At the tender age of eight, he was hastily dragged out and made emperor!

This heavy rain lasted for many days, as if interpreting the changes in the central government of the Great Yu, the changes on the western border of Liang, and the general trend of the world.

But who can say for sure?

Everyone is caught in the middle of a situation, and who can be sure that what they do will lead to good and avoid bad? This is so similar to life. Even knowing that the end result is death, we still hesitate when faced with choices.

After the heavy rain, the sky cleared and the clouds thinned.

The sun was shining brightly.

"Da da~"

The sound of horses' hooves broke the silence as a vast procession moved slowly forward. Within the procession, banners fluttered in the wind, and an atmosphere of solemnity pervaded the area.

At the heart of the procession, a luxurious imperial carriage moved along, its bells ringing incessantly.

A group of knights, clad in armor and carrying swords, stood guard on either side of the imperial carriage, their young faces serious and solemn.

"Your Majesty, please have some pastries."

Inside the imperial carriage, Li Zhong knelt to one side, holding a plate of pastries, and respectfully addressed Chu Ling, who was peering out the window at everything around him.

"I'm not hungry."

Chu Ling frowned and lowered the gauze curtain.

'So, you're going to play like this?'

Chu Ling ignored Li Zhong, secretly pondering, 'The fact that they deliberately chose this time to send me out of the Yu Palace to tour the Shanglin Garden suggests that the three empresses, especially their subordinates, must have made a new decision these past few days. Otherwise, why would they go to such lengths?'

Chu Ling had indeed considered going to Shanglin Garden, and was looking for the most suitable time to get the three empresses to be on guard so that they could go to that detached palace to improve their riding skills.

Of course, this is just a pretext.

Chu Ling wanted to know what Xia Wang was trying to achieve by urgently summoning him to Shanglin Garden. Also, Chu Ling wanted to find an opportunity to settle down in Shanglin Garden.

No matter how good the Yu Palace is, there are spies everywhere, and every move you make is under some kind of subtle surveillance, which is very inconvenient.

But Shanglin Garden was different.

As a detached palace and villa of Dayu, the garden covers a vast area, making it much easier for Chu Ling to find opportunities to travel around than to stay in the Yu Palace.

Chu Ling has several things to do at Shanglin Garden: one is to see if he can find a favorable place, another is to see if he can stay in the detached palace for a long time, and the third is to find an opportunity to explore the treasure vault. If Chu Ling can accomplish these things, then he will have an advantage!

As for what Xia Wang was thinking about, that came after these other things.

The feeling is different when you actively suggest something versus when you passively accept it.

"Who do you think suggested my trip to Shanglin Garden this time?"

Chu Ling composed himself, leaned against the cushion, and smiled at Li Zhong, saying, "The matter of Xiliang has caused quite a stir in the court and among the people. Instead of staying in the Yu Palace at this time, I went to Shanglin Garden for a tour. What will the people of Yudu think of me?"

"Your Majesty, this servant is also unsure."

Li Zhong lowered his head. "This matter was issued by the three palaces, but I always feel that there are many things involved behind this imperial edict."

"Can't I see it?"

Chu Ling flicked his sleeves and said, "On the matter of Duke Xun, my interests are aligned with those of the three empresses. Li Jin may be guilty, but it is not enough to warrant calling for his execution."

"Some people always want to profit from this, but they don't even consider that Li Jin has been an official for so many years, surely he has some trusted confidants?"

"Your Majesty is wise."

Li Zhongbai said, "This is the current difficulty. Besides Li Jin's faction, there are other forces. The Left Prime Minister seems to have overreacted to this matter, which is completely different from his previous actions."

"That's precisely why the attitudes of the Dukes Rong, Bao, and An, as well as Xiao Jing and his group, can easily intensify the covert struggles."

Yes.

Chu Ling sighed inwardly. In this upheaval, he had gained nominal benefits and influenced some people and things, but in reality, he had no connection with them at all.

So what if it affects the entire military and guard?

What good is it if Li Bin feels grateful to him?

What if there are changes to the Imperial Guards stationed at the palace?

Those who truly influence the court are never them, but rather the old foxes in the court. That's why I was sent to the Shanglin Garden.

What could Chu Ling say?

This is why Chu Ling went to Shanglin Garden; she had something she wanted to do herself. Otherwise, Chu Ling's mood would have been affected by this feeling of being controlled.

What are your thoughts?

Thinking of all this, Chu Ling looked at Wan Qiu'er sitting to the side.

"I think it's quite good."

Wan Qiu'er first glanced at Li Zhong, then stood up and bowed to Chu Ling, saying, "Your Majesty's tour of Shanglin Garden allows you to improve your horsemanship and practice archery. Given the current situation in Xiliang, Your Majesty's martial spirit is surely a good thing for Dayu."

Chu Ling's eyes lit up.

Yes!

Chu Ling's gaze towards Wan Qiu'er changed.

This maid is smarter than I thought; perhaps her taciturnity is just a facade?

Because of Li Zhong's allegiance, Chu Ling became less wary of Wan Qiu'er after learning about the existence of the maid army.

As long as they're not from the third generation, then it's easy to handle!

"If that's the case, I'll stay at Shanglin Garden for a few more days!"

Chu Ling smiled slightly and looked at Li Zhong, saying, "I'm going to Shanglin Garden and would like to summon some people to accompany me. This shouldn't be difficult, right?"

"It's not difficult."

Li Zhong answered without hesitation.

"Then send someone back to Yudu to the Tenth Prince's residence and summon Chu Hui to see me!" Chu Ling said without hesitation, "Since I entered the palace, I have really missed this younger brother."

"Here!"

Li Zhong immediately bowed and said so, while secretly breathing a sigh of relief.

The new emperor summoned the Eighth Prince, not anyone else, so this matter is relatively easy to handle.

"besides…"

As Li Zhong was about to leave, Chu Ling reached out and said, "My brothers-in-law are all in Yudu. I miss them. Tell them to come to Shanglin Garden. Have Li Bin handle this matter. Don't make a big fuss about it."

"The slaves obey the orders!"

Li Zhong's heart was in his throat again. At this time, the new emperor summoned his maternal uncle, which would inevitably make some people wary. But since the new emperor had already said so, Li Zhong had no choice but to agree.

Li Zhong was pondering how to get the new emperor's brother-in-law to meet the emperor without arousing suspicion.

"It's better to leave the palace."

At this moment, Chu Ling was very relaxed and said with a smile, "Even the air is filled with the feeling of freedom!"

Seeing the new emperor like this, Wan Qiu'er smiled, but then lowered her head.

'She has a pretty smile.'

Chu Ling lay there, glancing at Wan Qiu'er. 'But how exactly do I get control of this maid army? Through Wan Qiu'er?'

Chu Ling was indifferent to matters of love and romance. What was most tempting to him was to gradually reclaim the scattered imperial power. That was what made things interesting. As for anything else, once he had power, what couldn't he get?