The number one rebel of the Great Wu

"I'm afraid we'll have to ask the Emperor for permission to name the grandson."

"Brother, please don't make things difficult for my wife and me."

Xiao Lie smiled and took Shen Qingci's hand, looking like a loving couple.

A hint of resistance flashed briefly in Shen Qingci's eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

"Of course I know that. I'll talk to His Majesty about it later."

Shen Lang laughed heartily, clearly joking.

As a pillar family of the Great Wu Kingdom, the Shen family naturally had an extraordinary relationship with the royal family.

Although Shen Lang was four or five years older than Xiao Lie, the two always addressed each other as brothers, rather than as ruler and subject.

It could even be said that Xiao Lie grew up following Shen Lang around.

Even though Xiao Lie was made crown prince at a very young age, Shen Lang never deliberately avoided him, which actually brought their relationship closer.

Now, seeing that the couple had a harmonious relationship and even had a child, Shen Lang was genuinely happy from the bottom of his heart.

"Brother, what brings you back from the frontier?"

Shen Qingci withdrew her hand and asked with concern.

"Sigh, it's a secret decree."

Shen Lang smiled helplessly.

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci and Xiao Lie's expressions changed simultaneously.

"Could this be Father's intention?"

Shen Lang casually sat down to the side and picked up his tea.

"Whether the dragon seal on it is the Emperor's will or not is no longer important."

"With me on the frontier, those Di people never dared to cause any big trouble."

"Only if I leave on the pretext of illness can this battle begin."

Shen Lang blew on the tea, looking completely unconcerned.

In reality, what was being said was likely an imperial decree issued by Xiao Ce.

Even with the fastest horses, it would take more than ten days for the imperial edict to reach the frontier and for Shen Lang to return.

This means that Xiao Ce issued this decree almost immediately after getting out of bed.

"So who's in charge of the border now?"

"Guan Shanchen is taking over from me; he's also a veteran, so there's no need to worry."

This General Guan is different from Shen Lang. He is also a fierce general who fought his way up from the battlefield with Xiao Jingtian. He started as a soldier and has now become a general at the age of fifty.

In a way, it's even a little inspiring.

Shen Lang also knew that what his sister cared about was the eight thousand elite troops that the Shen family had stationed on the frontier.

If they were to be misled and given arbitrary orders, their vitality would be severely damaged, which would be extremely fatal for the Shen family.

Clearly, Xiao Ce was no fool. Although he needed to use his own people to build momentum through war, he wouldn't treat such a matter lightly once the state machinery was in motion.

"With you here, elder brother, it's normal that those Di villains wouldn't dare to make any moves."

"Our Great Wu Kingdom's number one general is no joke!"

Xiao Lie grinned, a hint of admiration appearing in his eyes.

Even Xiao Lie in the past treated Shen Lang the same way.

Not to mention how much more shrewd he is now.

"No way, with our old generals still around, this title won't fall to me."

"If you keep praising me like that, I'll drop and die one day."

Shen Lang laughed heartily, his tone quite humble.

The atmosphere of the three chatting was very relaxed. They only briefly mentioned the border war, and then it was just some everyday talk.

Upon returning from the Emperor's residence and hearing that his younger sister was pregnant, Shen Lang rushed over in a great hurry.

I was just trying to confirm the news.

As they chatted, Shen Qingci began to make plans in her mind.

"We need to find some reason to call Chen Changgeng over and introduce him to my brother."

"Right now, my brother really believes that I am carrying the Crown Prince's child. What if the truth is revealed later?"

"Given his brother's relationship with the Crown Prince, Chen Changgeng will likely have little chance of survival under such double pressure."

Shen Qingci frowned.

Moreover, it would be best to find a way to get Chen Changgeng into the Northwest Army, so that he could serve under his brother.

That would surely gain my brother's approval, strengthen the Shen family's power, and allow us to escape the quagmire of the capital.

It's a brilliant three-birds-with-one-stone strategy.

"Brother, don't be in such a hurry to leave."

"I have someone here who I'd like to introduce you to."

Just then, Xiao Lie suddenly opened his mouth.

Shen Qingci looked up in surprise.

What Chen Changgeng meant to the Crown Prince at this moment is self-evident.

It is both the anchor of the Crown Prince's residence and the ladder to regaining the Emperor's favor.

Why is Xiao Lie thinking of bringing Chen Changgeng out at this time?

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang was clearly on guard.

His relationship with the Crown Prince was mostly a private affair.

Even with the marriage alliance with the Shen family, there have been no other exchanges of benefits.

So, Shen Lang turned his head slightly and looked at his younger sister, Shen Qingci.

As for the Shen family, the brother and sister effectively controlled the Crown Prince from both inside and outside.

Shen Qingci clearly didn't know what Xiao Lie was up to, and shook her head with a slightly confused expression.

"This person is an advisor to me, extremely intelligent, one could even say that he can calculate without missing a single plan."

"When my brother returns to the Northwest, I hope he can take him to the army for some training."

Xiao Lie said with a smile.

"Completely flawless?"

Shen Lang hesitated for a moment, then smiled.

"You're exaggerating a bit."

"However, it has piqued my curiosity."

"Why not, call him over so I can take a look."

Shen Lang is truly a man of both literary and martial talents. His ability to lead troops in battle is a testament to the wisdom accumulated by the Shen family over generations, and he has now reached the pinnacle of his skills.

In officialdom, even officials and businessmen are no match for each other; otherwise, it would have been impossible for someone to become a powerful commander-in-chief at the young age of nearly thirty.

"Someone, go and fetch Steward Chen."

Xiao Lie stood up and shouted loudly.

He guessed that now that Shen Lang was back, he definitely wouldn't be able to go back anytime soon.

Even if we wanted to send Chen Changgeng away for a while, it wouldn't affect anything.

During this period, we can still use Chen Changgeng to stabilize the pressure on Xiao Ce as regent.

After the incident at Beiqing Temple, Xiao Lie had a change of heart.

Although he had served in the military, he had no support in the court and had almost no one under his command except for a few guards from the Crown Prince's residence and personal guards.

This time, his main goal was to have Chen Changgeng cultivate connections within the military.

Even if it's someone from the Shen family, he still can't be completely at ease if he doesn't ultimately hold power in his own hands.

A moment later.

Chen Changgeng was still worrying about how to find the other half of the book about his extraordinary identity under the dragon throne in the palace.

Geng Liang then brought the news.

"Brother Chen, the young master wants to see you."

"They say a great general from the Shen family has come to the manor, and it seems they want to introduce you to him."

"General Shen... of the Shen family."

Chen Changgeng was slightly taken aback, but then his heart was filled with joy.

Oh my god, here comes my brother-in-law!

"Okay, okay, I'll go right away, I'll go right away!"

Chen Changgeng's initial plan for joining the government was to use Shen Lang's connections to quickly gain influence in the military.

Unexpectedly, the opportunity came knocking on our door so quickly!