After rebirth, I joined forces with my mortal enemy to seek revenge.

The King of Han, receiving the imperial edict to regent, arrived at the palace and ascended the ivory carriage. The carriage was quite high, so Lu Zheng, who had been ordered to do so, offered his shoulders as a ladder for the King to ascend. He gazed upon the hundreds of Jinwu Guards who had come to greet him, and a moment of trance seized him. Finally, the sound of bells in his ears brought him back from his wandering thoughts.

Indeed, this world no longer had anything to do with him. Even though they were brothers from the same mother, he was no longer the master of the throne, and his lineage had no connection to him. All he could do now was to find a way to earn a political legacy to benefit future generations.

The elephant carriage moved slowly, and under the gaze of the people, it passed through the Vermillion Bird Gate and officially entered the Taiji Palace.

Huan Yuanjing, seated on the chariot, gazed at the road leading to Chengtian Gate. After a moment's deliberation, he finally decided to dismount and, escorted by the Jinwu Guards, head towards Chengtian Gate.

At the end of the highway was the towering Chengtian Gate. In front of the Chengtian Gate, all the men in purple and crimson robes who had stayed in the government office were there, with almost identical smiles on their faces, welcoming the prince who had neglected the power of the court for a long time.

Huan Yuanjing accepted the courtiers' courtesy with a smile. He glanced at Pei Jiaoran and nodded, "Thank you all for your hard work. Take me to visit my brother the Emperor."

"Yes." The three said in unison.

Even with the special power of regent granted by the emperor, entering the inner reaches of the palace from outside still required a search. Only after confirming that he was not carrying any swords or knives was the King of Han allowed to enter Chengtian Gate.

As the door to Lizheng Hall slowly opened, a thick medicinal aroma filled the air. Stepping inside, I saw two young eunuchs squatting in a corner, boiling some medicine. One was watching the stove, the other was watching the window. This was to prevent the smell from lingering in the room, and also to prevent a sudden gust of wind from blowing out the fire.

After passing the screen, the full appearance of the Wei Emperor finally came into view. His appearance was no longer the same as before. Although he was not lacking in food and clothing, the long-term illness had left him with a emaciated appearance. Deep wrinkles formed on his cheekbones, and his eyes no longer had the lively energy they once had. Beside him sat Sun Shaofeng, dressed in red, holding a book, her lips moving as if she were reading something. Her youthful energy made the Wei Emperor seem even more lifeless.

"My favorite line from Lu Ji's "Short Song" goes, 'Wine is laid out in the hall, and a sad song is sung before the cup. How short is human life? It passes like morning frost. Time never comes again, and flowers bloom no more. The apple blossoms in spring's sunshine, the orchid in autumn's fragrance. The days to come are short, the days to go are long. Now I am unhappy, and the crickets are in the room. Joy comes with gathering, sorrow comes with farewell. How can I say I have no feelings? I worry about you forgetting me. My wine is delicious, my food is excellent. I can sing a short song, and the nights will never be wasted.'" With a sigh, the Emperor of Wei said, "It's a pity that my time is running out..."

Sun Shaofeng didn't respond after hearing this. She had already seen several people coming in out of the corner of her eye.

Huan Yuanjing and the Emperor of Wei were brothers from the same mother. Hearing this, he felt a wave of sadness. He sighed deeply, then knelt before the imperial steps, his clothes gathered in his hands. "Your Majesty commands the lords with authority, and is truly respected as a teacher. Now that all the court officials are here, Your Majesty should take good care of yourself and wait for the Crown Prince to return to the capital."

Opening his eyes and looking at Huan Yuanjing kneeling before the imperial steps, the Emperor of Wei's eyes flashed with thought, and then he sighed, "It's hard for them to invite you out. Cong Ke, you will have to work hard for a while."

"As a minister receiving salary from the emperor, I shall share your majesty's worries." Huan Yuanjing bowed.

"All of you leave. I have something to say to the King of Han." After saying this, the Emperor of Wei waved his hand, signaling everyone in the hall to leave.

Only Huan Yuanjing and Emperor Wei were left in the hall.

He no longer cared about the order of hierarchy or the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects. The King of Han strode towards the Emperor of Wei, knelt before the throne, and looked at the aging Emperor in front of him, muttering the words "Imperial Brother" to himself.

"I didn't expect you to be willing to come." The Emperor of Wei gestured for Huan Yuanjing to stand up, his voice calm.

Upon hearing this, Huan Yuanjing held the Emperor of Wei's hand and hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Royal brother."

The Emperor of Wei's brows suddenly darkened, his face showing fatigue. With a hint of understanding, he leaned against the table and said, "Ask whatever you want to ask."

Huan Yuanjing asked, "Is this your idea, my royal brother?"

"Even if it wasn't my idea, it had to be my idea." A mocking look flashed in the Emperor's eyes. "She is the Crown Prince's assistant who stayed in Chang'an, and I need to maintain stability at court. She knows I can't let court officials control the government, so she recommended you to me. Let me use you to do things for her."

As soon as he heard these words, Huan Yuanjing stood up again and paced around the hall.

Looking at Huan Yuanjing walking back and forth anxiously, the Emperor of Wei couldn't help but laugh.

The conflict between Pei Jiaoran and Jia Gonglu was not simply a power struggle, but rather a result of their divergent ideals and incompatible plans. Their actions were not motivated by loyalty to the imperial power, but rather by the desire to maintain their positions within it.

Sighing, the Emperor of Wei said in a deep voice, "But she is a capable woman, otherwise the Crown Prince would not have entrusted the rear to her. I have a few things to tell you."

"The Right Shence Army is now leaderless. Although Yuan Zhengze is temporarily in charge, he has no military experience. You need to pay attention to the deployment of officers in the camp over the next few days. Don't let him have the final say. Pei Jiaoran has already recommended candidates. You will go to the Council of State and discuss this with them later." The Emperor of Wei handed a secret memorial to Huan Yuanjing. "Since Pei Jiaoran wants to intervene in the Shence Army, let her personally challenge Jia Gonglu."

Huan Yuanjing nodded as he listened to his brother's instructions. "Does your Majesty have any ideas on this matter?"

The question reached the Emperor's ears, and disappointment flashed in his eyes. His brother had been away from the government for too long, and he couldn't grasp the situation quickly. But it didn't matter. Whether he could grasp the changes in the government wasn't important; what mattered was his identity.

"Even if I had it, I couldn't put it into action. Furthermore, when Pei Jiaoran invited you out to pledge your loyalty to me, I was already in the game. There's nothing we can do." The Wei Emperor stroked his graying beard. "She wants to control the Imperial Guards and support the new emperor's ascension to the throne. This is a good thing, but also a dangerous one. She knows this, so she's quite polite to you. Now both sides are holding their breath, waiting for the other to make a move. If this fails, we'll be infamous for eternity. If we succeed, we'll be remembered for eternity."

Patting Huan Yuanjing on the shoulder, the Emperor of Wei sighed, "You and I are already very old, yet we still have to be pawns in the hands of the young. It is truly a sad thing."

"My royal brother, you let her assist the crown prince. Aren't you afraid that she will become someone like Cao Cao or Sima Yi?" Huan Yuanjing suddenly asked.

As if struck to the heart by this question, the Emperor of Wei looked stunned. After a long pause, he said, "I have given her a painting. If she can understand, she can follow the story of Huo Guang. It's rare to find a Zhou Gong in this world, and it's gratifying that she is willing to be Huo Bolu." Glancing at Huan Yuanjing, the Emperor of Wei continued, "Do you remember the second chapter of the Ming Emperor's Chronicle in the seventh volume of the Book of Jin? The historian said: 'Yiyang was built on the banks of the torrent. The Chu River was constantly at war. Fangcheng faced the enemy, and it was necessary to entrust loyal generals to lead the troops. With tens of thousands of ships and twice the number of soldiers as the royal family, he took advantage of the situation without any consideration. This is the person called Zhou Gong.' Go and ask her who she is praising and who she is satirizing."

"Are you only asking Pei Jiaoran?"

The Emperor of Wei nodded.