You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 338 A Night of Fish and Dragon Dance
The next day.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

The morning sunlight streamed through the window and fell upon the dragon bed.

Zhou Chen opened his eyes, feeling refreshed.

Last night, the night of revelry allowed Zhou Chen to truly experience what it means to be drunk on the battlefield with his beautiful wife.

No wonder so many emperors throughout history have been indulging in the pleasures of women and being obsessed with beauty.

This gentle embrace was indeed a remedy for the emperor's mind and spirit.

Zhou Chen glanced at the sky outside the window and gave a wry smile.

The saying "The spring night is short and the sun rises high, from then on the emperor no longer holds morning court" actually has some truth to it.

Fortunately, since the establishment of the cabinet, Zhou Chen changed the Great Zhou's morning court to a grand court every three days, so he no longer had to get up early every day to attend court.

Otherwise, Zhou Chen would have missed the morning court session because he got up so late today.

Zhou Chen gave a wry smile and prepared to get up.

For Zhou Chen, while the allure of a gentle, loving home was undeniable, it paled in comparison to matters of national importance.

Zhou Chen knew very well that the reason he could enjoy such a gentle and loving environment and summon any beauty to serve him in bed was because he was the emperor of the Great Zhou.

If one day he is no longer the emperor of the Great Zhou, or if he loses his throne, will he still be able to summon beauties to his bedchamber and enjoy such a gentle life so easily?

the answer is negative.

Zhou Chen understood this point more clearly than any emperor in history.

The beauty and the kingdom, the beauty and the kingdom...

First comes the land, then the beauty.

Without a kingdom, where would the beauty come from?
Zhou Chen got up from the dragon bed and, with the help of palace maids and eunuchs, put on his dragon robe.

As for Zhang Yan, who served the emperor last night, she has long since left, and it is unknown when she was sent out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

After finishing his breakfast, Zhou Chen began to handle government affairs.

In just one night, another pile of memorials was submitted.

Zhou Chen sat on the dragon throne, flipping through the memorials.

Since these memorials have already been presented to the emperor, it means that only the emperor has the authority to handle them...

……

Cining Palace.

The Empress Dowager sat in the main seat.

Sitting below is Zhang Yan, the concubine who had just spent the night with the emperor last night.

After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Zhang Yan returned to her residence, washed up, and then went directly to the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility.

Zhang Yan herself knew why she was able to stand out from the crowd and become the first of the nine candidates to serve the emperor.

Therefore, after serving the emperor, Zhang Yan went to Cining Palace immediately.

"Yan'er thanks her aunt."

Zhang Yan said gratefully to the Empress Dowager sitting on the main seat.

If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's secret help, Zhang Yan knew that among the nine selected women, it was uncertain who would win the chance to serve the Emperor in bed!

"Yan'er, we both come from the Zhang family, and this is all your aunt can do to help you."

The Empress Dowager looked at Zhang Yan and said.

"However, your aunt must remind you that the harem is not like other places. Even though your aunt is the Empress Dowager, she can only help you in some matters. If you want to establish yourself in the harem, you still have to rely on yourself."

The Empress Dowager's reminder to Zhang Yan was also a warning to her.

The Empress Dowager feared that Zhang Yan would think she had a powerful backer because of her aunt's existence and become arrogant in the palace.

If that were the case, it would be bad for the Empress Dowager, Zhang Yan, and the Zhang family, the Emperor's brother-in-law.

You must understand, the Emperor in the Hall of Mental Cultivation is not one tolerating everything.

"Yan'er understands, Auntie, don't worry."

As a young lady from the Zhang family, a powerful maternal relative of the emperor, how could she not understand the meaning behind the empress dowager's words!

The Zhang family, the emperor's brother-in-law, had fallen into extreme decline due to the Shu King's usurpation of the throne. Even if the Empress Dowager didn't remind or warn them, Zhang Yan would still be cautious in his words and actions.

"It's good that you understand." The Empress Dowager nodded; "Of the nine ladies-in-waiting, although you were the first to serve His Majesty, don't think you've truly gained an advantage. Even if you receive His Majesty's exclusive favor, you must tread carefully and not rely on it to become arrogant and jealous of others..."

Having navigated the treacherous waters of the inner palace for decades, the Empress Dowager naturally understood its intricacies.

Some of the imperial concubines, after gaining the emperor's exclusive favor, became arrogant, domineering, jealous, and ruthless.

As a result, it ended in a dismal failure.

Just like Empress Wu before her, how much favor she received from His Majesty, how she even had two emperors ruling in the court, and how her power extended far beyond the harem.

But what happened in the end?

It still ended in a dismal failure, with the entire Wu clan wiped out.

This is the foreshadowing.

Therefore, the Empress Dowager, taking precautions, gave Zhang Yan some pointers, hoping that Zhang Yan could understand and comprehend them.

……

Langya.

Wang family.

The head of the Wang family looked at the uninvited guests who had suddenly barged into the Wang family with an unfriendly expression.

"who are you?"

"What do you want by barging into my Wang family uninvited?"

The head of the Wang family looked at the other party with a solemn expression.

To be able to enter the Wang family's main hall silently without alerting any guards is something not everyone can do.

You have to understand, the Wang family is a first-class aristocratic family, and their guards are definitely not weak.

However, this person was able to enter the Wang family's council hall silently without alerting the Wang family's guards; this person is no ordinary individual.

"I am the city lord of Giant Stone City. I have come uninvited because I have some questions for your Wang family."

That's right.

The uninvited guest who broke into the Wang family was none other than Shi Yan, the city lord of Giant Stone City.

Shi Yan glanced at the head of the Wang family and then sat down in the main seat of the hall without any hesitation.

Shi Yan's action made the Wang family patriarch's face even more gloomy.

"The lord of Stone City?"

Upon hearing this, the head of the Wang family's eyes flickered inexplicably.

Now that the history of the Wilderness has been sold by the Ministry of Works, most of the major families of the Great Zhou Dynasty are aware of it, and the Great Zhou Dynasty has been integrated into the Wilderness Realm.

Although the head of the Wang family did not know where the Giant Stone City was, he knew that it must be a city in the wilderness.

However, what the Wang family patriarch couldn't understand was why the city lord of Giant Stone City had suddenly come to the Great Zhou and even barged into his Wang family's residence.

"Your Excellency has arrived uninvited and taken the seat of honor without the host's permission. This does not seem like the behavior of a guest."

"boom……"

The celestial aura emanating from the Wang family patriarch erupted, heading straight for Shi Yan.

Through this integration with the wilderness, the head of the Wang family also broke through the barrier between heaven and man, achieving the realm of heaven and man.

Shi Yan casually waved his hand.

The celestial aura emanating from the Wang family patriarch vanished instantly.

Before the head of the Wang family could react, his body unconsciously moved to the rightmost seat below.

This scene greatly shocked the head of the Wang family.

It should be noted that he has already broken through the barrier between heaven and man, achieving the realm of heaven and man, making him a rare powerhouse in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

But the city lord of the Great Stone City casually waved his hand, and the aura of a celestial being dissipated.

Furthermore, they forced him to sit in the chair below.

This level of strength is truly astonishing.

Shi Yan looked at the head of the Wang family and said slowly, "Head of the Wang family, anger is bad for your health. Fighting is not good. You should sit down and calm down."

(End of this chapter)