My father, Gao Huan, is an invincible prince!

Chapter 7 Gao Huan's court, all matters are exposed!

"What a fine family! We almost fell into their trap. It seems that once things are settled in Jinyang, we'll definitely have to make a trip to Yedu!"

Gao Cheng murmured to himself, but a moment later, a playful smile appeared on his lips, as if he had discovered something interesting.

Yes, that's interesting.

A crisis, by its very nature, presents both danger and opportunity.

Gao Cheng was dissatisfied with the schemes that the powerful families of Hebei had against him.

But at this moment, he still keenly realized that the calculations of the Han Chinese gentry in Hebei might not be entirely a bad thing for him.

After all, his father, Gao Huan, devoted his entire life to worrying about the irreconcilable conflict between the Xianbei warriors and the Han gentry.

This is the underlying reality that Gao Huan, as the commander of the Six Garrisons, had to face.

But Gao Cheng was different. He was not only Gao Huan's eldest son and the heir apparent of the Bohai Kingdom, but also Lou Zhaojun's biological son.

Lou Zhaojun herself was the spokesperson for the Xianbei nobles of the Six Garrisons, the pillar of the Huai Shuo Xun clan, and the old matriarch of the Xianbei military group.

This means that he doesn't have to do anything; the powerful and influential will naturally gravitate towards him, the son on whom Lou Zhaojun has placed high hopes.

Now, the gentry of Hebei are once again offering themselves to him, handing over their bargaining chips.

Although the motives of the Hebei gentry were not entirely pure, if handled properly, they might have had the opportunity to turn the tables.

At that time, he would hold the military power of the Xianbei warriors in one hand and the prestige of the Han gentry in the other.

Let alone the fact that the position of heir apparent is as secure as Mount Tai, it is still uncertain whether he can bridge the gap between the Han and non-Han peoples and achieve true integration before the reform of the military system of the Guanzhong Yuwen Tai Prefecture.

Having grasped this point, Gao Cheng felt his mind become clear.

He then locked the brocade box in a hidden compartment on his desk, returned to the desk, picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and continued revising the unfinished treatise on governing the world.

Over the next three days, he will polish this life-saving trump card to perfection.

Then, once Gao Huan returned, he went to Ye City to realize his ambitions.

For the next three days, Gao Cheng stayed at home, focusing all his attention on the strategy.

For the next three days, Zheng Dache did not send anyone over, Lou Zhaojun did not come to scold him, and even Yuan Zhonghua only sent some food over with his maid the next day, without showing himself.

The entire Crown Prince's residence was so quiet it seemed to have been forgotten by the world.

Gao Cheng was happy to have some peace and quiet. He would eat when he was hungry, sleep when he was tired, and write when he woke up.

By the morning of the third day, he had finally finished writing his nearly ten thousand-word strategy.

Gao Cheng blew the ink dry, looked at it from beginning to end, and couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.

"With this thing, and Sima Ziru's intercession, if my father still beats me, then he doesn't deserve to be called Gao Huan."

Thinking this, he carefully folded the plan and tucked it into his sleeve.

Just as they were about to serve the meal, they suddenly heard a commotion outside the courtyard.

Immediately afterward, Wang Hong strode in, his face solemn: "Your Highness, the King's army has arrived ten miles outside the city. The Queen has ordered you to remain in the courtyard and await the King's arrival. Do not make any mistakes."

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm: "Understood."

Wang Hong nodded and stepped aside.

.......

Meanwhile, outside the north gate of Jinyang, the sound of galloping hooves could be heard incessantly from dawn.

Those were the vanguard of Gao Huan's Cangtou Army, clearing the way along the official road, inspecting the route ahead, and paving the way for the returning army.

Similarly, both inside and outside Jinyang, people were busy early on.

When the army returned to its capital, according to custom, the Xianbei nobles, officials of the Bafu, and family members of the Wangfu who remained in Jinyang were all required to come out of the city to welcome the emperor.

At noon, three miles outside the North Gate, at the pavilion, banners that blotted out the sky were finally raised.

Tens of thousands of cavalrymen, gleaming in their armor, slowly approached, their hooves thundering as they pounded the dirt road.

In an instant, a fierce and bloodthirsty aura of battle swept towards Jinyang.

At the very front of the army formation, a middle-aged man sat upright on a magnificent black horse.

He was dressed in black iron armor, with a scarlet cloak draped over his shoulders. He had a long head, high cheekbones, and sharp eyes. His long beard swayed slightly in the wind.

Even though he returned from battle looking tired, he couldn't hide the heroic spirit of a man who rose from humble beginnings to establish his dominance in the north.

This man was Gao Huan, the ruler of the Eastern Wei Dynasty, the Grand Chancellor, the Grand General, and the Prince of Bohai.

Gao Huan reined in his horse and immediately saw Lou Zhaojun leading a crowd to welcome him at the pavilion. A warm feeling welled up in his heart.

He quickly dismounted, strode forward to greet his wife, and reached out to help her up as she was about to kneel: "Zhaojun, I am returning home."

He and Lou Zhaojun were childhood sweethearts.

Back then, he was just a poor young man from Huai Shuo Town. It was Lou Zhaojun who disregarded the opposition of her clan, secretly pledged her life to him, sacrificed her family's wealth to relieve his difficulties, and accompanied him through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, which led to his current success.

This affection is far beyond what the concubines in the mansion can compare to.

Lou Zhaojun looked at him, a smile appearing in her eyes, and bowed deeply, saying, "Your Majesty has won a great victory in the northern expedition, pacifying the northern border. I, along with the civil and military officials of Jinyang, respectfully welcome Your Majesty's triumphant return."

Gao Huan smiled and helped her up, his gaze sweeping over the welcoming crowd, but his brows gradually furrowed.

He sent a message back to his residence a few days ago, ordering Gao Cheng to take charge of all matters related to welcoming the emperor.

At this moment, among the crowd were members of the imperial family, nobles, and their officials, but his eldest son, Gao Zihui, was nowhere to be seen.

Where is Zihui?

Gao Huan's voice turned cold: "I previously appointed him to oversee all matters related to welcoming the emperor; why has he not arrived today?"

Lou Zhaojun's heart tightened upon hearing this.

She remained calm on the surface and replied softly, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Cheng'er has violated a family taboo, and I have confined him to the Prince's courtyard to reflect on his actions. Therefore, he was unable to come to greet you."

"Confined to your home?"

Gao Huan frowned even more, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "What wrong did he commit that you would ban him?"

"This matter is too complicated to explain in a few words."

With the army before her, Lou Zhaojun could not say much, so she could only downplay the seriousness of the matter and say, "The army is exhausted from its long campaign. Please let Your Majesty enter the city to rest first. After we return to the palace, I will inform you of the details myself."

Gao Huan gave her a deep look. Although he had doubts, he knew that this was not the time to pry into family matters.

He could only snort coldly, mount his horse, and crack his whip, shouting, "Back to the city!"

"only!"

The army obeyed and entered the city.

Afterwards, each camp returned to its original location, and the soldiers received their rewards and dispersed to rest.

While the officials of the Ba Mansion remained in Jinyang, the Prime Minister's Office meticulously arranged the celebration.

Shortly after, the Prince's mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, as a victory celebration banquet had been prepared.

With the victory banquet about to begin and all the dignitaries present, Gao Cheng still hadn't shown up, and Gao Huan was starting to get impatient.

He summoned Lou Zhaojun, pulled her behind a screen, and demanded in a low voice, "Zhaojun, you must speak plainly: what heinous crime has this rebellious son committed?"

Lou Zhaojun's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but she no longer concealed the truth.

She took a deep breath, knelt down before Gao Huan, and pressed her forehead to the ground: "I have failed in my duty to educate my son, Gao Cheng, who has committed acts of incest and depravity, disgracing the Gao family and betraying Your Majesty's trust. I deserve to die a thousand deaths. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Huan was immediately filled with astonishment.

After a moment, he suddenly came to his senses and demanded sharply, "What do you mean? It's perverse and incestuous! What exactly did he do?"

Lou Zhaojun knew she couldn't hide it any longer, so she gritted her teeth and told Gao Cheng about the whole story of his affair with Zheng Dache.

Before he could finish speaking, Gao Huan's face had turned completely black.

As soon as Lou Zhaojun finished speaking, veins bulged on her forehead, her hair and beard stood on end, and she angrily shouted, "You brat, how dare you!"

He was a ruthless warlord in troubled times, and he never tolerated even the slightest injustice, let alone such an incestuous and shameful affair involving his father's concubine.

With a loud bang, the screen the two were using to hide behind was kicked over and knocked to the ground.

Lou Zhaojun's expression changed drastically, and she hurriedly kowtowed repeatedly to plead for mercy: "Your Majesty, Cheng'er is young and was momentarily blinded by lust, which led to this grave mistake. However, since the incident, he has secluded himself to reflect on his mistakes and repented day and night, and has not made the slightest mistake since."

"Your Majesty, please consider that he is the eldest son of the legitimate wife and has demonstrated considerable talent in governing the country in the past. Please pardon his death sentence and spare him this time!"

"Spare me?"

Gao Huan was furious, his eyes bloodshot: "If I spare him, who will spare me? If this matter is exposed, how will the Gao family maintain its reputation? How can I stand in this world? I am determined to destroy him!"