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

"Tang'er, I think it would be better for Sheng'er to inherit the throne first, since he is a prince." After a long silence, the Duke of Xingguo spoke again, trying to persuade his daughter to give up the idea of ​​ascending the throne.

Upon hearing his father's words, Cui Jintang's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a cold glint in his eyes: "Father, don't you understand yet? Letting Sheng'er ascend the throne is nothing more than changing a puppet emperor; our Cui family still cannot truly hold power."

Moreover, Sheng'er is still young, and the various forces behind him are intricate and complex. A slight misstep could cost him his life.

Duke Xingguo frowned, his heart filled with conflict: "But if you, a woman, were to become empress, it would surely invite opposition from all the people. In that case, wars would break out, the people would suffer, and our Cui family would be in grave danger."

A resolute glint flashed in Cui Jintang's eyes: "Father, I have already made thorough preparations. Half of the officials in the court have received favors from our Cui family. As long as I offer enough benefits, they will definitely support me. As for those who oppose me, I will suppress them with swift and decisive measures."

The Duke of Xingguo sighed deeply, knowing that his daughter's resolve was unshakeable: "Tang'er, have you ever considered that even if you were to ascend the throne, could you sit there peacefully? The opinions of the people are not so easily silenced."

Cui Jintang's lips curled into a cold smile: "Father, no matter what you say, you just don't want me to ascend the throne, is that it? Since ancient times, those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles. If I can bring peace and prosperity to the people and make the country flourish, what do those so-called rumors and gossip matter?"

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Xingguo was speechless. For what Cui Jintang said was exactly what he had been thinking.

He considered passing the throne to his eldest son, Cui Jincheng, or his second son, Cui Jinxuan, after successfully usurping it, but he never considered passing it to his daughter, Cui Jintang.

Duke Xingguo sighed helplessly: "Tang'er, you need to think this through carefully. Once you take this step, there will be no turning back."

Cui Jintang looked at the Duke of Xingguo with a firm gaze and said, "Father, I have already thought it through. From the very beginning, I never thought of turning back. This world will be mine sooner or later."

Silence fell over the courtyard once more. Cui Jintang gazed at the sky, his eyes flashing with a complex light, as if he were looking forward to the future, or perhaps worried about the impending storm.

Looking at his daughter, Duke Xingguo felt a mix of emotions. He knew that from this moment on, the fate of the Cui family had been completely rewritten by this daughter, and they would embark on a path full of thorns and unknowns.

"Be careful, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now." After saying this, the Duke of Xingguo turned and left.

Seeing her father walk away, Cui Jintang immediately beckoned Zilu to ask, "Ziluo, will they find out about that poison?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this poison is a formula given by the most famous physician on our island, and no one can detect it. Moreover, sandalwood and golden lotus are common spices; who would have thought that putting them together would produce poison?"

Cui Jintang nodded slightly, his tense expression easing a little: "I hope so. If anything goes wrong, we'll all be torn to pieces."

"Oh, and keep an eye on Yuan Kai and Wei Xiao secretly. Report any movements they make immediately."

Zilu accepted the order and left, and Fengyi Palace fell silent once again.

Cui Jintang paced back to the hall, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the table as he pondered his next move.

She knew that even if she could temporarily conceal the truth about the emperor's poisoning, the undercurrents in the court would not subside.

Although she has many officials who support her, those old ministers are deeply entrenched, and it will be no easy task for her to completely take control of the situation.

A moment later, she had an idea.

The next morning, upon learning that the person serving the Emperor was the Chief Eunuch Zhao Jin, Cui Jintang changed her clothes, put on a simple and elegant makeup, and headed towards the Qianqing Palace.

Upon seeing her arrival, Zhao Jin immediately dismissed all the servants in the Qianqing Palace.

"Chief Steward Zhao, how is the Emperor today?"

Zhao Jin put on a fawning smile and bowed slightly, saying, "Your Majesty, the Emperor is still unconscious. The imperial physicians all say his pulse is stable, but we don't know when he will wake up."

Cui Jintang sighed softly, her eyes filled with worry. She walked slowly to the dragon bed, looked at the unconscious emperor, and gently stroked his forehead with her hand, her movements as tender as a loving wife worrying about her husband.

"His Majesty has always been diligent in governing and loves his people, but now he has suffered such a great calamity. I am truly heartbroken. Chief Eunuch Zhao, you have worked hard these past two days. It is all thanks to your meticulous care by His Majesty's side."

Zhao Jin immediately knelt down, trembling with fear, and said, "Your Majesty is too kind to this servant. Serving the Emperor is simply this servant's duty."

Cui Jintang nodded slightly, took out an exquisite brocade box from her sleeve, and handed it to Zhao Jin: "Steward Zhao, this is something I specially prepared for you. It's just a small token of my appreciation."

A hint of surprise flashed in Zhao Jin's eyes, but he pretended to decline, saying, "Your Majesty, this is unacceptable. How can this servant accept your reward?"

“Steward Zhao, please don’t refuse.” Cui Jintang’s tone was gentle, but it carried an air of undeniable authority. “Over the years, I have witnessed your unwavering loyalty to me and the Emperor. Now that the Emperor is in a coma, I need your help even more.”

Zhao Jin hesitated for a moment, but finally accepted the brocade box. When he opened it, he saw a large, round luminous pearl and several silver notes of considerable value. His breathing quickened instantly, and he hurriedly thanked her, saying, "Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty. I will obey your every command, even at the cost of my life."

Cui Jintang smiled with satisfaction, moved closer to Zhao Jin, and lowered her voice, saying, "Chief Steward Zhao, I heard that before His Majesty fell into a coma, he had some thoughts about passing the throne to the emperor. Do you know anything about this?"

Zhao Jin was startled and looked up at Cui Jintang, only to see her gaze was intense. He quickly lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, His Majesty did not mention this matter to this servant before he fell into a coma."

A hint of displeasure flashed in Cui Jintang's eyes, but he quickly regained his gentle expression: "Steward Zhao, think about it again. His Majesty is busy with many affairs of state, and some things may be revealed unintentionally."

This matter of succession concerns the safety of the nation, and I must ascertain the Emperor's intentions.

Zhao's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. He knew that he was now in a dilemma, but looking at the brocade box in his hand, he gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, this servant has indeed not heard the Emperor mention the matter of succession, but... However, if Your Majesty has any thoughts, this servant will certainly do his best to cooperate."

Cui Jintang's lips curled up slightly, revealing a satisfied smile: "Chief Steward Zhao is indeed a clever man. After much thought, I've come to realize that His Majesty's favorite is Sheng'er. Sheng'er is still young and needs someone to assist him."

"I intend to draft a decree of abdication, allowing me to temporarily assume the throne and manage state affairs. The throne will be passed to Sheng'er once he comes of age. Chief Steward Zhao, what do you think?"