When Wen Jingxing was not yet the Emperor, but merely an inconspicuous, idle prince among the Late Emperor's many children, he had naturally fantasized about one day wearing the nine-layered crown, receiving homage from all directions, and becoming the sovereign who ruled the world. And often, after waking from these beautiful dreams, he would savor the memory while falling into a baseless melancholy.

Above him was the Crown Prince, steady as a mountain, and older brothers of outstanding talent. His mother was merely a Consort, enjoying neither great imperial favor nor an illustrious family background. No matter how much he dreamed, the imperial throne could never fall to him.

However, in the twenty-ninth year of Tianxi, the situation changed dramatically. The Crown Prince suddenly died of a sudden illness, leaving the position of heir apparent vacant, and all factions grew restless. The Late Emperor, grieving the loss of his beloved son, became exceptionally irascible and perverse. Princes, prime ministers, powerful eunuchs... anyone who attempted to reach for the imperial throne was deemed a traitor and mercilessly eliminated one by one. Panic gripped the court and the country, yet people still had to fight to the death for that supreme position.

Finally, on a stormy night, a maidservant knocked on the side gate of the Prince's Manor and delivered a message to Wen Jingxing from Princess Chengyang— "Your Majesty is on his deathbed and wishes to pass the throne to you. Enter the palace immediately. Be careful of everything."

The news was more deafening than the thunder overhead, stunning the idle prince Wen Jingxing.

Was this a huge pie falling from the sky, or was it an elaborate, massive trap?

Taking a step forward could mean rebirth, or it could mean eternal damnation. But if he stayed put, he would neither gain nor lose, and at least he could ensure a lifetime of peace and safety for himself.

To believe, or not to believe?

The greatest effort Wen Jingxing ever made to ascend the throne was his resolution to step across the threshold of his Prince's Manor on that stormy night.

The eunuch sent from the palace to deliver the decree had died in a dark alley across the street. Escorted by his household guards, Wen Jingxing passed through the downpour to arrive before Duanhua Gate. Just as his heart was filled with trepidation, it was Princess Chengyang's Prince Consort, General of the Yulin Guard Yang Hong, who escorted him all the way to the front of Jiu'an Palace.

Therefore, he had always been very tolerant of Princess Chengyang over the years. Without her, there would be no Emperor today—even though he was well aware that her actions were not born of familial affection, but purely an all-or-nothing gamble.

She had abandoned her other brothers and placed her bet on Wen Jingxing, in exchange for a latter half of her life filled with splendor and riches. Wen Jingxing didn't think her cold-blooded, because to be born into the Imperial Family was to be fated to have no part in warmth and affection. But where did she get the audacity to accuse Wen Chan of "upholding justice even at the expense of relatives"? Was she herself truly pure and blameless?

"How can this matter be blamed on Ah Tan?" The Emperor was a little displeased in his heart, but he still softened his tone to persuade her. "The people in your manor acted carelessly, swaggering about outside under your name. It's fine to get rid of such idiots. Just select some cleverer ones to replace them."

Grand Princess Chengyang's willow-leaf brows shot up as she said angrily, "If she still had any regard for our family ties, she should have brought people to question me first. But she was so swift with her methods, directly reporting the matter to the Capital Prefecture! Stepping on my face to earn a reputation for herself. I didn't even know how I offended this ancestor of mine!"

"Alright, alright," the Emperor said placatingly. "Ah Tan was indeed inconsiderate, but it was your household servant who was at fault first. You are the elder, don't bicker with her."

Grand Princess Chengyang's anger subsided slightly, but her expression remained cold. "Imperial Brother, Imperial Sister-in-law passed away early, and there's no one in the imperial harem who can control her. It is precisely because I am an elder that I must make this clear: outsiders are ultimately outsiders, each with their own schemes. All that talk of utter devotion is just pleasantries. Only the Imperial Clan will protect you, Imperial Brother, and protect the Great Qi Dynasty. The might of the Son of Heaven cannot be lightly offended. We must let the world know whose surname this empire bears, and who is truly the master of this realm."

"Previously, Chiming achieved great merit in Songyang. Imperial Brother values her, and the court officials praise her. This has probably made her conceited, single-mindedly chasing the world's praise for being virtuous, while forgetting where her own roots lie. Imperial Brother, today you allow her to slap my face; tomorrow and the day after, she will dare to slap the faces of other members of the Imperial Clan. If this continues, how will the Imperial Clan view you? If something were to happen, who would still be willing to risk their lives for the Great Qi Dynasty?"

The dagger was revealed when the map was unrolled. This final stab accurately hit the vital point. The suppressed anger in the Emperor's heart was doused as if by a basin of cold water, leaving only a wisp of feeble white smoke.

From the smallest village to the largest nation, the two words "clan" always hung high overhead. Even one as noble as the Son of Heaven could not completely cast aside all that was tied to blood.

It was precisely because of her support that the Son of Heaven existed today—Grand Princess Chengyang was very clear about what her bargaining chips were. Over the years, whether she was arrogant and flamboyant or extravagant and unrestrained, on major matters she always remained in complete accord with the Emperor, imperceptibly deepening his reliance on her. She wanted to drive a deep mark into the Emperor's heart, to make him believe that Grand Princess Chengyang was the representative of the Wen Imperial Clan, and that to go against her opinion was to stir up trouble with the entire clan.

Seeing that the Emperor seemed to be swayed, Grand Princess Chengyang struck while the iron was hot, saying as if unintentionally, "Imperial Brother, don't take offense, but I'll say something unpleasant. Chiming is a young lady, yet she imitates the conduct of the princes in every way. Who is she trying to emulate?"

Liang Jiang stood in an inconspicuous corner, taking in every word of this exchange, and let out a nearly inaudible click of his tongue.

The Emperor was silent for a long time before finally sighing in compromise and saying in a low voice, "Little sister has a point. Ah Tan is still young and doesn't know the ways of the world. As her aunt, you should be more patient with her."

Only then did Grand Princess Chengyang's anger turn to joy. Her brow relaxed slightly, and she added, "Imperial Brother, give my servants back to me. They are people from my manor, after all. Taking them to be interrogated, isn't that just letting the people of the Capital City laugh at your little sister? I'll definitely discipline them strictly when I get back, let them learn their lesson so they won't offend again."

The Emperor said helplessly, "During the morning court, I already personally said to let the Capital Prefecture handle the trial. How can an order given in the morning be changed by evening? Your manor is short on staff, how about I assign some servants from the palace to you?"

"Imperial Brother is always like this. You'd rather suffer a loss yourself, using your own private funds to subsidize others, than contend with the ministers." Grand Princess Chengyang chuckled. "You're completely different from Father. Whatever he wanted to do, whoever dared to stop him could just wait to lose their head. It's no wonder that in recent years, those censors and remonstrance officials love to find fault with the Imperial Clan. Your Majesty is far too lenient with them."

The Emperor sighed melancholically. "Yes, among all the sons born to the Late Emperor, I am the one who resembles him the least."

But Grand Princess Chengyang smiled and said, "In the end, wasn't it still Imperial Brother who took the throne? Whether you resemble him or not, what does it matter?"

Across the wide hall, the brother and sister looked at each other without words, just like the silent glance they exchanged when they passed each other in the deep palace hall on that rainy night twelve years ago.

Grand Princess Chengyang said with a beaming smile, "Forget it, I won't favor Imperial Brother's servants. If Imperial Brother writes a personal order, I can go to the Capital Prefecture myself to claim my people. When my Pouring Gold Garden is ready, Imperial Brother must honor me with your presence."

Unable to refuse her pestering, the Emperor called for Liang Jiang to attend to the ink and brush, personally wrote an imperial decree, and handed it to Grand Princess Chengyang. He also promised her that he would definitely visit the Pouring Gold Garden and had her stay for lunch before ordering someone to escort the Grand Princess out of the palace properly.

While the Emperor was taking his afternoon nap, Liang Jiang beckoned a young eunuch over, gave him a few instructions, and sent him off to the Central Secretariat to find Pei Rusong.

After hearing the young eunuch's message, Pei Rusong nearly exploded on the spot. Fortunately, having weathered many storms over the years, he could just barely maintain his composure. After seeing the other person off, he returned to his side room to ponder for a moment, then got up to see the Palace Secretariat, Yuan Shuye.

In terms of official rank, he was merely a minor Attendant Official, and his words carried little more weight than the wind in one's ear. But Yuan Shuye was quite courteous to him, mainly because he valued his status as a Prince Consort. He asked amiably, "Xuechen, what is the matter?"

Yuan Shuye had been a prime minister for seven years and was deeply trusted by the Emperor. This man was skilled in scheming, possessed a deep city-like shrewdness, and was quite adept in handling affairs. But for some reason, he just disliked the Crown Prince. In the past, he had successively supported the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Yue, suppressing the Crown Prince's faction until they had almost nowhere to turn. Pei Rusong bowed to him with a worried expression and said, "This subordinate has a matter that I do not know how to handle. I ask for Minister Yuan's guidance."

Yuan Shuye was slightly surprised in his heart, but he said, "Go on, tell me about it."

Pei Rusong said, "At morning court today, a censor impeached Grand Princess Chengyang for lax household management. I just heard that the Grand Princess has already entered the palace to seek an audience with Your Majesty. This matter was initially brought to light by Princess Chiming, but the Grand Princess has rendered great service to the state and is also the Crown Princess's mother. If Your Majesty shows mercy and pardons the Grand Princess's household slaves, should this subordinate advise Your Majesty against it, or should I remain silent?"

Yuan Shuye quickly understood his meaning. As Princess Chiming's Prince Consort, the princess's position was Pei Rusong's position. However, the Grand Princess's power was overwhelming, and she held a firm grip over two generations of emperors. To oppose her would be no different from looking for trouble for himself.

He pondered for a moment before saying slowly, "Your Majesty's words are golden. He will not easily take back something he has promised at court. Besides, how could the ruler of a nation make an exception for a few mere household servants? Xuechen, you can set your mind at ease."

Pei Rusong gave a bitter smile. "I hope so. But Minister Yuan must not forget the matter of the Fu brothers. This isn't the first time His Majesty has trusted the inner court over the outer court. Furthermore, the Grand Princess's status is transcendent, after all. Her words might carry more weight than we think."

Yuan Shuye recalled that terrifying night at the Songyang Imperial Villa and felt a deep sense of agreement. He nodded and said, "If that is truly the case, when the edict reaches the Secretariat, we will have no choice but to risk offense with direct admonishment and request His Majesty to retract the order."

Having gotten his assurance, Pei Rusong nodded in understanding, bowed to bid farewell, and withdrew from the duty office.

After he left, Yuan Shuye pondered for a while. He guessed that Pei Rusong had probably heard some rumors that the Emperor was very likely to pardon the Grand Princess's household slaves, so he had specially come to give him a heads-up, hoping that he would help persuade the Emperor not to indulge Grand Princess Chengyang too much.

Although it was a case of using one force to counter another, it still came from a place of loyalty and was not a scheme. Yuan Shuye didn't mind doing him this small favor.

But no one expected that the next day, the Emperor would issue an edict transferring Pei Rusong to the position of Secretary of the Secretariat and Drafter of Edicts. As for the order to pardon Grand Princess Chengyang's household slaves, it had actually bypassed the Central Secretariat and the Chancellery entirely, transmitted in the form of the Emperor's personal order directly to He You's court at the Capital Prefecture.

Now, Yuan Shuye could absolutely not sit still.

The Head of the Palace Attendants, Su Lizhen, was the Crown Prince's maternal grandfather and related to Grand Princess Chengyang by marriage, so he naturally wouldn't say anything. But the Central Secretariat was in charge of drafting edicts and decrees; all imperial orders were to come from the Secretariat. This was the foundation of his power. Today, the Emperor could write a personal order for the Grand Princess. Who was to say that tomorrow he wouldn't use a palace eunuch to pass on a private decree? If government orders did not originate from the Central Secretariat, what was he, the Palace Secretariat, but a mere decoration?

On this day, the entire hall of the Central Secretariat was filled with the ominous atmosphere of an approaching storm.

In the evening, Yuan Shuye returned home, shut himself in his inner hall, and thought for a long time. He then summoned a trusted subordinate and instructed, "Send a few people to keep a close watch on the Duke of Guan and the Grand Princess. See who they associate with on a daily basis."