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"it is good."

Zhou Chen took Concubine Rong to the side and said, "Madam Rong, if you have anything to say, please speak."

"Congratulations on your success in saving the emperor. From now on, you will become one of the most powerful people in the court."

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. I am just a military commander. Even if I have the merit of saving the emperor, I am not as good as those great ministers in the court. As long as I can preserve the wealth and honor of the Zhongjing Marquis's Mansion for generations, it is enough for me."

Zhou Chen knew what kind of person Song Chao was. If he succeeded in saving the emperor, the emperor would naturally reward him. But the emperor's health was not good to begin with, and he was stimulated today. It was estimated that he didn't have much time left.

When the new emperor ascends the throne in the future, he will not remember him as a meritorious official during the previous emperor's time. So what he has to do now is to get enough benefits while the emperor is still alive, so that he will not become a marginalized person even if there is a new emperor in the future.

"Why doesn't your Majesty bear a grudge against me? If I hadn't come, maybe the Prince of Yan would have succeeded?"

"King Yan? Humph."

Rong Fei snorted coldly: "Prince Yan is a man of sweet words but deep heart. He is cunning and scheming. Even if he succeeds, my Rong family will not gain much benefit. If it weren't for Prince Yong's bullying, why would I cooperate with Prince Yan?"

In fact, she and the Rong family were forced into a helpless situation. After the incident with Rong Feiyan, they were doomed to be irreconcilable with Prince Yong. If Prince Yong became the crown prince and the emperor was gone, she, a concubine without children, and the Rong family would surely be retaliated by Prince Yong, and they would surely be killed without a burial place.

So she had no other choice but to cooperate with Prince Yan. If she wanted to survive, she naturally had to fight.

Zhou Chen remained silent. He naturally understood what Concubine Rong meant. In fact, no matter what the final result would be, Concubine Rong and the Rong family would not have a good outcome. It was just that if Prince Yan succeeded, the Rong family might be able to be preserved. If Prince Yong came to power, they would have no way to survive.

"I also want to thank you for not intending to hurt my wife."

Rong Fei said with a complicated expression: "In fact, I promised Prince Yan that I would frame your eldest lady into the palace, but I didn't do it in the end. It's not only because you saved my sister Feiyan, but also to leave a way out for the Rong family."

"Lord Zhou, I can't survive, and the Rong family is doomed. I only ask one thing of you."

"You said."

Zhou Chen accepted Rong Fei's favor. Since she was willing to give up targeting him at that time, he should listen to her request no matter what it was.

Rong Fei suddenly showed a pleading look: "Marquis Zhou, I don't ask for my life, nor do I ask you to save people. I just ask for my sister and all the women of the Rong family to die quickly. Even if they die, I want them to leave with a clear conscience and not be humiliated before they die. I beg you to agree to my request."

Zhou Chen looked at Concubine Rong for a long time and finally nodded.

"it is good."

Having said this, there is naturally no need to say more.

Although Rong Fei was plotting treason, she was still the emperor's concubine after all, so she would not be imprisoned like others, but was kept alone in the palace.

Zhou Chen deployed personnel everywhere in the palace city and completely eliminated the remnants of Prince Yan. He also met Prince Yong's family who were eliminated by Prince Yan.

Prince Yong was indeed fertile and had more than ten sons, but unfortunately, all of them have been killed now. But the worst-hit ones were Prince Yong's wife, Princess Jiacheng and other female members of Prince Yong's palace, who were inhumanely abused before their death.

This is also the reason why Concubine Rong begged Zhou Chen. If they couldn't have a quick resolution, the women of the Rong family would have the same fate as the women of Prince Yong's Mansion.

…………

Zhou Chen came to an old palace in the palace.

"My Lord, the person you are looking for is here."

Zhou Chen looked at the old palace in front of him. This was where Sheng Hong, Sheng Changbai and other civil servants who were looking up ancient books were. His purpose of coming here was naturally to find Sheng Hong and Sheng Changbai.

Inside the old palace, Sheng Hong, Sheng Changbai and other officials were feeling much better than before because the shouting and killing outside had stopped. Although the palace was guarded by many soldiers, they had learned from the eunuchs that the rebellion had been put down and the emperor had been saved.

So they all breathed a sigh of relief. They had even prepared themselves for death before, but fortunately it didn't reach that point.

"Squeak!"

The palace gate was pushed open and a group of people walked in. Sheng Hong and others were so frightened that they stepped back unconsciously.

Sheng Changbai, on the other hand, had sharp eyes. When he saw the leader, he immediately exclaimed, "Brother-in-law?"

"Ah? Is it really Shuyuan?"

When Sheng Hong saw that he was really his son-in-law, he hurried over.

"Shuyuan, why are you here?"

Zhou Chen said: "I was ordered to lead the army to suppress the rebellion. Now the rebels in the imperial city have been captured. His Majesty has issued an order that all officials in the imperial city can go back."

"Zhou Hou, is this true?"

All the officials in the hall were overjoyed. They had been living in fear here for most of the day and were already exhausted. If they had not been afraid, they would have run away long ago.

"Well, report when you get to the palace gate. As long as you are not involved with the traitors, you can leave the imperial city."

Several officials immediately bowed to Zhou Chen and thanked him, then began to pack up their things and prepare to leave.

When only Sheng Hong and Sheng Changbai were left, they couldn't help but ask Zhou Chen.

"Shuyuan, what's going on with the rebellion outside?"

They didn't dare to go out to check the situation and just hid here, so they had no idea about the situation outside.

Zhou Chen did not hide anything and briefly told them what had happened in the capital and the palace.

Such a thrilling and horrifying palace coup made the Sheng family father and son tremble with fear. At the same time, they were secretly glad that it did not implicate them, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 1154: Duke Jingguo, the new emperor ascends the throne

"But fortunately, Shuyuan, you can be regarded as a blessing in disguise. You have made great contributions. His Majesty will definitely reward you handsomely afterwards."

After hearing about this thrilling palace coup, Sheng Hong was naturally terrified, but when he learned that Zhou Chen had made a great contribution, his eyes suddenly brightened up. This was a great achievement for saving the king, and with Your Majesty's kindness and charity, he would definitely reward him greatly.

Zhou Chen sighed, "If possible, I don't want this credit. Fortunately, Gu Erlang came to my house at that time. Otherwise, if the blood edict of His Majesty fell into my hands, it would be hard to say whether the Marquis's house could withstand the offensive of the rebels. I am even afraid that my father-in-law's family would be implicated."

After hearing this, Sheng Hong and Sheng Changbai took a few deep breaths and looked horrified.

Yes, if Zhou Chen had not suppressed the rebellion quickly this time, the Mansion of Marquis Zhongjing would have been in real danger, and their Sheng Mansion would not be in a much better situation by then.

Sheng Changbai couldn't help but say, "But my brother-in-law is right. Even if it means taking risks, we must save His Majesty. If the rebellion against the royal palace succeeds, I'm afraid there will be chaos in the world and the people will suffer."

He is different from Zhou Chen. He was taught to be loyal to the emperor and patriotic since childhood, and his respect for the emperor far exceeds Zhou Chen's.

"Let's not talk about this anymore, father-in-law, Changbai, so many things happened today, grandma and mother-in-law must be very worried about you, you should pack up and go home quickly, and by the way, tell grandma and the others that Hualan and I are fine, and tell them not to worry about you."

"Okay, Shuyuan is right, let's go back then."

Sheng Hong had been frightened for so long that he naturally wanted to leave a long time ago. Sheng Changbai had no objection, so the father and son packed up and prepared to leave.

"It's such a pity. I looked up so much information and made so many preparations, but it seems like it won't be useful anymore."

Sheng Changbai looked at the information books they had prepared and sighed with regret.

Zhou Chen patted his shoulder and said, "That's not necessarily true, Zecheng. You will still need these things."

Sheng Changbai was a smart man. When he heard Zhou Chen suddenly say this, he nodded thoughtfully.

Zhou Chen personally escorted the Sheng father and son out of the palace, and then went back.

In the next few days, he might find it difficult to leave the palace. He was appointed by the emperor as the commander-in-chief of the Palace Guard, and he is now the emperor's most trusted confidant. There are too many things that need him to handle.

After a while, Zhou Chen met Gu Tingye.

"They were sent back?"

"Well, I've sent them back. Fortunately, although they were locked up and a little frightened, they are not seriously injured."

What Gu Tingye was talking about was naturally his wife Yu Yanran and his stepmother Madam Qin.

"Now that you have finished your work, come and help me. The palace is in chaos right now. I have just been appointed as the commander of the Palace Front Department. There are too many things to deal with, and I just need your help."

Zhou Chen was originally Gu Tingye's immediate superior, and now that he said so, Gu Tingye naturally would not refuse, so he stayed in the palace to help Zhou Chen.

After Sheng Hong and his son returned home, Madam Wang and others came to greet them. Wang Ruofu hugged Sheng Hong and cried loudly. Although Hai Chaoyun did not say anything, she stared at her husband with eyes full of worry.

Sheng Hong spent some time with Wang Ruofu and then headed to Shou'an Hall. He also had something Zhou Chen asked him to convey.

When the old lady learned that Zhou Chen and Hua Lan were both fine, she let out a long sigh of relief, and her heart was completely at ease.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

After the rebellion, the government held a morning court session to deal with the aftermath of the rebellion. Countless officials were implicated, some died, some were exiled. The huge capital city was really overwhelmed with casualties, and even the Music Bureau was probably filled to the brim.

Although there was a saying in the Song Dynasty that scholars and officials should not be killed, it would be strange not to kill people now that the case involves treason and palace coup.

All the people from Prince Yan's lineage were executed, and Concubine Rong was tied up with a three-foot white silk silk. No one in the Rong family had a good end either. However, Zhou Chen also fulfilled his promise and made several female members of the Rong family choose to commit suicide.

In fact, the government doesn’t care about female family members, let alone ask about them. If they die, they die.

After the incident, Zhou Chen was regarded as the greatest contributor to the suppression of the rebellion. The emperor was not stingy and directly gave Zhou Chen a reward that shocked the court.

Zhou Chenzhong Jinghou's title was directly raised several levels to become a first-rank duke title, and he was given the title of Jingguo Duke. At the same time, he was given titles such as General of the Cavalry, Shang Zhuguo, General of the Left Jinwu Guard, and Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Front.

In addition, Zhou Chen's mother, Zhou Xu, and his wife, Sheng Hualan, were also rewarded and received the title of First-Rank State Lady, which is the highest rank of Lady with an Imperial Concubine.

There is only one first-rank lady in this dynasty who is over 20 years old.

It is no exaggeration to say that after this reward, Zhou Chen became the most powerful military officer in the court and one of the most powerful officials.

Although the emperor's reward was opposed by many people, he was very determined and would not tolerate any opposition. This was a rare display of strength on his part, so the reward was eventually approved.

As he officially accepted the imperial edict, he also found that his mission as a first-rank official had been completed. From the first rank to the first rank, there was no problem.

And because the Mansion of Marquis Zhongjing was attacked by rebels, the emperor specially gave Zhou Chen a vacant house next to the Mansion, and the rest of the gold, silver, and other valuables were countless.

It can be said that the biggest winner of this rebellion is Zhou Chen. There are countless people who are secretly jealous of the rewards Zhou Chen received, and some people secretly curse Zhou Chen for being lucky, etc...

Zhou Chen's current status in the court is no worse than that of the former nobles such as the Duke of Yingguo and the Duke of Yue. He has become a big figure who is the head of the nobles.

Zhou Chen was busy for several days before he finally had some free time to return home.

"Officer."

As soon as Zhou Chen returned home, he was greeted by his wife Sheng Hualan and his mother Zhou Xu.

"Mother, wife, I'm back."

Zhou Xu's eyes turned red, and she choked up and said, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

Sheng Hualan was so excited that tears came out of her eyes. She held Zhou Chen and was so happy that she couldn't utter a word.

Although they all hid on the day of the riot, the noise was too loud. Even though they were hiding, they could still hear the shouting and screaming outside. One can imagine how critical the situation was at that time.

Even their Marquis Zhongjing Mansion was in such danger, and the danger would be even greater if Zhou Chen led his army to quell the rebellion than the Marquis Zhongjing Mansion. So after they were safe, the person they were most worried about was Zhou Chen.

Although the government had sent people to convey the imperial edict and rewards, they naturally would not feel reassured without seeing Zhou Chen in person, and they had been waiting for Zhou Chen to come back.

"I'm fine. Look how fine I am now. I'm the Duke of Jingguo now."

Mrs. Zhou Xu showed a look of relief: "If your father could see this, he would be so happy. Mother also benefited from you and was given the title of Madam of the State."

Although she had a calm temperament, she still felt honored by the title of First-Rank Lady.

The same is true for Sheng Hualan. After being married to Zhou Chen for several years, her status has been constantly improving. Now she has become a lady of the highest rank. In the past, she would not even dare to dream of this.

She and Zhou Chen are both under 30 years old, but now one is a duke and the other is a queen. Looking around the world, they are the only family like her.

Zhou Chen also knew that he was able to be conferred the title of Duke because of the heritage of their lineage of Marquis Zhongjing, plus the tremendous contribution he had made this time. If he did not have the title of Marquis Zhongjing, he would not have been able to be conferred the title of Duke. It would have been a stroke of luck for him to be conferred the title of Marquis.

Although he was granted the title of Duke, Zhou Chen did not hold lavish banquets. Instead, he very low-key arranged for people to renovate the Marquis' Mansion and the mansion next door that was rewarded by His Majesty, and planned to connect the two mansions. In this way, the area of ​​the Duke's Mansion would be expanded by nearly twice.

Zhou Chen dined with his mother, wife and children at home, then went to see Shulan again in the evening. Finally, he returned to the master bedroom to accompany his wife and spent the night in love.

Zhou Chen only had one day of rest, and after that he started to get busy again.

He now holds the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Guards, commanding most of the imperial guards. He has enormous power and naturally has more affairs to deal with.

Because Zhou Chen was promoted to the commander-in-chief of the palace, changes also took place in the Cavalry Division. Gu Tingye was promoted to deputy commander-in-chief of the Cavalry Division. The commanders of the Dragon Guard Army who followed Zhou Chen into the city to quell the rebellion that day also received great benefits. Some were promoted, and some were rewarded.

After the rebellion, the emperor's health became worse and worse. At the request of Han Zhang and other senior ministers, the emperor began to appoint a crown prince.

Prince Yong and Prince Yan were both dead, so the emperor could only choose other royal family members. The one he favored was Zhao Zongquan of Yuzhou, but Empress Cao did not really want to make Zhao Zongquan the heir.

The reason was very simple. Zhao Zongquan was already old and had no feelings for Empress Cao. She wanted to establish a new emperor who was young and easy to control.

When the emperor was still alive, as the queen, she had no other ideas. But now that the emperor is no longer alive, she has to start considering her own future, so it is more in her interest to find a new emperor who is easier to control.

However, after experiencing the events of Prince Yong and Prince Yan, the emperor's mentality changed greatly. He had a premonition that he did not have much time left, and in order to prevent similar incidents from happening again, he no longer hesitated after making the decision.

Therefore, the emperor selected Zhao Zongquan at the grand court meeting and asked Zhao Zongquan to return to Beijing immediately to accept the title of crown prince.

A few days later, Zhao Zongquan brought his family and his loyal subordinates from Yuzhou to the city of Bianjing, accepted the title of crown prince, and was officially adopted by the emperor, becoming the crown prince of the current dynasty.

After the crown prince was enthroned, the emperor fell seriously ill and was no longer able to handle state affairs. All were handed over to Empress Cao, the crown prince, and other ministers to discuss and handle.

After Zhao Zongquan came to Bianjing City, Zhou Chen met Qi Heng again.

Qi Heng did not let his help down and successfully got together with Zhao Zongquan. However, he did not become an official. Instead, he had a good relationship with Zhao Zongquan's son Zhao Ceying and was highly valued by Zhao Zongquan, especially after learning that Qi Heng was the only son of Duke Qi.