The Female Lead Decides to Act Wickedly

Chapter 1250 - 467: Rebellion Is Better Than Palace Intrigue (Part 4)_3

At this time, more than ten years have passed since the Dayong Dynasty was established, and the late Emperor had completely seized control of everything.

The nobles and ministers originating from the He Family faction had been gradually aligning themselves with the late Emperor.

Some of the late Emperor’s confidants, or officials from noble families, began clamoring about the major issue of establishing the heir in the Imperial court.

The candidate they promoted for Crown Prince was naturally the Eldest Prince, Zhao Yao.

Of course, there were still some ministers who emphasized ritual propriety and rules, proposing that the legitimate son of Empress Yuan be established as the Crown Prince.

However, whether they supported the Eldest Prince or revered the principles of ritual, they all "forgot" the alliance from years ago between the He and Zhao families.

Lady He was secretly angry and unwilling, but she was not someone who only accumulated negative emotions.

For herself and her son, for the justice of the He Family, she chose to strike in secret.

Just as the late Emperor personally stepped in to help Noble Consort Xie in the "harem struggles," preparing to topple Lady He, the Empress, the usually healthy late Emperor unexpectedly fell ill with a cold.

The illness worsened rapidly, and within a few days, he was critically ill.

As the Empress, Lady He still had the Hidden Guard under her command, and whether in terms of legitimacy or power, she surpassed Noble Consort Xie.

Noble Consort Xie, who had been arrogant in the harem for over a decade, was ultimately only a Favored Consort relying on the late Emperor’s favor.

Once the late Emperor collapsed, she lost her footing.

Lady He, with the force of thunder, took control of the harem and compelled the severely ill late Emperor to write an edict designating the Second Prince, Zhao Gui, as Crown Prince.

The late Emperor was unwilling, and in his final moments, he appointed three ministers to oversee Zhao Gui.

The late Emperor feared that Lady He might rename the vast empire from Zhao to He!

But he underestimated Lady He’s ruthlessness and overestimated Noble Consort Xie and her son’s ability to face crisis.

Thus, the late Emperor died with regrets, and the ten-year-old Crown Prince Zhao Gui ascended the throne, with Lady He being honored as Empress Dowager.

The new emperor was still young and could not handle state affairs independently, so Empress Dowager He and the three appointed ministers assisted him.

Empress Dowager He, relying on her resilience and scheming, finally became the victor of the harem.

Considering her dominance and hatred for the Xie Family mother and son, Empress Dowager He refrained from immediately killing Noble Consort Xie and the Eldest Prince, which was somewhat benevolent.

It wasn’t that Empress Dowager He was a Holy Mother, but she clearly distinguished between resentment and kindness.

She knew the one she should hate most was the late Emperor, and she had already exacted revenge.

As for the Xie Family and the Eldest Prince, they were merely the knife thrust by the late Emperor.

Empress Dowager He didn’t want to cause more bloodshed, so she planned to spare the mother and son, intending to send Noble Consort Xie to keep vigil in the Imperial Mausoleum and grant the Eldest Prince a random title so he could be kept in the Capital City.

After two or three decades, the Eldest Prince would fall from the once-favored prince to a destitute member of the Imperial Family.

In this way, both Empress Dowager He and the newly enthroned Emperor Yongcheng could maintain good reputations.

However, Empress Dowager He overlooked one person — her son, Emperor Yongcheng Zhao Gui!

Empress Dowager He did not want to kill the Xie Family mother and son, not because she didn’t hate them, but because she didn’t want to tarnish her name with the stain of a defeated opponent.

But she never expected her own son would see his "enemy" as a brother.

Empress Dowager He could never understand why the relationship with the Xie Family mother and son was antagonistic from the start.

Either she and her son survived, or the Xie Family mother and son became the victims.

Reconciliation was impossible, let alone becoming one family.

Yet her own son felt that the powerful Empress Dowager was too overbearing and cruel, treating the late Emperor’s Favored Consort and imprisoning the Emperor’s dear child harshly.

While Empress Dowager He saw the Eldest Prince as a thorn in her side, Emperor Yongcheng considered Zhao Yao his only brother.

He even defied Empress Dowager He’s orders, enfeoffing Zhao Yao as Prince Liang and assigning him Liang State, which was very close to the Capital City, as his territory.

Noble Dowager Consort Xie, after enduring three arduous years in the Imperial Mausoleum, fell seriously ill. Emperor Yongcheng, citing the need for recovery, brought her back to the Capital City and allowed her to reside in Prince Liang’s Mansion to live as an ancestor enjoying filial piety from her descendants.

Empress Dowager He was nearly angered to the point of spitting blood by her own son’s actions.

But she endured it all.

Her son hadn’t taken on full imperial duties, hadn’t married, and lacked an heir.

His throne was not secure.

For her son’s sake, Empress Dowager He swallowed her disgust and tacitly allowed many of Emperor Yongcheng’s filial "defiances."

Through these events, Lady Hu fully understood what Empress Dowager He’s weakness was — her son and the empire.

Now, seeking a noble lady from a noble family for Emperor Yongcheng to marry was not only to allow him to manage state affairs as soon as possible but also to secure the empire.

Empress Dowager He truly cared for her son, so she knew what was genuinely good for him.

She could not possibly allow her son to act recklessly in such a major matter as marriage.

But—

Seeing Emperor Yongcheng always shaking his head, Lady Hu suddenly had a bad premonition.

Lady Hu was worried, but her daughter, Zheng Nianer, was secretly delighted, even impulsively running out, excitedly saying to Emperor Yongcheng, "Erlang, is that Old Witch no longer forcing you to marry those prestigious noble ladies?!"