The princes were getting anxious, and so were the concubines and court officials.

The princes, in turn, were secretly delighted, wishing Emperor Mingde would die immediately so they could watch the princes fight amongst themselves, then take a share of the spoils, or even replace him.

Unfortunately, although things have developed to this point and seem to be in complete chaos, there are actually certain rules governing them.

First, the revenge party is mired in a quagmire. If Emperor Mingde dies, they will have to contend with the entire world, which they lack the ability to do.

Revenge, revenge, is not simply about destroying the Zhao family's empire; it's about taking their place. Otherwise, why go through all that trouble? Therefore, before they seize the Zhao family's empire, they do not want Emperor Mingde to die, since it would be more advantageous for them if Emperor Mingde were alive.

The same applies to the old party. Although they tried their best to preserve the old system and resist the new laws, you must understand that there is no guarantee when the world is in chaos. If bandits break into your home today, thieves can openly plunder and steal tomorrow. This is something they do not want to see.

It would have been better if there were fewer vassal kings, but the two emperors Taizu and Taizong enfeoffed dozens of kings, and each of them declared independence. The once prosperous country was instantly torn apart. The chaos caused by these vassal kings was no less than the invasion of foreign enemies.

Therefore, once Emperor Mingde passed away, the country truly descended into chaos.

The new party naturally did not want Emperor Mingde to die so early. The country was not yet stable, and it would be even more difficult for a new emperor to ascend the throne.

It seems that, apart from the princes, no one else really wanted Emperor Mingde to die; they just hoped he would die later.

Qiu Tang has taken control of the grain supply. He is reliable and capable, so there is no need to worry about the grain supply. As for the court, with Xie Yun leading the way and Yan Shiren and Yang Zhong assisting, the New Party can be said to have firmly suppressed the other parties.

The day after Emperor Mingde fainted, news of a victory came from Beiding Prefecture: the Crown Prince and Prince Yong had captured more than thirty important members of the Beizhong family in Beiding Prefecture and had escorted them to the capital.

Emperor Mingde fainted, and the Empress Dowager moved out of Cining Palace to rule from behind the curtain. Originally, Yide wanted to control the government, but unfortunately, her reputation was ruined and everyone hated her. She was temporarily confined to Weiyang Palace and could not leave. The Empress managed the six palaces.

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Qi, the Prince of Ming, and the Prince of Liang are still causing trouble in the north. I would like to ask Your Majesty to make a decision on who to send to quell the rebellion," Yan Shiren asked hypocritically.

The officials stood below, scoffing inwardly. Prince Yong and the Crown Prince had won a great victory in exonerating the wronged in Beiding Prefecture, so the Empress Dowager would naturally send her own son and grandson. Who else could it be?

However, though they harbored some complaints, they dared not voice them, because there were not many people in the court who could be sent out. Although Prince Hui and Prince Jin were both present, these two were clearly not favored by the Empress Dowager, so naturally they had nothing to do with it.

The Empress Dowager, behind the beaded curtain, grunted and asked, "Who do you all think is suitable?"

Isn't this a pointless question? Some people were indignant.

Xie Yun stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the Crown Prince and Prince Yong are the most suitable candidates."

"I second that proposal," Yang Zhong was the first to stand up.

"I second that proposal." Immediately, most people seconded it.

Among the most prestigious families in the world today, only a handful hold official positions in the imperial court. The Xie, Yang, and Yan families are first-rate families. Since none of the three families have objected, it's pointless for others to object, unless the Empress Dowager insists on opposing them. Clearly, the Empress Dowager is their strong backer.

"Yes, in that case, permission is granted."

So, Prince Yong and the Crown Prince continued their northward march, not only quelling all the rebellions in the north, but the Crown Prince even annexed a small country. But that's another story.

Meanwhile, Zhao Shu, Huo Baichuan, and Xiao Guozi had arrived in Luoyang. Along the way, people were secretly investigating the two men and one woman, but Xiao Guozi, disguised as a woman, managed to get to Luoyang without any hindrance.

Luoyang is a large city that has not yet been occupied, so the search for the three men's forces is not so blatant and is done with some restraint.

It's good to have some reservations; the worst thing is to have no reservations at all.

The three of them did not stay at an inn or seek out any trusted confidants, but went directly to the Lin family's residence.

Lin Dongxue has returned to the mansion with Zhou Hanyan. The rumors in the city are going around that the eldest son of the Zhou family has married a foreign girl... In fact, they haven't actually held a wedding ceremony yet.

When Lin Dongxue saw Zhao Shu and Huo Baichuan, he was startled and quickly hid the three of them. "Princess, Lord Huo, what brings you here? People are being arrested everywhere in Luoyang. I suppose they're after you."

"That's why we came to find you," Zhao Shu said.

Lin Dongxue was speechless. "Don't come out during the day. I'll go get you some food first." He saw that Huo Baichuan's face was pale, so he figured he must have been injured. As a businessman who had traveled all over the country, he had seen a lot and didn't need to know anything about medicine.

“Okay.” Zhao Shu nodded, and Huo Baichuan did not object.

The three of them didn't wait long before Lin Dongxue arrived, accompanied by Zhou Hanyan. She had changed into Hanfu, exuding a unique and elegant beauty. Upon seeing Zhao Shu, she was overjoyed and came over to hug her, having long forgotten the unpleasantness of a few days ago.

This girl is really easygoing, Zhao Shu couldn't help but shake her head with a smile.

"Sister Ajun, who is this?" She had never seen Huo Baichuan before. Seeing Huo Baichuan following Zhao Shu and being incredibly handsome, she immediately glanced at the two of them ambiguously, and the more she looked, the more she felt that this one was more pleasing to the eye.

But Marshal Wei is also very good, what should she do? She was in a dilemma. Should Sister A-Jun be with this man or with Marshal Wei?

Oh my god, it's such a tough choice. Why don't you accept both of them, Sister Jun?

If Zhao Shu knew that she was actually agonizing over this kind of thing, she would definitely burst out laughing; it's so adorable.

"Huo Baichuan," Zhao Shu introduced simply. Since Lin Dongxue was able to bring her here, it meant that she was trustworthy.

For some reason, Zhao Shu instinctively wanted to believe Lin Dongxue. Although she had mixed feelings about it, she trusted him more than anything.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!