In the third year after Song Ning gave birth, a major event occurred in the court. The second prince was reported by his subordinates for privately recruiting soldiers and horses. He was immediately stripped of his princely status by the emperor, demoted to a commoner, and imprisoned in his residence.

With the Crown Prince and the Second Prince both fallen from power, those who had once chosen sides lost their backbone, and the court was in a state of panic. People were either looking to bet on the next prince or trying to protect themselves.

Many of those who placed bets placed their bets on the Third Prince, after all, the Third Prince had shown his face before His Majesty and had even helped His Majesty with his troubles.

Many of the former supporters of the Crown Prince and the Second Prince have switched sides.

Consort Shu was extremely pleased with herself. Although the Qin family had been demoted because of the previous incident, they still had a strong foundation. With the support of the court officials, it was only a matter of time before her son became the crown prince and ascended the throne.

But Jiang Shuyue extinguished this bit of pride.

"Crown Prince? Don't you have any idea what kind of person your son is? If he becomes emperor, my Jin Dynasty will probably perish."

"Jiang Shuyue!"

"Does he think he's some kind of imperial concubine? All the court officials are so eager to see you, but why hasn't His Majesty come to visit you? Why hasn't His Majesty pardoned your crimes?"

His Majesty has long been dissatisfied with those in the court who have chosen sides. Now that he is still in good health, the court officials are already starting to look for new allies. Who would be happy in that situation?

They can't see the bigger picture, yet they're still complacent and think they're on the verge of instant success—it's utterly delusional.

"Jiang Shuyue, I am your own mother. How dare you speak to me like that? You are being unfilial!"

"Have you ever treated me like your own daughter? Stop talking about things that don't exist. You should think about how to please me so that you can have a better life in the future."

Jiang Shuyue left the palace gates, leaving behind the sound of things shattering.

Now that things are clear, she has nothing to fear. In any case, His Majesty has not punished her. From now on, she will stand before the civil and military officials and before the world.

Two years later, another shocking and even unbelievable event occurred in the Jin Dynasty.

His Majesty issued an edict in front of the court officials, establishing Princess Changning, Jiang Shuyue, as the Crown Prince to enter the Eastern Palace and inherit the throne in the future.

This matter was opposed not only by civil and military officials, but also by the common people.

Although Jiang Shuyue was a princess, of noble birth and of high status, there had never been a princess who became the crown prince before.

This is truly illogical, improper, and disregards etiquette.

The emperor had several sons, so why did he insist on having a woman inherit the throne?

Some even said it was a sign of the fall of the Jin Dynasty.

Before announcing the news, the emperor had asked Jiang Shuyue.

"Have you thought this through? Once this imperial edict is issued, you will have no way to back out. Have you considered what awaits you?"

Jiang Shuyue knelt before the palace, her eyes filled with determination: "Your subject will not regret it. Your subject will show Father that women can also govern the country and bring blessings to the people."

A smile appeared in the emperor's eyes: "What if those court officials are not convinced?"

"That is my ability. If I didn't even have this much ability, how could I dare to accept the position of Crown Prince?"

She certainly understood the responsibilities of becoming the crown prince, and it was precisely because she understood that she had always longed for this position.

The Jin Dynasty had long been plagued by problems. My father had tried his best during his many years on the throne, but the chaos of the Jin Dynasty had not been eradicated to this day.

She didn't want much; she just wanted the people to live in peace and prosperity, free from war, famine, and the exploitation and oppression of officials.

The emperor sighed: "It's a pity you're not a man. If you were, you would probably have assisted me in handling state affairs long ago, and our Jin Dynasty would probably be even better than it is now."

“Father, I believe that whether you are male or female, as long as you are willing, you can contribute to the Jin Dynasty.”

The emperor had no prior impression of this daughter, having only met her a few times. His only impression of her was that she was timid and submissive, always following behind her mother, and speaking in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

Once, he asked a question that frightened him so much that he cried.

He doesn't like overly weak children; such children, even if they get married in the future, will likely be bullied by their in-laws.

He immediately felt a certain dislike for this daughter.

I heard that he went on a trip a few years ago, suffered some hardships, and changed his personality after he came back.

The emperor had only heard about it and did not summon him directly.

He didn't have high hopes for this daughter; he only hoped that she would grow up well, marry into a good family, and have a smooth life.

Who would have thought that, by chance, the emperor would discover a huge secret.

The crown prince was too mediocre, while the second son was shrewd but didn't focus on important matters, spending all his time thinking about how to become the crown prince.

But the surprise came too suddenly. Unexpectedly, the third son, Jiang Yuande, whom they had not placed much hope in, suddenly showed his talent.

When they offered him advice, every word they uttered was sharp and incisive.

He was overjoyed, for besides the crown prince and the second son, he had other sons who were capable of taking on important responsibilities.

Therefore, he paid more attention to it.

Just as he decided to raise his third son properly, he discovered another secret.

Behind Jiang Yuande was actually this princess whom he had long forgotten.

All of Jiang Yuande's brilliant strategies were devised by this daughter.

The emperor immediately sent people to investigate, and the investigation uncovered quite a lot.

His daughter is truly a hidden gem.

Even the Emperor secretly helped Jiang Shuyue set up a scheme for the Qin family.

He also knew about the business negotiations with Beiliang.

The emperor was an enlightened person; as long as someone had great talent, it didn't matter who was emperor.

At the time, he even considered having Xie Linzhou succeed him as emperor.

He can rest easy now. His daughter is better than his sons. If she can take over his job in the future, that would be a good thing.

“You’re right. As long as you’re willing, you can contribute to our Jin Dynasty. Don’t worry, your father is on your side. If anyone is dissatisfied, come and tell your father, and your father will help you resolve it.”

The uproar in the imperial court continued and even began to escalate.

Half a month after Jiang Shuyue took over the Eastern Palace, apart from some neutral officials, other officials submitted memorials requesting the emperor to rescind his decree.

Nobody gave her a friendly look, and she even encountered assassins several times.

Jiang Shuyue had foreseen this scene long ago.

She didn't care at all; these people were just feeling injustice and wanted to drag her down.

The more this happens, the more determined she is to secure her position.

She had achieved her goal, and her ideals and ambitions would soon be realized. As long as she could make the Jin Dynasty strong, she didn't care about the slander and the scheming.