Liu Xueyu suddenly felt nervous. Seeing the King of Shu coughing, Liu Xueyu looked at her father with great concern, and her father's worries were not groundless.
The current situation in Shu is indeed very serious. At home, Concubine Wang and the four princes are plotting to usurp power and attempt to seize the throne through improper means;
There were also hostile countries outside the borders, always ready to attack Shu when civil unrest broke out.
She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, then slowly said, "Father, I understand your concerns. But the future of Shu cannot be sustained by worry alone. We need to take action. We haven't lost yet, so we can't give up yet."
Liu Xueyu's eyes were firm. She knew that her words wouldn't have much effect, but at least they could inspire her father's desire to survive. Liu Xueyu herself knew that it was very difficult to turn the tide and change the situation.
Liu Xueyu knew full well that if any signs of unrest or instability appeared within Shu, neighboring hostile states would seize the opportunity and launch an attack without hesitation, attempting to encroach on Shu's territory. This kind of lesson was a common one throughout history, with neighboring states always watching closely, waiting for any weakness within Shu.
It was precisely because of this potential external threat that many powerful officials in the Shu court were well aware of the ambitions of the Fourth Prince and Concubine Wang, but chose to remain silent and take no action.
They knew that if internal strife or power struggles broke out within Shu, it would only weaken the country's overall strength and give foreign enemies an opportunity to exploit. Therefore, these powerful officials would rather maintain the status quo than risk causing greater unrest and putting Shu in an even more dangerous situation.
The King of Shu sighed deeply and spoke slowly, "Right now, the court is firmly controlled by the Fourth Prince and the Wang family. The ministers seem to have tacitly accepted their actions. We are trapped in this secluded palace, unable to move freely. Turning the tide in this power struggle will probably be extremely difficult."
The King of Shu's tone was full of helplessness and worry.
When Liu Xueyu heard her father's words, she replied without hesitation, "Please rest assured, Father. I will do my utmost to protect our country. I will quickly find a way to cure your illness and help you recover. As long as you recover, we still have hope and the opportunity to regain our power."
When the King of Shu heard his daughter's words, a glint of approval flashed in his eyes. He couldn't help but admire his daughter's determination and perseverance. Her firm eyes and unyielding will were exactly the qualities he had always admired, and this also gave the King of Shu a glimmer of hope.
Even his own daughter hadn't given up, so how could he be discouraged? Although the situation was difficult, as long as she was there, the King of Shu believed that everything was possible.
However, the King of Shu sighed as he thought of his own illness, saying, "I know my condition best. All the imperial doctors in the palace are helpless against my condition. There's nothing they can do. You don't need to waste your energy on my father anymore. If my condition wasn't incurable, the Fourth Prince and his mother wouldn't have acted so brazenly, as if they were attempting to usurp the throne."
The King of Shu immediately realized that he and others were imprisoned in this remote side hall. What was the use of having a firm determination?
Fortunately, the eunuchs and palace maids currently serving the King of Shu in this side hall are loyal to him, and what they say will not be leaked to the Fourth Prince and Consort Wang.
Fearing they might be infected by the King of Shu's strange illness, the Fourth Prince and Consort Wang's entourage remained stationed at the outer entrances and exits of the palace, prohibiting the King of Shu and the people in his side hall from leaving. This measure, in turn, provided a certain degree of freedom of movement for those in the side hall.
While Liu Xueyu was having an in-depth conversation with her father, a noblewoman slowly walked into the room carrying a bowl of hot porridge. When she saw Liu Xueyu, a look of surprise appeared on her face, but then she sighed softly.
Seeing this, Liu Xueyu hurried forward, took the bowl from the noble lady, and said gently, "Mother, why are you here too?"
Tears glistened in the noblewoman's eyes as she softly replied, "How could I not be here? Your father is seriously ill, how could I bear to leave him?"
When Liu Xueyu heard this, a warm feeling surged in her heart. She deeply felt her mother's strength and unwavering love.
Then two more men limped into the room. Liu Xueyu looked at the arrival of these people and tears flowed unconsciously. They were her eldest and second brothers, the two princes who used to be so elegant, but now they were crippled and disabled.
"Little sister, you shouldn't have come back." Big brother Liu Shan said with a sigh.
When Liu Xueyu first went on a diplomatic mission to Wei, Liu Shan was worried about her safety and hoped that she would return to Shu as soon as possible so that she would be safer. However, the sudden serious illness of his father brought about a huge change in Shu.
After the King of Shu became seriously ill, Concubine Wang quickly mobilized her family's power and seized control of the court.
The Prince of Shu's illness was so unusual and bizarre that the imperial doctors were helpless. Concubine Wang used her influence and wealth to bribe the palace guards, thereby indirectly placing the Prince of Shu under house arrest. This prevented them from passing on any information to Liu Xueyu.
As for the two princes' lameness, it was entirely their own fault. When the King of Shu was ill and the imperial doctors were helpless, they heard a guard say that there was a Taoist temple on the mountain outside the royal city, and that there was an old Taoist priest with great magical powers in the temple.
Without thinking twice, the two princes galloped forward to ask the old Taoist for help. However, they were ambushed by someone just after leaving the royal city. They both fell off their horses and their legs were seriously injured. The other party did not want to kill the two princes. After the two princes fell off their horses, they left quickly. The two princes had no idea who had harmed them.
However, when they were imprisoned in this side hall by the Fourth Prince and Concubine Wang, they had already guessed the mastermind behind the scenes.
"Mother, don't worry, I will find a way to cure father's illness." Liu Xueyu comforted, while she was also thinking about the next plan in her mind.
She knew that to resolve the current predicament, she had to cure her father's illness first. Only after her father's illness was cured would the old ministers in the court who had fought against the King of Shu together support her father and follow him to deal with Concubine Wang, the Fourth Prince, and their supporters.
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In the Wei Imperial Palace, when Chu Fan got the news about Shu from the memorials he was handling, he felt terrible.
Chu Fan asked the eunuch beside him: "Little Li, are you sure this information is accurate?"
Little Li replied: "Your Majesty, this information is absolutely true."
Chu Fan said puzzledly, "The King of Shu has always had complete control over the Kingdom of Shu. Why would someone else usurp the throne as soon as he fell ill? This doesn't make sense at all."
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