“In better news, your Nephew Zhao Weixiu has finished his exams. He ranked third!”
Li Changyu lifted his gaze from the stack of memorials he was hunched over in the Imperial Study. Su Ao was reading off a scroll of details to announce to him, and Li Changyu more or less ignored him, but that one caught his attention.
“Little Xiu?” That was Zhao Lanhu’s only son, an alpha. “He is that age now, isn’t he…”
Li Changyu leaned back in his chair and allowed himself to reminisce. It had been years since he saw that little tot, and he only caught a glance of him as a near adult now. An idea came to him and he urged Su Ao over with an eager wave, “Go get some paper. Little Xiu is getting a position now.”
“P-position?” Su Ao stayed slack jawed and fixed in his spot. “In the Court?”
“No, in the stables. Yes, the court!” Li Changyu waited for Su Ao to follow his command and the little beta shuffled around the desk to lay out a golden scroll in front of Li Changyu. He picked up the brush with his left hand then paused. It was tricky to get away with writing close to Jin Xiyan’s handwriting with his right hand, which was Jin Xiyan’s dominant one, because Li Changyu was left handed. His right hand was just chicken scratch.
“Su Ao, tell the Kitchen to prepare lunch early and bring it here.”
Su Ao bowed, “I will find a maid to–”
“No, you should do it.” Li Changyu rested the brush down and stood up. He walked up to Su Ao, who stuck his neck down and hunched his shoulders slightly. Li Changyu clapped both hands onto the tense shoulders and gave a little shake. Grinning, he lied, “Su Ao, you are the only one We can trust.”
“Trust me…with fetching food?”
“Of course!” Li Changyu put on a mocking expression of surprise. “You make it sound like such a little thing. Who else knows what Our tastes are?”
Su Ao’s eyes darted left then right, his slim frame trembling underneath Li Changyu’s firm hold. Hesitantly, the scared eunuch pointed to himself. “I do?”
“Yes! And who else could We trust to make sure nothing happens to Our food?”
Finally the eunuch’s eyes brightened. “Like…like poison!”
“Exactly!” Li Changyu dropped his voice to a somber note, “You would never harm Us.”
His shivering stopped and instead his eyes went wide and sparkled. This was the recognition he always wanted! Su Ao’s heart soared at the benevolent Dragon’s praise. Sniffling, he dabbed at the corner of his eyes with the hem of his sleeve.
“This…this humble servant understands!”
With Su Ao finally scurrying away, Li Changyu let out a sigh of relief and went back to the desk. He stopped short when a chilling voice called from the doorway.
“It appears I must thank you on behalf of your Brother.”
Li Changyu slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder at Zhang Wenru. “Oh? You were outside long enough to eavesdrop?”
Zhang Wenru, if offended, did not reveal it. He simply lowered his head and bowed forward, “This one apologizes to His Majesty. My hope was not to disturb, but with the servants out of the room, I could discuss the things I was tasked to investigate.”
“Royal Uncle works very quickly.” Li Changyu took his time turning around and said, “We do not need to stand on manners – please, rise.”
Zhang Wenru stood back up and came forward, “How is Your Majesty? Have you recovered from your injuries?”
Li Changyu painted on a smile. “With the physicians from the Li Family and the Imperial Physicians, how could I not recover?” He moved towards his original destination and sat back down at his desk.
“That is good…” Zhang Wenru’s own lips twitched into what could be considered a smile in return. “About the Autumn Hunt…I have reason to suspect it was your Brother Jin Ai.”
That is interesting. Li Changyu had his Father do his own investigation and it definitely looked like Minister Gong – who was one of Zhang Wenru’s underlings – had done this. He was the one that organized everything, and he did not reduce the number of tents that Li Changyu had thought initially suspicious. That number was because many of them were designed to be empty or hold assassins and create distance between the main party and the Emperor’s tent. This was what caused the delay in receiving help.
“Jin Ai? How so?”
“The evidence points to Jin Ai being helped by Minister Gong to orchestrate this attack. It should not be a surprise to you, but your Brother has tried this before. That one year you were attacked by a bear—”
Li Changyu surged forward and slammed his fist on the table, “That was him?!” Zhang Wenru was startled and took a step back. Li Changyu caught himself and straightened back in his chair and cleared his throat.
“…So that was something he planned?”
Li Changyu remembered that year they were lost in the woods and had to seek shelter in a cave. It was indeed bizarre that a bear was randomly on the hunting grounds, since predators were cleared out in advance. He had not heard any of this as a kid, but who would really share this kind of information with children?
Did Jin Xiyan know? The thought made Li Changyu frown. Having a Brother put you at risk, regardless of status, was the lowest of the low. Li Changyu turned his thoughts back to Zhang Wenru, catching what he said mid-sentence.
“–and I can have this information sent to Your Majesty’s study. Should I arrest them?”
This brought another interesting thing, that Zhang Wenru seemed to be willing to part with a pawn like Minister Gong. Li Changyu was always someone who would press the advantage, so he gave another tight lipped smile and shook his head.
“It is still difficult to tell if Jin Ai is truly the culprit behind this. Consider your duties fulfilled. Since you have cleared the Li Family, I will simply have Lieutenant General Li arrest Minister Gong first and interrogate him.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
That finally caused a crack in Zhang Wenru’s perfectly crafted mask. His nostrils gave a slight flare and the corner of his brow twitched as his eyes narrowed.
“Your Majesty, with all due respect—”
“What?” Li Changyu tilted his head to the side. “We have confirmed that the Family is no longer guilty. They are handy soldiers, so it would be a waste not to utilize them.”
“…” The fake smile returned instantly and he dipped his head down respectfully. “Your Majesty is certainly wise beyond years. Speaking of the Li Family, I must trouble my Emperor Nephew to ask…”
“Hmm?”
“When did Your Majesty learn the Li Family’s Twin Dragon Sword style?”
This old fox saw everything? Li Changyu had no other choice than to protect Jin Xiyan. He did not consider the consequences of using martial arts, and to use a traditional Li formation…well, that was just ingrained in his blood at this point.
Their eyes locked together for the briefest of moments and the temperature in the room grew colder. Does he suspect something? It was unlikely that Zhang Wenru could even fathom the possibility of what happened, so Li Changyu just chuckled and shrugged half-heartedly.
“When you are married to someone, you must indulge in a bit of their hobbies. That is what makes for a perfect marriage, right, Uncle? Oh, wait…I apologize. Uncle has never married.”
“…No. I have not.”
“This Royal Nephew has been neglectful, then. Should I have a matchmaker focus on finding you a Wife?”
“Begging pardon from Your Majesty, I must decline. There was only one person I loved in my life, and it is unnecessary for me to produce any heirs.”
Strange…They did not break eye contact this entire time, and when silence fell between them, it lasted even longer. Li Changyu only blinked because the sudden sound of the door opening distracted him. Zhang Wenru stepped aside and allowed the guard to enter.
The man bowed to both of them then addressed Li Changyu, “Your Majesty, His Highness Qin Yuze is requesting an audience with you.”
A bitter, fishy taste swelled inside Li Changyu’s throat which he shoved back down. Though his stomach churned, he kept up his appearance. He shook his head and flung a hand out to dismiss the guard.
“I will not see him. Send him away.”
The guard looked reluctant to leave, but he did. Li Changyu stood up. Zhang Wenru watched the exchange then asked, “Don’t you favor your Imperial Noble Consort?”
His tone seemed curious, but Li Changyu could feel how sinister it actually was. “I have much more important things to do, and I think Uncle is aware that I currently have my attention on the Empress.”
“Ah, yes…I heard a rumor that His Highness isn’t pregnant.” Suppressing news within the Harem was more difficult than preventing water from leaking out of a cracked bowl.
“Yes, it is a shame that his heat came.”
“Well, it is good that Nephew has priorities. His Highness Imperial Noble Consort has never conceived, but the Empress has good potential as breeding stock.”
At his sides, Li Changyu’s fists balled up so tightly that his knuckles cracked. The skin on them strained so hard they were white. Zhang Wenru’s eyes flicked over to his fists and Li Changyu instantly released them.
The guard that came in before rushed in, cutting off their conversation. He instantly knelt down on the ground on both knees and bowed to Li Changyu.
“Your Majesty, His Highness Qin Yuze insists–”
“His Highness is ordered to copy the Virtues and Obediences for Omegas a hundred times!” he snapped. “If he dares interrupt me another time, it will be another hundred more!”
A soft smile curled the edges of Zhang Wenru’s mouth, clearly pleased with this show. The guard however looked worried and uttered a quick Yes, Your Majesty and rushed off. When calm returned to the room, Li Changyu gave a fake smile to Zhang Wenru.
“If Uncle is finished, I still have much more work to do. I will issue Zhao Weixiu’s decree soon. Please, feel free to give Brother the good news yourself.”
Apparently Zhang Wenru knew when to back down, because he bowed and said some final pleasantries before retreating. Li Changyu remained standing and turned his back to the door to peer out of the large window behind the desk. Shen Pei dropped down quietly from her hiding spot in the rafters and came up beside him. Li Changyu did not bother looking at her when he spoke aloud.
“I think he begins to suspect something.”
———
Bowen looked around at the bustling scene that the Phoenix Palace had become. Numerous servants and eunuchs came in with large crates and stacked them across the courtyard in front of the Palace. Among them were also members of the Li clan, some looking more sour than others.
Bowen tugged lightly at his Master’s sleeve and asked, “Y-your Highness…are you sure this is alright?”
Jin Xiyan turned from his conversation with Li Guangzhu to address Bowen. Smiling gently, he tried to reassure him.
“Everything here is according to His Majesty’s wishes.”
This was, in fact, the truth. Jin Xiyan decided to take the initiative to soften relations with the Li Family while also helping to protect himself and ultimately Li Changyu. He did not need to consult his Wife on everything, did he? Jin Xiyan was still Emperor!
He looked back at Li Guangzhu, “Does everyone understand their assignments?”
His Brother-in-law nodded, “Yes. Jiuxing is getting the guard uniforms for our Cousins. I will sneak the new guard rotation schedule so that it is always our people.”
Satisfied, Jin Xiyan nodded. “En.”
“Brother, uh…forgive me for asking, but have you seen His Majesty lately?”
It had been a few days since his unfortunate incident with the aphrodisiac and he hadn’t seen Li Changyu since. He only stayed the first initial night and since the effects wore off shortly after the sun rose, Li Changyu ran off. Every communication he tried to send through Shen Pei was returned unanswered, which was another reason he went ahead with his plan in the first place.
Hmph. If he wants to complain, he can explain why he does not answer his Husband. Jin Xiyan crossed his arms and lifted his chin up. “No, but there is nothing to be worried about.” Thinking about it, Li Guangzhu probably just missed his sibling, so he added, “If you are eager to see him, you should go first.”
Li Guangzhu shifted his weight, and his expression wavered. Jin Xiyan gave him another nudge of encouragement, “Truthfully, go to His Majesty.”
The large alpha let out a small sigh of relief and patted Jin Xiyan on the shoulder. He gave a lopsided smile and a whispered thank you before leaving. Jin Xiyan watched his Brother-in-Law leave with a quick step and a bit of regret carved itself into his heart like a sharp knife. Seeing such Brotherly affection shed more light on how different his upbringing was compared to the Li Family. Inside the Palace there was very little in the way of siblings bonding as closely as the Li Brothers, and if one expected any Fatherly love from the Emperor? You were more likely to get water from a stone before that would happen.
Another pang in his heart made him bring a hand to his chest and unconsciously rub it. This was why Jin Xiyan worked hard to be attentive to his Children as much as possible, and to ensure there was no strife between them just because of their birth Mother’s status. This reminded Jin Xiyan of another important thing…
To Bowen, he asked, “Did you send word to His Highness Haoran’s Nanny?”
Bowen’s head bobbed up and down, “Y-yes. He should arrive soon to plan his birthday party with you. The Nanny seemed a bit confused…doesn’t His Majesty always plan it?”
“Yes, but now that I have come in as Empress I consider it my…” Jin Xiyan was reluctant to get the words out, so he muttered, “Motherly duty…”
Thankfully, Bowen took this answer and accepted it. After Jin Xiyan dismissed him to get things ready, he thought he would have a moment of reprieve. Fate decided something else, and a large hand came to rest on the top of Jin Xiyan’s head, startling him out of his wits. He jumped and spun around, arms flailing to get the offending limb away. In his erratic dance, he smacked into the large frame of none other than Li Yunmeng.
The young alpha was unphased. He canted his head and asked, “You alright?”
“Yes,” he bit out, adjusting his short martial robe with a few sharp tugs. “Of course I am alright.”
“No, I mean before.” Li Yunmeng’s big doe eyes blinked, “You looked sad.”
This made Jin Xiyan pause. Was it that obvious he was upset just a few moments ago, or was Li Yunmeng so attentive? He recalled what Li Changyu said – they were only Cousins, and had grown up alongside one another. Still… Giving the alpha a once over, it was fair to say he was attractive. Tall and muscular with masculine features that were balanced with the soft look in his eyes. He looks nothing like me, however.
Jin Xiyan waved a hand, “I just have a lot on my mind.” This being the first time they were alone to talk, Jin Xiyan took the opportunity to ask first in order to confirm what Li Changyu had said was true. “Do you still not want to get married?”
Li Yunmeng’s chest heaved in a heavy sigh, “No, but the Elder is pressing me to decide on a Bride.”
“And you’re upset because…” Jin Xiyan’s eyes scanned left, then right, and he lowered his voice, “…because you do not want to engage in matrimonial duties?”
“…?” Li Yunmeng scrunched up his nose. “Matrimonial…duties?”
“Yes. Matrimonial duties.”
Li Yunmeng stared blankly at him. Huffing, he went on to explain with an even quieter voice, “What…what a married couple does in the bedroom?”
“Oh!” A light suddenly dawned in Li Yunmeng’s eyes. “You mean fucking.”
Jin Xiyan flinched and the top of his ears grew hot. Are all the Li’s crass?! Was it some sort of familial thing?
Li Yunmeng carried on, unaware of his “Cousin’s” disturbance. “I don’t want to have sex with anyone. I think my Father understands, but I still have to marry someone to bring someone into the Li Family.”
“Just…how big is the Li–I mean our–Family?”
“It has been a while since you were at a gathering. Hmm…” Li Yunmeng rubbed his chin then cast his eyes to the sky. “Main Family plus the branches…then yours…” Li Yunmeng looked back down at his hand and counted off to three with his fingers. When he was finished he looked at Jin Xiyan with a grin, “About 200 on our register.”
Jin Xiyan choked on air, feeling like he was punched in the chest. 200?! That was enough for a small army alone! It was no wonder that the men in his Court were antsy about the Li’s – there were more Li’s than them. Li Yunmeng jumped forward to help catch Jin Xiyan and patted him firmly on the back.
“Are you okay?”
Jin Xiyan’s cough scratched his throat, making him rasp weakly, “I…I am fine.” He gently shook off Li Yunmeng’s hold, and if the alpha was bothered by that, he didn’t show it. He just shook his head at Jin Xiyan.
“Always tough, aren’t you?”
“He certainly is.”
The unfamiliar intrusion made both of them jerk. Turning, Jin Xiyan saw Qin Yuze approach. Qin Yuze was wearing his typical red ensemble that made his already smooth white skin look paler than the moon. There was only a dash of color on his cheeks that gave him some bit of life to his tone. His long hair was done up elaborately this time, with a number of pins that Jin Xiyan had given him over the years. His dark eyes were set on Jin Xiyan, cold and sharp as obsidian.
Qin Yuze and his small entourage arrived in front of Jin Xiyan. “He is a tough stain to rub out, that is certain.”
What? Why would Qin Yuze come to the Phoenix Palace? Before he could think about it much longer, Jin Xiyan could see a slight puffiness around Qin Yuze’s eyes and the red glassiness to them. Concern welled up from his heart and he stepped forward. “Have you been crying?”
The iciness of Qin Yuze’s stare made Jin Xiyan hesitate getting closer. They snapped to Li Yunmeng, who was still at his side. His glare was nothing like the deathly chilling tone of his voice.
“Are you an imbecile? I am the Imperial Noble Consort. You are supposed to kneel.”
Jin Xiyan blinked and looked at Li Yunmeng. The alpha looked genuinely apologetic and he immediately went to his knees. Politely, he added, “Greetings, Your Highness.”
Qin Yuze made a small motion with his chin, and in a move that neither Jin Xiyan nor Li Yunmeng could have predicted, one of the eunuchs at Qin Yuze’s side rushed forward and kicked Li Yunmeng square in the chest. Normally this would be nothing, but Li Yunmeng was caught by surprise and was on his knees, so he toppled over. It did not hurt, but it did make Li Yunmeng blink twice.
“Qin Yuze!” shouted Jin Xiyan. He stepped between Li Yunmeng and the eunuch, his arms defensively held across to block him from Li Yunmeng. “He does not know the Palace rules!”
Qin Yuze skirted around the eunuch to get within inches of Jin Xiyan. Li Changyu’s body was slightly taller than Qin Yuze, so Jin Xiyan had to look down his nose at his Consort. The distance was not as dramatic as it was in his original body. A faint scent drifted up from Qin Yuze, one that tickled his nose in a way that felt familiar. Suddenly, something snapped in the back of Jin Xiyan’s mind and a flash of strong emotion threatened to choke him, followed by a sharp, searing pain that penetrated his skull. It happened faster than a blink of an eye, and it was gone just as fast, but it left him a bit winded and he stumbled backward.
By now, Li Yunmeng had risen and he easily caught Jin Xiyan before he truly fell. Jin Xiyan pressed a palm against the center of his chest in an effort to stop his heart from bursting out of it. He barely recovered, but he tried to speak.
“Q-Qin–”
“Don’t you dare say my name with your filthy mouth.” Qin Yuze’s lip curled up into a snarl and he pressed even closer. The daggers in Qin Yuze’s gaze cut him, surprising him even further. This was not the Qin Yuze he knew. Jin Xiyan felt Li Yunmeng hold onto him just a little tighter, and Qin Yuze carried on. “You and the rest of your mongrel family just stay in your yard. If even think about going to His Majesty, I will—”
Qin Yuze was cut off by a strong, feminine voice. “Will His Highness be joining us for tea?”
Qin Yuze’s head snapped back and forth in a double take when he looked at the woman that spoke. Jin Xiyan was equally surprised to see Qian Jing gliding along, her pace slightly hurried but she managed it well. At the crook of her arm hung a wooden box set that held four trays, and the one servant at her side carried another, smaller box. Trailing behind Qian Jing was Shen Pei, who was a welcomed sight for Jin Xiyan.
When Qin Yuze stepped back from Jin Xiyan, he found it a bit easier to collect his breath. Perhaps seeing his distress, Shen Pei hurried around Qian Jing and went to him, her hands replacing Li Yunmeng’s. She nodded to the other alpha and Li Yunmeng offered a wane smile. Qian Jing joined them, forming a loose circle amongst the three Harem members. She ignored Qin Yuze to look directly at Jin Xiyan.
“Greetings to His Highness,” Qian Jing dipped her knees into a polite curtsy. As she stood back up, she said, “I was not aware that the Imperial Noble Consort would be joining us for tea.”
Tea? Jin Xiyan didn’t remember scheduling a get together with Qian Jing. Since that day Wu Shanjin harassed him till now, none of the Harem members really interacted with him. The most was during the Autumn Hunt with Song Rushen, who also behaved like he was avoiding contact with him.
Qin Yuze pushed out the same sentiment between clenched teeth, “Tea?!”
Qian Jing then curtsied towards Qin Yuze. “Yes, but this one must apologize to Imperial Noble Consort. I only prepared enough for His Highness, his Family, and myself.”
Her tone was anything but apologetic. Instead, it dripped with every possible way to imply get out. Qin Yuze’s servants caught this, and they stepped up to defend their Consort.
“How presumptuous!” said one servant.
The eunuch who kicked Li Yunmeng chimed in, “How dare you disrespect His Highness? A lowly concubine like yourself shouldn’t behave like they have the Phoenix Seal!”
Qian Jing’s sharp eyes darted towards the eunuch, her words just as cutting, “Neither does your Master have the Phoenix Seal. Aren’t you being the presumptuous one, cursing His Highness the Empress Dowager this way?”
This was the first time in a long time that he’d seen Qian Jing have a backbone. She was not like many other alphas; she was quiet and, while not timid, she typically kept to herself. The only reason she would come here was because there was something up, or…
Had Li Changyu spoken with her?
After another deep breath, Jin Xiyan finally found his voice. “We are all members of the Harem…we should behave accordingly.”
“His Highness is correct, as we are Family.” Qian Jing gave him a gentle smile and again positioned her body to be dismissive of Qin Yuze, but she passively asked over her shoulder. “Will Imperial Noble Consort be joining us after all?”
The redness in Qin Yuze’s eyes grew and he stared at Qian Jing. He slithered up beside her, his painted nail raised to point at her. “You will regret doing this.”
Qian Jing did not bother to fully face him, but she looked down at him with a calm face. All she said was, “His Majesty knows.”
Those three words made all the color drain from Qin Yuze’s face. It was his turn to look alarmed, perhaps even more frightened than Jin Xiyan had felt just a few moments ago. Qin Yuze did an about face and smacked the face of one of his own servants and stormed off. The sound made Jin Xiyan wince. The eunuch and servants followed, but the wronged servant hesitated, tears welled in her eyes and her stinging red cheek began to swell. She whimpered and covered her cheek with a hand and shuffled after her Master.
Jin Xiyan did not understand the exchange and it left him with more questions swirling around in his aching head. A brief silence followed that was broken by Qian Jing’s gentle voice, “Would you please share these with your relatives?”
Qian Jing pulled the box basket out from her arm and handed it to Li Yunmeng. He took it with an appreciative nod but then he looked at Jin Xiyan. He nodded as well, motioning for Li Yunmeng to go ahead. Shen Pei let him go and hovered a comfortable distance away while Qian Jing stuck close to him.
“It is good that His Highness recognizes the importance of the Harem. Would the Empress allow this one to call His Highness Younger Brother?”
Jin Xiyan blinked while Qian Jing slid her arm gently around his back – not quite touching, but its presence was enough to guide him along the path back to the main apartment in the Phoenix Palace. The events were so jarring, that he was a little dumbfounded. For a reason he could not explain, his hands were shaking, like an itch had worked its way up his arms.
“…Your Highness?”
Jin Xiyan did not know how to respond to Qian Jing other than give a nod and a soft en.
“Excellent. Let us have some tea, Younger Brother.”
I’m afraid, because of their history, that Li Changyu has a blind spot for Zhao Lanhu and Zhao Weixiu just like Jin Xiyan does for Qin Yuze. I hope Jin Xiyan will accept whatever part of the truth he’s going to get, he’s definitely going to ask, right? If he can ever get in see Li Changyu again 😅. Welcome back, Domino! Impeccable timing.
A blind spot you say 👀 what could those two possibly do? 😇
Also thank you for reading! I am glad you enjoyed this chapter.
Hopefully, nothing that Great Grand Empress wouldn’t like! Also, why would a guard be more afraid of Qin Yuze than, say, THE EMPEROR? (My brain says he’s attempting an autoerotic beheading. Probably need new meds).
Welcome back DomDom!
The true face of Qin Yuze partially reveled to the naive JXY
Love that JXY keeping to the tradition of planning his son’s bday party
I think many people are putting away the shoes they want to throw at JXY.
Steel toed boot has been replaced with a sneaker
what will it take to make it a slipper?
My Mom’s slipper when I was a kid were harder than sneakers. JXY will be all good soon I’m sure
Ah?! That little snake!! LetsplayDominos youre so mean! 😭🥺 this is bullying! Abuse I tell you! Please torture me more 🥺💕
Hehehe! I don’t bully as badly as JXY bullies LCY.
Oh my! Welcome back Dom!
I have a bad feeling when LCY said he’ll give a position to Lanhu’s son. Im excited to know whats gonna happen next.
Thanks for the update!
I am fully recovered after my long trip in Italy! I hope to get more of this lovely story to all my loyal readers. 🙏
The worst pain is when you catch up to the chapters and now you have to wait 🥲
New chapter coming now!
Welcome back and thank you for the chapter!
I hope Jin Xiyan finally realizes how terrible all of his concubines have been treating the LCY this whole time.
Are you forgiving Jin Xiyan yet?
No. He has to do way more to redeem himself in my book
Thanks for the chapter and welcome back.
You are welcome, and thank you for welcoming me back! I am happy to be “home”!
What if the previous emperor was also being manipulated, but by jxy’s mother, the current empress dowager? In one of the flash back scenes, it wasn’t really obvious but it seemed like the first prince didn’t like jxy, but he has no real reason to dislike jxy based on what we know. So basically my theory is that the first prince and Zhang wenru hate the Jin’s because of what happened to the previous empress, and they want to get revenge. Zhang wenru also killed the previous emperor, so this basically only leaves the current empress dowager and jxy. Their plan would be to get rid of the two of them, and place either the first prince’s son or Zhang wenru on the throne. But why would they scheme against the Li family? The Li family has a lot of power, and they also support jxy due to the previous emperor being Li Beidou’s sworn brother and due to the relationship between lcy and jxy.
Anyways this was just my theory and I’ll get back to reading now cuz I ended up stopping in the middle of this chapter to write this all out.