It is said that one can tell a person's character by observing their aura, and Chu Tianxiao is an expert in this. Not to mention the top brass, but it is easy for him to see through a group of scheming women with no cultivation... So after thinking about it carefully for a moment, Chu Tianxiao can conclude that none of the women kneeling on the top of the city wall at that time were good people!
Then where will this unstained girl end up
"Could it be... someone who has not yet been accepted into the palace by Emperor Zhao?"
Chu Tianxiao pondered carefully, thought of this possibility, and quickly called out: "Xueyan."
Xueyan responded, stepped in, and clasped his fists with a slightly anxious look on his face: "Young Master."
"Hmm?" Seeing Xue Yan's expression was not right, Chu Tianxiao was slightly surprised, "What happened?"
The action of looking for the "woman" can be done sooner or later, and it is not a very important matter at the moment, but Xueyan showed such a solemn expression, which was something Chu Tianxiao rarely saw, so he asked first.
"Reporting to the young master, starting this morning, all kinds of rumors suddenly appeared in Zhaodu City. It seems that someone is spreading rumors to cause trouble..."
"Oh?" Chu Tianxiao lowered his eyes slightly, as if he had guessed something, "Be more specific."
"Yes... these rumors, some say that you, young master, have plundered everything in the capital of Zhao and refused to hand it over, and you have also sealed off the Zhao Palace, intending to take the concubine in the palace for yourself; others say that you have made such great contributions, and you are proud of your achievements, and you want to ask the Emperor of Zhou for a fiefdom, or even... a king; there are even people saying that you want to monopolize the capital of Zhao, split off from the southeast, and establish yourself as a king..."
The more Xue Yan spoke, the more solemn his expression became: "These rumors have spread all over the city. I estimate that several cities are probably also within the scope of the rumor spread..."
"Not afraid, but certain!" Chu Tianxiao's eyes flashed with a gleam of light, and he tapped the table lightly, "Zhao Du, in the end, he was defeated by trickery. The people's hearts have not yet been completely won over, and the other party took advantage of this. It's just... This move seems familiar... Could it be..."
After thinking for a moment, his eyes lit up and he nodded slightly, "I see."
"Young Master, do you know the mastermind behind this?" Xueyan also saw a bit of disdain on Chu Tianxiao's face.
"... It's just a guess. Besides, the most urgent thing is how we should deal with this storm..." Chu Tianxiao didn't bother to ask a key question, "Are there any unusual movements of the friendly forces nearby?"
"This is exactly what I am worried about." Xue Yan said solemnly, "The planned reinforcements suddenly changed their route and wanted to surround and kill the Zhao army led by Zhou Ying... Although there is nothing wrong with this move, but..."
"Yes, they are on guard against us." Chu Tianxiao saw through the key point at a glance and nodded, "Zhou Ying has been under the city of Zhaodu. It is just a remnant army. If I were the commander of the Zhou army, I would definitely not pay much attention to him, but would rush to support Zhaodu as soon as possible to ensure that Zhaodu is under control... But the other party is now cautiously changing its route."
"... But to be honest, this is the only reasonable thing to do. After all, if we really turn against them, Zhaodu will be a dangerous place, and they will never dare to enter easily..."
"Well, in this case, Zhou Ying will have nowhere to hide, which is a happy thing."
After saying this, Xue Yan still frowned: "Young Master, at this juncture, we don't need to worry about Zhou Ying, right? The most urgent thing is our delicate situation! After all, this is very different from the heart-piercing words you experienced in Kyoto! If we don't speed up the process, there may be... troubles!"
Hearing this, Chu Tianxiao also sighed a little: "Yes, it's our fault for running too far and doing too much this time... A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. This time, it's not enough for Your Majesty to trust me alone, but also requires a key statement... Wait!"
Chu Tianxiao suddenly remembered something he "should" have done a few days ago when he muttered to this point. He immediately raised his head and looked at Xueyan and said, "Xueyan, the rumor should have started brewing a few days ago, right?"
"Hmm?" Xue Yan couldn't quite keep up with Chu Tianxiao's train of thought, but he still hurriedly said, "Of course, a rumor of this magnitude couldn't have come out of nowhere. It must have been someone else's plan for a long time!"
"… So, the report I submitted a few days ago just happened to come in handy? It easily solved the problem?"
"It's such a coincidence that a tree grows into a forest without any intention. Could it be that there is some kind of mystery behind it..."
Chu Tianxiao muttered, but Xue Yan didn't understand what he meant. He frowned and said, "Young Master, you mean..."
"Well," Chu Tianxiao shook his head after coming back to his senses, "Xueyan, we have been worrying too much. The situation has been resolved, so we don't have to worry anymore."
"What? Young Master, have you anticipated the occurrence of such an incident and made a backup plan early on?" Xueyan's face changed slightly, and he was a little surprised.
“… No, I’m not a god, how can I predict the enemy’s actions every time? This time, I just played a little trick and happened to run into…” Chu Tianxiao shook his head and said.
Hearing this, Xue Yan fell silent. After a moment, he vaguely guessed something, and his eyes suddenly revealed great surprise: "Young Master, you actually?"
"Heh... Do you think I'm getting worse at squandering money?" Chu Tianxiao just smiled, then raised his head slightly to look at the sky and murmured, "But I feel... I owe her all of this..."
…
…
Just as Chu Tianxiao expected, the news of Chu Tianxiao's capture of Zhaodu and the rumors almost entered the capital of Da Zhou one after another.
For a time, the whole court was shocked! Some couldn't believe it, some admired it, some were suspicious, and some speculated... All the officials were arguing endlessly.
This morning's court session became a battlefield for their argument.
"Your Majesty, I believe that the Crown Prince of Chu must be rewarded generously for his extraordinary achievements!"
"How should we reward him? Are we going to seal him in Zhao territory? Lord Chen, we must be careful that he becomes too powerful to be removed!"
"Lord Hu is right. We must transfer Prince Chu back to Kyoto as soon as possible! He now commands a powerful army and is legendary. If we allow him to continue to exert his power in Zhao Territory, it may not be a blessing for the Great Zhou!"
"I suggest that Your Majesty ask Concubine De to invite the mother of the Crown Prince Chu, Fan, to the palace in the name of reminiscing about the past..."
"Ridiculous! If we do this, wouldn't it be telling Chu Tianxiao that we are on guard against him? By then, even if he has no intention of disobeying us, he will be forced to do what he wants!"
"What do you think, Lord Yiwu? Are we just going to leave it alone? There is no smoke without fire..."
"... In any case, it is not appropriate for Prince Chu to stay in Zhao territory any longer."
Although there were constant debates, most people had a consensus, which was... Chu Tianxiao could not be allowed to stay in Zhaojing for long. It was not because they were timid, but because Chu Tianxiao's record was too scary!
"It's only been a short time. He destroyed the Blood Barbarian Army, opened the southeastern gate of Zhao State, and attacked Zhao's capital... If he is given a few more months to develop, can he really become the king of the southeastern region?"
It is important to be on guard against others!
You have to know that many ambitious people only gradually accumulate ambitions as their achievements increase...