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Chapter 163 Is there something you're hiding from me?

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

The atmosphere was heavy.

The three ministers, including the Minister of War, looked at the memorials compiled by the Eastern Depot in their hands, their faces filled with shock and bewilderment.

They truly did not expect that King Zhou Zhi of Shu actually harbored ambitions to usurp the throne and change the world.

The King of Shu also colluded with the Prime Minister and the powerful and influential Yuan family behind him.

This is simply unbelievable.

Now, the Minister of War and the others understood the purpose behind Emperor Zhou Chen's recent purge of the Ministry of Revenue, the investigation of so many court officials, and even the removal of the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Justice.

It turns out that the investigation of the Ministry of Revenue was just a pretext; Zhou Chen's real purpose was to purge the influence of the Prime Minister and his associates in the court.

At that moment, the Minister of War and the other two felt a chill run down their spines.

The King of Shu and his allies would definitely plan such a thing very carefully and secretly.

Despite the Shu King and his group's careful and secretive planning, they still couldn't hide it from the person on the dragon throne.

This shows what?
Needless to say, the three ministers and ministers all understood.

After the Minister of War and his colleagues finished reading the two reports compiled by the Eastern Depot, Zhou Chen had Cao Shaoqin explain the details to them.

After Cao Shaoqin finished explaining the situation, he stepped aside.

Zhou Chen looked up at the Minister of War and the others; "You all know about what happened, and you understand the current situation."

"Tell me, what do you all think we should do now?"

Zhou Chen looked at the Minister of War and the others and asked.

The Minister of War, Marquis Weiwu, and Prince Zhou Xian exchanged glances.

None of the three dared to speak up about this matter easily.

After all, this is no ordinary matter.

We must be careful.

All three of them glanced at Du Ruhui and Liu Ye beside them.

They knew that Du Ruhui and Liu Ye were both Zhou Chen's confidants, and they wanted to see what Du Ruhui and Liu Ye had to say.

Unexpectedly, Du Ruhui and Liu Ye remained silent, showing no intention of speaking at all.

The three ministers instantly understood that Emperor Zhou Chen had probably already made arrangements and plans for this matter.

"Your Majesty, now that it has been confirmed that the Prime Minister is plotting a rebellion, and his men have all arrived in Luoyang."

"In my humble opinion, we should immediately seal off the four cities and nine gates of Luoyang and arrest the traitors."

"With the speed and force of a thunderbolt, these traitors were wiped out in one fell swoop."

"We cannot give these traitors any chance to prepare."

Marquis Weiwu stepped forward and spoke loudly.

In the eyes of Marquis Weiwu, since the evidence of these people's rebellion was conclusive, there was no need to hesitate any longer.

We should immediately mobilize troops to arrest these traitors and nip their plot in the bud.

"Your Majesty, the Yuan family and the Zheng family are both among the seven great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and they wield considerable influence both locally and in the imperial court."

"Since they plotted a rebellion, they must have made very thorough preparations."

"To avoid too much turmoil, I believe we should act simultaneously, both internally and externally..."

The Minister of War also spoke up.

Furthermore, the Minister of War offered more than ten suggestions.

Every suggestion was incisive and to the point.

It is clear that those who could sit in the position of Minister of the Six Ministries were undoubtedly capable.

After listening to the words of Marquis Weiwu and the Minister of War, Zhou Chen looked at the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian; "Eighth Imperial Uncle, you are the head of the Imperial Clan Court, and this matter involves members of my royal family."

"What do you think should be done?"

Zhou Chen stared expressionlessly at the Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian.

In the past few days, Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, has not been able to hide his every move from the Eastern Depot's eyes and ears.

Fortunately, the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian did not do anything outrageous.

Otherwise, Prince Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, would not have been summoned to the palace today, just like the Minister of War and others.

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, we should first bring the King of Shu under control."

"In this way, the impact will be greatly reduced."

After a moment's thought, the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian spoke cautiously.

The King of Shu's identity was too special.

Once the King of Shu really takes action, it will have a significant impact on both the Great Zhou and the royal family.

Especially since the Empress Dowager from Cining Palace was also involved.

Therefore, it is best to control the King of Shu before he takes action.

This way, we can reduce the overall impact and make things easier to handle afterwards.

Zhou Chen neither agreed nor disagreed with the opinions of the Minister of War and the other two.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhou Chen looked at the Minister of War and Wei Wu and said, "Recently, some generals in the city defense and the Divine Martial Guard have been acting strangely."

"I'll leave this matter to the two of you to handle for now."

"Don't let them actually lead an army in rebellion for me."

Zhou Chen gave Cao Shaoqin a meaningful glance.

"Cao Shaoqin".

"Give the list of generals who have made unusual moves to the Minister of War and Marquis Weiwu."

Upon hearing this, Cao Shaoqin immediately took out two pre-prepared lists and handed them to the Minister of War and the Marquis of Weiwu, respectively.

One of them is a list of changes in the city's defense commanders.

One of them is a list of unusual movements of the Shenwu Guard generals outside the city.

"I accept the decree."

The Minister of War and the Marquis of Weiwu both bowed and accepted the list that Cao Shaoqin had presented to them.

……

Cining Palace.

While the atmosphere in the Hall of Mental Cultivation was somber, the atmosphere in the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility was equally tense.

The Empress Dowager sat in the main seat, looking at an elderly eunuch with gray hair below her; "Wu She, how many years have you been with me?"

"Your Majesty, this old servant has served Your Majesty for over thirty years."

The old eunuch bowed and said.

"More than 30 years."

"It's been quite a while."

The Empress Dowager sighed, took a deep look at the old eunuch with gray hair, and said, "Since you remember serving me for more than 30 years, you should know my temper."

"Tell me, is there something you're hiding from me?"

The Empress Dowager looked calmly at the old eunuch, her eyes sharp.

It's as if it can see through people's hearts, leaving no one able to hide.

The old eunuch was taken aback upon hearing this; "Your Majesty, has this old servant done something wrong?"

"This old servant has nothing to hide from the Empress Dowager," the old eunuch hurriedly replied.

"hehe."

"There's nothing I'm hiding from you."

The Queen Mother sneered.

Do you think I'm senile?

"In the past few days, you have secretly left the palace several times without my knowledge."

Do you think I don't know?

"Did you leave the palace and go to the Prince of Shu's residence?"

The Empress Dowager's voice grew louder and harsher.

The Empress Dowager's sensitivity and shrewdness were unmatched by ordinary people, which allowed her to navigate the treacherous waters of the imperial harem for so many years.

Having served the Empress Dowager for so many years, even the slightest change in the old eunuch would be hard for her to hide from the person she spent every day with.

Ever since King Zhou Zhi of Shu returned to Luoyang, the old eunuch has undergone a subtle change.

He even secretly carried her out of the palace several times.

This made the Empress Dowager suspect that the old eunuch was hiding something from her.

Furthermore, it is possible that it is related to King Zhou Zhi of Shu.

"Your Majesty, this old servant..."

The old eunuch knelt down on the ground with a thud.

The old eunuch truly hadn't expected that the Empress Dowager would discover his secret departure from the palace.

She also guessed that he went to the Shu Prince's residence after leaving the palace. "Speak."

"Did you go to the Prince of Shu's residence after leaving the palace?"

The Empress Dowager asked sternly, a strange unease creeping into her heart.

Even the Empress Dowager herself didn't know why she suddenly felt uneasy.

"Your Majesty, this old servant left the palace to go to the Prince of Shu's residence."

The old eunuch knew he could no longer hide the matter from the Empress Dowager, so he could only nod in acknowledgment.

As expected, they went to the Shu King's Mansion.

The Empress Dowager initially wondered if she was being paranoid, but after the old eunuch admitted it, her expression turned very unpleasant.

Her trusted attendants secretly left the palace to go to her son's residence behind her back.

What are these two hiding from her, their mistress and mother?

The Empress Dowager's unease grew stronger.

"What were you doing at the Prince of Shu's residence behind my back?"

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"Tell me the truth."

"If you dare to conceal a single word from me, I will not spare you."

The Empress Dowager stared coldly at the old eunuch kneeling on the ground. Her majesty, which had not been revealed for many years, was fully displayed at this moment.

The old eunuch hesitated for a moment, then said with a forced smile, "Empress Dowager, the Prince of Shu, together with the Prime Minister and the powerful Zheng family of Rongyang, wants His Majesty to abdicate."

"what?"

The Empress Dowager's expression changed, and she stood up abruptly.

What you fear most is what happens most often.

The Empress Dowager's unease stemmed from her fear that things would spiral out of control.

But who would have thought that something like this would still happen and get out of control?

Abdication?

Isn't this tantamount to rebellion?
The Empress Dowager never expected that her son, the Prince of Shu, would collude with the Prime Minister and powerful families to rebel.

This truly shocked the Empress Dowager.

"Tell me in detail when the Prince of Shu conspired with the Prime Minister and the others to rebel?"

"Where exactly are you at now?"

"What else did the King of Shu do?"
"Tell me everything."

The Empress Dowager stared intently at the old eunuch kneeling on the ground, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke.

Rebellion and treason.

This is a capital offense.

Even if King Zhou Zhi of Shu had her as his empress dowager, if he dared to do such a thing, he would definitely not escape death.

Moreover, how many royal princes throughout history have succeeded in rebellion?
The Empress Dowager did not believe that Prince Zhou Zhi of Shu could succeed. In her view, Prince Zhou Zhi of Shu was courting death.

It is likely that the Shu king will be suppressed as soon as he makes a move.

It should be noted that even the powerful and deeply entrenched forces such as the Grand General's relatives and the Cui family of Boling were destroyed by Emperor Zhou Chen.

Could King Zhou Zhi of Shu compare to these deeply rooted, cunning, and powerful forces?

The Empress Dowager dared not imagine what the consequences would be if Zhou Chen found out about this.

Faced with the Empress Dowager's unwavering gaze, the old eunuch dared not hide anything any longer and quickly recounted what he knew.

This also includes those events that happened inside the palace before.

After hearing the old eunuch's words, the Empress Dowager's face turned somewhat pale.

The figure that had stood up swayed a few times and almost fell to the ground.

Fortunately, the Empress Dowager managed to steady herself on the chair, preventing her from falling over.

The Empress Dowager looked at the old eunuch kneeling on the ground, her face full of anger; "Wu She, how dare you!"

"You actually betrayed me and colluded with the King of Shu, committing such a treasonous act."

Do you know what the consequences will be?

"How dare you."

The Empress Dowager picked up the teacup next to her and smashed it hard on the old eunuch's head.

The Empress Dowager never expected that the poisoning of the Emperor in the palace would involve her son, the Prince of Shu.

No wonder she, the Empress Dowager, knew nothing about the poisoning of the Emperor that had occurred in the palace.

It turns out that the people around her had kept it from her.

"The old slave is guilty."

The old eunuch accepted the teacup thrown by the Empress Dowager without flinching, and bowed his head to the ground, saying...

"You are guilty, and you deserve to die."

The Empress Dowager spoke coldly, her face pale as she slumped into the chair.

It involved poisoning the emperor.

They joined forces with the prime minister and powerful families to rebel.

These are all the things that happened.

Each and every one of these acts is utterly treasonous and punishable by death.

Even the Empress Dowager, a woman who had navigated the treacherous waters of the inner palace for many years and was always calm and composed, suddenly lost her composure and didn't know what to do.

……

Outside the palace.

After the Minister of War and Marquis Weiwu walked out of the palace gates, they immediately left with solemn expressions.

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, also got into his carriage, his face grave.

The events that just happened at the Hall of Mental Cultivation are still hard for the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian to believe.

King Zhou Zhi of Shu actually colluded with powerful and influential families to rebel.

This news truly shocked Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince.

Previously, the Empress Dowager had asked the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian to keep an eye on the Prince of Shu, Zhou Zhi, for fear that he might get involved in court affairs.

Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, the King of Shu was not only involved in court affairs.

They even went so far as to conspire with the prime minister and powerful families to try and change the world.

How could the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian explain this to the Empress Dowager?

"Someone is coming."

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, called out.

"Your Majesty."

A figure appeared beside the carriage.

"Did I order you to send someone to keep an eye on the Shu Prince's residence?"

"Have you sent anyone?"

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, asked with a somewhat unpleasant expression.

"Your Highness, I have had people watching over the Shu Prince's residence all along."

"But nothing happened at the Shu King's residence, and the Shu King has not left the residence."

Seeing the grim expression on Zhou Xian's face, the figure immediately spoke.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, looked even more displeased.

King Zhou Zhi of Shu has colluded with the Prime Minister to change the world.

The people he sent to watch over the Shu Prince's residence still know nothing.

Is this how you watch over the Shu Prince's Mansion?

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, wanted to curse him as a good-for-nothing, but he held back.

"Recall all the people sent to guard the Shu Prince's residence!"

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, suppressed his anger and said something.

Since King Zhou Zhi of Shu has colluded with the Prime Minister and others to plot a rebellion and has become involved in court affairs, there is no need for the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian to have someone watch over the Shu Prince's residence.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

This figure was acting strangely; the prince had previously ordered people to keep an eye on the Shu Prince's residence, but now he wanted to withdraw them.

However, since it was the prince's order, he naturally had to carry it out.

"Let's go."

"Return to the Imperial Clan Court."

"The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, said solemnly."

(End of this chapter)