After Zhong Muyu finished speaking, it was a long time before Lu Ziyuan slowly asked, "Yu'er, do you really think so?"

"Of course! Could it be... that you truly harbor ambitions to seize the throne?"

Zhong Muyu was startled. The throne was a position that many people longed for. If Lu Ziyuan was also in that position, then it would be time for them to part ways.

She loved Lu Ziyuan very much, but no matter how much she loved him, she didn't want to be imprisoned in the deep palace for him and watch him have a harem of wives and concubines.

Zhong Muyu stared at him cautiously, genuinely afraid that Lu Ziyuan would nod in agreement.

Fortunately, Lu Ziyuan denied it.

"I only want to do what I should do. I have never had any intention of vying for the throne. I am forced to do this now. If you are not willing either, we will think of another way."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Muyu finally felt relieved.

"It's good that you didn't. In that case, go and explain. Once the truth comes out, the Emperor won't dare to offend the world and take action against us again."

Lu Ziyuan nodded: "I had this idea before. To be honest, I don't want to make unnecessary sacrifices. I just hope to resolve this peacefully as much as possible."

Zhong Muyu smiled, and then saw Lu Ziyuan gently pull her into his arms, his hand resting on her belly: "Are you relieved now?"

"Um!"

"Then you should rest well. It's not good to overwork yourself while taking care of a child."

Zhong Muyu agreed. She was already showing signs of pregnancy, and her body was becoming increasingly inconvenient.

...

Soon, Lu Ziyuan gathered his people and revealed his situation in detail, which caused a great upheaval in the world.

When Lu Ziying, who was far away in the capital, heard this news, his expression changed.

However, what worried him even more was yet to come.

One memorial after another was presented, and the young eunuch reported tremblingly, "Your Majesty, Prince Cheng and Prince Wen have also raised an army in rebellion!"

The late emperor had many sons, and Lu Ziying was able to become emperor because of his legitimate claim. However, if the new emperor were to lose his virtue, then things would be different.

Now he regrets it. He regrets that he attacked Lu Ziyuan first because he coveted Zhong Muyu's secret.

Lu Ziyuan posed the greatest threat to him. He originally thought that eliminating him would solve everything, but he never expected that the greatest threat would also be the most difficult to deal with. Now, he has incited his other brothers to rebel. What can he do?

He angrily slapped the little eunuch: "You're all lawless!"

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"

Lu Ziying slumped on the dragon throne. Expecting him to hand over the throne was simply a pipe dream!

However, the situation is not optimistic.

After ascending the throne, Lu Ziying was eager to eliminate his brothers by ruthless means. The other brothers were watching, and those who could not compete for the throne had all chosen their allies, but none of them chose him.

Lu Ziyuan hadn't expected his other brothers to rebel as well. Before he could react, someone had already come to visit him.

"Seventh Brother!"

A strong, resonant voice approached from afar. Lu Ziyuan was discussing the follow-up situation with Zhong Muyu when Lu Ziqing arrived in a flurry of activity.

It had been a long time since I'd seen him. He seemed more mature than before, but when he opened his mouth, he was still the same as always.

Lu Ziyuan was surprised: "Lu Ziqing? What brings you here?"

Lu Ziqing said smugly, "Of course I'm here to help Seventh Brother! Don't worry, Seventh Brother, you still have people supporting you. We might not be able to defeat Prince Cheng and Prince Wen!"

"absurd!"

Lu Ziyuan's sudden anger startled Lu Ziqing: "What's wrong?"

Zhong Muyu came over and explained, "Your seventh brother and I have no intention of vying for the throne. Besides, this is not a game. It's all about the winner taking all, and losing could implicate your whole family. I think you should go back, behave yourself, and wait and see."

"What! You actually think that way?"

The two nodded in unison, confirming it was absolutely true.

Lu Ziqing was still somewhat incredulous: "You guys are really different from others. According to Seventh Brother's conditions, it would be easy for you to win."

Lu Ziyuan said, "If I wanted to seize the throne, I wouldn't announce it to the world now. It wouldn't be too late to say it after we win the battle."

When the topic of announcing the decree to the world came up, Lu Ziqing suddenly looked indignant: "Just thinking about it makes me angry. The Emperor is too despicable. He actually conspired with outsiders to harm his own brothers. He's utterly heartless!"

"In any case, he's in trouble now. We plan to stay here and wait and see. Whoever takes that position, I won't make a move."

After Lu Ziyuan finished speaking, Lu Ziqing said with a serious expression, "But the brothers may not allow it. Seventh Brother, you are powerful and popular. Now, because of the framing incident, the people are even more devoted to you. They will definitely do anything to get you to help them."

Lu Ziyuan had thought about this before, but now his mind was made up.

"There's no need to discuss this further, Ziqing. Your seventh sister-in-law is right. Right now, there's internal strife among the brothers. You don't need to get involved in this mess. Go back and protect your own territory."

Anyway, no one cares about Lu Ziqing's small and ordinary territory. Everyone knows that he is weak and no one would want to harm him.

Lu Ziqing was very disappointed: "Sigh, since Seventh Brother says so, then I can only go back. I hope you are all safe."

"Yes, be careful when you leave. Don't let anyone see it and use it against you. It's not good for either of us."

Lu Ziqing nodded vigorously. After he left, Zhong Muyu suddenly thought of something important and couldn't help but feel worried.

"Lu Ziyuan, I think it would be better if we took some men back and kept watch over Ling Qing."

"That's what I thought all along, but the situation in this area still needs to be handled properly. King Cheng and King Wen certainly won't let these cities go, but I can't give any of them to them either."

Zhong Muyu nodded: "I'm worried about the Xi Rong in the north. Wu Zhao made peace with Lu Ziying, and later colluded with their tribe to harm you. I'm worried that they will take the opportunity to cause trouble, creating internal and external troubles."

Upon hearing Zhong Muyu's words, Lu Ziyuan also frowned: "Your concerns are not without merit. It's just that Yuanqi has been too chaotic lately, while Xirong has been too quiet, causing us to overlook this point."

“Wu Zhao is not a law-abiding person. He must be planning something big. The best place for them to send troops is Lingqing. Now that Lingqing is unmanaged, I am really worried.”

As soon as Zhong Muyu finished speaking, Lu Ziyuan took her hand and rubbed her temples with his other hand.

"do what?"

Lu Ziyuan said, "Don't worry, I'll handle everything. Just leave it to me."

"Yes, but if you need anything, just let me know."

"Of course, of course. With your abilities, Madam, I'll definitely need you."

Lu Ziyuan smiled and pushed her back into the house. After Zhong Muyu rested, he went to deal with matters outside.

Lu Ziqing came and went in a hurry, and indeed did not disturb many people. Now that the forces of King Wen and King Cheng have been established, people from both factions are heading towards Yuanjing.

Meanwhile, Lu Ziyuan finally finished tidying up the affairs here and led those who were willing to follow him to Ling Qing'an's home.