𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲'𝐬 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 || 敵の旦那様 (𝐁𝐋) ✔ [COMPLETE]

1. Sanctioning Marriage

The royal hall, laden with gold and black, was filled with advisors and court officials from various parts of the capital of the Empire of Blazing Sun. The walls of the palace were hewn from black limestone, and the light reflecting off of gold-encased fire torches above glittered against the sun-shaped crown of the emperor sitting on the throne. The Emperor gazed expectantly at the royal red carpet as if he was waiting for somebody.

It was announced that the army encampment under the Imperial General that left to the east in the battalion was to return today.

This abrupt announcement, coupled with the Emperor's decree for all the court officials to gather at the royal hall, gave rise to hot gossip and juicy rumours. It was said that the Imperial General had lost more than half the soldiers under his command and even lost one of his arms in the process of fighting one of the enemy princes. Everybody strongly believed this meeting to be an event of formal punishment or even a demotion for the General's incompetence.

A long-horn bellow and the sound of hooves signalled the arrival of the Imperial General. This sound was then followed by a chariot that arrived at the open palace gates, battered and bruised by the throes of the snow and cold. The beat, blood-bathed General swiftly disembarked the ride. His whole body, encased in black armour with the emblem of a gold sun, marched down the aisle as his three lieutenants stood behind him, their hands folded.

"This servant has disappointed Your Royal Majesty." The General kowtowed and knelt on one knee, placing his blood-splattered Imperial Sword before his Emperor.

"Rise," Emperor Guang, the lord of the Empire of Blazing Sun ordered. "I dare not." The General still had his head bowed.

"Why would you proclaim you've disappointed My Royal Self?" Emperor Guang gazed at the General carefully, awaiting his response.

The General did not hesitate as he said, "I have failed in my duty; the promise to increase the kill count by double the amount was miserably adjourned, and if anything, this servant lost over half the regiment."

Emperor Guang let his eyes roam the hall as he took note of how many officials consciously took out scrolls to jot down what the General had just proclaimed. Kill counts and failures. The perfect target for any politician who wants to take down the General. And yet here he was, announcing to the world what a loser he was. The Emperor wanted to laugh out loud. His General might be a military genius, but he was an utter political fool.

"And you thought I didn't know you'd lose this much?"

"Your Majesty?" The General whipped his head up, shocked.

"I knew how the battle would wind up; therefore, you have no need to assume that My Royal Self is disappointed." Emperor Guang hardened his gaze. "Therefore, rise. The reason why I called you here is for another matter of importance."

The General stood up. He gazed eagerly. "General Haoran hailing from the Zhou family." "Yes, Your Majesty."

"I bestow upon you a decree of Imperial Marriage."

"Your Majesty?!" General Haoran struggled not to throw his helmet away in shock. It took him a few seconds to recover, and when he did, he was already kneeling at his Emperor's feet.

"Are you dissatisfied with the arrangement My Royal Self prepared for you?" Emperor Guang's question was very casual, his mild tone seeking the General's genuine opinion.

"No, Your Majesty." No matter how shocking this development was, it was a decree conferred by the Emperor— a gift he wouldn't refuse.

"Even if the partner was a prince from the Empire of the Silver Mountain?"

General Haoran's eyes through the helmet instinctively landed on his Imperial Sword dyed with the blood of the soldiers from the Silver Mountain Empire. He remembered the countless dead bodies of his comrades, bathed in similar blood and scattered about the desolate battlefield. He closed his eyes.

For the first time in his life, he wanted to refuse his Emperor. "I... am sorry, Your Majesty."

The Emperor stared at him with a gaze colder than ice, waiting for an explanation.

"Do you defy the royal verdict because you assume you have a choice in the matter?" "Yes, Your Majesty."

The whole court fell silent. The Emperor breathed heavily and spat three words: "Everybody, get out."

As these words left his lips, all the officials immediately crawled their way out of the palace gates, akin to a pool of ants. Only once they were gone, and the palace doors were securely closed did the Emperor walk down the throne to stand on an equal footing with the General.

"So you think you have a choice?" "Yes, Your Majesty."

The Emperor frowned. Then yelled, "Damn right you do!"

The General's expression softened at that. This was the man he knew–his emperor.

The Emperor sighed and gazed at his General. "You know we're running out of supplies and resources. The Empire of the Blazing Sun is heavily military reliant; therefore, most of the imperial treasury was allocated to military funding until the recent past. However, things are not looking good anymore... The primary source of revenue to the country–clay craftsmanship was severely endangered in the event of the giant floods."

"So..." The Emperor's eyes flashed. "We cannot afford to wage war anymore. You know what you should do, right?"

General Haoran bowed his head. "Yes, Your Imperial Royal Majesty."

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