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Chapter 143 The King of Shu Returns to the Capital

The Marquis of Xiliang's residence.

The Marquis of Xiliang frowned as he looked at the imperial edict in his hand.

The Marquis of Xiliang never expected that His Majesty in the palace would suddenly issue an edict ordering him to return to Luoyang to report on matters.

Is His Majesty really just trying to summon these marquises who are guarding the frontier back to Luoyang to report on matters?

I'm afraid not.

Historically, the imperial court has been deeply wary of these marquises who command the frontier armies and has always wanted to strip them of their military power.

The same was true even during the reign of the late emperor.

They just never gave the imperial court a chance.

The imperial court, therefore, was wary of their influence on the border troops and never dared to take action against them easily.

However, the emperor in the palace had previously issued an edict to send border troops south to quell the rebellion.

Now, an imperial edict has been issued ordering these marquises who are guarding the frontiers to return to Luoyang to report on their affairs.

The fact that two imperial edicts were issued in such a short period of time (just over a month) is something that makes people think deeply.

The Marquis of Xiliang put down the imperial edict in his hand, frowning as he pondered.

The Marquis of Xiliang made excuses to evade the previous imperial decree.

So how should we respond to this decree now?

Despite his fierce and rugged appearance, and lack of the refined elegance of the Marquis of Zhenbei, the Marquis of Xiliang is no less shrewd and calculating than the Marquis of Zhenbei.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to sit on the throne of the Marquis of Xiliang and command hundreds of thousands of troops in Xiliang.

"My lord, the Prime Minister's letter has already hinted that His Majesty suppressed your memorial regarding military funds."

"Now His Majesty has issued another decree ordering the Marquis to return to Luoyang to report on matters and, incidentally, to escort military supplies back to Xiliang."

"I'm afraid His Majesty's decision to send the Marquis back to Luoyang is not just about having him report to the emperor and escort military supplies!"

A general standing nearby said with a solemn expression.

Marquis Xiliang nodded; "Yes! I petitioned the court for military pay, originally intending to use this matter to test His Majesty in the palace."

"As it turns out, His Majesty in the palace really did have designs on our Western Liang."

"It seems that failing to follow the imperial decree and send troops south to quell the rebellion has caused His Majesty in the palace to completely lose patience with us border troops."

Marquis Xiliang sighed, his expression grave.

I originally thought that the Great Zhou Dynasty was about to decline and fall into ruin.

Unexpectedly, the emperor in the palace managed to revive things somewhat.

The person in the palace was not only aware of the influence of General Wu Jin's faction in the court.

In a short period of time, it also quelled the rebellion in the four northern provinces.

Even the powerful and influential Cui family of Boling, one of the seven great families, had their entire clan wiped out by that person in the palace.

In this way, the emperor in the palace is no longer someone who can be checked and balanced by various forces, but someone who has already consolidated some of his power.

This is not a good omen for the Marquis of Xiliang and other marquises who command the frontier armies.

"My lord, what about the military pay...?"

The general looked at the Marquis of Xiliang.

Marquis Xiliang shook his head and said, "Don't worry about the military pay. His Majesty in the palace won't hold onto it for too long."

"His Majesty understands the importance of the frontier better than anyone else, and he will not allow my Xiliang army to waver in its morale."

"Besides, even if the imperial court doesn't pay my Xiliang army, my Xiliang army can solve the problem on its own."

"What I'm worried about now is whether that person in the palace will disregard everything and take action against my Xiliang Marquisate."

"If that's really the case, then it'll be troublesome."

Marquis Xiliang frowned, his face deep in thought.

Marquis of Xiliang knew his own limitations. Despite commanding hundreds of thousands of troops in Xiliang, he was practically a local emperor in the region.

Compared to the imperial court, the Marquis of Xiliang's mansion was not qualified to challenge it.

If the imperial court is truly determined to take action against him, the Marquis of Xiliang, regardless of the consequences, then he will be in serious trouble.

No matter what, the imperial court is the legitimate authority, and it is only because he is the Marquis of Xiliang that he can command hundreds of thousands of Xiliang soldiers.

But if he, the Marquis of Xiliang, were no longer the Marquis of Xiliang of the imperial court, no one would dare say how many Xiliang soldiers would still be willing to obey orders.

"Why don't you contact the Marquis of Zhenbei, my lord?"

"If our Xiliang Army and the Zhenbei Army can support each other, even if His Majesty wants to take action against the Marquis, he will have to think twice."

The general suddenly spoke.

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Xiliang nodded; "That's all we can do for now."

Clearly, the Marquis of Xiliang had long considered contacting the Marquis of Zhenbei so that the two sides could help each other.

"The Western Rong have recently invaded my Western Liang. I am stationed at Yumen Pass to defend against their invasion."

"You don't need me to teach you how to phrase your reply to the court, do you?"

The Marquis of Xiliang glanced at the general and said.

The general immediately replied, "Rest assured, my lord, I know how to respond to the court."

……

Luoyang City.

On the official road outside the city.

Two ordinary carriages, escorted by hundreds of elite soldiers, slowly made their way along the official road toward Luoyang.

"San De, where are you?"

How much further to Luoyang?

A somewhat weary voice came from a carriage.

"Your Highness, we are only three or four li away from Luoyang."

"We'll arrive in less than half an hour."

The driver replied respectfully.

The coachman was none other than the steward of the Prince of Shu's residence.

The person sitting in the carriage was none other than Zhou Zhi, the King of Shu, who had received an imperial decree to return to Luoyang.

After hearing San De's reply, King Zhou Zhi of Shu in the carriage remained silent.

The carriage continued its journey along the official road towards Luoyang.

More than ten minutes later, the carriage stopped.

As San De drove the carriage, he looked at the dozens of figures on the official road ahead and frowned slightly.

"San De, why did you stop?"

The voice of the King of Shu came from inside the carriage again.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has sent people to welcome you."

San De immediately recognized that the dozens of figures on the official road ahead were all imperial guards from the palace, and the few standing at the front, like him, were eunuchs.

These people appeared on the official road outside the city; needless to say, they were there on imperial orders to welcome the King of Shu.

"Oh!"

A soft exclamation came from inside the carriage. Zhou Zhi lifted the carriage curtain and peeked out.

At this moment, Cao Zhengchun also came over with his men.

"Cao Zhengchun, a scholar of various fields, greets Your Highness, the Prince of Shu."

"His Majesty sent his advisors out of the city to specially welcome the King of Shu back to Luoyang."

After Cao Zhengchun walked over, he bowed to King Zhou Zhi of Shu.

In any case, Zhou Zhidu is the King of Shu, so the proper etiquette should still be observed.

However, Cao Zhengchun referred to himself as a "miscellaneous scholar" and did not refer to himself as an "old servant."

This wasn't because Cao Zhengchun didn't respect the King of Shu, but because in this aristocratic family, there was only one person for whom Cao Zhengchun could refer to himself as an "old servant."

That is His Majesty on the dragon throne.

Cao Zhengchun?
A hint of surprise flashed in Zhou Zhi's eyes.

Even though Zhou Zhi was far away in Sichuan, he had already heard of Cao Zhengchun's great name several times.

One of the two near-celestial beings by the emperor's side, and the head of the Eastern Depot.

Previously, the residences of officials such as the General's Mansion, the Minister of Personnel, and the Minister of Rites were all confiscated and destroyed by Cao Zhengchun.

In particular, the half-step Celestial being in the General's Mansion was also killed by Cao Zhengchun.

This is enough to show that Cao Zhengchun was an extraordinary person.

Zhou Zhi never expected that the person who came to greet him, the King of Shu, would be Cao Zhengchun, the head of the Eastern Depot. San De, standing nearby, also had a glint in his eyes after hearing Cao Zhengchun introduce himself.

No wonder he felt a strong threat from the leading eunuch; it turned out that the leading eunuch was Cao Zhengchun, a powerful expert who was half a step into the Celestial Realm.

Zhou Zhi glanced at Cao Zhengchun and smiled gently, "Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Cao."

"I have already heard about the things that Eunuch Cao destroyed the General's Mansion and killed the half-step Celestial Realm expert there in Shu."

"With a master like Eunuch Cao around, Your Majesty can relax a lot."

This was the first time Zhou Zhi had met Cao Zhengchun.

Looking at Cao Zhengchun's graying temples and smiling face.

I couldn't help but sigh to myself, "You really can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't measure the sea with a bucket."

It's hard to imagine that such a person could be the ruthless figure who took charge of the Eastern Depot and ransacked the residences of high-ranking officials like the Grand General.

"Your Highness, you flatter me. This is all I should do."

"His Majesty is still waiting for His Highness the Prince of Shu in the palace. Your Highness, let's return to Luoyang now!"

Cao Zhengchun said in a feminine tone.

Zhou Zhi nodded; "Alright, thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Cao."

After saying that, Zhou Zhi climbed back into the carriage.

Then, Cao Zhengchun led the Imperial Guards to meet the Shu King's carriage and headed towards Luoyang.

……

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

After Cao Zhengchun and the Prince of Shu returned to Luoyang, Cao Zhengchun took the Prince of Shu into the palace and went directly to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to pay homage to Zhou Chen.

"Your Majesty, I, your humble servant, have come to pay my respects."

Upon entering the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Zhou Zhi bowed to Zhou Chen on the dragon throne.

Even though Zhou Zhihe and Zhou Chen are the emperor's elder and younger brothers, the etiquette between the emperor and his subjects must still be observed.

In this era of imperial power, even the closest relationships could not ignore the distinction between ruler and subject.

Zhou Chen glanced at Zhou Zhi and smiled, "Ninth Brother is back."

"No need to be polite."

"Why are you still being so distant with your imperial brother?"

Zhou Chen got up and walked over to Zhou Zhi, helping him up.

“Your Majesty, the etiquette between a ruler and his subject must not be taken lightly.”

"We were first ruler and subject, then brothers; this must be clear."

"I don't want to be accused by the court officials of being an impolite person who doesn't know the proper etiquette between ruler and subject."

Zhou Zhi stood up and said in a serious tone.

Zhou Chen shook his head; "You!"

"Still taking it so seriously."

"Did the journey go smoothly?"

As he spoke, Zhou Chen asked Cao Zhengchun to bring over two squatting chairs.

Then, Zhou Chen and Zhou Zhi sat down facing each other.

"It went relatively smoothly, and nothing went wrong along the way."

After Zhou Zhi sat down, he nodded and said.

"That's good."

"What is the situation in Sichuan?"

"An unprecedented drought has struck the four northern provinces. Has the drought affected the Shu region as well?"

Zhou Chen inquired about the situation in Shu.

Zhou Zhi shook his head and said, "The Shu region has not been affected by the drought, and everything is fine."

Zhou Zhi and Zhou Chen recounted some of the situations in Shu.

The two chatted like this for half an hour.

Half an hour later, Zhou Zhi got up to take his leave and left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Zhou Chen watched Zhou Zhi's departing figure, his gaze somewhat profound.

"Cao Zhengchun".

"What do you think of this King of Shu?"

Zhou Chen suddenly asked a question.

"Your Majesty, this old servant does not know."

Cao Zhengchun lowered his head.

Are you kidding me? Is this the kind of question only a lackey like him could answer?
Cao Zhengchun knew his own limitations. Although he was the director of the Eastern Depot, he held a high position and great power.

But in the end, he was just a knife in the emperor's hand.

There are some things you can do, but there are some things you absolutely cannot say.

Especially matters concerning the royal family, which are not something a servant like him can comment on.

Otherwise, you'll be digging your own grave.

Don't you know?
Zhou Chen smiled and didn't make things difficult for Cao Zhengchun anymore.

He knew that Cao Zhengchun wasn't unaware, but rather dared not know.

Intelligent people tend to live longer.

Zhou Chen watched the figure disappear outside the palace and murmured to himself, "Zhou Zhi, Zhou Zhi, for the sake of the Empress Dowager, I'm giving you this chance."

"If you don't know how to cherish what you have, then no one can save you."

Even the King of Hell can't persuade a ghost that's destined to die.

Zhou Chen returned to the dragon throne and continued to handle government affairs, reviewing his memorials.

……

After Zhou Zhi walked out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his brows furrowed immediately.

Things have indeed changed.

Is he really my elder brother, Zhou Chen?

Zhou Zhi was immediately filled with doubt.

If it weren't for the fact that his appearance confirmed it was his elder brother Zhou Chen, Zhou Zhi would have suspected that the elder brother in the Hall of Mental Cultivation was an imposter.

Apart from looking the same, everything else is completely different from before.

Whether it's the way he speaks, the wisdom in his eyes, or the aura he exudes, everything is quite different from before.

Is it really possible for a person to undergo such a complete transformation and grow to this extent?

He had been frail and sickly since childhood, and his health had always been poor, but now it seems that he has truly made a full recovery.

What could possibly enable someone who has been frail and sickly since childhood to make a complete and drastic recovery, and change so much?
Zhou Zhi thought to himself.

From his first encounter with Zhou Chen upon entering the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Zhou Zhi sensed that Zhou Chen was different from before.

The difference before and after is very obvious.

In particular, during their conversation, Zhou Chen repeatedly probed about his situation in Shu without saying a word.

If Zhou Zhi hadn't reacted quickly enough, he probably would have been trapped by Zhou Chen without him even realizing it.

Previously, Zhou Chen did not possess such wisdom or such profound thoughts.

However, the only thing that made Zhou Zhi feel somewhat at ease was that Emperor Zhou Chen's attitude towards his ninth brother was relatively kind.

In that case, those things that happened in the palace before should not have been found out.

This is good news.

Otherwise, Emperor Zhou Chen wouldn't have treated him this way.

Thinking of this, Zhou Zhi felt a slight sense of relief.

Previously, he had always been somewhat worried about this matter.

Now that he's been found out, he can finally relax a bit.

Zhou Zhi turned back and took a deep look at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, then walked directly towards the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility.

After paying his respects to Emperor Zhou Chen, Zhou Zhi naturally had to go and pay his respects to his mother, the Empress Dowager, as soon as possible.

Zhou Zhi's smooth return to Luoyang this time was all thanks to his mother!

(End of this chapter)