Chapter 663: Chapter 663: To Teach Without Discrimination

Eunuch Li hurriedly strode over and presented the urgent report to Emperor Muwu.

Emperor Muwu quickly tore it open. He poured over every word and line—it was indeed written in King Yan Nan’s own hand!

He grew ecstatic and couldn’t help but roar with laughter, repeating, "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! This is a great victory! King Yan Nan and all the soldiers have rendered outstanding service! I will reward them handsomely!"

The somber, solemn atmosphere in the great hall vanished in an instant. Everyone was stunned by the sudden good news.

"Wonderful! King Yan Nan is truly worthy of his title as the fierce general who has guarded the Southwest for many years!"

"How many enemy soldiers did it say were annihilated? Five thousand, was it?"

"That’s right! A full five thousand men! A truly great victory! King Yan Nan is still as sharp as ever—truly formidable!"

"From the sound of it, Feng Zhang was also in this battle? But I thought he went to Xia City. How... did he get mixed up in the fighting at Long City?"

Someone couldn’t help but voice their confusion.

At these words, the expressions on many faces shifted subtly.

In truth, there were several questionable points in the urgent report.

Although King Yan Nan guarded the Southwest, he wasn’t garrisoned in Long City. Furthermore, the report claimed Long City was attacked by a band of Nanhu bandits. What kind of bandits could possibly number five thousand strong?

Anyone who gave it a moment’s thought could guess there was more to the story.

Most likely, the Nanhu had dispatched an army to try and capture Long City, but King Yan Nan and Feng Zhang had joined forces to crush them!

However, since that’s what the urgent report said, they naturally took it at face value.

Tang Zhongli chuckled and stroked his beard. "Ah, the battlefield is ever-changing. Although Feng Zhang was ordered to garrison Xia City, it’s not so far from Long City! Besides, he and King Yan Nan are old acquaintances. They worked together seamlessly and easily annihilated all those Nanhu bandits! So, isn’t this an even better outcome?"

Someone nearby quickly chimed in, "Lord Tang is absolutely right! This report may be brief, but it was earned through our soldiers’ real, life-or-death combat! They may not speak of the hardships, but we must all understand the true weight of their efforts!"

His words stirred the crowd, and everyone nodded in agreement, deeply moved.

Peace in the capital, but little rest at the border.

This wasn’t a small band of roving bandits, burning and pillaging; this was a force of five thousand men!

The slightest misstep, and Long City would have fallen!

What must the price have been to win such a battle?!

They were all filled with a mix of emotions, but joy and excitement ultimately prevailed.

This was especially true for Emperor Muwu.

He had been bombarded with bad news lately and was physically and mentally drained. Now, with this sudden report of a great victory, how could he not be overjoyed?

He knew, of course, that the real story was likely different from what was written in the report, but what of it?

He would simply ask King Yan Nan about it in person when he returned!

Emperor Muwu smiled. "I was just thinking that King Yan Nan hadn’t returned to the capital in years, separated from his daughter, Princess Qingyang. I couldn’t bear the thought of it, so I specifically summoned him to return early. I never imagined that before the messenger with my edict could even return, a report of his victory would arrive first!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The court officials chimed in with their congratulations, smiles on every face.

Of course, whether those smiles were genuine or feigned was impossible to tell.

Emperor Muwu read the report again when something occurred to him.

"Hmm... King Yan Nan writes here that they won the battle thanks to a talented commander under Feng Zhang named... Ye Yunfeng. Why does that name sound so familiar, as if I’ve heard it somewhere before?"

At this, the officials all froze.

Ye Yunfeng?

Wasn’t that—

A clear, deep voice spoke up. "Your Majesty, the fourth brother of the Ye Family’s Ye Chutang is called by that name."

It was Shen Yanchuan who had spoken.

Emperor Muwu was astonished. "Are you saying the person King Yan Nan mentioned is none other than Ye Chutang’s fourth brother? It’s not just a coincidence, someone with the same name?"

A faint smile touched Shen Yanchuan’s lips. "At the end of the tenth month last year, Ye Yunfeng accompanied Feng Zhang to Xia City to join the army and defend the border. So yes, it must be him. There’s no mistake."

"I see!" Emperor Muwu’s face lit up with understanding, and he laughed again, his expression one of open admiration. "In this report, King Yan Nan lavishes praise on this Ye Yunfeng! He states flatly that the boy is a natural-born commander! Valiant and a brilliant fighter! He says that this young man deserves the highest credit for their ability to win the battle in a single night!"

Everyone in the court, from top to bottom, knew just how proud a man Feng Zhang was.

Though he was Feng Cheng’s nephew, he had never relied on that connection for shortcuts; he had genuinely carved his own path on the battlefield.

After suffering a crushing blow in the battle at Tongtian Pass a few years ago, he had become so disheartened that he’d shed his armor and taken up a post as the Dean of the Imperial College.

No one could persuade him otherwise.

A few months ago, perhaps because the verdict in Huo Yucheng’s case was overturned, the burden on his heart was finally lifted. He regained his fighting spirit and rushed to take up a defensive post at Xia City.

Anyone could learn these details with just a few inquiries.

However, very few people had heard that Feng Zhang had taken Ye Yunfeng with him at the time.

It was no wonder, then, that the officials found this news so incredible.

"So Feng Zhang took him personally? No wonder... I remember back at the Imperial College, Feng Zhang was always very fond of Ye Yunfeng. He’s only been at the border for a few months and he’s already distinguished himself so greatly... Feng Zhang truly has a keen eye for talent!"

"I seem to recall that Ye Yunfeng is only fourteen, isn’t he? To join the army at that age, isn’t that a bit..."

"A hero’s worth isn’t measured in age! He may be young, but he is both brave and cunning. For even King Yan Nan to praise him so highly, he must truly be a rare military talent!"

"Indeed! This is a blessing for Your Majesty and for the people!"

"Come to think of it, the children of the Ye Family are all quite impressive... We don’t even need to mention Ye Chutang, and now there’s this brilliant fighter, Ye Yunfeng... I hear her third brother also has quite a reputation for his talent at the Imperial College, is that right?"

"Heh, you’d have to ask Lord Tang about that. The boy is practically his star pupil!"

"That’s right! Now that you mention it, Lord Tang must have known when Ye Yunfeng left the Imperial College to follow Feng Zhang to the border, right? Don’t tell me... Lord Tang foresaw this outcome from the very beginning?"

Some were curious, some were green with envy, and some were testing the waters.

But Tang Zhongli was unconcerned.

He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his chin held high. The smile hadn’t left his lips from the moment he heard Ye Yunfeng’s name.

It wasn’t until the crowd was buzzing with discussion and kept glancing his way that he smiled, held up a hand to quiet them, and spoke in a nonchalant tone.

"Now, now. As the Sacrificial Officer, guiding students is simply my duty. How could I dare take credit for their success? As the saying goes, teach each according to their aptitude. If one excels at scholarship, let them study in peace. If one excels at combat, then let them go to the battlefield to slay enemies and win glory!"

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