Three Kingdoms: Domination of the World

Song Zhen paid a visit to his mother, Zhu. The two met again after a long separation and talked about many intimate things.

"My daughter! You have suffered so much over the years."

"Mother, I'm not tired!"

"Silly child, I understand your difficulties. Ever since our precious nephew died, His Majesty has not shown the same favor towards our family."

"Your Majesty, this is not your fault. It was my carelessness."

"Alas. Your Majesty is used to being idle. There are some things that you can't persuade, so you might as well let them go."

"As women, we must follow the flow of things. If we have the opportunity to persuade His Majesty to be diligent in his work and care for the people, then we should do it. Otherwise, we must be prudent and protect ourselves, and strive to have more children for His Majesty."

"Anyone would be disgusted by my daughter constantly opposing His Majesty. It's better to cater to his wishes and go with the flow. As long as you hold on to justice in your heart and don't completely accomplice to those despicable people, you'll be fine."

"That's a good idea, old lady!"

At this moment, a burst of hearty laughter rang out from outside the house. Even before the person arrived, a childish voice of approval rang out. Old Madam Zhu, of course, knew who was coming.

These days, Suo Chao enthusiastically helps the people in the mansion with medical treatment and fortune-telling. His medical skills are superb, and he has cured many people. Everyone likes him very much.

As for whether his fortune-telling skills are accurate, no one knows. However, everyone thinks the young doctor enjoys fortune-telling and is happy to cooperate. Recently, Zhu learned from her husband that the child was there to help their daughter overcome a difficult time, and her love for him was beyond words.

"Xiao Chao! You're here!"

"Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen!"

"Greetings, old lady."

Song Zhen studied the child carefully. He looked about seven or eight years old, articulate and well-mannered. It was truly miraculous. A strange feeling of melancholy washed over him.

"If my own child were still alive, he would probably be this big too."

"Xiao Chao! Please take a seat."

Zhu quickly ordered Suo Chao to sit down and talk. At that moment, Empress Song also came to her senses. Her smile was as gentle as the ripples of spring water, cleansing the soul. Her soft voice was as melodious as a nightingale's.

"Xiao Chao? I should be able to call you that, right?"

"Ah? Your Majesty, of course you can."

Liu Hong had a good eye for such a gentle and virtuous woman. If she hadn't been implicated in the witchcraft scandal, if she hadn't been neglected by Emperor Ling of Han, if she had been more powerful in the palace...

Suo Chao's thoughts raced. A queen who was too kind and upright would not hold a secure position in the palace. Even Liu Xiu had abandoned his first wife, Guo Shengtong, for Bai Yueguang Lihua. Not to mention a mediocre ruler like Liu Hong, who believed everything he heard. If someone spread rumors about the queen, he would be so angry that he would do anything.

"Xiao Chao! Xiao Chao! His Highness is calling you!"

"Ah! Sorry, Your Majesty, I was distracted just now."

"It's okay! I was distracted just now."

"Your Highness, let me make this short. Your Highness is caught in four dangerous situations. A disaster is imminent, and you are unaware of it."

Song Zhen returned to her parents' home this time, mentally prepared. Her father had arranged for her to meet a master, but she had no idea the master was actually a child. She said with a hint of irritation.

"What do you think, little kid?"

Suo Chao also felt it was a bit abrupt. No one would be able to adapt to being so straight to the point. He scratched his head.

"Your Majesty, I was a little rash in my words just now. I hope you can forgive me. However, honest advice is unpleasant to the ears, and I hope Your Majesty will bear with me."

"What do you think, Xiaochao?"

Suo Chao pondered for a while and organized his words.

"First, eunuchs and relatives of the emperor are in power these days, and your Highness's family has no strong connections. If something happens, they will be unable to protect themselves. This is a danger!"

"Secondly, Your Majesty is idle and loves money, while the Empress advises Your Majesty to be diligent in government and love the people. This may be seen as meddling in government affairs, which Your Majesty dislikes. These are the two dangers!"

"Third, Her Majesty the Queen has no children yet, and the Emperor's eldest son, Bian, is already five years old. Your Majesty will easily be envied by the nobles in the palace. This is the third danger!"

"Fourth, offending powerful officials like Wang Fu and Cao Jie. Although it's a noble cause, there's no strong support from within or outside. This is the fourth danger!"

Queen Song broke into a cold sweat after hearing this. Her father had advised her to conduct a thorough search of the palace, and indeed, quite a few sinister objects had been found. Rather than alert the culprits, she resorted to a subtle substitution. She replaced the cursed objects with blessing objects and instructed her trusted aides to thoroughly inspect the palace for any abnormalities before leaving each day.

"I wonder, my friend, how can I break the impasse?"

Suo Chao bowed and said.

"Your Highness, Old Madam! To break this crisis, we must take these next steps."

"1. Regain His Majesty's trust and favor."

"Oh! How should I do this?"

"I think the most urgent task is to take two steps."

"Step 1: Your Majesty loves money, so Your Highness should come up with more ideas for making money."

"I have several profitable businesses here, including white sugar, refined salt, white wine, and spices. Your Majesty can find reliable servants and set up a few franchise stores later. Once they're profitable, I'll let Your Majesty invest in them and earn a share of the profits."

"What is a shareholding?"

"Ah? This shareholding refers to how the profits are shared. You and His Majesty can split the profits 20:80. Your Majesty gets 80, and the national treasury gets 20. If Your Majesty makes money, then Your Highness won't have to worry about favors."

"Okay, you're thoughtful, little friend."

"Step Two: Your Majesty dislikes handling government affairs. If admonishment has no effect, then do not continue to make things difficult for her. Those are matters for the ministers, not for you, Queen. If you must intervene, do so according to the circumstances. If Your Majesty believes that diligently governing and caring for the people can make money, then you will listen without needing advice."

"Yeah! That makes sense!"

"Second, Her Majesty the Queen has given birth to another prince for the Emperor."

"A mother's status is determined by her son. The child born to the Queen is a legitimate son, and her position is unshakable. After the first stage is completed, the Queen will surely receive a great deal of favor. I will prescribe some medicinal foods to nourish your body. You are all still young, and you will definitely be able to give birth to a prince."

"Really? That's great."

Song Zhen was always worried about her deceased child. She hadn't conceived again in all those years. This was partly due to health problems and partly because she was no longer favored.

"Your Highness, many princes in the palace have died young. It must be the work of an evil spirit. If Your Highness becomes pregnant, you must find several maids with strong martial arts and medical skills to serve her personally."

"Well, I don't have a suitable candidate. Nowadays, no girl is willing to learn martial arts or medicine."

"Your Highness, if there is no suitable candidate, then you must pay attention to your diet and daily life. After the prince is born, try to send him out of the palace."

"As for personal maids, I have two good candidates. In Yunyan Town, Fuchun, there are twin sisters who are very talented in martial arts and medicine."

"Oh! Really? Then I will send people to look for them. I wonder if they are willing to enter the palace."

Suo Chao also didn't want his two sisters to be involved in the palace's disputes. However, considering Queen Song's situation, arranging for his two sisters to take care of her secretly was a safer solution.

"Your Majesty, I will write a letter. When they arrive, please place them in a dark place. This way we can carry out our work in secrecy."

"Okay. I will adopt them as my daughters and take them into the palace to look after them. No one will be suspicious."

"If that's the case, that would be great. My two sisters won't be too lonely. Thank you, Queen."

"You're welcome. My friend, please give me some advice. I can still make the decision on this matter."