The princess was ordained by Heaven.

"Such arrogance," the emperor commented casually, his tone revealing neither his opinion nor his feelings.

"A work of youthful arrogance, please excuse my poor writing."

He spoke with increasing humility, but Xu Zhen knew very well that his ambition had never changed.

He was not a scholar who devoted himself to learning; he was an ambitious man who wanted to hold a jade tablet and stand before all the officials.

He wanted to hold power; he wanted to be second only to the emperor.

Because only when he stands high enough can he freely pursue his vision.

His contribution is essential to writing about this prosperous and peaceful era.

"If I were to give you this opportunity, what official position would you want to hold? And where would you like to serve as an official?"

The emperor changed his self-designation to appear more solemn.

Xu Zhen's heart stirred slightly, but this question was not easy to answer.

He couldn't ask for an exorbitant amount, nor could he choose an insignificant position; the former would make him seem greedy, and the latter would make him seem foolish.

But the person in front of him was the emperor.

With just a word from him, he could rise to prominence and avoid many years of detours.

He cannot give up this opportunity just because of the difficulties.

Zheng Xun smiled and reminded him, "This immense wealth is right before your eyes; Jingzhi must be capable of seizing it."

Xu Zhen immediately said, "Your Majesty can certainly promote me beyond the usual ranks, but I cannot be ungrateful and feel unworthy of such a favor. Only by sharing Your Majesty's burdens can I make some excessive requests, is that not so?"

"Tell me about it." The emperor stopped and raised his chin.

"I am willing to offer a good remedy for the current problems of the court," Xu Zhen said, cupping his hands in greeting. "The problem of empty salaries has a long history, and it was especially severe during the reign of the late emperor. Now that the emperor has ascended the throne, the army is filled with generals, but no one knows the emperor."

"Your Majesty was willing to change the status quo, but at that time there were too many people who disliked Your Majesty, so you had to take a more moderate approach, using internal division and external weakening as a two-pronged approach, and finally achieved the current balance. I know that you are waiting for an opportunity."

Zheng Xun asked with great interest, "When do you think would be the right time?"

Xu Zhen looked at Zheng Xun and gave him a confident smile: "Now is the time."

After hearing Zheng Xun's thoughts today, he understood what his grandfather meant when he hinted that "Princess Yuanjia is no ordinary princess".

In the afternoon, he sent his men to find his grandfather, only saying, "Princess Yuanjia is in the Plum Garden." His grandfather came to the Plum Garden in person and told him everything that had happened recently.

Therefore, he was well aware of the turmoil that Princess Yuanjia had caused in the court recently.

Emperor: "You mean..."

"The opportunity is on the way back to the palace."

The emperor smiled when he saw the simple carriage parked in front of him.

Zheng Xun adjusted his hair to make sure the bun was held securely.

Sigh, it's almost time to run for our lives.

Just now, the system, which was usually inconspicuous, suddenly popped up a red exclamation mark. She clicked on it and found that an emergency had occurred.

[I told you I couldn't leave the palace with Father. Being the emperor is really not easy; you get assassinated the moment you step outside.]

Yes, the system indicates that a group of assassins has tracked them down and is lying in ambush on their way back to the palace.

As expected, if the emperor wanted to solve the problem of empty salaries, he would inevitably offend those who had vested interests.

See? See? You've become angry and embarrassed, like a cornered dog jumping over a wall.

Emperor: It's not just targeting me, it's mostly targeting you.

Xu Zhen lifted the curtain of the emperor's carriage and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, the wolves and tigers outside have finally waited for you to leave the palace, and they are probably already impatient. Your Majesty's health is of utmost importance. Why don't I go on your behalf and brave this perilous journey?"

The emperor raised his hand, and Li Zhuo immediately drew his sword to block Xu Zhen.

“Since we’re going to use bait, we can’t be too perfunctory,” he strode to the carriage, turned back to look at Xu Zhen, “Wait half an hour after I leave before you quietly set off with the princess.”

He didn't want Zheng Xun to be in danger, but there were many people who wanted to kill her, and it was dangerous to leave her outside the palace. Only by sending her back to the palace could he feel at ease.

Xu Zhen's gaze shifted to the carriage.

The emperor followed his gaze and saw that Zheng Xun had somehow gotten into the carriage and was even waving at him when he met his eyes.

He silently looked at Li Zhuo.

Li Zhuo quickly slid to his knees.

"Alas, my daughter is both intelligent and capable, which brings me, her old father, so many worries." The emperor sighed softly. It wasn't his fault; after all, Zheng Xun possessed such unpredictable abilities that it was normal for him to be unable to defend against her.

Li Zhuo: What exactly are you showing off?

Emperor: Hehe.

Li Zhuo: Well, having a daughter like Princess Yuanjia is certainly something to be proud of.

The emperor boarded the carriage: "We might encounter some danger."

Zheng Xun nodded nonchalantly: "Okay."

"That's... all right?"

Zheng Xun gave him a look that said, "You're being unreasonable," and then emphasized with a helpless yet tolerant tone, "Okay."

emperor:……

"You are not afraid?"

Zheng Xun adjusted her posture and asked him earnestly, "Are you scared?"

The emperor shook his head.

Zheng Xun replied matter-of-factly, "That's right. Who am I? I'm your daughter. You're not a coward, so how could I be?"

Emperor: That makes a lot of sense, but something still feels off.

At this moment, Xu Zhen took over the driver's job and drove for them.

Zheng Xun thought of his still-childish face and peeked out with some distrust: "Can you do it?"

[Can a young person with an unreliable-looking face really master so many skills at the age of teens?]

"Barely." Xu Zhen chuckled and flicked his whip, and the carriage moved forward smoothly.

Zheng Xun shrank back into the carriage.

I thought the assassins would make their move in the outskirts of the capital, but strangely, things remained calm until we entered the city.

Zheng Xun lifted the window curtain and looked at the eerily quiet long street: "Are they going to make a move in the city? They're really bold."

The emperor raised an eyebrow: "Lower the curtain!"

"So fierce!"

"Behave yourself, or I'll beat you up."

"Can't I run? With your old arms and legs, are you sure you can catch me?"

"Your father is still as vigorous as ever!"

Assassin A, lying in ambush: "Is the emperor inside the carriage?"

"The emperor isn't that naive; it's definitely a ruse. Let it go!"

The assassin leader secretly gave them a fierce glare: "Shut up! Make your move!"

Instantly, murderous intent was revealed.

The assassin leader, coldly wielding his knife, charged ahead, his movements as swift as lightning, and plunged the blade into the carriage.

He was completely devoid of emotion. If he were to take action, it would surely result in rivers of blood. He had too many blood debts in this life, and he could only repay them in the next.

He was still daydreaming when, in the next moment, a dull pain suddenly shot through his hands and feet.

His knife slipped from his hand.

Zheng Xun smiled and lifted the curtain: "Although this is my first time doing this, it still seems a bit disrespectful if you're distracted."

The assassin leader was startled, but remained relatively calm.

However, he suddenly realized that his limbs had been hit hard.