Having many children brings many blessings; the struggle for power begins with marriage.

Chapter 346 Wu Junwan Loses Power

Upon hearing the words of Imperial Censor Zhang Yuanbai, all the officials in the hall were stunned. No one expected that Zhang Yuanbai would jump out at this time to impeach the Princess.

Although Zhang Yuanbai was the Imperial Censor, the Great Wu had suffered a defeat, and the Emperor was still furious. If Zhang Yuanbai jumped out at this time, he might be beheaded by the Emperor.

At this moment, the ministers' eyes fell on Empress Wu's face, wanting to see how she would react.

At this moment, Emperor Wu did not get angry. He simply said calmly, "Does Minister Zhang know what he is saying?"

Cold sweat began to bead on Zhang Yuanbai's forehead. He calmed himself down and continued, "I know what I'm saying!"

"The reason for the army's defeat this time is that we do not understand the mysterious weapon that the Northern Kingdom possesses. The Princess, who is in charge of the Great Wu's intelligence department, does not even know about the mysterious weapon that the Northern Kingdom possesses, and has no information about it at all."

"In addition, recently some of the Princess's spies have begun to align themselves with me. They have submitted a lot of evidence to me that the Princess has used her power to eliminate dissidents and has been accumulating wealth on a large scale."

"In my opinion, the Eldest Princess is no longer suitable to head the Intelligence Bureau, and even her title should be revoked!"

Upon hearing Zhang Yuanbai's words, officials from the Second Prince's faction immediately seized the opportunity, and other officials also stood up to support Zhang Yuanbai.

"Your Majesty, I also impeach the Eldest Princess... the Eldest Princess..."

……

Subsequently, more and more voices of impeachment arose in the court, and Zhang Yuanbai kept observing the changes in Empress Wu's expression.

Seeing the Empress's calm expression, Zhang Yuanbai guessed that the Empress also harbored resentment towards Wu Yunwan. If it were any other time, the Empress would have stopped people from continuing to talk, but she did not do so today.

In fact, Empress Wu's resolve had indeed wavered.

At this moment, Chai Jiliang couldn't stand it any longer and immediately said, "Lord Zhang keeps saying that the Princess is neglecting her duties, disregarding human life, and usurping power, but what is the evidence?"

"Is the evidence solely based on Lord Zhang's word?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuanbai sneered and then said, "If I didn't have evidence, I naturally wouldn't impeach the Princess."

At this point, Zhang Yuanbai bowed to the Empress and said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to present a witness!"

Upon hearing this, the Martial Emperor's expression finally changed slightly. He frowned slightly and then said, "Granted!"

When they saw that the Empress Wu had actually agreed to Zhang Yuanbai's request, Chai Jiliang and other officials from the Princess's faction felt a chill in their hearts.

If Emperor Wu still trusted the Eldest Princess, he would never have allowed Zhang Yuanbai to bring evidence or witnesses to the court. Emperor Wu's agreement at this time proves that he also wanted to reduce the Eldest Princess's power.

Zhang Yuanbai immediately sent someone to bring Qian Xingchang and the others to the imperial court.

Upon seeing the Qian family members appear in the imperial court, Chai Jiliang and the ministers from the Princess's faction immediately turned ugly.

They knew very well that Wu Yunwan originally intended to use the Qian family as scapegoats. They had already sent people to arrest the Qian family members, so how could they be here?

The Qian family can be considered a core force in the Intelligence Bureau. After all, the Qianhai Chamber of Commerce of the Qian family provides a lot of funds to the Intelligence Bureau, and many spies also travel in various dynasties in the name of the Qianhai Chamber of Commerce.

The Qian family possesses a large amount of evidence detrimental to the eldest princess!

This is troublesome!

Upon arriving at the main hall, Qian Xingchang immediately knelt down and said, "This humble subject, Qian Xingchang, greets Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"

The Empress coldly asked, "I remember that your Qian family and the Intelligence Bureau have always had some kind of cooperation."

Qian Xingchang replied, "Your Majesty, yes, the Eldest Princess sent someone to find us in order to build an intelligence network."

At this moment, a murderous glint flashed in the Emperor's eyes. "Do you know what the ultimate fate is for those who betray their masters?"

In this era, the hierarchical system was strict, and servants who betrayed their masters generally did not have a good end. In fact, the laws of the Great Wu Dynasty clearly stipulated that servants who betrayed their masters would be beheaded.

However, Qian Xingchang was not intimidated by the Empress's words. He replied, "This humble subject knows that the Intelligence Bureau is directly under Your Majesty's control. Your Majesty is my master, and I have never betrayed Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, the Martial Emperor couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

Empress Wu then continued, "Tell me, what have the Princess made you do?"

Qian Xingchang glanced at Zhang Yuanbai, who then said, "Qian Xingchang, don't be afraid. Speak your mind, and His Majesty will take care of it for you."

Then Qian Xingchang knelt on the ground and revealed all the things Wu Junwan had done in the past, one by one.

Wu Junwan was, after all, a woman obsessed with power, so she had people do many shady things. In fact, most of these things were known to others, but they hadn't been exposed before. Moreover, even Empress Wu herself knew about many of these things.

After Qian Xingchang revealed all the things Wu Yunwan had done, all the ministers' eyes fell on the face of the Empress, waiting for her to speak.

However, at this moment, an official from the Crown Prince's faction suddenly knelt down, saying, "The Crown Princess, as Your Majesty's appointed eldest princess, spends her days neglecting her duties, indulging in business, and even abusing her power, resulting in the Intelligence Bureau having extremely scarce intelligence on the Northern Kingdom, causing this Northern Expedition to fail. I implore Your Majesty to revoke the title of eldest princess!"

Now is the best opportunity to bring down the eldest princess. The ministers from the other princes' factions could no longer hold back, and they immediately reached a tacit understanding.

Regardless of which prince's faction they belong to, they should kick that woman out of the game first. That woman is too domineering; with her around, it will be difficult for the prince they support to rise to prominence.

As soon as the news of the revocation of the title spread, even more ministers stepped forward.

"We humbly request Your Majesty to revoke the title of Eldest Princess!"

"I implore Your Majesty to revoke the title of Eldest Princess..."

……

Then, a large number of people knelt down in the main hall.

Seeing this, Chai Jiliang realized the seriousness of the problem. He wanted to say something more, but at this moment, the Empress spoke up.

"The eldest princess abused her power, causing the Northern Expedition to fail. Effective immediately, her title of eldest princess is revoked, and she is confined to the Qingyun Palace. She is not to leave without my order."

In the Great Wu, the title of "Grand Princess" refers to the eldest daughter of a prince. The eldest daughter does not have the right to interfere in politics, but the title of "Grand Princess" requires an official appointment and carries real power. Once the title of "Grand Princess" is conferred, the prince can intervene in the affairs of the court.

When the Empress Wu said this, the princes' faction and the ministers who couldn't stand women interfering in politics were extremely excited. They never expected that this defeat would actually remove the dark cloud hanging over their heads.

The ministers could also see that Emperor Wu had completely lost faith in the eldest princess—no, now the first princess.

It will probably not be so easy for this woman to interfere in the affairs of the court in the future.

Soon.

Wu Yunwan, who was in the Qingyun Palace, heard the news from the court.

At first, she couldn't believe it, but when the imperial edict arrived, she realized that her father had completely abandoned her.

This time, the 300,000-strong army of Da Wu was wiped out, and it is even possible that the main force of Da Wu will suffer a setback in the end. Someone has to be found to take the blame.

Although this war was started by her father, the emperor, he could not possibly bear the responsibility, nor could he be at fault; the only one at fault must be someone else.

So the Empress Wu intends for her to take the blame.

After the eunuch finished reading the imperial edict, Wu Junwan immediately slumped onto the chaise longue, feeling utterly powerless, her eyes darting around.

After a while, Wu Yunwan came to her senses and hurriedly said loudly, "Go and fetch Prime Minister Chai for me immediately!"

As soon as Wu Yunwan finished speaking, the female guard at the door said, "Your Highness, His Majesty has already ordered the Qingyun Palace to be sealed off. No outsiders are allowed to enter now."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yunwan was slightly stunned; she had been placed under house arrest.

She never imagined that this day would come.

After a long while, Wu Yunwan finally reacted, and she immediately said to the female guards in the main hall, "Go and fetch Elder Pei!"

Pei Hong is her protector. If a grandmaster like Pei Hong speaks on her behalf, it should be able to temporarily appease her father.

However, just as Wu Yunwan was thinking this, a female guard suddenly entered the hall, knelt on the ground, and said tremblingly, "Your Highness, Elder Pei just asked me to bring you a message. From today onwards, he will no longer be your protector. He hopes that the princess can cultivate in peace in Qingyun Hall and break through to the Grandmaster realm as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Wu Yunwan felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She had never expected that even Pei Hong, her protector, would turn away from her.

Come to think of it, Pei Hong was someone her mother had arranged to be by her side since she was a child. Her mother has been gone for so many years, and Pei Hong may have long lost his loyalty to her. In addition, now that she is in dire straits, everyone is turning against her, and Pei Hong may have realized that there is no future in following her, so he simply decided to pledge allegiance to another prince.

Once the balance of power is broken, it is easy for it to turn to one side. Back then, Pei Hong was Wu Junwan's mother's man, so Pei Hong naturally stood on Wu Junwan's side and became Wu Junwan's protector.

Wu Yunwan's mother passed away, but Pei Hong did not betray her immediately. After all, Wu Yunwan's mother was the Empress, and she had gathered a large amount of power while she was alive.

Pei Hong, a Grandmaster, aroused the Empress's suspicion. Considering that a Grandmaster was supporting Wu Yunwan, and that the Empress did need a force to support her and strengthen her power in the court, the Empress made Wu Yunwan the eldest princess.

At the same time, because Empress Wu made Wu Yunwan the eldest princess, Pei Hong would gain more power by staying by Wu Yunwan's side, so Pei Hong stayed by Wu Yunwan's side all this time.

Emperor Wu had long felt that his daughter's power was too great, completely suppressing the development of the other princes. However, he had no choice but to step down Princess Wu Junwan, as he was unsure of Pei Hong's loyalty to her.

But this time is different. This campaign against the Northern Kingdom failed, and due to a lack of intelligence, the Great Wu lost hundreds of thousands of troops. At this time, it is justifiable for the Wu Emperor to temporarily remove Wu Yunwan's title of Princess, and the Princess's faction cannot say anything.

Now that Wu Yunwan has lost power, there is no need for Pei Hong, the Grandmaster, to stay by her side any longer. He can easily pledge allegiance to someone else; a Grandmaster like him would be sought after by any side.

Wu Yunwan's loss of her position as the eldest princess triggered a chain reaction. Pei Hong left Wu Yunwan, and those who had initially sided with the eldest princess's faction because Pei Hong was a grandmaster would inevitably side with others as well. Soon, Wu Yunwan would be left without anyone by her side.

Wu Yunwan wasn't stupid; she knew what would happen after she lost her power. Before long, the power structure of the entire court would be reshaped, and she would be completely ousted.

Wu Junwan was filled with regret; she regretted that she had underestimated her brothers.

It was precisely because she didn't take her brothers seriously that she failed to detect their actions in advance, which led to her loss of power today.

At this point, Wu Junwan still did not realize who was behind all of this.

It was evening.

The Qian family.

After returning to the Qian family home, Qian Xingchang immediately went to the backyard and jumped directly into the well there.

Before the servants of the Qian family could react, another fire broke out at the Qian family's residence, engulfing the entire property.

Late at night, Emperor Wu was still in his study when a soldier entered and reported on the Qian family's situation.

Although Qian Xingchang claimed that his master was the emperor, Empress Wu did not recognize him as a subordinate. Someone like Qian Xingchang, who betrayed his master, was bound to die.

Moreover, the Martial Emperor didn't even need to take action himself; naturally, someone would want to deal with the Qian family.

However, the Martial Emperor was unaware that the Qian family members were not dead at this time. As the sun set, the shadows of a merchant caravan were illuminated by the red light, making them appear long.

Qian Xingchang, who had jumped into the well, was now on the carriage. Looking towards the north, he said calmly, "My mission is complete. I can finally go to the north to see the king."

……

At this very moment, in the Great Xia Dynasty.

Inside the Xia Emperor's palace, the Xia Emperor was meditating and cultivating when suddenly a shadow appeared in the room.

Emperor Xia immediately opened his eyes.

"What is it?"

The shadow said, "Da Wu's 300,000-strong army was defeated. Ying Feiyu originally wanted to lead his soldiers back to Lingyun City to defend it, but Lingyun City was captured by the Northern Kingdom's army that night. The Northern Kingdom wiped out Da Wu's 300,000-strong army in one day."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xia was immediately stunned.

one day!!!

He knew Ying Feiyu. When the conflict broke out between Da Wu and Da Xia, it was Ying Feiyu who led the troops to attack Da Xia. Da Xia's army was defeated and lost two counties. Later, he even defeated Da Xia's main force.

The result was that this experienced veteran was defeated in just one day when he fought against the Northern army.

How is that possible?

Has the military strength of the North become so great?

and many more……

Suddenly, the Xia Emperor seemed to remember something and asked, "Has the Northern Kingdom sent a Grandmaster?"

The only way to defeat a battle-hardened army so quickly is to send out a grandmaster.

However, at this moment, Shadow spoke up and said, "According to the scouts, the Northern Kingdom has not sent any Grandmasters to Yong'an County."

"The reason why the Great Wu army was defeated so quickly is because the Northern Kingdom used a mysterious weapon. This weapon is like an iron ball. Once it explodes, it is like a grandmaster exploding his dantian. It is said that the Great Wu army's formation could not even last for a quarter of an hour in front of the Northern Kingdom's mysterious weapon."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xia frowned and his face instantly darkened.

What kind of weapon is so terrifying?

Is the power of an iron ball comparable to a grandmaster exploding his dantian?

The Xia Emperor continued, "How many of these mysterious weapons does the Northern Kingdom possess?"

Shadow said, "I don't know. It is said that the Northern Kingdom used at least a thousand of these iron balls on the battlefield in Yong'an County. Even the city wall of Lingyun City was blown up by these iron balls. Martial artists below the Grandmaster level were no match for them. As long as they were hit by these iron balls, their bodies would be blown into pieces."

After Shadow finished speaking, Emperor Xia fell silent.

If the news is true, then the military strength of the Northern Kingdom has probably far surpassed that of the other major dynasties.

How could the northern country possess such terrifying weapons?

With such weapons, how could other dynasties possibly be a match for the Northern Kingdom? How would they then resolve the chaos in the Northern Kingdom?

After regaining his senses, Emperor Xia immediately said, "Investigate! Investigate for me! We must find out where this mysterious weapon came from, and whether the Northern Kingdom can manufacture such a weapon!"

At this moment, the Xia Emperor was somewhat worried. If the Northern Kingdom used such weapons to attack the Great Xia from the south, would the Great Xia army also be like the Great Wu, unable to last even a day?

The thought filled Emperor Xia with immense fear.

No! He must break through to the Celestial Realm as soon as possible!

However, for him to break through to the Celestial Realm, his rebellious son must die!

Emperor Xia finally had the idea of ​​sending someone to kill Lu Chen directly. In the past, he had let Lu Chen live or die on his own. Although he hoped that Lu Chen would die sooner, he did not take the initiative to send someone to assassinate Lu Chen.

But things are different now. After Lu Chen arrived in the Northern Kingdom, his military strength suddenly became so terrifying that it seriously threatened him, the emperor. Moreover, if Lu Chen hadn't died, he might not have been able to break through to the Celestial Realm.

Thinking of this, Emperor Xia immediately said to Shadow, "Go find Daoist Hengyou and the Master of the Divine Path."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

……

the next day.

The Great Yue Dynasty.

In the imperial court, the ministers were discussing the war between the Northern Kingdom and the Great Wu. Naturally, they hoped that the Great Wu could directly eliminate the Northern Kingdom, a threat. However, they sensed that their emperor didn't seem to share this view.

Emperor Yue, dressed in a red phoenix robe, sat on his phoenix throne, surveying the assembled officials in the hall, before calmly saying, "Are you all so certain that Great Wu can destroy the Northern Kingdom?"

Upon hearing Emperor Yue's words, the ministers were taken aback. At this moment, a military general stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Great Wu army is powerful. This time, in order to destroy the Northern Kingdom, they have dispatched 600,000 elite troops, including two Grandmasters..."

Before the general could finish speaking, Emperor Yue interrupted him. However, Emperor Yue understood his meaning. In the eyes of the ministers, although the Northern Kingdom was ambitious and posed a great threat, it was, after all, just a vassal state. How could it possibly be a match for the Great Wu Dynasty?

"My dear ministers, you still do not understand the Northern Kingdom."

As soon as Emperor Yue finished speaking, a female guard in armor entered the hall and walked from one side of the hall to the Phoenix Terrace, where she handed a letter of intelligence to Emperor Yue.

(End of this chapter)