Time Travel: He is My Dad!

Allies on paper

Princess Shen sat at her desk, her expression grim. Every crisscrossing line on the map before her symbolized a potential conflict and game. She knew that within the palace, enemy forces were quietly gathering, and the storm outside could strike at any moment. She had to remain calm and respond swiftly and effectively.

Lord Liu entered the inner hall carrying a secret letter. The envelope was sealed with red wax, clearly containing urgent information. "Princess, I have just received this message. You must read it."

Princess Shen didn't take the letter, but instead looked at Lord Liu with a scrutinizing gaze. "What's inside?"

"This letter is from a spy from the outer court. He revealed the details of the collaboration between Song Rui and the powerful ministers." Lord Liu carefully placed the letter in front of her. "According to the information, Song Rui is colluding with the powerful ministers and planning a joint attack against you."

"As expected." Princess Shen sneered, a sharp light flashing in her eyes, "Do they think they can easily shake me?"

Lord Liu carefully observed Princess Shen's expression and whispered, "Princess, although we know Song Rui's intentions, he does have the support of the outside court. If this power struggle breaks out, the situation will probably become even more complicated."

"Complicated?" Princess Shen shook her head slightly. "All the complexities are ultimately just a struggle for power. No matter how volatile the outside world is, I can stabilize the situation."

She smiled slightly, but there was a deep coldness in her eyes. "However, since they want to challenge me, I might as well let them taste my own tricks."

Lord Liu heard the deep meaning in her words and was moved: "What does the princess mean?"

Princess Shen slowly picked up the secret letter. It described a plan orchestrated by Song Rui and powerful officials. It appeared to be a coordinated effort to suppress her, even going so far as to use a series of political tactics to gradually weaken her support within the palace. She gently set the letter aside, her lips curled slightly. "Why don't we act preemptively and expose their plan? This way, they'll lose their chance before they even act."

"However, if we reveal it in advance, they will know that we have noticed something and will probably speed up their actions." Lord Liu frowned. "Also, once Song Rui starts to act, there will probably be more variables."

"I know." Princess Shen's eyes glared and she took a deep breath. "But what I hate most is others looking down on me, thinking I'm just a weak and incompetent abandoned concubine. Since they want to play this trick, let me launch a subtle counterattack."

She stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the setting sun in the distance. An indescribable chill lingered in her eyes. "I want them to know that the true ruler of the palace is not the powerful ministers they speak of, nor the forces from outside the court. It's me, Princess Shen."

Temporary alliance

As tensions in the palace grew, Princess Shen knew she had to seize the opportunity to establish a delicate balance between the outside world and the palace. She didn't intend to rely on the power of either side, but rather to utilize all available resources in this chaotic game to resolve the crisis.

One evening, Princess Shen arranged a meeting with an old friend of hers, the eunuch Wei Neng. Wei Neng had been one of her most trusted men in the palace. Although he was of low status, he was a shrewd man with close connections to many powerful people in the palace, making him a very capable informant.

As soon as Wei Neng entered, he whispered, "Princess, the news tonight is indeed not good. The alliance between the external forces and the powerful officials in the palace has begun to show signs, and their actions may reach a peak in the near future."

"I know." Princess Shen looked at him calmly, "But I'm not someone who would just sit there and wait for death. Are you coming here? Do you have any ideas?"

Wei Neng frowned slightly, clearly hesitant. "Princess, this situation will be difficult to change unless both sides completely break off relations. But I do have a way to temporarily delay their plans."

"Speak." Princess Shen listened attentively.

Wei Neng whispered, "I have some dealings with some forces outside the court. Their support for Song Rui isn't entirely out of trust, but driven by interests. If we can use some means to make them feel the threat of their interests, perhaps we can get them to change their stance."

Princess Shen's eyes lit up. "You mean, we can exploit their greed and vanity to force them to make a choice and turn to our side?"

Wei Neng nodded. "That's right. We can start from an economic perspective and create some conflicts of interest to constrain their actions. Although this method may not be effective immediately, it can at least slow down their offensive rhythm and buy us time."

Princess Shen pondered for a moment, her expression gradually returning to its calm and shrewd state. "Okay, let's act according to this plan. You contact those foreign forces and create some subtle conflicts. But remember, we must act quickly and don't let them detect our intentions."

Wei Neng bowed and replied, "Yes, Princess."

Princess Shen watched Wei Neng leave, her mind already strategizing the next move. The situation in the palace was changing so rapidly, and every decision depended on her future. And she was ready to utilize every resource at her disposal to move forward steadily.

Undercurrent

However, Princess Shen's plan did not go as smoothly as she had expected. While she was implementing her strategy, another force that could not be ignored began to rise quietly.

A hidden conspiracy within the palace had quietly surfaced—a high-ranking official, seemingly cooperative on the surface, was hiding a deeper agenda. He had not only infiltrated the outer court but also planted sufficient leverage within the palace's hidden corners of power. This man was far more cunning and unfathomable than she had imagined.

Princess Shen was not deceived by the appearance before her. Instead, she realized that every move she made could no longer rely solely on intuition and a combination of tactics. She must have a deeper understanding of the enemy in order to strike a precise victory.

"Yes, Princess." Lord Liu replied, with a hint of nervousness in his eyes.

Princess Shen slowly stood up, a look of determination in her eyes. "Since everyone in the palace wants to carve a piece of my flesh, I will let them be devoured first."

She turned and walked out the door, her steps light but filled with unshakable determination. She knew that this palace struggle had entered its most intense phase, and all the betrayals and calculations would eventually become the driving force for her rise.

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Chapter 107: Uninvited Guests