My palace is full of female protagonists.

Empress Zhao Qi'er entered the solemn and dignified Imperial Study as usual, despite coming from the imperial prison and the heavy smell of blood in the air.

Zhao Chengyu sat in his chair, lost in thought. The Prefect and Fang Hujie sat on their official chairs on either side, not daring to touch their teacups. Seeing Zhao Qi'er enter, his brow relaxed slightly, and a hint of warmth flashed in his eyes. The Empress approached quietly, first carefully pouring Zhao Chengyu a cup of warm tea, her movements gentle and practiced, as if this had become an unspoken understanding between them.

"Your Majesty," Zhao Qi'er said softly, "I specially selected a new flavor for today's tea, adding a touch of chrysanthemum and osmanthus petals, intending to dispel the lingering chill of winter and bring a hint of spring. Please try it and see if it suits your taste." Each word was like a gentle spring breeze, filled with tenderness and meticulous care. She tilted her head slightly, gazing expectantly at Zhao Chengyu, her clear eyes sparkling with deep respect and anticipation for her husband.

Zhao Chengyu took the teacup, took a small sip, and the aroma of the tea slowly unfolded on his tongue, carrying the delicate elegance of chrysanthemum and the sweetness of osmanthus. He nodded approvingly, but smiled and said, "The Empress's tea-making skills are indeed not as outstanding as before. It seems that the tea itself is of excellent quality, making it difficult to tell whether your tea-making skills have improved or the tea is so good that it has masked your usual efforts."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qi'er's heart tightened, startled by the Emperor's sudden "criticism." She then smiled gently and replied, "Your Majesty is right. Good tea is indeed good no matter how it is brewed. To receive Your Majesty's praise is the greatest affirmation for me. However, I hope to bring Your Majesty a little surprise and something different in every detail."

Seeing this, Zhao Chengyu's lips curled into a playful smile. He knew Zhao Qi'er's intentions well, so he deliberately teased her, saying, "Speaking of surprises, I miss the big pot of hawthorn leaf tea you used to brew for me every day when you were on the frontier. That tea was simple, but it carried the unique local flavor of the frontier, refreshing and invigorating, with a special taste. How about this, before court later, I'd like you to instruct the palace servants to boil water and brew another pot of that hawthorn leaf tea, so that all the officials can have a taste as well, what do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qi'er's eyes widened slightly, and she inwardly groaned. Life on the frontier was tough. She had once brewed hawthorn leaves into tea to quench Zhao Chengyu's thirst and refresh him, but that was a long time ago. However, for Zhao Qi'er, apart from being able to stay by Zhao Yingqing's side, there was nothing good on the frontier, something she didn't want to recall.

So Zhao Qi'er could only use a gentler smile to hide her panic and said softly, "Your Majesty has remembered such a useless old story. Now, I have ordered the palace servants to boil water and prepare the ingredients so that Your Majesty and all the officials can taste that familiar and unique hawthorn leaf tea again."

After speaking, Zhao Qi'er instructed the palace servants standing nearby to prepare, while she stayed by Zhao Chengyu's side, continuing to organize the memorials on the table for him. Occasionally, she would look up and her gaze would gently meet Zhao Chengyu's, as if silently conveying their tacit understanding and deep affection.

For the past two days, due to the closure of the capital's gates, the entire city has been seemingly isolated by an invisible barrier, temporarily losing its usual bustling communication with the outside world. Only extremely urgent state affairs are carefully passed into the city by officials using secret baskets scattered throughout the city walls to ensure unimpeded information flow.

Zhao Qi'er knew all too well the immense pressure the Emperor had been under during this period. She was also worried about those people targeting the royal family and officials in the capital. She glanced at Princess Yi and Yun Feiyu, said nothing, and then summoned a palace servant to give instructions.

Princess Yi frowned, her tone filled with anxiety and resentment, as she pressed the prefect again: "Isn't there even a single substantial clue? In this entire capital, such a vast place, is there not even a trace to follow?" Her eyes gleamed with an indomitable light, clearly showing her deep dissatisfaction with the current situation.

The prefect looked troubled, spread his hands slightly, and said helplessly, "Your Highness, it's not that I'm not doing my best, but the information I've gathered so far doesn't directly point to the real culprit. It's scattered or vague, as if someone deliberately laid out a fog to make it difficult to see the whole picture."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhao Chengyu nodded slightly, his expression grave. He knew all too well that in this treacherous capital, every clue could conceal a great secret, or it could simply be a misleading trap. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly spoke: "In that case, we can only rely on the troops outside the city to expand the search area, hoping to find a breakthrough from the periphery."

Upon hearing this, Fang Hujie's eyes flashed with urgency. He knew that as a key figure in this investigation, he felt an indescribable sense of responsibility and mission. He couldn't help but step forward and plead, "Your Majesty, may I also go out of the city to investigate? Perhaps I can find something on the outskirts."

However, before he could finish speaking, the prefect shook his head urgently, his tone resolute and unwavering: "No! Lord Fang, your current position is sensitive. Everyone knows you are investigating this matter on the Emperor's orders. While you are in the capital, I can still mobilize resources to protect you and ensure your safety. But once you leave the city, you will be all alone, facing unknown dangers. It would be like a lamb entering a tiger's den—far too dangerous!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu also fell into deep thought. He understood Fang Hujie's anxiety and worry; after all, who wouldn't want to personally unveil the truth? But as an emperor, he had to weigh the pros and cons and consider the overall situation. He sighed softly and said slowly, "Minister Fang, I understand your feelings. But it's truly unnecessary for you to go out. I know you're worried about the authenticity of the investigation results, and that someone might be sabotaging us. But do you know that false information can sometimes be useful? It can be used as bait to guide us to the mastermind behind it all. Therefore, staying in the capital and using your wisdom and experience to unravel the clues from the existing leads is perhaps your most important task right now."

These words brought a sudden clarity to Fang Hujie's mind. He realized that as an investigator, he not only needed to bravely seek the truth, but also to learn to use his wisdom to capture key information from every detail. He bowed deeply, his tone firm: "Your Majesty, I understand. I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations and thoroughly investigate this matter!"

Princess Yi's expression was resolute, her eyes gleaming with unwavering determination. She suddenly stood up, her tone carrying an irrefutable resolve: "Brother Zhao, prepare my entourage. I'm going to my fiefdom now! Perhaps there, I can find clues to resolve all of this." Her decision was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples throughout the imperial study.

Empress Zhao Qi'er's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. She hurriedly dissuaded her, saying, "Sister Yi, you are being reckless! The situation is unclear, and even the city gates cannot be opened because of that strange corpse. How can you rashly leave the city? This is not only extremely dangerous, but it also disregards His Majesty's good intentions!" Her tone carried a hint of reproach, but even more so, it reflected her concern for Princess Yi's safety.

Emperor Zhao Chengyu nodded slightly, his expression grave, and echoed, "Qi'er is right, Sister Yi. The Prefect has just reported that the area outside the city gates is littered with pieces of corpses. The situation is more horrific than we can imagine. If you allow your entourage to step over the bodies of those innocent people to leave the city, not only will you be heartless, but you will also be putting yourself in great danger." His eyes were filled with concern and worry for Princess Yi.

However, Yun Feiyu suddenly spoke, breaking the heavy atmosphere in the room. He stood up, his eyes sharp, his voice firm: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, perhaps we can consider this from a different perspective. If Princess Yi were to leave the city now and become a 'live target' for the enemy, wouldn't that make their actions more obvious? We have been in a state of passive defense, and the gates of the capital have been shrouded in tragedy time and time again. If this is not thoroughly resolved, it will only repeat itself again and again."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, they are clearly testing our bottom line. Every incident involving a corpse is a test of our reaction. If we were to leave the city now with the entourage of the Yi princess, creating the illusion that we were about to evacuate the capital, they would surely see this as an excellent opportunity and send their most trusted men to stop us. Wouldn't that allow us to follow the clues and see the truth behind it all at a glance?"

Yun Feiyu's words were like a breath of fresh air, invigorating the atmosphere in the imperial study. Zhao Chengyu frowned, lost in thought. He knew this was a risky plan, but also a potential opportunity to uncover the truth. Princess Yi, on the other hand, looked resolute, her gaze shifting between Zhao Chengyu and Yun Feiyu, seemingly searching for support and approval.

Although Empress Zhao Qi'er was still filled with worries, she understood that sometimes, for the sake of greater interests, someone had to step forward and take risks. She sighed softly, a complex light flashing in her eyes, and ultimately chose to remain silent, tacitly approving of the plan through her actions.

Seeing this, Princess Yi smiled gratefully. She slowly stood up and said in a firm yet gentle tone, "Brother Zhao, I am willing to be that 'live target.' As long as it can bring a little peace to the capital, I will have no regrets."

Zhao Chengyu's voice echoed in the council hall, carrying an undeniable determination: "This isn't a question of whether or not there's 'bait.' Even if I give the order for you to lead your troops out of the city to lure the enemy, we'll inevitably have to resort to force in the end. We know nothing about the enemy right now—their identities, numbers, and objectives are all a mystery. Since we're going to resort to force anyway, why not be direct and strike at their heart? Why bother with some elaborate scheme of 'luring the enemy to victory'?"

Upon hearing this, the prefect's face was full of doubt: "But we don't even know who the enemy is, what should we do?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu's lips curled into a cold smile: "If you don't know who it is, then arrest everyone who might have the power and audacity to commit such an outrageous act! Tell me, how many people in this world would dare to fool court officials, send assassins to murder the princess and officials in the capital, or even organize a rebellion? Are such people really everywhere? Besides, it's been two days, and not a single person has come to the rescue. Are those who have the ability to come to the rescue just going to stand by and watch the spectacle without any guilt? If the enemy takes this opportunity to invade, wouldn't we be facing both internal and external troubles at the same time?"

Zhao Qi'er, standing to the side, frowned and continued, "The Second Prince and the Third Prince are still young, so they might not receive the news so quickly either. However, I also find it strange that the distant princes have not made any move, but why are the 30,000 troops outside the city completely unresponsive? Do they still need to wait for our carrier pigeons to deliver the message?"

The atmosphere in the council chamber grew increasingly tense, with everyone's eyes focused on Zhao Qi'er, awaiting her next words.

Meanwhile, outside the city, the main camp containing the grain supplies was under attack from flaming arrows. Several centurions led their soldiers in a valiant resistance, determined to defend the supplies and prevent the enemy from succeeding.

At the same time, General Meng received a message sent by carrier pigeon from the palace. Upon seeing this unexpected message, General Meng was startled. He thought to himself: the capital is not far away; either send a messenger on horseback or light smoke signals on the city walls. Why choose such an unreliable and clandestine method as carrier pigeon?

General Meng was not entirely unaware of the rebellion that had occurred at the city gates of the capital a couple of days prior. He had sent men to investigate. By the time the scouts arrived at the city gates, things had returned to normal, and Deputy General Zhang on the gates said there was nothing seriously wrong, only that the capital would be under lockdown and a curfew would be imposed. Upon hearing this, General Meng naturally didn't think much of it.

However, the message delivered by carrier pigeon at this moment filled him with many doubts. He stared at the handwriting on the message, his brows furrowed, silently calculating everything that might happen in the capital. He knew that there must be a larger conspiracy behind this rebellion, and as the commander of the army outside the city, he had to remain vigilant at all times to deal with any possible changes.

Soon, a series of hurried footsteps and shouts broke the silence outside the tent—the news of the fire attack on the granary came like a bolt from the blue. General Meng's face instantly turned solemn. He knew the importance of provisions to the army, and he understood the deeper meaning behind this sudden fire attack.

He swiftly ordered the horns to be sounded; their sharp, urgent sound pierced the silence of the night and penetrated the hearts of everyone present. Soon, several lieutenants, clad in armor and armed, rushed into the tent with hurried expressions. Their faces were filled with tension and confusion; clearly, they all assumed their general had been urgently summoned because the granary had been attacked.