Dressed as the prince's substitute? I took the throne

Zhou Chuxuan paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "We've held the city for a long time. Perhaps it's time to let the Liao army see how powerful we are. Moreover, if we don't fight for a long time, I'm afraid the people and soldiers will become suspicious."

Although the Fuling Army obeyed his orders completely, the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Guards were not his own people. They were not his direct subordinates. If any mistakes occurred among them, it would be extremely disadvantageous for defending the city.

Murong Xue nodded: "Your Highness, then, the matter of the traitor..."

Zhou Chuxuan chuckled: "I already know who he is, and after tonight, he will come in handy."

Looking at Zhou Chuxuan's usual cunning smile, Murong Xue gradually felt relieved and turned around and walked out.

As dusk approached, Zhou Chuxuan did not return to his mansion, but slowly walked towards the palace. There were almost no civilians walking on the streets of the capital, only teams of patrolling officers and soldiers.

Inside the palace, the walls were still as majestic and magnificent as ever, but there were fewer eunuchs guarding it, and even the candles and lanterns in many places were not lit, making the palace pitch black.

A cool breeze blew, and Zhou Chuxuan felt a slight sense of desolation. He stepped inside and walked along the road to the Taiji Hall. Along the way, he would occasionally meet two young eunuchs and a young palace maid walking quickly with their heads down.

Most of them didn’t know Zhou Chuxuan and walked past with their heads lowered.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, are you so elegant as to come to the palace for a stroll today? You are such a rare guest!" A woman's voice suddenly came from not far away.

The voice sounded slightly familiar, and Zhou Chuxuan quickly knew who it was.

Looking up, it was indeed Concubine De.

At this moment, Concubine De was obviously more haggard than before. Even in the dim light, Zhou Chuxuan could feel that her face was extremely pale and her body was thin, as if a gust of wind could blow her down.

Zhou Chuxuan chuckled and slowly walked towards Concubine De. "Your Highness Concubine De, why are you strolling out at dusk instead of resting in your bedroom? Besides, you don't look well."

Concubine De's tone was indifferent: "I am just a lonely woman. My husband is nowhere to be found, and even my son has no food to eat. I am in danger. How can I look good? In this respect, I can't compare with His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, who has all the power in the world."

"What happened to Second Brother?"

Zhou Chuxuan was slightly stunned. He had not heard any news about Zhou Heguan.

"Your Highness, please don't worry about that. Is Your Highness thinking of reminiscing about the past? Or is it better to surrender to the Liao army?"

Empress Defei's words instantly made Zhou Chuxuan alert, and a chill emanated from his eyes. "Empress Defei, I, Zhou Chuxuan, will defend the Wu Dynasty and the safety of the entire capital to the death. How can I talk about surrendering? Where did you hear these words?"

Consort De shook her head. "That's not something I heard from anywhere. It's just my random guess. If there's anything wrong with what I said, Your Highness, please don't take it to heart."

Zhou Chuxuan quickly took a few steps forward, standing almost face to face with Concubine De, his eyes emitting a deep, cold murderous intent: "Concubine De, you are Zhou Wanjiang's wife and Zhou Heguan's mother. We have no past or present grudges, so I don't want to attack you."

"But I hope you won't challenge my bottom line again and again! Otherwise, I can't guarantee what I can do."

"Haha, Your Highness, don't bother with that! I'm a woman, helpless in the inner palace. If Your Highness wants to kill me, just come and do it. No need to threaten me."

After saying this, Concubine De turned and left, her frail figure looking extremely lonely in the bleak cold wind.

However, the murderous intent in Zhou Chuxuan's eyes did not diminish at all, as he seemed to have overlooked a very important point.

Harem!

He originally thought that the harem was filled with Zhou Wanjiang's wives, concubines, and imperial concubines. A group of women posed no threat and there was no need to pay attention to them. However, what Concubine De said today completely sounded the alarm in his heart.

A thousand-mile embankment was destroyed by an ant nest!

Thinking of this, Zhou Chuxuan walked towards Zhou Heguan's mansion.

Before, Zhou Heguan's mansion was bustling with countless guards, servants, and maids, but now it is deserted and even the lanterns in front of the door are not lit.

Zhou Chuxuan reached out and pushed open the door. The yard was still pitch black, with only a few rooms inside lit by faint candlelight.

"Crench!"

The door made a series of harsh noises, and the pale and thin Zhou Heguan struggled to sit up from the bed. Only two maids were left to serve him.

Seeing Zhou Chuxuan pushing the door open, the two maids were so scared that the medicine bowls in their hands fell to the ground and shattered.

"Your Highness, what are you doing here? I am a dying man, how can I pose any threat to Your Highness?" Zhou Heguan gasped and closed his eyes, as if opening his eyes would be a waste of energy.

Zhou Chuxuan waved his hand, signaling the two maids to leave. "Second brother, I have no other intention in coming here. I just wanted to come and see you. After all, you and I are still blood relatives!"

"Blood relationship?"

Zhou Heguan slowly opened his eyes, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Zhou Chuxuan, do you believe this? Even my father has abandoned me. My mother is staying in the inner palace and doesn't care about me anymore. Where is the kinship I have left in this world?"

Looking at Zhou Heguan lying on the bed like an old man at the end of his life, Zhou Chuxuan was filled with emotion.

Although Zhou Heguan before was stupid and had the desire but not the courage to seize the throne, and could only use all kinds of stupid means to fight for it, he was at least still a young man with high spirits.

"Second brother, actually, you are already dead, right?"

Zhou Chuxuan's words immediately made Zhou Heguan's eyes flash with panic on the bed. Although it was fleeting, Zhou Chuxuan quickly caught it.

brush!

Zhou Chuxuan immediately drew his sword from his waist and stabbed Zhou Heguan's throat with lightning speed.

Zhou Heguan no longer had any of his previous sickness. He quickly turned over and sat up, a murderous look flashing in his eyes. He quickly pulled out a dagger from his waist and blocked Zhou Chuxuan's sword.

The corners of his mouth curled up strangely. "Your Highness, the Crown Prince of the Wu Dynasty, your reputation is truly well-deserved. You've even discovered my secret hiding method?"

"Or did someone tip off?"