"I don't understand what you mean, sister." The Empress put down her teacup, feigning nonchalance. "Shouldn't you be thanking that person from Weiyang Palace, sister?"
"The Empress also tried to trick me into talking, but I, Hao Shumei, am straightforward. I say what I mean and I won't make things up if I don't have anything to say. Trying to trick me won't work."
Still as arrogant as ever, the Empress sneered, "Since that's the case, tell me, what do you want?"
"I'm not afraid to tell you the truth: I hope the Crown Prince will abdicate and the Fourth Prince will inherit the throne."
With a "smack," the Empress slammed her hand on the table, her face as cold as ice, staring coldly at Hao Shumei. Hao Shumei was not to be outdone, and the two stared at each other, as if they were going to fight to the death.
Soon, the Empress chuckled, "My sister is indeed bold; I'm afraid she has the desire but not the ability to suffer the consequences."
"Your Majesty, don't be anxious. How about we stop for now? You and I can join forces to deal with that woman in Weiyang Palace, bring her down, and then have a final showdown. How about that? We'll see who rises to the throne based on their abilities then," Hao Shumei said slowly, trying to hide her inner panic.
But the Empress had spent her entire life in the palace. In previous years, she might have seemed foolish for not seeing things clearly, but now it was different. She could see Hao Shumei's panic at a glance. She looked at Hao Shumei with amusement, "I can cooperate with that person in Weiyang Palace to get rid of my sister first, get rid of the Fourth Prince, and then deal with her. Anyway, she doesn't have a son. Why should I be afraid of her?"
“The Empress can cooperate with her, but don’t forget, she has no chance of cooperating with you.” Hao Shumei understood Yi De better than the Empress did.
But the Empress understood better than Hao Shumei the ugly side of human nature when benefits are not distributed equally, and she said slowly and deliberately, "Is that so? What if I said that my sister has rebellious intentions?"
"I came to see the Empress today with the intention of making her think that we have joined forces. What do you think the Empress will do now?"
Sure enough, Hao Shumei, as arrogant as she is, never fights a battle she's not sure she can win.
Upon hearing this, the Empress said, "Sister, you have a good plan, but I do not intend to join forces. However, you have revealed your rebellious intentions. Without my help, you probably won't live long. If we are to cooperate, what sincerity do you have?"
Hao Shumei was furious that the Empress reacted so quickly and dared to make such an outrageous demand. However, she was helpless. Zhao Bi had gone to Xiliang, and with so many princes around, his path was already difficult. In addition, a fake version of him had appeared, and he had offended powerful families in Jiangnan such as Yan Shiren. The Crown Prince's faction and the New Party would definitely attack him relentlessly. He wasn't really Yide's son, so Yide would definitely not save him.
She came back for revenge, not to help Zhao Bi. They used to have a mutually beneficial relationship, but now that Zhao Bi is at a disadvantage, she definitely won't save him. In fact, she'll sacrifice Zhao Bi for her own benefit. She knows this woman all too well.
In the past, in order to ensure that the emperor would remember her forever, she did not hesitate to bring many beauties who looked like her into the palace. She would kill the beauties when they were pregnant, which was extremely cruel. In recent years, she was smart and did not have any children, otherwise she would have died long ago!
That was the reason she sought out the Empress.
Clearly, the Empress had seen through her intentions. "Does the Empress know how Lord Huo died?"
The Empress was unaware that Huo Baichuan had faked his death. At this moment, she only regretted that Huo Baichuan hadn't lived longer and married Zhao Shu. If the Crown Prince had also married a woman from the Huo family, the entire Huo family would have sided with the Crown Prince. With Huo Baichuan's abilities, he would definitely not have been unable to defeat Zhao Bi.
At this moment, she could only sigh and change the candidate for Crown Princess to someone else. Without Huo Baichuan, the Huo family's fighting power had dropped several levels. Although they were still a first-class family, they did not have a second Huo Baichuan with unparalleled wisdom and strategy. What she needed was a brave and resourceful helper.
"Of course I know."
"I have a list of overseas arms dealers. I'll give one to the Empress. I wonder if this shows the Empress's sincerity?"
The Empress was thrilled. Huo Baichuan had been killed by fire lances and cannons. If they could obtain a large number of fire lances and cannons, the Crown Prince's chances of winning would be much greater. Without much hesitation, the Empress said, "Alright."
The list of overseas arms dealers was quickly delivered to Zhao Shu by the Empress. The reason was simple: Peng Rui was currently surrounding the capital, and it was impossible to let out a single suspicious person. The Empress did not have as much influence as Zhao Shu. Peng Rui was grateful to Zhao Shu, and it would be much smoother for her to send out the list.
However, what the Empress did not know was that Zhao Shu had already ordered people to mass-produce firearms outside, which were upgraded versions of the fire muskets. But with this list, they could strike at the root of the problem.
"Someone, go and tell the Empress that there is no need to fear Consort Hao; she is no longer a threat."
Xiao Zhu had received thirty lashes on his buttocks and was now walking with a limp. After receiving the order, he quickly instructed people to carry it out. In his heart, he cursed himself for his poor performance and lack of ability, while silently thinking about how to improve the intelligence system and increase its efficiency and accuracy.
He had always dreamed of doing great things with the princess, and now that the time was right, he knew he couldn't let her down!
Unaware of the turmoil in Xiao Zhu's mind, Zhao Shu gave the order, saying, "Xiao Zhu, spread this list out. Oh, by the way, is Lord Wang still in Beiding Prefecture?"
“I came back a few days ago, and now I’ve left again,” Xiao Zhuzi replied immediately.
Zhao Shu nodded, "Send this list to Lord Wang and tell him to eliminate all of these people, leaving no one alive!"
"Yes, this servant will take care of it immediately."
That night, the sky was filled with countless stars, each bright star hanging carefree on the horizon. Zhao Shu looked up and wondered when she would be able to enjoy this beautiful night without a care in the world.
Tonight is impossible; she's leaving the capital tomorrow. Tonight, all the key figures from the Yong Prince's mansion have arrived. Looking at the hall full of people, Zhao Shu was filled with emotion. In the past, the Yong Prince's mansion was nothing but a disorganized mess, riddled with spies. But now it's different. The Yong Prince's mansion is now an impregnable fortress; if you want to get in, you'd have to leave your life behind.
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