My palace is full of female protagonists.

A swift horse galloped past the palace walls like an arrow released from a bow, its hooves clattering and kicking up clouds of dust. A special palace plaque hung on its back, gleaming brightly in the sunlight—a symbol of status and rank. The horse ran all the way to the outside of the main hall, finally coming to a slow stop.

The woman who dismounted was strikingly beautiful, dressed in magnificent palace attire, her brows revealing an extraordinary air. Several palace servants, who had been waiting for some time, immediately stepped forward to respectfully lead the horse to greet this distinguished guest.

A palace maid said with a joyful expression, "Your Highness, you're finally back! The Emperor has been thinking of you these past few days and often mentions your name."

Another palace maid whispered a reminder: "Your Highness, the situation has changed drastically. Empress Gao has ascended the throne as Empress, and the current Empress is Consort Zhao. You must not say anything wrong, lest you cause unnecessary trouble."

Upon hearing this, Fang Guizi frowned slightly, but quickly regained her composure. She said calmly, "I understand. Where is the Emperor now?"

The palace maid quickly replied, "His Majesty has just finished court and should be in the Imperial Study handling state affairs. The court has been quite lively these past few days, with many important events taking place, but we servants don't know the specifics. However, the city gates of the capital have remained tightly closed, and His Majesty has been extremely troubled by this matter for quite some time."

Another palace maid chimed in, "Yes, Your Highness. That Yi princess, the former Yi lady, was surrounded and killed in the street. The Emperor was furious about it for days, and the whole palace was in a state of panic."

Another palace maid added, "I heard that several important court officials were also assassinated in the streets. The scene was terrifying! Now there are soldiers patrolling everywhere in the capital, and the atmosphere is extremely tense."

Fang Guizi nodded slightly after hearing this, her expression grave. She knew that the current situation was vastly different from before, and she had to be even more cautious. She looked at the palace maids around her and said earnestly, "You all must be careful with your words and not be too talkative. In this palace, a single wrong word can bring disaster. If the other ladies hear you gossiping, they will probably punish you."

The palace maids nodded in agreement, filled with gratitude for Fang Guizi's reminder. They knew that in this complex palace, having such a considerate master was truly a blessing.

Fang Guizi straightened her clothes and strode towards the Imperial Study. She knew in her heart that her mission was arduous and important. She had to see the Emperor as soon as possible, tell him everything she knew, and contribute her own strength to this turbulent court.

Fang Guizi stepped outside the Imperial Study and saw a bustling crowd. Officials were either discussing anxiously or pacing back and forth, a scene of great activity. She was startled, not expecting the situation to be so urgent. However, as the procession arrived, the crowd quickly parted to make way, and Fang Guizi was finally able to catch a glimpse of the two prime ministers in the center of the crowd—Prime Minister Su and another prime minister she did not know well.

Prime Minister Su reacted swiftly, bowing first to Fang Guizi, and the other officials followed suit. Fang Guizi waved his hand gently, signaling everyone to dispense with the formalities, his voice gentle yet firm: "It's alright. I've come here precisely to discuss matters of the capital with the Emperor. Gentlemen, please don't be too anxious; there will be a solution. Once I've discussed the matter with the Emperor and reached a conclusion, I will inform you all promptly."

The officials bowed again, their expressions a mixture of anticipation and unease. Xiao Kuangzi, the attendant from the Imperial Study, who hadn't seen Fang Guizi in a long time, hurriedly stepped forward and said respectfully, "His Majesty is waiting inside. I'll go and inform him right away."

A moment later, Xiao Kuangzi came out to greet Fang Guizi. Inside the Imperial Study, Zhao Chengyu sat blankly at his desk, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He had not expected that Fang Guizi, who knew the secret of his otherworldly soul, would return at this moment, and he couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive and nervous.

After the door to the imperial study was gently closed, Fang Guizi spoke, his tone tinged with concern: "Your Majesty, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

Zhao Chengyu gave a wry smile and said, "It's not good, and it's hard to say. I'm not seriously ill, but this situation... sigh."

Fang Guizi sat down without any ceremony, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then put it down, looking directly at Zhao Chengyu: "Have you found any clues about what happened in the capital this time?"

Zhao Chengyu shook his head, his brows furrowed: "The city gates of the capital can't even be opened, so what can we possibly find out? As for you, you've come back covered in dust, have you gotten any news?"

Fang Guizi smiled slightly and asked Zhao Chengyu in return, "Does Your Majesty know how many relatives you have?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu got up and rummaged through the bookshelf, eventually retrieving a simplified royal family genealogy. Although not a true royal family genealogy, but merely a tool for checking relationships, it was sufficient for him to gain a general understanding of the royal family members. However, Fang Guizi sneered, her tone laced with mockery: "Don't you possess Zhao Yingqing's memories? Why do you need something like this?"

Zhao Chengyu smiled awkwardly and scratched his head: "The memory is vague, so I'm not entirely sure."

Fang Guizi's laughter carried a hint of amusement. She gently swirled the teacup in her hand, her sharp gaze fixed on Zhao Chengyu: "You managed to enter the body of the highest-ranking person, yet you haven't enjoyed much power, nor have you truly experienced the gentleness of a woman. You even handed over the Empress to someone else."

Zhao Chengyu felt a chill run down his spine at her words, as if she had seen right through him, and a sense of unease welled up within him. He slammed his hand on the table, trying to mask his unease with an imposing manner: "I know you have some skills, but don't take me for a fool! Although I don't know whether this is real history or a completely fictional world, it's not friendly to me here. Only you know my true situation; no one else does. If they discover anything amiss, and I, the emperor, am overthrown, I'll face certain death!"

Fang Guizi sneered, his laughter tinged with mockery and helplessness: "You're quite self-aware, aren't you? Well then, what I want to tell you next is your true situation: the one confronting you outside the city is a distant relative from your clan. In terms of seniority, he's your peer, but in terms of legitimacy, he naturally can't compare to you. Even if your original self was just an adopted son, in this world where imperial power reigns supreme, your position remains secure. However, coincidentally, at the same time you entered this body, he also entered the body of that prince."

Zhao Chengyu stared wide-eyed at Fang Guizi in astonishment, as if he had heard something unbelievable: "You mean... he also comes from another world? He rebelled in order to become the emperor of this time and space?"

Fang Guizi nodded, his expression grave: "That's right. You two both consider yourselves outsiders from another world, always feeling that this isn't your hometown, so you can do whatever you want, and dream of becoming superior people, always climbing higher. But have you ever thought that this world also has its own rules and order? Your behavior has seriously disrupted the balance here."

Zhao Chengyu fell silent, knowing full well that what Fang Guizi said was true. Although he possessed supreme power, he could never truly integrate into this world. And the appearance of that distant relative, the heir apparent, made him feel an unprecedented sense of crisis.

Fang Guizi's gaze was profound, as if she could see into the deepest secrets of people's hearts. She spoke slowly, her voice carrying a hint of insight and感慨 about the world: "If we talk about those women in the harem, they might be seen as passersby on the path of the female lead. As long as we help them walk the path they desire in their hearts, they might let themselves become background characters. But male transmigrators are often different."

She shook her head slightly, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips: "They always harbor ambitions to climb higher, dreaming of standing at the pinnacle of power. Just like this mysterious man who forced the capital to abdicate and murdered officials and princesses, isn't all he doing this to sit on that supreme position? This mentality is probably that of a male protagonist in a farming novel climbing the social ladder, isn't it?"

Fang Guizi seemed to see through his thoughts, smiled slightly, and said with a hint of certainty, "However, you are not as selfish as I thought. At least, at this moment, I am still willing to stand on your side, at least you are making this country better and better."

Zhao Chengyu pursed his lips, his expression a mixture of helplessness and gratitude: "Then I really have to thank you, Fang Guizi. But speaking of which, what should we do about the city gate? The soldiers at the city gate reported that although they haven't been attacked, the other side keeps harassing the city gate with some pointless people, which is quite annoying."

Upon hearing this, Fang Guizi frowned slightly. After a moment of contemplation, she asked, "Have all the traitors in the city been identified? These acts of harassment are very likely their doing."

Zhao Chengyu shook his head, his expression grave: "We can't say we've caught them all, but at least they can't make any big moves anymore. However, this mastermind is really cunning. He recruited several groups of idiots to act as 'suicide squads,' trying to wear us down in this way. I have a feeling that these people aren't even from our country."

Fang Guizi didn't react for a moment. She subconsciously replied, "Of course the Crown Prince is the Crown Prince of our country. What do you mean by that?"

Zhao Chengyu's face darkened. He took a deep breath and slowly said, "What I mean is, that prince might not be from the same country as me. Perhaps he's from an 'enemy country' in my world. Only in this way can we explain why he would use such disgusting methods."

Empress Fang Guizi parted her lips slightly, her voice tinged with doubt: "Although I haven't fully grasped the deeper meaning of your words, there's another reason I rushed here to inform you of this matter. This legendary prince, though I've never had the chance to see his true face, has inexplicably stirred up memories of my master's past encounters with that mysterious 'time traveler.' Those memories are like a brand, profound and complex."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu frowned, his eyes flashing with a mixture of curiosity and wariness: "Is this young master very old?" His tone was inquisitive, as if he wanted to glean more clues from the other party's answer.

Lady Fang Guizi shook her head gently, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, her expression full of confusion and bewilderment: "This is precisely what puzzles me. The 'time traveler' that Master confronted back then was already in his forties or fifties, while this young master is only in his twenties, and as a noble young master with a prominent status, he could not possibly be a continuation of the 'time traveler's' bloodline."

Zhao Chengyu's heart jolted. An absurd yet undeniable thought flashed across the night sky like a shooting star—could this "time traveler" possess incredible abilities, capable of traversing time and space twice, or perhaps miraculously being reborn after time travel? However, this thought was too bizarre, as elusive as a phantom. He wasn't entirely certain and had to suppress it for the time being. He changed his tone, his voice firm: "Regardless of what secrets this prince may be hiding, his actions have already stepped into the abyss of treason, and we have naturally become his adversaries. The most urgent task is to capture him first, and then conduct a thorough investigation."

Upon hearing this, Lady Fang Guizi nodded slightly, her eyes flashing with an unwavering resolve: "I returned ahead of time to inform you, so you could prepare. As for me, I intend to set off immediately to find my fellow disciple who has been in seclusion for many years, and earnestly request his assistance. If you have captured him before my return, that would be ideal; otherwise, you must find a way to delay him for a while, and I will certainly return in time to fight alongside you and capture this villain!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu felt a surge of warmth in his heart, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little doubtful. He asked, "Why not just ask your master? After all, he has a wealth of experience in dealing with 'transmigrators.' With his help, we can definitely achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Madam Fang Guizi shook her head again, her tone tinged with helplessness and regret: "Our master has been in seclusion for many years, vowing not to emerge from the world for at least a hundred years. The world is ever-changing, and he has decided to distance himself from it all, focusing solely on pursuing the highest realm of martial arts. We, his descendants, can only rely on our own strength to face this sudden challenge." With that, her gaze became exceptionally firm, as if she could already see the near future, the two of them joining hands to overcome these difficult times.

In Zhao Chengyu's view, although this Lady Fang was quite capable and was indeed a cultivator in this world, she still had a bit of a "chuunibyou" (adolescent delusions of grandeur) vibe. However, he still took what she said seriously and would grant Little Box whatever Lady Fang needed.

Before leaving, Empress Fang Guizi said, "You must remember, no matter who you were before, you are now the emperor, the king of this country."

Zhao Chengyu was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand and turned around, and only then did Consort Fang walk out of the Imperial Study.