Chapter 24: Qingzhou, Do You Recognize His Abilities?

Translator: 安贝-Peggyan

This breakfast made Shi Qingshan feel startled and even scared and complex.

When breakfast was over, Long Xiaoyuan ordered the leftovers to be removed away and tea to be served.

“Minister Shi.” He directly said without beating around the bush, “Who do you think can be more qualified to suppress the bandits on Mount Yong?”

Shi Qingshan immediately knelt on the ground and said hearing this, “I’d like to go.”

Long Xiaoyuan said right away while seeing him kneel again, “Minister Shi, there is no outsider, and you don’t need to kneel.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Thanks a lot.” Shi Qingshan stood up and sat down when Long Xiaoyuan signaled him to do so.

“I can rest assured if Minister Shi goes there and believe that you can suppress all the bandits. However, why use an oxcleaver to kill a chicken? You’re a general. The news that you go to suppress the bandits will be a laughingstock.”

Shi Qingshan was frozen for a while with an unchanged expression, but his heart sank. Did His Majesty want to utilize this opportunity to strip off the military leadership of the Shi family?

If the military leader was anyone else who was recommended by him, he had to give up the military power.

Shi Qingzhou felt astounded first and looked at Long Xiaoyuan with an untold expression.

However, both Shi Qingshan and Shi Qingzhou were good at concealing their feelings, so Long Xiaoyuan didn’t find what was wrong with them. He directly said, “Can you recommend anyone else except for you? He must be young, so he can treat it as training. But, don’t recommend someone like Wang Chongxiang.”

Shi Qingshan puckered his thick lips and wondered whether His Majesty made it up for him by letting him choose the one?

After some thoughts, he asked, “Your Majesty, how do you like Lian Qingyang?”

“ Lian Qingyang?” Long Xiaoyuan was slightly stunned, for he had never heard of this name.

“Yes. He’s more capable among the young generation. Orphan as he was, he has a firm temperament. He’s been a member of the army for about ten years and appointed as a major. Besides, he also participated in two wars against barbarians outside of the Great Wall. If he goes there, he’ll definitely take the bandits down.”

Long Xiaoyuan instinctively asked Shi Qingzhou, “Qingzhou, do you know Lian Qingyang?”

The latter slightly changed his expression. With various thoughts coming across his mind, he said after calming himself down, “I know him.” His voice was rather hoarse.

Shi Qingshan was instantly reminded of absurd hearsay while spotting his son’s odd expression.

Shi Qingzhou joined the army before, so he was acquainted with Lian Qingyang. Besides, they were close to each other. When Shi Qingzhou was crowned as the empress and waited for the wedding, Shi Qingshan heard a ridiculous joke.

Rumor has it that Lian Qingyang loved Shi Qingzhou and dared to snatch Shi Qingzhou at the wedding ceremony…Shi Qingshan considered it as nonsense at that time.

Additionally, the emperor spared no effort to weaken the Shi family at that time, so Shi Qingshan got a lot of things to deal with every day. He occasionally heard it from several soldiers of the lowest-ranking, so he didn’t take it seriously, but now…

For an instant, he felt remorseful. His Majesty must have learned that and thereby asked Shi Qingzhou about Lian Qingyang. However, he put his son into danger by speaking out Lian Qingyang on his own initiative. What a fool he was!

He felt extremely remorseful.

Did Long Xiaoyang know Lian Qingyang? Of course, he didn’t know! Did Lian Qingyang exist in the book? No! After all, he didn’t remember this name! Hence, Lian Qingyang wasn’t an important person at all.

However, alas? What was wrong with his empress? Why was his empress’ voice so strange? Long Xiaoyuan felt nervous and was about to care about Shi Qingzhou. But, his father-in-law was there, so he minded his behaviors for fear of scaring his father-in-law.

Thus, Long Xiaoyuan said, “You know him. Do you recognize his abilities?”