Who put the yellow robe on me?

"But what?" Defei looked at Jiang Chen and asked in confusion.

"But the general is very angry about the assassination of the second young master this time, and it is expected that he will personally attack the Western Regions." Jiang Chen did not reveal more about the spies in the Western Regions to Concubine De.

"If we can assist the general during his western expedition this time..." Jiang Chen looked at Concubine De.

"Your Majesty has always let Jiang Zhan accompany him on military campaigns," Defei said hesitantly.

The twelfth prince, Jiang Zhan, was a martial arts expert who had made numerous military achievements in campaigns across the country and won the trust of Emperor Liang.

"Mother, everything depends on human effort. The general never gets involved in party affairs in the palace. Opportunities like this are rare."

Jiang Chen continued to persuade Concubine De.

"Alright! Although the Bozhou Yang Clan doesn't have many soldiers, they do have many capable generals. They will contact you later. Go and assist Zhong Wenbin!"

"Yes, thank you for your trust, mother!"

Concubine De's expression relaxed slightly, and she turned to ask, "Why, when His Majesty asked about the candidate for the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, didn't you directly recommend Yang Shaolin, but instead held an autumn examination?"

Jiang Chen explained, "If we mention Yang Shaolin's name directly, it might seem like partisanship. If Yang Shaolin wins the Autumn Examination, then Your Majesty will be convinced, which is more reasonable."

A hint of appreciation flashed across Concubine De's face. "You've really thought it through. You need to put more effort into Yang Shaolin and make sure he wins this competition."

After a pause, she changed the subject, her tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction: "In three months, you will reach adulthood and be crowned King of Yan."

Jiang Chen was shocked, knowing that Concubine De was extremely dissatisfied with his title of king, and hurriedly said, "Mother, this is one step closer to our succession to the throne."

"If I succeed in ascending the throne and you become the Empress Dowager, will you consider killing all of my father's remaining concubines?"

Jiang Chen quickly diverted Concubine De's attention.

De Fei sneered: "It's too early to discuss this matter. We can discuss it later."

De Fei seemed to recall something and said casually, "I think the third daughter of the Dali Temple Minister is not bad. She is more reliable than the girl surnamed He in the Prime Minister's Mansion."

Jiang Chen thought that Concubine De had seen through something and was trying to keep a tight control over him through this method. Yang Zhengming, the Minister of the Dali Temple, was from the Yang family of Bozhou.

Jiang Chen smiled and said, "Mother, I am still thinking about how to help General Zhong deal with his family affairs to ensure his support."

"Furthermore, I also believe that Lord He of the Prime Minister's Mansion is not someone we cannot win over. With the head of these civil and military officials, our path to succession will be extremely smooth."

Concubine De nodded with satisfaction: "I am very satisfied that you can consider so much for me."

After saying that, he stood up and left Ningbo Palace.

After Concubine De left, Jiang Chen fell into deep thought in the study room of Ningbo Palace.

Because Defei knew the secret of Jiang Chen's identity, she was fearless towards Jiang Chen, so she used and suppressed Jiang Chen everywhere.

He had always wanted to go out and become a vassal, simply because he wanted to gain control of the military and thus escape from Concubine De's control.

If it is not possible to go out and be a fief, then it is not a bad idea to recruit some of your own soldiers after building your own palace.

Palace soldiers? Jiang Chen thought of General Zhong Wenbin going on the expedition himself. If they went together, he might be able to make friends with some outstanding generals.

After all, the military generals from the Yang family of Bozhou cannot be used, but they cannot all be used either.

At that time, I was talking with General Zhong. If we could find out whether the person was a spy from the Ministry of Works, we would first need to thoroughly investigate whether the documents of the Ministry of Works had been borrowed.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Chen decided to go to Tianlu Palace to check. All the important documents of the Ministry of Works were collected in Tianlu Palace.

……

At this time, Emperor Liang and the eunuch Zhao Ji were in the imperial garden. Eunuch Zhao waved his hand, and a eunuch named Xiao Lizi came quickly with a plate in his hand.

Eunuch Zhao bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the day is approaching. Which concubine will you favor today?"

After saying that, he motioned Little Li to come forward and try to get Emperor Liang to turn over the card.

Emperor Liang glanced at Eunuch Zhao, then at the sign prepared for him, and chuckled, "Old man, the night is not yet over. Have you accepted favors from some concubine again?"

Eunuch Zhao forced a smile and said, "Oh, Your Majesty, what are you talking about? I just saw that you were worried about the affairs in the Western Regions recently, and I was thinking of asking one of the empresses to serve you well!"

After saying that, the two saw Jiang Chen passing by in a hurry, but at this time Jiang Chen was anxious to go to Tianlu Palace and did not notice Emperor Liang and the other two.

"Chen'er!" Emperor Liang called out to Jiang Chen!

Jiang Chen turned to look at Emperor Liang and immediately greeted him: "Long live the emperor, father!"

"Get up, why are you in such a hurry? Where are you going?"

It is said that Emperor Liang also changed his opinion of Jiang Chen a lot because of the refugee incident. Although he had been going to Tianxiang Pavilion before, at least he can now share the worries for the emperor.

Jiang Chen's heart tightened, and he replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, I am on my way to Tianlu Palace."

Emperor Liang's eyes were sharp as he asked, "Why do you want to go to Tianlu Palace?"

Jiang Chen originally wanted to tell the general about his investigation into spies from the Western Regions, but he had no real evidence. Judging from the blue edging on the saddle, he could not be sure whether it was done by the Ministry of Works personnel, nor could he confirm who the spy was.

Moreover, Emperor Liang is suspicious by nature. The reason why he trusts the General and Prime Minister He so much is that the heads of civil and military officials are not involved in party affairs. If this matter arouses Emperor Liang's suspicion, it will be detrimental to the Zhong family, the Thirteenth Princess, and even more detrimental to himself.

He changed his tone and said, "The Autumn Examination is approaching. I have heard that cheating incidents of varying degrees have occurred in the examinations over the years. I would like to learn more about it so that I can prevent it from happening again."

Emperor Liang nodded with satisfaction. "It is very good that you are willing to consider the future of Daliang. However, there is no rush. Please accompany me for a walk in the Imperial Garden."

Jiang Chen had no choice but to agree and followed closely behind.

When Eunuch Zhao saw this, he quickly asked Little Li to put away the sign. He thought to himself, "The Sixteenth Prince has become a favorite of His Majesty lately. I must find an opportunity to get closer to him."

In the imperial garden, the air is filled with the faint fragrance of flowers, and various flowers are competing for beauty.

The butterflies are dancing and the gurgling water is like the sound of nature, making you feel like you are in a fairyland.

Emperor Liang suddenly said, "If I remember correctly, Yang Shaolin should be your mother's confidant. Why didn't you second the proposal when someone recommended Yang Shaolin?"

Jiang Chen's heart tightened as he pondered how to answer so that Emperor Liang wouldn't notice. "Father, although Yang Shaolin is from my mother's clan, my Daliang is already riddled with internal problems."

"How to elect some truly capable people is far more important than whether they are members of the tribe."

"Riddled with holes?" Emperor Liang frowned slightly, his voice icy, "Jiang Chen, what do you mean?"

After Jiang Chen heard the unfriendly tone of Emperor Liang, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Since ancient times, "serving the emperor is like serving a tiger", but he didn't expect that Emperor Liang would be so moody!