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

The military camp was exceptionally quiet late at night. Apart from the movement of some patrolling soldiers, there was no other sound.

Zhou Chuxuan and Han Bin sat opposite each other in the tent. The dim candlelight shone on their faces, reflecting different expressions.

"Your Highness, are you really sure you can rescue the second child?"

"Of course!" Zhou Chuxuan chuckled. "Ma Sandao is a hero, as are every one of you in Fuling Mountain! How could I possibly watch you die?"

"However, you must atone your sins with merits in order to silence the gossips of the court! Of course, this is also to silence the mouth of the Prince Consort!"

Han Bin nodded deeply, his eyes full of gratitude: "Your Highness, thank you very much!"

"No matter how hard it is, the people of Fuling Mountain will do it!"

Zhou Chuxuan handed a scroll to Han Bin and said, "Go find a few craftsmen outside the city and mass-produce repeating crossbows according to this method. I must ensure that each of you has one!"

Han Bin's hands trembled slightly with excitement. "Your Highness, this...this is really for us?"

He had already witnessed the power of this repeating crossbow, and there were not many of them in the current Wu Dynasty army.

"I only hope that you can win over the hearts and minds of the people of Fuling Mountain on my behalf. The peaceful and prosperous world you desire, I will certainly let you see it one day!"

"Okay, Your Highness's promise is enough!" Han Bin clenched his teeth, stood up, and bowed deeply to Zhou Chuxuan.

A few days later, in the Taiji Hall, forty ministers stood in the court, quietly waiting for the arrival of Emperor Wu.

These civil and military officials, headed by Xu Qinglong, all stood behind him. You must know that after Li Nian was killed, the Li family completely collapsed. Now in the entire Wu Dynasty, only the Xu family is a top family.

Several princes, led by Zhou Heguan, surrounded Yang Li, their faces full of flattery.

This prince consort has the Emperor's Sword in his hand, and can be said to be the only one who can compete with Zhou Chuxuan. Only by clinging to this prince consort can they have a chance to bring Zhou Chuxuan down.

"The Holy One has arrived!"

"Long live my emperor! Long live!"

"All my dear friends, please be free!"

Emperor Wu sat on the dragon throne, his majestic gaze sweeping across the somewhat empty Taiji Hall.

In recent days, although some ministers whose crimes did not deserve the death penalty were released, there are still many gaps in the handling of government affairs in the Wu Dynasty.

"Sixth Brother, I heard that the second-in-command of Fuling Mountain was beheaded yesterday. Did you personally oversee the execution?"

Zhou Chuxuan took two steps forward, bowed slightly, and said, "Yes, Father! I'm new to Fuling Mountain and don't know the rules. I don't obey the rules and regulations, and I killed the officers and soldiers. This is a serious crime!"

"Since it is a serious crime, why don't you kill the rest of the bandits together, sixth brother?" Zhou Heguan stood behind Yang Li with a slight smile on his face.

"Yes, sixth brother, you are not doing a good job if you don't get rid of the root of the problem! By then, these bandits will have grasped the weakness of the capital, and thousands of them will cause trouble, which will be extremely harmful to the capital!" The other princes echoed.

Xu Qinglong remained silent, just observing Zhou Chuxuan secretly. Now all the civil and military officials in the court thought that they were on his side.

But my daughter is someone else's wife, and no matter how I explain, I can't wash away this relationship. I can only let them make wild guesses.

Zhou Chuxuan said calmly, "Brothers, Fuling Mountain was originally a group of heroes with great ambitions. They only gathered in the mountains for certain reasons! If handled properly, they will become a sharp weapon for the court!"

"If we kill them all, how will the world view the court? Will we just abandon them after they've served their purpose? Will we just destroy the bridge after crossing it?"

Zhou Heguan and other princes were speechless. They opened their mouths for a long time but could not say anything. Finally, Yang Li spoke.

"Your Highness, we have just gathered in the mountains for some reason. May I ask what that reason is?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the Taiji Hall instantly became tense. Even Emperor Wu looked at Zhou Chuxuan with burning eyes, quietly waiting for his answer.

In fact, everyone knows the answer to this question, but if someone says it in public, the lightest charge is slandering the court!

Zhou Chuxuan sneered in his heart and said calmly, "In the Wu Dynasty, treacherous people are rampant and villains are causing trouble. This is why some heroes gather in the mountains!"

"Sixth Brother, what nonsense are you talking about? The Wu Dynasty has been so prosperous and wise under the rule of our father. How could such a shameful thing happen?"

Zhou Heguan was the first to jump out and tried his best to defend Emperor Wu, hoping to gain some favor under the Emperor Wu's nose, but he did not notice the coldness in the Emperor Wu's eyes at all.

"That's right, Your Highness. Under Your Majesty's rule, the Wu Dynasty is flourishing and is gradually heading towards a more glorious peak. How could there be such a dark matter as you describe?"

Some civil officials below also mustered up the courage to echo him.

Xu Qinglong immediately cursed in his heart, these old guys are really a bunch of idiots!

You have no sense at all. How could Your Majesty not know these things in your heart? You just don't want to point them out!

Since the prince wants to be the first to come forward, you just have to watch patiently. Why does he have to be the first to come forward?

Sure enough, the next moment, Emperor Wu slammed the dragon table and said in a deep voice, "Shut up! I know exactly what my Wu Dynasty is like!"

"It's because of flatterers like you that the morale among officials has deteriorated, leading to the increasing corruption of the Wu Dynasty! Sixth Brother, you're right, keep talking!"

Zhou Heguan quickly shrank his head, not daring to show it again, and immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

What happened to the Emperor today? How can such a thing be brought to light?

There was a hint of coldness flashing in the eyes of Yang Li, who was standing in the front. After spending the past few days together, Emperor Wu was very supportive of him, and the two even felt like they had met a close friend.

But today in the court, Yang Li felt a deep sense of strangeness in Emperor Wu.

Zhou Chuxuan's sharp eyes swept over those who had just flattered him, and he said in a cold voice, "Father, I can guarantee right now that if the court wishes to mobilize the Fuling Mountain army, they will immediately transform into an invincible royal army!"

"Sixth brother, aren't you exaggerating a bit?" Zhou Heguan couldn't help but say, "It's a blessing that these bandits don't bear grudges against us. How could they possibly obey the imperial court's orders?"

"I guess these bandits are probably already discussing how to break through the siege and return to Fuling Mountain!"

"The Second Prince is right. The Fuling Mountain bandits are truly untrustworthy!"

"Your Majesty, we must not listen to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's words this time. Once these bandits escape the control of the tens of thousands of soldiers, they will immediately dominate the area and pose a huge threat to our Wu Dynasty!"

Emperor Wu pondered for a while, then said in a deep voice: "In that case, summon Han Bin to the Taiji Hall!"