You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 300 My lords, rest assured, His Majesty is unharmed.

Outside the palace gate.

Eighth Prince Zhou Xian, Prince Zhou Zhan, and Left Chancellor Xiao He arrived at the palace gate one after another.

However, the palace was now under martial law and the gates were closed.

Looking at the bloodstains on the palace walls and the imperial guards cleaning up the corpses, the faces of the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian and his men were solemn.

Prince Zhou Zhan stepped forward and shouted loudly to the imperial guards on the palace wall: "I am Prince Zhou Zhan, and I have come to rescue you. Open the palace gates immediately."

Unlike those worldly people, King Zhou Zhan and his men dared not leap directly onto the palace gates and enter the imperial palace.

After all, this is the imperial palace, the most majestic place in the Great Zhou Dynasty. No matter how anxious King Zhou Zhan and his men are, they must follow the proper rules and cannot enter the imperial palace at will.

"By order of the Commander, the palace is under martial law, the gates are closed, and no one is allowed to enter or leave. Please forgive us, Your Highness."

A military officer from the Imperial Guard peered out from the palace wall and shouted loudly, showing no intention of opening the palace gates.

At this time, the situation inside the palace was urgent and turbulent. Not to mention Prince Zhou Zhan, even if it were anyone else, without His Majesty's personal order, this captain would not dare to let people into the palace on his own.

If, during this turbulent time, someone with ill intentions enters the palace under the guise of rescuing the emperor and causes trouble, this palace gate captain cannot bear the consequences.

Although the palace gate captain believed that Prince Zhou Zhan and the Eighth Prince were all loyal ministers who had come to rescue the emperor.

But rules are rules, and you can't just let people into the palace based on personal feelings alone.

"Asshole."

“A large number of assassins have broken into the palace, and His Majesty is in danger. I, the King, hereby command you with my golden whip to immediately open the palace gates and allow me to enter and rescue His Majesty.”

"If anything were to happen to His Majesty, could you bear the responsibility?"

King Zhou Zhan, holding up his golden whip, shouted loudly.

Upon hearing this, the palace gate captain hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your Highness, Commander Dian has issued a strict order that I cannot allow you to enter the palace at will."

"This humble general will send someone to report immediately. Please wait a moment, Your Highness."

After the palace gate captain finished speaking, he immediately sent someone to report.

Seeing that the palace gate captain still hadn't opened the palace gates, the Prince of Kao Shan said angrily, "That damned bastard! At a time like this, he's still reporting? Doesn't he know that in times of emergency, one should act expediently?"

“By the time he finishes his report, it will take a long time to come and go.”

"I am anxious," said the King of the Mountain.

Now, time is of the essence; every moment of delay increases the danger to the emperor's safety.

"Your Highness, this cannot be blamed on the palace guards."

“At this time, if they could easily let people into the palace, that would be a dereliction of duty on their part.”

Xiao He, who was standing nearby, spoke up.

Although Xiao He was also anxious at this moment, he understood that it was precisely at this time that he had to abide by the rules.

otherwise.

If someone were to rescue the emperor, they would be seen as plotting to assassinate him.

"The commotion in the palace has ceased."

At this moment, the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian spoke up.

Prince Zhou Zhan and Xiao He also sensed that the fluctuations of the great battle in the palace had subsided, and their expressions became solemn.

……

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Zhou Chen sat upright on the dragon throne.

Cao Zhengchun and Dian Wei were standing below.

“This humble general is guilty. I failed to stop these worldly people, and they have disturbed Your Majesty. Please punish me, Your Majesty.”

Dian Wei immediately knelt on the ground to beg for forgiveness.

As the commander of the Imperial Guards, he was responsible for guarding the palace and ensuring its security.

As a result, these worldly people stormed into the palace and even reached the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Although Dian Wei eventually killed most of them, as the commander of the Imperial Guards, he could not escape responsibility for their crimes.

“This old servant is guilty. He allowed these worldly people to escape from the imperial prison and storm the palace. This old servant failed to protect Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to punish me.”

Cao Zhengchun also knelt on the ground to beg for forgiveness.

If Dian Wei was guilty of failing to guard the palace, then Cao Zhengchun, as the head of the Eastern Depot, was even less guilty of failing to protect those who entered the world, allowing them to escape from the imperial prison and storm the palace.

Zhou Chen sat upright on the dragon throne, looking at the two people kneeling on the ground below, begging for forgiveness.

At this moment, Dian Wei's armor was covered in bloodstains.

It's obvious at a glance that Dian Wei had just been through a pretty fierce battle.

Indeed, that was the case. Apart from the fifty-odd worldly people who stormed the Hall of Mental Cultivation, almost all the other worldly people who stormed into the palace died at the hands of Dian Wei.

Cao Zhengchun was also in a disheveled state, his face pale.

Clearly, Cao Zhengchun's trump card in resisting Song Xingyu was not as easy as it seemed on the surface.

Zhou Chen glanced at the two of them and said, "Get up first! We'll talk about your crimes later."

"This incident has served as a wake-up call for me. These worldly people are not as easy to deal with as they seem."

"You should take this as a warning and not repeat the same mistake."

Zhou Chen warned Dian Wei and Cao Zhengchun, his gaze mostly fixed on Cao Zhengchun.

The fact that those who were involved in worldly affairs were able to escape from the Eastern Depot's prison is the problem with Cao Zhengchun, the head of the Eastern Depot.

If Cao Zhengchun had previously dismissed all these worldly people, even if they had trump cards, they wouldn't have been able to escape the imperial prison, let alone storm the palace.

Cao Zhengchun was too confident in his methods.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Dian Wei and Cao Zhengchun both stood up first.

However, a hint of gloom flashed in Cao Zhengchun's eyes.

Although Zhou Chen didn't say it directly, Cao Zhengchun could sense that Zhou Chen's gaze was mostly fixed on him.

It is obvious that His Majesty is very dissatisfied with the fact that his Eastern Depot allowed those who had entered the world to escape from the imperial prison.

"Damn worldly people."

"If I run into you again, I'll make you wish you were dead."

Cao Zhengchun thought fiercely to himself.

This time, Cao Zhengchun suffered a great loss at the hands of these worldly people.

Putting aside the emperor's dissatisfaction with those who had entered the world escaping from the imperial prison, Song Xingyu's previous trump cards had already caused Cao Zhengchun considerable losses.

Just then, a palace eunuch came in and reported: "Your Majesty, the palace guards have reported that Prince Kao Shan, Prince Ba Xian, the Left Chancellor, and several others have come to your rescue. They are currently outside the palace gates."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen looked at Cao Zhengchun and said, "Cao Zhengchun, go and tell them that everything is fine in the palace. Tell them to keep the various government offices outside the palace in order to prevent any trouble from happening."

With such a commotion at the palace, it's estimated that most people in Luoyang outside the city felt it.

Now that the palace has just experienced a major battle and all those who entered the world have been killed, Zhou Chen has no need to send Prince Zhou Zhan and his people into the palace to rescue him.

However, the situation outside might become somewhat chaotic, and we'll need King Kao Shan and Xiao He to stabilize it.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Cao Zhengchun turned and left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Zhou Chen waved his hand again, signaling Dian Wei to leave the Hall of Mental Cultivation as well.

After Cao Zhengchun and Dian Wei left, Zhou Chen's eyes flickered as he fell into deep thought.

Zhou Wudao's disappearance into thin air was a method that left Zhou Chen somewhat bewildered.

However, what Zhou Chen cared about was not that Zhou Wudao had escaped, but that with Zhou Wudao's escape, it probably wouldn't be long before the experts of Tianshan would take over his palace! At that time, that would be the real test for him, the emperor of the Great Zhou.

……

Outside the palace gate.

Besides the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian, the Prince of Kao Shan Zhou Zhan, and the Left Chancellor Xiao He, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and others also arrived at the palace gate one after another.

It can be said that after receiving the order from Xiao He, the Left Chancellor, all officials of the third rank and above gathered here.

Looking at the bloodstains on the palace walls and sensing the commotion inside the palace gradually subsiding, every minister's face was exceptionally solemn.

None of them know what's going on inside the palace.

If even the slightest problem were to arise regarding the stability of His Majesty in the palace, it would have a significant impact on the court and the entire Great Zhou Dynasty.

Everyone stood silently outside the palace gates, nervously watching the every move of the imperial guards on the palace walls.

The Eighth Prince Zhou Xian looked at the Prince of Kao Shan Zhou Zhan with a solemn expression and said, "Uncle, more than ten minutes have passed, we can't wait any longer."

"Let's leap over the palace wall together and enter the palace!"

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

At this moment, saving the emperor is the priority; nothing else matters.

If something happens to His Majesty, then both the royal family and the Great Zhou Dynasty will be finished.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhan, the Prince of Kao Shan, looked at Xiao He, Fang Xuanling, Huo Qubing, and the others.

Xiao He, Fang Xuanling, and Huo Qubing naturally understood the meaning behind the Prince of Kao Shan's gaze. After exchanging glances, Xiao He and Fang Xuanling nodded.

"Alright, then let's go straight to the palace."

Xiao He and Fang Xuanling were not only important ministers, but also trusted confidants personally promoted by His Majesty.

Since everyone agreed, King Zhou Zhan had nothing to hesitate about.

However, no sooner had King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan finished speaking than the tightly closed palace gates opened.

Prince Zhou Zhan and Xiao He glanced over and saw a figure walking out of the palace.

Cao Zhengchun?
When they saw the figure that came out, King Zhou Zhan and Xiao He almost didn't recognize him.

Cao Zhengchun looked utterly pathetic at that moment.

It was hard for King Zhou Zhan and the others to imagine what kind of battle Cao Zhengchun, a half-step Celestial, had gone through to end up in such a sorry state.

"Eunuch Cao, how is His Majesty?"

King Zhou Zhan of Kao Shan and King Zhou Xian of Ba Xian were immediately greeted by Xiao He and the others.

Judging from Cao Zhengchun's disheveled appearance, Prince Kao Shan and Zhou Zhan could imagine how dangerous the battle inside the palace must have been.

Everyone was watching Cao Zhengchun with bated breath.

Facing the tense gazes of the crowd, Cao Zhengchun spoke up: "Your Highnesses and esteemed officials, please rest assured, His Majesty is unharmed, and everything in the palace is peaceful. Those petty villains have all been eliminated."

As soon as these words came out.

King Zhou Zhan, King Zhou Xian, Xiao He, and the others all breathed a sigh of relief.

It's good that Your Majesty is well.

They were genuinely worried that something might happen to Emperor Zhou Chen.

If something were to really happen to Emperor Zhou Chen, then the sky of the Great Zhou would collapse.

"His Majesty said that you gentlemen need not worry about matters within the palace. You should immediately perform your duties and stabilize the morale of your respective departments to prevent any disturbances or unrest."

Cao Zhengchun continued.

"I will receive the order."

King Zhou Zhan and Xiao He, along with the others, bowed in unison.

As long as everything is peaceful in the palace, there's no need for them to enter the palace anymore.

After all, the palace had just experienced a major battle, and it was not appropriate for these ministers to enter the palace to meet the emperor at this time.

Subsequently, the ministers, including Prince Zhou Zhan, Prince Zhou Xian, and Xiao He, all left without inquiring further about matters within the palace from Cao Zhengchun.

These ministers were all seasoned veterans of officialdom; they knew what to ask, what not to ask, and what was taboo.

Things like those in the palace are taboo, things that these officials shouldn't inquire about.

As long as they confirm His Majesty's safety, there's no need for them to inquire about anything else.

After Prince Zhou Zhan and the others left, Cao Zhengchun did not return to the palace. Instead, he leaped up and ran towards the Eastern Depot's headquarters.

Those who had entered the world had escaped from the Eastern Depot, and Cao Zhengchun wanted to immediately go and check on the situation at the Eastern Depot's headquarters.

moment.

Cao Zhengchun then arrived above the Eastern Depot's headquarters.

At first glance, the ground was littered with corpses, most of them guards from the Eastern Depot.

Especially near the imperial prison, the corpses of the secret police were piled up one after another.

Cao Zhengchun's figure fell to the ground.

Looking at the corpses of the imperial guards around him, Cao Zhengchun's face turned extremely grim.

The Eastern Depot was renowned for its power to execute first and report later; anyone who heard of it would be filled with awe and respect.

But now, seeing the miserable state of the Eastern Depot's surroundings, Cao Zhengchun was furious.

His Eastern Depot's stronghold was almost destroyed.

This was an utter disgrace to the Eastern Depot and to Cao Zhengchun.

"Factory manager."

Upon seeing Cao Zhengchun return, the guards and foremen who were cleaning up the body all knelt down.

Cao Zhengchun coldly surveyed these people, his anger making no attempt to conceal itself.

"waste."

"They actually managed to break out of the imperial prison and even storm the palace."

"You have completely disgraced the gentry, and you have also completely disgraced the Eastern Depot."

"What use are you, my mediocre scholars?"

Cao Zhengchun angrily waved his hand.

A large group of kneeling guards were sent flying.

"Mercy, Master!"

The guards who had fallen to the ground knelt down again. They offered no defense or explanation, only a gesture of apology.

They all understood Cao Zhengchun's character. Cao Zhengchun didn't need explanations or excuses; all he needed were results.

The result was that those who were engaged in worldly affairs broke out of the Eastern Depot's prison, and that was the crime.

Cao Zhengchun's face was gloomy as he glanced at the imperial guards kneeling on the ground, his eyes extremely cold.

Cao Zhengchun knew in his heart that these secret police officers could not stop those worldly people from breaking out of the imperial prison.

However, Cao Zhengchun could not hide his anger. Those worldly people who wanted to break out of the imperial prison would definitely need some time to prepare and recover, but the imperial guards did not notice at all.

If the imperial guards had been able to detect his presence in advance and notify him early, he wouldn't have been caught completely unprepared while in the palace.

It almost led to a major disaster.

……

(End of this chapter)