"The Empress Dowager has arrived."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone looked towards the door.

Mi Shan and Bai Lingyu knelt down, and the servants knelt to welcome the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager's eyes were cold and fierce, filled with displeasure. She swept her gaze across the two concubines' faces, looking at them as if they were bewitching demons who had corrupted the harem.

Prejudice in people's hearts is like a mountain. Mi Shan knew that in the Empress Dowager's heart, she could no longer truly accept her and Consort Yu.

"Your Majesty, you certainly have a lot of leisure time! There are so many matters in the court that need to be dealt with, and Prince Pingxi is still imprisoned in the imperial prison, yet you are here chatting and laughing with two concubines. If you continue like this, what future does our Great Yue Dynasty have to speak of!"

"Empress Dowager, aren't you implying dissatisfaction with me? I imprisoned the Prince of Pingxi to protect my wife. What wrong have I done?"

Li Shengyuan gritted his teeth, said coldly, and a hint of annoyance flashed across his brow, "You two, step back."

"yes."

After Mi Shan and Bai Lingyu left.

Li Shengyuan lifted his robe, sat down, picked up the tea on the table, took a sip, and then put it down heavily.

"I've had enough of your usual lecturing! This time, I'm going to strip the Prince of Pingxi of his military power. As for that Kong Wang, I've already given the imperial decree that he beheads tomorrow!"

"Absolutely not!" The Empress Dowager's anger surged. "Without my permission, you are not allowed to kill innocent people indiscriminately. Yunyin Temple is a sacred Buddhist site. If word gets out that you are committing such atrocities, it will chill the hearts of the people!"

"Being emperor is truly meaningless to me. I can't even kill a monk? Empress Dowager, you're meddling way too much!"

"I'm doing all this for your own good."

"Enough! I've had enough of this. If Your Majesty has nothing else, I'll go to the Imperial Study to handle official business. As you said, there are still a lot of matters to deal with in the court, and I have endless memorials to read every day. It's enough to annoy me! I beg Your Majesty to have some self-respect! Please don't make things difficult for me anymore, and please don't be so intolerant of my concubines!"

After Li Shengyuan finished speaking, he strode up and walked forward coldly, his eyes filled with disgust, not even glancing at the weathered old man.

The Empress Dowager was so angry that she trembled all over. She slammed her dragon-headed cane down hard, heartbroken.

"Your Majesty! Have you forgotten the edict left by the late King before his death?"

Li Shengyuan paused, a muscle twitching on his dark, sinister face. His former lazy demeanor was gone, replaced by intense hatred and murderous intent.

"Empress Dowager, you are threatening me!"

"So what if it is!" The Empress Dowager's frail body, like a withered old tree swaying precariously in the wind, appeared even smaller in comparison to Li Shengyuan's tall and robust figure, as if a gentle push would shatter her.

but,

Her eyes, however, were more resolute than ever before, gleaming with a sharp light.

"I can put you on the throne, or I can announce my will and personally depose you!"

"Haha, I knew this day would come. Do you think I'm afraid? Besides me, who else can secure this throne? The Prince of Pingxi is in prison now, and the Crown Prince's power is yet to be consolidated. Who will support you? The entire court is my people. Perhaps only a few old ministers still have some connection with you. A bunch of old fogies, what kind of trouble can they stir up?"

Li Shengyuan scoffed coldly, his face filled with disdain, a hint of ferocity in his expression.

"Empress Dowager, I respect you, not because I fear you, but because I don't want to cause any trouble. I also advise you not to think about causing trouble, otherwise, don't blame me for not showing any consideration for our mother-son relationship!"

After saying that, Li Shengyuan didn't look at her again and strode away.

Mi Shan and Bai Lingyu stood by the window, quietly listening to their conversation.

Then the Empress Dowager stood there, dejected and filled with regret: "I was wrong. I shouldn't have helped him become emperor! Now, the entire kingdom of Great Yue is probably going to be destroyed in his hands!"

The old woman helped her up and whispered, "Empress Dowager, there are too many people here. Let's go back to the palace first. The Emperor has always been so stubborn. Actually, there was no need for things to come to this between you."

"I'm afraid it will be too late if I don't intervene! No one can control him now!"

"I understand Your Majesty's good intentions. Please take care of your health."

Outside the gate, under the willow tree in the courtyard, Bai Lingyu, dressed in white, pulled up her sleeves: "You old stubborn fool. You just can't stand me, can you? You want me dead? I'll just refuse to die."

"Let's see how many more days this old woman has left to live!"

After saying that, he raised his eyebrows and walked away arrogantly and coldly.

Mi Shan frowned slightly, a sense of unease rising in her heart. Recalling her past life, the Empress Dowager passed away before the Emperor.

It happened about two months after she entered the palace.

However, judging from the current situation, although the Empress Dowager is old and sickly and has difficulty walking, she is full of energy and should not have died suddenly.

Could it be related to the Emperor?

Mi Shan originally thought that she could change the situation of her previous life after entering the palace, but considering her previous performance, many things did not actually change, and in the end, she still went towards the predetermined ending.

Was it because she didn't do enough, or was it fate?

It seems that this is just the beginning.

How will the power struggle between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor unfold, and will the fates of the concubines be affected?

-

The dungeon.

Prince Pingxi sat upright on the cold bed.

In front of me was a square table, lit by candlelight.

Li Changyu sat quietly on a long bench. On the table full of food and wine, he took two bowls and poured two bowls of aged Shaoxing wine for himself.

The clear, amber-colored liquid rippled in circles, releasing a rich and intoxicating aroma.

"Your Highness, if you neither eat nor drink, the Emperor will not be grateful. Why not sit down and chat with me?"

"Don't waste your time. I will not plead guilty, nor will I retract my statement. Bai Lingyu is a demon. If she doesn't die, the Yue Dynasty will surely perish, the imperial star will be gone, and the emperor's time will come."

"These are all prophecies left by the old abbot of Yunyin Temple before he went on his travels. It was under his instruction that Master Kongwang joined forces with me to capture the demon."

"Now that the demon has not been subdued, it is because I, Bian, am not skilled enough. Since Your Majesty insists on favoring that demon concubine, then I have nothing to say."

"Aren't you afraid of death?" Li Changyu's eyes were dark as she quietly looked at him.

"Since ancient times, no one has ever escaped death; let my loyal heart shine in history."

The Prince of Pingxi remained seated, his eyes closed, his face showing an unprecedented calm.

"I have already made my stance clear; I am willing to die to prove my innocence. It is up to His Majesty to decide whether to believe this old minister or to insist on favoring the wicked concubine."

"You old ministers are really stubborn," Li Changyu said with a faint smile, his eyes sharp. "Have you never had any other thoughts?"

What are your thoughts?

The Prince of Pingxi suddenly opened his eyes and looked at him with a suspicious gaze.

With no one else around, Li Changyu didn't bother to hide anything from him and laid his intentions bare, his eyes filled with undisguised ambition:

“Prince Pingxi, I, like you, am thinking of the fate of the Great Yue. Since the Emperor does not understand or feel your loyalty, why should you continue to be loyal? Have you never thought of deposing the Emperor and establishing a virtuous ruler in his place?”