♂?，，

  The words of Cheng Enhou struck a chord that touched the emperor's most anxious heartstrings.

  No, it was his nephew's family that he was particularly wary of. That's why when he heard the news of Wu Dinghou's rebellion, he immediately ordered a trusted eunuch to bring a secret edict to the southern border. His edict did not contain an order to execute Gu Yuanjing on the spot, but instead instructed the commander of the Western Mountain Camp to take over the army opposing Lin Nan Wang and secretly send Gu Yuanjing back to the court, where he would await his fate.

  No matter what, the crime of plotting against the emperor is punishable by extermination of the nine clans. Gu Yuanjing was the nephew of Wu Ding Hou, and it would be hard for him to avoid blame. Even if Gu Yuanjing were truly innocent, he had previously rendered meritorious service to the Emperor and was also the brother of the Empress, so considering these factors, the Emperor pardoned Gu Yuanjing's guilt. However, because of this connection, the Emperor will probably not dare to reuse him again in the future.

  His Majesty still treats Gu Yuanjing with such caution and avoidance, so it's even harder for him to let go of Pei Jingchen.

  Cheng Enhou was right, the Northern Emperor had always had a knot in his heart that he couldn't untie. The tens of thousands of soldiers of the Northern Army had always been supported by the imperial court's military rations, but General Xu Qi actually took orders from Pei Jingzhen as his master. This made him both shocked and angry, and also very uneasy. How could an emperor allow someone else to sleep soundly beside his bed? As a ruler, he would never permit military power to be held in the hands of someone unrelated. To the point where now, he wanted to use the Northern Army against the King of Lin Nan, but still had to curry favor with the King of Anping!

  This was originally an unspoken pain in the emperor's heart, and now Cheng En Hou has brought up his suspicions again. Although his face did not move, he was secretly echoing loudly in his heart. Yes, if Pei Jing Chen had also been turned against by Wu Ding Hou, then wouldn't he be supporting the northern army with all his might, only to end up hurting himself? Wouldn't it be like opening the door and letting a ferocious wolf pack in, while turning himself into a sheep waiting to be slaughtered?

  He asked in a low voice, "Now, according to your uncle's view, what should I do?"

  Cheng En Hou's eyes flashed with a hint of cruelty. He coldly snorted in response, "Since Pang Gu only listens to Anping Wang, then Your Majesty might as well make them happy and issue an edict for Anping Wang to personally take the battlefield. With Anping Wang's command, the Northern Army will surely win every battle, so what need is there to worry about a mere Lu Tong? Anping Wang will be a meritorious general after conquering the distant lands. To prevent Anping Wang from worrying about the palace while on the battlefield, it would be best for Her Majesty the Empress to issue an edict summoning Anping Wang's consort to enter the inner palace and rest during her pregnancy."

  Taking Princess Anping as a hostage, are you still worried that King Anping won't fight hard at the front? I heard that King Anping has deep feelings for the princess. The princess is five months pregnant, and it's clear that King Anping will prioritize his wife and child over his uncle. This way, on one hand, the emperor can temporarily put his mind at ease about King Anping, and on the other hand...

  Xie Enhou sneered inwardly, on the battlefield. Swords and guns have no eyes, he wasn't afraid that Anping Wang would get hurt. He was only afraid that he wouldn't get hurt.

  The King of Dongping's eyebrows flickered with a hint of severity, but he suppressed it and remained silent.

  For this obvious threat, however, the Duke of Jian'an, Liang Kun, spoke in a calm tone, "Your Majesty, think thrice. The King of Anping is talented and can be reused. He is indeed a pillar of talent, and since he is willing to come forward to persuade the Northern Army to attack, he naturally will not consider the relationship between the Lu family and the Wang consort. To be honest, the Marquis of Wuding, Lu Tong, and the three consorts of Yongning are not from the same mother, and the relationship between the Lu family and the Gu family is very distant. The King of Anping has no need to do something that would make heaven and earth lament."

  He paused slightly and continued, "If Your Majesty uses the princess as a pawn, I fear it will chill the heart of the King of Anping. This is not the way to treat a worthy talent!"

  This is Liang Jun's heartfelt words. In his contact with Pei Jingxuan, he saw Pei Jingxuan's ability and talent. If such a person could be used by the emperor, then after the war, when the country was in ruins and needed to be rebuilt, it would be exactly the time for Pei Jingxuan to make a big show in the court. He didn't think much of Lin Nan Wang, in his eyes, Lin Nan Wang's rebellion now was just a desperate struggle, after all, from Lin Nan to the north, this distance was too far, and Lin Nan Wang would definitely lose this battle.

  So what he thought about was the aftermath of this brutal war, the lack of pillars in the court, and the need for capable ministers to support the emperor, which is the foundation of a strong country.

  With pressing matters at hand, how would the Emperor have the energy to think about the future?

  He did not agree with Liang Jun's words, "The Duke of Jian'an is wrong. For the time being, let's not mention that Anping Wang and the Empress are siblings. Just talking about Anping Wang's wife, she is the younger sister of Yuan Fei, so she can also be considered my younger sister. I've been watching her grow up since childhood, and only recently have we become estranged. Even in an ordinary family, when a brother-in-law goes to war, it's not unusual for him to take his sister back home to live with him for a few days. How can this be said to be using Wang Fei as a hostage?"

  Cheng En Hou nodded in agreement, "The princess is six months pregnant, who knows when she will go into labor. Not to mention anything else, the imperial physicians are generally better than those outside. The emperor's kindness and consideration, please do not randomly slander, using the princess as a guarantee for these words, I beg of you, do not bring it up again in the future, otherwise..."

  The Emperor didn't wait for Duke Cheng'en to finish speaking, and hastily interrupted him, laughing as he said, "Ah, Uncle, stop! My cousin's intention was also for my own good, it's just that he misunderstood my intentions. It doesn't matter, this is how the matter will be settled, and there's no need to bring it up again in the future."

  Jian Anbo's eyes showed a hint of disappointment, but the holy intention had been decided, and whatever he said would be in vain. He could only shut his mouth with a hum.

  As they exited the Huangji Hall, Cheng En Hou deliberately slowed down his pace and said to Jian An Bo, "Jian An Bo is kind and benevolent, this is a good thing, but one must not be without caution. Don't let your judgment be clouded because of Anping Wangfei's stunning beauty, who was once the apple of Jian An Bo's eye. If it turns out that Anping Wang and his wife truly harbor disloyal intentions towards the Emperor, and Jian An Bo shows favoritism today due to his infatuation with a woman, that would be putting the Emperor in a disadvantageous position and would be an unforgivable crime."

  Having said that, Cheng En Hou and his son set off immediately.

  Liáng Jùn gazed at the father and son's triumphant backs with a gloomy gaze, his fists clenched tightly in his sleeves. The Marquis of Chéng ēn was too detestable, not only had he distorted Liáng Jùn's good intentions, portraying him as a scoundrel who would harm others for the sake of beauty, but also spoke ill of him and Míng Xuān in such an unseemly manner. If they were not within the palace walls, Liáng Jùn would have certainly retaliated with a heavy punch.

  Dongping King appeared behind Jian'an Bo without anyone noticing, and he patted Liang Kun's shoulder, shaking his head deeply. "Since Pei Xiang fell, the Pei family was eliminated, and people from the Lu family are all over the court. Now, Cheng'en Hou is just like another Pei Xiang. Compared to Pei Xiang's old and steady style, Cheng'en Hou doesn't know how much worse he is. Nowadays, everyone in the court is under Cheng'en Hou's control, and with the emperor's great favor, he naturally does things in a very arrogant manner. Although what I said is unpleasant, don't take it to heart. With the blood of the Zhou royal family flowing through your veins, there's no need to bother with this kind of petty person who has gained power."

  He raised an eyebrow, his tone thick with sarcasm. "Not to mention this earl, who is two ranks lower than a marquis, even I, a prince, am not in the eyes of Duke Cheng En!"

  The Emperor was eager to purge the people of Pei Xiang, and instead placed his own people in all levels of court and government. However, he became greedy and overreached himself, which led to the rebellion of Lin Nan Wang today, but found that there were no capable people under him. Among the people he had placed in key positions throughout the court and government, aside from the sons and younger brothers of the Dingguo Duke's estate, Yu family, the remaining 80% were all descendants and retainers of Cheng'en Marquis Lu Shi-xun. The Lu faction dominated every important position, and the Cheng'en Marquis was no longer as low-key as before, acting ostentatiously and not putting the meritorious officials in his eyes.

  Jian Anbo was at a loss for words, he only felt that the Emperor had changed into a different person since Pei Xiang's death. In the past, he had supported the Emperor with all his might, not only because the Emperor was his brother who grew up together since childhood, but also because he recognized the Emperor's ideas and abilities, thinking that if the Emperor ascended to the throne, he would be able to fulfill the duties of a wise ruler, expand the territory, stabilize the morale of the soldiers, and bring peace and prosperity to the people of Zhou. However, after Pei Xiang's incident, he suddenly realized that the current Emperor was different from the Ninth Prince in many ways, and many things had changed without him noticing.

  His eyes sank slightly, and he let out a long sigh. Then, with great respect, he bid farewell to the King of Dongping and walked towards the palace gate. As the carriage drove down East Street, not far from the residence of the Marquis of Jian'an, he suddenly poked his head out and asked the coachman to turn the carriage around, "Go to the Anping Wangfu."

  Jian Anbo came in person, and both Pei Jingchen and Ming Xuan were somewhat surprised.

  Nothing short of a major issue would prompt Jian'an Bo to pay a personal visit.

  After listening to today's debate in the Huangji Temple, Pei Jingxun didn't find it strange at all. He first thanked him, "Thank you, brother-in-law, for coming to report."

  He was called Jian'an Bo's elder brother-in-law, because Jian'an Bo's original wife was the eldest daughter of Yongning Houfu, and Ming Xuan ranked seventh. He and Jian'an Bo were both sons-in-law of Yongning Houfu, and they were also close relatives as brothers-in-law. Originally, there was some awkwardness because Jian'an Bo had once intended to marry Ming Xuan, but after several encounters, they became closer to each other.

  For example, today Jian'an Bo came to report first, before the imperial edict was issued, he let him and Mingxuan prepare in advance, this is a great kindness. Otherwise, if they wait for the imperial edict to come down before making preparations, they will miss the opportunity and only have defensive moves, without any counterattack power.

  Thinking of the Emperor's plan, Pei Jingchen narrowed his eyes and sneered, "To be honest, when I heard that the Duke of Wude had rebelled, both Ah Xuan and I were worried. But I thought that since the Northern Army was fighting hard to resist, Your Majesty shouldn't suspect me and my wife again. Who would have thought... that I would personally go to battle against the Duke of Wude is not a big deal, but to make Ah Xuan enter the palace as a hostage... Your Majesty is being too overbearing!"

  Ming Xuan is almost six months pregnant, her belly has risen high, and as the weather gets hotter, she feels uncomfortable even when lounging at home all day. How can she bear to go to the palace where there are strict rules and hidden dangers everywhere? And how can he be willing to let Ming Xuan suffer such hardships with a "hostage" identity?

  Jian Anbo said in a low voice, "The imperial edict will probably come down soon. The order to arrest Lu Tong, the Marquis of Wuding, as the supervisor of the Northern Army is unlikely to be changed. Seventh sister's body is not convenient, and it's absolutely impossible for her to enter the palace. For now, perhaps the only option is to go to Yu Zhen Shitai's place to let Seventh sister hide in a quiet place."

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