The ruler of Liang was incompetent and decadent, indulging in extravagance and debauchery, leaving the people in dire straits. At this critical moment when the nation was on the verge of collapse, a savior suddenly appeared and turned the tide.

Hu Shao lost both his parents at a young age and studied diligently for twenty years. He passed the imperial examinations and rose from a lowly seventh-rank official to the current prime minister. By the time he reached the age of fifty, he was already the powerful prime minister, second only to the emperor. Furthermore, the King of Liang neglected state affairs, leaving everything, big or small, to Hu Shao, making him undoubtedly the most powerful person second only to the emperor.

However, life is rarely as one wishes. Although Hu Shao held a high position and had countless servants, he had no concubines, no mistresses, and no children. Hu Shao was devoted to only one woman, his lawfully wedded wife, Chen.

Chen and Hu Shao were married for thirty-two years. During that time, Chen became pregnant five times, but lost her children three times due to various reasons. Hu Shao was grateful for Chen's sincerity and was unwilling to take a concubine to continue the family line, even if it meant ending the Chen family's bloodline.

Perhaps it was Hu Shao's sincere feelings for Chen that moved heaven and earth, for on Hu Shao's fiftieth birthday, he had double happiness: Chen was diagnosed with the good news that she was two months pregnant.

After much anticipation, eight months later, Hu Miaotian was born.

Hu Miaotian was born at the same time that Chen died.

Hu Shao doted on Hu Miaotian, his only son who had no mother's love, treating him like a precious gem. His affection for him was unprecedented and unparalleled, enough to make any woman in the world jealous and die with resentment.

She lived a life of luxury, with a large retinue of servants. Fifteen years later, Hu Miaotian came of age.

Which young man isn't sentimental, which young woman doesn't yearn for love? Hu Miaotian was no exception.

On the Lantern Festival of the 45th year of the Yuanping era of the Liang Kingdom, Hu Miaotian accompanied Hu Shao to the palace to meet the emperor. At the banquet, Hu Miaotian mistakenly recognized the handsome but unassuming fourth prince, Zheng Jincheng.

That one glance, and they pledged their lives to each other. That moment, they made vows of eternal love. That one time, she fell ill with worry.

After leaving the palace and returning home, Hu Miaotian was consumed by longing, unable to eat or sleep, and within a few days, he became as thin as a yellow flower. A few days later, Hu Miaotian returned to normal, managing to eat, drink, sleep, and play as usual.

A year passed in the blink of an eye, and Hu Shao was preparing to find a son-in-law to live with Hu Miaotian. Hu Miaotian firmly opposed it, and forced Hu Shao to give up his impractical idea by crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide.

Having served as an official for many years, Hu Shao possessed keen insight, capable of discerning even the most powerful demons and monsters. Hu Miaotian's unusual behavior caught his attention. Under his persistent questioning, Hu Miaotian revealed the truth, kneeling and begging Hu Shao to allow her to marry the Fourth Prince, Zheng Jincheng. It turned out that over the past year, she and the Fourth Prince, Zheng Jincheng, had disregarded propriety and secretly met several times, their feelings for each other already deeply rooted.

The Fourth Prince, Zheng Jincheng, is the son of a palace maid and is disliked by the current emperor. He is over thirty and still has no title or fiefdom, which shows his low standing in the emperor's eyes. Hu Shao, obsessed with his daughter, ignored Hu Miaotian's cries and remained utterly cold and indifferent.

Hu Miaotian's life was smooth sailing; she was oblivious to life's helplessness and impermanence. During the Lantern Festival, the Fourth Prince Zheng Jincheng was the scenery in her eyes, unaware that she, Hu Miaotian, had also become a unique scenery in the eyes of others. Her hunger strike protest lasted less than half a day before an imperial edict made Hu Miaotian a Noble Consort, thus ending her chance with the Fourth Prince Zheng Jincheng.

Hu Shao was a powerful prime minister, but the ruler of Liang was still surnamed Zheng. Despite his helplessness and resentment, any attempt to rebel would only result in disobeying imperial orders, the destruction of his family, and his own execution. Considering Hu Miaotian's life and safety, Hu Miaotian still entered the palace.

Hu Miaotian was kind-hearted by nature. After two years of ups and downs in the palace, the pure and innocent white lotus flower turned evil. On one hand, she was charming and seductive, tempting the monarch. Wearing a phoenix robe and a phoenix hairpin, she easily won the position of empress. On the other hand, she colluded with palace maids and eunuchs, controlled the imperial guards, and intimidated the concubines. She dominated the palace with thunderous methods.

In no time, the reputation of Hu Miaotian as a femme fatale who brought ruin to the country spread throughout the court and the common people.

In the two years since Hu Miaotian entered the palace, she has been framed, betrayed, and threatened. In those dark days, the Fourth Prince Zheng Jincheng, who would occasionally offer words of advice, became Hu Miaotian's lifeline to survive.

By controlling the entire palace and understanding the emperor's thoughts, Hu Miaotian subtly influenced Zheng Jincheng, securing numerous benefits for him. Hu Miaotian even went outside the palace to threaten Hu Shao with her life, saying that if he didn't help Zheng Jincheng ascend the throne, she had prepared a three-foot-long red silk ribbon (a symbol of execution).

Hu Shao, burdened by his father's burdens, went against his initial intention to remain uninvolved in the struggle for the throne and wholeheartedly assisted Zheng Jincheng. With their combined efforts from both inside and outside the court, Zheng Jincheng became the crown prince a year later.

The current ruler of Liang, Zheng Run, ascended the throne at the age of twenty and ruled for forty-eight years. Now, at the age of sixty-eight, he is showing signs of his declining health. In his earlier years, Zheng Run indulged in music and wine, which weakened his body. Not long after Zheng Jincheng became the crown prince, Zheng Run passed away.

A family cannot be without a head for a day, and a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. With Hu Shao's promotion and efforts, Zheng Jincheng, as the crown prince, easily and smoothly ascended the throne as emperor.

Some people repay a drop of kindness with a spring of gratitude, while others are ungrateful and turn their backs on those they have helped. After three long years, Zheng Jincheng secured his throne and casually found a pretext to deal with Hu Shao. At the moment Hu Miaotian, who had long lived in the palace, received the news, her former confidant was standing by with a cup of poisoned wine.

Hu Miaotian had been a powerful figure in the palace for six years, and was well-versed in intrigue and scheming. He believed that Zheng Jincheng's actions were nothing more than using him and then discarding him. To prevent the news from being exposed, killing him to silence him was the best course of action.

Because of her impulsive actions, her father died unjustly and was branded a traitor, leaving a lasting stain on his reputation. He drank poison and died with his eyes wide open in disbelief.

Zheng Jincheng aspires to become emperor, a saint, above all others under heaven; she is determined to utterly destroy him. Her father died unjustly, the Hu family line extinguished; she will ensure his name is remembered for eternity, worshipped by countless people, and that the Hu family's descendants flourish, becoming one of the world's most powerful clans. In short, the original owner's two goals are revenge and the consolidation of her family.

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