After the emperor fell asleep, Wen Hu gave Wei You a wink, and the two of them went outside.

"Lord Wei, what kind of elixir is His Majesty taking?"

Wei You looked around and whispered in Wen Hu's ear, "These are pills that Prince Xin had a master refine. There are two kinds: one can enhance Your Majesty's physique and make Your Majesty full of energy, and the other can make Your Majesty fall asleep instantly. These pills refined by the master are amazing, truly divine medicines."

Wen Hu gently raised his head, a sharp glint in his eyes, and understood why Yuan Xiu was in this mental state.

Relying on pills to stay alert and fall asleep can lead to drug dependence over time.

Without medication, he has neither energy nor the ability to sleep, and his nerves gradually deteriorate.

“Your Highness Prince Xin, you are truly His Majesty’s good brother…” Wen Hu sneered inwardly, but did not say it aloud.

Wei You's ability to help Prince Xin feed the emperor medicine clearly indicates an ambiguous relationship with Prince Xin.

Wen Hu walked out of the palace and saw Xu Shouli and others still sitting there, but were stopped at the bottom of the steps by the officials and guards.

Wen Hu stepped out from behind Dian Chen and bowed to Xu Shouli.

"Lord Qingdong, what are you waiting for?"

Xu Shouli rose and returned Wen Hu's greeting, then asked, "Lord Sha County, has His Majesty awakened?"

Wen Hu said, "When I went in, His Majesty was awake for a moment, but he has fallen asleep again now."

Xu Shouli asked, "Is Your Majesty unwell?"

Wen Hu waved his hand and smiled, "No, not at all."

As he spoke, Wen Hu glanced at the ministers behind Xu Shouli, then leaned closer to Xu Shouli and whispered, "His Majesty is now energetic at night and sleeps soundly during the day. I hope Marquis Qingdong understands."

Xu Shouli thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "I understand."

Wen Hu said, "Then let's not disturb His Majesty's rest."

Xu Shouli stopped talking, turned around and said, "Everyone, let's go."

He Yin grew anxious and said, "My lord, we haven't seen the Emperor yet..."

Prefect Xu Shouli interrupted He Yin and said, "Let's go."

Seeing this, He Yin knew that Xu Shouli had made up his mind, so she said no more and stormed off first.

The ministers bowed to Wen Hu one after another and followed He Yin away.

After the ministers left the Imperial Palace, He Yin finally couldn't hold back and asked, "My lord, what exactly is the situation with His Majesty?"

Xu Shouli stopped, glanced at the ministers, and said, "I don't know what His Majesty is doing in his palace. I only know that it will be harder than climbing to heaven for us to see His Majesty in the future."

He Yin asked, "Then it just disappeared?"

Xu Shouli shook his head and said, "The situation is now very clear. Internally, Wen Hu and Wei You control the emperor. Externally, Yuan Li and Chen Changyun control the court. If we act too rashly, it may bring disaster upon you all, so we can only plan carefully."

Li Shu frowned and interjected, "My lord, has the situation in the court become this dire?"

Xu Shouli looked up at the sky; the dark cloud had only slightly dispersed, not completely dissipated.

He said, "When a storm comes, it doesn't give us any warning beforehand."

Letter to the palace.

Having received the notification, Yuan Li was already waiting in the council hall, with Gong Xue standing behind him.

A moment later, Wen Hu strode over and bowed deeply to Yuan Li.

Yuan Li smiled and said, "This is my private residence, brother, there's no need for such formalities."

Wen Hu was startled and knelt down on one knee, saying, "Your Highness, you mustn't call me that. I can't accept it!"

Yuan Li slowly helped Wen Hu up and said, "The late emperor also called Dongfang Jun that in private. Work is work, and friendship is friendship. If I say you deserve it, then you deserve it."

Wen Hu pondered Yuan Li's words; this comparison was actually not quite in accordance with the rules.

It is true that the late emperor privately referred to Dongfang Jun as his elder brother, but the late emperor was the emperor.

Prince Xin is merely a prince.

Now Yuan Li is using these words to explain...

Wen Hu realized that Yuan Li's ambitions were growing bigger and bigger.

Thinking especially of that elixir, Wen Hu sneered inwardly: "The more anxious you are, the better. It's truly heaven's help..."

Wen Hu clasped his hands in greeting and said, "I am deeply grateful for Your Highness's high regard, so I will not stand on ceremony."

"That's more like it!" Yuan Li patted Wen Hu on the shoulder and said with satisfaction, "What brings you to my residence, brother?"

Wen Hu said, "I just went to His Majesty's bedroom."

Yuan Li immediately stopped smiling, pulled Wen Hu outside, and asked as they walked, "How is Your Majesty's health?"

Wen Hu said, "To be honest, His Majesty's health is not as good as before. Although he is resting in his palace, he seems more tired than before."

"snort!"

Yuan Li snorted coldly and said, "This is all Wei You's fault. I heard he brought a group of male concubines for my brother. People are always looking for something new, and my brother is no exception. How can his body handle it?"

Wen Hu nodded and said, "I have spoken with Lord Wei and told him to make sure His Majesty takes good care of his health."

"You're so thoughtful."

Yuan Li stopped in front of an artificial hill, casually crushed an insect clinging to the hillside, and asked, "What business do you have with my brother?"

Wen Hu countered, "Your Highness, do you remember what I told you about my concerns for Zhao Cheng?"

"Remember."

“Now his business has spread throughout Jingbei County, and supermarkets and money shops have been built in eastern Dajing. He is now completely different from before.”

Wen Hu said seriously, "After the destruction of the Left Prime Minister's Mansion, there are three forces hanging outside the court: General Wang is suppressing the riots, the Champion King is inseparable from Yun Jing, and only the Right Prime Minister's Mansion is growing wildly. I went there to remind Your Majesty that we must be wary of Zhao Cheng!"

Yuan Li pondered for a moment and said, "But compared to General Wang and Champion Wang, Zhao Cheng has no military power."

"He's rich!"

Wen Hu said excitedly, "When he becomes richer than a country, what can't he buy with money?"

Yuan Li's expression turned serious, and he asked, "What did Your Majesty say?"

Wen Hu said, "In order to test Zhao Cheng, His Majesty increased the share of the profits and ordered Zhao Cheng to send him 30 million taels of silver next time."

"Thirty million taels??" Yuan Li exclaimed in surprise, muttering, "Your Majesty has quite the appetite..."

“However, Your Majesty is right to do this. Under pressure, let’s see if Zhao Cheng will reveal his true colors,” Yuan Li added.

“That’s not enough.” Wen Hu shook his head.

Yuan Li asked, "What do you mean by that, brother?"

Wen Hu said, "You underestimate Zhao Cheng. Thirty million taels sounds like a lot, but as long as he can keep His Majesty in check, he can afford to pay that amount. His Majesty thought he could test Zhao Cheng with money, but he was wrong. Because Zhao Cheng has a steady stream of money coming in."

"Money isn't that important to Zhao Cheng; what's important is the way he makes money!"

"That's why I came to see Your Highness, hoping that Your Highness can prioritize the overall situation of the court, share His Majesty's burdens, and help Da Jing identify and address any shortcomings!"

Yuan Li asked, "How do we identify and address the shortcomings?"

Wen Hu said, "Besides asking Zhao Cheng for money, we also need to ask him for business!"