Chapter 371: The Great General is Retiring

Chapter 371: The Great General is Retiring

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? Fôllôw new stories at novelhall.com

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."

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?