From cute to empress

I looked up and saw the Fourth Prince standing at the door with a worried look on his face, followed by Minister Wang and General Zhou. I forced a smile, "Fourth Prince, why are you here?"

"You don't have to be so polite, my dear sister-in-law." The Fourth Prince quickly walked to the bedside and glanced at the unconscious Zhen Youcai, his brows furrowed. "I've heard about Guard Zhen's situation. My dear sister-in-law, please accept my condolences."

I shook my head, suppressing the grief in my heart, and asked, "Why are you here?"

The Fourth Prince sighed and lowered his voice, "Sister-in-law, I know that Third Brother has always been working against you. I'm afraid this incident was also secretly arranged by him. Now that Father's health is deteriorating and the situation in the court is turbulent, Third Brother..."

I was startled, instantly understanding what he meant. The Third Prince has always coveted the throne, and now that the Emperor is seriously ill, he naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. And I, as the Emperor's personally appointed Imperial Concubine, and Zhen Youcai's... Thinking of this, I felt a pang of fear.

"Don't worry, sister-in-law," the Fourth Prince consoled me, as if seeing through my thoughts. "I came here this time to join forces with sister-in-law to fight against my third brother."

I raised my head and looked at him in surprise: "Why...why are you helping me?"

The Fourth Prince gave a bitter laugh. "Sister-in-law, you should know that my Third Brother and I have always been at odds. He is a sinister and cunning man. If he inherits the throne, the Great Xia Empire will sooner or later be destroyed in his hands. I do this not only for myself, but also for the people of Great Xia."

I was silent. I knew the Fourth Prince was telling the truth. The Third Prince was ruthless and cruel. If he were to take the throne, the consequences would be disastrous. But what could I do?

"I know the Empress must be very confused right now," the Fourth Prince said firmly, holding my hand. "But please believe me, I will definitely protect you and Guard Zhen. As long as we join forces, we will be able to stop Third Brother's conspiracy!"

I looked at the Fourth Prince's sincere eyes, and a glimmer of hope ignited in my heart. Yes, I can't just give up like this. For myself, for Zhen Youcai, and for the people of Daxia, I have to cheer up!

"Okay, I promise you." I took a deep breath, my eyes gradually becoming firm. "Tell me, what should we do?"

The Fourth Prince smiled slightly, turned to look at Minister Wang and General Zhou behind him, and said, "Master Wang, General Zhou, you two can speak."

Minister Wang and General Zhou exchanged a glance, each with a hint of hesitation, and remained silent...

Minister Wang and General Zhou exchanged a look of hesitation, their faces becoming increasingly uncertain. "I understand their concerns. After all, the Third Prince is powerful, while the Fourth Prince is still relatively young. For these officials, choosing a side is a gamble."

"My Lords, I know what you're worried about." The Fourth Prince spoke in a calm, yet unquestionable, tone. "But have you ever considered this: if Third Brother ascends the throne, given his ruthless nature, will he spare anyone who doesn't support him? By then, I'm afraid the entire Great Xia Empire will be destroyed!"

Minister Wang and General Zhou remained silent, their words clearly having struck a nerve. Seeing this, I spoke up, "My Lords, you are both trusted ministers of the Great Xia. Are you simply going to watch treacherous officials take power and disrupt the government?"

Although my words were gentle, they carried an inexplicable power that shook the hearts of Minister Wang and General Zhou. They were both loyal to their emperor and patriotic, and naturally did not want to see Daxia fall into the hands of treacherous officials.

"Your Highness the Fourth Prince, Your Majesty, this old minister is willing to lend you a helping hand!" Minister Wang was the first to speak out, his old voice full of determination.

"I am also willing to follow His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince until death and eradicate the evil for Daxia!" General Zhou followed closely behind, kneeling on one knee with a firm tone.

The Fourth Prince nodded with satisfaction, reached out to help General Zhou up, turned his gaze to me, and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I will definitely keep you safe."

I glanced at him gratefully, but I knew in my heart that if we wanted to bring down the Third Prince, the power of just a few of us wouldn't be enough. I had to find evidence of the Third Prince's rebellion to completely crush his plot!

Over the next few days, I suppressed my grief over the loss of Zhen Youcai and used my position within the harem to secretly gather evidence against the Third Prince. I knew there were many spies in the harem, and the slightest mistake would alert the enemy, so I acted with extreme caution.

Finally, on a dark and windy night, I learned a shocking secret from a palace maid...

It was a quiet night, the red palace walls looking especially cold in the moonlight. Like these cold walls, my heart was filled with unease. I'd learned from the palace maid that the Third Prince had secretly amassed an elite army and was secretly contacting court officials, plotting a rebellion! This news exploded in my mind like thunder. I sensed a greater storm was brewing.

In the days that followed, I could clearly feel the pressure on the Fourth Prince growing. The Third Prince began to use his power to constantly suppress the Fourth Prince, even sending people to secretly monitor his every move. I knew that the Fourth Prince was like a lone wolf pushed to the edge of a cliff, ready to fall into the abyss at any moment.

"Don't worry, sister-in-law. I'm fine." The Fourth Prince always smiled reassuringly in the face of my concerns. But I knew he was far stronger than he appeared. He carried the fate of the entire Great Xia on his shoulders; he couldn't fall.

Finally, on a sunny morning, the Fourth Prince suddenly stood up in the court, holding a memorial high in his hand. He said in a loud voice, "Father, I have a memorial to report! The Third Prince, Li Chengqian, has formed a clique for personal gain, secretly hoarded weapons, and is plotting rebellion. Please investigate!"

The Fourth Prince's words were like thunderclaps, instantly detonating the entire court. The ministers were discussing the situation, their faces filled with shock and disbelief. I sat behind the beaded curtain, watching all this unfold, my heart filled with worry and anticipation.

The Third Prince's face turned ashen, his eyes filled with venom. He stood up abruptly, pointed at the Fourth Prince, and roared, "What nonsense! You are slandering me! Come, arrest this traitor!"

"Let's see who dares!" The Fourth Prince met the Third Prince's gaze fearlessly, his tone firm, "Father, I have solid evidence to prove that what the Third Prince said is true!"

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the emperor, awaiting his decision. Where would this sudden turmoil lead the fate of Daxia?

From behind the pearl curtain, I could clearly feel the emperor's breathing quicken. He slammed the table, stood up, and roared, "How dare you, Li Chengqian, harbor such wicked ambitions! Come, thoroughly investigate the Third Prince's residence. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"

The emperor's fury instantly silenced the previously bustling hall. The Third Prince's face paled, but he still stubbornly said, "Father, I am innocent. This is a false accusation by my fourth brother..."

"Shut up!" the emperor shouted, pointing at the Third Prince. "Even now, you still don't repent! Come, take the Third Prince to the clan residence. No one is allowed to visit him without my permission!"

The guards immediately stepped forward and forcibly escorted the Third Prince away. He struggled and roared, but ultimately, he could not resist the will of fate. Watching the Third Prince being led away, I felt a mixture of emotions. On the one hand, I was happy that the Fourth Prince had finally turned the tables; on the other, I felt sad that the royal brothers had turned against each other.

"Imperial sister-in-law, this time I am so grateful to you." The Fourth Prince walked up to me and said gratefully, "If you hadn't informed me of Third Brother's plot in advance, I'm afraid I would have been killed by him today."

I shook my head and whispered, "There's no need to thank me between you and me. The Third Prince is ambitious, and you are the true hope of Daxia. What are you going to do next?"

The Fourth Prince pondered for a moment and said, "I will have Minister Wang and General Zhou investigate this matter thoroughly and will not let any of the traitors involved go!"

I nodded, but a faint unease welled up in my heart. The Third Prince has been at court for years, his influence deeply entrenched. How easy would it be to completely eradicate his followers? Furthermore, I have a feeling there's a greater conspiracy behind this...

"Fourth Prince, I'm afraid this matter is not that simple." I lowered my voice and told him my concerns.

"What the Empress's wife means is..." The Fourth Prince frowned, as if he also realized the seriousness of the matter.

"I suspect..." I paused, my eyes falling on the Third Prince who was being escorted out, "There's someone behind this!"