Chapter 562: Chapter-562
Samuel’s playful, empty-headed smile instantly vanished. He picked up his jade teacup, a cold, arrogant sneer pulling at the corners of his lips.
"Of course I did," Samuel whispered, his dark eyes scanning the room with absolute disdain. "Look at these ’esteemed’ noblemen. Hiding behind the skirts of their wives and daughters, sending them to extract information because they are too cowardly to do it themselves. Not a single one of these men has even dared to come up to me directly."
Heena didn’t say anything. She elegantly lifted her teacup to her lips, knowing exactly why the men were keeping their distance.
She slowly turned her head, sweeping her sharp, fox-like gaze across the rows of civil officials. The effect was instantaneous. The moment her cold eyes locked onto them, the ministers and scholars physically took a step back. Grown men flinched, suddenly looking away and pretending to be deeply fascinated by the embroidery on their sleeves or the bottom of their soup bowls. They hid from her gaze like frightened mice.
But their refusal to approach Samuel wasn’t just born out of fear of the Vanguard Madam. It was rooted in deep, ingrained patriarchal disgust.
In the eyes of this ancient era, a man’s pride was his absolute everything. A man who willingly chose to marry into his wife’s family—becoming a live-in son-in-law—was considered to have abandoned his ancestors and stripped himself of his manhood. Add to that Samuel’s loud, spoiled, useless demeanor, and to the civil court, he commanded zero respect. To them, he was a parasite. A bastard not even worth the breath it would take to greet him.
Suddenly, the stiff, suffocating atmosphere around their table was broken by a chorus of booming, unrestrained laughter.
Unlike the cowardly civil officials who hid behind their fans, a group of massive, heavily scarred men in dark armor and formal military robes strode right down the center aisle. They completely ignored the disgusted whispers of the court, heading straight for the Vanguard table.
These were the Vanguard generals and elite commanders—the men who had bled on the battlefield alongside Heena’s grandfather.
Seeing them approach, the icy, unyielding aura surrounding Heena melted into genuine warmth. She immediately stood up, offering a deep, respectful martial bow.
"Uncle Lin, Uncle Zhao," Heena greeted, a rare, authentic smile gracing her glossy red lips. "It is good to see you both."
"Little Heena! Look at you, sharp as a freshly forged blade!" General Lin, a man built like a literal mountain, bellowed cheerfully. He laughed, waving off her formal bow. Then, he turned his sharp, assessing gaze toward the tall man sitting beside her.
"And this must be the new cub, huh?!" General Lin boomed.
Unlike the civil court, the generals didn’t look at Samuel with sneering contempt. To them, anyone brave enough to marry into the Vanguard—and specifically brave enough to marry their terrifying young Madam—must have balls of solid steel.
General Zhao stepped forward and delivered a massive, heavy-handed slap to Samuel’s shoulder—a greeting that would have sent any of the fragile civil scholars sprawling onto the floor.
Samuel didn’t even flinch. He absorbed the blow effortlessly, standing up with perfect, respectful posture.
In front of Heena’s loyal generals, the loud, obnoxious diva completely vanished. The cold, scheming villain retreated into the shadows. Samuel became the absolute picture of the perfect, charming junior.
"Greetings, Generals," Samuel said, bowing respectfully, his smile warm and incredibly humble. "I have heard endless stories of your bravery from the Patriarch. It is an honor to finally meet the pillars of the Vanguard."
"Ha! He speaks well!" General Zhao laughed, patting Samuel on the back again, treating him as if he had been drinking in their military tents for years. "Don’t let these stiff-necked scholars get to you, boy. In our family, we don’t care where a man comes from, as long as he treats our Madam right!"
"Speaking of which," General Lin interrupted, reaching into his heavy robes. "We can’t just meet our new son-in-law for the first time with empty hands. The men in the barracks pooled together."
General Lin pulled out a beautifully carved wooden box and shoved it into Samuel’s hands. Inside rested a flawless, military-grade jade thumb ring and a stunning, silver-hilted hunting dagger.
Samuel immediately took a step back, his eyes widening in perfectly acted surprise. "Oh, no, Generals, this is far too generous. I absolutely cannot accept this. Your blessing is more than enough of a gift for me."
"Nonsense!" General Zhao barked, shoving the box right back into Samuel’s chest. "A Vanguard man never refuses a gift from his elders! Take it, or we’ll think you look down on us rough soldiers!"
Samuel hesitated, looking at Heena for permission. She simply raised an eyebrow and took a sip of her tea, letting him handle it.
"Then I will accept it with my deepest gratitude," Samuel smiled warmly, bowing his head as he securely tucked the box into his robes. "I will treasure them."
The generals roared with laughter, thoroughly charmed. Within three minutes, Samuel had completely won over the most hardened killers in the empire. They were clapping him on the shoulder, joking with him, and treating him like a brother-in-arms.
Heena sat silently, watching him effortlessly navigate the imposing military men. ’He is exactly like a chameleon,’ she thought to herself, genuinely mesmerized by how fast he could flip his colors. If she hadn’t seen the monster lurking beneath his skin, she would have believed this perfectly polite, humble gentleman was his true face.
Just as General Lin was about to offer Samuel a tour of the southern barracks, a sharp, piercing crack echoed through the Great Hall, immediately silencing the boisterous laughter.
GONG.
Three heavily robed eunuchs stepped out onto the high jade dais at the front of the room, striking a massive bronze gong for a second time.
The entire hall moved as one. The civil officials, the noble wives, and the Vanguard generals instantly dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the cold jade floor. Heena and Samuel seamlessly followed suit, kneeling side by side at their table.
"The Emperor of the Great Heavens arrives!" the head eunuch announced, his shrill voice cutting through the absolute silence.
From the side entrance of the dais, surrounded by imperial guards in gleaming golden armor, the Emperor walked in.
The moment the gong reverberated through the Great Hall, the chaotic chatter vanished. Every single official stood from their tables and immediately moved into their designated positions, executing perfect, synchronized bows.
However, the contrast between the Vanguard and the civil court was instantly visible.
Because Samuel’s public background was that of a scholar, he bowed exactly like the civil ministers: standing with his back bent, his hands hidden within his sleeves, and his eyes glued to the floor.
Heena, on the other hand, greeted her ruler like a general.
She stepped out from behind her table, dropping fluidly onto one knee. She placed one hand firmly over her heart and rested her other hand on her knee, bowing her head in a crisp, deeply respectful, but fiercely martial stance. She did not grovel; she kneeled as a protector of the realm.
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