You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 28 Flying Eagle Suit, Crescent Blade, Jade Belt
The news that Emperor Zhou Chen had been nearly poisoned, caused a stir among everyone.

No one expected it.

Following the poisoning of Grand Tutor Yan Hua in the imperial prison, the emperor almost followed suit.

This was the second time the emperor had been poisoned.

Everyone wondered who was so audacious as to repeatedly commit such rebellious acts.

They were completely unscrupulous.

Even the officials looked solemn upon hearing the news.

The situation is now turbulent, and the waters are getting muddier and muddier.

First, the Grand Tutor was poisoned to death in the imperial prison, and now someone is trying to poison the Emperor.

Was this done by the same person, or by several parties working together?
The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Zhou Chen was in an extremely bad mood.

Also.

Being poisoned one after another, anyone would be in a bad mood if they were in that situation.

Zhou Chen looked at Cao Zhengchun and said in a deep voice, "How is it? Any clues?"

"Your Majesty, the poison in that cup of tea will not be fatal, but it will weaken the body and may cause mental impairment."

Cao Zhengchun bowed and said.

When Zhou Chen asked Lü Bu to deliver the cup of tea to him, Cao Zhengchun immediately had someone identify the poison in the tea.

To Cao Zhengchun's surprise, the medicine in the tea was not fatal, but it would weaken the body and potentially cause mental impairment.

Cao Zhengchun continued, "Furthermore, this old servant has specially compiled the clues about the Emperor's two poisonings and discovered that there is more to it than meets the eye."

"Oh?"

A look of surprise flashed across Zhou Chen's face. He had originally thought that the cup of tea would be fatal, but it turned out to only weaken the body or make one mentally impaired.

This is interesting.

It seems that the person behind this doesn't want him dead, but rather wants him to remain bedridden or become mentally disabled.

"What secret have you discovered?" Zhou Chen asked, his eyes flickering.

“Your Majesty, this old servant has discovered that the medicine Zhang De gave Your Majesty each time was not fatal, but it only made Your Majesty weaker and more mentally unstable.”

"However, the last few times Zhang De gave the Emperor medicine, there was an extra ingredient in it."

"Although this medicine is not poisonous, it is a tonic, but its effects are very strong. People with weak bodies cannot withstand such strong effects."

Cao Zhengchun glanced at Zhou Chen discreetly and said cautiously.

Although Cao Zhengchun's words were somewhat subtle, Zhou Chen understood that Zhang De's last few doses of medicine were poison.

What tonic can't withstand such a strong effect?
To put it bluntly, Zhang De's last few doses of medicine were meant to kill Zhou Chen.

The purpose is clear.

This was somewhat unexpected for Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen had always thought that the medicine Zhang De gave him was a slow-acting poison, but he never expected that only the later doses were fatal.

So why is that?
The medicine Zhang De gave Zhou Chen was intended to make him bedridden or turn him into an idiot.

The subsequent doses of medicine were intended to kill Zhou Chen.

What exactly caused Zhang De's drastic change in purpose?
Zhou Chen tapped his fingers on the dragon throne, his brows furrowed in deep thought.

Cao Zhengchun, who was below, pursed his lips as if he wanted to say something, but after thinking about it, he held back.

Despite having lived two lives, Zhou Chen is still far inferior to Cao Zhengchun in terms of scheming and plotting.

Cao Zhengchun had already figured out the problem, but Zhou Chen was still somewhat confused.

"What else did you find?"

Zhou Chen collected his thoughts and looked at Cao Zhengchun again.

"Your Majesty, this old servant has also discovered that Zhao Gao and Wei Zhong have met secretly, and this is probably not the first time."

Last night, the figure that emerged from the shadows of the Cold Palace was none other than Cao Zhengchun.

Cao Zhengchun recounted the conversation between Zhao Gao and Wei Zhong when they met.

Zhou Chen's expression didn't change much upon hearing this.

Zhou Chen had always harbored suspicions about Zhao Gao. Hearing this news from Cao Zhengchun, Zhou Chen wasn't particularly surprised.

Seeing Zhou Chen's calm expression, Cao Zhengchun was secretly alarmed. It seemed that the Emperor had known about this matter for a long time.

He actually thought the Emperor didn't know!
The mind of an emperor is truly unfathomable.

Cao Zhengchun thought to himself.

"Cao Zhengchun, now that you've discovered it, go ahead and do it! First, get rid of all the rats in the palace for me."

Zhou Chen glanced at Cao Zhengchun expressionlessly and said.

Now that the Imperial Guards have finished cleaning up, it's time to deal with the rats inside the palace.

Zhou Chen originally intended to prioritize stability and wait until the Grand Tutor finished providing disaster relief to the four prefectures in the Northwest before taking action.

But some people are just eager to die, thinking that if he had any reservations, he wouldn't dare to raise his knife.

So this time, he'll show everyone just how sharp his sword, Emperor Zhou Chen's sword, really is.

"Old slave obeys the order."

Cao Zhengchun bowed and said.

Zhou Chen watched Cao Zhengchun leave, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"All sorts of demons and monsters have jumped out, thinking I'm easy to bully? They dare to plot against me, they're courting death."

"This time, even if the court is in turmoil and beset by internal and external troubles, I will dig you all out."

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Chen's eyes.

Zhou Chen wasn't stupid. From this series of changes, he realized that it wasn't just one faction plotting against him, the emperor.

Some people want to stand by and watch the fire burn, sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, and stir up trouble.

For example, the death of Grand Tutor Yan Hua was someone adding fuel to the fire, trying to provoke a struggle between Zhou Chen and the Empress's faction.

Zhou Chen had previously suspected that the death of Grand Tutor Yan Hua was a staged event orchestrated by Empress Wu Ying.

The goal was to push Emperor Zhou Chen to the opposite side of the court officials, exacerbate the conflict, and prevent Emperor Zhou Chen from issuing orders beyond the court.

But now it seems that things are far more complicated than imagined.

Someone has plotted against Zhou Chen and Empress Wu Ying's faction.

They wanted to reap the benefits without lifting a finger.

"What a brilliant tactic, what a clever scheme."

Zhou Chen sneered repeatedly. He had only realized this from the mystery that Cao Zhengchun had just discovered.

But that's alright.

Zhou Chen wanted to see if these people's schemes and plots could withstand the edge of his blade.

In the face of absolute power, what do any schemes and tricks amount to?

……

Cao Zhengchun left the Hall of Mental Cultivation with a slight smile on his lips.

Having received Zhou Chen's permission, Cao Zhengchun knew he could now act freely.

Although Zhou Chen had given him a token and an imperial edict, those were only for establishing the Eastern Depot. In the palace, Cao Zhengchun still dared not act recklessly.

But things are different now. Now that Emperor Zhou Chen has spoken, Cao Zhengchun has nothing to worry about.

"Master Supervisor."

A figure appeared beside Cao Zhengchun.

Eagle-patterned suit, crescent-shaped sword, jade belt.

Standard factory guard uniform.

This is Zhou Chen's reward for signing in today: all one hundred Imperial Guards were handed over to Cao Zhengchun.

"Pass on the messenger's message and begin the operation! Leave no one with problems unpunished," Cao Zhengchun said, glancing at the imperial guard.

"Yes, Supervisor."

……

(End of this chapter)