Chen Yuan could sense that this Grand Commandant of the Sky Survey Division seemed to be acting differently towards him. It hadn't been like this before, it had mostly started after returning from Liangzhou.

It was as if he was showing some concern.

Unfortunately, Chen Yuan thought about it over and over, but couldn't quite figure out the connection. He could only guess that this Xiao Jing might have some connection with him, but he couldn't think of anything else.

Mainly because the matter was truly shocking.

For a dignified official of the second rank, the Grand Commandant of the Sky Survey Division, whose power in the court was almost the most important, to be related to the remnants of the previous dynasty, the Xiang family, no one would dare to think about it.

After giving Chen Yuan a hint, Xiao Jing didn't say anything more.

Overall, it was relatively smooth. Although the south was a bit chaotic, he had at least jumped out of the quagmire of the capital. Giving Chen Yuan a year to grow, perhaps... the surprises he would bring in the future would be even greater.

Zhang Yantong nodded and didn't say anything, but Wu Tianxi smiled with a hint of admiration.

Going up against the Emperor!

This was definitely not a small matter. Looking at the entire Jin Dynasty court, how many people dared to do this?

Although the Emperor only had a Core Formation cultivation, his strength was nothing, but he represented the entire court, the supreme ruler of the world.

Moreover, with the protection of the Imperial Dynasty's destiny, even True Lords couldn't get close.

Even a True Lord might not be able to kill the Emperor.

At least he didn't think he had the courage to do so.

This was actually not much different from being tired of living.

Chen Yuan responded with kindness to these colleagues who had been the first to speak up for him, and after chatting casually for a few moments, he left the imperial city and returned to the Wuan Marquis Manor.

At this moment, the scene in the Imperial Study in the palace was frightening.

Some precious porcelain and paintings were scattered all over the floor, fragments shattered, and half of the Imperial Study's decorations were destroyed.

Jingtai was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, his face extremely gloomy, with traces of cold light in his eyes, and murderous intent swirling around him, enveloping a tremendous aura within a radius of several feet.

"Hoo..."

Jingtai breathed out a long breath, his brow furrowed.

That bloodthirsty feeling was a little hard to suppress. He had already been provoked and angered by Chen Yuan in the Golden Luan Hall, and although he had suppressed his anger at the time, he had to release it.

With a wave of his hand, all the broken fragments in the Imperial Study disappeared without a trace, returning to their original state. Apart from a few missing decorations, there wasn't much difference from before.

As an emperor, one should not show emotions on one's face.

And he wouldn't let anyone notice his strangeness.

After a moment, a trembling eunuch outside the door said in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, Eunuch Cao has arrived."

"Let him in."

Jingtai was expressionless, returning to his previous indifferent state.

In the harem, in the Chunhua Palace.

What happened between Jingtai and Chen Yuan in the Golden Luan Hall today had already been transmitted to Consort Yang Huanyu through many informants.

She couldn't help but worry.

Contradicting the Holy One and disobeying imperial orders!

If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't have gotten away with it today. If he wasn't Chen Yuan, someone would have been splattered with blood in the Golden Luan Hall today!

It was truly shocking and frightening at the same time. ….Princess Pingyang's face was indifferent, showing no joy or anger. Today's events had also reached her ears. For a moment, she didn't know whether to be happy or frustrated.

She didn't want to marry and raise children. This was a goal she had set a long time ago.

To this end, she gradually forced herself to become very outstanding, making all the talented young men in the capital feel ashamed and dare not compare with her. But just at this time, Chen Yuan suddenly appeared.

He was even more outstanding than her!

Unparalleled in the world, extraordinary temperament, amazing talent, superb methods, sometimes ruthless and merciless, sometimes cunning and secretive.

Sometimes, for the sake of a burst of righteousness in his chest, he angrily broke through his realm.

Sometimes, for the sake of thousands of people, he was willing to sacrifice himself, only seeking the peace of the people.

He had only used less than two and a half years to go from a small Ping'an County in a remote area to the whole world.

May I ask, who in the world today doesn't know Chen Qingshi?

He was the dream lover of thousands of women.

Princess Pingyang thought she would never be moved, but when the rumors in the capital were rampant, she had subconsciously thought about what it would be like to marry Chen Yuan.

In the Shuanghe Temple, if Chen Yuan had directly agreed, Pingyang would never have refused.

But he didn't.

He treated her as if she were nothing.

He didn't have the slightest intention of being interested in her.

This seemed to be the first setback she had experienced since she could remember.

And she seemed to have developed some unwillingness to admit defeat, and actually ran to Lin'an Prefecture to watch the carp leaping over the dragon gate. When she returned to the mansion, she didn't even know what she was thinking at the time.

"Greetings, Mother Consort."

Summoned by her Mother Consort, Princess Pingyang bowed and saluted, looking at her Mother Consort, who was radiant these days.

She couldn't help but feel a little curious.

After not seeing her for a while, it seemed that great changes had taken place in her Mother Consort.

"Pingyang is here, sit down."

Consort Yang smiled faintly and asked her to sit in front of her.

Her attitude was not as different as heaven and earth from before, but the difference was definitely not small.

"Thank you, Mother Consort."

With some thoughts in her mind, Princess Pingyang sat down slowly.

"You've heard about what happened at the court meeting today, right?"

"I've heard some."

Princess Pingyang nodded slightly.

She understood the situation almost immediately after such a big event, and could foresee that this shocking event would definitely spread throughout the capital and even the world in a very short period of time.

"What do you think?"

Consort Yang asked with a smile.

At first, she really resisted Chen Yuan marrying Princess Pingyang. She felt uncomfortable all over just thinking about it, but after seeing Chen Yuan, being suppressed by him and having her ailments relieved and her Qi and blood unblocked, she seemed to have figured it out.

She had even advised Chen Yuan to accept it at that time.

But for some reason, his attitude was very firm.

She couldn't figure it out.

In her opinion, being able to form a marriage alliance with the Sima family was definitely a great thing for Chen Yuan. Refusing and thus angering the Emperor was obviously not worth it.

"Since Marquis Wuan has refused, what can this daughter think?" Princess Pingyang pretended to be nonchalant, her temperament still cold, so that no one would notice anything unusual.

"His Majesty won't let it go easily. You've also heard about the one-year agreement. Chen Yuan can't possibly complete those goals that His Majesty has set for him in a year. By then, he will marry you."…."We'll see when the time comes. Maybe there will be some changes."

Princess Pingyang smiled.

It seemed like just a casual remark, but in fact, she had a faint premonition in her heart that something shocking might happen a year from now.

She couldn't explain the feeling, but it was real.

"Well... it's good that you have some thoughts in your heart. Your Mother Consort has finally figured it out recently. The matter of your uncle can't be blamed on Marquis Wuan either. You can just treat those words I said in the past as if they're gone. If you really have feelings for him, your Mother Consort won't stop you.

Chen Yuan is a good choice. You're not young anymore. You should have considered this matter a long time ago."

Princess Pingyang rarely contradicted her Mother Consort, lowering her head and saying nothing.

After staying in the Chunhua Palace for a while, Princess Pingyang got up to say goodbye, stood outside the palace gate and sighed softly, shaking her head, not knowing what she was thinking.

......

......

Chen Yuan, who had returned to the Wuan Marquis Manor after leaving court, was not in a hurry to leave immediately. Jingtai had already arranged his duties in front of the civil and military officials.

He was to be in charge of the military affairs of the three prefectures of Shu, Xue, and Nan.

He couldn't go back on his word.

Perhaps he was annoyed in his heart, but he had to suppress it.

The imperial edict had not yet been issued, so he was not in a hurry to leave at the moment.

And what he didn't know but could have expected had come true.

The matter of disobeying the imperial decree and defying the Emperor in the Golden Luan Hall quickly set off a great storm in the capital from the mouths of those court officials.

Defying imperial power and disdaining marriage.

The world is not yet settled, why should he start a family?

These things spread quickly, causing a great shock.

His own popularity was already very high, and he was at a critical moment, so the impact was not ordinary.

Many people ignored the one-year agreement and only discussed his confrontation with Jingtai.

Most people who heard about it admired him.

They said that Chen Yuan was a true man, unmatched in the court.

However, some people felt that Chen Yuan was too unyielding and easily broken. It was obviously a good thing, but he had stubbornly refused it. He was simply ungrateful and didn't know how lucky he was.

If it were them, they wouldn't even need the Emperor to bestow a marriage, they would directly think of a way to propose marriage.

But these people were only a small part.

The place that really caused a huge shock was actually the Jianghu!

The court and the Jianghu have always been opposed to each other. Even if they are not like fire and water, they are definitely not good. In many prefectures below, the Jianghu forces ignore the government, and some even make trouble.

There's no way around it. When an individual has strength, they will naturally despise the law.

They feel that these things should not be things that bind them.

They should be superior people.

Therefore, many people call those who join the court or have a deep relationship with the court 'dogs'.

But Chen Yuan is one of the few exceptions.

The things he has done in the past two years are not things that a dog would do, but things that a strong man and a good official would do. Breaking the Sumeru Illusion in the capital is a small matter.

What really made him famous all over the world and admired by people was the battle in Liangzhou City before.

After that battle, everyone knew about Chen Yuan's willingness to die generously and exchange small righteousness for great righteousness. How could people not admire him?

His reputation was also truly recognized by most people in the world at that time.….Now, he is even confronting Jingtai in the Golden Luan Hall, which makes countless Jianghu powerhouses applaud, feeling that this is what a real man should do. Many people, after hearing about the one-year agreement, even angrily scold Jingtai for not leaving people a way out.

The court has not recovered Xuzhou for so many years, and only two prefectures are under the court's control. However, Chen Yuan is asked to recover one-third of the territory. Is this something that people would do?

The territory of Xuzhou is vast, one of the best in the world.

One-third of the territory must be at least five prefectures.

It is too difficult to get it.

Because as soon as you take action, you will be resisted by Xuzhou with the same hatred. The martial spirit there is fierce, gathering most of the fierce people in the world.

How can it be so easy to get?

And as these people added fuel to the fire with indignation, in a few days, the matter evolved into Chen Yuan angrily scolding Jingtai in the Golden Luan Hall for being a foolish martial artist, and if it weren't for the two Dukes stopping him, he would have directly assassinated the emperor.

Those who had seen the scene at the time didn't know what to say after hearing about it.

They all knew that in essence, the emperor was aggressive at the court meeting, and Chen Yuan resisted with all his strength. Where did he get the courage to scold the emperor for being foolish?

Even if it is a great achievement, he will not survive.

Sima Ke originally wanted to go to the Marquis Mansion to meet Chen Yuan after leaving court, to deepen his relationship and get some help, but before he even walked out the door, the imperial decree came down.

The general meaning is to let him hone his skills in the Sky Survey Division and not get too close to court officials.

As for who it refers to, it is naturally easy to guess.

The capital was so noisy for several days in a row. Chen Yuan did not go to court again after that, so as not to have another dangerous situation.

On the second day after returning to the Wuan Marquis Mansion, in the Sky Survey Division.

Chen Yuan and Zhang Yantong and others waited for the imperial decree.

Chen Yuan was in charge of the three prefectures of Shu, Xue, and Nan.

Zhang Yantong was in charge of the affairs of Lanzhou, and Wu Tianxi was in charge of the affairs of Youzhou. They could not return to the capital until the matter was over.

Only Zuo Tiancheng, a Divine Envoy, was left to guard the important place of the capital.

Looking at the imperial decree in his hand, the corner of Chen Yuan's mouth raised a faint smile. It had been more than a month since he returned to the capital, and many things had happened.

Now, he had finally achieved his own goal.

Returning to the south!

That was his base camp, and most of the Dao Lords of the Dao God Palace were also in the south, so he could get more help. Although it had been a bit unstable recently.

But compared to the north, the south was more suitable for him.

With the imperial decree in place, everything was safe.

Chen Yuan was also able to return safely.

"The affairs of Shu Prefecture are very urgent. Don't delay too much time in the capital."

Zhang Yantong walked to his side and said.

He hoped that he would leave the capital as soon as possible.

Previously in the Golden Luan Hall, he could see that Chen Yuan had been disgusted by the emperor. If he delayed for a long time, he would inevitably be reprimanded, or even have this hard-won opportunity taken back.

"Uncle, don't worry, I understand."

Chen Yuan nodded with a solemn expression.

How could he not understand this kind of truth?

With the imperial decree in hand, he would set off tomorrow, and a part of the elite in the capital had already left first, and he would catch up later.

The Jin Envoy of Shu Prefecture, Lu Renjia, died, and Chen Yuan was in charge of the three prefectures, so there must be a Celestial Core Grandmaster to go with him, who had a deep relationship with Lu Renjia.

His name was Lu Renyi, and he was a blood brother of Lu Renjia.

He was considered a Jin Envoy of Wu Tianxi's line, but when he saw Chen Yuan, he behaved very respectfully and did not dare to be rude at all, which was considered satisfactory to Chen Yuan.

"Well... go see Wan Shu before you leave and say goodbye."

After speaking, Zhang Yantong turned and left.

He didn't know if Chen Yuan refused the emperor's marriage because of Zhang Wanshu, but he felt that it shouldn't be. There were deeper reasons, but his silly daughter pretended to believe it.

Yesterday, she sat in the courtyard for an afternoon, with a smile on her face.

Chen Yuan is a rare and wonderful man in the world, but in Zhang Yantong's view, he is not a good match.

His ambition is too great, and he is too lucky. It is difficult to say whether he can grow up in the future, especially now that his relationship with the emperor is not good.

But his daughter likes him, so what can he do?

Could it be that he still cares about it?

It doesn't have to be that way.

Chen Yuan can be regarded as someone he watched grow up step by step. If the relationship is too bad, he will not be considered an ally.

"Uncle, don't worry."

Looking at Zhang Yantong's back as he strode away, Chen Yuan said in a deep voice.

After carefully understanding some of the secrets of the south in the Sky Survey Division, Chen Yuan prepared to leave early the next morning, but before leaving, he still had to go to the Shuanghe Temple again.

Li Hongshuang did not hesitate to plead with Li Kuangxiu, who had a bad relationship with her, so naturally he needed to thank her.

The old Guan Master of Qingyun Temple also had to be seen.

All in all, time was not too abundant.

In order not to delay time, Chen Yuan's first stop was the Shuanghe Temple to thank Li Hongshuang and express his attitude. However, the other party told him not to care too much.

She couldn't help much, only these.

After arriving in the south, he still had to rely on himself.

After a brief exchange of greetings, as a messenger, he also received a letter from Li Hongshuang, preparing to hand it over to her lover, Dao Lord Tianjian Jiang He, when passing through Qingzhou.

When he reappeared, it was already noon.

It seemed that Taoist Tianxu had expected him to come. He rarely went outside to practice medicine, but set up a chessboard in the small courtyard.

"A game of chess?"

Taoist Tianxu asked softly without looking up.

"Okay."

He was not very interested in playing chess, and his skills were naturally not very good. He only knew some simple layouts.

"Pa."

Taoist Tianxu made a move and said casually:

"This poor Taoist first congratulates the Marquis on leaving the capital and returning to the south."

"It's the same to congratulate me when I come back."

Chen Yuan's eyes were calm, and he picked up a chess piece and placed it on the chessboard.

"When are you coming back?"

"The time set by Jingtai is one year later. If there are no accidents, that's when I will come back."

"Is the time a bit short?"

"Not short, a year is very long."

Chen Yuan shook his head.

For others, a year is just a blink of an eye, but for him, it is already very long.

As long as the Sons of Destiny continue to appear, he can grow very quickly.

"It seems so for you too."

Taoist Taixu chuckled.

He had also heard about the speed of Chen Yuan's growth, from a foundation-building realm constable in a county town to the current Marquis of Thousands of Households in the court, and the youngest Yang Transformation cultivator.

It only took more than two years.

"Does the Taoist have anything to say?"

Chen Yuan went straight to the point.

The other party had met him several times, and had always taught him something. Chen Yuan did not believe that he was just looking at a junior with favor and giving him a few pointers. Wouldn't it be better to say things directly?

"What do you want this poor Taoist to say?"

Taoist Taixu asked back.

"The Taoist knows what to say in his heart. Does Chen Yuan still need to say it?"

"This poor Taoist really doesn't know what to say."

Smiling, Taoist Taixu said while picking up a chess piece.

"Well, if that's the case, let's play chess."

Seeing him keeping him in suspense, Chen Yuan didn't ask any more questions and played chess in silence.

Seeing that a game of chess was over, and the other party had already pushed him to a dead end, Chen Yuan's eyes seemed to show a battlefield of fighting and killing.

"Marquis, you have reached a dead end. What is your next step?"

Chen Yuan smiled faintly:

"Since I have been forced to a dead end, there is no need to play anymore. My character will directly overturn the table. If I don't have a good time, no one will have a good time. What do you think, Taoist?"

Ding Ding Little Stone reminds you: Remember to bookmark after reading.