Even Chen Yuan himself had to admit that Sima Ke seemed to have something seriously wrong with his brain, even more terrifying than Ouyang Zhi, who had no choice but to accept it.

Sima Ke, however, was very excited about wanting to send his mother.

He was determined to have Chen Yuan take a look around his hometown and leave a little gift behind.

He really didn't know what to say.

Absolutely.

Chen Yuan took a deep look at Sima Ke and said softly:

"Your Highness, please sit down first."

Then, with a wave of his hand, he offered him a cup of spiritual tea.

This was the way to treat a guest.

Although he had only returned to this home in the capital for three months, Chen Yuan did not feel the slightest bit out of place, just as before.

"Thank you, Azure Envoy."

Sima Ke's face broke into a smile as he slowly sat down.

After hearing the news of Chen Yuan's return to the capital today, he quickly put down his work, declined several important banquets, and came to his residence to wait.

And then he waited until late at night.

But he didn't care.

To win over Chen Yuan, it was all a worthwhile price to pay.

The youngest Marquis of the Great Jin, and one ennobled for military merit, held a very different position.

In addition, Chen Yuan had also officially advanced to the Transformation Yang realm, becoming a powerhouse at the True Person stage. Seeing that his power and influence were about to explode, if he didn't tie Chen Yuan down and let his two older brothers win him over,

Then, how would he have a chance to survive?

But he couldn't rush things. Chen Yuan had just returned, which would inevitably cause a huge stir and attract the attention of many eyes in the capital. If he brought his mother concubine over at this time, it would be easily noticed.

At that time, he would really be dead.

Steady, he had to be steady.

As long as Chen Yuan entered his mother concubine's Immortal Cave, he would naturally stand on the same side as him.

"Your Highness is a little too impatient." Compared to Sima Ke, Chen Yuan remained calm. He knew his current situation.

Jingtai's attitude towards him was still unknown, so he couldn't be careless.

After all, the position of the Four Divine Envoys of the Sky Survey Department still needed Jingtai's approval. Whether he would agree was still an unknown matter.

Being a Marquis was illusory unless Jingtai was willing to give him military power.

Only the position of the Four Divine Envoys was real.

"Brother Chen may not know this, but I just found out some news. His Majesty intends to establish a Crown Prince." Sima Ke said with a solemn expression, yet with great excitement.

Otherwise, why would he be so anxious to persuade Consort Yang?

"Is this true?"

Chen Yuan frowned, somewhat suspicious.

Jingtai was at the Pill realm cultivation level, with a lifespan of three Jiazi (180 years). Even now, he still had a hundred years to live. How could he have the intention to establish a Crown Prince?

There hadn't been a hint of such news before.

Could it be something that happened during the few months he was suppressing the rebellion in Liangzhou?

Moreover, even if Jingtai appointed a Crown Prince, unless he abdicated and became the Supreme Emperor, with the lifespans of the three brothers Sima Qian, Sima You, and Sima Ke,

They might not necessarily outlive him.

"As the saying goes, there's no smoke without fire. Although the truth of this matter is unknown, the fact that it's circulating within the palace suggests that it's likely His Majesty's intention.

At that time, I'll need Azure Envoy's full support!"

Sima Ke changed the subject, looking at Chen Yuan earnestly.

He was now almost a lone wolf. Even if he wanted to develop his power, some officials in the court had already decided that he had lost his chance and were indifferent to his overtures.

In contrast, the First Prince Sima Qian and the Second Prince Sima You were different. Those meritorious officials who wanted to side with the future emperor were actively gravitating towards them.

If he didn't have Chen Yuan, and even the Zhang faction behind him, to help, Sima Ke had no hope.

It was under this increasing pressure that Sima Ke gradually changed his mind. To rise to power, he would use any means necessary!

"Hmm."

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes, not responding.

He was thinking about Sima Ke's words and his own situation.

Clearly, helping Sima Ke to the throne was completely contrary to his own plans. He was already thinking about rebellion, so how could he have the leisure to help him?

He wasn't thinking about gaining merit from supporting the future emperor and then becoming an important minister in the court.

And then gradually launching an attack on the throne.

The Sima family's waters were very deep, and the capital's waters were also very deep. It wasn't just about seizing power to seize the throne. He hadn't thought about it before, but then Moro had told him.

The Sima family had some people behind them helping them.

Even Moro, who was at the Sixth Realm Immortal level, looked at them with a wary expression.

As for the imperial sister and mother concubine Sima Ke mentioned, that was even more laughable.

Their appearances and status were indeed noble, arousing the desire to conquer, but they were ultimately just two women. Chen Yuan would not be led by the nose by them.

Nor would he change his mind because of them.

A true man should have great ambitions, wield a three-foot long blade, sweep away the chaos, and establish order in the world. How could he be tempted by wine and women?

Chen Yuan's hesitation made Sima Ke's heart skip a beat, faintly feeling that something was wrong. He had previously agreed to everything.

Why now...?

"Azure Envoy..."

"Azure Envoy..."

"Hmm?"

Chen Yuan turned his gaze calmly, fixing it on Sima Ke:

"What does Your Highness want to say?"

Sima Ke gritted his teeth, suddenly stood up, knelt on one knee in front of Chen Yuan, and said in a deep voice:

"I am willing to take a solemn oath that as long as Azure Envoy can help me seize the throne, I will definitely share the world with Azure Envoy in the future. I will be the Emperor, and Azure Envoy will be the King!"

Chen Yuan looked at his actions, not helping him up, but simply saying:

"Your Highness overestimates Chen. I am now just a Gold Envoy, only the Martial Might Earl. How can I have so much power to help Your Highness ascend the throne?"

"The position of Crown Prince is of utmost importance, and ultimately it is up to His Majesty to decide."

"Ke is now a lone wolf, with no one but Azure Envoy. If Azure Envoy helps me, I still have a chance to fight. If Azure Envoy also abandons me, Ke can only wait for death."

Perhaps his acting was indeed very good, or perhaps he had prepared it long ago. In any case, at this moment, Sima Ke's eyes were slightly red, and there were some crystal tears in his eyes.

Chen Yuan's mouth curled into a sneer.

Abandon him?

Were they that close?

They had clearly been hostile to each other before, hating each other to the bone, but now he was tearful. It was truly ironic.

But Sima Ke could forget the previous grudges, or suppress the hatred in his heart, say these words, and endure pain that ordinary people could not endure. He indeed had some of the qualities of an emperor.

"Please help me, Brother Chen!"

Sima Ke continued.

Chen Yuan did not reply until about thirty breaths of time had passed before he moved his divine sense and slowly lifted him up, saying:

"Since Your Highness is so sincere, Chen is not an unfeeling person. Very well, very well, what harm is there in helping you with a little bit of my meager strength? It's just that I can't guarantee whether things will succeed or not."

These were naturally just casual words from Chen Yuan, but it couldn't be said that Chen Yuan was just perfunctorily responding to him.

The struggle for the throne among the three sons was indeed an opportunity for Chen Yuan. It could disrupt the situation in the capital and lay the foundation for the future. Most importantly, if Sima Ke could really ascend to the position of Crown Prince, it would also help him accumulate strength in the future.

Accumulate food widely, gain a high reputation, recruit talented people, and slowly declare himself king.

This was the twelve-word strategy that Chen Yuan had planned for himself when he was in Liangzhou.

Of course, the premise was that Chen Yuan had not yet been enfeoffed to a territory outside the capital. Only in this situation would he help Sima Ke plan a little. If he were to leave the capital,

He would naturally not care so much.

"Thank you, Brother Chen!"

Sima Ke's address also began to change accordingly.

"Brother Chen has just returned to the capital these few days, and the spotlight is on him. Please be patient for now. In a few days, I will surely make Brother Chen satisfied." Sima Ke's face broke into a smile.

In his heart, he felt that the main reason Chen Yuan was helping him was actually because of his mother concubine.

Otherwise, it would never be like this.

Naturally, he had to find a way to make Chen Yuan satisfied.

"Isn't this against etiquette and harmful to morals?"

Chen Yuan said softly.

"Brother Chen, don't worry, this is my mother concubine's intention. Brother Chen doesn't want to disobey Consort Yang's orders, does he?" Sima Ke said with a smile. Chen Yuan's agreement to help him,

Also subtly changed the relationship between them.

"Very well, so be it."

Chen Yuan waved his hand.

He admitted that he was indeed not a gentleman. He felt a little tempted by the idea of the high and mighty Consort Yang falling into the mortal world.

Consort Yang had been empty for several years. As a pillar of the Great Jin, how could he not help a little?

Furthermore, he didn't want to go against the wishes of women.

But in that case, how should he view the relationship between him and Sima Ke?

Comrades?

Countrymen?

Visiting relatives for him?

Or, each to their own?

For a moment, Chen Yuan fell into deep thought.

Sima Ke was different from Ouyang Zhi. The former was more ruthless and more willing to go all out. When he had an affair with Lady Xu, the latter came to see him with a knife.

Sima Ke, however, offered it proactively.

Absolutely.

He was a good boy.

"Brother Chen, don't worry. I will definitely make Brother Chen satisfied." The corners of Sima Ke's mouth curved up.

If Chen Yuan wasn't satisfied,

How could he help him?

Anyway, he had already abandoned all pretenses, so there was no need to dwell on such trivial matters.

As long as Chen Yuan was considered part of his camp, that was enough.

The Sky Survey Department!

The most powerful government offices in the court controlled terrifying power.

With both sides expressing their intentions, Sima Ke no longer concealed anything and began to tell Chen Yuan about the current situation in the court. The old meritorious families supported the First Prince Sima Qian.

Most of the officials in the court supported Sima You.

This squeezed a lot of his living space. He couldn't interfere with the remaining military power and the Sky Survey Department, nor did he dare to interfere, for fear that others would accuse him of treason.

Therefore, he wanted to hear Chen Yuan's opinion.

Chen Yuan pondered for a moment from Sima Ke's perspective and drew up a plan for him. Temporarily set aside the officials in the court. Sima You was the son of the current empress.

He was already the heir apparent, and his position was very stable.

He could start with Sima Qian, win over some of the unsuccessful meritorious families. With his banner, many people would be willing to take a gamble.

After all, few people knew about the Consort Shu case.

Furthermore, with some officials from the Sky Survey Department as his wings, he could quickly build up a force to contend with the other two.

Listening to Chen Yuan's detailed explanation of these matters, Sima Ke was greatly shocked. He originally thought that Chen Yuan was only highly talented in martial arts.

Now it seemed that his methods were definitely not inferior to some of the old foxes in the court.

It was fortunate that he was not a member of the Sima family. Otherwise, even if he was a concubine's son, he would probably have many opportunities to seize the throne.

He felt increasingly fortunate to have won over Chen Yuan.

However, although Chen Yuan would choose to help Sima Ke and disrupt the situation in the capital, he did not look favorably on this person in his heart. Others were not clear about the Consort Shu case.

But Jingtai must know something.

He already disliked Sima Ke. This aversion was biased, so even if he did his best, it would probably be of little use unless Jingtai was also a broad-minded person.

He wouldn't care if his son had an affair with his woman.

Sima Ke stayed in the Martial Might Earl's mansion for a long time before reluctantly leaving. He really enjoyed the scene of Chen Yuan planning for him.

It was as if the position of Crown Prince was already beckoning to him.

Tsk, he was handsome, his reputation was unmatched, and he spoke so pleasantly. He suddenly felt that a person like Chen Yuan possessed a great charm.

No wonder his mother concubine couldn't resist.

No one could resist this!

He was simply the perfect man in women's eyes.

He didn't know what was wrong with his imperial sister. She actually refused him. Could she be pretending?

Did she not want to be involved with him?

In short, Sima Ke felt that although his imperial sister was also very powerful, she was still far inferior to Chen Yuan. If she didn't have the identity of the Eldest Princess, she would really not be worthy of him.

After having his servants see Sima Ke off, Chen Yuan sat cross-legged in the room, his eyes thoughtful.

One must take one bite at a time when eating, and one must handle one thing at a time.

The matter of rebellion could not be rushed now.

His strength was still a bit low, and his power was still a bit weak.

If his cultivation reached the Yang God realm, Chen Yuan would definitely find an opportunity to start a chaotic era and raise an army to restore Chu, but in name, he would definitely not use the Xiang family's name.

The Chen family, the former Great Chu General, was also a good choice, wasn't it?

He had no interest in changing his name and surname, especially not for the Xiang family.

He had not yet repaid the debt of Xiang Lingtian's assassination attempt on him.

The strategy he had set for himself was to gradually find the Sons of Destiny to improve his cultivation strength on the one hand, and to expand his sphere of influence on the other hand.

He would make the other Taoist Lords of the Taoist God Palace willingly willing to be under him.

There should be no big problem with Jiang He. He had promised to kill his way to the capital to steal women. There was also no big problem with Su Ziyue. Sooner or later, he would take this little hothead.

Moro's intentions were unclear. He had not expressed his position.

Chu Changfeng, Yang Huatian, and Li Suqing were a problem.

Yang Huatian was an old powerhouse himself, with a great reputation in Southern Border, and was inherently fierce and difficult to tame. Li Suqing was the Great Elder of the Goddess Palace, with a respected position and considerable power.

And most importantly, Chu Changfeng. Among the Taoist Lords of the Taoist God Palace, he was the only one who had built a top sect from scratch, and he himself had great ambitions.

He had great prestige among the Taoist Lords of the Taoist God Palace.

He was not too far away from the Yang God realm, almost at the same level as the Heavenly Envoy Xiao Jing.

How could such a person willingly submit to him, a Taoist Lord who had joined last?

The road ahead was long and arduous!

Chen Yuan let out a long breath, closed his eyes, and began to cultivate.

No matter when or where, cultivation was the most important thing, because it was the martial artist's greatest reliance.

Nothing happened overnight.

Chen Yuan repeated his previous actions and cultivated hard all night.

His cultivation had not changed much, but cultivation itself required the accumulation of time. Quantitative changes could lead to qualitative changes.

What Sima Ke had said before was right. The news of Chen Yuan's return to the capital caused a great stir in all quarters of the capital. They did not dare to disturb him rashly on the first day.

But on the second day, letters of introduction and invitations were delivered to the Martial Might Earl's mansion early in the morning.

There were nobles from the capital, important officials from the court, several princes from the current dynasty, and even the aloof Eldest Princess Pingyang. They all sent their letters of introduction at almost the same time.

Today was already very different from the past. Although Chen Yuan's reputation was not small at that time, and he was worthy of attention, it had not yet been fully transformed into strength.

No one knew whether he would become a fallen genius and be trapped in the Pill realm for life.

Therefore, although they also valued him very much and often invited him, there was no such big commotion.

But now, Chen Yuan shocked the world with a single battle, his prestige soaring into the clouds. He had transformed his potential into strength and became a genuine Fifth Realm Transformation Yang powerhouse.

The matter of his being ennobled as a Marquis was also a hot topic in the capital.

He was definitely a man of the hour.

He was about to soar with the wind like a roc, flying ninety thousand miles a day.

How could the various forces not try to win over such a person?

Even if they formed some connections, that would be good.

However, in the face of these various good intentions, Chen Yuan remained unmoved. He had already stood at a high place. These good intentions were normal, but they could not move him.

He personally wrote letters and returned the good intentions to people of the same level and even higher status, but he did not accept the invitations to banquets, nor did he open his doors wide to invite everyone.

He had other things to do. These flattery and good intentions could be suppressed.

He was not that arrogant either.

At this time, when his title and status had not been completely determined, Chen Yuan would not be carried away.

As the saying goes, great achievements can shock the master.

He might not be to that extent yet, but it was always right to be cautious.

Who knew what that green-haired turtle Jingtai would think?

After turning down those people's good intentions, Chen Yuan directly set off for the Sky Survey Department. He wanted to see Gu Tianqiong. In addition to his own status, he also wanted to bring out his other merit.

The remnants of the previous dynasty!

When he went to Liangzhou before, Gu Tianqiong gave him this task. Now that it was successfully completed, he naturally had to let him know. It was thought that the successor of a remnant of the previous dynasty would still satisfy him.

At the same time, it would give the green-haired turtle the impression that he was keeping to his duties.

When he came to the Sky Survey Department again, the guards in front of the door did not dare to stop him at all. Just looking at his face and thinking about the turmoil in the capital, they bowed and saluted one after another:

"This subordinate greets Lord Chen!"

Chen Yuan responded with a smile, asking someone to inform him and following him directly inside.

His return also caused a huge stir in the headquarters of the Sky Survey Department in the capital.

It was as if Chen Yuan's every move would cause a stir.

----

An extra update, asking for monthly tickets.

I will try to make up for yesterday's updates today!