"You mean"

A bright light flashed in Cao Ze's eyes.

Hearing the news, a bold guess came to his mind.

Could it be that the illegitimate son of the first emperor rumored by the folk is the champion candidate?

"Shaoqing, as you think."

The empress nodded slightly, her phoenix eyebrows frowned slightly, and her expression was a little unsightly.

"When did this rumor come about? Is it widespread? Cao Ze frowned and asked.

It's been more than a month since he entered Beijing, and he has never heard relevant rumors.

"Few people know about this rumor, but those who know it are in high positions, and it probably circulated in a small area shortly after the death of the first emperor."

The empress thought for a moment and replied.

After the death of the first emperor?

Cao Ze was thoughtful, why did he think there was something weird in it.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration flashed in Cao Ze's mind, and he immediately asked, "Your Majesty, you told me before that the first emperor only had four daughters. ”

"The eldest princess of Yongning is the eldest, the eldest princess of Wuyang is the second, you are the third, and the eldest princess of Zhaojun is the fourth, so is this rumor true or false?"

"I don't know." The empress smiled bitterly.

The first emperor died, and many secrets were buried with it, how did she know the secrets?

If she was in power, of course, she would have the time and energy to explore, but she couldn't pull away from it before.

"Who is older than the eldest princess of Yongning and the champion candidate?" Cao Ze asked bluntly.

"Champions, of course." The empress replied without thinking.

"Hahaha~"

Cao Ze suddenly burst out laughing.

"Cao Ze, what are you laughing at?" Qingluan frowned coldly and asked unhappily.

The empress also looked at Cao Ze, wanting to know the answer.

"Longji, since the champion candidate is older than the eldest princess of Yongning, what do you have to worry about?" Cao Ze smiled lightly.

Cao Ze remembered that the empress had told him about the secrets.

The cultivation of the first emperor was very high, and it was difficult to give birth to offspring, so he used a special secret method to reproduce four offspring successively, but these four offspring were all daughters.

When Zhao Longji was born, the first emperor found out that she was a daughter, and he was desperate for a while, because he was worried that he would never be able to reproduce any more offspring, and in order to stabilize the hearts of the great cadres, he disguised Zhao Longji as a man.

This matter is top secret, the first emperor killed all those who knew about it, and the first emperor has always instilled the concept of a man in Zhao Longji.

After the death of the first emperor, Zhao Longji also succeeded to the throne as a man.

Then the problem is, if the champion is the illegitimate son of the first emperor, with the cultivation of the first emperor and the close contact with the champion candidate, it is impossible not to sense that the champion candidate is his bloodline.

Since the champion candidate is the bloodline of the first emperor, and the first emperor has no son, it is completely possible to directly integrate the champion candidate into the palace, establish him as the crown prince, and train him to become the next generation of emperors.

But the first emperor did not do this.

Moreover, knowing that there was an illegitimate child outside, the first emperor did not need to let Zhao Longji disguise herself as a man at all, and let her pretend to be the prince.

This is too risky, and it can't last long, so it's far better to straighten out the illegitimate child directly.

There are all kinds of indications that the champion is not the illegitimate son of the first emperor.

The people behind this rumor have bad intentions, and it may even be that the champion himself spread it.

It is to compete for the throne of the Great Qian.

Cao Ze connected everything and found that there were traces to follow and the context was clear.

After the death of the first emperor, two rumors circulated in the capital, one was that "the current emperor is a daughter", and the other was that "the champion is the illegitimate son of the first emperor".

The former is spread on a large scale, and the latter is only circulated in a small area among princes and nobles, and it should be used as a backhand, waiting for the former to fail before enabling the latter.

Now that the first rumor has been shattered, the people behind the scenes can't help the empress, so they immediately start the back.

As a result, the champion Hou who sat in the southeast sent a secret letter saying that he wanted to return to Zhengjing, and he had no intention of discussing with the empress at all.

Without the empress's consent, she returned to Beijing without authorization, obviously not taking the empress in her eyes, and her heart was punishable.

This shows that the champion Hou has long had a different heart, and is in the same camp as the Three Kings, Chu Yuan and others, and maybe has a connection with Xu Ping, the king of Xiliang.

Otherwise, how could it be so coincidental, General Zhenxi sent a secret letter asking for help on the front foot, and the champion was about to return to Zhengjing City on the back foot.

The conspiracy and intrigue in this are simply one ring after another, and as long as one link is hit, it will fall into danger and cause the situation to be reversed.

Hearing Cao Ze's intimate title, the empress pursed her pink lips, but still did not reprimand him for his rudeness.

"You have a point, but in case," the empress said hesitantly.

What if the champion is really the illegitimate son of the first emperor?

In other words, Chu Yuan, Sanwang and others, in the current unfavorable situation, are likely to put the treasure on the champion candidate, and push the champion candidate to the forefront.

In this way, a group of them will be able to gather under the command of the champion, and even be able to win over others and fight the empress again.

There is only one purpose, to remove the empress from the throne.

"With me here, you can rest assured Longji."

"If they dare to mess around, don't blame me for going on a killing spree."

Cao Ze's tone was flat, but the killing intent contained in it was chilling.

Once the killing ring is opened, it will really roll people's heads.

Cao Ze didn't mind going on a killing spree, the reason why he didn't do it immediately was because there were still a lot of preparations that had not been made, which would make the situation unstable and the country turbulent, giving the Yunyang Empire and the Xuanzhen Dynasty an opportunity.

After all, even if he raised his butcher's knife and slashed Chu Yuan, the Three Kings and others, causing turmoil in the Great Qian, and the instability of the rivers and lakes in various states, once the Yunyang Empire and the Xuanzhen Dynasty attacked, he would not be able to stop it by himself.

Therefore, it is necessary to make all kinds of preparations first, and when the extermination of Chu Yuan and others will not cause large-scale turmoil in the territory of the Great Qian, then we can start it.

At that time, it was the heavenly street that stepped on the bones of the ministers, and the heads of the powerful were hung all over the gates.

Those princes, ministers, nobles and others who gathered around Chu Yuan, the Three Kings, and the Champion Hou must all be killed to set an example.

The empress nodded slightly, and a smile appeared in her beautiful eyes.

Cao Ze's promise, she naturally believes it.

Since Cao Ze entered Beijing, what he has done for her is obvious to all, and the world knows it, and the empress also uses her as her right-hand man, and she is one of her most trusted people.

With Cao Ze's current half-step Heaven and Earth Tongxuan cultivation, plus Ye Pujia, the head of the Jingye Division who is close to him, there is really no one in the capital to stop the two from joining forces.

"So how do you deal with these two things?"

The empress had an inquiring look on her face.

It is impossible for General Zhenxi to turn a blind eye to his request for help, she admits that Cao Ze's suspicions are reasonable, and General Zhenxi may have a problem, and collude with Xu Ping, the king of Xiliang, and Dong Yuan, the assassin of Liangzhou.

But what if not?

It's just some speculation, if you don't send support, when Xu Ping, the king of Xiliang, and the Yunyang Empire make trouble, then Liangzhou and Bingzhou will be lost in an instant.

Once this happens, the great cadres in the country will surely be excited, and the reactionaries such as Chu Yuan and the Three Kings will probably be very excited, and they will immediately push the champion candidate to the forefront, force the empress to abdicate, and let the champion candidate ascend the throne.

The Empress even thought of what they would say.

It is nothing more than that during her reign, she was troubled by internal and external troubles, her family and country were restless, her morality was not matched, and she could not lead the Daqian Dynasty to glory; Champions with outstanding achievements, outstanding achievements, excellent leadership skills, and unfathomable strength should be enthroned.

Because of the important identity of the champion as the illegitimate son of the first emperor, I am afraid that many of the civil and military ministers of the Manchu Dynasty will be shaken.

After all, it is not a usurpation of the throne, it is just a change of emperor, and it is still the Zhao family who sits on the dragon chair, and it is still the heir of the first emperor.

"Let the four marquis dispatch." Cao Ze said with a deep groan.

"The Marquis of Qinglong, the Marquis of Vermilion Bird, and the Marquis of Xuanwu led their troops to Liangzhou, to deal with the matter as appropriate, and to investigate the relationship between Xu Ping, the king of Western Liang, and Dong Yuan, as well as the Yunyang Empire."

"If Xu Pingzhen, the king of Western Liang, colludes with the Yunyang Empire, it will be tantamount to a rebellion, no matter what merits he has had, he will be wiped out with the power of thunder, and the hidden dangers of Liangzhou and Merge will be lifted."

"Let the White Tiger Hou lead the troops to the southeast and temporarily take over the responsibilities of the champion candidate."

This treatment is also the result of Cao Ze's careful consideration.

The four marquis have already expressed their support for the empress, and now it is just in handy.

Although this will greatly weaken the strength of the empress's camp in Zhengjing, there is no way.

If he goes to support General Zhenxi, even if there is no trap, he will adjust the tiger to leave the mountain, which is a yang scheme.

Once he leaves Zhengjing City, the champion Hou will return to Zhengjing City, once Chu Yuan, the Three Kings and others are in trouble, will the four marquis still firmly support the empress?

Cao Ze couldn't be sure.

There is no doubt that the four marquis are loyal to the Great Qian Dynasty, and there is no need to worry that they colluded with Xu Ping, the King of Xiliang, and the Yunyang Empire, and they will do their best to do this well to relieve the internal and external troubles of the frontier of the Great Qian Dynasty.

"That's fine."

After thinking about it for a while, the empress agreed to Cao Ze's suggestion.

She didn't want Cao Ze to leave Zhengjing City, whether it was for herself or for Cao Ze, she couldn't do it.

The empress knew very well that among the various forces in the entire Zhengjing City, only Cao Ze firmly supported her, and had a deep interest binding with her.

Although the four marquis also support her, but this is all for Cao Ze's face, if there is no action by Cao Ze, even if the four marquis do not fall into the ground, they will remain neutral as before.

As long as Cao Ze is still in Zhengjing, it means that she still has a huge amount of power in her hands.

On the one hand, it is the power controlled by Cao Ze, on the other hand, it is the power of Chen Liucao's family, and finally it is the Jingye Division controlled by Ye Pujia.

"Shaoqing, there is. Thank you for your hard work. ”

Looking at the beautiful man in the hall, the empress was a little turbulent, and she still changed her words when she said it.

"It's all right to work for Longji."

Cao Ze's eyes flashed, and he said with a smile.

After that, Cao Ze talked with the empress for another half an hour before leaving the Palace of Heart Cultivation and leaving the palace.

Sitting in the carriage, thinking of the last words of the empress, the corners of Cao Ze's mouth curled slightly.

"Take care of the queen tonight? I'm the best at it. ”

Afternoon

The empress secretly summoned the four marquis into the palace to meet him.

Accompanied by Qingluan, the empress and the four marquis talked openly and honestly for an hour, and finally both parties got a satisfactory result.

The empress did not try to hide the news that the champion was going to return to Zhengjing, she knew that the four princes would definitely receive the news.

When mentioning General Zhenxi's secret letter asking for help, as well as the border of Xu Ping, the king of Xiliang, and Chen Bing of the Yunyang Empire, the faces of the four marquis became solemn.

After learning of the empress's intentions, the four marquis did not think much about it and agreed.

Let them deal with these two things, if they really let the general Cao Shaoqing go, then the empress's situation in Zhengjing City is really precarious.

The four marquis all know the rumor that "the champion candidate is the illegitimate son of the first emperor", they are too lazy to distinguish the truth from the false, and they will support whoever has the ability and who can lead the Great Qian Dynasty to a better future.

Now that the empress has the advantage, she also shows some ability, especially with Cao Ze's great help, since they have expressed their support for the empress, then they also have to make some achievements.

This is a good thing for all parties.

The four marquis to deal with these urgent military situations can stabilize the southeast border, and can also put down the rebellion in the northwest frontier at a critical moment and block the southward invasion of the Yunyang Empire.

This is for the entire Great Qian Dynasty, and they have no reason to refuse.

For Chu Yuan, the Three Kings and others, if the four marquis leave Zhengjing, the strength of the empress's side will be greatly weakened.

Without four Celestial Grandmasters, several Celestial and Human Combat Power Legions, and millions of elite armies, the pressure on their shoulders would be greatly reduced.

For the empress, let the four marquis deal with it, and let the chariot general Cao Shaoqing stay in Zhengjing City, as long as this Optimus White Jade Pillar is still there, Zhengjing City will not be in chaos.

After receiving the secret decree, the four marquis left the palace and returned to the four-phase building of the Qinglong Marquis Mansion, discussed again, and immediately began to prepare.

"Hopefully, by the time we return to Zhengjing, this storm has completely subsided."

This is what the White Tiger Marquis said when the four marquis ended.

The Marquis of Qinglong, the Marquis of Vermilion Bird, and the Marquis of Xuanwu all nodded, and they all thought the same.

No matter who is in power, the most important thing is to calm down the internal worries of the cadres as soon as possible, and only with internal unity can we concentrate our forces on eliminating external troubles.

It's getting dark.

Cao Mansion, in the secret room of the Hall of Eternal Life.

Cao Ze took out the teleportation array disk and put it on the ground, looked at Xue Ningmei behind him, and said, "Ningmei, won't you go together tonight?" ”

"No, no."

Xue Ningmei shook her head firmly.

Every time she looks at the Living Spring Palace, she is itchy, so don't ask for it.

It's also good to cultivate in the mansion, she can feel that it won't be long before her cultivation can usher in a breakthrough and cultivate to the peak of the realm of the unity of heaven and man.

"Let's go, you are protecting Longji in the Phixiang Palace."

Cao Ze said with a smile, he knew why Xue Ningmei didn't want to go.

However, considering the safety of the empress, it is better to let Xue Ningmei go.

After all, Qingluan will go to Fengqiu Hall with him at that time, and the empress will have no one to protect her, and it will be bad if something happens.

Xue Ningmei heard this, her beautiful eyes moved slightly, but she still agreed.

Then, Cao Ze used his true power to activate the teleportation array, bursts of blue light flashed, and the figures of Cao Ze and Xue Ningmei disappeared from the secret room.

Weiyang Palace, Phi Xiang Palace.

The figures of Cao Ze and Xue Ningmei appeared, and Qingluan, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately looked over.

When she saw that Xue Ningmei was also here, she breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, and secretly glanced at Cao Ze, the first time she found that he was so careful and considerate.

"Go ahead."

The empress walked out, exchanged a few words with Cao Ze, and said with a calm expression.

Cao Ze nodded, he went directly to the cubicle to change his clothes and change his appearance.

Soon, Cao Ze walked out of the Phixiang Hall with Qingluan, and swaggered to the Fengqiu Hall with a group of eunuchs and palace maids.

In the Fengqiu Palace, the queen had already received the news that Emperor Qian would come tonight, and she was already ready.

Although Emperor Qiandi would only have sex with her every once in a while, the queen was not dissatisfied, because Cao Ze fed her to her fill every time, and every time she was paralyzed and fell into a deep sleep. (End of chapter)