Time Travel: He is My Dad!

Prelude to Destruction

The Crown Prince's gaze suddenly darkened, his anger surging in his eyes. However, when he saw Princess Shen's calm and resolute eyes, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of oppression, as if an invisible hand was tightly gripping his throat.

"You... you really think you can replace me?" The prince's voice was low, with a hint of obvious fear and anger. "You are just a woman. What right do you have to compete with me for the rule of this empire?"

Princess Shen chuckled softly, her voice as cold as frost. "Your Highness, you have never understood the true meaning of power. Power does not come from bloodline, status, or someone's favor, but is controlled through calmness, decisiveness, and fearless actions." She slowly walked towards the prince, her steps light but firm, and every step was like stepping into an unfathomable abyss.

Her eyes held a suffocating coldness, as if she had seen through the Crown Prince's struggles and anger, even his subtle fears. "And you, Your Highness, are but a puppet controlled by the power game, doomed to be powerless."

The Crown Prince's expression changed drastically, anger and unwillingness intertwined in his eyes. "Princess Shen, do you really think you can control everyone? Just you? You are just a pawn in my hands. The Emperor will take action sooner or later."

Princess Shen sneered, a sharp glint in her eyes, as if she had seen through all the Crown Prince's bravado. "You are so naive. You are simply using others to form alliances with the powerful outside the palace, but you never realized that you are just a pawn in their eyes."

At this time, Cheng Jiahong stepped out from the shadows and stared at the Crown Prince coldly, "Your Highness, your schemes are ultimately nothing more than digging your own grave. The powerful people you relied on have long been completely controlled by the Princess. Today, the fate of the Eastern Palace is doomed to be unchangeable."

"You..." The prince's face turned pale and his body trembled slightly. "What do you want to do?"

Princess Shen stood before the Crown Prince, her gaze as cold as a knife. "I never intended to hurt you. What I want is control of the Eastern Palace." She paused, her tone emphasizing, "From now on, the Eastern Palace will become part of my hands. You can choose to leave and live, or you can choose to resist and die here."

The Crown Prince was furious, his fists clenched, his chest heaving. But he knew his current situation well. Princess Shen's words were like a hammer, striking him in the heart, leaving him no longer confident. He had once believed that with his father's support, he could firmly grasp the power of the empire. But now, he realized that he was nothing more than a pawn in Princess Shen's eyes, already firmly controlled.

"Are you really going to destroy me?" The prince's voice trembled with reluctance and despair.

"Destroy you?" Princess Shen raised her brows slightly and said coldly, "No, I don't want to destroy you, but to make you understand that your existence is only a part of my control over this empire." Her voice became clearer, "As long as you obey, you can still live."

The Crown Prince was silent for a moment, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. He slowly lowered his head, finally realizing that he had repeatedly overestimated his own abilities and underestimated Princess Shen's determination. At this moment, Princess Shen was no longer the deposed concubine he had despised, but the queen who controlled the fate of the entire empire.

……

Meanwhile, the situation within the palace had quietly shifted. Under the command of Princess Shen, Cheng Jiahong completely controlled the Eastern Palace's military and resources. Under Cheng Jiahong's meticulous planning, the Crown Prince's reliance on external forces and a handful of close associates within the palace were gradually dismantled.

"Princess, there is no resistance left in the Eastern Palace. All high-ranking palace officials and military generals who participated in the betrayal have been placed under house arrest or eliminated." Cheng Jiahong stood behind Princess Shen, his voice low and filled with a hint of awe that could not be concealed.

"Very good." Princess Shen nodded calmly, her eyes as cold as ice, gleaming with a frightening light. She stood up and walked towards the window, her eyes deep, "Everything is under my control."

Cheng Jiahong asked carefully: "Princess, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace..."

Princess Shen turned around, a slight sneer on her lips. "The Crown Prince is nothing more than a tool. Controlling the Eastern Palace means controlling the lifeblood of the entire empire, which in turn means controlling all power. Since he chose to be my enemy, he should pay the price for it."

Her eyes grew even colder. "Whether he's willing to obey or not, I will make him understand that all resistance will be futile in front of me."

……

Deep within the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince finally realized that everything he relied on had crumbled. His power, along with his dignity, had vanished overnight. The palace guards no longer obeyed his orders, and the dignitaries and military officers who once followed him closely now sided with Princess Shen. The Crown Prince was now a helpless prisoner.

"Prince, are you still going to resist?" Cheng Jiahong asked coldly, his eyes as cold as a sharp blade. "Perhaps you still don't understand the gap between you and Princess Shen."

The prince lowered his head and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with deep despair. "I never expected that I would end up like this."

"This is the path you chose." Cheng Jiahong responded indifferently, without any emotion in his tone.

"What do you want?" the prince asked, panting and struggling.

"Your Highness, you have no right to decide anything." Cheng Jiahong looked at him, "You no longer have any bargaining chips to compete with us."

……

Princess Shen's plan progresses step by step, and the situation in the empire undergoes earth-shaking changes with her actions. The prince's fall from power is only the beginning; every step that follows is key to further consolidating her rule.

She had already dealt with all opposition, and now those shadowy figures within the palace, those on the brink of power, would inevitably become obstacles to her control of the empire. What she had to do was not just to destroy these obstacles, but to completely reshape the entire empire, making it her own chessboard.

Behind all this, there is only one simplest yet cruelest truth: in the face of power, anyone's life, death, honor and disgrace are nothing more than chips in her hands.

This power game has just begun.

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Chapter 39: The Temptation of Power