Go Home and Farm

The army returned to court after suppressing the rebellion, with Fei Lian and Kong Xuan at its head. Behind them came the thirty-odd surviving Emperor's Royal Guards, followed by the utterly exhausted soldiers.

Yin Pobai and the other Royal Guards were equally exhausted, but the Overlord Step had been carved into their hearts. This way of walking, which could so easily strain their balls, had become a habit.

So no matter how tired they were, they still looked so

distinctively unconventional.

Wherever this triumphant army passed, crowds cheered. All of Chaoge now knew that King Zhou had dispatched Commander Fei Lian to crush the North Sea rebels, not only defending the realm but winning a hard-earned, decisive victory.

Soldiers and civilians alike rejoiced.

"Our respects, Great General... may your descendants be dukes and marquises for ten thousand generations!" Some people along the road even fell to their knees, shouting toward Fei Lian.

"May the Great General's descendants be dukes and marquises for ten thousand generations!"

Many people gazed at Fei Lian with reddened eyes.

Fei Lian looked utterly bewildered.

Kong Xuan wore a smile. He knew why the people reacted this way: naturally, it was because King Zhou was wise and mighty.

Normally, replacing an army's commander meant not only sending out a general, but also reinforcements, auxiliary troops, provisions, and supplies.

Yet when Fei Lian took command this time, King Zhou had only assigned Royal Guards to accompany him. There had been no reinforcements, nor any extra provisions or supplies, and he had still won, returning in just a few months.

What did the common people have to complain about?

They thanked King Zhou a thousand times over, and as the general personally selected by him, Fei Lian naturally enjoyed their favor.

Of course, they had no idea that Zi Shou, back in the palace, had withheld every last reinforcement precisely because he desperately wanted Fei Lian to lose. They simply believed their king understood their hardships and had their interests at heart.

Rumors from the palace had long since spread among the people, growing fantastical in the telling.

They said that, in the hall, King Zhou had seen at a glance that General Fei radiated an imposing martial aura, with Purple Qi soaring above his head-a renowned general the likes of whom appeared only once in an age.

Now that they saw him, wasn't it true!

That hooked nose plainly marked a seasoned schemer with the pearls of wisdom firmly in his grasp, while his triangular eyes seemed to sparkle with starlight. No one dared meet his gaze.

And look at that short, scrawny frame, thin as firewood: clearly the build of a famed battlefield general. Mounted on a horse, such a small body would be less likely to catch a stray arrow when the armies clashed. If an enemy general stood nine feet tall, his sweeping blade might even pass right over him.

Even golden armor would not make him conspicuous enough. If the enemy wanted to capture the king before catching his bandits, they would not even be able to find him.

What extraordinary natural gifts!

The people's boundless reverence came from the bottom of their hearts.

Fei Lian began questioning everything. I... am this beloved?

In fact, if the people knew that Fei Lian had taken only two or three months to quell a rebellion that lasted fifteen years in the original Investiture of the Gods, they might even erect a monument and worship him.

The longer a war dragged on, the heavier the people's burden became. Who did not understand that?

Yin Pobai, who was leading Fei Lian's horse, was moved by the scene. As he walked, he looked up at Fei Lian and said, "General, the people now revere you and His Majesty as gods."

Fei Lian could not help beaming. "So that is it. But fame and fortune are merely burdens. Remember this: when His Majesty rewards our achievements, you personal guards deserve the foremost credit. Never angle for fame and praise in the future."

As he spoke, Fei Lian waved to the people lining the street.

Just then, an accident occurred. Several Royal Guards strode their Overlord Step right out of formation and crashed into a street vendor with a clatter.

Yet the vendor selling Heartless Vegetables did not complain. Instead, he anxiously helped the guards up and offered to give the soldiers all his vegetables.

Several months had passed since the great victory. Who did not know of the hundred Emperor's Royal Guards and their loyal hearts and righteous courage?

Amid the chaotic army, they had built a wall with their lives to keep their commander safe. Who would not bow in admiration before such courage and loyalty?

Even that seemingly overbearing Overlord Step became more pleasing the longer people watched it.

They were heroes. They deserved it!

The army halted, and Fei Lian and Kong Xuan led the principal generals into the palace.

In the Nine-Chamber Hall, Zi Shou had already assembled his officials and had long been waiting for the men of merit.

Fei Lian hurriedly led the generals in saluting. "We... have returned after suppressing the rebellion. Our respects, Your Majesty."

His voice caught with emotion.

Earlier, he had thought himself a disposable pawn King Zhou used to demonstrate his determination to seize power. On careful reflection, that was simply impossible.

There were only three hundred Emperor's Royal Guards personally trained by King Zhou, and a hundred had been assigned to accompany him into battle. Those loyal, courageous men had saved his life.

Fei Lian's own life was worth little, but what of those hundred Royal Guards?

King Zhou had trained them himself. Fei Lian had heard that, to train the Royal Guards, King Zhou had not even had time to favor the consorts of the Imperial Harem. How precious these guards must have been!

Fei Lian silently swore that, though he was merely a Grandee, even if his achievements earned him promotion to general, he would never grow arrogant over his merits. He would serve Great Shang with unwavering loyalty. As long as Yin Shang stood, so would Fei Lian!

Zi Shou raised his hand, and the generals rose.

He looked at the considerably darker Fei Lian, then at Kong Xuan, whose face was as flawless as polished jade. In that brief, dazed instant, he remembered the fewer than ten points of Foolishness Value settled just yesterday, and a tear slipped involuntarily from the corner of his eye.

A great victory. Apart from a few dead Royal Guards, the others had not even lost an arm or a leg...

"Come, our great heroes... have returned..." Zi Shou forced out a smile and spoke through gritted teeth, but at that point, his voice suddenly choked.

"Your Majesty, you must not..."

Fei Lian and the others were overwhelmed and at a loss. His Majesty treated them with such generosity and worried so deeply for them.

The attending official beside Zi Shou hurriedly offered a cautious reminder.

He meant that His Majesty should take care not to breach decorum.

Zi Shou quickly dabbed the corner of his eye with his long sleeve. If only a breach of decorum before the court counted as foolishness.

Zi Shou sighed inwardly and said, "Your great achievement in quelling the rebellion is cause for celebration. Great General Fei Lian personally led the Tiger Braves into fierce battle against the rebels in the North Sea. The hundred Royal Guards defended him valiantly, bearing the nation's grace upon their shoulders, with loyal hearts and righteous courage. They shall be rewarded!"

At this, Zi Shou raised his voice. "Great General Fei Lian led the army north and routed the North Sea rebels. The Royal Guards fought bravely without retreating, bringing us great comfort. You have rendered unparalleled service-a blessing for us, for the people, and for the nation. From this day forth, Great General Fei Lian shall be enfeoffed as Earl of the North Sea, commanding all three armies of the North Sea. His deputy, Kong Xuan, shall be appointed North Sea Commander. One million in gold shall also be bestowed upon the entire army. The personal Royal Guards, whose merits rank first, shall all be granted leave to lay down their armor and return to their farms, supporting their households."

Civil and military officials alike were astonished.

What did this mean?

The rewards were certainly lavish: an earldom and a regional military command, equivalent to a regional governor and a general posted outside the capital. Still, Fei Lian and Kong Xuan's achievements warranted them.

The million in gold was not literally a million, but a general expression, and fell within the bounds of normal rewards.

But laying down their armor and returning to their farms?

What was that supposed to mean?

Battle-hardened elite soldiers fresh from victory, Emperor's Royal Guards with the foremost merit-and he wanted them to go home and farm?

At once, the ranks of civil and military officials began murmuring among themselves.

There did not seem to be much objection?

Zi Shou nodded in satisfaction. He had prepared all these rewards in advance.

The North Sea rebellion had only just ended. With barely any population left, it was a remote backwater. Surely Kong Xuan could not stir up any more trouble there.

Sending the Royal Guards home to farm was also unquestionably foolish. Throughout the dynasties, what ruler had ever made a victorious army lay down its armor and return to the fields?

These slippery old veterans were in their prime, with achievements to their names and cash rewards in their pockets. They would want for neither food nor drink and were strong and sturdy. Having mastered the Overlord Step and experienced war, they had completed the final shift toward lofty ambitions but paltry abilities. Wouldn't their next step be to bully the weak and prey upon their neighbors?

Sooner or later, cries of resentment would fill the roads.

Though Royal Guards like these made the finest lackeys, for the sake of his grand undertaking as a foolish ruler, it was better to send them home.

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