Afternoon, Zichen Palace.

The current emperor is drinking tea with the crown prince and his son, but it's not a leisurely afternoon tea.

Xie Zhou and his father, the emperor, were discussing memorials when they started arguing.

He wouldn't have dared to do that before, but now that he has a wife, he needs to be bolder.

He didn't even blush with embarrassment these days; he usually doesn't need to.

Seeing that his father was in good spirits, Xie Zhou boldly said, "Guan Zun is stubborn and self-willed. Weizhou is a crucial place. If we use Guan Zun, something terrible will happen sooner or later. Wouldn't it be better to choose someone to assist him?"

Today's question is: "Who do you think is suitable?"

Xie Zhou replied, "Your subject thinks Han Xun is suitable. He has been in the Hanlin Academy for many years. Although he is mild-mannered, he is otherwise quite good. With him keeping an eye on Guan Zun, he can stop him if anything happens, or submit a memorial to the emperor. He will not interfere with Guan Zun's actions in normal times, and Han Xun is not a disliked person."

I'm considering this now.

Han Xun was the eldest son of the Duke of Zheng and the nephew of the Empress Dowager.

He passed the imperial examination at the age of twenty and entered the Hanlin Academy, but he has been procrastinating ever since, never in a hurry for anything.

The Hanlin Academy was a low-paying department with meager salaries, and although there were many rewards, he wasn't in a hurry.

These days, sometimes asking him a question can drive you crazy.

Fortunately, he doesn't cause trouble. So, while I don't like him now, I wouldn't say I hate him either.

If Han Xun were to follow Guan Zun, Guan Zun wouldn't dare to offend him.

That's brilliant!

Moreover, once Han Xun returns with Guan Zun, he can be rewarded however he pleases.

It's fine to seal it off now, but Han Xun isn't in a hurry. Han Cheng is jumping around everywhere, but Han Xun is incredibly calm.

He nodded: "As you say."

Xie Zhou knew that Guan Zun had caused a major mess, and that's when he thought of his cousin.

He passed the imperial examination on his own; he was talented, but also had a steady temperament.

Only by being talented and keeping a close eye on Guan Zun can one understand what he is doing.

Otherwise, his elaborate and flashy explanations might not be understood by the average person, nor could they grasp the potential impact. Guan Zun certainly has ability.

Anyway, Han Xun wasn't afraid of the hardships of being sent out to work. He also didn't care about getting any personal benefits.

Sipping tea, I was in a good mood: "I'm just afraid someone will say that Han Xun didn't do anything."

Xie Zhou replied domineeringly, "So what?"

The Emperor nodded. The Empress Dowager's own nephew is far superior to those others!

The eunuch came to report: "The search of Wu Chaoen's residence is almost complete, and we are conducting a final check. The secret passage leads to a two-courtyard house behind the Pei family's residence, which should belong to the Li family."

Xie Zhou was shocked.

I just want to take a look at my son.

Xie Zhou is quite young now and looks a bit like his father.

Perhaps having been emperor for over a decade, he resembles him in some ways. But as the crown prince, he's alright.

Xie Zhou recalled that Wu Chaoen was a pawn of the Li family, so she knew that Chang Ziyu would definitely be able to secure the position of Empress.

Many empresses are not secure in their positions, but Wu Chaoen is not anyone's person; he is his own.

He was able to navigate the inner palace of the Dong family, conspire with the King of Wu, and live a very comfortable life.

He doesn't light the stove when it's hot, but when it's cold. People like Chang Ziyu rely on him and are easily manipulated by him, allowing him to get more benefits he wants.

Chang Ziyu herself probably didn't understand. She thought she could become empress without the emperor's help.

Xie Zhou then mocked himself, saying that the woman had never loved him.

He was foolish enough to be tricked by Wu Chaoen.

So his wife is really something else, she covered his head with a blanket. Wu Chaoen is done for, Chang Ziyu, just wait and see.

The emperor issued an edict: "All of Wu Chaoen's possessions shall be confiscated and put into government possession."

This is standard procedure; neither the people nor the money are taken, and the people are reduced to slaves to officials.

If nothing unusual is found, then no one else will be executed. Extermination of an entire clan is actually quite rare. Wu Chao'en was originally a lackey. His adopted son and grandson think they can do whatever they want?

The emperor then issued another decree: "Select suitable items from those items and send them to the Qing'e Palace."

The eunuchs responded. This will probably fill the Qing'e Palace to the brim. Wu Chaoen's judgment is excellent.

He worked hard for decades, but in the end, it all benefited the Qing'e Palace.

The emperor then issued another decree: "Is the house alright? Block up the secret passage, and once the house is cleaned up, bestow it upon Princess Yongmu. Leave some of the belongings for her."

The eunuch wondered, "How much is 'one point'? It's probably enough to display the house, and it's considered a gift from the Emperor to the princess."

Because Wu Chaoen had so many things, Qing'e Palace and Princess Yongmu shared quite a lot of them.

Today, people ask their sons, "Which one do you think is suitable?"

To ease the Emperor's burdens, it would be best for Princess Yongmu to marry out. Xie Zhou thought of someone: "Shen Yanzong, he has a good temperament. What does the Emperor think?"

Why is the Crown Prince so favoring the eldest son? It's alright for Shen Yanzong to go with the eldest son.

Xie Zhou said, "If Father thinks it's alright, then ask both sides again."

Today, he simply resigned himself to his fate: "Go ask them. You'll have to worry more about your siblings' affairs from now on. After all, if you marry someone who's a handful, they'll end up causing trouble for you anyway, haha!"

Xie Zhou sighed helplessly; it seemed his father had something on his mind.

I feel much more relaxed now.

He held absolute power and ordered his sons around, making them all work for him.

Xie Zhou still mentioned the matter of Miss Han to his father: "My cousin went to Binzhou after she was born, and we haven't heard from her since. I wonder what's going on."

The Emperor snorted coldly: "I won't grant marriages casually. You should worry about it more and investigate if necessary. Your grandmother seems to have asked about it, but Lady Lou brushed it off, and your grandmother couldn't be bothered to care anymore."

Xie Zhou suddenly realized.

It was probably Lady Lou who was scheming in front of the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was thoughtful enough to remember that.

If Lady Lou had been willing, she would probably have been sent to the Eastern Palace. I never imagined Lady Lou would be so ruthless.

We have to thank Madam Lou for this. But the fact that Madam Lou allowed her to come back this time is probably much more meaningful.

He was too lazy to deal with the eldest branch of the Han family now, but he cared about his own son: "Go back and remind Qing'e that next time she sees someone brandishing a knife, she should quickly dodge. If she gets hurt, won't her illness get even worse?"

Xie Zhou nodded, "That's right!"

My wife has a lot of brute strength, but she doesn't know martial arts, and the phoenix mace she's holding is too short.

Now he's scolding his son: "Don't leave everything to your wife, or you'll be in even more trouble."

Xie Zhou pursed his lips.

He laughed heartily and left.

Xie Zhou must have been laughed at by his father, the emperor.

And I don't know where my father's favoritism lies.

He didn't want his wife to get tired, and he also wanted her to give him a hard time.

Everyone says that a mother-in-law judges her son-in-law, but his father, the emperor, could spoil his wife like a daughter.

Xie Zhou then pondered the matter of Consort Cui.

Consort Cui wants to join forces with Wu Chaoen?

There's no point in talking about it now.

As for the many things that arose because of Wu Chaoen, I wonder how they will feel when they see the Emperor's decree.

The emperor's decision to compensate Qing'e Palace with most of Wu Chaoen's possessions was a biased act, but it was perfectly reasonable for him to do so.

Xie Zhou suddenly felt that he had learned something.

My wife deserves to be pampered.

Xie Zhou strolled to Xuanfu Gate. What was Xie Xuan doing standing there, looking for a beating?

Xie Zhou usually walked in front of the gate, through the Jiade Gate, but could walk in the back if it wasn't for official business.

Xie Xuan was taken aback when he saw the Crown Prince, and quickly bowed.

Some emperors rarely saw their crown princes, or only once every few days.

In the past, even before the Crown Prince took a concubine, we rarely saw him.

After the Crown Princess entered the palace, the relationship between the Emperor and the Crown Prince also improved.

Xie Xuan was quite handsome, dressed in a python robe, exuding a kingly aura, and he showed no fear even when facing the Crown Prince.