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Chapter 240 Cao Zhengchun, how's the matter I asked you to investigate going?

"Urgent dispatch."

"King Kao Shan defeated the Southern Barbarian army in the Flowing Sand Forest and then sent troops to attack the Southern Barbarians."

"A great victory against the Southern Barbarians."

On this day, a messenger rode into Luoyang City with his horse whipping its reins.

Shouting as he ran towards the palace.

The good news from southern Xinjiang reached Luoyang.

The people around were all startled when they heard the messenger's shout.

what?
King Kao Shan led his troops to the Southern Barbarians, and the Southern Barbarians achieved a great victory?

Many people looked surprised.

They didn't expect that just a few days after the Western Rong and Northern Di sent back their good news, the Southern Barbarians would send back their good news as well.

This is something that many people find hard to believe.

It should be noted that the Great Zhou Dynasty had never received any good news when it sent troops out of the pass before.

Let alone such a great victory, we haven't even achieved a small one.

But this time, in just over ten days, one great victory after another was reported.

This is truly awe-inspiring.

However, before everyone could recover from the news of the great victory in the southern border region, another piece of good news arrived in Luoyang.

"Urgent dispatch."

"The Marquis of Donghuang defeated the Dongyi army outside Dongyan Pass, sent troops to Dongyi, and captured the various Dongyi tribes."

"A great victory for the Eastern Barbarians."

A messenger on horseback came from the east and rushed into Luoyang.

As news of this victory from the Eastern Yi arrived.

This completely shocked the people of Luoyang.

If the previous great victory had already shocked everyone, then...

Therefore, the news of victory sent back by the Eastern Barbarians could not be described as merely shocking.

This is simply incredible.

First came the news of victory from the Northern Di and Western Rong, and now it's the Southern Frontier and Eastern Yi.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had not achieved such a great victory for many years.

"I never expected this! Great victories have also been reported from the Southern Barbarians and the Eastern Barbarians. This is a great victory that our Great Zhou has not seen in many years."

"Yes! First the Northern Di and the Western Rong, and now even the Southern Man and the Eastern Yi have reported great victories. After this, the borders of our Great Zhou will no longer suffer from the harm of foreign tribes."

With the arrival of the two reports of victory, discussions in Luoyang continued unabated.

……

royal palace.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Zhou Chen sat on the dragon throne, looking at the two reports of great victories sent from the Southern Frontier and the Eastern Wilderness, a smile appearing on his lips.

They expanded the territory and their achievements will be remembered for generations.

This seems to be the pursuit that every emperor desires most in his life.

Even Zhou Chen was not immune to this.

What Zhou Chen has accomplished that none of the emperors, meritorious officials, and famous generals of the Great Zhou Dynasty could achieve, he has now accomplished.

Whether it was the Western Rong and Northern Di, or the Southern Man and Eastern Yi, they have all become stepping stones for his Great Zhou to expand its territory and unify the world.

Once the four foreign tribes are eliminated, the borders of his great land will be safe once and for all, and will never again suffer from the calamities posed by foreign tribes.

Zhou Chen put down the two reports of great victory in his hands, got up and walked out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, looking up at the gray and misty sky.

Now the four foreign tribes have been wiped out, and the external enemies have been eliminated.

So, the next step should be to address some of the internal problems.

Zhou Chen gazed intently at the sky.

"Cao Zhengchun, how's the matter I asked you to investigate going?"

"Did they find anything?"

Zhou Chen looked at the sky and suddenly asked a question.

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengchun, who was silently waiting behind Zhou Chen, immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this old servant has consulted all the records in the palace and asked some old servants and maids in the palace, but so far there are no specific clues."

"However, more than 20 years ago, there was a Consort Zhen in the palace who was the most favored by the late emperor."

"But the palace records do not contain any information about this Consort Zhen. It seems that any information about Consort Zhen has been deliberately erased."

Cao Zhengchun's expression was somewhat serious.

Even someone like Cao Zhengchun, the head of the Eastern Depot who held the power to act first and report later, had to be cautious when it came to matters involving royal secrets.

In particular, since this matter concerned His Majesty's life, Cao Zhengchun was even more cautious.

Zhenfei?

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen silently murmured those two words.

Ever since Zhou Chen learned from the emperor's brother-in-law that King Zhou Zhi of Shu said that his emperor was not born to the empress dowager, Zhou Chen had been preoccupied with this matter.

Although Zhou Chen didn't care too much about his birth, he didn't want to be a muddle-headed emperor.

Therefore, after Cao Zhengchun returned from Xiliang, Zhou Chen instructed Cao Zhengchun to secretly investigate the matter.

"Who is this Consort Zhen?"

Zhou Chen was silent for a moment, then asked again.

Zhou Chen knew that Cao Zhengchun wouldn't make baseless accusations, nor would he speak ill of Consort Zhen without reason.

Since Cao Zhengchun mentioned Consort Zhen, it's likely that Consort Zhen was connected to the emperor's life story.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me, but this old servant has not yet found any other information about this Consort Zhen."

Cao Zhengchun apologized.

Cao Zhengchun dared not entrust this matter to others and could only investigate it secretly himself.

Furthermore, this happened more than twenty years ago.

Therefore, Cao Zhengchun's gains were minimal.

Although some unsubstantiated rumors were uncovered, Cao Zhengchun dared not speak recklessly without confirmation.

After all, this concerns royal secrets and the very origins of Emperor Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen looked at the sky and didn't say anything more.

This happened more than 20 years ago, and someone has erased all related information.

If it could be discovered so easily, then the people who erased this information twenty years ago wouldn't have needed to go through all that trouble.

"Keep investigating!"

After another period of silence.

Zhou Chen said something indifferently, then turned and returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Zhou Chen wasn't in a hurry; this matter could be investigated slowly, and there would eventually be a result.

……

Cining Palace.

The Empress Dowager fiddled with the prayer beads in her hand and sat down with the help of an old palace maid.

"I heard that our Great Zhou has won, and good news has also come from the Southern Barbarians and the Eastern Barbarians!"

After sitting down, the Empress Dowager glanced at the old palace maid and asked.

The old palace maid immediately replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"His Majesty dispatched General Lü and General Huo to the border to deal with the Northern Di and Western Rong, and then sent the Six Divine Guards of the Northern Camp to the Southern Frontier and the Eastern Wilderness."

"All the foreign tribes from all directions have been destroyed by my Great Zhou."

The old palace maid gave a detailed account of the battle.

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager nodded. "The late emperor truly chose a wise ruler. What no emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty could do, Your Majesty has accomplished."

The Empress Dowager sighed.

Thinking of King Zhou Zhi of Shu, I couldn't help but feel a little sad.

If King Zhou Zhi of Shu had possessed even a fraction of Your Majesty's wisdom, he would not have met such a tragic end.

The old palace maid pursed her lips, as if she wanted to say something, but hesitated.

"what happened?"

"Speak your mind directly. What are you hesitating about with me?"

The Empress Dowager noticed the old palace maid's hesitation and glanced at her again before speaking.

This old palace maid had served the Empress Dowager for many years and was one of her most trusted confidantes.

"Your Majesty, Cao Zhengchun, the head of the Eastern Depot, has been secretly investigating information about Consort Zhen from more than twenty years ago."

The old palace maid hesitated for a moment before speaking. This imperial palace, in a way, isn't particularly large, but it's not small either.

Cao Zhengchun's actions did not escape the notice of those who were interested.

Of course, this also means that Cao Zhengchun did not intend to completely cover it up.

Otherwise, given Cao Zhengchun's style of doing things, even if someone did notice, they would never see the sun rise the next day.

"Oh!"

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in the Empress Dowager's eyes.

Who is Cao Zhengchun?
This was Zhou Chen, a trusted eunuch of the emperor, who held great power in the Eastern Depot.

Cao Zhengchun's secret investigation into information about Consort Zhen from more than twenty years ago was undoubtedly at the behest of Emperor Zhou Chen.

The Empress Dowager was silent for a moment, then looked up at the old palace maid beside her and said, "I haven't seen the Eighth Prince for some days. Send someone to summon him to the palace."

The old palace maid immediately bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."

After saying this, the old palace maid turned and left, sending someone to summon the Eighth Prince.

After the old palace maid left, the Empress Dowager's gaze became somewhat unpredictable, leaving one wondering what she was thinking.
……

Half an hour later.

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, entered the Cining Palace.

"Your subject greets the Empress Dowager."

Upon entering the Cining Palace, Prince Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, bowed to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager looked at Prince Zhou Xian and said with a smile, "Eighth Prince, you've arrived. Please sit down!"

"Thank you, Queen Mother."

The Eighth Prince Zhou Xian did not stand on ceremony and sat down directly.

The Empress Dowager looked at Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince; "Eighth Prince, His Majesty's harem is vacant. Didn't you previously plan to petition His Majesty to take a concubine?"

"What happened?"

the Queen Mother asked.

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, I haven't had a chance to submit a memorial yet. During this time, His Majesty has issued an order to send troops beyond the Great Wall to deal with the foreign tribes."

"The entire court is busy with the war."

"However, now the foreign tribes outside the pass have been wiped out by our Great Zhou, and the war is over."

"After the post-war matters are all settled, your humble servant will prepare to report this matter to Your Majesty."

"This is what the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian said."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager nodded. "Indeed, these days, one victory after another has been reported from beyond the Great Wall. I truly never imagined that one day my Great Zhou would be able to exterminate the foreign tribes from all directions."

"What the emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty failed to achieve, Your Majesty has accomplished."

The Empress Dowager said with a pleased expression.

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, nodded with a smile.

To be honest, even the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian never imagined that the Great Zhou Dynasty would one day be able to sweep away all the foreign tribes with such domineering power.

This is a blessing for the Great Zhou Dynasty.

It is also a blessing for the royal family.

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, looked at the Empress Dowager and asked, "What is it that Your Majesty has summoned me to the palace?"

Prince Zhou Xian could not possibly believe that the Empress Dowager had sent someone to summon him to Cining Palace simply to ask him to submit a memorial to His Majesty regarding the matter of taking a concubine.

Upon hearing the question from the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian, the Empress Dowager said nothing more and directly stated in a deep voice: "Eighth Prince, Cao Zhengchun, the Director of the Eastern Depot, is secretly investigating information about Consort Zhen from more than twenty years ago."

what?
Upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words, the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian's expression immediately changed.

Consort Zhen, what a distant yet unforgettable title.

King Zhou Xian never expected that this title, which had been buried for more than 20 years, would be mentioned again.

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, looked at the Empress Dowager with a solemn expression; "Empress Dowager, what's going on?"

Why would Cao Zhengchun secretly investigate Consort Zhen's whereabouts?

"How did Your Majesty know all this?"

The face of the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian was more solemn than ever before.

This is a taboo that has been buried for more than 20 years.

This applies not only to the royal family.

Even for the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, it was an unbreakable taboo.

The Empress Dowager sighed; "It's all my fault. When the Prince of Shu was young, he overheard the late Emperor and me talking."

“Eighth Prince, you also know about what happened to the Prince of Shu before. In order to drag the Imperial Uncle into this, the Prince of Shu revealed this matter to the Imperial Uncle.”

"After the emperor's brother-in-law was arrested, he confessed all of this."

The Empress Dowager recounted the events.

After hearing this, the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian's expression changed several times. "What do you mean? Does His Majesty already know that he is not the Empress Dowager's son?"

The Empress Dowager nodded; "It's all my fault. I thought that if I warned the Prince of Shu, he wouldn't tell anyone."

"But who would have thought..."

The Empress Dowager did not continue speaking; her expression was both heavy and sorrowful.

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, remained silent with a solemn expression.

After a while.

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, also sighed; "Perhaps this is fate! Now that His Majesty already knows, this matter cannot be concealed."

"Although more than 20 years have passed and the traces have been erased, Cao Zhengchun was no ordinary person."

"If Cao Zhengchun were to conduct a secret investigation, he would definitely uncover some clues."

"Perhaps, His Majesty will personally question my brother at that time."

A bitter smile appeared on the lips of the Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian.

Some things, no matter how many years they have been buried, will eventually be revealed one day.

Even if the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian was unwilling for this day to come, he was powerless to stop it.

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager looked at the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian with a solemn expression; "Eighth Prince, is there no way to deal with this matter?"

"As you know, the matter of Consort Zhen is no small matter. Once His Majesty finds out, given his current methods, he probably won't remain indifferent."

"The consequences will be unimaginable."

The Empress Dowager's voice grew heavier.

It trembled slightly as well.

No one knew better than the Empress Dowager what that incident twenty years ago had brought to the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The Empress Dowager did not want such a thing to happen a second time.

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, shook his head; "I don't have any good ideas for the time being."

"However, this matter happened more than 20 years ago, and the traces have been erased. Even if Cao Zhengchun wanted to investigate, he certainly wouldn't be able to find anything in a short time."

"Ancestor Rushan should be returning to Luoyang from the Southern Frontier soon."

"At that time, I will consult with Ancestor Rushan."

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, naturally understood the Empress Dowager's meaning.

The incident that happened twenty years ago was also personally experienced by Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince.

Therefore, the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian did not want Zhou Chen to know about this matter.

Because what happened twenty years ago had already ruined his elder brother.

A prodigy of the royal family, inheriting the throne, possessing extraordinary talent.

In the end, because of what happened twenty years ago, the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian inherited the throne from his elder brother, the emperor, and completely fell into depravity, becoming an incompetent emperor who only knew how to indulge in romance and pleasure.

This is a tragedy for the royal family, and also a tragedy for the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Prince Zhou Xian did not want such a thing to happen to Zhou Chen, ruining his nephew, the emperor.

After all, thanks to Zhou Chen, the Great Zhou Dynasty had finally ushered in a period of revival.

If the events of twenty years ago were to repeat themselves, then the Great Zhou Dynasty would truly be headed for its demise.

"Alright, let's see if Ancestor Rushan has any ideas."

"Judging by the timeline, those people should be re-entering the world soon."

The Empress Dowager said in a heavy voice.

When the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian heard the Empress Dowager's last words, a coldness he had never felt before flashed in his eyes.

Even his face revealed a hint of ferocity.

hard to imagine.

The usually gentle Eighth Prince would reveal such an expression and coldness.

Afterwards, Prince Zhou Xian and the Empress Dowager chatted for a few more minutes before he left Cining Palace.

After the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian left, the Empress Dowager remained silent for a while before fiddling with the prayer beads in her hand and continuing to strike the wooden fish.

(End of this chapter)