My palace is full of female protagonists.

The following morning, sunlight filtered through the clouds, dappling the glazed tiles of the palace and adding a touch of warmth to the ancient complex. Zhao Chengyu, the young and wise Crown Prince, sat in his study, his brow furrowed, seemingly contemplating a crucial decision. He softly summoned his trusted confidant, Xiao Kuangzi, his eyes revealing a resolute determination: "Xiao Kuangzi, go to the Wenshu Monastery across the street and prepare an identical sand table for me. Remember, do it quickly and discreetly; don't let outsiders know." Xiao Kuangzi, though puzzled, dared not ask further, quickly nodded in agreement, and turned to leave.

However, Zhao Chengyu did not stop there. He pondered for a moment and added, "Also, after you leave, immediately issue an order that from now on, no one in the manor is allowed to make sand tables without authorization. Anyone who violates this order will be considered to have treacherous intentions and will be punished as a treasoner." Upon hearing this, Xiao Kuangzi's expression changed slightly. He knew the weight behind this order, so he quickly agreed and hurriedly left.

Xiao Kuangzi had barely stepped out of the imperial study, and before he could even issue a command, he heard hurried footsteps and a woman's clear voice calling from afar. In the blink of an eye, Princess Yi, this straightforward, lively, and adorable member of the royal family, disregarded all etiquette and rushed into the imperial study, heading straight for Zhao Chengyu. Her face held a mixture of seriousness and amusement as she walked directly to Zhao Chengyu, her eyes gleaming with an unusual light: "Crown Prince, why don't you just marry me? That way, I can rightfully become your Crown Princess!"

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince couldn't help but chuckle. He shook his head sharply, his tone tinged with a mixture of indulgent helplessness: "Sister, you're at it again. You can't make jokes like this."

Zhao Chengyu said, "He's going to Yunnan to become the crown prince. If you follow him, you'll only go further away."

Upon hearing this, Princess Yi's face instantly adopted a "fake crying" expression. Tears welled up in her eyes but did not actually fall. She sobbed, "Waaah, it sounds like you, my little brother Crown Prince, are the one who's suffering more. Away from your family, you've gone to a foreign land and have to shoulder such a heavy responsibility..."

Upon hearing this, Princess Yi's eyes flashed with a complex emotion. She seemed to want to say something more, but in the end, she only sighed softly, turned around and left, leaving behind a stubborn figure that stood out conspicuously in the spacious imperial study.

Xiao Kuangzi had just left the Imperial Study to carry out the Crown Prince's orders when Zhao Chengyu's gaze fell upon a shadowy corner of the room, where a guard stood ready for action. He called softly, and the guard approached silently, like a ghost. "You, quickly go and find out about Princess Yi's recent behavior, especially whether she has shown any particular interest in any man." Zhao Chengyu's words carried a hint of barely perceptible worry. The guard acknowledged the order and vanished from the Imperial Study in a flash, going off to carry out his mission.

Time passed slowly, a faint scent of ink filling the air. Zhao Chengyu continued to bury himself in official business at his desk. Soon after, Xiao Kuangzi entered the Imperial Study again, his expression hesitant, his steps slightly faltering. "Your Majesty, Consort Zhen requests an audience," Xiao Kuangzi said, a barely perceptible hint of nervousness in his voice.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu frowned slightly and casually asked, "What's so great about seeing a stand-in? Just let her stay put."

Xiao Kuangzi quickly explained, "No, Your Majesty, this time it's the real Consort Zhen."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu's eyes flashed with surprise, then he waved his hand and said, "Quickly, invite her in!"

The door opened slightly, and Consort Zhen, dressed in neat men's clothing, hurried along, her face showing signs of travel fatigue, but her eyes shone with a resolute light. As soon as she entered, she knelt down decisively, her voice tinged with urgency: "Your Majesty, the epidemic in the south is spreading rapidly, already affecting three cities. Coptis chinensis, a key medicinal herb for treating the epidemic, is in severe shortage in the market. I humbly beg Your Majesty to save those innocent people and please do not order the massacre of villages!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu's heart tightened. He quickly stepped forward and personally helped Consort Zhen up, his eyes filled with concern and surprise: "How could I have imagined that I would order the massacre of a village? I would never do such a cruel thing!"

Consort Zhen stood up, her eyes slightly red, her voice trembling with emotion: "Your Majesty is kind and benevolent, but this matter concerns the lives of countless people, and I have no choice but to risk my life to remonstrate. The epidemic is raging in the south, and the people are suffering terribly. If there is no cure, it may indeed trigger panic and riots. And the massacre of villages will chill the hearts of the people throughout the land!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu felt a mix of emotions. He took a deep breath, his gaze resolute: "Consort Zhen, rest assured, I will immediately order the mobilization of the entire nation's resources to ensure the supply of medicinal herbs such as Coptis chinensis. At the same time, I will dispatch imperial physicians to the epidemic area to do everything in my power to treat the people. As for the talk of massacring villages, I have never had such a thought, and I will not allow it to happen!"

Consort Zhen's face was filled with indignation and anxiety. Her fists were clenched, and her eyes gleamed with unyielding spirit. She continued, "I argued with the local provincial government, trying to persuade them to abandon this cruel practice of massacring villages. However, they turned a deaf ear, insisting that it was to prevent the further spread of the epidemic and that it would be carried out in three days. I was powerless to change anything and could only watch helplessly as village after village was sealed off, and innocent people were imprisoned in the shadow of death. In those villages, there were elderly people, women, and children. Many of them had not even been infected with the virus, yet they were treated like this. This is simply outrageous and inhumane!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu frowned, his expression grave. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner turmoil, and then asked, "Then why don't you go directly to the local prefect? ​​After all, he is the actual administrator of that land."

Upon hearing this, Consort Zhen's eyes flashed with helplessness and despair: "I went there, but I couldn't see anyone at all. The Prefect is the late Empress's brother. He is over sixty years old and frail. He can't even recognize everyone anymore. When I went to see him, I only received a perfunctory reply: 'Everything is being done according to the provincial government's instructions.' I know that he is just a puppet, and the real decision-maker is someone else."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu felt a surge of anger. He was angry at those who disregarded the lives of the people for their own selfish interests, and even angrier at himself, as the ruler of the country, for being powerless to do anything about it. He pressed on, "Isn't there anyone else in the prefect's household who can take charge? Isn't there anyone clear-headed and willing to speak up for the people?"

Consort Zhen shook her head, her eyes filled with disappointment: "The Prefect has no sons, only two daughters, both of whom have married far away. His confidants are all opportunistic villains who don't care about the lives of the people. I tried to convey my wishes through them, but they mocked me for overestimating myself, saying that I, a woman in the harem, have no right to interfere in important state affairs."

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Zhao Chengyu's eyes.

Zhao Chengyu clenched his fists, his teeth almost grinding to powder, and squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "This...this person can become a prefect of a prefecture? This is outrageous!" His gaze was like a torch, as if he wanted to ignite the air in front of him. The crown prince shrank to the side, his expression fearful, not daring to even breathe loudly, for fear of accidentally angering this furious general.

Upon seeing this, Consort Zhen frowned and bowed gracefully again, her voice filled with unwavering resolve: "The massacre of the village concerns the suffering of the people and cannot be delayed for even a moment. We must immediately issue an imperial decree to severely punish them without leniency!" Her tone conveyed both deep sympathy for the people's suffering and a clear understanding of the urgency of the situation.

Just as the atmosphere in the hall reached its peak of tension, Prime Minister Gao, looking visibly exhausted, staggered in. Deep dark circles surrounded his eyes, clearly from not having slept all night. He first respectfully bowed to the Emperor, Consort Zhen, and the Crown Prince: "Greetings, Your Majesty, Your Highness, and Your Highness the Crown Prince. I am late; please forgive me."

Upon hearing this, Consort Zhen immediately stood up, her face ashen, her eyes flashing with fury: "How could it be too late? If we were to ride at full speed, we could reach that prefecture in a day and a half. That's how I traveled back all the way here!" Her tone was full of dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Gao's questioning.

Prime Minister Gao slowly shook his head, his expression solemn: "Your Majesty, please calm down. What I meant was not that time was of the essence, but that the matter of replacing the prefect could not be resolved in a short time." His words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the anger in Consort Zhen's heart, and also making Zhao Chengyu's brows furrow even more.

Zhao Chengyu pondered for a moment, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, making a "tap-tap" sound. He seemed to suddenly understand the deeper meaning in Prime Minister Gao's words: "Indeed, even if two imperial edicts were issued immediately, it would require a lot of manpower and resources, not to mention the series of complicated handover matters involved in replacing the prefect. Moreover, even if the new prefect is appointed immediately, he still needs to go through a sacrificial ceremony to be officially appointed and dismissed."

Prime Minister Gao continued to shake his head, his expression becoming even more complicated: "These matters, though tedious, can still be handled by finding a way to act first and report later, sending the Emperor's confidants to deal with them. However, the biggest problem is that the current prefect is neither dead nor has he voluntarily relinquished his post. What crime should we use to legitimately replace him?"

Upon hearing this, both the Crown Prince and Consort Zhen were shocked, realizing the gravity of the situation. A flicker of panic crossed the Crown Prince's eyes, clearly not expecting so many twists and turns; while Consort Zhen gritted her teeth, a resolute glint in her eyes, as if she had secretly made up her mind.

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional sound of wind coming from outside the window, seemingly telling the story of the complexity and cruelty of this power struggle.

A deep glint flashed in Prime Minister Gao's eyes. He spoke slowly, each word seemingly carefully crafted: "Why not take advantage of this epidemic and village massacre to completely pin a charge on that prefect, one that he can't escape? This way, we can not only smoothly replace the prefect, but also use this opportunity to suppress the power of the Empress's maternal clan and rectify the court."

Upon hearing this, Consort Zhen trembled with anger, her eyes reddening, and her voice trembling with sobs: "Can't we save those innocent villagers first? Those are thousands of living lives! How can they be sacrificed like this?"

Prime Minister Gao shook his head helplessly, his eyes filled with pity and determination: "Your Majesty, it is not that I am unwilling to save them, but the conspiracy behind this is far more complicated than you imagine. The fact that you only learned about this so late is obviously a deliberate act. Your coming here may just be a momentary oversight on their part, or perhaps it is part of their carefully laid plan, with the purpose of getting you involved."

The Crown Prince stepped forward weakly, his expression showing hesitation and unease: "Actually, the late Empress's maternal clan has always been managed by Empress Gao. Now, although these forces are nominally under my control, in reality, I don't know how to handle many things. Um, well, how should I put it, it's just..." His words were somewhat incoherent, clearly at a loss due to the sudden turn of events.

Seeing this, Zhao Chengyu couldn't help but rub his forehead, take a deep breath, and interrupt the Crown Prince: "Alright, Your Highness, this is not your fault. Gao Lingyan's ascension to the throne was indeed too smooth, and many crucial details were not properly handed over or handled. Now, what we face is not just the issue of the prefect, but a complete reshuffling of the power structure of the entire court. And the price paid behind this is so heavy that it is heartbreaking."

His voice was deep and powerful, each word like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of everyone present.

Consort Zhen's tears fell like broken beads, rolling onto the cold ground. She covered her face with her hands, her sobs filled with endless sorrow and helplessness. Zhao Chengyu stood to the side, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He muttered to himself, "So this is the kind of person Consort Zhen, renowned for her medical skills and gentle, virtuous nature? Now, who will comfort her?" His gaze darted back and forth between the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Gao, but he noticed that both seemed somewhat at a loss, clearly lacking a way to handle the situation. Looking at the young eunuch waiting at the door, ready to be at his beck and call, Zhao Chengyu could only shake his head helplessly and sigh inwardly.

"Finding a male lead among this group who can appease Consort Zhen is harder than climbing to heaven," Zhao Chengyu thought to himself, but he had no choice but to face the situation. He paced back and forth a few times, seemingly searching for the best solution. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, as if he had thought of a good idea.

“Since the Crown Prince’s maternal family enjoys a high status in the court, why not go with the flow and grant this prefecture to the Crown Prince before he leaves the capital?” Zhao Chengyu’s voice was steady and powerful, breaking the silence in the room. “After all, it is not uncommon for Crown Princes to have two or three prefectures as their fiefdoms. In this way, it would be natural and reasonable for the Crown Prince to lead his troops to take over the position of that incompetent prefect, and it would also avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble.”