Time Travel: He is My Dad!

It’s hard to tell truth from falsehood, a puzzle of trust

Princess Shen returned to her chambers, still uneasy. She knew the situation was spiraling out of control. The power struggle within the palace was suffocatingly complex, and every step she took was fraught with unknown danger. Her conversation with the Emperor, seemingly calm, was actually fraught with undercurrents. The Emperor's thoughts seemed to be shifting away from their previous simplicity. His suspicions and vigilance indicated that he was beginning to take her threat seriously.

"Princess, look..." Cheng Jiahong asked in a low voice, a hint of uneasiness in his tone.

"Do you think he will believe me?" Princess Shen turned her head and asked lightly.

Cheng Jiahong was slightly stunned, then lowered his head: "I dare not speak rashly, but the emperor's mind is always difficult to understand. Your words do not seem to completely dispel his doubts."

Princess Shen sneered, "Of course not. If his doubts were easily dispelled, how could he sit still?"

Her eyes were penetrating, as if she had seen through the entire situation. "The Emperor may appear to be holding back, but this is the most dangerous time. Throughout the court, trust is a luxury. Undercurrents are surging, and anyone could be an enemy."

"Princess, don't you plan to take the initiative to take action?" Cheng Jiahong asked. He knew that Princess Shen was no ordinary person and she would not let go of any threatening existence easily.

"Of course." Princess Shen's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "But we can't be too radical right now. We must reassure the Emperor." She paused, as if pondering her next strategy. "I already understand his intentions. If he really wanted to target me, he would have already taken action. In that case, his real purpose is to find out our weakness."

After hearing this, Cheng Jiahong was silent for a moment, then nodded: "I understand, Princess."

Princess Shen closed her eyes, quietly contemplating the situation ahead. Tensions within the palace grew increasingly intense, and she had to be cautious with every step. She knew that only at the perfect moment could she eliminate all her enemies and secure her position within the palace.

"Princess, something happened!" the maid said anxiously, with a trembling voice.

"What's the matter?" Princess Shen suddenly opened her eyes and immediately stood up from her chair.

"The Crown Prince... His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was poisoned to death!" The palace maid's words were like a thunderclap, striking Princess Shen's heart hard.

"What?!" Princess Shen was shocked and could hardly believe her ears. "The prince is dead?!"

Cheng Jiahong was also shocked, but then calmed down: "Princess, is the news confirmed?"

The maid nodded: "Yes, the news just came that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has died of poisoning. All the palace guards are urgently dealing with this matter, and the palace has been put on alert."

Princess Shen's expression instantly turned stern, but her mind raced. The Crown Prince's death meant a dramatic shift in the succession process, and it also meant the Emperor's vigilance had reached its peak. The Crown Prince had always been the Emperor's eldest son. If he died, who would succeed him, who would ascend to the throne, who would rise to the pinnacle of power?

"Who did it?" Princess Shen asked in a low voice.

"It's still unclear," the maid replied. "The palace has begun an investigation, but all leads have been quickly closed."

"Alright." Princess Shen took a deep breath. "Cheng Jiahong, immediately investigate this matter and find out who is behind it. The Crown Prince's death was not accidental."

"Yes." Cheng Jiahong nodded, a cold look flashing in his eyes, "Princess, if someone wants to take this opportunity to harm you, I'm afraid we must be prepared."

Princess Shen smiled slightly: "Don't worry, whoever dares to touch me at this time, I will make sure he has no chance at all."

Her calmness and decisiveness instantly made the atmosphere around them solemn. She knew that the Crown Prince's death was more than just a simple palace incident. It might involve a deeper power struggle, or even a deliberate murderous plot by someone to seize the throne.

Cheng Jiahong quickly left to investigate the Crown Prince's death. Princess Shen, meanwhile, remained in her chambers, lost in thought. The news of the Crown Prince's death was a devastating blow to the entire court. The Emperor would undoubtedly be enraged, and various factions would seize the opportunity to react. She wondered if this was merely a fluke, or if someone had orchestrated it long ago.

A few hours later, Cheng Jiahong returned with a serious expression. "Princess, our preliminary investigation indicates that the Crown Prince died from an extremely rare poison. The source of this poison is extremely secret, and only a very few people know how to make it."

A hint of coldness flashed in Princess Shen's eyes: "Who can master this poison?"

Cheng Jiahong was silent for a moment, then whispered, "We suspect it's someone from outside forces, or maybe even a key figure in the palace."

"A key figure?" Princess Shen's heart suddenly tightened. "Are you saying that there is someone in the palace manipulating this?"

"This requires further investigation," Cheng Jiahong replied, "but what can be confirmed is that the Crown Prince's death was not an accident, but a premeditated act. Someone is using this incident to try to cause unrest in the palace."

Princess Shen clenched her hands, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Whoever dares to attack me at this critical moment will pay the price for their actions."

Her voice was low and menacing, carrying an invisible pressure. She knew the palace power struggle had escalated, and the Crown Prince's death was perhaps just the beginning of a bigger storm. And she was ready to face any challenge.

The power play within the palace is now entering its most dangerous phase. Princess Shen knows that only by remaining calm in this complex situation can she control the situation and ultimately win.

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Chapter 58: Dangers lurking on every side, murderous intent surging