From cute to empress

The Fourth Prince's expression froze, and he lowered his voice to ask, "Has the Imperial Sister-in-law thought of anything?" I shook my head and sighed softly, "I'm just guessing. Although the Third Prince is ambitious, he's not a resourceful man. His rebellion plan is so elaborate this time, perhaps someone is behind it."

The Fourth Prince pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Your Majesty, what you said is absolutely right. I will investigate secretly." I watched the Fourth Prince leave, feeling even more uneasy. I returned to the bedroom, where Zhen Youcai was pacing anxiously. When he saw me return, he immediately came up to me and asked worriedly, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"

I shook my head, trying to reassure him: "I'm fine, it's just..." I hesitated to speak. Zhen Youcai is the person I trust the most, but I know very well how terrible the harem is. For some things, the more you know, the more dangerous it is.

"Your Majesty, are you worried about the Fourth Prince?" Zhen Youcai, perceptive and discerning, immediately guessed what I was thinking. I nodded and sighed softly, "The Third Prince's rebellion is probably just the tip of the iceberg. I'm worried the Fourth Prince will be drawn into a larger vortex."

Zhen Youcai frowned and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will secretly protect the Fourth Prince and will never let him come to harm." I held his hand and said solemnly, "Youcai, thank you. You must protect yourself as well."

Over the next few days, I pretended to be indifferent, but secretly began to monitor the movements of the court officials. I discovered that Grand Tutor Li had recently become very close to the Third Prince's followers, and he had also been frequently entering and leaving the palace, meeting privately with the Empress.

Li Taishi is a veteran minister of Daxia, highly regarded by the Emperor. Why would he collude with the Third Prince? Could he also be one of the masterminds behind this? This thought flashed through my mind, giving me a chill.

I decided to secretly investigate Grand Tutor Li, but I couldn't alert the enemy. After much deliberation, I decided to start with Grand Tutor Li's daughter, the current Concubine Shu. Concubine Shu was gentle and virtuous, never aggressive, and always kept a low profile in the harem. Although I didn't have much interaction with her, we were at least acquaintances.

That day, I specially invited Concubine Shu to my palace for tea and flower viewing. She happily accepted, her words and demeanor as gentle and graceful as ever, with no hint of anything unusual. I tentatively asked her about Grand Tutor Li, but her answers were watertight, revealing no valuable information.

Just when I was about to give up, Concubine Shu suddenly mentioned that Grand Tutor Li had been ill recently, unable to sleep at night, and often stayed alone in his study until late at night. She also said that Grand Tutor Li's study housed many precious ancient books and was her favorite place to go since she was a child.

Concubine Shu's words, seemingly unintentional, stirred something in my heart. What was Grand Tutor Li doing in his study so late at night? Could it be that he was hiding some secret? I decided to find an opportunity to sneak into Grand Tutor Li's study and find out...

"Madam, what's wrong with you?" Zhen Youcai's voice brought me back to reality. I realized that I had unknowingly walked into the depths of the Imperial Garden. I shook my head, hiding my uneasiness: "Nothing, I was just thinking about something."

Zhen Youcai looked around and said in a low voice, "My Queen, be careful, there are ears on the other side of the wall." His reminder instantly alerted me. Yes, I actually got distracted in the palace! This is a palace full of dangers...

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. "You're right, let's go back."

Back in the palace, I dismissed all the maids and eunuchs, leaving only Zhen Youcai. "Youcai, I always feel uneasy, as if something is going to happen." I rubbed my aching forehead and said to Zhen Youcai anxiously.

Zhen Youcai also had a solemn look on his face. He lowered his voice and said, "Your Majesty, I also heard some rumors today..." He paused, as if considering how to start.

"What is it?" I asked anxiously. My intuition told me that this might be related to the uneasiness in my heart.

"It's about Eunuch Zheng..." Zhen Youcai hesitated for a moment and continued, "There's a rumor in the palace today that Eunuch Zheng knelt outside the imperial study for a whole night, which seems to have angered the emperor. But I think there's something fishy going on."

Eunuch Zheng is an old man by the emperor's side, loyal and devoted. How could he suddenly anger the emperor? Could it be... A thought suddenly flashed through my mind, "Are you saying that Eunuch Zheng might have done this on purpose?"

Zhen Youcai nodded and said, "I suspect that Eunuch Zheng might be trying to secretly convey some information to the Empress, but due to his status, he is unable to speak openly."

I thought for a moment and made a quick decision, "Let's go to the cold palace now."

Located at the westernmost part of the imperial palace, the Cold Palace was always deserted and desolate. It was where concubines who had fallen out of favor were imprisoned. Eunuch Zheng's goddaughter had been banished to the Cold Palace because she had made a mistake.

We disguised ourselves, avoided the patrols of the palace guards, and went to the cold palace. With the help of Zhen Youcai, I met Eunuch Zheng's goddaughter, who told me that Eunuch Zheng had secretly visited the cold palace last night and left a letter.

I opened the letter with trembling hands and saw the following words:

"Your Majesty, I have the audacity to report an important matter. Grand Tutor Li has ulterior motives and is colluding with the Third Prince to plot a rebellion! The Emperor has been ill recently, and Grand Tutor Li is planning to seize control of the government while he is seriously ill! This matter is of grave importance, and my influence is limited, so I can only inform Your Majesty in this way. I hope you will make early plans to ensure His Majesty's safety!"

The letter slipped from my hands, and my heart sank to the bottom. Grand Tutor Li, he was actually planning a rebellion!

"Empress, what should we do now?" Zhen Youcai's anxious voice brought me back to reality.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. "When is Master Li's plan?"

Zhen Youcai's expression turned even uglier. "According to reliable sources, it will happen during the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony in three days!"

The Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony three days later will be the best time for Grand Tutor Li to take action. We must stop him before that!

I clutched the letter tightly, my palms brimming with sweat. Without further ado, Zhen Youcai and I immediately began making plans. Zhen Youcai, a seasoned veteran, quickly devised a meticulous plan. He first assigned several nimble guards, disguised as eunuchs and palace maids, to lurk in Grand Tutor Li's frequented areas, closely monitoring his every move. Simultaneously, I allocated a sum of money from my own private treasury to bribe officials within the court, hoping to gain more clues about Grand Tutor Li's conspiracy.

Time ticked by, and in the blink of an eye, only two days remained until the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony. During these two days, the entire palace was shrouded in a tense atmosphere. I feigned composure, but secretly, I was terribly anxious. Zhen Youcai reported his findings daily to me, but Grand Tutor Li remained normal, seemingly unaware of our actions.

However, just when I thought everything was under control, an accident happened.

"Your Majesty, this is bad!" Zhen Youcai rushed into my bedroom in a panic, his tone urgent, "Grand Tutor Li suddenly increased the guards in the palace, and he also secretly summoned the commander of the imperial guards!"

My heart sank, and a sense of foreboding washed over me. "It seems that Grand Tutor Li has noticed us..."

"He must have discovered our spy!" Zhen Youcai slammed his fist on the table in frustration. "It's all my fault for being so careless!"

"Now is not the time to blame ourselves," I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down, "We must find a way to deal with it immediately!"

"But now we have alerted the enemy. Grand Tutor Li will definitely take action in advance. What should we do?" Zhen Youcai's face was full of worry.

I bit my lip tightly, my mind racing, trying to come up with a foolproof plan. Suddenly, an idea flashed in my mind, a bold idea came to my mind.

"You're talented," I raised my head and looked at him firmly, "We have to take a gamble! The only way now is..."