Yes, it seemed to bring no benefit to the emperor, so no one expected that the coup launched by Empress Shen and Yun Chi was actually tacitly approved by the emperor.

Even now, Yun Zhuo and Ye Qingxue still don't understand why the emperor did this.

I really can't think of even the slightest benefit.

Ye Qingxue frowned and said, "Before Empress Shen launched her coup, the Emperor secretly mobilized troops from Yanming Pass in advance, which means that he had actually guessed that Empress Shen would launch a coup and had taken precautions in advance."

Yun Zhuo pondered for a while and then said, "If my master was killed by Empress Shen's people and then impersonated by them, then the people who appeared in the palace during the palace coup were from the Heavenly Eagle Holy Kingdom."

He pursed his lips and continued, "Liu Qinghe once told me that what my father has been pursuing since he ascended the throne is to create a prosperous era for the Great Zhou Dynasty and to be remembered for all time."

Ye Qingxue's eyes suddenly lit up: "I think I know the answer. Perhaps from the beginning, the Emperor wanted to use Empress Shen to lure the main force of the Heavenly Eagle Holy Kingdom into the Great Zhou Imperial City and then wipe them out in one fell swoop!"

"Not only will we thwart the Heavenly Eagle Holy Kingdom's conspiracy, but we will also severely weaken its power. If we then seize the opportunity to quickly send troops to attack the Heavenly Eagle Holy Kingdom, it will be unable to resist. Our Great Zhou soldiers will then advance straight into the Heavenly Eagle Holy Kingdom!"

In an instant, everyone's eyes fell on Ye Qingxue.

The room suddenly became so quiet that you could almost hear the sound of a gentle breeze.

Chu Xianyun said, "Therefore, the coup in the Eastern Palace and the deposition of the Crown Prince were not only the work of Empress Shen, but also the work of the Emperor. The Crown Prince saw the truth the moment he saw his wet nurse by the water."

Zhuang Xin and Zhan Shuang's bodies were so stiff they felt numb.

Zhuang Xin said, "In order to lure the main force of the Heavenly Eagle Holy Kingdom into the capital, His Majesty was willing to sacrifice the Crown Prince and slaughter so many people in the Eastern Palace?"

Zhan Shuang continued, "Even General Qin was part of the Emperor's scheme! If the Crown Princess hadn't discovered Empress Shen's plot beforehand, the Sky Eagle Iron Cavalry would have already broken through Yanming Pass and entered the heart of the Great Zhou!"

Chu Xianyun said, "His Majesty not only doesn't care about the death of the Crown Prince, the upheaval in the Eastern Palace, the death of General Qin, or the fall of Yanming Pass, but also doesn't care about the lives of a large number of soldiers and civilians of the Great Zhou. He actually wants the Sky Eagle Iron Cavalry to trample our Great Zhou and then take it down!"

Another long silence fell over the room.

Chu Xianyun stood up from his chair and suddenly let out a cold laugh: "To be honest, our Great Zhou Emperor is quite ambitious! He knows Empress Shen's identity and the Heavenly Eagle Holy Kingdom's conspiracy, so he wants to turn the tables on her!"

Zhuang Xin and Zhan Shuang said, "But their methods are too insidious!"

Chu Xianyun said, "If the emperor's conspiracy had succeeded, it might not have been a good thing for the people of that time; in fact, it could have been a terrible tragedy. But it's hard to say how future generations would evaluate this emperor."

"An emperor who can expand the territory will always be remembered for eternity, and he also proposed to build the Grand Canal, which is a good thing for the country and the people. Future generations will be grateful to him. But the people under his rule will suffer the loss of their families, the destruction of their homes, and the bloodshed."

Ye Qingxue said, "No wonder Yun Zhuo made great contributions during the Empress Shen's palace coup, but was still falsely accused by the Emperor of privately mobilizing troops. It turns out we ruined his plans."

"He was afraid that his past schemes would be exposed, so he tried to kill us time and time again."

Yun Zhuo's face was extremely cold, and his hands were clenched into fists: "In order to annex the territory of the Heavenly Eagle Holy Kingdom, he did not want his own son, and did not hesitate to slaughter the Crown Prince. He did not even want his own people, and even allowed the enemy army to trample on our Great Zhou territory. With such an emperor, which people would be willing to follow him!"

He originally thought the biggest villain was the empress, but it turns out the biggest villain was his own father. What could be more absurd and ironic than this?

"So!" Chu Xianyun said, "The matter of Prince Xuan and his wife being brought back to the capital by the Emperor..."

He paused, looked up, and exchanged a glance with Ye Qingxue and Yun Zhuo.

The three of them said in unison, "Let them go back!"

The reason was that in that one glance, all three of them understood each other's meaning.

...

In June, when Xiao Bao was one year old, the Xuan King and his wife finally arrived in the capital. The Xuan Queen had become pregnant on the way to Liangzhou. The child was only one month younger than Xiao Bao and was named Yun Yinzhou.

Moreover, Princess Xuan was already pregnant with her second child at this time, who was expected to be born at the end of the year.

After the couple returned to the capital, they first went to the palace to thank the emperor, who then granted them accommodations at the Prince Xuan's residence, treating them as before.

After the couple settled down, they kept a low profile. Yun Xun did not get close to any officials, nor did he do anything out of line. As for Ji Mingwei, she would only occasionally take the children out to visit the ladies in the capital, or have tea and enjoy the scenery. That was all.

Yun Yinzhou, who was less than a year old, walked steadily, spoke clearly, and was adorable. The emperor loved this grandson very much and often had Princess Xuan bring him to the palace.

People in the capital all heard the news and took the initiative to invite Ji Mingwei to visit. After Ji Mingwei brought Yun Yinzhou to their door, they praised Yun Yinzhou highly.

Therefore, not long after, Xiao Bao, as the eldest grandson of the emperor, was brought out for comparison.

"I heard that the Crown Prince's eldest grandson is one year old and still can't walk or talk. I wonder if it's true!"

“It’s absolutely true. Many of the nannies who served the eldest grandson of the emperor have left, for fear of getting into trouble. That eldest grandson of the emperor is an idiot.”

“A child who can’t walk or talk at one year old isn’t necessarily stupid. Some children just talk and walk late.” Some people hold a different opinion.

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