As time passed day by day, surprisingly, the emperor's affection for Princess Luoyang seemed to have no end, growing ever stronger.
The Grand Secretary who drafted several imperial edicts in succession, whose writing was concise and to the point, and whose emotions were full, thus winning the emperor's favor, was the most qualified to speak on the matter.
He was appointed to serve the emperor and was in charge of drafting imperial edicts. Sometimes, an edict would be issued in a single day, which would either improve the treatment of Princess Luoyang or bestow upon her a mansion and jewels.
In less than half a month, Princess Luoyang had already acquired all the privileges of not having to bow to the emperor, carrying a sword into the palace, and using the etiquette of the crown prince when traveling.
Meanwhile, the fiefdom of Luoyang originally had only 10,000 households, but through layers of accumulation, it has now reached 50,000 households.
Even more astonishingly, the emperor granted Princess Luoyang the power to mobilize the garrison troops in the capital at any time, although she was only one of the four guards.
How can one allow another to snore beside one's bed? This move by the current emperor directly demonstrates that his love for his beloved daughter far surpasses his love for himself.
Everyone was wondering what His Majesty was up to.
A person who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present. Everyone loves their children, but excessive pampering is not a good thing for the royal family.
After ascending the throne, how could the emperor not feel uncomfortable upon seeing Princess Luoyang?
Think about it, your father's favorite child isn't you. In fact, compared to Luoyang, you're not even as good as the mud on your trouser legs. Who could stand that?
The problem is that the emperor is of sound mind; just a few days ago, he even forced the second prince's wife and her family to kneel and sing "Conquer."
That would be a delicate situation.
Someone privately remarked to a friend, "If there can be a crown prince, who can't say there won't be a crown princess!"
These words were a wake-up call. The officials and nobles of the capital all thought they had figured out the emperor's pulse.
His Majesty has gone mad because of Empress Zhangde. As soon as Princess Luoyang appears, he wants to give her all the good things in the world.
Wouldn't the supreme imperial power be the best gift?
The idea of establishing a crown princess became a popular topic, especially since the emperor never clarified the matter, which added to its credibility.
The princes were devastated. They had just lost one crown prince, and now the Princess of Luoyang had arrived. Did they think they were unworthy to compete for the throne?
Are they truly willing to kneel at Princess Luoyang's feet?
Of course not!
But what can you do when you're outmatched?
The emperor was ruthless and hated anyone who coveted his power. None of the princes had anyone to rely on in court, so where did they get the confidence to rebel against their emperor and father?
………………
Late at night, inside the emperor's bedroom.
The emperor sat upright behind a table, the palace was dimly lit, and the figures were blurred.
Suddenly, a figure draped in a black cloak appeared at the palace gate, calmly stepped over the threshold, and came before the emperor.
I thought you wouldn't come.
The emperor turned his head and met a young and beautiful face.
Every inch of the woman's skin, eyebrows, and facial features was remarkably similar to the person in my dream, yet the arrogance and indifference in her expression were completely different.
Ling Xiao removed the black cloak that concealed her figure, calmly sat down in the chair opposite her, and said indifferently:
"My father has already put me in the fire to be roasted. If I don't even have the courage to come and see you, wouldn't I be utterly useless?"
The emperor said with a mixture of sarcasm and surprise, "You still call me Father?"
"Why not?" Ling Xiao showed no fear, meeting the emperor's sharp gaze directly without flinching.
"It was you who personally acknowledged my identity as the daughter of Empress Zhangde. Everyone in the world knows that Princess Luoyang is the Emperor's precious daughter."
The emperor, referring to the "precious daughter of the Son of Heaven," scoffed, "More like a fish-eye trying to pass off as a pearl."
Ling Xiao didn't take it to heart, and instead smiled and said:
"You love Empress Zhangde deeply, and the more you love her, the more guilty you feel. This guilt torments you day and night."
So when a girl claiming to be the Empress's daughter—who happened to look exactly like her—appeared, His Majesty didn't even bother to investigate and simply accepted her identity.
Wasn't this fish eye personally presented to the world by His Majesty, who declared it a priceless treasure?
Ling Xiao found the emperor amusing.
Since she arrived in the capital, she discovered that the emperor had accepted her as the empress's daughter without even asking any questions—and had not even summoned Governor Zhao to the palace.
Is there anything else you don't understand? From beginning to end, the emperor was grasping at a straw to save himself, unwilling and afraid to shatter his illusion that he and Empress Zhangde had a surviving child!
As for the Second Prince and Consort Yan, they only met this end because they crossed the Emperor's bottom line.
Ling Xiao even suspected that the emperor had obtained evidence that Consort Yan had harmed the empress.
A crack appeared on the emperor's usually placid face as he felt a pang of shock and pain in his heart.
His lips moved, his emotions fluctuating, as if he had a thousand words to say.
Finally, just ask:
"Who is behind you? Which of my sons are you? You went to great lengths to find someone who looks exactly like the Empress. What a clever scheme! Using the identity of the Empress's daughter to bring down the Second Prince."
Ling Xiao was taken aback, then burst into laughter.
The emperor originally thought she was a spy being controlled by someone.
But on second thought, someone who could silently and quietly turn the tables on the Second Prince and his group really makes one suspect that she has someone helping her behind the scenes.
The emperor looked at Ling Xiao laughing in bewilderment, thinking that this woman had come with a death wish and had taken some kind of poison, which was why she was acting so crazy.
"Your Majesty is mistaken. This body is indeed your daughter with Empress Zhangde."
Ling Xiao finished laughing and said leisurely.
"What did you say!" The emperor was startled and stood up abruptly, a faint hope rising in his heart.
"Empress Zhangde was framed for having an affair and was banished back to her maternal home. Your Majesty truly killed her spirit; at that time, not a single relative of the Empress's remained alive."
Ling Xiao chuckled as he stabbed the emperor, then continued:
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