When Chen Longxiang opened his mouth, he immediately played the emotional card, hoping that his elder brother Chen Huai'an could grant him this "ill-fated relationship" with the former Empress Dowager Su Wan'er for the sake of their deceased father, Emperor Chen Polu, and their mother, Empress Xu Ruoyun.

To be honest, looking at my younger brother Chen Longxiang kneeling in front of me with bloodshot eyes;

For a fleeting moment, Chen Huai'an did feel a pang of pity.

Humans are not plants or trees; how can they be without feelings?

However, as the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Chen Huai'an could not tolerate the situation where a "femme fatale of the previous dynasty" would disrupt the Tang Dynasty's order and leave hidden dangers for future generations.

The eldest brother is like a father. If the emperor were still alive, he would never have allowed his younger brother Chen Longxiang to act so recklessly.

Chen Huai'an remained silent with a gloomy face, poured himself a full glass of wine, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, trying to suppress the burning sensation of the strong liquor in his throat with the anger that was about to rise to the top of his head.

Chen Longxiang, kneeling on the ground, continued to play the family card, repeating exactly the same lines that Su Wan'er had taught him in the Goguryeo royal palace to his elder brother, Chen Huai'an.

Chen Longxiang said, "Brother, I know that Wan'er was the Empress Dowager of the previous dynasty, and the biological mother of the deposed Emperor Zhao Lingwu of the previous dynasty;"

"I also know that when you led the Longcheng naval fleet to break through the Daxin naval camp in Jiangyin, it was you who, out of compassion, spared Wan'er and her child's lives, and even adopted Xiao Lingwu as your godson, bestowing upon him the title of a prince of the Tang Dynasty;"

"Wan'er told me all these things. She has always been grateful for your great kindness, saying that she can never repay your kindness in this life, and that she will repay you even if she has to be your slave in the next life..."

Chen Longxiang sincerely defended Su Wan'er.

Little did they know, the wise Chen Huai'an had already seen through everything. Su Wan'er did this simply to find a powerful backer for her and her child in the Tang Dynasty.

He was secretly thinking to himself, "I kindly let you go, and this is how you repay me?"

Over here, Chen Longxiang continued, "Brother, Wan'er and I don't want much. We just want the three of us to live happily together."

"I don't need the fiefdom you give me, brother. I just want you to transfer the Duke of Han, the Duke of Qin, and the Duke of Ding back to the Central Plains court from the Goguryeo Peninsula. Then I will stay in the Goguryeo Peninsula to assist Xiao Lingwu until he comes of age."

As he spoke, Chen Longxiang patted his chest and assured him, "Brother, don't worry, those Treasure King Gao Zang and his remnants who fled to the Afeihu Ridge and Imjin River area and are hiding in the deep mountains and dense forests;"

"After the spring of next year, within three months, I will definitely wipe out Gao Zang and his remaining forces, ensuring that there will be no more war east of the Liaodong Peninsula!"

Chen Longxiang continued, "Brother, my journey far from the political center of the Tang Dynasty to guard the border for the Tang on the Goguryeo Peninsula will also eliminate any suspicion or estrangement between us brothers..."

"Dragon and Elephant!"

Chen Huai'an suddenly raised his hand, interrupting Chen Longxiang, and asked with a smile, "Did Su Wan'er teach you to say these things?"

Forehead--

Upon hearing this, Chen Longxiang's expression suddenly froze, and he stared blankly at Chen Huai'an without answering.

Chen Huai'an continued, "Didn't Su Wan'er also tell you that the emperors of all dynasties were most wary of military generals in the court who held too much power?"

"They even used our father as an example, fearing that one day in the future, we brothers might turn against each other and kill one another?"

"So that's why she sent you back to the capital this time, and took the initiative to suggest to me that you stay in Goguryeo, far away from the political center of the Tang Dynasty, which can be considered as relieving my worries?"

"Brother, how did you know?"

Chen Longxiang was still young and couldn't hide anything from Chen Huai'an. He was easily fooled by Chen Huai'an and immediately revealed his true colors.

Chen Longxiang said sullenly, "Brother, I think Wan'er is right. Being born into an imperial family, these problems have been unavoidable since ancient times."

"Although I know in my heart that my brother would never do this to me;"

"Brother, you know in your heart that no matter what happens, I would never do anything to betray you."

"so--"

With pleading eyes and a firm tone, Chen Longxiang said, "Brother, please grant Wan'er's wish. Wan'er is already carrying my child."

"That child, that child is also a member of the Chen family of the Prince of Jin's Mansion!"

"elder brother--"

call--

Chen Huai'an downed another glass of strong liquor, letting out a long sigh to prevent his suppressed anger from erupting on the spot.

At this moment, he finally realized how wrong it was to have let Su Wan'er and her child live because of a momentary lapse in judgment.

The seemingly harmless former Empress Dowager Su Wan'er harbored a wicked heart beneath her innocent appearance.

My younger brother is "simple-minded but physically strong." As an immature and mentally unsound child, he is extremely susceptible to external influences and temptations.

In particular, the one who influenced and seduced him was his bedmate;

Perhaps she was the first woman on Chen Longxiang's path from boy to man.

For a boy of Chen Longxiang's age, in the world before Chen Huai'an's transmigration, he would be an out-and-out rebellious teenager and a spirited young man.

A mere whisper of encouragement can turn someone upside down and disown even their own parents.

This time, the former Empress Dowager Su Wan'er could incite Chen Longxiang to let Chen Huai'an, the elder brother, hand over the entire Goguryeo Peninsula to his younger brother Chen Longxiang;

However, given Chen Longxiang's intelligence and skill, the actual controller of Goguryeo would probably not be him, but rather his bedmate, Su Wan'er.

Once this precedent is set, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Next time, when the young Lingwu, the Goryeo king appointed by the Tang Dynasty, comes of age, will Su Wan'er again urge her younger brother Chen Longxiang to grant him the Liaodong Peninsula as well?

When Su Wan'er and her brother Chen Longxiang's child comes of age, will they have to continue the enfeoffment, granting him the entire northeastern region of the Tang Dynasty?

How could Chen Huai'an possibly open this door?

Su Wan'er returned to the capital heavily pregnant this time, intending to put on a show of "using the emperor to command the princes" for him!

Unfortunately, Su Wan'er was not Cao Mengde.

He, Chen Huai'an, is not Emperor Xian of Han!

Chen Huai'an remained silent, maintaining his calm and composed demeanor, and even had the leisure to personally pour a full glass of wine for his younger brother, Chen Longxiang.

Then, he handed a wine glass filled with wine to Chen Longxiang and said to him, "Longxiang, get up first and have a drink with me."

Um?

Chen Longxiang raised an eyebrow, delighted.

He thought his elder brother Chen Huai'an had agreed to his request, so he happily accepted the wine cup and said to Chen Huai'an, "Brother, on behalf of Wan'er and the child in her womb, I thank the Emperor!"

"Brother, I'll drink this glass first as a sign of respect!"

After saying that, Chen Longxiang tilted his head back and drank the glass of wine in one gulp.

Immediately afterwards, he picked up the wine jug on the table, poured himself another full glass, and said, "Brother, cheers!"

Bang!

The two brothers clinked their exquisite wine glasses together in mid-air, producing a crisp, resounding bang.

Immediately afterwards, Chen Huai'an also drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

Just as Chen Longxiang, holding a wine glass in one hand and a wine pot in the other, was about to refill Chen Huai'an's glass, Chen Huai'an turned the wine glass upside down on the table.

He waved his hand and said, "Alright, Longxiang, let's stop drinking here!"

Um?

Chen Longxiang's expression froze for a moment, but he didn't think much of it. If his elder brother said he wouldn't drink anymore, then he wouldn't drink anymore!

At this moment, Chen Huai'an suddenly stood up, patted Chen Longxiang on the shoulder, and said, "Longxiang, I still have some things to take care of, so I'll take my leave first. After you pay your respects to the Empress Dowager, you should also go back and rest early!"

"Don't forget to come to the Hall of Supreme Harmony early tomorrow morning to join me in hosting a banquet for my ministers and envoys from various countries!"

"Your subject obeys the decree!"

Seeing this, Chen Longxiang accepted the order and stood up to see Chen Huai'an off.

No sooner had Chen Huai'an left than Empress Dowager Xu Ruoyun and Su Wan'er, who was using the alias Li Wan'er, returned from their stroll in the Imperial Garden, chatting and laughing.

It's easy to see that Su Wan'er kept Empress Dowager Xu Ruoyun happy along the way.

No wonder, after all, she was a shrewd person who came from a royal family and later became an empress and empress dowager. Naturally, she knew what Xu Ruoyun liked to hear and said what she liked to hear. How could she not make the empress dowager happy?

When Empress Dowager Xu Ruoyun returned to Cining Palace, she saw that her eldest son had already left, but she didn't think much of it.

She chatted with her youngest son's family for a while in the Cining Palace before letting them go back to rest.

It was late at night.

Walking among the high walls and buildings of the imperial city, Su Wan'er subconsciously leaned close to Chen Longxiang and tentatively asked, "Your Highness, how did your conversation with the Emperor go?"

"Has His Majesty granted the prince's request to be stationed alone in Goguryeo?"

hey-hey!

Chen Longxiang grinned foolishly and said, "Wan'er, who am I? I am the younger brother of the current emperor, the first prince of the Tang Dynasty. The emperor has always doted on me."

"Besides, there's the late Emperor and the Empress Dowager here..."

As he spoke, Chen Longxiang gently stroked Su Wan'er's protruding belly and said with a smile, "There's also the face of our Prince Jin's heir, so naturally the Emperor agreed!"

"His Majesty also said that I should accompany him to a banquet in the Hall of Supreme Harmony tomorrow morning to welcome all the civil and military officials and envoys from various countries."

Ha ha!

As Chen Longxiang spoke and laughed, he muttered to himself, "Tomorrow, I'll have to think of a way to present those two young ladies from the Goguryeo capital to the Emperor, but I can't let my mother and my two sisters-in-law know!"

call--

Having received Chen Longxiang's affirmative answer, Su Wan'er finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the weight that had been hanging over her heart was finally lifted.

She even fantasized in her mind that when Xiao Lingwu came of age, and when the Prince of Jin in her womb came of age, could she follow today's example and have Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an grant fiefdoms again?

Su Wan'er couldn't help but feel secretly glad that her decision to submit to Chen Longxiang, this immature kid, was the right one!

Little did he know, this was merely Chen Longxiang's wishful thinking!

In fact, at the dinner table on New Year's Eve, Chen Huai'an did not give Chen Longxiang any reply or promise at all.

At the same time.

In the imperial study within the palace, the candlelight, which had long been extinguished, flickered again, and the serving eunuchs and maids hurriedly brought over braziers to raise the temperature in the imperial study.

Originally, Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an did not intend to handle state affairs today. His original intention was to have a reunion dinner with his mother at Cining Palace and then spend time with his two sons.

Who would have thought that the absurd affair of Prince Chen Longxiang of Jin would occur.

Upon returning to his study, Chen Huai'an had no choice but to issue an edict summoning Luo Yucheng, the deputy commander of the Longcheng Inner Guard and Marquis of Wuping, to the palace for an audience.

When Marquis Wuping, Luo Yucheng, rushed to the Imperial Study, Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, had already brewed a cup of sobering tea and had been waiting in the Imperial Study for a long time.

"Your Majesty, I am late and have kept you waiting. Please punish me!"

As soon as Luo Yucheng entered the room, he hurriedly knelt down to Chen Huai'an to pay his respects and apologize.

"Yu Cheng, stand up and speak!"

Chen Huai'an waved his hand, called Luo Yucheng over, and asked bluntly, "Yucheng, do you know where the Prince of Jin is staying when he comes to the capital to report on his mission?"

Um?

Luo Yucheng frowned and replied without hesitation, "Your Majesty, it is in the Prince of Jin's residence in the capital."

"good!"

Chen Huai'an nodded and said, "Yu Cheng, tonight you will personally go to the Prince of Jin's residence and keep an eye on things. Tomorrow, as soon as the Prince of Jin leaves, you will take men to bring me that heavily pregnant woman from the Prince of Jin's residence."

"Remember, you must not take action inside the Prince of Jin's residence unless absolutely necessary, and you must not reveal your identity. Do you understand?"

"My lord, I obey the order!"