In the early morning, sunlight bathed the royal National Temple, illuminating the entire temple in a divine glow.

The surroundings were tranquil, with lush greenery everywhere.

A young monk was carefully watering the plants and trees nearby.

Wen Yuesheng sat in a pavilion inside the temple, a gentle breeze ruffling the air, while the monks’ morning chants echoed softly around her.

On the table before her was a sparse pot of tea, accompanied by a faint scent of sandalwood incense.

Holding her blue-green prayer beads, Wen Yuesheng was reading a scroll of text.

“Princess, the heir has arrived.”

Wen Yuesheng looked up at the voice, spotting Zhang Yulin hurrying toward her, with a small, thin servant following him.

“Princess,” Zhang Yulin entered the pavilion and whispered, “The steward at the Sun training officer’s manor hanged himself in his cell yesterday. The guards found him in time and saved him, but he is still unconscious.”

Before leaving yesterday, Wen Yuesheng had instructed him to keep an eye on the steward.

Zhang Yulin had replaced the guards with his own men, ensuring the steward was rescued promptly when the suicide attempt occurred.

“Before he hanged himself, did he see anyone?” Wen Yuesheng casually asked as she continued flipping through the scroll.

“He only saw the soldier who brought his meals,” Zhang Yulin replied in a low voice. “I have already detained that soldier at the training grounds, awaiting your orders.”

“Deal with it according to military law,” Wen Yuesheng said indifferently.

“Yes.”

With Zhang Yulin was Xia Sui, a servant from Lu Qinghuai’s side.

Xia Sui was sharp and well-versed in the affairs of the capital.

While Lu Qinghuai recuperated at the Princess’s manor, Xia Sui had been handling matters for Wen Yuesheng.

“Based on the steward’s confession, I located the private residence where he had been passing messages. The owner of the house is surnamed Cao,” Xia Sui continued, his voice lowering as he spoke. “After further investigation, we discovered that this Cao is a cousin of the concubine of King Hengguang’s household.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Zhang Yulin’s expression darkened as he spoke coldly, “So yesterday’s incident was orchestrated by King Hengguang?”

There were very few people who could extend their influence within the military.

But just as his words were about to end, they heard a distant and cold voice speak, “The private residence in Yanliu Alley, and the hundred death soldiers inside, were given to Princess Furu by King Hengguang on the occasion of Princess Furu’s coming-of-age ceremony.”

Everyone in the room was taken aback.

Zhang Yulin and Xia Sui both looked up and met the emotionless eyes of Yan Ling.

Xia Sui’s eyes flickered. How was it that Yan Ling was here with the Princess in the National Temple this early in the morning?

Zhang Yulin was more concerned about Wen Yuesheng’s safety. He spoke in a low, serious voice, “Princess Furu? Why would she target the Princess?”

If it had been King Hengguang, that could be understood, given his long-standing desire to interfere in military matters.

But Princess Furu…

Zhang Yulin didn’t recall any previous conflict between her and Wen Yuesheng.

Yan Ling’s face was expressionless as he responded, “The imperial family always acts for its own benefit.”

Princess Furu had also sent him a love potion before, just as now she had sent someone to assassinate Wen Yuesheng.

The difference was, compared to the other princes, Princess Furu acted much more recklessly.

She was the emperor’s eldest daughter, pampered since birth, and though young, she had always been headstrong in her actions.

The noblewomen of the capital avoided her whenever possible.

At that moment, Gu Yu hurried toward them, speaking in a low voice, “Princess, the palace has sent word. The Empress Dowager has summoned you to the palace.”

Previously, when Yan Ling had presented Buddhist scriptures to the Empress Dowager, allowing her to recover, Wen Yuesheng had met with the Empress Dowager once.

Since then, although she had visited the palace several times, news about the Empress Dowager had been sparse.

Now, the sudden summons to the palace caught the attention of many.

When Wen Yuesheng arrived at the Empress Dowager’s palace, she hadn’t yet entered when she saw a graceful figure seated beside the Empress Dowager.

The figure was dressed in an exquisite palace gown, with a headpiece adorned with glass gemstones. She had bright eyes, a fair smile, and a noble, commanding presence that exuded superiority.

“Princess Furu greets Her Majesty,” Princess Furu said, rising and performing a greeting to the Empress Dowager.

Compared to other princesses in the palace, Princess Furu’s manners were not particularly refined.

However, she was the only daughter of the emperor and had been doted on by both the emperor and the Empress Dowager from an early age. She was the epitome of royal favor, and no one among the princesses could compete with her.

“Rise,” the Empress Dowager spoke softly, “I heard you were ill recently. But now, it seems you’ve made a full recovery.”

At the mention of her illness, a shadow passed across Princess Furu’s eyes.

The incident with the love potion had caused her to lose face, and her father had even warned her not to entertain such schemes again. After all, Yan Ling would never marry a princess.

Fu Rui had caused a disturbance, but all she received was even stricter supervision.

Both her mother, the Empress, and her elder brother had warned her that her path with Yan Ling was completely severed. If she continued to act out, and if she fully alienated the Emperor, there would be no chance for her marriage to the Prince of Haouzhou.

Though Fu Rui was unwilling, she had no choice.

Now that the Empress Dowager had called her up, the smile on her face faded slightly, and she coldly said, “Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your concern. I have long since recovered.”

Her attitude was poor, and the Empress Dowager couldn’t be bothered to argue with a princess who was about to marry far away.

Compared to her, the Empress Dowager was more curious about the purpose behind the summons of Wen Yue Sheng into the palace today.

As she was thinking this, someone reported from below that the princess had arrived.

Fu Rui sat beside the Empress Dowager and, hearing this, casually looked outside.

In her memory, Wen Yue Sheng had always been inferior to her younger sister, who constantly pretended to be sick and fragile, gaining no affection. Though a princess, Wen Yue Sheng’s life at home was far worse than the disgraceful one of Wen Yuru.

Thus, Fu Rui had never regarded Wen Yue Sheng as a threat.

However, the Wen Yue Sheng she saw today was completely different from what she had imagined.

The Empress Dowager’s summons came, but Wen Yue Sheng only wore a plain white robe, her expression cold.

However, behind her were several generals, creating a powerful presence.

Among them, Zhang Yulin, a tall and robust man, especially carried an immense pressure with his presence.

Seeing this version of Wen Yue Sheng, the Empress Dowager also froze for a moment.

Even though she had learned just a few days ago that Wen Yue Sheng was in charge of the northern military camp, hearing it was not the same as seeing it in person.

Wen Yue Sheng had always been humble and pleasing when before her, and she had never seen her exude such an imposing aura.

Upon entering the hall, Wen Yue Sheng had her generals remain outside, leaving only Zhang Yulin.

But even so, the atmosphere inside the hall was still filled with a heavy sense of pressure.

The Empress Dowager furrowed her brow slightly, her displeasure showing: “Si Ning, you are summoned to the palace, yet you bring so many people?”

It was Zhang Yulin who answered, his voice low: “Replying to the Empress Dowager, yesterday, the princess was attacked near the capital. The Emperor issued an order to protect her and to investigate the assassination.”

As he spoke, he cast a pointed glance at Fu Rui.

Upon hearing of the assassination attempt, Fu Rui’s expression did not change, and she even slightly curled the corner of her lips.

Zhang Yulin’s expression darkened.

He had invoked the Emperor’s decree, and even though the Empress Dowager was displeased, she couldn’t refute it.

Fortunately, the only person who had entered the hall was Zhang Yulin, so after a brief silence, the Empress Dowager finally spoke: “The reason I called you here today is to discuss the matter of the marriage alliance with Haouzhou.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Wen Yue Sheng raised her gaze toward the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager looked briefly at Zhang Yulin, who seemed like a completely different person from before.

The Emperor had probably chosen Wen Yue Sheng to command the northern army because of her abilities.

But once she held military power, certain things had to be relinquished.

“When Great Hui discussed the marriage alliance with Haouzhou before, the original candidate was Fu Rui. However, the Prince of Haouzhou requested to marry you instead.” The Empress Dowager paused, her gaze complicated as she looked at Wen Yue Sheng.

“But now, since you command the northern army, you can no longer marry the Prince of Haouzhou.”

The Empress’s expression changed slightly. The Empress Dowager had not finished speaking, but the Empress already understood her meaning.

“Since that’s the case, for your own sake and for the sake of the marriage alliance between the two countries, Fu Rui will marry the Prince of Haouzhou instead.”

The Empress Dowager slightly lifted her eyes, her gaze falling on Wen Yue Sheng’s face as she asked, “What is your opinion on this?”

The hall fell into a deep silence.

Although the question seemed to be directed at Wen Yue Sheng, it was actually more of an announcement to her.

If she had not been in control of the northern army, this decision would have been made long ago, and Wen Yue Sheng would have only been informed after everything was settled.

The Empress sat beside, quietly sipping her tea, hiding the emotions in her eyes.

The plans of the Hengguang Prince’s line were too ambitious!

They knew that Wen Yue Sheng now commanded the northern army, and her marriage to the Prince of Haouzhou was almost impossible.

Thus, Fu Rui’s marriage to Haouzhou was now a certainty.

Yet, they didn’t want Fu Rui to marry the aging Emperor of Haouzhou. Instead, they planned to have Fu Rui replace Wen Yue Sheng and marry the Prince of Haouzhou.

The Prince of Haouzhou was handsome, talented in both martial arts and literature, so marrying him was naturally much better than marrying the old Emperor as a concubine.

Most importantly, if this succeeded, the Hengguang Prince’s faction would gain another Empress of Haouzhou, and for the Hengguang Prince, it would provide him with a brother-in-law who was the Emperor of Haouzhou. This would not only enhance his position but also give him a significant advantage in the future struggle for succession.

But they hadn’t considered that the Prince of Haouzhou had his eyes set on Wen Yue Sheng.

Fu Rui?

What could she offer? Could she beat and scold palace maids or bully the noble ladies beneath her?

The Empress found it amusing, though she didn’t show it.

However, while this plan seemed absurd, it might still succeed.

As long as they could convince the Emperor, an Empress from Haouzhou would certainly be beneficial to Great Hui.

And for the Emperor, whether the Empress was Si Ning or Fu Rui didn’t matter.

In fact, Fu Rui might even be better, because with Wen Yue Sheng’s talents, sending her to Haouzhou might not be in their best interest.

But whether the Prince of Haouzhou would agree was still uncertain.

The royal marriages were never about the people involved but the benefits they brought.

If the Emperor truly decided to raise the stakes of the alliance…

The Empress lowered her eyes.

Men in this world, especially figures like the Prince of Haouzhou, rarely made decisions based on personal emotions. The only thing that could change their minds were the benefits they could gain.

But if all the benefits were monopolized by the Hengguang Prince’s faction, how could Xiao Jin maintain a foothold in the court in the future?

She grew cold, ready to speak.

But then, Wen Yue Sheng’s cold voice interrupted: “This matter should not be decided by me, but rather by the Prince of Haouzhou.”

The Empress Dowager responded: “Once you agree, I will have the Emperor discuss the matter with the Prince of Haouzhou.”

They only needed Wen Yue Sheng’s stance—this was both for the Emperor’s sake and to protect Fu Rui’s reputation.

Otherwise, Fu Rui would end up with a reputation of stealing Wen Yuesheng’s marriage, just like Wen Yurou, who was suffering now.

A royal princess would not be like Wen Yuru, but marrying off to another country was still a formal matter.

This wasn’t a rare occurrence, and asking the opinion of subordinates was already an impressive gesture.

The atmosphere grew tense, and the Empress Dowager looked at Wen Yue Sheng, trying to apply pressure.

But Wen Yue Sheng stood up and said, “Fu Rui cannot marry the Prince of Haouzhou.”

The Empress Dowager’s face changed: “What do you mean by that?”

Looking up, she saw Wen Yue Sheng’s generals charging into the hall.

The sound of their synchronized footsteps echoed throughout the palace.

Wen Yuesheng’s face darkened as she coldly said: “Si Ning, what are you planning to do?”

“We are here to arrest the mastermind behind yesterday’s assassination attempt at the northern military camp.” Wen Yuesheng raised her hand lightly. “Seize Princess Fu Rui and all her palace attendants.”