The Prodigal Son

In the afternoon, at the palace.

Zhao Luan took off her gorgeous clothes, closed her eyes, and soaked in the large bathtub, enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.

Since the Empress Dowager "fell ill", many ministers have claimed to be sick and asked for leave to put pressure on her.

Every day, ministers would take turns offering their advice, so she couldn't even have a peaceful meal.

Although she and the Empress Dowager were putting on an act, dealing with these ministers every day still left her exhausted.

Only at this time could she get a chance to catch her breath.

The warm water soaked her body, which also helped to relieve some of her fatigue.

Zhao Luan kept her phoenix eyes closed, but her mind was preoccupied with worries about the situation in Ningzhou.

"hiss……"

Suddenly, Zhao Luan felt a slight pain in her thigh, as if someone had pinched it.

Zhao Luan's thoughts were interrupted, and she couldn't help but curse Qin Yu in her heart.

It's obvious without even thinking that Qin Yu, that bastard, is flirting with the two women next to him!

That bastard!

I told him to stay home and reflect on his actions, but he hid at home and flirted with women!

His life was comfortable; once he came up with a plan, he didn't care about anything else, but he was overwhelmed by all the messy affairs in the court!

When I get the chance, I'll definitely teach him a lesson!

Just as Zhao Luan was secretly annoyed, Shangguan Youyi rushed over, "Your Majesty, urgent news!"

Zhao Luan suddenly opened her eyes and gestured for all the palace maids who were serving her bath to leave.

After the palace maids had all left, Shangguan Youyi handed the urgent message she had just received to Zhao Luan.

The note contained very simple information.

The Prince of Chengyang and Cao Yuan were both executed, and Yun Zhao, along with Wu Chi and Shen Jue, successfully took over the military command of the Yuwang Mountain camp.

Zhao Luan was extremely excited. She sat up abruptly and carefully examined each word again, as if afraid of missing a single one.

The water that was originally soaking around the neck suddenly only reached the chest.

If Qin Yu were here, he would probably have a nosebleed on the spot.

Amidst her excitement, Zhao Luan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

The Prince of Chengyang ultimately chose the most resolute way to rebel.

Although they successfully resolved the problem of the Prince of Chengyang at minimal cost, she couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

All this fussing and arguing will only result in the loss of Da Ning's own strength!

If the Prince of Chengyang could be as loyal as his father, he could become a pillar of Da Ning!

With the death of the Prince of Chengyang, apart from the branch of the Prince of Fu who was herding horses in Beizhou, almost all of the Zhao clan members had been killed by her.

What was the surprise that the Prince of Chengyang mentioned before he committed suicide?

What other tricks does he have up his sleeve?

"call……"

After a long while, Zhao Luan let out a long breath and slowly stood up from the bathtub.

Shangguan Youyi quickly helped Zhao Luan out of the bathtub and picked up a bathrobe from the side to help Zhao Luan put it on.

Zhao Luan pondered for a moment, then looked up at Shangguan Youyi, "Do you think it's necessary for me to bring Prince Fu and his family to the capital?"

Ok?

Shangguan Youyi asked in confusion, "Why did Your Majesty suddenly have this idea?"

Is Your Majesty worried that Prince Fu, who is herding horses in Beizhou, is plotting a rebellion?

No way?

Prince Fu is under close surveillance; he wouldn't have the chance to rebel!

Or perhaps, His Majesty wishes to bestow favor upon Prince Fu in order to preserve his own reputation?

"The weather is unpredictable, and fortune can change in an instant."

Zhao Luan sighed softly, "Of the royal relatives, only Prince Fu's branch remains! If I have no children and something unexpected happens one day, this empire will probably have to be handed over to Prince Fu's lineage."

"this……"

Shangguan Youyi was taken aback, but quickly reassured him, "Your Majesty, please don't overthink things. Your Majesty is in the prime of your life; how could anything unexpected happen?"

Zhao Luan shook his head and smiled to himself, "Who can say for sure about matters of life and death?"

There were some things she couldn't say to Shangguan Youyi.

She and Qin Yu were bound together by life and death.

As Qin Yu gradually emerges, he will undoubtedly receive more attention.

If something were to happen to Qin Yu one day, how could I possibly survive?

Moreover, she still doesn't know what the surprise the Prince of Chengyang was talking about.

She couldn't guarantee that nothing would happen to her.

It's always good to leave the royal family a way out!

Shangguan Youyi was puzzled as to why Zhao Luan had suddenly become worried about matters of life and death. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly spoke, "This humble subject believes that it is not appropriate to bring Prince Fu and his family to the capital at this time!"

"Now that the Prince of Chengyang has just been executed, it is inevitable that His Majesty's decision to bring Prince Fu and the others back to the capital at this time will arouse speculation from others."

"If Your Majesty truly wishes to bestow favor upon Prince Fu, you may secretly order the people of Beizhou to guarantee the safety of Prince Fu and his family!"

Zhao Luan pondered for a moment, then nodded gently.

indeed!

Now is not the time to bring Fu Wang and the others back.

"Then let's do it your way!"

Zhao Luan made a decisive decision and ordered in a deep voice, "Immediately send someone to inform the Empress Dowager of the news from Ningzhou! Also, send someone to the Qin family to tell Qin Yu that he has suffered so much injustice and it's time for him to vent his anger!"

"yes!"

Shangguan Youyi accepted the order.

……

Thanks to the efforts of those with ulterior motives, news of Emperor Yizu's miraculous appearance quickly spread to the capital.

"Have you heard? The spirit of Emperor Yizu has appeared!"

"How come I haven't heard of that! I've also heard that Emperor Yizu was grieving every night, and even blood flowed from his monument to merit!"

"There must be treacherous officials in the court causing trouble, which is why Emperor Yizu was so worried about the peace and stability of the realm that he manifested his divine intervention!"

"Is there even a question? It's all because of that treacherous Qin Yu!"

"The reason why Longzhou and the other two prefectures are suffering from drought is because there are treacherous officials in our dynasty who have caused Heaven's punishment!"

"That's right, the capital city hasn't seen heavy rain for a long time, and the Qujiang River is almost dried up. It must be because His Majesty favors that treacherous Qin Yu, incurring the wrath of Heaven!"

"My old hen used to lay an egg every day, but this time it hasn't laid one for four days. It must be that treacherous Qin Yu's fault!"

"I heard that Qin Yu found a woman from the southern border and used her to cast a spell on His Majesty..."

"If this treacherous Qin Yu is not eliminated, the world will not be at peace..."

In the teahouses of the capital, groups of three or five people gathered together to talk.

Qin Yu hadn't even been the God of Literature for a few days before he became a pariah.

Speaking of Qin Yu, many people who are unaware of the truth hate him with a passion.

It's like Qin Yu dug up their family's ancestral graves.

Xu Wan sat in a corner of the teahouse, listening to the conversation, her face terribly gloomy.

Those damn bastards!

They can blame everything on Qin Yu!

Even if a hen doesn't lay eggs, she can still blame it on Qin Yu!

Is it possible to blame Qin Yu for every woman in the family who can't have children?

These bastards will stop at nothing to slander Qin Yu!

Just as Xu Wan was itching to do something, one of her men rushed over and whispered something in her ear.

It really was that bastard Lu Yong!

Qin Yu taught him a lesson last time, but it seems he hasn't learned his lesson yet!

A cold glint flashed in Xu Wan's eyes as she coldly asked, "Where is Lu Yong now?"

She remembered that when Qin Yu answered the imperial edict, Lu Yong's father suggested that His Majesty execute Qin Yu to preserve his own reputation!

Now, that bastard Lu Yong is spreading rumors all over the city that are detrimental to Qin Yu.

Previously, these rumors only involved Qin Yu. She had not received any orders and it was not convenient for her to arrest people directly. She could only use the power of the Treasure Mirror Division to put out the rumors everywhere.

But now, these rumors have implicated His Majesty!

They've practically offered their necks to their faces!

We must take this opportunity to teach this arrogant fool a lesson!