The resonant cry of the court herald echoed through the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
"The morning court is dismissed."
At once, the assembled officials bowed toward the Dragon Throne.
"Long live Your Majesty!"
As the emperor withdrew through the rear chambers, the rigid formality that had governed the court began to dissolve.
Groups of ministers slowly made their way out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, their official robes swaying with measured steps.
Before long, hushed whispers spread through the corridors like an invisible current.
"What a pity..."
An elderly minister sighed quietly.
"General Cheng returned expecting to be honored, yet His Majesty has stripped him of the very thing that earned his reputation."
Another official nodded grimly.
"The title sounds prestigious, but everyone knows the Royal Astronomy Bureau is a civil office."
"It is nothing less than a gilded cage."
A third minister lowered his voice even further.
"The Ninth Prince deserved command of the Imperial Army... or at the very least a promotion within the Ministry of War."
"Instead..."
"He has been removed from the military entirely."
Several officials exchanged troubled glances.
"So His Majesty still cannot trust him."
"The emperor has never truly accepted him."
One minister shook his head.
"After everything Prince Cheng has done for Great Lan..."
"He deserved far better."
Not everyone agreed.
A younger censor glanced around cautiously before speaking.
"His Majesty's concerns are not without reason."
The surrounding officials turned toward him.
"The Ninth Prince is still the son of Consort Ruo."
"The Ruo Clan once commanded the greatest private army in the empire."
Another minister quietly added,
"His influence over the Eastern Army is immense."
"The soldiers would gladly lay down their lives for him."
"If such a man chose to rebel..."
He allowed the sentence to trail off.
No one needed to finish it.
Silence lingered for several moments.
Finally, an elderly scholar spoke.
"But he has never shown the slightest ambition for power."
"He spent sixteen years defending this empire without complaint."
"He could have turned against the throne countless times."
"He never did."
Another minister nodded.
"Exactly."
"If Prince Cheng had truly desired rebellion..."
"He already possessed the army to make it possible."
A faint murmur of agreement followed.
Yet the younger censor remained unconvinced.
"Men change."
"Power changes them."
"And blood..."
He lowered his voice almost to a whisper.
"...blood is thicker than water."
Immediately another minister frowned.
"So a son must bear punishment forever because of accusations against his mother?"
"Was the Ninth Prince not merely an infant when those events occurred?"
"How many more years must he continue paying for a crime he never committed?"
The corridor fell silent once again.
No one had an answer.
Some believed the emperor had acted wisely.
Others believed he had committed a grave injustice.
But every official agreed on one thing.
Today's appointment had not been a reward.
It had been a message.
A message to the entire empire.
General Cheng had returned to the capital...
but he would never again command an army.
The towering palace gates slowly opened.
Lan Cheng emerged from the Hall of Supreme Harmony with measured steps, the morning sunlight falling gently across his princely robes.
Waiting outside, Cui Huoyang immediately spotted him.
"General!"
Without waiting for protocol, Cui hurried forward, followed closely by several officers of the Eastern Army.
The moment they reached him, questions poured out all at once.
"General, what happened inside the court?"
"How did His Majesty receive you?"
"Did the Emperor praise your victories?"
"Were you rewarded?"
"What did the ministers say?"
The soldiers gathered around him, their faces filled with anxious anticipation.
For years, they had witnessed Lan Cheng fight with unwavering devotion to Great Lan. No one deserved the emperor's recognition more than their general.
Lan Cheng looked at the familiar faces surrounding him.
Then...
a gentle smile appeared upon his lips.
One so genuine that it caught Cui Huoyang by surprise.
"His Majesty praised the Eastern Army."
The soldiers immediately brightened.
"He said our victories have safeguarded the empire and brought honor to Great Lan."
A murmur of pride spread through the group.
Lan Cheng continued,
"His Majesty rewarded me with two hundred bolts of imperial silk, five hundred taels of gold, treasures from the imperial treasury..."
He paused briefly.
"...and granted me a princely residence on South Street."
Several soldiers exchanged delighted glances.
"I knew it!"
"Our General finally received the recognition he deserves!"
But Lan Cheng had not finished.
"There was another imperial decree."
Everyone fell silent.
"The Emperor has appointed me..."
"...Chief Secretary of the Royal Astronomy Bureau."
The soldiers blinked.
For a brief moment, no one spoke.
Most of the ordinary soldiers had little understanding of court politics.
An imperial appointment sounded like a tremendous honor.
One young soldier grinned.
"Congratulations, General!"
"So His Majesty really values you now!"
The others quickly joined in with joyful congratulations.
"Congratulations, General!"
"This is wonderful news!"
"You've finally returned to where you belong!"
Amidst the celebration, only one man remained silent.
Cui Huoyang.
His smile faded almost imperceptibly.
He had spent enough time around military commanders to understand exactly what that appointment meant.
The Royal Astronomy Bureau...
A civil office.
Far removed from military command.
Far removed from the Eastern Army.
It was...
a promotion in appearance.
A removal in reality.
His gaze instinctively drifted toward Lan Cheng.
Yet the general before him looked genuinely happy.
The disappointment he had feared was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, Lan Cheng's eyes held something Cui had not witnessed in years.
Hope.
Perhaps...
For the first time...
His father had finally acknowledged him.
Seeing that expression, Cui swallowed the words rising to his lips.
Not today.
He could not bring himself to shatter that fragile smile.
So instead, he forced one of his own.
He clasped his fists respectfully and bowed.
"Congratulations, Your Highness."
Lan Cheng smiled softly.
"Thank you."
The journey back from the Imperial Palace was far livelier than the one that had brought them there.
The ordinary soldiers wore smiles upon their faces, speaking excitedly among themselves.
"Our General has finally been recognized."
"His Majesty rewarded him so generously."
"And he even granted him a princely residence!"
"It seems the Emperor has truly forgiven His Highness."
Laughter and cheerful conversation filled the streets as the procession made its way back to the imperial guest residence.
Even Lan Cheng's usually reserved expression carried a faint smile.
For the first time in many years...
his heart felt lighter.
The moment they returned to the guest residence, the courtyard became a flurry of activity.
Servants hurried to pack their belongings.
Soldiers loaded trunks onto waiting carts.
Others carefully prepared the imperial gifts bestowed by the emperor.
Everyone was eager to move into the newly granted Prince Cheng Residence.
Only one man did not join the celebration.
Cui Huoyang.
His expression had remained unusually solemn ever since they left the palace.
As soon as Lan Cheng stepped into the residence, Cui spoke.
"General."
His tone was low.
"May I have a word with you?"
Lan Cheng looked at him curiously before nodding.
The two men entered Lan Cheng's chamber.
Cui quietly closed the door behind them.
The cheerful voices from the courtyard became distant.
Silence filled the room.
Lan Cheng turned toward him.
"What is it?"
Cui hesitated.
For the first time in years...
he did not know how to begin.
Finally, he drew a slow breath.
"General..."
"I don't think today's appointment was a reward."
Lan Cheng frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"The Royal Astronomy Bureau..."
Cui chose each word carefully.
"...is a civil institution."
"It has no authority over the army."
Lan Cheng listened quietly.
Cui continued.
"As Chief Secretary..."
"...you cannot simultaneously serve as the General of the Eastern Army."
The words settled heavily between them.
Lan Cheng remained silent.
Cui forced himself to continue.
"Which means..."
"...you will have to relinquish command of the Eastern Army."
The room fell deathly still.
Outside, laughter continued as soldiers celebrated what they believed was their general's promotion.
Inside...
those joyful sounds suddenly felt impossibly distant.
Lan Cheng lowered his eyes.
His fingers slowly tightened around the imperial decree still resting in his hands.
"I..."
His voice was barely audible.
"I hadn't considered that."
Cui stepped closer.
"General..."
"This wasn't merely a reward."
"It was a way to remove you from the army."
His words grew even quieter.
"His Majesty fears your influence."
Lan Cheng immediately shook his head.
"No."
The denial came instinctively.
"You're mistaken."
"His Majesty praised my achievements."
"He rewarded me."
"He even granted me a residence."
"There must be another reason."
Cui's heart ached.
He wanted desperately to believe that.
More than anyone.
But he had stood on enough battlefields—and understood enough politics—to know the truth.
He looked at Lan Cheng, whose eyes still clung stubbornly to hope.
And suddenly he realized...
The greatest battlefield Lan Cheng had ever entered was not the Eastern Frontier.
It was the Imperial Palace.
And unlike the wars he had fought for sixteen years...
This was a battlefield where sincerity was the first casualty.
and this realization is way worse then any battle