"General Tian... Xiao'er..."
At this moment, Liang Qing was in his room, murmuring to himself.
His grandson, after his injuries greatly improved, arrived in Yanzhou, and the Heavenly General appeared to drive away the barbarians?
Recalling the recent rumors, Liang Qing could only offer a bitter smile, feeling numb.
Because the Heavenly General had appeared in the Heavenly General Temple to protect Liang Xiao, killing twelve barbarian assassins, and had also helped Liang Xiao intimidate the Left Xian King in the imperial court.
Now, the common people believed: "Marquis An Guo possesses the divine power of the Heavenly General. Wherever Marquis An Guo goes, the Heavenly General appears!"
"Divine power..." Liang Qing muttered, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Had the Heavenly General truly become a deity and manifested, or was Xiao'er the Heavenly General himself?
After deep contemplation, Liang Qing finally sighed.
"If Xiao'er is indeed the Heavenly General, and he wishes to conceal his identity, he must have his reasons. If Xiao'er is not, his current achievements, though perhaps not comparable to the Heavenly General's feat of turning the tide, are enough to bring glory to his ancestors!"
With newfound clarity, Liang Qing became even more cautious. He went to mobilize the guards of the Liang residence, increasing the protection for Liang Yun and Zhen Mi. He also dispatched someone to the Luo mansion to inform Luo Changfeng, urging him to enhance the protection for Luo Qingxue.
Luo Qingxue, who was practicing the zither in the Luo mansion, also shed tears upon hearing the news of the Heavenly General's manifestation, deeply touched.
"The Heavenly General protected us in life, and still saves the soldiers of Da Gan after becoming a deity!"
But soon, Luo Qingxue realized something was amiss: Liang Xiao had coincidentally gone to Yanzhou!
"Could it be true, as the rumors say, that Liang Xiao is the one carrying the Heavenly General's divine power wherever he goes?"
Luo Qingxue was filled with doubt.
Scholars do not speak of strange phenomena or supernatural beings. Luo Qingxue finally realized something she had overlooked: her fiancé's back view bore a striking resemblance to the Heavenly General's.
However, the more outstanding Liang Xiao was as a scholar, the more she struggled to connect the Heavenly General with Liang Xiao.
"No, Liang Xiao is Liang Xiao, and the Heavenly General is the Heavenly General! If the Heavenly General is not Liang Xiao, yet I constantly hold the notion that Liang Xiao is the Heavenly General, it would be a dual blasphemy against Liang Xiao's feelings and the Heavenly General's divinity!"
On this day, Luo Qingxue had no heart for practicing the zither. She merely wrote in her room, using brush and paper to express her longing for Liang Xiao.
Her conviction was firm. Even if the Heavenly General stood before her, she would only feel pure respect and gratitude!
Xiao Qing wept in the depths of the palace, her tears staining her robes.
"The Heavenly General..." Xiao Qing cried uncontrollably.
Ning Xuejun and Ding Wuyi also shed tears, their hearts filled with emotion.
Xiao Qing had already wept for half a day when the previous good news from the front lines reached the palace.
The Heavenly General had not abandoned Da Gan; he was still present!
"Is it a divine manifestation? If not, with the Heavenly General and my elder brother, one a scholar and the other a warrior, why should the world not be pacified!" Xiao Qing, her eyes blurred with tears, gazed at the painting of "Spring River Flower Moon Night" hanging on the wall.
Ding Wuyi recovered his senses and said with a trembling voice, "Your Highness, do you still remember what this old servant mentioned... Young Master Liang Er, could he possibly be the Heavenly General himself?"
Xiao Qing's delicate body trembled, and her breathing nearly stopped.
Could it truly be possible?
Her "rascally" elder brother, her beloved, was already an unparalleled existence as a scholar.
If he were the Heavenly General... Heavens!
Xiao Qing touched her cheek, feeling it burn.
Ding Wuyi sighed again, "However, Young Master Liang Er was gravely ill that day. How could he have killed twelve barbarian experts in the dark and remained unharmed with Miss Luo? This point, this old servant truly cannot help but believe it was a divine manifestation of the Heavenly General..."
Xiao Qing was silent for a moment, then sighed, "Eunuch Ding, the wise minister I dreamt of was not fabricated to protect my elder brother. In my dream, the Heavenly General and my elder brother were two separate individuals."
Ding Wuyi and Ning Xuejun nodded silently, yet they did not fully grasp her meaning.
After a long while, Xiao Qing said earnestly, "I have figured it out. Unless my elder brother personally makes me believe, you are not to cause him any further distress. Anyone can speculate that he is the Heavenly General, but I cannot!"
"Because my heart belongs only to him, and I can never harbor any illusions about anyone else, including the Heavenly General!"
Listening to Xiao Qing's heartfelt soliloquy, Ding Wuyi and Ning Xuejun were utterly impressed.
Deeply in love!
On this day, two peerless women who deeply loved Liang Xiao, though geographically separated, shared remarkably similar thoughts.
An hour later, Xiao Qing summoned the court officials.
At this moment, the civil and military officials had varied expressions, all appearing excited.
Dugu Qun and others feigned joy, while inwardly seething with resentment.
Not only were the white-robed soldiers saved by the Heavenly General, but they also annihilated ten thousand barbarian cavalry, achieving significant victories!
Xiao Qing looked down at the officials and smiled, "Your Excellencies must have all heard of the good news from the front lines."
Dugu Qun and others exclaimed in unison, "Our Emperor is wise and valiant!"
Xiao Qing frowned and said sternly, "You only praise my wisdom and valor, and the valiant killing of enemies by the frontline soldiers, yet you mention not a word about them?"
He Wanli explained, "It was the Heavenly General's divine manifestation. The white-robed soldiers, with the Heavenly General's assistance, advanced like a broken bamboo. The credit naturally belongs to the Heavenly General. And it was Your Majesty who established a temple for the Heavenly General and conferred upon him the title of the Martial God of Da Gan!"
At this moment, Xiao Qing was inwardly angered and shocked. To this extent, these old ministers were still playing their petty games, using the deified Heavenly General to suppress the white-robed soldiers. It was detestable!
Wang Canghai immediately stepped forward, "Your Majesty's reprimand is just! I propose a generous reward for the four thousand white-robed soldiers and compensation for the families of those who perished!"
"The Prime Minister's proposal is reasonable!" everyone echoed.
Xiao Qing's expression softened slightly. She immediately wrote out the rewards and had the chief eunuch read them.
"In the battle to rescue the Princess of Guizi, the white-robed soldiers, undeterred by danger, fought alongside our Da Gan's Martial God, the Heavenly General, beheading ten thousand three hundred barbarians, capturing over ten thousand warhorses, and rescuing the Princess of Guizi. They are therefore richly rewarded!"
"Lu Changhe is awarded one thousand taels of gold! Zhuo Ying is awarded five hundred taels of gold! Other captains are awarded five hundred taels of silver! Participating white-robed soldiers are awarded one hundred taels of silver! The families of fallen white-robed soldiers will receive an additional fifty taels of silver! The Northern Frontier Army camp is ordered to slaughter cattle and sheep to reward the three armies!"
"The Ministry of Revenue shall immediately allocate funds to be sent to Yanzhou as rewards for the white-robed soldiers. Any attempt to withhold them will result in the execution of the entire family!"
Upon the announcement of the rewards, no one dared to object further.
The Minister of Revenue, Ouyang Ji, was already sweating profusely. This was clearly a warning specifically for the Ministry of Revenue!
Xiao Qing then looked down at the officials with satisfaction, her heart filled with heroic spirit.
A piece of calligraphy, written in upright characters, was brought forward by Ding Wuyi.
The officials looked closely, and from top to bottom, four characters were clearly written.
"Jiang Shan Di Jun" (Empire's Mighty Army)!
"For this battle, the Heavenly General and the white-robed soldiers deserve the foremost credit. The Northern Frontier Army, in defending against the barbarians, has also fulfilled its mission. All are the ramparts of our Da Gan's empire, the army upon which the emperor relies! I bestow upon them the name 'Jiang Shan Di Jun.' A stele shall be erected in the Northern Frontier of Yanzhou to announce to the world and boost the might of our Da Gan's army!"
Xiao Qing's impassioned voice echoed in the grand hall, and the officials bowed in submission, "Our Emperor is sagacious!"
After the court session, Xiao Qing returned to her chambers to rest, her heart still stirred, her mind filled with the amiable Liang Xiao.
"Has my elder brother truly succeeded? Why hasn't he returned yet!" Xiao Qing murmured, her gaze once again becoming wistful.
She also hoped that Liang Xiao could obtain the priceless treasure from the Bodhi Temple from the previous dynasty.
Just then, Ding Wuyi delivered an urgent report: "Your Highness, the Princess of Guizi is already on her way to the capital!"
Xiao Qing was startled, "Understood. Arrange accommodations for her first, and have Granny Ning go and get to know this princess."
Liang Xiao's convoy traveled day and night, finally arriving at Mount Tian.
Jian Qinwan, bringing Liang Xiao and Yue Lian, hurried towards Muyue Qin's bamboo house.