Chapter 61 Ambition

Shen Tubai did not expect that even with the facts laid out before him, Li Tinghan still refused to believe her. This could not help but make her feel somewhat chilled.

Yet, from Li Tinghan’s perspective, Cui Xiwen had presented him with the *ruyi* talisman, and every single word of hers stemmed from genuine sincerity; she simply could not believe that Cui Xiwen’s words were lies.

The two of them parted on bad terms.

The moment Shen Tubai returned to the main hall, Chunlan hurried up to her and whispered softly, "The Princess Consort of Yong is here."

Startled, Shen Tubai immediately hurried inside.

"It seems I've come at a poor time, right after you've been through such an ordeal. I should have waited until you were fully recovered before calling upon you." Seeing her return, the Princess Consort of Yong quickly stood up, naturally stepping to her side to support her as she sat down.

Shen Tubai felt a little embarrassed, but over the years, the Princess Consort of Yong had always remained as open-minded, meticulous, and straightforward as this.

"Although the smallpox has passed, it was still a pestilence after all. Others would avoid it like the plague, but for you to come pay a visit at such a juncture—I know in my heart that you are worried about me." Shen Tubai had always been sweet-tongued and never let herself lose out in verbal exchanges.

The Princess Consort of Yong smiled self-consciously. "I didn't come today just to see how you were doing."

Shen Tubai looked at her with a puzzled gaze.

Instead of speaking immediately, the Princess Consort of Yong picked up her teacup and swept her gaze nonchalantly around the room.

Shen Tubai waved her hand, and everyone in the hall withdrew.

Only then did the Princess Consort of Yong grab her hand with a look of extreme anxiety. "With the Eastern Palace sealed off these past few days, you have no idea how chaotic things have become outside."

Shen Tubai said cautiously, "Matters of the imperial court are for His Majesty and the ministers to decide. What can we do amidst all this chaos?"

The Princess Consort of Yong sighed, her face full of bitter worry. "If these were merely matters of the court, you could give me several times my courage and I still wouldn't dare to say a word. But this is truly... a matter of life and death for the two of us!"

Hearing her put it this way, Shen Tubai's curiosity was genuinely piqued. "How so?"

"Do you know about the monk Liaoji, who serves by Her Majesty's side?" The Princess Consort of Yong leaned in close to her ear, speaking in a mysterious tone.

Upon hearing that name, all those long-sealed memories were instantly awakened.

Over the past three years in the palace, Liaoji had grown increasingly favored and trusted by the Empress, but he usually stayed within the Buddha hall, under the pretext of praying for the common people.

Therefore, although everyone knew the Sovereign had such a male favorite, because of his low-profile demeanor, they simply turned a blind eye to his existence and paid him no mind.

"What kind of trouble has he stirred up?"

The Princess Consort of Yong pursed her lips, hesitating as if she didn't know where to begin.

After a long while, she finally found her footing. "You must have heard about what happened between Liaoji and the Princess back then?"

Shen Tubai nodded. "That's no secret."

The Princess Consort of Yong slowly closed the distance between them and said in a hushed voice, "With the Empress gravely ill these past few days, the two of them have stopped avoiding suspicion altogether."

Shen Tubai processed this for a moment before realizing what the Princess Consort of Yong was implying. "You mean...?! How is that possible?"

Shen Tubai's first reaction was disbelief. Although rumors had long circulated that Princess Anping had her heart broken by that monk back then, the Empress was still alive, after all; Princess Anping surely wouldn't lose her senses over romance to such a degree.

Weren't they afraid of incurring the Empress's wrath?

"Who's to say otherwise?" The Princess Consort of Yong slapped her own thigh. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it when I first heard it."

Shen Tubai's mind could not help but spin. For the Princess Consort of Yong to have witnessed it meant the two of them were no longer making any effort to hide from others.

Controversy had always surrounded the Sovereign's keeping of male favorites in the imperial court.

Yet on this matter, Princess Anping had consistently stood firmly on the Empress's side, even personally scouring the realm for male favorites to present to the Sovereign.

If they no longer even bothered to avoid the Empress at a time like this, could it be that the Empress had already reached the end of her days?

"You've guessed it too?" The Princess Consort of Yong seemed to read her thoughts and directly confirmed her speculation.

If this were truly the case, then many preparations needed to be set in motion immediately.

Dropping her riddles, Shen Tubai went straight to the point. "Thank you, Sister, for letting me know about this today."

The Princess Consort of Yong shook her head hastily. "It's far too early to thank me. Earlier, because the Crown Prince was quarantined on the estate due to the outbreak in the Eastern Palace and could not attend court, he remains largely uninformed about affairs in the court."

"Did you know that both Princess Anping and the monk Liaoji have stepped into the imperial court this month?"

"What?" Shen Tubai furrowed her brow in disbelief, feeling more shocked by this than she would have been upon hearing that Princess Anping and Liaoji had openly moved in together. "How is that possible?"

"What's impossible about it?" the Princess Consort of Yong asked calmly in return.

Shen Tubai still found it hard to believe. "Ever since Her Majesty ascended the throne, she has intentionally cultivated female officials. Princess Anping is Her Majesty's most beloved, so I wouldn't be surprised if she stood in court. But Liaoji is a monk with such a delicate background—how could the ministers ever agree to it?"

The Princess Consort of Yong shook her head. "Since last year, Her Majesty's health has been failing day by day, and she has grown less and less tolerant of any defiance.

"Liaoji may be a man outside the secular world, but there have been precedents before this. No one wants to provoke the Empress's displeasure at a time like this, so naturally, they turn a blind eye to him."

The Princess Consort of Yong sighed helplessly. "Besides, monks in this dynasty have always held a transcendent status. Quite a few people have already grumbled about the Empress making monks kneel before her; they are probably secretly hoping a monk would step into the court, saving them the trouble of visiting temples to burn incense and chant scriptures."

Shen Tubai could find no humor whatsoever in the Princess Consort of Yong's witty remark. "Standing in the court is one thing; I only fear they harbor other ulterior motives."

The Princess Consort of Yong turned instantly solemn. "I knew you were a clever person. I came here today precisely fearing that you wouldn't understand my meaning, which would make it seem as though I were spreading wild rumors."

Shen Tubai asked with puzzlement, "What else is there?"

"A few days ago, while Her Majesty was gravely ill, Liaoji took her place in court to manage state affairs. He and Princess Anping jointly replaced the commander of the Imperial Guard."

Shen Tubai's heart skipped a beat. The Imperial Guard protected the imperial palace; if military power fell into Liaoji's hands, weren't they by now reduced to fish on someone else's chopping board?

Shen Tubai looked at the Princess Consort of Yong, hoping for a definitive answer.

The Princess Consort of Yong closed her eyes and nodded silently. "My husband's position is awkward; if certain things are spoken aloud, it's hard to guarantee others won't think he harbors ulterior motives. But after all, he and the Crown Prince are full brothers born of the same mother. At such a critical juncture, since you both reside within the palace, you cannot afford not to be on guard."

Shen Tubai nodded gravely. "I understand the Princess Consort's meaning. Since you came to see me today, do you already have a plan in mind?"

The Princess Consort of Yong nodded. "At a time like this, we still need the Crown Prince's support. I only fear that Younger Sister might be unwilling to trust me."

Of course, Shen Tubai trusted her—or rather, she believed that Liaoji would attempt a rebellion.

Back then, the Cui family's rebellion had been riddled with suspicious points at every turn, and because of Cui Xiwen, Li Tinghan had always wanted to clear the Cui family's name.

Yet Shen Tubai felt that where there was smoke, there was fire; the Cui family had harbored malicious intentions against the King of Yan's descendants long ago.

If the Cui family's schemes had succeeded back then, the Crown Prince's sole surviving bloodline would now be Liaoji's child.

Shen Tubai would not be surprised by anything such an ambitious person might do.