Martial Cultivator

As Li Heng gazed into the distance, the court officials also subconsciously followed his line of sight. The Northern Frontier Great General had been stationed there for many years and had rarely appeared in the Divine Capital. Now, his return to the Divine Capital, regardless of the reason, piqued the curiosity of the court officials. After all, this Great General had held the position of the Northern Frontier Great General since the reign of Emperor Lingzong. He was a true veteran official who had genuinely experienced three dynasties.

Amidst the complex gazes of the court officials, from the end of the square's corridor, an elderly man in ordinary robes, with hair white as snow, slowly walked over. The old man's face was weathered, filled with wrinkles that seemed to be carved by knives, exhibiting a rugged and resolute demeanor. It seemed that the harsh winds and snow of the Northern Frontier had indeed left their mark. This Great General who could rank among the top three in the Great General appeared to be getting on in years, like an old pine nearing the end of its century-long journey through time.

Yet, despite already looking this old, the old general's steps were steady and firm, advancing slowly but firmly.

Looking at the Northern Frontier Great General from the crowd, the look in Chen Chao's eyes was complicated. This Great General had spent many years defending against the demons in the Northern Frontier. Theoretically, there was nothing to criticize about him. However, over these years, there had always been one thing that puzzled everyone: during the great battle initiated by the Great Liang Emperor back then, why did he defy the imperial decree and refuse to return from the Northern Frontier to guard the Divine Capital?

Hence, the court officials' emotions had always been complex, and difficult to articulate.

Chen Chao did not dwell too much on it. His eyes were mostly filled with admiration. Facing this Great General, he only felt respect.

For the sake of all the people of the Great Liang, and for the welfare of the world, he had dedicated his entire life to the Northern Frontier, to the people of the Great Liang. Such a person, even if there were some ambiguous aspects about him, he could not be slandered or blamed by others.

As this Northern Frontier Great General continued forward, he soon arrived next to the Lord Warden Commander, where there was a spot that the military officials had saved for him.

At this moment, the military officials behind were looking at the Northern Frontier Great General with fervent looks. Among the military officials of the Great Liang Dynasty, if there were still any who did not respect the Lord Warden Commander, then there was absolutely no one who would not respect this Northern Frontier Great General.

At this moment, all eyes seemed to be on this Great General who had dedicated his life to the country's military service. However, the Great General only looked at the Lord Warden Commander and said with vicissitudes of emotion, "It's been many years."

Actually, it had been more than just 'many years.' Since he assumed the position of Northern Frontier Great General, he had not returned to the Divine Capital. The last time he met the Lord Warden Commander, if you could call it that, was during the reign of Emperor Lingzong.

The Lord Warden Commander also smiled and said, "It has indeed been many years, Great General. You grew older."

At this moment, it was pointless to say anything lightly complimentary. Meeting an old friend, this kind of genuine sentiment was much more meaningful.

The Great General smiled, "There's no escaping old age, especially with the harsh winds and snow of the Northern Frontier. My body can't bear it anymore."

Hearing this, the Lord Warden Commander felt a deep respect. Despite holding the same rank as the Great General before him, he regarded himself as a junior from the bottom of his heart. Towards this Great General, he only held sincere respect in his heart.

"Well, after all these years, Emperor Lingzong has passed, and His Majesty has also ascended the throne for these years. What more do I have to complain about?"

The Great General smiled, "The future of the Great Liang Dynasty will depend on you young people."

The Lord Warden Commander could not be called young. But, they were ultimately two people from different generations, so he naturally could not be called old either.

The Lord Warden Commander remained silent, just nodding slightly. Some things did not need many words; acceptance was enough. That was the tacit understanding between men.

Suddenly, the Great General added, "I heard you've found a promising young lad. Where is he?"

The Lord Warden Commander pointed at Chen Chao at the back of the line and grinned, "I wonder if he can compete with the young generals in Great General's army?"

Following the Lord Warden Commander's gaze, the Great General looked over and saw Chen Chao standing at the back of the line. After taking a few looks, he turned back and said, "He's also a young hero. He even won against those foreign cultivators at the Myriad Willow Convention. Truly remarkable. You've found yourself a gem."

The Lord Warden Commander smiled. Although he did not speak, the smugness in his eyes could not be concealed.

The Great General fell silent, he just looked ahead towards the grand hall.

At that moment, the doors of the hall suddenly swung open, and a group of imperial guards emerged, led by a tall figure. He was naturally the Great Liang Emperor.

Today, the Great Liang Emperor was dressed in a brand-new emperor robe, forgoing the ceremonial attire. He still maintained his disdain for extravagance, even during a grand court session.

As the Great Liang Emperor stepped out, Li Heng who was standing at one side quickly received the imperial decree from the attendant at the side and began to read it aloud.

"Imperial Decree: The Northern Frontier Great General, Xiao Hezheng, has guarded the Northern Frontier for many years, protecting the people of Great Liang for decades. He is now bestowed the title of Duke of Yangguo, with a fief of three hundred miles, and rewards..."

As Li Heng continuously read aloud the contents of the decree, the entire square became incredibly quiet. No one spoke, but some were undoubtedly shaken. The return of this Great General to the Divine Capital surely bore significance. However, the multitude of rewards given now was not entirely unexpected. Some people found it difficult to comprehend the granting of a fief. Throughout the history of the Great Liang Dynasty, emperors could reward meritorious officials, but the granting of a fief was unprecedented. This was a first.

Naturally, the court officials would feel incredibly shocked.

But at this moment, there was naturally no one who could immediately voice any objections.

After all, the merits of the Northern Frontier Great General over the years, coupled with his rare victory over the demons in the recent Northern Frontier War, warranted such rewards. In fact, some might even argue that even the title of a vassal king would be met with acclaim.

However, after Li Heng finished reading the imperial decree, all eyes turned once again to the Northern Frontier Great General.

The Great General first knelt to express gratitude for the imperial grace, then began to speak: "This subject, Xiao Hezheng, has long enjoyed the grace of Your Majesty. Originally, I should continue to serve the country with all my might. However, due to old age and declining health, I'm no longer able to manage the Northern Frontier Army and serve the Great Liang anymore. I deeply regret this and humbly request to retire from my post, Your Majesty!"

With these words, the entire square seemed to transform into a vast lake, only to be struck by an unknown giant rock.

One stone caused a thousand waves!

The Northern Frontier Great General's rewards official surpassed that of the Lord Warden Commander, making him the number one military official of the Great Liang Dynasty in the true sense. Who could have imagined that on this very day, at the pinnacle of the Great General's glory, he would choose to step down? This decision was nothing short of shocking.

The position of the Northern Frontier Great General signified command over the most elite forces of the dynasty, the Northern Frontier Army. It was something most people could only dream of attaining. Why would this Great General choose to step down voluntarily?

The actions of the Northern Frontier Great General today were difficult to interpret without speculation.

Could it be that His Majesty's recent visit to the north has resulted in him gaining control over the Northern Frontier's military authority, so he wanted to dismiss this veteran from the era of Emperor Lingzong? After a long silence, a court official stepped forward from the ranks of civil officials, kneeling down, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, please reconsider! The Great General has commanded the North for decades, defending Great Liang against the demons for many years. If he were to rashly retire now, it could provoke unusual activities from the demons. If the Northern Frontier were to fall, Great Liang would be in grave danger!"

"This subject concurs!"

"This subject concurs!"

"This subject concurs!"

"This subject concurs!"

……

……

As court officials stepped forward, countless others stepped forward and knelt down, expressing objection to the Northern Frontier Great General's retirement.

Though they were civil officials and typically had little interaction with the Great General, they understood clearly the significant impact his retirement would have on the Northern Frontier.

Genuinely concerned for the welfare of Great Liang and its people, they were unwilling to let the Great General retire.

Despite their deliberations, they could not think of any military official within the court who could succeed this Great General's position.

For decades, the Great General had been a formidable force, but had no successor in sight. While there were indeed some capable generals in the Northern Frontier, none seemed capable of filling the void if the Great General left.

Looking at the court officials kneeling before him, the Great Liang Emperor did not speak immediately.

As the Emperor, he naturally understood the thoughts of his court officials, but he had no intention of heeding them.

Nor did he wish to explain.

So, after a brief moment of silence, he opened his mouth to say, "Permitted."

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

With the utterance of this word by the Great Liang Emperor, the court officials in the entire square looked up incredulously at their sovereign.

While most of the court officials were burning with anxiety, Chen Chao had actually been looking at the back of the Northern Frontier Great General all along.

As he looked at the Great General's back view, he had a vague feeling that the Great General not only appeared aged but was indeed very old already. Chen Chao even suspected that the Great General might be nearing the end of his life.

His days were numbered.

There was a sense of decay about him and also an odor of rot.

Chen Chao understood.

The Great General before him had already given everything he could offer.

He had offered his entire life to the Great Liang Dynasty. Now, he was just an old man in the twilight of his years, ready to return to his roots, to spend his few remaining days in the Divine Capital.

Such a request, perhaps under a different emperor, would have been hard to grant. After all, the Northern Frontier was the gateway to the Great Liang; the first line of defense against the demons. The importance of the Northern Frontier to the Great Liang was self-evident. Such an important place naturally could not tolerate any problems.

So under a different emperor, the best outcome for this Great General might have been to die in the Northern Frontier, to bury his body in that land of ice and snow.

With this realization, Chen Chao could understand the current reward. A meritorious subject of the country should naturally be rewarded, but the greatest reward for this Great General was not the land fief; it was allowing him to live out his final days as he wished.

With these thoughts in mind, Chen Chao looked into the eyes of the Great Liang Emperor, his emotions complex.

What kind of ruler was he after all?