"Princess, Zhao Hao is truly a despicable son, utterly despicable!"

"Little Red... what's wrong?"

“Princess, Zhao Hao… he’s been spending his days indulging in brothels and revelry, having a great time. He doesn’t act like a member of the royal family at all!”

Princess, Little Red feels so sorry for you...

Liu Tong frowned upon hearing what the maid Xiao Hong said.

If her future husband is a fame-seeking opportunist.

What will become of her in the future?

"There might be some unexpected changes here. Xiao Hong, go and make arrangements. The two of us will sneak out of the palace tonight to find out the truth!"

"Alright! If Zhao Hao dares to betray Your Highness, Xiao Hong will make sure he suffers the consequences!"

...

It has been more than two and a half months since Zhao Hao arrived in Luoyang City.

The emperor demanded that Zhao Hao enter Luoyang within three months, but he entered the territory under the jurisdiction of Sili three days later and officially entered Luoyang five days later.

However, apart from the gentry who would come to the gate of Zhao Hao's temporary residence every day to angrily curse him for being an inhuman son, there have been few unusual events.

Oh, I forgot to mention, Zhao Hao temporarily stayed at Wang Yun's residence, successfully causing Wang Yun to suffer two and a half months of scolding for nothing.

"Young master, we have the results!"

That morning, while Zhao Hao was still lying in his armchair basking in the sun, Wang Meng, who was becoming increasingly energetic and robust, came to Zhao Hao with good news.

During this period, apart from the luck points needed to supply various parts of Bingzhou, Zhao Hao gathered four million luck points and successfully equipped Wang Yun with a set of exclusive martial arts techniques and the BMW Armor.

According to the system, Wang Meng, as a strategist, is suited to the "Overlord's Mind Technique," which combines both literary and martial arts skills, and has an extremely high growth potential. Therefore, his cost is slightly higher than that of Yuwen Chengdu.

Now, Wang Meng has undergone a complete transformation. Although his martial arts strength is only slightly over 80, his ability rating still surpasses the limits of the legendary level!

"Hehe, after all that hard work and planning, you've finally reaped the rewards? Jinglue, is this good news from over there?"

Wang Meng smiled slightly and whispered to Zhao Hao.

"Young Master, Liu Hong was indeed poisoned. And based on the clues, Empress He is the most likely culprit!"

Zhao Hao nodded. "How many people from the palace have been lost trying to gather this kind of intelligence?"

"My lord, of the five hundred scouts, only two hundred were women. And of those, only seventy-odd successfully infiltrated the inner palace. Now, for this intelligence, another thirty-four have been lost, and their bodies... will probably only be found deep within the palace."

"...In that case, after some time I will assign some scouts to you, so that we can plant our eyes and ears everywhere in Luoyang City!"

"We will not fail in our mission!"

"What about the Emperor's health? Is it as I suspected, that he only has less than six months left?"

"Yes, according to intelligence... it's a slow-acting poison that requires a mixture of various herbs to gradually kill a person. This empress is ruthless; to ensure her son's smooth ascension to the throne, she actually poisoned her own husband..."

Zhao Hao waved his hand, and finally he knew the reason why Liu Hong died of illness in his thirties.

Next, we need to focus on other important matters.

"Now, let's talk about the aristocratic families!"

"Yes! There are countless fertile fields around Luoyang, but only 30% are under the management of the royal palace. Of the remaining 70%, 60% are controlled by aristocratic families and nobles, hiding a population of no less than 300,000 to 400,000."

That pitiful ten percent was barren land that no one wanted to cultivate.

Secondly, whether in military affairs or governance, these people all had some degree of nepotism in the court. In the entire Luoyang court, only Huangfu Song, Cai Yong, and Gai Xun, who was temporarily serving as the Prefect of the Capital, could be considered the three most incorruptible officials.

Gai Xun...? Zhao Hao, who is well-versed in history, has some recollection of him, a famous figure from Xiliang.

It's a pity I time-traveled too late, otherwise I could have rescued Fu Xie as well, and let these two historical figures, who are known as heroes of their time, contribute to my great cause.

However, Zhao Hao understood Wang Meng's rhetoric perfectly.

Even these three individuals would have some flaws that others could seize upon, and they could never be as clear-headed as Hai Rui.

"Hmm...that's about right. Giving this intelligence to Liu Hong as a betrothal gift is most appropriate. But since he won't see us, we'll have to break the ice...among these aristocratic families, who is the most arrogant, domineering, and inhumane?"

After thinking it over carefully, Wang Meng gave Zhao Hao an answer that was hard to believe.

"Although the Yang and Yuan families held high office for four generations and wielded immense power in both the east and west of the Great Wall, most of their actions involved forcing women into prostitution, seizing land, and concealing their populations."

The situation was largely the same in other prominent families. The most vicious and ruthless person...was actually He Jin's half-brother, He Miao!

Zhao Hao nodded, signaling Wang Meng to continue.

"In his early years, this person should have been a kind and benevolent Taoist. But when Empress He gained favor, he became increasingly arrogant and self-willed."

Those who could be on good terms with him were only a certain group of eunuchs.

Wang Meng's description is, so far, almost identical to what Zhao Hao has seen of He Miao in historical records.

But what happened next... was a bit mind-blowing.

"I don't know how He Jin raised his younger brother. This man is now eccentric and cruel. He dares to do the evil things that the aristocratic families dare to do, and he dares to do the things that the aristocratic families dare not do!"

According to his scouts, he would abduct young boys and girls from the countryside every year to serve as servants in his household. However, none of these children escaped his clutches.

"Not a single one survived...? He killed so many people, including children. Could it be that he has turned to the evil path?"

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