Azure Heaven Saber
Chapter 1177 - 1177 55 Leaving with a Flick of the

Chapter 1177: Chapter 55: Leaving with a Flick of the Sleeves【Combined】 Chapter 1177: Chapter 55: Leaving with a Flick of the Sleeves【Combined】 …

On the second day at the Grand Court assembly, the Qin Emperor granted honors to Meng Fang: Supreme General of Divine Might, Duke of the Great Qin Kingdom, to idle along with the state…

And the like, a very long list of awards and titles.

Yet Meng Fang firmly refused all, adamant in his stance.

“This servant owes all to the desperate efforts of his soldiers for achieving some minor merits; how can I accept such boundless glory!”

The Qin Emperor was resolute in bestowing honors.

Meng Fang declined time and again with clear conviction.

One party willing to give, the other refusing to accept, it became an intractable disagreement.

Finally, Meng Fang cracked a smile and said distantly, “When I set off on the campaign, Your Majesty once promised me one thing. At that time, you said that upon my triumphant return, whatever I asked would be granted, no matter what it might be, Your Majesty would agree.”

Meng Fang then inquired, “Does Your Majesty still remember these words?”

With these words, the entire court, both civil and military, were all profoundly shaken.

Was Meng Fang finally going to use this stipulation?

Anything, it could be anything!

The Qin Emperor’s gaze bore into Meng Fang like that of a falcon, and he nodded, “I naturally remember, a king does not speak in jest. What does the General request? I, without hesitation, agree!”

Meng Fang smiled and continued, “Now that the world is unified under heaven, all is peaceful, under the vast heavens, there is no land not under Qin; to the edge of the earth, there are no subjects not of Qin; at least for the coming years, there will be no great disputes to arise.”

“All the soldiers who fought for the country are recorded in the books of merit. Our Great Qin has clear rewards and punishments, with military achievements being most generously acknowledged; each person naturally has their own prospects, and I have no lingering worries, hence I will not petition anything on behalf of the soldiers today… this time, I’ll be selfish for once.”

After speaking, Meng Fang stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and solemnly removed his official seal from his chest, placing it upon the golden steps of the hall before speaking again:

“I ask Your Majesty to grant me leave to resign from all my official posts, to return to my fields, to live out my days in tranquility and contentment.”

The words of Meng Fang resonated with world-shaking might, rendering the entire assembly speechless with shock.

“Supreme General!”

Meng Fang’s subordinates in the golden hall cried out in alarm, only perceiving a blur before their eyes.

Was the Supreme General truly… about to depart?!

Having heard Meng Fang’s request, the Qin Emperor himself staggered slightly; he felt as if something was slipping away from his side, never to return.

The Qin Emperor took a deep breath, “Meng Fang, you know that I cannot agree.”

“A king does not speak in jest, this is the promise that Your Majesty has given to his servant; it would be absurd not to comply.”

Meng Fang stated firmly, “This is my greatest wish, I implore Your Majesty to keep your promise.”

The Qin Emperor narrowed his eyes and spoke, “Meng Fang, does my court scare you so much? Are you in such a hurry to leave?”

“I am not afraid!”

Meng Fang gave a bitter smile and said, “I was originally a simple peasant, a villager in the countryside, who by happenstance was conscripted into the armed service, battling through wars, narrowly escaping death… Since the day I left home, my heart has held only one desire: to return and live a good life, to live out my years in peace.”

“To this day, this initial resolve has never changed.”

“I’ll say something not for fear of Your Majesty’s or the ministers’ laughter: if deserters weren’t punished in our Great Qin, Meng Fang would have long since fled home.”

“Over these many years, waging battles in the east and the west, I’ve survived countless wars; by chance not disappointing Your Majesty’s expectations, and having a minor share in the conquest that united the world, I feel honored, but my longing for home and family grows even stronger.”

“Now that Great Qin has unified the land, with peace soon upon the seas, and the heavy burden no longer on my shoulders, I am thus bold enough to request Your Majesty to honor the promise of the past.”

Meng Fang’s voice was sincere.

Everyone could see and hear that he was earnest, not using retreat as a means to advance, not arrogant because of favor, but the result of deep deliberation.

Today, he was going to withdraw from the court.

What he said, was all from the heart.

And precisely because of his openness, without guile, did the Qin Emperor struggle to respond.

The Qin Emperor had great talent and grand strategy, his presence devoured the world; whether it concerned government, war, the nation, or the people’s welfare, he managed it all with ease.

His understanding of balancing the court and managing civil and military affairs was of the highest order, surpassing any of Qin country’s past ancestors.

He never feared anyone playing tricks before him or harboring little schemes; even factions and private cliques failed to concern him.

He could see through the motives behind anyone’s words as clearly as if they were glowing in the dark.

But the Qin Emperor’s greatest predicament was dealing with the unpretentious military men like Fei Xinyu, Wu Tiejun, and others.

Because the kind of things they did, and the words they said, even they themselves didn’t know their own purpose.

Such frankness, directness, straightforwardness made them harder to handle.

And Meng Fang, who was without any desire, was equally perplexing, or it could even be said that he was the most vexing of all.

Now, in this dire situation, Meng Fang with a few words, a single promise, had backed him into a corner!

An emperor’s words are golden; a king does not speak in jest; a promise is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold, so I will use your past promise to make you comply.

Set me free!

Yet this simple wish greatly troubled the Qin Emperor!

Oh, Meng Fang, you who hold true to your original intention, who remain unswayed, wanting to leave behind the strife of court life to spend your days in tranquility, but have you considered who you are, the leading contributor to the unification of the world!

To resign and return home immediately upon your return to court, to inquire no further into worldly affairs, what would the people think, what assumptions would they make?!

Meng Fang, as the first contributor to the Great Qin’s unification, had all his official positions dismissed by the Qin Emperor the very next day after the military’s return, only to go back home to work the fields…