Just when many ministers in the court were worried about their careers and lives, the king of Chu returned to the capital with great fanfare.

In the past few days, because of Annan's complaint, the civil and military of the Manchu Dynasty have been worried, and where is the mood to pay attention to the King of Chu. When the king of Chu returned to Beijing, they remembered that the king of Chu had a different purpose in going to the north. Thinking that the return of the King of Chu would bring bloody rain to the court, the hearts of the ministers hung again. For a time, many people were in danger.

When the king of Chu returned to the capital, he did not rush into the palace, but first went back to his palace to bathe and change clothes. He came back all the way, dusty and unkempt, and it would be rude to enter the palace to see the emperor like this.

When Li and the ministers who supported the king of Chu learned that he had returned, they were all very excited. If it weren't for the fact that the King of Chu was going to enter the palace to face the saint, they would have rushed to the Chu King's Mansion long ago.

After the king of Chu finished bathing, he hurried into the palace.

The emperor had long known that the king of Chu had returned to Beijing and was waiting for him to enter the palace. Knowing that he had entered the palace, he sent Sun Kui to pick him up in person.

As soon as the king of Chu got out of the carriage, he saw Sun Kui at the gate of the palace, and as soon as he wanted to say something, he saw Sun Kui walking towards him.

Sun Kui first saluted the King of Chu respectfully, and then said, "His Royal Highness the King of Chu, the emperor asked the slave maid to pick you up."

"There is a father-in-law of Lao Sun."

"Your Highness is gracious." Sun Kui asked with concern, "Your Highness, you haven't encountered anything along the way, have you?"

"Thank you Grandpa Sun for your concern, I've had a good journey and nothing happened." Thanks to the help of the tenth brother, he was able to return to Beijing safely and smoothly.

"You don't know how much the emperor is worried about you since you haven't come back, and Concubine Li is also very worried about you." Sun Kui's words were half-true and half-false, Concubine Li was really worried about the King of Chu, but the emperor was not worried at all. "Concubine Li will be very happy to learn that you are back."

When the king of Chu heard that Concubine Li was worried about him, he felt very guilty: "Grandpa Sun, my mother concubine is okay for a while?" He didn't dare to write a letter along the way, nor did he dare to send someone to send back the news, for fear of being discovered by King Han's people. The mother concubine has been seeing that he has not returned, and they are afraid that they will be restless day and night.

"Concubine Li has lost weight, saying that it is a bitter summer, and the slave maid thinks it's because she is worried about you."

"It's me who is not filial." The king of Chu decided to report to the emperor later, and then went to visit Concubine Li. "By the way, is Concubine Liang okay?"

"Concubine Liang is also worried about you." Sun Kui said in his heart, Concubine Liang is very good. "Niang Niang, you don't have to worry."

"That's good." Since Zhao Yao went to Lingnan, the king of Chu has treated Concubine Liang as his mother.

Sun Kui told the King of Chu about what had happened in the court recently. Although the king of Chu did not return to Beijing before, he heard about Princess Annan's complaint against many ministers. Of course, I also know that the former King Zheng was demoted to a concubine and was going to be beheaded to show the public.

"Your Royal Highness, the emperor said, you are here, go in directly, you don't need to pass through."

"I'm sorry to trouble Grandpa Sun."

"Your Highness is serious, this is the duty of a slave." Sun Kui did not follow into the imperial study, but stayed at the door.

Seeing his master standing at the door, Sun Doudou asked curiously, "Master, why don't you go in and serve?"

"The emperor wants to discuss important matters with His Royal Highness the King of Chu, so I won't go in." Sun Kui still has this bit of eyesight, "I'll wait for the emperor to call me."

Sun Doudou secretly glanced into the imperial study, and then lowered his voice and said to Sun Kui, "Master, His Royal Highness the King of Chu is back, is this going to happen again, and it's still a big deal?"

Sun Kui glared at Sun Doudou, "The affairs of the imperial court, should you be concerned?" And he warned him, "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask."

Sun Doudou smiled at Sun Kui flatteringly, "Aren't I scared?" There have been too many things happening in the past few days, not to mention that the ministers are terrified, even those who are waiting for them are also trembling, for fear of hitting the emperor's gun.

"Izumi, this has nothing to do with you, what are you afraid of." After Sun Kui finished speaking, he leaned on the pillar and took a nap with his eyes closed.

Sun Doudou didn't dare to say anything more, and stood quietly beside his master.

In the imperial study, the emperor listened carefully to the report of the king of Chu.

The king of Chu told the emperor everything he saw and heard on the way to the north, including what happened after he arrived in the north.

While listening, the emperor praised King Chu from time to time for doing a good job.

When the king of Chu reported on the disaster relief, he brought some private goods with him, vigorously praised Zhao Yao for sending grain to the north in time, and praised Zhao Yao's suggestion of eating locusts very well. Nowadays, the people of the north are no longer afraid of locusts, but regard them as the "God of Wealth".

Hearing the king of Chu desperately praising his youngest son, the emperor was relieved and amused.

"Father, this time the locust plague in the north can be successfully resolved, thanks to the tenth brother, you have to reward the tenth brother well." The locust plague in the north was successfully resolved, and the ten brothers made great contributions. The king of Chu felt that the emperor could not ignore Zhao Yao's merits just because he did not like him.

The emperor couldn't hear the meaning of King Chu's words, "I have already rewarded him."

The King of Chu didn't ask the emperor what he had rewarded Zhao Yao, "That tenth brother will definitely be very happy."

The emperor said, "You really care about him."

"The tenth brother is the younger brother, and I should care about him as an elder brother."

The emperor glanced at the king of Chu and complimented, "You are very good like this." After saying that, he asked again, "How is the second child in the north?"

"The second brother is very good in the north, ......" The king of Chu did not speak ill of the acting king, but kept talking about the hard work and merits of the acting king in resisting the Xiongnu in the north.

After hearing this, the emperor nodded slightly, and then asked, "What about the fifth child?"

"Father, about the fifth brother, the son has something to tell."

"Say."

The king of Chu told the emperor in detail about King Han's collusion with the three princesses around Xinmaodun. After speaking, he added that he had not obtained evidence, but it was true, and asked the emperor to send someone to investigate immediately.

When the emperor heard this, there was no wave on his face.

"You can sense that this is good."

Hearing the emperor say this, the king of Chu was very surprised: "Father, do you know?"

"Know."

King Chu looked shocked.

"The matter between the fifth and the third princess is more complicated than you imagined." The emperor told the king of Chu, "This matter is over here for you, so don't worry about it."

"Yes, Father." Since his father knew that the fifth brother had colluded with the third princess, he had nothing to worry about.

The emperor praised the king of Chu a few more words, and then asked him to hurry to see Concubine Li.

Concubine Li also knew that the King of Chu had returned, and she had been waiting for her son to come over.

When the king of Chu saw Concubine Li, he first pleaded guilty and said that he was not filial, which made Concubine Li worried.

Concubine Li red-eyed, helped King Chu up, and kept saying that it was good to come back.

During this time, Concubine Li has been worried about her son's safety, afraid that her son will have an accident on the way back to Beijing. She dreamed several times that her son was being hunted down and killed, and his body was in a different place.

When Concubine Li calmed down, the King of Chu told her how Zhao Yao helped him get out of his golden cicada.

After hearing this, Concubine Li sighed: "Fortunately, King Han helped you this time, otherwise you would ......" The son did not hurt Xiao Shi in vain, Xiao Shi is grateful. Is there any danger that you will go to the north?"

The king of Chu briefly told Concubine Li about what happened in the north. King Han colluded with the three princesses of the Xiongnu, he didn't say it, this is a secret, and you can't tell others casually.

"The acting king has made a great contribution to resisting the Huns this time, and I was worried that after he came back from the north, he would overwhelm you, but I didn't expect that some time ago, Princess Annan sued the acting king and the Marquis of Xuanping to recruit troops and forge weapons in Annan." Concubine Li was worried that when the acting king came back, the king of Chu would have no chance of winning, but she didn't expect Princess Annan to send a big surprise, "Recruiting troops and forging weapons is a big crime, and the meritorious work made by the acting king in the north can only be atoned."

"Even if he comes back, there will be nothing." The king of Chu was not afraid to make meritorious service on behalf of the king.

Concubine Li looked at her son's unsurprised appearance of what the acting king and the Marquis of Xuanping were doing in Annan, and asked suspiciously, "You already know what the acting king and they did?"

King Chu bowed slightly: "I know, Princess Annan was sent by the tenth brother."

When Concubine Li heard this, her face was shocked

Stunned: "What are you talking about, it's the king of Han who ......?"

"Well, when Princess Annan escaped from that beast, she met the caravan of the Liang family on the way, and it was the caravan of the Liang family who secretly took her to Lingnan, and then sent her back to Annan."

"This, this, this......" Concubine Li was speechless in shock.

"Princess Annan is bent on revenge, and the tenth brother sent someone to send her to Da Zhou."

Concubine Li was stunned for a moment, and said in surprise, "I didn't expect Xiao Shi to help her."

"The tenth brother is in the swamp mansion, and he has business dealings with people from those countries in Annan, and he is better informed in those countries in Annan than we are."

When Concubine Li heard this, her expression became more and more surprised: "You mean that what the acting king and Xuanping Hou did in Annan was collected by Xiao Shi, and then let Princess Annan complain?"

King Chu nodded, "That's right."

"This ......" In Concubine Li's eyes, Zhao Yao has always been a child who doesn't grow up. Little Ten has become so capable."

"The tenth brother has always been capable, don't underestimate him, mother." When the king of Chu mentioned Zhao Yao, his face was full of pride.

"Little Ten is capable, what are you proud of." Concubine Li quipped, "Xiao Shi is not your son, what is your father-like pride?"

The King of Chu was a little embarrassed by Concubine Li's ridicule, "Mother, the tenth brother is my younger brother."

"It's good that Xiao Shi is capable, so that he won't be bullied in Lingnan." As soon as Concubine Li finished speaking, she remembered that the ministers participated in Zhao Yao's beheading of Lingnan officials. "This kid shouldn't be bullied in Lingnan."

"I was also worried that my tenth brother would be bullied in Lingnan, but now it seems that it would be good if he didn't bully others."

"You still persuade Xiao Shi not to exterminate all the officials over there in Lingnan, it's not good for his reputation."

"Mother, the tenth brother doesn't care about reputation, those officials in Lingnan are heinous, they deserve to die, the tenth brother killed them according to the law, there is nothing wrong with it." Since learning what those officials in Lingnan had done, the king of Chu felt that Zhao Yao was right.

Seeing that King Chu's face was full of anger, Concubine Li did not say anything about the Lingnan officials, and changed the topic to talk about what happened recently.

"King Jing and Zhenguo Gong also did those things in Annan, and after the emperor sends someone to verify that there are no mistakes, how do you think the emperor will punish them?"

"If they didn't bring the forged weapons back to the Great Zhou, and they didn't bring the private soldiers raised in Annam back to the Great Zhou, then they wouldn't be guilty of rebellion." The king of Chu analyzed, "If they follow the law of the Great Zhou, they will not be punished to death, but they will also be severely punished. However, how to punish them depends on what the father thinks. If the father doesn't pursue them, then they will be fine. If my father finds out, they won't be able to keep their titles."

"Over the years, the emperor has been dealing with the family, do you think the emperor will take this opportunity to get rid of the Zhenguo Mansion, the Anyang Mansion and the Xuanping Marquis Mansion?" Concubine Li naturally hoped that the emperor would punish him severely this time and not let go of the Zhenguo Gong.

"It's hard to say." King Chu couldn't figure out the emperor's thoughts, "If the Zhenguo Mansion is concerned, the eldest brother's family only had an accident last year, if the father and emperor take action against the Zhenguo Mansion again, I am afraid that it will ruin the reputation of the father and make people feel that the father is ungrateful." Besides, the current Zhenguo Mansion has long been out of fashion, and my father should not be able to kill them all."

"You're right, the emperor shouldn't let go of the Anyang Mansion."

"Well, as for the Xuanping Marquis Mansion, it is considered the mother's family, and the father does not look at the face of Concubine Rong, but also on the emperor's grandmother's sake, and may not severely punish the Xuanping Marquis Mansion."

Concubine Li let out a long sigh: "Alas, it is really impossible to let the emperor severely punish the acting king and the Xuanping Marquis Mansion through this matter."

King Chu said calmly, "There will always be opportunities in the future."

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