The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1118 - 1118 543 Domineering Marshal (Second Update)

Chapter 1118: 543 Domineering Marshal! (Second Update) Chapter 1118: 543 Domineering Marshal! (Second Update) Princess Ning An had a high reputation among the people, and her act of sacrificing family for righteousness had spread from the border passes all the way to Capital City, winning admiration from the populace for her loyal and patriotic heart.

Additionally, she had a son who had lost his legs, which added a sense of pity to the admiration.

Therefore, when the conversation from the Imperial Study Room got out, the public response was overwhelmingly positive. Of course, the praise was for Princess Ning An, everyone agreed that she was truly worthy of the title “Protector Princess of the Nation.”

Tang Yueshan heard the news at the Military Camp.

His injuries had healed, but he still needed daily rehabilitation. Rehab at home was boring, so he chose to come to the Military Camp and exercise with the soldiers.

Nowadays, Tiger Mountain Camp wasn’t the same as before. After reorganization, the Gu Family army had moved to nearby Wolf Mountain Camp, and the soldiers from Wolf Mountain Camp had been transferred here.

Tang Yueshan’s archers were also there.

Among them, five hundred had returned from fighting at the border pass.

They had been trapped in Ye City with the imperial army, and Tang Yueshan had used a maneuver to lure the tiger away from the mountain and led them out of Ye City.

On the way, they were chased down by the great army of Chen Country. It was Gu Jiao who, on her own, held off the pursuit of Chen Country’s army.

If rescuing the wounded and treating the dying is the duty of a physician, then charging into life-and-death situations for soldiers was not her responsibility.

Yet, she did it without any hesitation.

They hadn’t forgotten how she had risked her life for them and how tirelessly she had treated them. She even gave up her last chance to enter the city for their sake.

Upon suddenly hearing that she was to be conferred the title of a county princess, the soldiers felt genuinely happy for her.

But then they heard that Princess Ning An was to be appointed as the Protector Princess of the Nation, the soldiers… were somewhat confused.

They could still accept it, though, since she was a princess of the royal family. If the emperor and the empress dowager wanted to dote on her, all the soldiers could do was watch.

However, someone couldn’t help but ask, “How did she protect the nation?”

A Soldier shared the news he had heard.

Then Tang Yueshan’s archers became agitated.

An Archer said, “When did she collaborate from within and without with Young Master Gu to rescue the old Marquis? It was clearly Doctor Gu and Young Master Gu who saved the old Marquis! On the way, they met the Grand Marshal. They joined forces to deal with the son-in-law and then Doctor Gu with Young Master Gu took the severely injured old Marquis to Yuegu City while the Grand Marshal went to Ye City – to rescue us!”

The Soldier analyzed for him, “The old Marquis was initially imprisoned in the Governor’s Mansion, surrounded by a heavy guard and numerous experts. Without Princess Ning An’s distraction of the son-in-law and drawing their attention away, do you think what your so-called doctor and Young Master Gu could have succeeded?”

The Archer countered angrily, “Why couldn’t they have succeeded? You have no idea how capable Doctor Gu is! She alone… scared away five thousand Chen Country cavalry!”

The Soldier waved dismissively, “Keep boasting! As if Chen Country’s cavalry is made of paper!”

The Archer exploded, “You’ve never been there, how would you know I’m making it up!”

The Soldier chuckled, “No need to have gone there to know it’s impossible. Think about it, even if your Doctor Gu has remarkable abilities, it can’t be as exaggerated as you’re saying, right?”

Actually, everyone had a bit of doubt regarding whether Princess Ning An truly deserved to be appointed as the Protector Princess of the Nation and had no right to comment, but now that a conflict had arisen, it unexpectedly stirred up their competitive spirit.

The two sides started arguing, and as they argued, they began to fight.

At first, it was just two people fighting. Gradually, it turned into two rows of people fighting each other.

One row was archers who had been to the border, and the other was soldiers who had just arrived from Wolf Mountain Camp.

The commotion grew so large that it disturbed Tang Yueshan, and so he also learned about the matter of Princess Ning An’s conferral.

Tang Yueshan was the Grand Marshal, and from his current perspective, he saw things differently than the rank-and-file soldiers.

He was very aware of why, by the time the events reached Capital City, they lost their original form – because that’s what officialdom is.

Whether or not Princess Ning An actually achieved those feats wasn’t important. She was the darling of the emperor and the Empress Dowager Zhuang, so people would eagerly flatter her.

Isn’t this what the civil officials are best at? With just a wag of their tongues, they act as if they know all the details of battles better than the military officers who fought on the battlefield.

Compared to a mere girl physician, the spirit of sacrifice and national integrity of a princess of the country are more convincing to the people.

But then again, if it weren’t for Tang Yueshan witnessing Gu Jiao’s reckless determination firsthand, he would not have believed it himself.

How could anyone fight to such an extent?

To fight bloodily on the city tower all night on her own, just to keep the flag of Zhan Country from falling and protect the border city from breach!

Just this single event left Tang Yueshan’s chest surging with emotion whenever he recalled it.

This wasn’t to say that other soldiers didn’t contribute, or that some contributions were greater or smaller than others – each soldier had done right by themselves.

But the claims of Princess Ning An’s contributions did seem somewhat exaggerated.

To say that Gu Changqing had dismantled the lair of the former dynasty’s remnants wasn’t as surprising to Tang Yueshan.

Forget it, he was an old field commander, and such things were commonplace to him.

The achievements of those below were always there for those above to claim.

Besides, Gu Jiao wasn’t related to him in any way; he didn’t acknowledge his identity as a mere foot soldier.

He wasn’t angry.

He didn’t care.

She would never stand up for her.

In the afternoon, Tang Yueshan received an imperial summons, ordering him to enter the palace immediately.

Tang Yueshan speculated that the emperor wanted to discuss Princess Ning An’s ennoblement. As the Grand Marshal and a key minister in the campaign at the border pass, if he were to personally plead on behalf of Princess Ning An, he believed that her title of Protector Princess would be more justified.

However, the emperor also asked him to bring his family’s Tang bow, which left him puzzled as to what the emperor really intended to do.

It was only after he followed the eunuch to the palace that he realized the emperor wasn’t meeting him in the Imperial Study Room, but near a grassland by the Imperial Garden.

Princess Ning An was also there.

“Your Majesty, Princess Ning An.” He carried the Tang bow on his back and gave a bow with his hands clasped together in greeting.

Chairs and a table had been set up on the grassland; the emperor and Princess Ning An had already taken their seats. The emperor pointed to a chair at his side and said to Tang Yueshan, “Please, take a seat, Tang Aiqing.”

Tang Yueshan sat down, still utterly confused.

About five zhang away, Wei Gonggong led several guards in setting up ten targets.

Could it be that His Majesty wanted to see him shoot arrows?

“How’s your injury, Tang Aiqing?” The emperor asked with a smile.

Tang Yueshan belatedly realized that the emperor had referred to him as Aiqing today.

He was truly taken aback by this favor.

Just a few months ago, he had been a thorn in the emperor’s side.

He respectfully replied, “This subject is unharmed, I thank Your Majesty for your concern.”

So what on earth does the emperor want!

At that moment, Wei Gonggong came over with small steps, smiling as he greeted Tang Yueshan, “Lord Tang is here.”

“Wei Gonggong.” Tang Yueshan returned the greeting with a hand-clasped bow.

Wei Gonggong smiled, turned to the emperor and Princess Ning An, and said, “Your Majesty, Princess, the targets are all set.”

“Bring the bow and arrows,” said the emperor.

“Yes.” Wei Gonggong went to one side, took a heavy bow from a guard, and personally handed it to Princess Ning An.

Tang Yueshan raised an eyebrow.

He saw Princess Ning An took the bow without a word, and as soon as a guard passed her a quiver, she pulled out an arrow, nocked it, aimed, and whoosh– she released it!

It struck the bullseye!

Tang Yueshan was astonished.

“Excellent archery, Princess!” Wei Gonggong praised with a laugh.

The emperor looked affectionately at Ning An and commented, “Her archery hasn’t declined, in fact, it has even improved slightly.”

Tang Yueshan remembered that Princess Ning An had learned archery years ago, and she had learned alongside him. How else would the Empress Dowager have thought about betrothing Princess Ning An to him?

It was his father’s loose talk that did it.

He went and told the Empress Dowager that he and Princess Ning An seemed to be a match made in heaven.

To be honest, he never harbored such feelings for Ning An.

He liked mature and gentle women, not childish little girls like Ning An.

Wait, the emperor suddenly invited him here, and then suddenly he watched Princess Ning An shoot arrows, could it be… he wanted to marry Ning An off to him again?

He wasn’t the sort to take just any woman who had been wed before!

The emperor asked with a smile, “Tang Aiqing, what do you think of Ning An’s archery skills?”

If an ordinary person shot like that, it would be quite decent.

Tang Yueshan intended to say just that, but when he opened his mouth what came out was, “Terrible!”

The emperor was taken aback.

Princess Ning An was also slightly stunned.

Clearly, neither expected such a sharp-tongued critique from Tang Yueshan.

Tang Yueshan himself broke out in a cold sweat; what had he just said? Had he become too accustomed to bickering with Gu Chengfeng in the ward, to the point that his mouth ran unchecked?

“Is it, is it really that terrible?” Princess Ning An asked with an embarrassed expression.

For a woman, to hit the edge of the bullseye from this distance was actually quite impressive.

Yet, Tang Yueshan, his head heated in the moment, let out all the pent-up frustration: “Terrible or not, don’t you have any idea in your heart? Even a blind man could shoot better than you! It’s a good thing you don’t have to go to war, otherwise, the enemy wouldn’t need to die– you’d shoot your own people first! And you call yourself the Protector Princess! Do you deserve it! Have you ever slain enemies or shed blood! Have you ever saved anyone or treated a plague! Just holding the title of princess, do you truly believe all the merits are yours!”

Pah!

You’re nothing!

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