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

These words struck a chord with Chen Yuan.

He remained silent for a long time, then drank the remaining wine in his bowl in one gulp, before shaking his head with a bitter smile.

"I'm afraid I will have to disappoint the Empress."

"Although I love my people like my own children,... now that rebellious son has ascended the throne and won a battle, I'm afraid his popularity among the people is now secure. If I return to the capital, who will still recognize me as the retired emperor?"

"If I go back, I'm afraid I'll be placed under house arrest immediately. If he has any conscience, he might spare me the pain of being executed, or end my life with a cup of poison."

"If I had stayed in Northern Mang, I might have lived a few more days..."

Wu Xingyun burst into laughter upon hearing this.

"Your Majesty is blinded by your own involvement."

"Let me count for you: do you really believe that all the civil and military officials genuinely support Chen Shao?"

"Completely wrong."

"Chen Shao is too busy defending the city to manage the court. The court is still staffed by your team."

"It's nothing more than having 30,000 more Iron Fist Army soldiers at our disposal."

"Yuwen Huagu is His Majesty's crony; wouldn't seizing power be a piece of cake?"

"Even if we take a step back and say that Your Majesty could secretly send a letter to the regional military governors to come to the aid of the emperor, those people ignore Chen Shao, but they are very loyal to Your Majesty."

She looked directly into Chen Yuan's eyes.

"If Your Majesty so desires, there are a thousand ways to easily restore the monarchy and reclaim everything that rightfully belongs to you."

"It all depends on whether Your Majesty wants to or not."

A word to awaken the dreamer.

Chen Yuan only then realized what was happening.

Yes, that rebellious son looked very imposing on the city wall.

In reality, they never truly had control over the court from beginning to end.

Otherwise, how could Han Cao have survived?

Yuwen Gu's head has already rolled off the cliff.

He dared not move!

He can't move either!

The core team remains the same, and the court remains the same.

That rebellious son was nothing more than a puppet pushed out by the court officials to defend the city.

His eyes gleamed:

"Thank you for your insight, sir. If I were to regain the throne, my first act would be to forge an eternal alliance with Northern Mang, reopen border trade, and bestow upon them 100,000 bolts of silk and 30,000 catties of tea annually. I will keep my word!"

Wu Xingyun nodded with a smile:

"Your Majesty, there is one more thing you must remember upon your return to the capital."

"Never rashly move into the palace."

Chen Yuan was taken aback: "Why?"

"Chen Shao has placed you under house arrest, but you still have a chance to turn things around, after all, Yuwen Huagu is your confidant."

"But what if the Empress Dowager and Chen Shao are in cahoots?"

"That day atop the city wall, didn't Your Majesty realize that this woman was most likely already involved with Chen Shao?"

These words were entirely fabricated by Wu Xingyun to sow discord.

Chen Yuan was foolish and unaware of his own stupidity, and he was extremely concerned about saving face.

For a man, being cuckolded...

The Great Yan Dynasty descended into chaos even faster!

As expected, Chen Yuan was immediately stunned.

He sensed something was off about the woman on the city wall that day.

Why be so heartless to yourself?

Now, after Wu Xingyun's guidance, it was as if the clouds had parted to reveal the moon.

He had long been unable to keep up with her, and had neglected her for so many years.

Yuwen Xingye was at the prime of his life, while Chen Shao was young and vigorous, and there was no one to supervise him in the palace...

Chen Yuan felt a rush of heat to his head, and his vision went black.

Just as it was about to flare up, a sudden, burning pain shot through my lower body.

He screamed and fell straight down, curling up into a ball.

Veins bulged on his forehead, and beads of sweat trickled down his temples.

Wu Xingyun and Helian Xiong stood up at the same time.

Before they could get close, Chen Yuan let out an even more piercing scream than before.

His eyes rolled back, and he passed out.

Wu Xingyun: "..."

Helian Xiong: "..."

What's going on?

How can a person be so stressed?

Wu Xingyun immediately summoned the army doctor.

To ensure Chen Yuan's safe return to the capital, the Empress provided him with a top-tier medical team.

Before long, seven or eight doctors from the Northern Mang Kingdom surrounded Chen Yuan, frantically examining him.

He flipped her eyelids, pinched her philtrum, took her pulse, and chanted incantations.

After much effort, the root cause of the problem was finally found.

That's right, it's the root.

"Sir, Chen Yuan's symptoms indicate that he has been poisoned."

Wu Xingyun raised an eyebrow: "What kind of poison?"

The old doctor stroked his beard, carefully considering his words for a long time.

"This poison is strange; the pulse is floating, rapid, and hurried, while the radial pulse is deep and hesitant. It is a symptom of unclean sexual activity."

"To put it simply, it's the poison that men and women... well, at that time."

"Those poisoned will experience burning pain in their lower body, and the toxins will travel against the flow of the toxins along the meridians. If it is not suppressed in time, the pain will be unbearable at midnight and noon, and in severe cases, the meridians will be completely destroyed, leading to death."

"This is absolutely ridiculous!"

Helian Xiong scratched his head. "How could Chen Yuan have had the opportunity to do this while he was in the camp these past few days?"

"The army did capture some Han women, but it wouldn't be his turn. Could it be the Empress..."

"Shut your stinking mouth!"

Wu Xingyun glared at him coldly.

Then he looked at the old doctor.

Is there an antidote for this poison?

The old doctor shook his head:

"I can only use silver needles to seal his Chong and Ren meridians, and then use cold medicine to temporarily suppress the poison, so that it will not recur within three to five days."

"But to cure it completely, this poison is too potent, and only a divine physician can cure it."

If neither of these options can be found, then there is only one last option.

"Stop keeping me in suspense."

"To achieve permanent peace through cessation."

Helian Xiong's legs tensed, and he subconsciously clenched his knees: "So ruthless?"

"It's already a miracle that you've survived. I come from the Central Plains and have seen all sorts of difficult and complicated diseases. I suspect that this poison might have been deliberately created by someone who wanted to take Chen Yuan's life."

Helian Xiong gave a thumbs up:

"Damn! The people of the Central Plains are really cunning; they can even come up with a method like this!"

Wu Xingyun made a decisive decision and said in a deep voice:

"Suppress the toxicity first, at all costs."

"Chen Yuan absolutely cannot be allowed to have any accidents in our Northern Barbarian camp, or we will be unable to bear the consequences."

"Once he gets to the capital, he can do whatever he wants with the dismemberment; he'll only suspect it was done by his good son."

The physicians obeyed the order and carried Chen Yuan to the back tent to administer acupuncture.

Screams could be heard intermittently.

"what!"

"Don't stab there!"

Wu Xingyun looked in the direction Chen Yuan was carried away, his face showing confusion.

"This is very likely a chronic illness of Chen Yuan's, and he was secretly attacked in the capital long ago."

"General Helian, is it really that heartbreaking for a man to be betrayed by a woman, to the point that his old poison flares up and he faints in public?"

"This is outrageous..."

Helian Xiong shook his head:

"How would I know? I don't even like women."

"Get lost, get lost, get lost." Wu Xingyun sighed helplessly, rubbing his forehead. Why did he even bother asking this idiot?

Helian Xiong had just stepped out of the camp.

"return!"

"Arrange a carriage for Chen Yuan to receive treatment there."

"Pass down the order: the entire army must speed up and travel through the night to get him back as soon as possible!"

...

Five thousand light cavalry from the Northern Barbarians set off at an extremely fast pace.

Urged on by Wu Xingyun, they soon reappeared before the capital.