Helian Jue looked up and saw the woman behind Helian Chen.
His gaze toward Helian Chen turned somewhat cold—
How could any woman other than A Yuan appear in the military camp or the royal tent?
But Helian Jue quickly suppressed his anger.
Although Helian Chen was a bit ugly and stupid, he was loyal.
He had followed him for many years, so he naturally knew his taboos.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, Helian Chen would never dare to do anything against him or displease him.
So, this woman—
Helian Jue narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Helian Chen, waiting for his explanation.
Helian Chen felt the oppressive atmosphere of his emperor and shuddered. He quickly knelt on one knee and said, "Your subject Helian Chen respectfully wishes Your Majesty good health."
Helian Jue hummed in response, but did not say "I am well, rise," and continued to gaze quietly at Helian Chen.
Helian Chen didn't dare to keep them in suspense and went straight to the point, "I was rash, but the matter is urgent, which is why I dared to invite Miss Dugu here."
"Miss Dugu said she knew the location of the Turkic royal court."
Helian Jue raised an eyebrow, then turned his gaze to the woman behind Helian Chen. "The Dugu family? Dugu Xiong's family?"
Although Dugu Zhi had been reborn, she still adhered to the rules and dared not look directly at the emperor's face.
She lowered her head slightly, revealing her swan-like neck.
Placing your hands folded in front of you is respectful and polite.
Feeling a sharp gaze above her, her heart couldn't help but pound wildly.
Upon hearing Helian Jue's question about "the women of the Dugu family," she answered proactively before Helian Chen could speak: "My daughter is Dugu Zhi, the third daughter of Dugu Xiong."
Dugu Zhi was the third child in her family, but she was indeed Dugu Xiong's only daughter.
Her two older brothers were the first two in line.
As the youngest and only daughter, Dugu Zhi was pampered by her parents and elders from a young age.
Moreover, she grew up in a border town in the northwest, where the people were tough and there weren't many formalities. Dugu Zhi also developed a free-spirited and flamboyant personality.
However, such a personality was not well-received in a bustling city like the capital.
In her previous life, after Dugu Zhi came of age, her father sent her back to the capital.
For no other reason than to find her a good marriage.
The daughter of a military family is exceptionally beautiful, but her only flaw is her wild nature.
Dugu Zhi was not used to the rules of the capital, and the noble ladies and women of the capital looked down on her for her vulgarity and shrewishness.
In particular, Dugu Zhi had a conflict with several playboys in the capital as soon as she arrived.
Dugu Zhi didn't even need her servants or retainers to lift a finger; she just grabbed a whip and beat those spoiled brats until they were rolling on the ground in pain.
The reputation of the Dugu clan for its fierceness reached its peak in Dugu Zhi.
In the past, Dugu was only known for her jealousy and lack of virtue.
Dugu Zhi, on the other hand, was like a female demon, frequently whipping people until they were severely injured.
This is no longer Rouge Tiger, but Ta Niang's female tyrannosaurus!
Her tyranny was in no way inferior to that of Princess Yongchang, who dared to publicly whip the prime minister.
The problem is, no matter how fierce Yongchang is, she is still a princess.
A princess is a king; she has no worries about marriage!
No matter how fierce Dugu Zhi was, she was still just a subject's daughter. Those powerful and influential families in the capital, whose social standing was comparable to Dugu's, wouldn't dare consider her as a potential bride.
Are you kidding me?
Given Dugu Zhi's tendency to whip her at the drop of a hat, once she got married, any slight dissatisfaction from her husband could lead to bloodshed.
The noblewomen of the Great Zhou Dynasty were indeed fierce, and there was a certain probability of domestic violence incidents.
However, domestic violence, at least, is confined to the bedroom and doesn't go too far.
A woman like Dugu Zhi, a daughter of a military family, is terrifying. If things go wrong, domestic violence can turn into a murder scene!
We can't afford to mess with them!
Even if Dugu Xiong commanded 100,000 border troops, he could not marry his daughter.
Dugu Zhi: ...Hmph, if you don't want to marry me, I don't want to marry you either.
I refuse to believe I'll never get married!
As Dugu Xiong's only beloved daughter, Dugu Zhi certainly couldn't possibly remain unmarried.
Less than six months after returning to Beijing, she arranged an excellent marriage.
However, Dugu Zhi and her family in her previous life did not know that this marriage would be the beginning of a tragedy for her and her entire family!
"...I don't want to think about it anymore! It's all in the past!"
Dugu Zhi quickly composed herself, trying not to dwell on the tragedy of her past life.
She straightened her back with all her might; her marriage in her previous life wasn't entirely without its advantages.
At least, she became a royal wife and had close contact with the emperor and empress.
They had a certain understanding of the emperor and empress's character, likes and dislikes.
For example, Emperor Helian Jue was widely believed to be the former crown prince who was deposed due to his extravagance and eccentric nature. After ascending the throne, he was also a domineering monarch who turned the world upside down and engaged in endless wars.
Having experienced a lifetime of life, Dugu Zhi had personally witnessed the deep affection that Helian Jue, the so-called "tyrant," had for Empress Xie.
Despite being an emperor, his vast harem contained only Empress Xie.
When he first ascended the throne, he used the excuse of observing mourning to block the advice of his civil and military officials.
During the six years of mourning, Helian Jue destroyed the Turks, annexed Gaochang, pacified Tuyuhun and Tubo, and campaigned against Goguryeo and Silla.
Aside from abstaining from meat and women, Helian Jue's actions had absolutely nothing to do with "mourning".
His royal army killed tens of thousands of people on the battlefield!
Therefore, everyone understands that the so-called "filial piety" is nothing but an excuse.
But what good is understanding?
After six years of fighting, Helian Jue held considerable military power, and his influence in the court reached its peak.
He also maximized the imperial power through measures such as moving the capital and selecting officials through the imperial examination system.
With the continued suppression of powerful families, they were no longer able to maintain a monopoly on power in the imperial court.
The newly emerging poor and noble families are also the most loyal supporters of the sage.
It can be said that under Helian Jue's rule, the imperial power of the Great Zhou Dynasty reached its peak.
Helian Jue's domineering nature made the court officials dare not comment on his "domestic affairs".
So what if there's only one empress?
It's not like there aren't princes who can inherit the throne.
Even emperors aren't in a hurry, so why are you outsiders making such a fuss?
Throughout his life, Helian Jue only had Empress Xie by his side.
When the imperial mausoleum was being built, Helian Jue specially ordered the construction of a double coffin.
We'll share the same bed in life and the same grave in death!
This is the kind of love that so many women dream of.
However, in her previous life, Dugu Zhi did not live past the age of thirty, and she did not know whether the emperor and empress truly remained faithful until old age.
However, Dugu Zhi believed that Helian Jue was not the kind of treacherous, cold-hearted, and heartless hypocrite.
He wanted to be with Empress Xie through thick and thin, and he would definitely do it.
No matter how cold or arrogant a man may appear, his heart is always warm and tender.
Dugu Zhi felt that she had the opportunity to start over, and that she must be a chosen one of heaven.
In this life, she might be able to replace Empress Xie and become the beloved darling of the affectionate emperor...
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