Jiang Tian turned to look at him: "What is it?"

"From now on, I will no longer be the crown prince, let alone the emperor."

"oh."

Jiang Tian nodded and continued tidying up his clothes.

Murong Lie was very dissatisfied with her reaction: "What is your view on this matter?"

Jiang Tian said in a very calm tone, "I don't really watch it."

"Speak properly." Murong Lie was even more displeased.

Jiang Tian finally looked up at him: "I'm by your side not because you're the Crown Prince. Who you are, does it really matter to me?"

This answer made Murong Lie's lips unconsciously curl up.

With a smile in his eyes, he continued, "If I really become an ordinary citizen in the future, will you take the opportunity to run away?"

Jiang Tian thought about it very seriously, then shook her head: "No way."

Murong Lie was about to continue laughing when she heard her say, "You will not become a commoner. You are the emperor's child. You cannot become the crown prince. Either you die or you are exiled. How can you become a commoner? The sons and grandsons of the dragon have no connection with commoners."

"So you think I'll die or be exiled someday?"

Murong Lie was practically gritting his teeth. Logically speaking, what she said was indeed correct, but why did he have to put himself in such a predicament?

"To be honest, it doesn't matter. Whether you die or are exiled, I will be with you. I remember the one-year deadline clearly."

Jiang Tian made her promise to stay by his side in a calm and casual tone.

Murong Lie wanted to get angry, but he couldn't.

He paused for a long while, then couldn't help but smile again, before finally managing to suppress it.

"You said it yourself, whether I live or die, wherever I am, you have to be with me."

Jiang Tian nodded frankly: "I am also a gentleman, and a gentleman's word is as good as his bond."

Murong Lie couldn't help but go up and hug her.

Jiang Tian did not resist, but only looked up at him.

Looking into her calm eyes, Murong Lie, for reasons unknown, suddenly sealed her lips with his...

After the two kissed, Murong Lie actually avoided Jiang Tian.

Jiang Tian continued to do what she was supposed to do, just like always.

Seeing that she remained motionless, Murong Lie couldn't help but feel angry again.

What are you thinking?

Murong Lie finally stopped her in a fit of anger.

"Your Highness, what are you asking me about now?"

"It was yesterday, of course!"

Murong Lie's earlobes turned slightly red.

“I didn’t think much about it. I don’t mind your approach, and I don’t want this to hinder our relationship. You are the master, and I am the servant. I can accept whatever you do.”

Murong Lie's face immediately darkened.

"If I truly considered you a servant, would you act this way?"

Jiang Tian's tone was very calm: "That's the truth, and it has nothing to do with your attitude. As long as you are the Crown Prince and I am a palace maid, we will never be equals. Is there anything else you want to ask?"

Murong Lie had nothing more to ask, and his expression turned completely somber.

He glanced at Jiang Tian, ​​then left without saying a word.

Their relationship seemed to have stagnated.

Three days later, the empress saw her son again.

"It's true, it's really true, he reported it to the Prime Minister—"

The Empress looked at Murong Lie; she looked much more haggard these past few days.

Clearly, Murong Lie's suggestion opened up a new world for her.

"Mother, I told you long ago, I would not lie to you, everything I said is true."

Murong Lie tried his best to appear sincere.

The Empress's gaze was still somewhat blank: "But, but—"

Murong Lie interrupted her directly: "There's no 'but.' You and I are family. It doesn't matter who ascends the throne. I have no sense of responsibility or righteousness. I only care about myself and can't shoulder that heavy responsibility. Mother, you are different. You are a natural genius in political maneuvering. You shouldn't be trapped in the harem and live a miserable life. Now that the opportunity has come, you should seize it."

His resolute gaze sent a shiver down the Empress's spine.

The Empress pursed her pale lips: "But if we fail, the consequences will be unbearable..."

Murong Lie smiled helplessly: "Mother, have you forgotten that I have already died once... In my previous life, you also died to help me... How tragic can our final outcome be? It's nothing more than death! If we don't fight before we die, then we will truly die with regrets!"

The empress's gaze flickered at her son's words.

Seeing Murong Lie's resolute expression, a raging fire burned in the Empress's heart.

My son is right; in the end, it all boils down to death.

If you lose the battle, you die; if you win, you become the ruler of the world.

Besides, if you don't fight, you'll still die, so you might as well fight!

"Will you really help me? Do you know that I'm taking your throne?"

In the face of power, any blood ties will fade.

Many people, for their own benefit, will even violate the principle that even tigers don't eat their cubs.

Take the old emperor, for example. Even though he knew the crown prince was his son, he still spared no effort to frame him.

Murong Lie smiled. He could see that his mother was still somewhat uneasy, and what he needed to do was to dispel those unsettling factors in her heart so that she could unleash her full potential.

“If the prophecy remains unchanged, I may no longer exist in this world this time next year. Mother, please stop thinking about those pointless things. You know your son's true nature very well.”

"I was raised by you, how could I betray you?"

The Empress remained silent.

She knew her son was right.

Murong Lie will never betray her.

How could she not know the children she raised?

"Since that's the case, then Lie'er, how about you help your mother seize the throne?"

The mother and son looked at each other with unspoken understanding.

Murong Lie finally smiled and said, "Okay."

For the next period of time, Murong Lie accompanied his mother and began planning to seize the throne.

They must ensure that everything goes perfectly in order to successfully seize power.

Murong Lie's memories from his previous life came in very handy. He knew very well who he could use and who he couldn't, and he also knew exactly where those people's weaknesses lay.

With him around, the Empress was even more powerful.

The mother and son devised a detailed strategy and even summoned back the Empress's maternal relatives.

They originally thought they were returning to help the Crown Prince conquer the country, but little did they know that the Empress was the real protagonist.

"I, Zhao Changning, have devoted myself to the Zhao family. I entered the palace as a concubine for the honor of the family and endured it for decades! My heart belongs only to my children and my family! If the Zhao family wants to prosper, it still has to rely on me and my children! Rather than letting the Murong family occupy the country, it is better for us Zhao family members to take the throne ourselves!"

"I, Zhao Changning, want this throne!"

The queen stared intently at them and revealed her ambition.