Princess Promotion

Yao Chuguang picked up a piece of white paper from the side and spread it out, then looked at Fu Hongxuan and said, "Tell me, what trouble have you encountered?"

Fu Hongxuan told everything, and after she finished speaking, she suddenly felt that Yun Shi was a bit miserable. Yun Shi probably never dreamed that just after she threatened him, Fu Hongxuan came directly to Yao Chuguang and exposed himself.

In fact, the Yun family had calculated and planned everything, and if they met any of them, they would be Emperor Zhou or other emperors.

Fu Hongxuan had no choice but to defect, but the Yun family had made all kinds of plans, but the only one they had overlooked was Yao Chuguang.

If the Yun family had ever come into contact with Yao Chuguang, they would not be as certain as they are now that Fu Hongxuan has no way out.

I guess Yun never dreamed that Yao Chuguang and Fu Hongxuan were old acquaintances, and that Fu Hongxuan had actually planned a rebellion, which was foiled by Yao Chuguang.

Yao Chuguang was also generous enough to reassure those brothers who had followed Fu Hongxuan in the rebellion and had worked in vain.

Even in such a situation, Yao Chuguang still allowed Fu Hongxuan to go to court alive without any consequences. What did the Yun family's involvement matter?

Sometimes Fu Hongxuan would sigh that Yao Chuguang was really brave and dared to use anyone. He was really not afraid of being backstabbed at all.

Should we say she is too generous or too confident?

Yao Chuguang listened quietly to Fu Hongxuan's brief summary and finally concluded: "That's it?"

Fu Hongxuan was speechless. Is treason such a common thing?

Yao Chuguang calmly analyzed, "If the Yun family's original plan had been followed, Zhou Chengxi should still be in Yundu City."

Yun's plan should be to have Concubine Li kill anyone in the palace who had seen Zhou Chengxi, so that Yao Chuguang would not be able to know what Zhou Chengxi looked like, and similarly, the court officials would not know what Zhou Chengxi looked like.

Then anyone who comes can claim to be Zhou Chengxi.

The only person in the capital that Yun wanted to hide the truth from was Yao Chuguang, but he couldn't even hide it from his own accomplices.

It is estimated that Yun wanted to wait until the identity of the substitute in the palace was completely confirmed, and then secretly observe which court officials could be won over, and then let Zhou Chengxi come forward to win them over.

The Yun family had their own considerations for taking such a big risk. Now these old ministers might still miss their former master to some extent and were unwilling to bear the stigma of being a villain of Gaomi.

So even if Zhou Chengxi contacted him secretly, even if he failed to win him over, he would not report Zhou Chengxi.

Yun's plan also has another aspect: if they don't capture those old ministers who can be captured now, and after three to five years those old ministers have established a firm foothold in the court, who would risk their lives to rebel against them?

At this time, the Yun family could produce evidence of the connection between the old ministers and Zhou Chengxi, and completely cut off the retreat of these fence-sitters.

The Yun family didn't expect Yao Chuguang to suddenly see through the substitute, so they were naturally not prepared, so Zhou Chengxi must still be in Yundu City.

Yao Chuguang thought for a moment and said, "I immediately sealed the Yun Mansion and the city gates. Even if Zhou Chengxi got the news, he wouldn't be able to escape from Yundu City."

"The Yun family couldn't have failed to anticipate that if the truth were revealed, the first place I would seal off would be the Yun Mansion. A cautious person wouldn't fail to prepare for the worst."

Therefore, there is no need to investigate the Yun Mansion and other industries, as Zhou Chengxi would not hide in these places.

Yao Chuguang looked at Fu Hongxuan and said, "After thinking about it, one thing I think is that Yun Shi subconsciously put you on her side. I guess she never dreamed that you would come and confess to me."

"So Zhou Chengxi is most likely hiding near your home. The simplest reason is that if he is found, you are a skilled martial artist and can lead Zhou Chengxi out of the encirclement."

Yao Chuguang wrote the last word, paused, picked up the imperial seal on the table, stamped it, and handed it to Fu Hongxuan, saying, "Take this note to the Imperial Guards and dispatch personnel to search the entire city, starting with your home. Capture any boy aged eleven or twelve who has delicate skin and no calluses on his hands."

Fu Hongxuan took the note with a hesitant look on his face.

Yao Chuguang said decisively, "Just focus on arresting him. I'll help you deal with the Yun family's affairs. You don't have to think about begging for mercy. As I said before, I won't let anyone who deserves to be killed go."

Yao Chuguang thought for a moment, then gave Fu Hongxuan a reassurance and said, "Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for Madam Liu and Fu Yuanyuan."

Now Fu Hongxuan was completely relieved and went to arrest the man with the note.

After Fu Hongxuan walked away, Yao Chuguang shook his head. All kinds of bad things happened every day.

Fu Yuanyuan sat in the carriage and nervously held Madam Liu's hand. Suddenly, someone from the palace came and summoned her, her mother and her grandmother to the palace.

And at this critical juncture, it was hard for Fu Yuanyuan not to wonder if they had been exposed.

Yun opened her eyes and said calmly, "Calm down. Don't scare yourself for no reason. You've already revealed yourself before anyone else has said anything."

Yun shook her head and said that Fu Yuanyuan was still too young and made a fuss over little things.

Yun continued, "If something really happened, the first person to be arrested would be Fu Hongxuan. Didn't you just see him leading the imperial guards to search Xi'er? This shows that Fu Hongxuan has already gained the Empress's trust."

"Perhaps the Empress came to the palace this time just because of our relationship with Concubine Li. She wants us to persuade Concubine Li, using both soft and hard tactics to get her to reveal Xi'er's whereabouts."

Wei Liao Yun glanced at Fu Yuanyuan and Old Madam Liu with a warning, "You'd better not let anything slip, or I'll drag Fu Hongxuan down with me. I can do it."

Fu Yuanyuan's eyes instantly turned red, and she nodded while holding back her tears.

After Fu Hongxuan left, although Yun was confident in her plan, she was still worried that Fu Hongxuan would choose to fight to the death with her.

So after learning that Fu Hongxuan had entered the palace, Yun was really a little panicked, but then she thought that she couldn't panic.

Fu Hongxuan could die himself, but he really didn't care about Fu Yuanyuan and Old Madam Liu at all. He just wanted to drag everyone to die together.

No matter how Yun thought about it, he never thought that Fu Hongxuan was such a reckless person.

After figuring this out, Yun felt a little relieved and prepared to remain unchanged in the face of any changes. If Fu Hongxuan could not leave the palace, but had to send an official to leave the palace, she would run away immediately.

As a result, Fu Hongxuan did not disappoint her. Not only did he leave the palace smoothly, he also received the empress's order to mobilize the imperial guards.

Although Yun didn't know how Fu Hongxuan persuaded the empress to give him the order to mobilize the imperial guards, she was indeed very satisfied with Fu Hongxuan's performance tonight.

It was worthy of her years of planning to tie the Fu family and the Yun family together. Now it seems that Fu Hongxuan was really worth it.

Just a few words can convince the cautious empress to give him power. As long as Fu Hongxuan controls the imperial guards, he can enter and leave Yundu City as he pleases.

Yun guessed that Fu Hongxuan wanted to mobilize all his subordinates and confidants and take them out of the city under the pretext of a search. By the time Yao Chuguang reacted, they would have already escaped.

The only downside to tonight was that Yun was recruited into the palace by Yao Chuguang, otherwise she would have been escorted out of the city by the imperial guards by now.

However, Yun was not panicked. She knew that Fu Hongxuan was a sentimental man and would never abandon Fu Yuanyuan and Old Madam Liu and run away. He would definitely try his best to take them away with him.

So when Yao Chuguang invited her into the palace, Yun brought Fu Yuanyuan and Old Madam Liu with her.

Yun speculated that Fu Hongxuan wanted to take revenge on her, or was unwilling to be at her mercy.

She deliberately mentioned her in front of Yao Chuguang so that Yao Chuguang would recruit her into the palace, and Fu Hongxuan could take Fu Yuanyuan and Old Madam Liu away.

Yun was not as satisfied as Fu Hongxuan wanted, so she brought Fu Yuanyuan and Old Madam Liu into the palace.

When Yun entered the imperial study, she saw Concubine Li kneeling in the center of the hall, and her heart was at ease.

It seems that Fu Hongxuan recommended her to Yao Chuguang to persuade Concubine Li to reveal Xier's whereabouts.

Madam Liu, Madam Yun, and Fu Yuanyuan came to the main hall and saluted together: "Your servants/subjects pay their respects to Your Majesty."

It was the first time that Old Lady Liu and Madam Yun met Yao Chuguang.

Yao Chuguang was wearing a gorgeous yet simple imperial robe, with golden edges outlining her slender figure. Every detail spoke of her extraordinary and noble character.

Although Yun had long known that the empress was only eighteen years old this year, she did not expect that she looked even more childish.

Although Yao Chuguang has a delicate and charming appearance, and is even comparable to Li'er in looks, you should know that it was Li'er's looks that made Emperor Zhou so infatuated with her that he was willing to bear the stigma of stealing a minister's wife in order to make Li'er his concubine.

But Yun really couldn't believe that such a childish and charming girl was an empress who held the power of life and death.

If Yao Chuguang had not recognized Concubine Li at a glance, the Yun family would be in the passive situation they are in now.

The Yun family would really be fooled by Yao Chuguang's deceptive appearance and let down their guard.

As expected, she is a woman who can sit on the throne of the empress. Even though she looks young and immature, she is actually very scheming inside.

Yun was extremely alert, constantly reminding herself to be careful with her words and actions, and to beware of the trap in Yao Chuguang's words.

The woman in front of me has amazing insight, and I must not reveal any flaws.

Yao Chuguang saw that Old Madam Liu and Fu Yuanyuan had also come along, and asked with a puzzled expression, "Why are you two here too?"

Before Madam Liu could speak, Madam Yun spoke first, "Your Majesty, the old lady has always regarded Concubine Li as her own granddaughter, and Yuanyuan has been like a sister to Concubine Li since childhood. When she heard that Concubine Li was in trouble, she was very worried and took the initiative to come along."

It would be too fake to pretend that I knew nothing now. A few hours ago, Yao Chuguang ordered people to surround the Yun family.

As a daughter who married out, Yun said that she didn't know what happened in her parents' home. Isn't this just covering her ears and stealing the bell?

Yun spoke sincerely, with a look of concern and remorse, "Your Majesty, please don't blame us. We were just worried."

Yao Chuguang scratched his head and said, "That's nothing. Since we're here, just watch from the side."

Yao Chuguang asked Madam Liu to sit on a chair nearby. Just as Madam Liu was about to say no, she was stopped by Yun's eyes.

Because Yun also wanted to get rid of Old Madam Liu, fearing that she would let the cat out of the bag and she would have to get back at her.

Yao Chuguang noticed Fu Yuanyuan's restless look and asked, "Are you in a hurry to go to the toilet?"

Fu Yuanyuan's face flushed instantly, she lowered her head and whispered, "No...no."

Yao Chuguang pointed in the direction of Old Madam Liu and said, "Then you should go over there too."

This time, without Yun's signal, Fu Yuanyuan walked over to stand next to Old Madam Liu.

Just when Yun thought Yao Chuguang would say some polite words as an opening remark, unexpectedly Yao Chuguang said bluntly: "Fu Hongxuan has confessed everything to me, in more detail than you can imagine."

At this moment, Yun just wanted to rush to Fu Hongxuan and ask him if he was sick!

But the shock only lasted for a moment. If Fu Hongxuan had really confessed, how could Yao Chuguang still let him dispatch the imperial guards?

Could it be that Fu Hongxuan is sick and Yao Chuguang is not normal either?

This is impossible. It must be Yao Chuguang who is trying to trick her. Yes, she is trying to trick her. The empress is indeed very cunning. Even though she is so cautious, she almost fell into her trap.

Yun's face showed a hint of confusion and shock as she asked, "I don't know what your majesty means by this. What did Xuan'er confess?"

Yao Chuguang shattered the Yun family's last hope and said, "Fu Hongxuan came to me and told me that you married into the Fu family with ulterior motives in order to tie the Fu family to the Yun family's pirate ship. Now your Yun family wants to support Zhou Chengxi to restore the country and become emperor."

"You also threatened Fu Hongxuan that if he didn't help the Yun family, you would drag the Fu family down with you."

Yun was a little dazed at this moment. Fu Hongxuan was really a madman. He actually turned himself in.

Yun asked what puzzled him the most, "You actually knew that the Fu and Yun families were deeply involved, and yet you still trusted Fu Hongxuan with the Imperial Guards?"

Yao Chuguang said nonchalantly, "It's not a big deal. Without the Yun family, there would be no repercussions."

As early as after Yao Chuguang said the first sentence to Yun, Fu Yuanyuan's mind went blank, buzzing and seemed to be unable to cope.

At this moment, Yun's face turned pale and she said, "Since you know everything, you know that I will never reveal Xi'er's whereabouts to you no matter what."

At this time, Concubine Li finally looked up at Yun with tears on her face and said, "Aunt!"

Yun raised her hand and gently wiped away the tears on Concubine Li's face and said, "Good child, don't be afraid, your aunt will accompany you."

Yao Chuguang interrupted, "Wait, I haven't finished yet. Could you please not jump to the finale so quickly?"

Yun looked at Yao Chuguang in confusion. What was the finale?

Yao Chuguang said nonchalantly, "I don't need you to tell me Zhou Chengxi's whereabouts. In fact, whether or not Zhou Chengxi is found doesn't make any difference to me."

Yun sneered, thinking that Yao Chuguang was being mysterious again. If Zhou Chengxi was not important, why would he go through so much trouble and send the imperial guards to search the entire city for him?

Yao Chuguang said calmly, "From the beginning to the end, the one I wanted to deal with was not Zhou Chengxi, but the Yun family who had rebellious intentions."

"But I need a good reason to attack the Yun family, and Zhou Chengxi is my best excuse."

Yun said fearfully, "No, it's impossible. This is impossible."

Yao Chuguang smiled and said, "Without the support of the Yun family, Zhou Chengxi is nothing. What kind of storm can he stir up? You are the ones who are putting the cart before the horse."

"I was originally worried that you wouldn't be able to withstand the pressure and would give Zhou Chengxi away early, but now I'm very satisfied."

Yun kept shaking her head, saying, "No, Yao Chuguang was wrong, it's not like that."

Yao Chuguang took two steps back and stayed away from Yun. After all, Yun looked so crazy, what if he suddenly attacked and hurt someone?

After Yun vented his anger, his mind became much clearer and he realized that there were loopholes in Yao Chuguang's words.

Yun said excitedly, "If it's true as you said, Zhou Chengxi is unimportant and you've always wanted to deal with the Yun family, then why did you bother summoning me? Wouldn't it be better to just kill him and put an end to all this talk?"

Yao Chuguang must be lying to her, trying to break her psychological defenses and reveal Zhou Chengxi's whereabouts.