The beauty who wears fast has many babies

Xiao Cele did not hesitate at all. He raised his whip, urged the horse under him, and galloped towards the palace.

The sound of horse hooves echoed through the streets, raising a cloud of dust, as if telling of his inner eagerness and determination.

Along the way, people looked sideways, casting curious and awe-inspiring glances at the marquis who was passing by in a hurry.

But Xiao Zeller ignored all this. His eyes were firmly fixed on the front, with only one goal in mind - the imperial palace.

As he got closer to the palace, he could feel his heart beating faster and faster, but instead of slowing down, he quickened the pace of his horse.

Finally, the towering gate of the imperial palace appeared before his eyes, and Xiao Cele entered the palace without hesitation.

"See Your Majesty!"

"What is it, my dear?"

The emperor sat on the dragon throne, looking majestically at the general in front of him. Seeing him reining in his horse and galloping towards him, he was shocked and wondered what had happened.

Xiao Ce knelt on one knee and saluted, "Your Majesty, I have something important to report."

The emperor frowned slightly and asked, "My dear minister, please tell me quickly. What is so urgent?"

The emperor was unhappy. Could it be because of what Prince Rong had just asked for? Could it be that even my palace was unsafe? The more the emperor thought about it, the more frightened he became.

Xiao Ce raised his head and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I have received news that the enemy has broken through the border defenses and is approaching the capital."

Upon hearing this, the emperor's face changed drastically. He exclaimed, "What? The enemy broke through the border defense line so quickly?"

He never expected it to be such a big deal.

Xiao Ce nodded and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. The enemy is powerful and our defenders can hardly withstand their attack."

The emperor was silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, "I understand. Do you have any countermeasures?"

Xiao Ce stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I suggest that we immediately mobilize the army to the border to strengthen the defense, and send envoys to negotiate with the enemy to buy time. At the same time, we must also prepare the defense of the capital, just in case."

The emperor nodded and said, "Well, my dear minister, you are right. I will immediately order the army to be mobilized to the border. You will be responsible for leading the troops to resist the enemy."

Xiao Ce accepted the order and said, "As you command, Your Majesty. I will live up to your expectations and defend our country and our people to the death."

After saying this, Xiao Cele did not leave immediately, but continued: "I have one more favor to ask of you."

"Due to the crisis of this war, I am afraid I have no time to distract myself. I beg Your Majesty to protect my wife and children for the sake of my many years of military exploits." Xiao Cele clasped his fists and bowed, speaking earnestly.

The emperor nodded slightly, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes, "Lord Xiao, go with peace of mind. I will send people to protect them."

After Xiao Cele thanked him, he spoke again, "Furthermore, I also hope that Your Majesty will issue an imperial decree to inform my wife that I, Xiao Cele, only wish to be with one person for the rest of my life and will never marry anyone else."

The emperor was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Okay! I'll do as you wish."

After saying this, he immediately drafted an edict, stamped it with the imperial seal, and handed it to Xiao Cele.

"Wait for me to send someone to deliver it to the Marquis' Mansion."

Xiao Cele took the imperial edict and carefully put it in his arms, as if he was holding the most precious treasure in the world.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

He turned and left, his steps firm and powerful, his back disappearing in the sunlight outside the hall.

The emperor looked at Xiao Ce's departing back and was secretly happy.

I never expected that the arrogant Lord Xiao would come to me for a woman.

After sending Xiao Ce away, the emperor summoned his chief steward and whispered, "Send some capable men to secretly protect Madam Xiao and ensure she does not come to any harm. Also, pass on my decree to bestow upon the Xiao family a thousand taels of gold and a hundred rolls of silk as a reward."

After the chief steward took his orders and left, the emperor raised his lips slightly and said to himself, "Xiao Cele, ah Xiao Cele, you care so much about your wife that I am even more interested in her. If she can be used by me, perhaps she can become a chess piece to control you, Xiao Cele."

On that day, the imperial edict was delivered to the Xiao Mansion along with Xiao Cele.

Wu Li never expected this imperial edict.

She had just woken up and was still dazed until everyone left. It felt extremely unreal.

"Why are you stupid?"

Xiao Ce looked at her dazed look, a doting smile on his lips, and reached out to gently scratch her nose. His eyes revealed a hint of tenderness and concern.

"I was just too surprised and didn't react." Wu Li came back to his senses.

Xiao Cele smiled and then said, "Ali, I need to go out for a while and will be back soon."

"Although there is no danger in this trip, I am still worried about you." Xiao Cele held Wu Li's hand, his eyes full of reluctance.

"I know you're capable, and you'll definitely return safely." Wu Li comforted him, "I'll take care of everything at home, don't worry."

Xiao Cele nodded and hugged Wu Li tightly in his arms.

"If there's anything urgent, ask Wu Fan to go to Zuixianju to find someone to help."

"Also, I've made some arrangements with General Qin Long. Feel free to send someone to seek help from the General of the Cavalry's Mansion."

"Okay, I understand." Wu Li nodded.

He quietly asked in his heart: "System, do you know what Xiao Cele is doing outside this time?"

【fight.】

When you hear the system's concise and efficient answer, don't be confused.

"Tell me more about it."

A small, barbarian nation near the border had secretly infiltrated and breached the defenses, but they've been mostly dealt with. Xiao Cele took advantage of the Emperor's lack of clarity and exploited the information gap, exaggerating the facts. This made the Emperor nervous, and naturally led to the request for the imperial edict.

"That's not right. When the emperor finds out, he will be held accountable." Wu Li thought about it and felt something was wrong.

[Host, guess why the emperor is so nervous about Xiao Cele.] The system rarely kept things a secret.

"Just say it!" Wu Li, who was pregnant, didn't have that much patience...

【All right……】

Because the forces within the palace and the army were basically all Xiao Cele's people, in other words, the emperor was just a puppet emperor. As long as Xiao Cele wanted, he would be the emperor.

"..."

"So he's just pretending to be a pig and eating the tiger?"

"Or……"

He simply disliked life in the palace, feeling it was filled with hypocrisy and calculation, and preferred the purer atmosphere of the military. In the army, he could sweat profusely, demonstrate his abilities, and enjoy the unfettered sense of freedom.

"Can the emperor be willing?"

"No, that's why he came up with this method to control him. And you and your child are the most powerful bargaining chips in his hand. As long as you are there, he can threaten Xiao Zeller at any time and force him to obey his orders."

Wu Li didn't say anything more after hearing this. She might have limited knowledge of court affairs.

At this time, the system's voice sounded again: [Don't worry, host. The Empress Dowager is actually behind the Emperor and controls the court. She knows very little about the affairs of the court.]

Hearing this, Wu Li frowned and asked doubtfully, "The emperor has no real power?"

The system replied: [Yes, and no.]

This made Wu Li feel a little confused.

The system explained: "While the Emperor possesses a certain degree of power, in reality, the majority of decision-making power lies with the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager manipulates government through her trusted ministers and eunuchs, limiting the Emperor's political power. Furthermore, the Empress Dowager controls important positions in the Imperial Guard and the palace, ensuring the stability of her position. Therefore, in practice, the Emperor often relies on the Empress Dowager's support to implement policies."

Wu Li fell into deep thought after hearing this. This made it seem even more difficult to change the fate of this world.

"So the emperor is just a puppet."

[Yes, but the Empress Dowager is old and in poor health. I'm afraid she won't be able to hold on any longer. The Emperor is eager to keep power firmly in his own hands and doesn't want to be a puppet anymore.]

Wu Li fell silent after hearing this.

The next morning, Xiao Zeller led his army out to battle. He was dressed in armor and looked very heroic, with his soldiers following behind him with high morale.

On the battlefield, Xiao Cele commanded his troops with confidence and fought bravely, his bravery making the enemy tremble with fear.

A few days later, news of victory arrived: Xiao Cele had returned victorious. The whole city celebrated, and people poured into the streets to welcome the hero back.

Wu Li stood in the crowd, watching Xiao Cele slowly approaching on his tall horse. Her heart was filled with joy and pride.