"Qin attacked the Zhao state," Yan Bing said with a cheerful smile. "Wei and Zhao are allies. So, after Qin attacked the Zhao state, Wei dispatched troops to attack our Yingchuan, which was once Han territory. General Zhao Feng, being greatly trusted by the Great King, was stationed to guard Wei City, the gateway to Yingchuan."

As he spoke of the conflict in Yingchuan, he became visibly excited.

"Wei attacked Yingchuan?" Zhao Ying asked, following his line of thought. "Did my brother manage to hold the line?"

"Haha, not only did he hold the line," Yan Bing laughed loudly. "Miss Zhao, you must have heard of Wei Wuji, correct?"

"Lord Xinling of Wei? Of course, I've heard of him," Zhao Ying immediately nodded.

Mrs. Zhao felt the same. With her past experiences, how could she not have heard of Wei Wuji?

"General Zhao achieved a victory of the few against the many, the weak against the strong," Yan Bing said with great pride, as if he had witnessed the feat himself. "He shattered Wei Wuji's army of two hundred thousand with only one hundred thousand of his own, forcing the Wei army into a disastrous retreat!"

"Wei Wuji... defeated by my Feng'er?" Even Mrs. Zhao was stunned to hear this.

The name Wei Wuji was deeply ingrained in her memory. She recalled a time back in Handan when she and a young Zhao Zheng stood on the street watching a commotion. They were with Zhao Zheng's tutor, Shen Yue, when a middle-aged Wei Wuji arrived as an envoy to the Zhao state. At that moment, Shen Yue had commented on the man.

"Zheng'er," Shen Yue had said in an instructive tone, "once you return to Qin, you must clearly understand who your enemies and rivals are.

"For example, Lian Po and Li Mu of the Zhao state can be considered rivals to Qin.

"But in Wei, the one you must be wary of is Wei Wuji. His skill in leading troops is formidable, and he is the current backbone of Wei. You must be extremely cautious."

"I shall remember my teacher's words," Zhao Zheng had replied earnestly.

Mrs. Zhao, who was beside them, had also committed those words to memory. Now, recalling Shen Yue's assessment and how formidable Wei Wuji was supposed to be, her astonishment only deepened.

My own son defeated the world-renowned Wei Wuji? How is that possible?

"You didn't expect it, did you, Mrs. Zhao?" Yan Bing laughed, a sense of national pride evident in his voice. "Haha! The news of General Zhao defeating Wei Wuji has already begun to spread. Soon, the entire world will know his great name! To think that Lord Xinling of Wei was defeated by Qin's youngest general... This news will surely elevate Qin's prestige even further!"

"It is indeed unexpected... that my son could defeat Wei Wuji," Mrs. Zhao said slowly.

"This is a Royal Edict," Yan Bing said with a smile, handing it directly to Mrs. Zhao. "It contains the Great King's rewards for General Zhao. I will not read it aloud. Please, Madam, receive the edict."

Mrs. Zhao accepted the Royal Edict with both hands. As she opened it, a look of astonishment crossed her face. "Feng'er has been promoted to Main General?"

"Qin's military merit system is strict; rewards are guaranteed for great deeds," Yan Bing said with reverence. "For defeating Wei Wuji and protecting Qin's territory, General Zhao naturally deserves a generous reward from the Great King.

"Last year, he was Qin's youngest Deputy General. Now, he is our youngest Main General.

"Perhaps one day, he will become a Shangjiangjun of Qin."

In Qin, there were many Prefectural Cities, but very few Main Generals. With this promotion, Zhao Feng now outranked a Prefectural Governor like Yan Bing in the official hierarchy, inspiring even greater reverence from him.

"Thank you for delivering this, Prefectural Governor," Mrs. Zhao said, having regained her composure.

"You are too kind, Madam," Yan Bing replied immediately. "It is a great blessing for our Shaoqiu County that a man as remarkable as General Zhao has emerged from here."

Then, with a wave of his hand, a hundred servants and various monetary rewards were brought into the residence, just as on his two previous visits.

"This time, in addition to the one hundred servants, the Great King has also granted fifty guards to protect you, Madam," Yan Bing said with a smile. "You may arrange them all as you see fit."

With each of Zhao Feng's achievements, their circumstances improved dramatically. What was once a home of three thatched cottages had become a grand mansion. A household that once consisted of only a mother and daughter now numbered over three hundred people, all of whom were there to serve them.

"Madam," Yan Bing said suddenly with a smile, "have you heard the news?"

"What news?" Mrs. Zhao asked, startled.

"Regarding General Zhao's marriage," Yan Bing smiled.

"Feng'er's marriage?" Mrs. Zhao looked puzzled. "I haven't arranged any marriage for him."

"Madam," Yan Bing said, lowering his voice. "I heard a rumor from Xianyang, told to me by a friend at the Imperial Court. It seems General Zhao has pledged himself to the daughter of General Wang Jian," he added in a probing tone.

Yan Bing himself had been shocked when he first heard this rumor. A Shangjiangjun! There were only three in all of Qin. In the absence of a Grand Commandant, these three Shangjiangjun took their orders directly from the Great King. They held immense power and authority, and few in the Court dared to offend them.

"The daughter of General Wang Jian? Is this true? I had no idea!" Mrs. Zhao was utterly shocked.

"Madam, the news came from a close friend of mine in the Court. It is absolutely true," Yan Bing insisted.

"I heard that Crown Prince Fusu had initially sought a match with General Wang Jian's daughter, but the general declined. The reason given was that General Zhao Feng and the Royal Daughter had already pledged themselves to one another."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.