For General Hu? Shang Anlan looked puzzled.

Hu Yue didn't know why she suddenly felt the urge to confide. Perhaps it was because she felt so lonely in the harem. Hu Yue said, "The battle with Nan Gu is imminent, and my father has asked for permission to accompany me."

Shang Anlan also understood the Hu family's situation: "So, you want to ask the emperor for permission after becoming the queen?"

"But even if you become the queen, His Majesty may not necessarily agree to your request."

The battle for Southern Gu is of great importance to the Emperor. It is a battle that can only be won. Even if Hu Yue becomes the Empress as she wishes, will the Emperor really do as she wishes and reject the request of an old general who has fought in the battlefield for a long time?

"We have to try to find out. We can't just sit there and wait for death." Hu Yue took a sip of tea. "But that was my previous thought."

The previous one?

"What about now?" Shang Anlan couldn't help but ask.

"I want to learn from Hua Mulan and go to the battlefield! I come from a family of military commanders, so I'm supposed to fight and kill the enemy. Anything a man can do, I can do too!"

Shang Anlan opened his eyes slightly wide and looked at her blankly.

"I thought about going to war on my father's behalf, but then I thought, if I leave my father in Shengjing, how would that be any different from what he did?"

"It's just a swap of identities."

"After all, I've been dependent on my father for so long. If this battle is truly the last leg of our journey, then the two of us together will be considered complete."

She spoke so casually, but Shang Anlan didn't know what to say for a moment.

Hu Yue didn't need anyone's comfort or dissuasion. She had made up her mind and was just waiting for time.

She also has to thank Zhiyu for providing her with a way out. Otherwise, once she entered the palace, with her family background, there would be no possibility of her leaving.

Moreover, if it weren't for Zhiyu, she would never have thought of going to the battlefield together.

She looked at Shang Anlan, who was at a loss and hesitant to speak, and chuckled: "Anyway, I won't be the queen. You have one less opponent, so why do you want to be the queen?"

"For power," Shang Anlan pursed her lips slightly, highlighting her cold and clear features. "I want to become the most noble woman in the world."

The ambition in her eyes was not concealed at all, but her heart tightened slightly.

Although she is good at socializing and can chat with anyone, she has never had a true friend.

But she was eager in her heart, especially after hearing what Hu Yue said, she actually wanted to become friends with Hu Yue.

She was actually a little afraid that after she said all this, Hu Yue would hate her and alienate her, but Hu Yue treated her sincerely, and she didn't want to deceive Hu Yue.

Her breathing quickened slightly. After a moment's surprise, Hu Yue picked up the teacup and said, "Great! There's no wine here, so I'll use tea instead. I hope you get what you want."

Shang Anlan exhaled lightly, a faint smile on his lips, and he followed her example by picking up the teacup: "I wish you a safe and smooth journey as well."

The two chatted for a long time until the night quietly fell, and Hu Yue left.

Shang Anlan was still a little reluctant to leave until her personal maid came forward and whispered beside her, "Miss, that person asked you to speed up. The imperial examination is coming soon, and he wants your help."

Shang Anlan's eyes dimmed slightly.

…

"Did they really say that?"

In the imperial study, the emperor raised his eyebrows slightly and asked Fuping.

"It's absolutely true. The people outside heard it with their own ears. It can't be false."

Fu Ping carefully watched the emperor's face. Seeing that he was not angry, he feigned anger and said, "This Miss Hu is really something. If she doesn't want to be the queen, she can just not enter the palace. But she insists on coming to the palace."

"Although it was for his father, this is a bit too frivolous."

"Alright," the emperor interrupted him with a smile. "Aren't you saying this just because you're afraid I'll punish her? Zhiyu told me about this long before she entered the palace. Don't worry about it."

Fu Ping sighed in surprise, then smiled flatteringly, "As expected of Censor Jiang, you have a profound mind."

The emperor was too lazy to pay attention to his nonsense and said, "You really care about this girl."

"Your Majesty may have forgotten that the General has brought Miss Hu into the palace several times before. The General's family is generally straightforward, and Miss Hu is also innocent and has brought many cakes to my family. She is a rare example of a pure and innocent person."

Having seen so many conspiracies and intrigues in the palace, she couldn't help but feel a certain liking for people with simple and honest hearts.

What's more, Hu Yue's words were full of love and righteousness. Even if the emperor wanted to punish her, he would definitely not punish her severely. He was happy to plead for her.

"She is indeed very sincere," the emperor said. "It won't be long now. Tell her not to be bound. She can do whatever she wants and leave the palace if she wants, but she must return before dark."

This was a great honor for Hu Yue. Fu Ping smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please be lenient. I will give the order shortly."

After talking about Hu Yue, it’s time to talk about Shang Anlan.

"What did Shang Anlan do after entering the palace?"

"This Miss Shang made no secret of her desire to become the Empress. On her first day in the palace, she visited the Imperial Concubine. In the following days, she visited every concubine and maid in the harem."

Fu Ping paused for a moment before continuing, "Every time she went, she would give gifts with great fanfare. But as luck would have it, every gift she gave would suit the ladies' preferences, and they all praised her highly."

The emperor adjusted his cuffs. "You're full of praise? And the imperial concubine, too?"

The imperial concubine had no children, and without any offspring in the harem, she was ultimately inferior to the emperor. Therefore, after the queen's death, she hinted to the emperor several times that her ability was not enough to take on the responsibility of ruling the country, but the emperor turned a blind eye.

She talked too much, and the emperor got annoyed and didn't visit her palace for some time.

Logically speaking, the imperial concubine hated these concubines.

But the emperor was slightly stunned when he saw Fuping nodding.

"Do you know what they said that day?"

"It only mentioned some interesting things outside the palace, nothing else."

That would be strange. The emperor said in a deep voice, "Send a few more people to keep an eye on the imperial concubine. If anything unusual happens, report it immediately."

Fuping nodded.

"Is there any movement from Chao En's side?"

"Not yet. After finishing his daily shift, he returns to his room and never leaves again."

Fuping said softly.

After he was reinstated, Chao'en was arranged by the emperor to work outside the imperial study. This huge gap would have made anyone else complain and mourn all day long, but Chao'en never complained in front of others and accepted it calmly.

This is obviously unreasonable.

The emperor waved his hand and said, "Then there's no need to worry about him. Stop staring at him."

“…”

Fuping remained silent. He always felt that Chaoen would never give up so easily. Just as he was about to admonish the emperor, he heard the emperor say "Hmm?" softly.

Fuping instantly remembered the months he was left outside the imperial study, and hurriedly said yes and agreed.