After the system set its sights on the dragon throne, the princess started courting death every day.

Xiang Xin, who was painting behind the imperial desk, looked up. His eyes were dark and his cheeks were sunken, and he looked like he hadn't woken up yet. But his tone was very excited: "Great! It's finally done!"

He stepped forward and lifted the yellow cloth covering the wooden tray. In the very center of the tray was a round, blood-red pill that shone with an unprecedented light in his eyes. Without asking any questions, he took the tea that Changfu brought and swallowed it in one gulp.

Half an incense stick later, the medicine took effect, and Xiang Xin's pale face became rosy and full of energy. She looked around eagerly, but in an instant, the expectation in her eyes vanished, replaced by a chill as she stared intently at Ling Xiaozhi in front of her: "Why is she not here?"

Ling Xiaozhi, who was kneeling, froze. His usually calm face cracked like ice under the warm spring sun. He exclaimed in disbelief, "Impossible! An ancient text..."

"Shut up—" Xiang Xin snapped impatiently, "Someone! Take Xuan Qing away!"

Upon hearing this, Changfu's legs went weak, and he knelt down with a thud, trembling as he said, "Your Majesty, Master Xuanqing caught a cold a few days ago, and medicine couldn't cure him. Last night, last night..."

He couldn't say anything more no matter what. Master Xuanqing's condition was not just a cold, but was clearly being tortured to death.

Xiang Xin blinked in surprise, her angry eyes snapping back to attention, her gaze shifting back and forth between Ling Xiaozhi and Changfu.

The atmosphere was tense and oppressive. Just as Changfu was breaking out in a cold sweat, Xiang Xin spoke up: "Come in."

After saying this, he went into the palace first. Changfu stood up shakily, supporting himself with his hands on the ground. He looked down at Lingxiaozi, who was kneeling upright, and said with sarcasm, "Daoist, please."

A moment later, Ling Xiaozi calmly stood up, lightly brushed the sticky snow off his knees, and strode inside without saying a word.

Changfu, who was standing still, slowly lowered the corners of his mouth. A little eunuch beside him peeked closer, and Changfu's face darkened. He slapped the little eunuch on the head with his backhand: "Insolence!"

The young eunuch, wincing in pain, his voice barely audible, whispered, "Godfather, the Prime Minister has sent a message for you."

Changfu frowned, glancing sideways at the quiet palace hall out of the corner of his eye, and pulled the little eunuch to a quiet corner: "What did the Prime Minister say?"

The young eunuch quickly took out a folded piece of paper from his sleeve. Changfu took it, and after gesturing for the eunuch to leave, he unfolded the paper. He was stunned at first glance, then expressionlessly put the paper away and calmly stood back at the door, waiting for Xiang Xin's instructions.

In the dead of night, in the pitch-black passageway, Changfu huddled close to the wall, turning corner after corner, and entered a small door. Half an hour later, Changfu emerged, one hand supporting his sleeve, but the guards standing at the door pretended not to see him.

"Your Excellency." Yang Zhong, the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, stepped out from the shadows and bowed.

Changfu returned the greeting: "You've worked hard, sir."

Yang Zhong: "How is it?"

Changfu tilted his head slightly, as if taking note of the guards standing not far away.

Yang Zhong chuckled and led him to a corner, whereupon Changfu finally spoke, "It's decided."

"Should we really wipe it?"

"Lord Yang, be careful what you say!" Changfu whispered, trying to stop him.

Yang Zhong took a small step back and said sarcastically, "Leaving His Majesty's side without a word in the middle of the night is already a capital offense, and now you're afraid of me saying a few words?"

Changfu choked up and couldn't speak.

"Isn't that right?" Yang Zhong crossed his arms. "Yesterday, the young emperor forced three ministers to their deaths. It was almost their turn; the knife was already at their throats. How could they possibly—"

"Lord Yang, watch your words!" Changfu interrupted again, his eyes glaring. "I came here late tonight only because the officials in the court are worried about their wives and daughters at home, so I came here to reassure them."

“Alright.” Yang Zhong lowered his arm, gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist with one hand, took a step back, turned nimbly, and said just before taking a step, “It would be best if it were as you say, sir.”

As the person left, Changfu's heart suddenly sank, and the note he had been clutching tightly in his sleeve was now soaked with sweat.

Inside the palace walls, in a hall guarded by imperial guards, the officials sat in deep thought. In the silence, Bai Yuchen suddenly spoke up: "What did Changfu say?"

At the head of the table, Prime Minister Yang Li placed his hands, fingers interlaced, on his large belly, and said calmly, "He said he would act according to circumstances, but he didn't say when he would make his move."

Minister of War Zhang Liyu frowned and replied, "We've been trapped in the palace for over half a month now. I wonder how chaotic things must be in the capital."

Zhong Zan couldn't help but sneer: "Is Lord Zhang worried about the capital or his old wife at home?"

The implication was that he had planted spies in his home.

The people present exchanged glances without making a sound, and their expressions all contained a hint of a smile. Zhang Liyu was tall and imposing with a full beard. Who would have thought that such a rugged man was afraid of his wife?

"Lord Zhong, have you ever studied the law?" Zhang Liyu smiled faintly, gently lifting the lid of his cup to brush aside the tea leaves, and took a sip. "If you don't understand, how about I teach you?"

The law stipulates that men are not allowed to favor concubines over their wives.

The implication was that Zhang Li's treatment of his beloved wife was in accordance with the law, subtly implying that Zhong Zan had taken too many concubines, neglected his wife, and violated the law.

Not long ago, Zhong Zan took a fifteen-year-old girl as his concubine. I heard that the girl came to his mansion to sell herself to bury her father. It's really ridiculous. Why would a decent girl like her go to the streets to sell herself? It's like a pear blossom pressing down on a crabapple tree.

“I know the laws of the Yuan Kingdom by heart. If you need to teach me, His Majesty wouldn’t need me in the court.” Zhong Zan almost lost face, but he remained calm and composed.

"Doesn't His Majesty now want us out of the court?" Bai Yuchen, sitting opposite him, said.

After he finished speaking, Zhong Zan and Zhang Liyu both fell silent.

The young emperor has not attended court for a month, and they have been imprisoned for a month.

On the day of the grand court assembly, as the officials stood in formation, a large number of imperial guards suddenly rushed in with knives, and without saying a word, they were directly taken to the palace. Subsequently, the city gates of the capital were closed, the palace gates were closed, and the imperial guards and imperial soldiers quickly guarded the gates of each palace.

When they were first imprisoned, a few short-sighted censors sent a suicide note to the young emperor, shamelessly claiming that the young emperor had no saintly demeanor and should not imprison his subjects. They said they were willing to give their lives to bring the emperor back to his senses. They died, but the young emperor continued as before, completely unconcerned.

"I wonder if the ministers outside the palace have received any news from the capital," Wei Wenrun said with a worried expression. "I haven't seen Lord Fu recently either, and I don't know why things have turned out this way."

The ministers present exchanged glances, but no one responded to his words. Based on the young emperor's elaborate schemes from a few days ago, everyone had a general idea that Fu Qingbai was in grave danger.

When the young emperor ordered them to take the military tally from Fu Qingbai, although they were unwilling, they were happy to cooperate because they thought they were about to bring down a century-old family without harming their own interests, and they could also please the young emperor and show their loyalty. It was a win-win-win situation.

But no one expected that the late emperor had already given half of the military tally to the eldest prince. No wonder the princes searched the entire emperor's palace on the night of the late emperor's death but could not find the military tally.

Looking back on how disappointed they were when Fu Qingbai remained unmoved and refused to hand over the military seal, they felt all the more fortunate they were now.

"Where is Lord Fu hiding now?" Bai Yuchen pressed his fingers against the porcelain cup, his face grave. It seemed that Xiang Xin had completely seized military power and controlled the capital...

"I hope Lord Fu hides it well..."

"Something bad happened!"