"Mother, can't you make Shou'er Empress?"

Liu Hua couldn't help but ask.

"I have already arranged for Xie'er to marry my nephew Dong Cheng's daughter. Shou'er will become a Noble Consort in the future, second only to the Empress, and her status will be equally noble!"

Empress Dowager Dong did not try to hide it.

Regarding Liu Hua's proposal, the position of Empress was something she absolutely could not relinquish; that was her bottom line.

She knew her daughter very well; she had been ambitious since childhood and often said in private that she hated being born a girl.

Otherwise, she would have wanted to fight for Liu Hong's throne back then.

If she were to relinquish the position of Empress, all the effort Empress Dowager Dong had put into raising Liu Xie over the years would be in vain.

The mother and daughter got into a fight over the empress's position, which was still uncertain.

It's like a married couple fighting over how to spend a 5 million yuan lottery prize.

As a result, they haven't even bought a lottery ticket yet.

It's laughable just thinking about it.

Whether Liu Xie can become emperor is still very uncertain.

"Thank you, Mother! This matter is settled. I will visit you whenever I come to pay my respects to my elder brother."

Liu Hua outwardly feigned joy, but inwardly he was deeply disappointed.

She didn't expect that after seeking help from Empress He, she would not get a satisfactory result from seeking help from Empress Dowager Dong.

"Anyang is so thoughtful!"

Empress Dowager Dong smiled slightly, "In the future, when Xie'er becomes the crown prince, you and I, mother and daughter, will join hands to fight against that vile woman He Hui."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, Anyang will do its utmost."

After Liu Hua finished speaking with great conviction, he left the palace with Fu Shou.

Back at his residence, Liu Hua was sullen.

This trip to the palace was far from what she wanted.

Empress He's arrogance and indifference, and Empress Dowager Dong's selfishness and cunning, made Liu Hua increasingly angry.

When the maid brought in the wine and food, she flicked her sleeve and knocked her to the ground.

"I noticed that the Princess seemed downcast after returning from the palace. Could it be that His Majesty's condition..."

Fu Rou, the Imperial Attendant and also the Grand Master of the Princess's Palace, saw Liu Hua acting this way and offered him some advice.

The Imperial Household Attendant was a servant who was specifically responsible for recording the daily life of the eldest princess, even noting how many times the princess had sexual relations in a month.

When the eldest princess got married, she followed along, recording her life and helping the princess with household chores.

She was also the princess's most trusted person.

"The whole world knows about my brother's illness. It is getting worse day by day, with no signs of improvement. It's only a matter of time!"

Liu Hua said resentfully, "I wanted Shou'er to become Empress, so I approached my sister-in-law and my mother first..."

Liu Hua also trusted Fu Rou completely.

After she married Liu Hua, she stayed by his side, managing the household affairs in an orderly manner.

Moreover, Fu Rou is still unmarried, and in her words, she wants to stay by Liu Hua's side for the rest of her life.

This made Liu Hua open up to her completely, sharing everything with her.

Liu Hua then told Fu Rou about her entering the palace.

After hearing this, Fu Rou could only remain silent, unsure of how to comfort her.

Empress He and Empress Dowager Dong each had a prince guarding them.

This prince is their reliance for reaching even greater heights in the future.

"It's a pity that my elder brother only has two princes. If they were other princes, I would have helped them ascend the throne step by step, just to make my sister-in-law and mother furious!"

Liu Hua sighed.

Fu Rou's eyes lit up: "Princess, you are mistaken! Doesn't His Majesty have another prince?"

Liu Hua frowned: "You mean, the Cloud King Liu Wei, who's been all over Luoyang these past few months?"

“Your Highness, it is indeed this King of the Clouds!” Fu Rou nodded.

"I've heard some things about him. He's the offspring of my elder brother's philandering in the common people. In a way, he can only be considered an illegitimate child born out of wedlock."

"He had no power base in the court and was sent to the frontier to serve as a vassal."

"A prince like this has very little chance of winning the throne!"

Liu Hua shook her head. She had been raising her children in the Fu family mansion in Langya for many years and knew very little about Liu Wei.

It was only recently, when the imperial family was summoned to Luoyang to attend to Liu Hua's illness, that Liu Hua brought his daughter and entourage to Luoyang.

"Your Highness, I heard from private sources that this prince is resented by Empress He. Some time ago, Empress Dowager Dong and Empress He even sent assassins to kill him."

"As a result, he not only remained unharmed, but also commanded tens of thousands of troops in the border regions, defeated the Xiongnu and Xianbei, occupied a large territory, and became a prince with real power."

Liu Hua was puzzled by Fu Rou's quick access to information.

"Do you know if he has ever been married?"

"I heard that when he first went from Luoyang to the border region, he was accompanied by only one dancer and more than twenty attendants. Later, out of gratitude, he married this dancer."

Upon hearing this, Liu Hua looked slightly disappointed: "He should be over twenty years old, while Shou'er is only ten."

"Even if he marries her, it will take at least five years before the wedding can take place. His other concubines will probably already have many children by now."

"Besides, he's in the borderlands and has no chance to participate in the fighting."

Fu Rou said, "Has the Princess forgotten that he too is to be summoned back to Luoyang?"

"Rumor has it that this imperial edict summoning the royal family to the capital was orchestrated by Empress He and the General."

Fu Rou said in a low voice, "They want to take back the power of the royal family members who are in charge of local governance."

"You know quite a lot!"

Liu Hua was secretly amazed, never expecting that the female official beside him would have such abilities.

“Princess, these rumors are spreading everywhere in Luoyang. Anyone who goes out into the countryside will know about them. It’s nothing serious.”

Fu Rou replied.

She felt that someone was deliberately pushing things along behind the scenes, but these were just guesses.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!