"Brother saved the Tai Hou?" Zhao Ying asked, looking at Mrs. Zhao in bewilderment.

"The Tai Hou..." Mrs. Zhao murmured.

In her mind, a scene appeared. A large group of men clad in black was in furious pursuit. The leader tore off his mask, a murderous intent on his face. "I, Fan Yuqi, acting on the Tai Hou's edict, have come to invite Dong'er to her death. Please, Dong'er, do not hold it against me."

"Concubine Zhao," Mrs. Zhao murmured, her eyes filled with complex emotions. There was a time when things between them had not reached such a dire point, but in the end, everything was changed by power and by entering Xianyang.

"Mrs. Zhao," Yan Bing reminded her with a smile, noticing her distraction. "The Royal Envoy is still waiting for you to receive the edict." He likely thought she was dazed with happiness because her son had once again performed a great service.

Hearing this, Mrs. Zhao returned to her senses. She immediately walked toward the Imperial Guard Commander, accepted the Royal Edict with both hands, and proclaimed loudly, "This humble woman receives the edict."

"Bring forth all the rewards bestowed upon General Zhao by the Great King!" the Imperial Guard Commander ordered loudly.

The Imperial Guards immediately carried over several chests. Inside were gold, currency, and Jade Articles. Of course, the most crucial addition was a hundred servants. When these servants arrived, they all knelt before Mrs. Zhao.

"Mrs. Zhao," the Imperial Guard Commander said respectfully. "These one hundred servants have been granted by the Great King. They are all slaves, and the power of life and death over them is in your hands. They have all been entrusted to your disposal, Madam."

"Thank you for your trouble," Mrs. Zhao replied with a nod.

"The Royal Edict has been delivered. Mrs. Zhao, I shall take my leave," the Imperial Guard Commander said, clasping his fists toward her. He then turned and left with the guards.

"I respectfully see the Royal Envoy off," Mrs. Zhao said promptly.

After the Imperial Guards had departed, Yan Bing stepped forward and waved his hand. "Bring up the land registry."

On cue, another large chest, similar to the previous one, was brought up. It contained bamboo slips with the land deeds, all of which now belonged to the Zhao family.

"Mrs. Zhao," Yan Bing said with a smile. "Here are the deeds for five hundred mu of land. Please keep them safe."

"Thank you for personally delivering these, Prefectural Governor," Mrs. Zhao replied with a slight smile of gratitude.

"You are too kind, Mrs. Zhao," Yan Bing said with a laugh, his tone carrying a hint of flattery. "General Zhao is a pillar of our Great Qin. He earned great merit in the annihilation of Han, and now he has even saved the Tai Hou. It is my honor to serve as the local official in General Zhao's hometown."

Mrs. Zhao naturally exchanged some pleasantries in return. Having once been familiar with the ways of officialdom, she knew that when you had power, everyone would fawn over you. But if you fell from grace, those same people would hate that they couldn't trample all over you. Thus, she did not take Yan Bing's flattery to heart.

"Mrs. Zhao," Yan Bing asked after scanning the crowd of onlookers from the village. "I wonder if you have grown accustomed to living here in this village?"

"I have lived in the village for many years, so naturally, I am accustomed to it. What do you mean by that, Prefectural Governor?" Mrs. Zhao replied with a faint smile.

"The past is the past, and the present is different," Yan Bing said. "Your status has changed, and the human heart is hard to fathom. Nothing is certain. I have several mansions in the Prefectural City. Today, I will gift one to you, Mrs. Zhao. If life in the village ever becomes difficult or unpleasant, you can move directly into the city. That mansion is quite large and can accommodate hundreds of servants." He smiled, took a bamboo slip from a confidant behind him, and pressed it toward Mrs. Zhao, giving her no chance to decline. "This is the deed to the mansion. Please accept it, Madam."

"Prefectural Governor, this humble woman cannot accept this," Mrs. Zhao immediately refused.

But Yan Bing simply placed the bamboo slip in front of the Zhao Mansion's gate, not giving her a chance to refuse. "Mrs. Zhao, please consider this a humble gift from me to General Zhao." He smiled and then added, "Alright, I have official duties to attend to, so I must depart."

With that, Yan Bing turned and left, giving Mrs. Zhao no opportunity to return the deed.

"Mother," Zhao Ying said, looking at Mrs. Zhao with an utterly puzzled expression. "How has it been so easy for Brother to earn achievements since he enlisted? First, he broke through the Han Capital and captured the King of Han, and now he has even saved the Tai Hou?" It felt as if her brother seemed like a completely different person since his enlistment.

Perhaps, this is fate, Mrs. Zhao sighed, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.

Seeing her mother's demeanor, Zhao Ying was confused. Why isn't Mother happy now that Brother has performed such great deeds and become a general?

「Wei City!」

Zhao Feng was unaware of what was happening back home. At this moment, he looked at Tu Sui standing before him, feeling somewhat baffled.

"By the Great King's decree, I request a transfer to your command. Please accept me, General Zhao," Tu Sui said fervently as he bowed deeply.

"You're being transferred to my command?" Zhao Feng glanced at Tu Sui in puzzlement. "You were the Imperial Guards Leader, which is not a low-ranking position. You wish to serve under me? Is this by a royal decree from the Great King?"

"Reporting to General Zhao," Tu Sui said with sincerity. "This is an opportunity I personally requested from the Great King. After the incident where bandits abducted the Tai Hou, I realized it was my incompetence that allowed them to succeed. I also witnessed your capabilities that day, General. Therefore, I pleaded with the Great King to allow me to serve under your command."

Seeing this, Zhao Feng understood. Tu Sui had indeed requested this himself.

"Since it is a royal decree, you may join my command. However, did the Great King assign you a specific post?" Zhao Feng said.

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