Forcing me to become a concubine? Remarrying the Ninth Prince, she'll be pregnant all over the

When the envoys negotiate peace, the initiative lies entirely with our side.

Wei Wujiu's attitude and demands had been clearly expressed to the Third Prince and Cui Jin beforehand, and the two were in agreement with him, making it easy for them to deal with him.

Thus, Wei Wujiu entrusted all of this to Cui Jin, while the Third Prince was responsible for recovering the lost territory. The next day, Wei Wujiu and Lin Wantang led a thousand elite soldiers back to the capital ahead of everyone else.

On the way, Lin Wantang had Wei Wujiu take the antidote prepared in the Miao village with warm wine. He took it for seven days in a row. After resting properly, when he arrived in the capital, the toxins in his body had completely dissipated, and his old illness had been relieved a lot.

On the day he entered the capital, Wei Wujiu left a thousand elite soldiers outside the capital and only took Lin Wantang, Li Jinzhi and a few others with him, returning to Jingyuan with minimal travel.

Without much rest, as the sun was setting, he instructed Jiang Fulu and Chunhen to take good care of Lin Wantang. He only took Ye Ying with him, wearing a long robe of silk and Shu brocade over a dark-colored casual outfit, and left the mansion.

Lin Wantang didn't pay much attention when he asked, assuming he had gone to see Lin Rucong or those old ministers, but Jiang Fulu hesitated and said cautiously, "No, Your Highness went to see... the Emperor."

"Your Majesty?" Lin Wantang had just returned to the capital and was momentarily dazed, thinking that the emperor referred to Shen Huai'an, who was trapped in the palace and still proclaimed himself emperor.

Then, seeing Jiang Fulu's wistful and sighing expression, she realized that it was Shen Hu.

This old emperor has lived a long life; he's still alive after all this time.

Lin Wantang thought for a moment, not wanting to cause any more trouble, and asked Jiang Fulu with a mischievous smile, "Eunuch, the secret passage to the palace has been destroyed, but is there any other way to get into the palace? I want to go to Chengqian Palace."

Since Wei Wujiu was sending Shen Hu on her way, she should also lend a hand and help him send the Empress to the Yellow Springs in a husband-and-wife duo.

Jiang Fulu paused for a moment, seemingly guessing what she wanted to do, and hurriedly said, "Sanxi has a way to help us sneak into the palace, but this old servant is worried. Madam, please let this old servant accompany you."

Lin Wantang nodded and got up to let Chunhen help her change her clothes.

Meanwhile, Wei Wujiu led Ye Ying into a mansion, a large courtyard with five courtyards and five entrances. It was originally the residence in the capital that Emperor Jing bestowed upon Shen Hu, the Prince of Minnan. Now, the wheel of fortune has turned, and after Shen Hu's tumultuous life, he has finally returned to this place.

Hua Niansan was serving in the outer courtyard. As soon as she saw Wei Wujiu return, she immediately understood. She did not stop him. After exchanging a glance, Hua Niansan bowed and made way for him, and solemnly kowtowed, saying, "This servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Wei Wujiu smiled, waved his hand lightly, and stepped inside as Night Hawk lifted the curtain.

Consort Ning paced back and forth in the inner room, her mind in turmoil. Hearing Hua Ershisan paying respects to the Crown Prince outside, she thought it was Shen Huai'an again. Her face paled with panic, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was Wei Wujiu.

But then, Consort Ning's expression suddenly changed as she remembered Wei Wujiu's true identity. She pointed at him in fear and cried out, "You...you..."

Wei Wujiu ignored him and glanced indifferently at the furnishings in the room. Although it was not in the palace, it was exquisite and well-made, showing a luxurious style.

His eyes flashed with disgust, but out of the corner of his eye he noticed the evergreen pen casually placed on the desk.

Wei Wujiu strode over, his long, slender, and aloof fingers picking up the brush. A rare hint of tenderness appeared in his usually indifferent eyes as he handed the brush to Ye Ying: "Keep it safe and give it back to her. She loves these brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, but this Evergreen Brush is reserved for the Emperor's personal use. There's no chance to give it to her to play with."

He paused, then squinted at the emperor, who lay on the bed, barely clinging to life, and sneered, "Anyway, a dying man has no use for these things."

The emperor was furious, but his body was already at its limit, and the last breath he was clinging to was about to dissipate. His eyes were cloudy and filled with hatred as he stared at Wei Wujiu, his hand gripping the yellow silk beside the bed tightly: "You..."

Consort Ning was no fool. After a moment of stunned silence, she immediately realized what was happening and retorted with a mixture of wariness and anger: "What are you trying to do? Wei Wujiu! I don't care who you are, you are a citizen of Great Yue!"

"Consort Ning." Wei Wujiu interrupted with a light laugh. His slow and deliberate words completely stunned Consort Ning, who, unable to utter a word of anger, staggered and collapsed to the ground.

He said, "Have you forgotten the Second Prince? Do you also wish for the Second Prince to accompany you on your journey?"

The word "walk" is quite intriguing.

Hua Twenty-Three stepped in and sighed, "Consort Ning, every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. Although you uphold the principle that the empress's family should not interfere in politics, you must know in your heart, don't you? If it weren't for Shen Hu's wolfish ambition and heinous crimes, how could His Highness have been so cruel and heartless to his uncle today?"

The phrase "Imperial Uncle" clarifies the true blood-related royal relationship between Wei Wujiu and the Emperor.

Consort Ning was completely powerless to change the situation and had no more will to struggle or resist. She bowed her head and kowtowed, begging for the Second Prince's mercy. Then she slunk away first.

The emperor watched as Consort Ning left, leaving him with no one of his own by his side. He was furious that Hua Niansan had betrayed him. He was so enraged that he felt like he had been struck by lightning. He coughed weakly, his chest heaving like a bellows, and he was panting heavily.

"Godfather, give him a ginseng tablet so he won't be too weak to speak," Wei Wujiu instructed.

Hua Ersan responded and stepped forward to serve the emperor. The old emperor still tried to struggle, but due to his illness, he hurriedly swallowed a piece of ginseng and then forced himself to sit up, saying, "You... how dare you!"

"You treat me like this, aren't you afraid of... being criticized by the world?!"

Wei Wujiu looked down at him with disdain, the smile gradually fading from his face: "Shen Hu, when you usurped the throne of a certain dynasty and colluded with the barbarians to become a traitor, weren't you afraid of being condemned by the world?"

"Or have you forgotten? History books are, after all, inscribed by the victors."

"you!"

The emperor was so choked that he almost passed out.

"Actually, I've always been curious. Your elder brother, Emperor Jing, has always treated you well. Although he intended to reduce the power of the princes after ascending the throne, he only asked you to hand over some of your military power. He then had you cooperate with the generals guarding the western border to respond to any emergencies and fight together. In addition, Emperor Jing gave you full authority over the richest and most fertile territory of Minnan, making you the King of Minnan. On the eve of your departure from the capital to your fiefdom, Emperor Jing even had a long talk with you by candlelight. Can you say that your brotherly affection is not deep?"

Because Shen Hu was brave and skilled in battle, and had a particularly close relationship with Emperor Jing among the princes since childhood, Emperor Jing, out of brotherly affection, always showed him leniency and tried his best to be lenient.

But the result?

"You are utterly insatiable, colluding with the barbarians to act as their lackeys, planting assassins to carry out a rebellion while Emperor Jing was on a personal campaign! Emperor Jing had barely passed away when the news reached the capital, and you immediately launched a coup, bullying and trampling on his orphaned children and widow!"