I was reborn as the villain

After Chen Zhimo left, the little emperor was still excited. He thought that Chen Zhimo was really his blessing. Even though he was now a high-ranking immortal cultivator in the immortal sect, he could still plan for the Shucang Kingdom. He was really happy.

"Your Majesty, you should go and have some rest. Your health is important," Xun Liuyan advised.

"Yes!" Xun Liuchen nodded. Just as he was about to return to his bedroom to rest, someone announced that the Queen Mother wanted to see him. Xun Liuchen and Xun Liuyan hurried to the Queen Mother's bedroom.

When Xun Liuchen and Xun Liuyan heard that the Empress Dowager had summoned them, they did not dare to delay and set off in a hurry. On the way, someone reported that the Empress Dowager had arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony and was waiting for them.

"Taihe Hall?" Xun Liuyan was a little surprised and said to Xun Liuchen, "Your Majesty, my mother hasn't been to Taihe Hall for many years. Why is she here today?"

Xun Liuchen shook his head slightly: "I don't know either, I guess it's something important!"

"Right now, the country is peaceful and the people are safe, and the political situation is stable. Is there any major event worthy of my mother going to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to discuss?" Xun Liuyan was a little worried.

Xun Liuchen's brows also frowned slightly. The Hall of Supreme Harmony was the hall used by the Empress Dowager to discuss national affairs. Later, the Empress Dowager retired behind the scenes and never entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony again. Even when she sent troops to the outer fields or quelled civil strife, the Empress Dowager never returned to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Xun Liuchen just vaguely felt that the Queen Mother's sudden visit to the Hall of Supreme Harmony was related to Chen Zhimo's return.

When Xun Liuchen and Xun Liuyan came to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, some old scenes came to their minds. Thinking of how their mother had brought them through so much hardship and finally tried her best to stabilize the political situation and finally stabilized the Xun family's kingdom, many emotions flooded their hearts.

"My son, I pay my respects to my mother!"

Xun Liuchen and Xun Liuyan saw the Queen Mother sitting in front of the hall drinking tea and resting, and they stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Why are you performing such a grand ceremony? Stand up quickly," the Queen Mother said as she beckoned the two men to come forward.

Xun Liuchen and Xun Liuyan came forward and sat beside the Queen Mother. Xun Liuchen said with emotion: "It has been a long time. Just now, my sister and I recalled the past and we are even more grateful to our mother for protecting us from the wind and rain."

The Queen Mother was also somewhat moved by the scene. She reached out and touched the cheeks of her children, smiling slightly and said, "You are all my good children. Ask yourself, is there any mother in the world who doesn't love her children? Okay, don't talk about this. I have something serious to tell you."

The Queen Mother immediately dismissed her attendants and her expression became serious.

Xun Liuchen and Xun Liuyan also sat upright, looking at the empress dowager, waiting for her to speak.

The Queen Mother asked slowly, "Your Majesty, what do you think of Tai Zuo's return to the country?"

Xun Liuchen's heart skipped a beat, wondering if the Queen Mother still had suspicions about Lord Taizuo.

The Queen Mother had suspected that Lord Taizuo held the military power at the beginning, and asked Xun Liuchen to be careful. However, later Lord Taizuo took the initiative to return the military power and did not take credit for himself, which dispelled the Queen Mother's doubts.

"My Queen Mother, the whole country celebrates Lord Taizuo's return to the country, and the people are all happy. It can be seen that Lord Taizuo is deeply loved by the people. He is definitely a person of transcendent status in our country Shucang. Moreover, after Lord Taizuo's return to the country this time, his ideas on state governance have enlightened me and made me suddenly enlightened. He is truly a great talent for the country." Xun Liuchen replied carefully.

The Queen Mother frowned slightly, looked at Xun Liuchen with some seriousness and said: "Your Majesty, don't forget that you are the emperor. You can't be tainted by too many worldly emotions. I asked you what you think, not his status in Shucang Kingdom."

"Yes, mother is right. However, I feel that Lord Taizuo's return will be beneficial to the royal family and to the country of Shucang." Xun Liuchen still insisted on his own opinion. If Chen Zhimo really wanted to seize the throne of Shucang, why did he wait until now?

Xun Liuyan also handed over a cup of hot tea at the right time. After the Queen Mother took a sip, she said, "Mother, Master Taizuo has already entered the immortal gate. How can he still care about the glory and wealth in the mortal world? You worry too much."

The Queen Mother took Xun Liuyan's hand and patted it, and said in the tone of an ordinary mother: "Girl, I know that you like Tai Zuo, but my Emperor Xun has gone through many twists and turns, so it is best to be careful in everything."

The Queen Mother saw through Xun Liuyan's thoughts at a glance, causing her cheeks to blush. She lowered her head, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"What? You're embarrassed because I told you what your daughter is thinking. How can you be like the eldest princess of my Shucang country who is known to be as brave as any man? Haha!"

"Empress Dowager, please don't make fun of my daughter. Lord Taizuo is wise and brave, kind and righteous. Now he is on the path of cultivating immortals. After all, we are not the same kind of people." As she spoke, Xun Liuyan showed a sad expression.

Logically speaking, a girl of Xun Liuyan's age would have been married and had children. Xun Liuyan has always put state affairs first and was unwilling to talk about marriage. In fact, she has always been looking forward to a relationship, but as she watched Chen Zhimo grow up, she gradually felt that the two of them were drifting further and further apart.

The Queen Mother put down the teacup heavily and snorted, "Is it possible that I, the eldest princess of the Xun royal family, am not worthy of him?"

Xun Liuyan hurriedly advised: "Don't be angry, mother. I just think that love matters must be mutual and suitable. A forced relationship is not sweet."

The Queen Mother ignored Xun Liuyan and turned to Xun Liuchen and said, "Your Majesty, you know your sister's thoughts, but you don't even try to mediate."

Xun Liuchen made a bitter face, thinking that he had had this intention for a long time, but Taizuo was not interested in it.

Before Xun Liuchen could explain, the Queen Mother continued, "Taizhao is indeed different now. His Chen family has become powerful in Shucang State. Although they are not qualified for any official position in the court, the economic lifeline of the entire country is in the hands of the Chen family. Moreover, their Chen family has a high prestige among the people. All of this must be guarded against."

"The Grand Commander is very smart and resourceful, and he holds a high position in the Shucang Kingdom. He also possesses the Taoist method of cultivating immortals and has the support of an immortal sect. This makes it even more difficult for my royal family to control him. Your Majesty will turn a blind eye to this invisible threat?"

Although Xun Liuchen was unwilling to accept the Queen Mother's words, as a member of the imperial family, he also knew that the threat from the Chen family was indeed great. But what did the Queen Mother want him to do? Just be on guard? Or should she take action to suppress the Chen family? Or should she deal with Taizuo?

Seeing Xun Liuchen's embarrassment, the Queen Mother sighed and said, "My silly child, doesn't your mother know that Tai Zuo's current power is unshakable by the royal family? I think if we really start fighting, with Tai Zuo's strong character, I'm afraid he won't respect our Xun family's ancestor. I want you to be gentle, not to kill."

Xun Liuchen felt relieved when he heard this. He and Chen Zhimo were close friends, and Chen Zhimo had helped him a lot. Although Xun Liuchen was an emperor and had all the skills of an emperor, he still wanted to treat Chen Zhimo with sincerity.

Generally speaking, Xun Liuchen is still a kind emperor who doesn't want to do anything that would harm others after their own failure.