Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

The two argued more and more fiercely, neither willing to push their daughter into a pit of fire.

The Empress Dowager's head was buzzing.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he slammed his hand on the table.

"Shut up, all of you!"

"Since they can't reach an agreement, why don't they both go? It'll be a good thing no matter who manages to control Chen Shao!"

Yuwen Huagu and Han Cao both changed color at the same time and said in unison:

"No!"

"This won't work, that won't work, what exactly do you want?"

The Empress Dowager lost all patience, stood up, and waved her sleeve.

"Then let him choose for himself."

"I will go and ask him. He can choose whichever he chooses. Let's leave it at that. If we continue, it will be dawn before we know it."

"Are you going to take your beauty sleep or not?" The Empress Dowager glared at the two of them.

Walk away.

......

Meetings are always the most efficient way to solve problems.

A small meeting is being held here, and Chen Shao is also there.

Chen Shao, and his three confidants: Yu Qi'an, Shen Qingci, and Bai Bingbing.

Shen Qingci said:

"Today's battle was truly exhilarating."

"Now is the perfect time to take advantage of our great victory and purge the court in one fell swoop."

She felt that Chen Shao now had a strong team.

In terms of literature, there is the beautiful Shen Qingci; in terms of martial arts, there is the tough guy Yu Qi'an; and even the henchman is the ruthless Bai Bingbing.

With both civil and military talents, and with loyal followers, what great things cannot be accomplished?

"Han Cao must be completely flustered right now. Making a move now would be twice as effective with half the effort!"

Yu Qi'an immediately waved his hand in rebuttal.

"Absolutely not!"

"Defending the city is not a matter of a day. The Northern Barbarians only lost more than 5,000 men, and their core strength was not damaged at all."

"The main force is still intact, and once they have adjusted, they will immediately launch an even more intense offensive."

"If internal chaos breaks out now, even a single mistake in any link could lead to disastrous consequences, such as the failure to transport supplies, guard the city gates, or resupply weapons."

"His Majesty has already made an example of them in court, and they have no way out. For the time being, things will be peaceful. But if we push them to the brink..."

Shen Qingci raised her eyebrows, about to retort, when Chen Shao raised his hand to interrupt her.

"Minister Yu is right."

"The real battle is about to begin."

"Minister Yu, I entrust the city's defense entirely to you. If you have any questions, you may directly approach the Emperor. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will fully cooperate with you."

Yu Qi'an clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subject would dare not disobey even unto death!"

"The Embroidered Uniform Guards must keep a close watch on every part of the city, including the Northern Barbarian spies, Han Cao's movements, and Yuwen Huagu's Five City Garrison Commands. No one should be missed."

Bai Bingbing clasped her hands in a fist and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured."

Chen Shao looked at Shen Qingci.

My gaze was unconsciously drawn to that arrogant aura, and I felt a surge of heat instantly.

Pah! Pah! Pah! He wanted to slap himself. What are you looking at!

Just as he was about to speak, he heard Shen Qingci say coldly:

"If you can truly defend the capital, I will strip naked for you to see."

"Any movement!"

"..."

This guy is a complete idiot!

Chen Shao was speechless. How could such a thing be said in this place?

You may not care about your reputation, but I do.

The prize from the last bet hasn't been paid out yet!

Chen Shao coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment.

"Getting down to business, Professor Shen would be best advised to find some upright scholars to prepare for the future handover of power."

Chen Shao explained each matter in a methodical manner.

Everything was going smoothly until Yu Qi'an brought up money again.

"Your Majesty, although today's battle was a great victory, it also exposed the weaknesses of our army."

"What weakness?"

"There are too few cavalry!"

There was nothing that could be done about it; the Great Yan Dynasty already had few horse farms, and then Emperor Qing'an wreaked havoc on them.

Being able to muster three thousand cavalrymen is already a blessing.

"We have too few cavalry. Even if we manage to defend the capital one day, we won't have the strength to launch a counterattack."

"Even if the enemy is routed, there is no possibility of pursuing them."

"What should we do then?" Chen Shao was at a loss.

"Money! Lots of money! Besides the Yellow Turban Army, there are also a lot of bandits and mountain brigands around the capital. They have secret passages to obtain horses. It's impossible to take them down now; the only option is to bribe them."

"If we have the money, we can also buy horses from wealthy families. With the strength of the capital, it shouldn't be a problem to gather 10,000 cavalry."

Chen Shao's face darkened. "The problem has come full circle. We can't just raid houses now; a cornered dog will jump over the wall!"

"This is the solution Your Majesty should consider!"

The two stared at each other, wide-eyed.

At this moment, Eunuch Wei hurriedly walked in.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager requests your presence."

"What business does she have with me in the middle of the night?"

......

When Chen Shao entered Kunning Palace, Empress Dowager Yuwen Xingye was reclining on her phoenix couch, rosary beads in hand.

She was only wearing casual clothes, with her thighs exposed, which made her look very charming.

Her long, black hair was not tied up and was casually draped over her shoulders.

The candlelight reflected on her face, making her already well-maintained skin appear even more radiant and smooth.

With that languid posture, she really did have a bit of the air of a Bodhisattva with lowered eyes.

"Your subject greets the Empress Dowager."

Chen Shao bowed deeply.

"Your Majesty, is there something important that you summoned me so late?"

The Empress Dowager glanced at him and was about to speak about the selection of concubines.

Chen Shao had already exclaimed in surprise:

"Empress Dowager, what's wrong with you!"

He was determined to stick to the policy of uniting with the rear guard and resisting the enemy without letting up.

To win a woman's heart, first be smooth-talking!

The Empress Dowager was taken aback. "What's wrong?"

"How come you look so much better than yesterday?"

"Every time I see it, I'm amazed. How did they manage to do that?"

The Empress Dowager was taken aback again, then burst out laughing.

The corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up slightly.

"You child, you're talking nonsense."

"Everything my child says is true! If there is any..."

The Empress Dowager gave him a reproachful look with her beautiful eyes.

"Alright, alright, if you keep going, I'll get embarrassed. I don't know where you learned that mouth of yours."

"The retired emperor and his princes, none of them are like this."

Chen Shao shook his head seriously:

"It comes from the heart, no learning is needed."

The Empress Dowager smiled and shook her head, but she was secretly pleased.

She really enjoyed talking to this guy.

Each time, it makes her feel completely comfortable and relieves all her fatigue.

They were far superior to those wooden eunuchs and palace maids in the harem.

In his previous life, Chen Shao had read a famous book.

One Hundred Ways to Get a Woman to Take the Initiative

He has a knack for winning over women.

To deal with an innocent college student, you have to borrow her notes to talk about life, listen to her complain about her roommates late at night on the playground, and achieve a spiritual resonance.

To deal with a strong, independent woman, you need to avoid teaching her how to do things, avoid checking up on her, and simply put on an apron and prepare three meals a day for her. You need to be relaxed yet considerate.

To deal with a foolish beauty like the Empress Dowager, just praise her beauty.

This is the basic version.

As for the advanced version... Chen Shao's gaze fell on the prayer beads in the Empress Dowager's hand and the Buddhist scriptures beside her.

"Does the Empress Dowager like Buddhism?"