Casting immortality in the furnace

Chapter 71 I beseech Heaven to discern the loyal from the treacherous!

Elder Chen Qing immediately stood up and reprimanded General Che:

"How the princess bestows rewards is none of your business. Get out of here immediately!"

General Che remained kneeling on one knee, neither humble nor arrogant, and said:

"Your Highness has no right to inquire about the amount of your rewards, but the bestowal of titles and honors should be in accordance with the laws and regulations of the country."

"How dare you!" Elder Chen Qing slammed his golden staff down, his voice sharp and stern. "Are you disciplining His Highness?"

"Your subject dares not!"

General Che Zhi gave a low shout and looked calmly at Princess Chenxing:

"Your Highness, the soldiers of Gumei are renowned throughout Fujian, all thanks to Your Majesty's fair and just system of rewards and punishments. Now, Your Highness is undermining military discipline because of personal feelings. This old minister believes this is inappropriate, and therefore I risked my life to remonstrate with you. I have no selfish motives whatsoever."

Elder Chen Qing's face was gloomy, and he cracked his golden staff as he gripped it. The elders and ministers under his command looked at each other in bewilderment.

The eight shopkeepers in the market also stared at General Che in astonishment.

Everyone was puzzled.

The assassination attempt on the princess is a major event for the Gumie tribe.

Now that the assassin has been killed by Fan Zhou, what's wrong with bestowing the title of warrior upon him?

Why did General Che have to stand up and make such a fuss, contradicting the princess in front of everyone?

The atmosphere at the banquet was somber.

Lou Zhenqing frowned slightly, but his expression remained calm.

Fan Zhou glanced at General Che beside him. The man was thin, with sallow skin and a weathered face, exuding the shrewdness and solemnity of someone of advanced age.

"I haven't offended him, why is he making things difficult for me?"

Fan Zhou slightly raised his eyes and swept them over Princess Changming's face.

"Could it be that he intends to make things difficult for Her Highness?"

Fan Zhou pondered to himself, secretly glancing at his master, asking with his eyes what to do.

Lou Zhenqing remained unmoved, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.

Fan Zhou had no choice but to remain silent.

"General Che, you are mistaken. I have a different opinion."

In the silence, someone suddenly spoke, their voice booming like a bell.

Fan Zhou turned around and was surprised to find that the person was Elder Mi.

The burly, imposing elder, with disheveled hair and a gray beard reaching his chest, standing like a great general, rose and said:

"Since the time of Emperor Wuzu, Gumi has conquered dozens of countries, large and small, and gathered more than 100,000 elite soldiers, many of whom were from other ethnic groups."

Emperor Wuzu possessed profound virtue and authority. He swore that anyone willing to fight for the Gumi people would be considered one of his own, and he would never hesitate to bestow titles and rewards upon them. As a result, those who submitted to him fought valiantly and were victorious in every battle.

Elder Mi, with his large pregnant belly, gestured to his colleagues around him:

"Most of us are descendants of foreign tribes who submitted to us. If it weren't for the might and virtue of the Martial Ancestor, we would have been slaves long ago. How could we have the respect we enjoy today?"

His words resonated with many, and everyone nodded in agreement.

Elder Mi looked at General Che, who was kneeling on the ground, and asked:

"General Che, I remember your ancestors were also from a different tribe, and you were just a lowly soldier back then?"

General Che remained motionless and replied in a deep voice:

"That's right. My ancestor was the first to capture the flag during the siege, which is why he was rewarded by the Martial Ancestor and appointed as a Golden Armor Warrior."

This is the honor of their clan, and it has always been engraved on the stone tablet; many people know about it.

Elder Mi nodded slightly and pointed at Fan Zhou, saying:

"This young friend Fan is a citizen of Yue and a disciple of Doctor Lou. In terms of status, he is much more noble than a common soldier in the army."

Moreover, he was young and his cultivation was not high, yet he was able to capture an assassin that even General Che could not find, and even risked his life to kill him.

This act avenged His Highness and General Che, and its merit is undeniable.

His Highness, in recognition of Fan Xiaoyou's bravery, has bestowed upon him the title of "Hero Who Slayed the Rhinoceros," truly emulating the legacy of the Martial Ancestor.

"What exactly does it mean that General Che stepped forward to stop this at this moment?"

Elder Mi's words were no less sharp than a sword, directly driving General Che to his death.

Fan Zhou's eyes lit up. Elder Mi was brilliant!

I didn't even know that General Che owed me a favor until you told me.

General Che's face was already ashen, and cold sweat was seeping from his forehead.

Princess Chenxing's expression softened considerably, and she looked at Elder Mi with a smile.

"Elder Mi is a man of great wisdom and righteousness; he is truly a blessing to our Gumi."

"Your Highness is too kind."

Elder Mi coughed once and humbly took his seat.

All eyes were on General Che's back, waiting to see what he would say next.

Elder Chen Qing, not wanting to lose face in front of outsiders, shouted at General Che:

"Che Zhi, why aren't you back in your seat? How long are you going to keep making a fool of yourself like this!"

General Che trembled, his eyes brimming with tears, yet he still shook his head firmly.

He ripped open his shirt, unbuttoned his upper garment, revealing a withered chest, a thin back, and crisscrossing scars.

Everyone present paled and knelt down, baring their chests – a sight usually reserved for those who had committed heinous crimes.

General Che only offered a few suggestions, why make such a big fuss?

Fan Zhou was dumbfounded.

He was just a warrior who slew a rhinoceros; he wasn't awarded the Nine Bestowments or a fake Yellow Axe.

With the mess you've made, people might think I've gotten the title of warrior and am about to rebel.

Elder Chen Qing frowned, her fingers digging into the golden staff, but this time she did not stop her.

Princess Chenxing's pupils contracted to a single point, her clenched fists tightened, and she asked:

"General Che, you are innocent, how did you come to this?"

"No, I am guilty!"

General Che, tears streaming down his face, banged his head on the ground and hissed:

"Your Majesty's fault lies in watching helplessly as Your Highness violated the laws of the land, yet being powerless to stop it!"

"My crime lies in the slander and sophistry of treacherous officials, yet I failed to offer honest advice!"

"Your Highness, I am guilty because Your Highness was deceived by the treacherous words, yet I have no evidence to expose him!"

General Che beat his chest and wept bitterly, wailing, "I have committed these three crimes, and I deserve no regrets even if I die. I only hope that Your Highness can distinguish between truth and falsehood and not be misled by treacherous officials."

clang!

The golden cup was thrown to the ground and shattered into pieces.

Elder Mi stood up, his anger blazing.

General Che said that the treacherous ministers were using slander and sophistry, which was clearly directed at him.

He was about to yell and curse when someone spoke first:

"You old scoundrel! I've put up with you for far too long!"

Fan Zhou suddenly stood up, pointed at General Che, and shouted angrily:

"You old scoundrel, I have no grudge against you, how dare you slander me!"

Che Zhi glared back angrily, his eyes flashing with ferocity:

"You little thief, you claim to have personally killed the assassin, but you're merely at the Marrow Cleansing Realm. How could you possibly defeat the traitor who wounded the princess!"

"The assassin was either killed by someone else or committed suicide out of guilt. It just so happened that you found his head, so you devised a plan to use this merit to gain the princess's favor and exchange it for wealth and glory!"

"You may fool the princess's youth and kindness, but you can't fool this old man!"

"You're talking nonsense!"

Fan Zhou retorted without hesitation:

"The assassin didn't have a sharp weapon. The dagger he used to assassinate her was bought from me. Moreover, I was the first to discover that the princess was injured by the assassin. The assassin was afraid that I would find out, so he tried to assassinate me at night, but I fought back and killed him!"

Elder Chen Qing knows all about these things perfectly well. Ask her if it's true!

Che Zhi looked grim, his heart filled with doubt and unease.

He had deliberately glared at Fan Zhou, but in fact he had secretly used a secret technique to try to get Fan Zhou to tell the truth, but to his surprise, Fan Zhou didn't react at all.

Che Zhi's gaze fell on Lou Zhenqing, who sat in the first seat on the left. Seeing the other's composed expression, he thought to himself, "As expected of a master swordsmith, he was able to neutralize my spell without a sound."

He was unaware that he had just revealed the truth.

Lou Zhenqing and Elder Chen Qing were both startled. The two secretly cast a spell together, which prevented Fan Zhou from being affected.

Elder Chen Qing stepped forward and said to General Che:

"General Che, everything Young Friend Fan said is true. The assassin himself was not very strong; he only managed to injure His Highness by relying on the secret treasure. I have investigated this matter thoroughly."

She had to speak up for Fan Zhou and end the argument quickly.

Otherwise, if this matter is investigated further, it will only uncover things that shouldn't be found.

Seeing that the secret technique was ineffective and Elder Chen Qing had reached a conclusion on the matter, Che Zhi remained silent for a moment.

Elder Chen Qing seized the opportunity to smooth things over, saying:

"General Che's loyalty is understood by all the elders and ministers present, but Fan Xiaoyou's merit in slaying the rebel is undeniable. The princess cherishes his young talent and it is understandable that she would bestow a generous reward upon him."

"Since General Che believes that His Highness's rewards are excessive, then remove the Feathered Serpent Crown, but retain the other rewards."

Her words were meant to encourage everyone to compromise.

Princess Chenxing remained silent, quietly watching the two people below the stage.

Seeing that he was outnumbered and his own people were opposing him, General Che could only put his clothes back on and silently retreat.

But Fan Zhou wouldn't have it, and angrily retorted:

"Do I care about your rewards?"

"I kindly helped your princess, but Elder Chen misunderstood me, thinking I was an assassin, and I was almost killed with a single blow!"

"I informed my superiors what had happened, and on my way home, I was ambushed by that assassin and almost lost my life!"

"I disregarded past grievances and kindly offered the assassin's head to avenge Her Highness the princess. My actions were entirely for the sake of good relations between our two nations, and I had no selfish motives whatsoever!"

"But you all have gone too far, slandering me as a treacherous and despicable person who seeks fame and fortune. This is truly outrageous!"

With a face full of anger, Fan Zhou rushed to the servants carrying the rewards and swept all the gold, silver, leather armor, gold crowns, and silks onto the ground, where they clattered and rolled all over the floor.

"presumptuous!"

"How dare you!"

"Traitor!"

Seeing that he was trampling on the dignity of the Gumi tribe, the ministers and elders of the Gumi tribe slammed their fists on the table and roared angrily. They had already drawn various weapons and were about to kill Fan Zhou.