It was still the grand residence Yang Jian had awarded him before, except the plaque at the entrance had now been changed to "County Duke's Residence."
The children, already four or five years old, with some as old as seven or eight, had been traveling for nearly a month and were miserable from it. The moment their feet touched the ground, they swarmed into the residence in a noisy, chattering rush.
Before Wang Yan had even entered his home or had time to freshen up, he was summoned by people who had long been waiting there into the imperial city. He went to the Eastern Palace and met the high-spirited Crown Prince Guang.
"Ziyan, haha, it's been a long time." Yang Guang warmly came forward and patted Wang Yan's arm with appreciation.
"Your Highness is positively radiant," Wang Yan replied with his usual flattery.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yang Guang said, "We've started fighting the Turkic Khaganate. The Prince of Han is commanding the troops—you know about that, right?"
"I do. The man who delivered the decree said there was an intention to transfer me there. Your Highness secured that, didn't you?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to be a Field Marshal? This time, I'll let you command an entire army and slaughter to your heart's content on the grasslands."
Neither of them mentioned how the authority over the navy Wang Yan had built with his own hands had been taken away, nor that Wang Yan would never be allowed to return to Yang Province in this lifetime.
Yang Guang was already the Crown Prince, and Yang Jian had boldly delegated authority to him, allowing him to involve himself in state affairs. At present, Yang Guang was practically half an emperor. He was already considering his future realm and