On December 10th, Imperial Calendar 779, when Central Army Commander Sterling entered the Elder Council hall accompanied by Zichuan Family Chief Prince Zichuan Canxing, the Elder Council erupted! All the elders rose to welcome him. Wave after wave of thunderous applause went on for several minutes, amid cries of: "Salute our undefeated general!" "Long live! Long live!!" Countless admiring eyes converged upon Sterling. Elders who knew him and those who did not alike came forward to shake his hand and greet him:
"I am Wu Qi from Jixin Province, serving as an elder this term. It is an honor to witness the bearing of our foremost general today!"
"I am an elder from the Far East. Thank you, Lord Sterling, for punishing those shameless rebels and preserving the Family's dignity!"
"Lord Sterling, your glorious victories have brought honor to the Family Eagle Banner. The Elder Council thanks you on behalf of the entire Zichuan Family!"
Speaker Xiao, who was chairing the assembly, called out loudly, "Come up to the platform, Lord Sterling, come up here! Let everyone see you! Say a few words to us!"
Such a grand welcome left Sterling deeply uneasy. Besides, he had entered together with the Family Chief. Yet he alone was receiving such an ovation, while no one paid Prince Zichuan Canxing any heed—where did that leave the Chief? Moreover, President Commander Luobo Minghai and Chief Inspector Di Lin, both officials of higher rank than himself, were present. For him to go up and speak first would be highly improper as well.
Zichuan Canxing sensed Sterling's awkwardness and said with a smile, "Go on, Sterling. This is not merely for you—it represents everyone's respect for the hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the Far East front. You represent them. No one deserves it more."
Seeing