"Three...Are you Zhao Changgong?" I took a few steps closer to him and then stopped.

He slowly turned around and looked at me, expressionless and silent.

My heart skipped a beat.

he……

So handsome...

I was certain at first glance that he was the most handsome man I had ever seen in my young life... no, he was the most handsome man of all.

Feeling a little embarrassed by his gaze, I quickly picked up the pastry box.

"The Dowager Consort Yang knew I was coming and asked me to deliver it on my way."

Upon hearing this, his eyes lit up, and he quickly took the pastry box from my hand and opened it in front of me.

He ate one after another, then spat out a small piece of paper from his mouth.

He glanced at the note, and his expression changed several times in an instant, as if he were in pain, or perhaps regretful.

Ultimately, I became resolute.

He bowed slightly to me and then walked into the inner room.

He didn't say a single word to me from beginning to end.

"Third Uncle is so strange..." I muttered to myself, leaving the courtyard completely bewildered.

Seeing it is enough.

Later, I heard Xu An say that my third uncle, who had been staying obediently in the palace, wanted to escape. My second uncle sent many experts to surround and kill him, but he managed to escape by fighting against them all.

My second uncle also sought help from my third uncle, Zhao Yan, but Zhao Yan said that my third uncle had not done anything wrong, so he let my third uncle return to Wudong.

Then, the Zhao-Han Empire, which had enjoyed twelve years of peace, was plunged into a brutal civil war.

The cause was the death of Consort Yang.

At that time, I didn't know why Consort Yang died. Later I learned that she committed suicide so that my third uncle would no longer be controlled by the palace.

Most of what happened afterward was told to me by Xu An, with a few events recorded in historical books.

After Consort Yang's death, Zhao Changgong, in a fit of anger, launched a northern expedition to purge the court of corrupt officials and eliminate the empress's faction. With the support of Queen Wu Dong and Miaoyin Pavilion, he appointed Yang Qingzhi as the Grand Commander of the Northern Expedition. Several counties in Zhao Hannan responded, and the expedition also received support from the Snow Mountain Faction.

Xiao Luofeng led his army to block Zhao Changgong in Yunjing County, but he was defeated by Zhao Changgong in less than a month and eventually retreated to Changsui.

Just like when Zhao Yan and his wife guarded Qingxia Valley twelve years ago, Zhao Changgong found it difficult to make any further progress.

At this time, Zhao Yan and Yang Huanyun had mastered the double spear formation, and even Ming Yingluo and Gong Xue working together were no match for the couple.

Zhao Changgong couldn't bear to see his soldiers make unnecessary sacrifices, nor did he want to fight to the death with his third uncle, so he challenged Zhao Yan to a battle.

Xu An was on the city wall of Changsui at the time, and according to him, the situation was as follows.

"Chang Gong, you are just a top-level expert, yet you dare to challenge me. You certainly have guts."

"Third Uncle, you don't need to hold back. If you have the chance to kill me, then kill me."

"Knowing defeat is inevitable, why fight on?"

“I’ve heard that my third uncle was always able to figure out how to use his marksmanship to turn the tide when fighting against strong enemies. I’d like to try it myself.”

Zhao Changgong was certainly no match for Zhao Yan, but surprisingly, he became a grandmaster in the battle.

Zhao Yan stopped and praised, "The Zhao family has me in this generation and you in the next. It would be a pity if you died."

Zhao Changgong said, "I am not afraid of death, but I am afraid that the country that my grandfather and father worked so hard to build will be ruined."

Whom do you not trust?

“I don’t trust the Crown Prince because he is too young and his abilities are not yet apparent. I also don’t trust the Empress Dowager. She has the talent to govern the country, but her relatives are powerful and she is a member of the previous dynasty’s royal family, which is detrimental to Zhao Han. I trust Zhao Changxin even less. He has a fiery temper, is jealous of talent, and has acted recklessly during his regency. Chengfeng is unlikely to be able to defeat him. If he becomes emperor, it will not be a blessing for the people.”

"Then who do you believe?"

I believe in myself.

Zhao Yan narrowed his eyes.

Zhao Changgong pointed to the army behind him and said, "Third Uncle, don't forget, I am your own nephew, the rightful son of Emperor Taizong! Back then, my father sent me to Wudong as a hostage to recover the Southern Zhou. I contributed to the unification of the world by Zhao Han. Now, I have gone north to purge the court of corrupt officials, and I am receiving widespread support in the south. This is the will of Heaven, the will of Heaven to save Zhao Han and allow me to set things right!"

"Third Uncle, there's no need to continue fighting. I've already advanced to Grandmaster. With my master and Sect Leader Gong Xue joining forces, we might be able to fight you and Third Aunt. But no matter who wins or loses, not many of our soldiers will be able to return home."

"If nothing can be changed, this war is meaningless."

Zhao Yan did not get angry, but calmly pondered for a long time before asking, "What do you want to do? I need your determination."

Zhao Changgong said, "Zhao Chengfeng is still the Crown Prince. I am not yet married, and I have no need for a harem for the rest of my life."

That day, I watched my third uncle enter the palace under the escort of my third great-uncle.

Third Uncle rode a tall, strong warhorse, his handsome face now adorned with a touch of heroism.

My third uncle stopped in front of me, dismounted, patted my head, and finally spoke his first words to me.

"You helped me before, now it's my turn to help you."

The way my third uncle acted after ascending the throne was completely different from my father's. He appointed Yang Qingzhi as the Grand Commander of the Eastern Garrison to deal with the pirates. It was not as simple as just driving out the invading pirates. Instead, he ordered Yang Qingzhi to supervise the construction of warships and go out to sea to directly attack the pirates' lair.

He then appointed Xiao Luofeng as the Grand Commander of Pingbei to deal with the remnants of the Yedan tribe, and instructed Xiao Luofeng to venture as far as possible, even if it meant marching to the snowy mountains.

However, the Third Uncle still focused his foreign affairs efforts on the Western Regions. He appointed Zhao Yan as the Grand Commander of the Western Expedition and personally led the army on the expedition.

Over the course of more than a decade, Third Uncle launched seven expeditions to the Western Regions, eventually annexing all the territory of the Great Yue Empire and incorporating both the East and West into the territory of the Zhao Han Empire.

After my third uncle passed away, he was given the posthumous title of Emperor Wu.

Emperor Wu of Zhao Han.