Time Travel: He is My Dad!

The temptation of power

Night fell quietly, and the palace lights were already ablaze. Princess Shen stood before her bed, her gaze focused, yet her face showed no trace of fatigue. She had long since grown accustomed to the palace's intrigues, constantly pondering how to advance her own chess game. Tonight's situation marked another major turning point. While Liu Mengyao and Qin Changfeng's betrayal had had some impact on her, she knew that only by going further could she completely destroy all those who threatened her.

Cheng Jiahong followed him like a shadow, kneeling respectfully on the ground. "Princess, the Crown Prince has ordered a thorough investigation into the relationship between Liu Mengyao and Qin Changfeng. Now, the Crown Prince has begun to suspect her and is preparing to cut ties with her."

Princess Shen smiled slightly, a glint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes. "As expected of the Crown Prince, his actions are always so direct. Now that he has begun to doubt Liu Mengyao, we can go a step further and force her to make a choice."

Cheng Jiahong replied respectfully, "Princess, I'm afraid Liu Mengyao has already sensed the Crown Prince's suspicions. I wonder how she will respond next."

"Her choice is unimportant," Princess Shen replied calmly. She turned and took out a secret letter from the table. Her eyes were deep. "Her movements are no longer my biggest concern. Now, what I need most is to seize the opportunity and completely eliminate the Crown Prince's connection with the northern forces."

Cheng Jiahong understood and immediately asked, "Princess, what do you mean..."

"We must strike first." Princess Shen spoke calmly, her eyes gleaming with strategy. "The Crown Prince has begun to doubt Liu Mengyao, and the representative of the northern forces, Xie Tianfu, has never appeared. We must take advantage of this and shake the alliance between Xie Tianfu and the Crown Prince."

Cheng Jiahong frowned. "Although Xie Tianfu hasn't shown up in person, he holds great influence in the north. If we act rashly against him, it might lead to unexpected consequences."

Princess Shen's eyes narrowed as she sneered, "Cheng Jiahong, you must remember that in this game of power, everyone's safety is just a pawn on the chessboard. As long as I can pull on the prince's nerves and make him uneasy, the power of the north will automatically collapse."

Cheng Jiahong nodded slightly, knowing that the princess's plan was extraordinary, but he also knew that Princess Shen had to think carefully and take every step steadily to gain the upper hand in this complicated court struggle.

……

Over the next few days, the palace was in turmoil. The Crown Prince had begun distancing himself from Liu Mengyao, publicly expelling her from his inner circle. Princess Shen, in turn, seized the opportunity to contact other factions within the palace, plotting to suppress the Crown Prince's supporters. She knew that in the struggle for imperial power, the support of every faction was crucial. If she could discredit the Crown Prince with the northern powers, she could achieve a decisive victory.

That day, Princess Shen received crucial intelligence: Xie Tianfu had finally sent someone to the capital, planning a meeting with a mysterious figure. This person's identity remained unknown, but they were said to be inextricably linked to a prominent figure within the palace. Princess Shen realized this was an opportunity for a breakthrough, and she needed to seize this information immediately to force Xie Tianfu to reveal his true intentions.

As night fell, Princess Shen quietly kept her appointment with Cheng Jiahong, heading to the agreed-upon location—a quiet teahouse outside the palace. Hiding there was an old friend of Princess Shen's—a palace eunuch named Yun Tao. Yun Tao had been working within the palace for many years, acquainted with many hidden secrets, and had long served as Princess Shen's key informant.

The lights in the teahouse were dim, and the air was filled with the fragrance of tea. Yun Tao had been waiting in the room for a long time. When he saw Princess Shen enter, he immediately stood up and saluted: "Princess, you are finally here."

"Yuntao, how are you these days?" Princess Shen nodded slightly, walked to the table, and sat down gracefully. Cheng Jiahong also sat down beside her, his eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

"Princess, Xie Tianfu's visit to the capital this time is indeed somewhat unusual," Yun Tao said in a low voice, his eyes filled with solemnity. "According to the information I gathered from the palace, Xie Tianfu and the representatives he sent have secretly met with several high-ranking officials in the palace. Those people ostensibly have close ties with the Crown Prince, but in reality, they have long-term cooperation with the northern forces."

Princess Shen's brow furrowed slightly, her eyes gleaming with deep thought. "This means that the northern forces have begun to extend their reach to the core of power within the palace. And Xie Tianfu's appearance is clearly intended to strengthen his ties with these people and further expand his influence within the court."

Cheng Jiahong also said in a deep voice: "Princess, if it is true as you said, then this power will be even more difficult to shake. We must react as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous."

Princess Shen was silent for a moment, her eyes sharp as a knife: "In that case, let's give them a 'huge surprise'."

……

A few days later, Princess Shen secretly contacted several experienced officials in the palace to ensure that the deal between Xie Tianfu and the palace officials would be exposed. At the same time, she also took the initiative to send people to expose the relationship between the northern forces and the crown prince, creating a "power scandal" that caused an uproar in the court.

Princess Shen had all this planned out. She knew that to destroy the Crown Prince's alliance with the northern forces, she had to start with public opinion. The palace was always sensitive, and if such a scandal were exposed, the Crown Prince's alliance with the north would be questioned, and even more coups and rebellions would ensue.

Finally, a storm of public opinion erupted, with shocking news spreading from the palace: the Crown Prince's ties to northern forces were exposed, and his collusion with Xie Tianfu was fully exposed. In just a few days, the power structure within the palace shifted dramatically. Court officials voiced their opinions, accusing the Crown Prince of betraying the Emperor, colluding with foreign enemies, and attempting to usurp the throne. The entire court was in uproar.

Princess Shen sat on the couch in her bedroom, a satisfied smile on her face. She knew her plan had worked, and the alliance between the Crown Prince and the northern forces was already shaky. The next situation would be a crucial moment for her to overthrow the Crown Prince and seize power in the palace.

"Cheng Jiahong, are you ready for the next plan?" Princess Shen asked in a low voice, with a calm and sharp light in her eyes.

Cheng Jiahong nodded slightly: "Everything is proceeding according to the princess's instructions. Next, we just need to give the prince a fatal blow when he is most anxious."

Princess Shen smiled softly: "Very good. Then, now is the time to have all the chess pieces start to move closer to me."

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Chapter 49: The decisive battle with smoke rising everywhere