My palace is full of female protagonists.

The solemn sacrificial ceremony slowly drew to a close. As the last wisp of smoke dissipated into the sky, the investiture ceremony for Consort Yi, who was to be promoted to Princess Yi, was officially completed. The golden edict shone with a noble light in the sunlight, reflecting the supreme glory of her new status. However, this glory failed to completely dispel the gloom that shrouded the hearts of the officials in the capital.

This investiture ceremony was anything but ordinary. It was a stopgap measure decided on the spur of a sudden poisoning scandal, its core purpose being to appease and retain those high-ranking officials who were restless with fear. Amidst the tense atmosphere, the investiture ceremony seemed to be a delaying tactic in a political game, with everyone harboring their own calculations and anxieties.

After the ceremony, an unexpected imperial edict broke the tense atmosphere, announcing that officials could leave the palace immediately, but it contained a hidden clause—civil officials had to leave first, while military officials would follow later. This edict was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples. The officials looked at each other, their minds filled with doubt, unsure of the extent of the prefect's investigation into the poisoning incident, and even more unsure whether they had been completely cleared of suspicion.

Although they were finally able to leave the restrictive palace, the officials felt no relief whatsoever. They knew all too well that in this vortex of power struggles, a single misstep could lead to utter ruin. Therefore, even colleagues with whom they had close relationships dared not speak easily, fearing that a single slip of the tongue would become a weapon in someone else's hands. Even familiar officials who wanted to speak in hushed tones would quickly wave their hands when questioned, indicating that they should speak in detail once they were in their carriages, far away from the heavily monitored palace.

Thus, hundreds of officials, led by guards, walked out of the palace gates in an orderly fashion. Apart from the sound of footsteps and the occasional rustling of robes, there was an unusual silence. This tranquility was less a sign of awe for imperial power than a reflection of the unspeakable unease and vigilance in each person's heart.

The military officers waiting nearby also wore solemn expressions. Some looked up at the gray sky, while others stared down at the stone path beneath their feet. Most chose to remain silent, and some even sat cross-legged on the ground, closing their eyes to rest, seemingly trying to calm their inner turmoil. Beneath this seemingly calm surface, undercurrents were surging, and everyone was coping with this sudden change and the unknown future in their own way.

When the Prefect of the Capital and Xiao Kuangzi rushed back to the Imperial Study, Zhao Chengyu was already sitting upright at his desk, solemnly examining a secret report in his hands. The flickering candlelight in the Imperial Study illuminated his resolute face and imposing aura. At the same time, the Crown Prince patiently accompanied the military officers, waiting for the order to leave the palace on the other side of the palace. Their shadows were elongated in the dim light, appearing exceptionally solemn and composed.

Princess Yi, the newly crowned princess, after the tedious and exhausting investiture ceremony, went straight to her warmest haven—Zhao Qi'er's palace. Disregarding her image, she collapsed onto the soft bed, took Empress Zhao Qi'er's hand, and begged to sleep together. Empress Zhao Qi'er, this gentle and virtuous woman, though concerned that the Emperor might summon her at any moment, dressed only in casual clothes, leaned against the bed, a book in her hands, reading as she gently kept Princess Yi company, occasionally glancing up with eyes full of doting care.

Meanwhile, the Prefect of the Capital entered the Imperial Study with steady, powerful steps. He took a deep breath and began to report the latest developments in the case to Zhao Chengyu: "Your Majesty, after a detailed investigation, it has been found that General Ma was drugged by Deputy General Guo, and one of Deputy General Guo's soldiers was found dead in the sewers of the West Market. When the investigation delved deeper into Deputy General Guo, I was surprised to discover that his troop numbers had not decreased. After a meticulous investigation, I identified the substitute soldier. Faced with overwhelming evidence, Deputy General Guo finally confessed..." Unable to locate the missing team members immediately, he took it upon himself to have other resting team members fill in. As for why he agreed to arrange for someone to join the team, he claimed it was because the seller claimed to be affiliated with Consort Zhen, stating that Consort Zhen had some personal belongings that needed to be retrieved and therefore required secret assistance. However, this reason was clearly untenable; if Consort Zhen truly wanted to retrieve her belongings, she could simply instruct the palace maids and eunuchs, why go to such lengths? Blinded by money, Deputy General Guo agreed without careful consideration.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu frowned, tapping his fingers lightly on the table as if weighing the pros and cons. "Deputy General Guo, what should be the punishment for this man? Should he be flogged, or should his family be exterminated?" he asked in a deep voice, his eyes revealing an undeniable authority.

Upon hearing this, the prefect immediately bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, according to the law, his entire family should be executed. However, considering that although Deputy General Guo is guilty, it was due to momentary greed and did not cause any greater consequences, I dare to suggest that he be sentenced to confiscation of his property as a punishment. In this way, the severity of the national law is demonstrated, while leaving room for leniency, to show Your Majesty's benevolence."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu nodded slightly, a hint of gentleness in his eyes. He said, "Since Vice General Guo has made a grave mistake due to momentary greed, let his family return to their clan, and he shall never again serve as a general." The prefect, upon hearing this, secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly bowed, saying with tears of gratitude, "This humble official thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness on behalf of Vice General Guo and his family. Your Majesty's magnanimity is truly a blessing for the nation and a boon for the people."

Zhao Chengyu waved his hand slightly, indicating that the prefect did not need to be so polite. Then, his expression turned serious, and he continued, "But the group led by Deputy General Guo, who knew about the incident but failed to report it, is equally culpable. They will all receive five strokes of the military rod as punishment. In addition, they will only be allowed to receive half of their salary for a year as a warning, so that everyone understands that the law is merciless and allows no slackness."

Upon hearing this, the prefect's expression turned solemn, and he quickly nodded in agreement, secretly rejoicing that the emperor's handling of the matter demonstrated both the majesty of the law and leniency. He knew that such punishment would instill awe in the soldiers while also giving them a chance to reform, rather than condemning them to death.

"So, is there any new progress in the investigation of who orchestrated this?" Zhao Chengyu asked, his gaze sharp as he looked directly at the prefect, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority.

The prefect quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, I have found a crucial clue in a rented courtyard. Unfortunately, the suspect has already fled. But please rest assured, Your Majesty, I have ordered a citywide curfew and am continuously narrowing down the search area. I believe we will soon bring the mastermind to justice."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu nodded, but his brows remained furrowed. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly said, "If I were the one who orchestrated this, I would definitely use the people in the city as cover. For example, I would kidnap a family's child and force the child's parents to go shopping. I would use the child's safety as a cover to threaten them, making them afraid to easily reveal their whereabouts."

Upon hearing this, the prefect's eyes flashed with surprise, which quickly turned into admiration. He bowed again and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Your Majesty. I had overlooked this point. I will immediately order a city-wide search, focusing on families with missing or unusual children. We must bring the culprit to justice as soon as possible to prevent future troubles."

Meanwhile, Gao Lingyan sat in her spacious and bright study, clutching the secret report Zhao Chengyu had just delivered, her eyes gleaming with a sharp light. In this report, Zhao Chengyu detailed the situation of Lin Yi, a former spy from Feng State discovered among the officials, adding another layer of complexity to the already delicate relationship between the two countries.

Without hesitation, Gao Lingyan threw the secret report in front of Duan Zhenghuai, the ruler of Feng Kingdom, who was sitting opposite her. Her tone was tinged with displeasure and sarcasm: "You still have the mind to travel around and enjoy a carefree life? Look at your incompetent father, what a mess he has left us! In our country, there may not be too many spies like this, but look at Yunnan Kingdom, I have already captured hundreds of such guys. Now, give me a clear instruction: kill or release!"

Upon hearing this, Duan Zhenghuai showed no surprise or tension. Instead, he spread his hands and laughed easily, "These are just some insignificant lackeys. Just kill them. Why waste food to feed them?"

Gao Lingyan frowned, her tone becoming even sterner: "Your Feng Kingdom is already rife with factions and constant infighting. If these people followed other forces, perhaps it could be said that they were fighting for their own futures. But these spies, they served only the King from the beginning, they can't be considered people who have chosen sides in a cowardly way. Moreover, what they did were all shady dealings. You just abandon them so easily, aren't you afraid that those who follow you now will feel disheartened because of this?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Zhenghuai's expression tightened slightly, as if he sensed a deeper meaning in Gao Lingyan's words. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: "You have no idea what state Feng Kingdom is in now. I am not afraid of you conquering Feng Kingdom. Since I took over the throne, I have discovered that Feng Kingdom has been exploited to the point of having nothing left, just an empty shell. If you are willing to marry me as your Queen, it is not impossible for Feng Kingdom to become your vassal state."

Upon hearing this, Gao Lingyan's eyes did show a flicker of surprise, but it vanished in an instant, replaced by a deeper calm and scrutiny. She gave Duan Zhenghuai a deep, almost scrutinizing look, as if trying to pierce through his words and reach his true thoughts. Her mind raced, weighing the truthfulness and sincerity in Duan Zhenghuai's words, and the possible hidden meanings within them.

After a moment, Gao Lingyan chuckled softly, her tone tinged with a hint of mockery and teasing: "You said it yourself, Feng Kingdom is just an empty shell now. If I really wanted it, wouldn't I be supporting a whole country for you? I, Gao Lingyan, am not that stupid."

Upon hearing this, Duan Zhenghuai was not angry. Instead, he touched his face and laughed self-deprecatingly, "I thought I was at least somewhat attractive enough to make Empress Gao fall head over heels for me, but I didn't expect that I wasn't even enough to win your heart." His tone was relaxed, but his eyes revealed a hint of seriousness and expectation that was not easily detected.

Just then, Yun Feiyang pushed open the door, breaking the relaxed atmosphere in the study. His expression was solemn, and he held a letter tightly in his hand. He walked straight to Gao Lingyan and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, winter is coming soon. But for some reason, the neighboring country of Lanling has sent someone to deliver a letter requesting war."

Upon hearing this, Duan Zhenghuai's eyes flashed with curiosity. Before Gao Lingyan could react, he snatched the letter of request for battle from Yun Feiyang's hand and quickly skimmed through it. After a moment, he sneered, threw the letter back on the table, and said disdainfully, "The Lanling Kingdom, with only 100,000 people? Although they have a population of soldiers and their terrain is easy to defend and difficult to attack, their weakness lies in losing their geographical advantage. They are nothing more than a group of old, weak, sick, and disabled people, and can't be considered a threat at all."

Upon hearing this, Gao Lingyan frowned slightly, her gaze shifting between Duan Zhenghuai and Yun Feiyang. She understood that this sudden letter requesting battle was no accident; there must be a more complex political conspiracy behind it. She said in a deep voice, "So, someone instigated this impulsive Lanling Kingdom, sending them to test the strength of my Yunnan Kingdom?"

Duan Zhenghuai and Yun Feiyang both nodded deeply upon hearing this, their eyes gleaming with admiration for Gao Lingyan's keen insight. Duan Zhenghuai said, "No wonder that Zhao fellow was willing to sacrifice an empress to let you declare yourself emperor. You are indeed exceptionally wise; such a petty trick couldn't fool you at all. This is clearly a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. My Feng Kingdom appears powerful, but in reality, it is all bark and no bite; while your Yunnan Kingdom, due to the change of dynasty, is not yet economically stable. Those countries that were originally on par with our Nan Kingdom and Feng Kingdom naturally want to take advantage of us. However, unable to find a breakthrough, they coerced and lured Lanling Kingdom, using this easily controlled small country to test our strength."

Gao Lingyan smiled slightly, her eyes revealing a resolute determination that could not be underestimated: "They're just some tickling tricks. Since that's the case, I'll write back and ask Zhao Yingqing for his opinion. If he allows it, we'll join forces to take over Lanling Kingdom, show our national power, and let those petty scoundrels who are secretly eyeing us know that Yunnan Kingdom and Feng Kingdom are not something they can easily manipulate."

Upon hearing this, Duan Zhenghuai pointed to himself, a hint of surprise and anticipation in his eyes: "We? You mean, the Feng Kingdom and the Yunnan Kingdom are joining forces?"

Gao Lingyan smiled and nodded, her eyes gleaming with wisdom: "That's right, us. If we don't bring you along, how can we achieve their goal of testing our two countries? Since they've already made their move, we should at least retaliate!"