Rebirth: So what if my husband is a little crazy? He loves me.

Chapter 345 The Kyoto Uprising

Even though they suspected something was amiss in Kyoto, they couldn't set off without orders from above. Shen Li could only hope that things wouldn't get too chaotic and that her family wouldn't be harmed.

The battle report was sent to the capital by fast horse. During the time waiting for the Ministry of War and the emperor to dispatch them, there was nothing to do. Post-war reconstruction was the responsibility of the local officials, not theirs.

Thus, Shen Li experienced the same sorrow that Lin Wan'er had once felt. Living in the governor's mansion, she often heard news that Xiao Qi and Lin Wan'er were no longer there.

Unmarried men and women should avoid suspicion; they won't be seen together openly. But she doesn't believe it's a coincidence that neither of them is in the house.

Her pillow was empty, and when she tried to talk to Lin Wan'er, the other woman was busy having a secret rendezvous and ignored her invitation.

Shen Li could only sigh at this; friends are only reliable in times of crisis, and you can't even see them in times of peace.

However, during this period, Shen Li ate and slept well, replenishing her nutrition and energy. After a period of travel and training, she felt that her bones and muscles had become stronger and more powerful.

Her strength and control over her body have improved. No wonder her maternal grandfather said she was born to fight. If she had been tempered in the military camp, she would not know where her limit was.

Ten days passed, and ten days later the imperial edict arrived at the governor's mansion, where Li Yuanhua led a group of generals and censors to receive it.

In his imperial edict, Emperor Cheng praised the battle highly and ordered the generals and officials in the capital to return to the capital and return to the capital. In addition, Xiao Qi was promoted to General Who Conquers the East, a second-rank official, and was ordered to lead 30,000 men to the eastern border to wipe out the Japanese pirates.

Emperor Cheng had clearly tasted the sweetness of victory and wanted to wipe out the Japanese pirates in one fell swoop.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Xiao Qi accepted the decree.

Lin Wan'er was visibly disappointed. Why wasn't she sent this time?

“Japan is such a small country, I think His Majesty and the Ministry of War don’t think that many people are needed,” Shen Li comforted her.

“But naval warfare is not our forte, and brute force is not an option. The ships need to be modified, and the firearms on board also need to be changed.” Lin Wan’er paced around her room: “Who knows these things better than me?”

“When it comes to firearms, you’re definitely an expert,” Shen Li said honestly.

"Can you help me analyze this? If I request permission from His Majesty to go to the front lines, will he allow me to do so?" Lin Wan'er stopped pacing and looked at Shen Li, who was sitting on the couch.

Shen Li was both amused and exasperated: "You only remembered you have friends now?"

"Haven't you always been like this?" Lin Wan'er asked blankly, clearly unaware of her recent neglect of her friends.

Shen Li felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart once again.

"To make a long story short, it's best not to volunteer for the battle." She quickly changed the subject, saying, "People shouldn't be too high-profile, and I don't think my cousin has any tough battles to fight. On the contrary, we might not have an easy time."

"What does this mean?" Lin Wan'er asked humbly, sitting opposite her.

“If I’m not mistaken, the east isn’t the main battlefield; the main battlefield is in Kyoto.” Shen Li narrowed her eyes as she spoke.

She hadn't had a chance to tell Lin Wan'er this guess, since she hadn't seen Lin Wan'er at all these days.

“Kyoto?” Lin Wan’er’s mind raced, but she was still confused: “I know that Kyoto’s military strength is weak at the moment, but it is impossible for the Great Liang to cross the northern border guarded by my father in a short time.”

"I haven't figured this out either, but I'm sure that the Liang Dynasty didn't go to such lengths just to let that Hu princess actually choose a son-in-law in the capital."

“That Hu princess is no ordinary person. In that case, we need to get back as soon as possible.” Lin Wan’er was quite wary of the princess.

Shen Li nodded: "That's right."

The three camps brought a total of 250,000 men, but now, with the loss of over 100,000 and the 30,000 men taken away by Xiao Qi, only a little over 60,000 remain to follow Xu Sheng back to the capital.

Although Shen Li and Lin Wan'er both agreed that they should return to the capital as soon as possible, following the army would not be fast enough, and there was no war going on ahead. If they took people back without authorization, it would be considered treason.

So the two of them could only follow the army slowly. Along the way, they saw tender buds sprouting on the branches, small grasses emerging on the ground, and farmers singing songs as they sowed seeds on both sides of the road. It was already a scene of spring.

Shen Li thought back to when she arrived it was still the dead of winter. It had been almost two months since she left the capital. She wondered how things were at home. Her parents would surely be happy to hear of her triumphant return, but it was hard to say about Gu Chang'an.

Knowing him as she did, she knew he wouldn't relax his tense nerves until she returned home.

This man always knew how to conduct himself in politics, and he understood the principle that "too much clarity leaves no room for fish." Even when reforming the tax system, he would leave some loopholes for lower-level officials to profit from, in order to ensure the smooth implementation of his policies.

But when it came to her, he became completely single-minded, as can be seen from his letters.

Every word she said was meant to tell her not to worry about home and to take care of herself, but her longing and concern were palpable between the lines.

That being said, she missed him very much.

The journey from the western border to the capital takes a month, but Shen Li gained three pounds in just half a month because she didn't miss any of the local delicacies along the way, and even sent people to buy them for her when they didn't pass through any cities.

Xu Sheng, Censor Geng, and even Lin Wan'er did not participate in this; she was the only one eating from beginning to end, and she even rode in a carriage for comfort.

Lin Wan'er was both amused and exasperated by Shen Li's behavior. Thinking of Shen Li, who had spent her entire life being self-disciplined and respectful in her previous life, she realized that in this life, Shen Li was finally living for herself, though it seemed she had gone a bit too far and completely disregarded her image.

After enjoying a carefree two weeks, Shen Li was suddenly woken up one night while sleeping in her tent.

"Miss, General Xu Sheng requests your presence at the central command tent. He has important matters to discuss with you." Lian Qiao tried to keep her voice as gentle and soft as possible, so as not to frighten her young mistress.

"Oh." Shen Li sat up from the ground, her eyes still closed, but her voice was very obedient.

After being helped to change, Shen Li, wearing a cloak, arrived at the central command tent and saw Xu Sheng and Lin Wan'er, who had arrived earlier, looking tense with equally gloomy faces that seemed to be dripping with water.

Shen Li became more sober and asked, "Uncle Xu, what happened?"

"The scouts report that the rebels have captured ten cities and now have surrounded all nine gates of the capital. The capital is about to fall," Xu Sheng said in a heavy voice.

Lin Wan'er looked at her: "You were right, there is indeed trouble in the capital."

"So fast?" Shen Li was also quite surprised: "Where did these rebels come from?"

"The deposed Crown Prince Li Heng escaped from the Ministry of Justice prison and headed all the way to the fiefdom of the Second Prince, Prince Ning. Prince Ning supported the deposed Crown Prince in raising an army to purge the court of corrupt officials. They advanced like a whirlwind, heading straight for the capital. In just three days, ten cities fell." Xu Sheng beat his chest and stamped his feet: "Why didn't I march faster! I deserve to die!"

It's still half a month's journey to Kyoto, and even by fast horse it will take ten days. Who knows if Kyoto's troops can hold out for ten days?