You expect me to serve your mistress? The mistress is driving this scumbag and his entire family cra

Chapter 165 Reward
Liang Jiang hurriedly pleaded, "I wasn't burned. It was just that the shumai smelled so good that I choked a little while wolfing it down."

The emperor raised an eyebrow: "Really?"

Liang Jiang was filled with unease.

The emperor today seems to be favoring her, but Liang Jiang feels a little afraid of him.

For the first time, she truly understood what it meant to be enraged by a king, with corpses floating for miles, and the saying that serving a king is like serving a tiger.

This is no favor, it's clearly a show of force.

She became even more cautious, lowering her head: "This humble woman is grateful for Your Majesty's grace and dares not lie?"

The emperor immediately ordered someone to serve Liangjiang tea.

Then he said, "Because I was negligent and failed to see Tong Shouliang's wolfish ambitions, you suffered two years of injustice. I am truly ashamed and do not know how to make amends. What kind of favor is a steamer of shumai?"

Liang Jiang hurriedly and respectfully said, "Your Majesty is benevolent and has never punished the Duke's Mansion. I am only grateful for Your Majesty's boundless grace and have never felt wronged."

The emperor found her eloquent and her words very agreeable, and his tone of voice became much gentler.

"I have always firmly believed that the Duke of Liang was loyal to the emperor and loved his country, especially since he made unparalleled contributions to Chang'an. As the daughter of a military family, you have surpassed your father, which makes me very happy."

Then, changing the subject, he said, "Unfortunately, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review failed in his supervision, and Tong Shouliang actually committed suicide in prison without being tried by me."

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review immediately knelt down in panic and begged for forgiveness.

The emperor ignored him and simply let him continue kneeling on the ground.

He then continued, "However, the evidence of Tong Shouliang's treason and collusion with the enemy is irrefutable. Tomorrow I will issue a proclamation to the world to clear the name of the Duke of Liang."

Liang Jiang also knelt down and kowtowed to express her gratitude for the emperor's grace.

"Tell me, what reward do you want? I will grant it to you."

Liang Jiang shook her head: "I am satisfied that I can clear my father's name."

The emperor tapped the dragon table lightly with his fingers: "You are now a princess, and I have heard that you are extremely wealthy and have a fortune. I can't think of any other reward for you right now."

"How about this, I will entrust you with the entire Tong family army, your father's old troops, and you will be in command of them. I will also appoint you as the first female general of the first rank in Chang'an!"

Liang Jiang looked up in surprise and saw the emperor looking at her with a slight smile, his sword-like eyebrows slightly raised, with a hint of mockery.

Her gaze shifted, and Eunuch Lin, standing behind the emperor, frowned slightly as he looked at her, shaking his head almost imperceptibly.

Liang Jiang immediately withdrew her gaze, her body trembling with fear and trepidation: "Your subject dares not! Although I have learned some skills in fighting on horseback, it is only for self-defense. I do not know how to lead troops into battle, let alone any military strategy or formation. It is a small matter if I am ridiculed, but if I delay the affairs of the country, I will be a sinner for all eternity."

The emperor, however, did not take it to heart: "Those who cannot lead troops can learn; no one is born knowing how. Didn't the Duke of Liang start as a common soldier and hone his skills for many years?"
I've also heard that you personally killed Huyan Chao, the fiercest general of Xiliang, and that the King of Xiliang, recognizing your talent, decreed that you be made the Golden Knife Prince Consort. How can I allow you to be buried in the mundane world of women in the inner palace?

"I only managed to kill Huyan Chao by chance, and it was only with the help of many people that I succeeded."

Moreover, Liang Jiang had no great ambitions; she was content as long as she could stay by her mother's side and do her best for Chang'an.

The emperor gave a disappointed "Oh": "General Tong is dead, and the army is now leaderless and without any capable people. Do you think Fang Chengxu is up to the task?"

Liang Jiang shook her head: "This humble woman does not know."

"You two were once husband and wife, after all."

"We were husband and wife for a year, but we only spent two days together. I don't understand."

"If you still have feelings for Fang Chengxu, I can order you to reunite and demote Tong Zhao'er to the status of a concubine. This will be my compensation to you. What do you say?"

Liang Jiang hurriedly declined, saying, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty, but my relationship with Fang Chengxu has been severed, and there is absolutely no possibility of reconciliation."

The emperor sighed: "The rewards I gave you, you don't care about this or that, which makes things difficult for me."

Liang Jiang pondered for a moment: "My father's grave has been damaged by wind and rain in the past two years, and the tombstone has been hacked and carved with insults by uninformed people. I wish to repair my father's grave and erect a new tombstone. If Your Majesty wishes to reward me, I humbly request that Your Majesty grant my father a new tombstone."

"that's it?"

Liang Jiang nodded: "The tombstone bestowed by the Emperor is the highest praise and affirmation for my father. I am deeply grateful."

The Emperor readily agreed: "Very well, I grant your request. Eunuch Lin!"

Eunuch Lin replied, "This old servant is here."

"By imperial decree, General Tong Shouliang has colluded with Xiliang to frame the Duke in exchange for military merit. He has now atoned with his death. To serve as a warning to others, his general's mansion is hereby confiscated. The men are to be exiled, and the women are to be sold into official positions."

"As ordered."

"Princess Heya, daughter of the Duke of Liang, traveled to Xiliang to avenge her father and personally killed General Huyan Chao of Xiliang. This is an unparalleled achievement, and I am very pleased. I hereby confer upon her the title of Second Rank Princess and exempt her from taxes for five years. I will also erect a monument to the Duke of Liang to commemorate his merits, and I hereby order the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works to personally oversee the construction."

Liang Jiang knelt down to express her gratitude.

"I remember your second uncle worked in the Ministry of War, right?"

"Yes."

"Although his abilities are not outstanding, he is quite responsible in his work. Your cousin will inherit the Duke's mansion sooner or later, so he should be cultivated. Let him go to the Ministry of War to get some experience."

Liang Jiang's heart sank. She had some reservations about Liang Dong inheriting the title, but the emperor's word was law, and he would not easily retract his promise.

The thought that all her hard work and toil might ultimately end up in the hands of the second wife made Liang Jiang feel extremely bitter.

The emperor pondered for a moment and said, "Although the origins of General Fang Chengxu's military achievements are somewhat controversial, he dared to put righteousness above family ties, which shows his loyalty to the emperor and his love for the country. We can let bygones be bygones and promote him to the rank of Deputy Commander of the Guards."

Fang Chengxu was not implicated; on the contrary, he managed to escape from a desperate situation and turn misfortune into good fortune. This was something no one had expected.

After the emperor made his decision, he finally showed leniency and ordered everyone to leave.

The officials finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Liang Jiang thanked the emperor and was about to turn and take her leave when the emperor called her back alone: ​​"Since you like this shumai so much, I will have the imperial kitchen make two more baskets for you to take back to the Duke's mansion to eat later."

Galangal dared not refuse.

So Eunuch Lin went down to convey the emperor's decree.

The emperor's expression softened considerably, no longer displaying the same imposing demeanor as before: "Are you afraid of me?"

Gu Xizhi had asked herself this question before.

Liang Jiang lowered her head: "Your Majesty's domineering aura is innate, and I hold it in awe."

The emperor chuckled softly, "Oh? Everyone says that the Prince of Pingxi has fought in the south and north, and his killing intent is innate. Who are you more afraid of?"

"The murderous aura is like the aura of a sword, which makes people tremble and stay away; while the domineering aura of an emperor is like Mount Tai, which makes people dare not look up."

"I forgot that you helped Prince Pingxi retrieve the Empress Dowager's birthday gifts, thus avoiding a life-or-death battle with the Demon Lord; he went to Xiliang with you, sharing life and death, and your friendship has been tested in times of hardship, so he should not be afraid of him."

"Your Highness is respectful to the virtuous and hates evil. I am very grateful and respectful to him."

"Then what do you think about having the Prince of Pingxi serve as the Grand General of Might?"

Liang Jiang's hand trembled slightly, sensing a test in the emperor's words.

This is practically a death trap question.

Throughout history, how many monarchs could confidently entrust the military power of a country to their own brother? Especially when the two are not even born of the same mother.

(End of this chapter)