and sighed inwardly, "Li Su, Li Su, so many years have passed and you are still so self-centered. You don't understand me and you don't understand your own daughter."

"Mother……"

Li Su, enraged, walked quickly, ignoring the Shen Che couple who bowed to her as she passed by them.

Seeing Shen Che freeze halfway through the ceremony, Qin Zhen comforted him to ease his embarrassment, saying, "Mother is just worried and confused, not because of the young master. Sigh~ I don't know what Father is thinking. He can't really let Third Sister marry into the Lu family and become a chaste widow just because of gratitude, can he?"

"I don't know either."

Shen Che's expression was quite complicated. He had been drinking with Yu Lian for a whole day and was drunk. When he woke up, he found that the world had become a place he did not recognize.

What upset him the most was that his father and third sister were doing a big job together but didn't include him!

Is it appropriate for him, as the eldest son, to remain completely unaware of such a major event?

Yilan Courtyard —

"Yu Chu~ my poor daughter, you've been wronged~"

"Mother, I am not wronged."

As soon as Li Su came in, she grabbed Shen Qing and started crying. Shen Qing was quite helpless. Could this be a traditional skill of the women in the Li family?

"Good child, you are just too sensible."

"..." Shen Qing felt that Li Su's "motherly" bias was too contrary to objective facts.

"Don't be afraid or feel any burden. Even if it means sacrificing the Shen family's reputation, I will never let you marry into the Lu family and become a widow!"

"..." Something doesn't sound right here.

To prevent the family from breaking up, Shen Qing held Li Su's hand and comforted her, "Mother, this is my own idea. I begged Father to lend me a hand."

"Wh...what?" Li Su's eyes widened in disbelief as she murmured, "Why?"

"I want a silver saddle on a white horse, I want to be as swift as a shooting star, I want to roam freely between heaven and earth, and all of this is built on a peaceful and prosperous world, so—I must first go and usher in a time of peace!"

Li Su stared blankly at the radiant conviction in Shen Qing's eyes, speechless.

Imperial Study in the Imperial City

"Cough cough~" Emperor Yongxi coughed incessantly, and the chief eunuch hurriedly stepped forward to help him catch his breath.

Having finally recovered, she asked hesitantly, "You want to appoint Shen Qingxi as a fourth-rank cavalry general?"

"Exactly."

"...But there is no precedent in our dynasty for a woman to serve as a general."

Because the Xuan Kingdom had only been established for thirty-eight years, Que Jin inwardly grumbled, but saying it out loud seemed weak, so Que Jin said: "Our dynasty has none, but there are no shortage of female generals in the annals of history. In this chaotic world, we should recruit talents without being bound by convention."

Emperor Yongxi carefully considered Que Jin's advice, and after a moment of contemplation, said, "But starting with a fourth-rank military officer is a bit too high, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public."

Que Jin smiled and said, "Based on her performance in the Battle of Yucheng, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to bestow upon her the title of First-Rank Military Marquis. It's just that we were worried that there wouldn't be any more titles to bestow in the future, so we lowered the rank a bit."

"..." So you think it's too low? Her own brother is only a fifth-rank official!

If Emperor Yongxi hadn't known the Crown Prince's character, he would have suspected that his son had been bewitched by a beautiful woman and lost his senses.

"Yan Qing, how can you be sure that what Marquis Yongyi said is true? What if he deliberately exaggerated in order to form an alliance with the Shen family?"

“What Father Emperor said is absolutely right, and the officials in the court probably think the same way.”

Seeing Que Jin's confident demeanor, Emperor Yongxi felt a strange urge to bite him. He feigned anger and said, "You brat, what are you planning? Tell me quickly, don't keep your father in suspense."

"Father, please calm down," Que Jin said with a smile and a bow. "It's the end of the year, and it's time for the Imperial Guards to hold a grand competition to select the Golden Guards."

"what do you mean……"

"Why not let Shen Qingxi participate as well, so that the civil and military officials of Xuandu can see what it's like?"