The emperor, enraged, pointed at Xiao Ji (Prince Jingkang), unable to speak for a long time.

Overcome by intense emotions, he staggered and fainted on the spot.

The imperial doctors rushed over to treat him.

In the temple, only Xiao Ji’s maniacal laughter could be heard.

His laughter sent chills down the spines of those nearby, and what he revealed was even more terrifying.

Wen Yuesheng looked at him coldly: “Yan Wei searched through all your servants but didn’t find anyone skilled in poison at your residence. So…”

Xiao Ji’s laughter suddenly stopped. He looked up sharply at Wen Yuesheng.

“The one who raised the poisonous insects and used the poison… is you, yourself,” Wen Yuesheng said, not asking but simply stating a fact.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ji’s eyes flickered with surprise.

He seemed to recall something and looked at Wen Yue Sheng, sneering: “Si Ning, do you know what your cousin hates most about you?”

“It’s that you always act as if you have everything under control.” Xiao Ji smiled, his expression strange. “Yes, I raised the poisonous insects, and I made the poison myself.”

“But what should we do? Too bad Xiao Rui and Xiao Yin have no descendants, but Xiao Jin is still fine.” He looked Wen Yue Sheng up and down: “You worked hard for everything, but in the end, you’re just helping someone else.”

“Hahaha, Xiao Jin hasn’t been poisoned, and he’s healthy, the legitimate heir to the throne. With him, there’s no longer any place for you in this court.”

He laughed maniacally, and his words shocked everyone around him.

Wen Yue Sheng didn’t get angry at his words, nor did she take action to kill him.

She only ordered for the poisonous insects from his residence to be fed to him.

Watching his face twist from manic to agonizing as his neck swelled and turned red, he fell to the ground in pain, Wen Yue Sheng spoke coldly:

“You raised these insects, you should enjoy them yourself.”

Xiao Ji lay on the ground, convulsing in agony.

One of the imperial doctors attending to the emperor hurried over and whispered to Wen Yue Sheng, “Princess, the emperor has awakened. He asks for you to come to the main hall for questioning.”

Wen Yuesheng nodded slightly.

She had come to this temple with the emperor because he had something to say. The trap for King Jingkang was just a side matter.

She entered the inner hall.

A strong medicinal scent filled the air.

Before leaving the palace, the emperor’s doctors had already prepared a life-threatening ginseng soup for him.

With the effects of the medicine, the emperor had awakened. He was now half-reclining on a pillow, his eyes deep and silent, gazing at the golden Buddha statue in the hall.

When Wen Yuesheng entered, the emperor’s gaze turned to her.

It was the first time in many years that the emperor looked at her so seriously.

The more he looked, the more he realized that she seemed like a completely different person from before.

The emperor stared at her for a long time.

Under the stimulation of emotions, he seemed to have aged nearly twenty years, with gray streaks at his temples. Looking at her now, he resembled an ordinary old man.

He motioned for Wen Yue Sheng to come closer. “Come a little nearer.”

Wen Yuesheng stopped when she reached the side of the bed.

The emperor looked up at the distance between them, his gaze complex.

When his elder sister passed away, Wen Yuesheng was still young.

Princess Hui Yi had treated the emperor well during her lifetime.

But after she passed, all the care she had shown him faded away like the wind.

There were also some secrets, which probably only the emperor knew in his heart.

Before ascending the throne, all his resentment, gloom, and ugliness had been seen by Princess Hui Yi.

Then he became the emperor, the most revered person in the land.

Whenever he saw Wen Yuesheng, it reminded him of those days when he had been humble and eager to please beside Princess Hui Yi.

He was now the emperor, and those days were a disgrace to him.

Thus, Wen Yue’s relationship with the Emperor, from beginning to end, was never particularly close.

What he never anticipated was that, one day, if he turned around to look, she had already grown into a towering tree.

Now, she was someone even the Emperor couldn’t shake.

The Emperor’s gaze was complex. After a long while, he finally spoke, “It is my fault for neglecting you all these years.”

He intended to ease the relationship with Wen Yuesheng, but after speaking these words, he received no response from her.

The Emperor’s expression slightly froze, fully aware that years of neglect couldn’t be swept away with just a few words.

He deepened his gaze, no longer fixated on this matter, and in a low voice, he continued:

“In three days, at the national banquet, I will personally confer the title of Crown Prince upon Xiao Jin.”

Wen Yuesheng’s response was to look at him coldly.

It seemed she had no surprise at all for what he said.

The Emperor noticed her indifference, his heart sinking slightly.

He spoke again, without hesitation, “Moreover, I will also confer you as the Crown Princess.”

Under her cold gaze, the Emperor, without any wavering, added, “I know there are grievances between you, Xiao Jin, and the Duke of Zhen Guo’s family.”

“But this time is different. Sheng’er, you are the future Empress of Da Hui. In the future, you and Xiao Jin can rule the world together.”

A sudden silence fell in the hall.

Gao Quan, who had just arrived at the national temple, felt his heart skip a beat upon hearing these words.

He stopped immediately, not daring to move forward.

The shock in his heart was almost overwhelming.

The Emperor’s health was worsening by the day, and appointing a successor was inevitable.

Although there might be other thoughts in the court, Gao Quan knew that, from the beginning, the Emperor had only acknowledged one potential heir—the Prince of Yong’an, Xiao Jin.

This had been settled long before.

Even before the eldest prince, Xiao Rui, had rebelled, the Emperor had already considered naming Xiao Jin as the heir.

The reason it hadn’t been done sooner was because the Emperor had hesitated, considering the idea of balance. Xiao Jin had been patient, and thus he had been tested by time.

So, Gao Quan was not surprised that the Emperor would name Xiao Jin as the Crown Prince.

What truly shocked him was the Emperor’s willingness to let Wen Yue rule alongside Xiao Jin.

… Although Wen Yuesheng had the capability to do so, even the Emperor knew that allowing Xiao Jin to share power was the greatest concession he could make.

In the current situation, even if Xiao Jin ascended the throne, the true power would remain in Wen Yue’s hands.

After much deliberation, this was the greatest concession the Emperor could make.

In Gao Quan’s eyes, it was shocking to the point of defying convention.

But what he didn’t expect was that Wen Yue directly rejected it.

“Your Majesty thinks that the conflict between Xiao Jin and me can be resolved?” Wen Yuesheng’s expression was impassive as she spoke. “Should I treat Wen Yuruo and Wei Lanzhi as the first wives, or should I, as the mother of the nation, take care of Xiao Jin’s harem and the former emperor’s palace?”

Her cold eyes showed no emotion as she continued, “Is Xiao Jin worthy?”

The entire hall fell into complete silence.

Gao Quan was stunned, unable to close his mouth.

Even though he was the Emperor’s confidant, under Wen Yuesheng’s questioning, he couldn’t find any words to refute her.

Compared to the other princes, Xiao Jin was indeed morally upright.

But under the contrast of Wen Yuesheng, he simply didn’t measure up.

It was Wen Yuesheng who defeated the invading forces of Hao Zhou.

It was Wen Yuesheng who cleansed the court of corrupt officials.

It was Wen Yuesheng who dealt with the people’s hardships and solved their problems.

While she was doing all these things, Xiao Jin was indulging in his relationships with several women.

What was even more absurd was that Xiao Jin had once rejected Wen Yue as his fiancée and had even doted on Wen Yuruo.

Now, he wanted Wen Yuesheng to let go of everything and become his virtuous Empress?

Such an opportunity was too good to be true!

The Emperor inhaled deeply. Wen Yuesheng’s words had shaken him, and it took him a long time to recover.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, “No matter what, you will still be the Empress.”

“Sheng’er.” The Emperor’s expression darkened as he coldly looked at her. “You are still a woman. In this world, there has never been a woman who has surpassed a man in power.”

“I have allowed Xiao Jin to share half of the power with you. You are already different from others. Those who ascend to the throne must endure what others cannot endure. No matter how Wen Yuruo or Wei Lanzhi are, they will never surpass you. In the future, this land and the people will belong to your children.”

“At this point, what more could you want?”

Wen Yuesheng’s cold voice interrupted, “Is it that I share half of the power, or is it that I am forced to share power?”

Her cold eyes fell on the Emperor, her voice emotionless, “Do you still think the choice is in your hands?”

The Emperor’s heart sank. His expression changed dramatically as he coldly said, “Sheng’er, think carefully.”

“Rising to power as a traitor will lead to everyone remembering your crimes. The people in the court and the common folk will never accept you.”

“When that time comes, if someone opposes you, will you kill one person? If ten thousand oppose you, will you kill ten thousand? If you ascend the throne on a mountain of blood, how are you different from a tyrant?”

“Do you really want to ignore the lives of the people?”

The hall was silent.

Up until now, the Emperor had been able to sit and negotiate with Wen Yuesheng because he knew she had compassion for the weak.

She pitied the people of the world, those who were innocently caught up in the power struggles.

The Emperor prided himself on understanding her and believed he could persuade her, which is why he had avoided everyone else to speak with her.

But…

Wen Yuesheng didn’t say a word. She didn’t even argue with the Emperor. She simply turned and left the hall.

After she left, the Emperor suddenly coughed violently. Gao Quan hurried forward to help him, trying to steady his breath.

As soon as Wen Yue had left, Gao Quan didn’t dare speak until she had gone. He cautiously asked, “Your Majesty, what should we do now?”

The Emperor was dizzy and leaning on Gao Quan for support, yet his heart kept racing.

His face was grim as he responded to Gao Quan’s question, “The national banquet will still proceed.”

Meanwhile, Wen Yuesheng returned to the Princess’s residence.

As soon as she entered, she saw that everyone had already gathered.

After nearly a month, the border had finally been stabilized.

All the generals who had accompanied her on the battlefield had returned to the capital, except for the Loyal and Brave Marquis, Lu Zhenguo, who still remained stationed at the border.

The rest had all arrived in the capital.

As they saw her, they stood up in unison.

Yan Ling walked over to Wen Yue’s side and whispered, “Everything is prepared.”