The last time I was grounded was after the Lantern Festival banquet the year before. Now two years had passed, and a vulnerable baby was all I got after the departure of Lv Li, who would pray for me under the moon.

I had since lost all appetite for beautiful women and instead spent the better part of days teasing the baby.

Soon, the Zhangs asked for an audience with me.

Qi Sheng quickly agreed and sent people to pick up Madam Zhang and Fan shi, the mother of Zhang shi.

I thought that the whole Xing Sheng Palace would likely be compromised by Qi Sheng’s other spies and so I invited both of them into my chamber, claiming that I was indisposed to receive guests publicly since I was still in a weak state.

Compared to two years ago, Madam Zhang seemed as energetic as always, except that she had lost yet another one tooth. Fan shi, on the other hand, seemed quite haggard even with makeup on, and even her eyes looked swollen.

Xie Yi had the maids sent over two round chairs for them to sit on and helped Madam Zhang to her seat. Then, she smiled, “Please wait while I bring over the Princess.”

Seeing that Xie Yi was so considerate, Madam Zhang nodded her head, her face beaming with smile, “Go ahead. I have always wanted to see the little Princess.”

Xie Yi smiled and backed down with the other maids.

Afterwards, Madam Zhang turned around, the smile on her face gone. Disappointment was all over her wrinkled face as she said, “Girl, last time you gave such a resolute speech and I thought you have really grown up. I didn’t expect that you would stoop so low as to fight the Emperor over an out-of-favor woman.”

I was baffled, and before I could react, the nearby Fan shi stole a timid glance over her mother-in-law and whispered, “Mother, she must have her aggrievances.”

As she said that, her eyes reddened and she took out her handkerchief to wipe off her tears.

Madam Zhang looked at her in disappointment and turned back to reprimand me, “What did you say to me before? And look at you now! Girl, don’t just talk the big talk. You have to walk the walk!”

I was even more confused, and so I cut in, “Grandma, before you scold me, could you tell me what out-of-favor woman were you talking about?

Fan shi asked in curiosity, “That wicked woman Jiang Yingyue, isn’t it?”

Madam Zhang slowly nodded, “We’ve got words that the Emperor has sneaked Yingyue into Da Ming Palace. Are you saying that you are not making a fuss over this issue?”

I suddenly realized what Qi Sheng was planning to do.

He knew he couldn’t hide our feud from the Zhang clan and so as always, he once again used Jiang shi as a pretense. After all, the Zhangs had gotten used to the constant fighting between Zhang shi and the Emperor over this Jiang shi. Besides, The Zhangs couldn’t care less about whether the Emperor loved Zhang shi, so long as she got to keep her position as the Empress and gave birth to a prince, they usually looked the other way.

But I wouldn’t tell them the real reason for my estrangement with Qi Sheng and Qi Sheng knew that. That’s why he felt safe enough to invite the Zhangs to the palace.

Madam Zhang looked at me with disbelief.

I shook my head with feigned sorrow and whispered, “It’s not just Jiang shi.”

Fan shi was shocked by this statement and asked, “What? There is someone else?”

Soon as Fan shi opened her mouth, Madam Zhang gave her a stern look and scolded, “Shut up!”

Then she turned around and looked at me, “What’s going on?”

I thought for a while and decided that in order to better spin the story, I should make this whole thing about woman. But of all the women in the harem, no one seemed quite up to the task, and so I had to use Lv Li, claiming that Qi Sheng had a thing for her, which embarrassed me. As a preemptive strike, I gave Lv Li to Zhao wang and that precipitated the struggle between him and me.

Both of these two women seemed quite convinced by my story. Fan shi even went so far as to scold Lv Li for being an ungrateful girl. However, she obediently shut up after her mother-in-law gave her yet another cold look and began once again wiping her tears with handkerchief.

I suddenly felt rather guilty towards Lv Li.

Madam Zhang proceed to scold me with a solemn face, “She is just a maid, and a maid sent by us no less. What’s so wrong about the Emperor taking an interest in her? If he didn’t, I would say we should try to make him take her. Right now, things over Yunxi are escalating, and the troops will be sent there in no time. Can’t you at least think about the brothers and uncles in the army?!”

Though at an old age, Madam Zhang was still an eloquent speaker, and I was afraid that this scold would develop into a long speech. Therefore, I cast a look at Fan shi who had been sobbing all along and hurriedly stopped Madam Zhang by saying, “I should bring mother away so she can have a wash. Someone might see her like this.”

Fan shi was a bit hesitant, but Madam Zhang waved her hands impatiently and said, “Go on.”

I summoned a maid to bring Fan shi away, and when there were only Madam Zhang and me, I sat upright and leaned towards her, whispering, “Grandma, I wish our family could ask for Qi Sheng’s approval for us to lead the army and crush the rebellion.”

The color on Madam Zhang’s face changed as she shot an inquisitive look at me.

I calmed myself down and slowly said, “Qi Sheng has been planning to depose me.”

Madam Zhang’s almost bare brow raised a bit.

I stared at her and slowly continued, “Best if we could strike first before he comes for us. Yunxi is a vassal state, but its record of rebellions dates as far back as the reign of Emperor Chengzu. Our family controls one third of the army throughout the country. If we could cross River Wan and grant autonomy to Yunxi, then with the extra aid from Chu wan, we will definitely succeed.”

Madam Zhang remained silent for a while and asked, “Are you trying to depose Qi Sheng and make Qi Han the new Emperor?”

I smiled and shook my head, “Why would we want to spend so many efforts just so another person can reap the fruit?”

“Then what do you want?” Madam Zhang’s voice sounded uptight, which could only mean that she was very nervous.

I calmly replied, “We will depose Qi Sheng in Qi Han’s name, and then start a new dynasty of our own.”

Madam Zhang refused, “No way, your grandfather made a vow that our family would never turn against our lord!”

I sneered, “While Emperor Chengzu was alive, we even receive an immunity certificate from him. So what? Will it really be able to protect our family?”

Madam Zhang lowered her gaze and remained silent.

I thought for a while and then persuaded, “Grandma, you are the Emperor’s relatives by marriage, and as long as the Qi clan rules, the good fortune of our clan would someday meet its end. If not by Qi Sheng, then by his son, his grandson… Throughout history, how many Emperor’s relatives from his wife’s side have been able to stay in power for long?”

As I said that, I suddenly found myself hilarious. Throughout history, I might just be the weirdest Empress ever to persuade her family to participate in a coup.

Seemingly moved by me, Madam Zhang nonetheless was still a bit hesitant, “Would you really be willing to give up your position as the Empress?”

I was rather amused by her question and replied, “Grandma, don’t make fun of me. What’s so good about being an Empress? If uncle were to take the throne, then I will become a princess, which is a hundred times freer than being a cooped-up Empress!”

Madam Zhang thought for a while and slowly nodded, “This is serious. I would have to talk to your father about this.”

As soon as she finished those words, Xie Yi entered the chamber with the Princess in her hands. Fan shi had always finished washing and came back with the maid.

Madam Zhang stopped talking and together with Fan shi they played with the baby for a while before taking their leaves.

I ordered the maids to escort them out of the palace and sent the nanny away. Then, I asked Xie Yi, all the while seducing the baby to hold my finger, “What’s happening over at the Youlan hall?”

Xie Yi lowered her head and kneeled in front of me, saying, “The other night, after the Emperor left here, he went straight to Youlan Hall. I was afraid that this news might upset you, and so I never told you about this.”

I was rendered speechless by her action and wanted to tell her that a good staff member never made decision for her boss.

I held up my head and stared at her, which only made her hold down her head even lower, “Xie Yi, the Emperor has kept me inside this palace, which effectively makes you my only eyes and ears. If you couldn’t report back to me what you know, then what do I need you for?”

My voice was soft, but the discontent was hard to ignore.

The look on Xie Yi’s face suddenly changed as she started kowtowing, “It’s all my fault, Your Majesty! Please don’t get angry with me.”

If it was before, seeing a petite girl kowtowing to me on the floor like this would have been enough to arouse my sympathetic feeling. But right now, I felt nothing.

I couldn’t help but sighed. Who said that women were more sympathetic than men? How come I had become more iron-hearted ever since I became a woman?

Seeing that she was terrified beyond control, I commanded her to get up. Her swollen eyes reminded me of Lv Li.

I had to admit that Qi Sheng was quite an expert at seizing opportunity. He had been putting up with me for the last two years, and then all of sudden, he took Lv Li away from me, a move that effectively cut off my eyes and ears on the political battlefield.

I also had some regrets. I had let these past two years of comfort life fooled me. Had I known what was to come, I would have cultivated more confidants in the palace instead of focusing on the political struggles in the court and ignoring the people around me.

It was like the company CEO taking the opportunity to deprive me of all powers before I could consolidate my influence as the general manager.

Ugh! If only people could go back in time!

Two days later, Zhao wang entered the palace to ask after the Grand Dowager Empress, on his way there, he swung over my Xingsheng palace to visit me.

I was almost moved to tears and wanted to hold his hands. I never thought that at such a critical moment, it would be him who came to see me.