She's skilled in medicine, martial arts, and even understands animal language—the abandoned dau

Thinking of this, the Duke of Xingguo quietly left the Golden Palace and headed to Empress Cui Jintang's Phoenix Palace.

Soon, he arrived outside the Phoenix Palace. In the past, the area in front of the Phoenix Palace was always peaceful and serene, with palace maids and eunuchs coming and going in an orderly manner, their faces beaming with respectful smiles.

But today was completely different; the air was filled with a suffocating atmosphere.

The guards at the gate all looked tense, their hands gripping the hilts of their swords tightly, their eyes scanning their surroundings warily, as if danger might strike at any moment.

Duke Xingguo took a deep breath, trying to calm his flustered emotions, and walked steadily toward the palace gate.

"Your Excellency, you've arrived." Upon seeing that it was the Duke of Xingguo, the guards at the door hurriedly bowed respectfully, their voices tinged with caution, as if they were quite afraid of this high-ranking and powerful Duke.

Duke Xingguo nodded slightly, "Yes, I heard that Her Majesty the Empress is ill, so I came to see her."

"Please wait here for a moment, Your Excellency, while I have my nanny inform you!" After saying this, the guard hurriedly turned and left.

Before long, a maidservant came running in to report: "Your Excellency, Her Majesty the Empress requests your presence."

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Xingguo stepped directly into the courtyard of Fengyi Palace.

The courtyard was quiet, with only the gentle breeze rustling through the leaves.

The silence made the Duke of Xingguo's heart pound even faster. He quickened his pace, eager to see his daughter and find out what had happened.

As he walked, he saw Cui Jintang standing under the corridor in the courtyard, talking to her personal maid, Zilu.

"Tang'er," he called softly, his voice filled with affection and concern. Although he was filled with anxiety, at this moment, what he showed first was a father's heartache for his daughter.

Upon hearing the sound, Cui Jintang slowly turned around.

Upon seeing that it was the Duke of Xingguo, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, as if she hadn't expected him to come at this time.

"Father, what brings you here?" Her voice was slightly hoarse, and her face was a little pale, making her look completely different from the radiant Cui Jintang she usually was.

The Duke of Xingguo strode to her side, his gaze fixed on her, his eyes filled with both the worry of a father and the desire to find out the truth: "Tang'er, the Emperor has just been poisoned and fallen into a coma, and now you have suddenly fallen ill. What exactly happened?"

Cui Jintang straightened up, looked directly into her father's eyes, her gaze devoid of any guilt, but instead revealing a resolute determination, as if she had long been prepared to face anything: "Father, since you've come, you must already know the situation. The poison that the Emperor suffered was administered by your daughter."

"Tang'er, such a serious matter, why didn't you tell your father before taking action?"

The Duke of Xingguo's voice trembled slightly, containing both anger and a hint of helpless disappointment.

He never expected that his daughter would be so bold as to act on her own without consulting him, putting the entire family in the spotlight.

Cui Jintang sneered, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes: "Father, what's the use of telling you? You're always so hesitant and indecisive. I've waited so long, finally managing to get rid of Chu Zhiyi, I can't wait another day."

The emperor is incompetent and foolish; the country will only decline under his rule. Everything I've done is for the sake of the nation and for the future of our Cui family!

The Duke of Xingguo was so angry that his face turned red. He took a step forward, pointed at Cui Jintang, and raised his voice, almost shouting, "You're out of your mind! Treason and usurpation are capital crimes, and the entire Duke of Xingguo's mansion will be doomed because of you!"

His voice echoed in the courtyard, filled with boundless anger and worry.

"Utter ruin?" Cui Jintang repeated these four words disdainfully, a mocking smile on his face. "Father, have you forgotten? From a young age, you taught us that only power is true reliance."

All these years of meticulous planning, wasn't it all for the sake of getting rid of Chu Dongchen one day? Now that your daughter has done it for you, why are you unhappy now?"

Her tone carried a hint of accusation, as if she were accusing her father of going back on his word.

"Tang'er, do you know that Xiao Kuo has ordered Yuan Kai and Wei Xiao to thoroughly investigate the Emperor's poisoning? What if they find out about you?" The Duke of Xingguo suppressed his anger and tried to make his daughter realize the seriousness of the matter.

"Father, don't worry, they won't be able to find anything on me," Cui Jintang said confidently, his eyes gleaming with an almost insane confidence. "I'm always careful in my actions, and I won't leave any evidence against me."

"Tang'er, let's put this matter aside for now. If the Emperor is truly dead, what do you plan to do?"

Duke Xingguo suppressed his anger and asked in a low voice. He knew that it was pointless to continue blaming his daughter at this moment. He had to face reality and think about the next step.

"Naturally, I will take his place and ascend the throne as emperor!" Cui Jintang answered without hesitation, his eyes flashing with fanaticism, as if he could already see himself sitting on the dragon throne, receiving the worship of all people.

"What? You, a woman, actually want to ascend the throne as empress? Have you gone mad?"

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Xingguo was greatly surprised. He pointed at Cui Jintang, his voice trembling with shock.

In his mind, women were merely appendages of men, and the idea of ​​women becoming emperors was simply a pipe dream, violating thousands of years of tradition and rules.

Cui Jintang, however, disagreed. She straightened her back and looked at her father with a determined gaze: "Father, tell me, why can't a woman become empress? Wu Zetian could do it, and so can I, Cui Jintang!"

The Duke of Xingguo was filled with mixed emotions. He knew his daughter's mind was made up, and persuasion was futile. But he was also unwilling to be outmaneuvered by his daughter and have his long-planned usurpation scheme ruined by her.

"Alright, since you've made up your mind, then tell me, how do you plan to deal with the court officials? Do you think they'll easily acknowledge you as the empress?" Duke Xingguo asked through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with both helplessness and a hint of expectation, hoping his daughter could come up with a reasonable plan.

Cui Jintang remained calm and said slowly, "Father, please rest assured, I will make the succession legitimate. As for the ministers in the court, those who are willing to submit to me, I will give them wealth and honor and let them enjoy all the honors in the world; those who are stubborn and insist on opposing me, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Her tone carried an undeniable ruthlessness that sent a chill down the spine of the Duke of Xingguo.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that he had never really understood this daughter; her ambition and methods far exceeded his imagination.