Chen Zhi had a headache because she hit her head against a pillar. Yu Qian had a headache because of Yu Su. The great God of War, instead of staying in the northern border to guard the frontier and watch out for foreign ethnic groups' incursions, was attending the court sessions frequently. He constantly created obstacles for Yu Qian. The confidants Yu Qian had painstakingly cultivated in the court were mostly transferred from their original positions on various pretexts. Those who couldn't be transferred were directly demoted and sent far away from the capital. Yu Qian couldn't help but feel a bit regretful. If he had known that dealing with the Yue family and forcing Yue Chen to death would be such a troublesome matter, he would have done it more secretly. He had enjoyed a comfortable life for several years, but now he was so frustrated that it really made him restless and sleepless.

　　His uncle had too much power, which was a disaster caused by the doting of the late emperor. The late emperor was good at governing the country and was deeply loved by his subjects. Yu Su was his full - blooded younger brother, and there was a big age gap between them. Coupled with their mother's exhortations, the late emperor treated this younger brother with an unparalleled brotherly affection. He bestowed upon him real power second only to that of the emperor, and his fief was famous for its prosperity and wealth. Yu Su lived up to expectations. He went to the battlefield at the age of ten and, within five years, rose to the position of the supreme military general through his own efforts. He was also the 常胜将军 (ever - victorious general) of the Great Yan Dynasty, a well - deserved God of War.

　　Yu Qian was in a foul mood. After finishing reviewing the memorials, he wandered aimlessly in the harem. Before he knew it, the sky had darkened. When he looked up, the bright moon was shining in the sky. He suddenly saw a palace without any light, and the vermilion gates in front of the palace were tightly closed.

　　Eunuch Chang, the chief eunuch serving him, stepped forward. "Your Majesty, this is Changle Palace, the residence of the Empress Dowager." Eunuch Chang, with sharp eyes, noticed that Yu Qian had stopped and took the initiative to speak.

　　Yu Qian didn't pay much attention to these things. He was constantly troubled by government affairs and couldn't remember what the palaces looked like. If there was anything in the world that could restrain the Prince Regent, it was probably the person living in Changle Palace. Since he had already come to the door, thinking about the obstacles Yu Su had put in his way these days, he strode into the palace.

　　Rong Quan was sharp - eared and quick - eyed. In an instant, he informed Chen Zhi that Yu Qian was coming towards the inner hall. Coming at this hour clearly meant he intended to sleep here. Rong Quan's mind worked fast, and with a flash, he disappeared into the night.

　　Chen Zhi had already gone to bed. She was in a daze when Rong Quan woke her up. Waking someone from a dream was really hateful. Just as she was about to throw a tantrum, she heard that the emperor had already reached the palace gate. So she slapped her face to wake herself up.

　　She took out the incense - like drug from her dressing box, lit it in a small red sandalwood burner, and then took the antidote herself. Just as she finished all this, she saw Yu Qian enter without even knocking on the door, with the eunuchs on both sides carrying plain bamboo lanterns.

　　Yu Qian walked straight to the couch and sat down, as if waiting for Yue Chen to pay her respects, looking haughty.

　　Chen Zhi didn't want to pay attention to him. She walked into the inner room, climbed onto the bed, and covered herself with the quilt. Her series of actions were smooth and fluent, leaving Eunuch Chang and the other eunuchs stunned. The Empress Dowager seemed to have changed her nature. In the past, if the emperor came, she would wait eagerly at the palace gate, looking overjoyed. But things were different now. The emperor had personally exterminated the Empress's maternal clan, sent her to the cold palace, and even indulged Consort Yun to humiliate her. If she remained the same, she would indeed be too easy to manipulate.

　　"The Empress is injured, and I won't argue with Chen'er about such trivial matters." Yu Qian followed and stood not far from the bed, looking at Chen Zhi, who was tightly wrapped. "Did Chen'er go to bed early today because the wound on her head hurts again?"

　　After Yu Qian finished speaking, his eyes never left the bed, but Chen Zhi didn't respond at all. "Although Chen'er hurt her head, she should have understood her situation in the palace these days. I didn't want to be too heartless to Chen'er's maternal clan, but the Yue family's crimes were conclusive this time. The court officials continuously submitted petitions. For such heinous crimes, I couldn't suppress it no matter what." Since Yue Chen woke up, she hadn't done anything and hadn't sought out anyone. Yu Su, since he sent Yue Chen to the Imperial Medical Office that day, hadn't seen her again either. This was rather unreasonable.

　　Yun Lian had also told him that Yue Chen seemed very different from before. He didn't doubt her words. Love occupied a very small corner in Yu Qian's heart, and Yun Lian occupied all of his love. He had never truly loved Yue Chen. From the beginning, it was all deception and utilization.

　　Chen Zhi was very annoyed. She threw off the brocade quilt. "Emperor, you don't even believe the words you're saying, do you? How can you say such insincere words that go against your heart?"

　　Chen Zhi really admired such a person. Clearly, he was the one who masterminded everything behind the scenes, framed others, and even fabricated the so - called witnesses and evidence of collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country. It seemed that those who could become the rulers of the world had a thicker skin than the city walls. They could reverse right and wrong against their consciences after committing such sins.

　　"Whether you heard from someone that my temperament is different from before or not, you shouldn't treat me like a fool. And whether it's real amnesia or pretending, you should clearly understand that Yue Chen and you can never go back to the way it was before."

　　Yu Qian listened to her impatient tone and instead smiled. "You are indeed different from before. You are more like the legitimate eldest daughter of a noble family." No longer timid and shrinking, no longer cowardly and helpless, she dared to look at him directly, was unrestrained and intelligent, and her momentum was not inferior at all. Even in a disadvantaged position, she would never lower her proud head.

　　"I don't need your praise. Only I can decide what I'm like." Chen Zhi didn't bother to pretend to have amnesia in front of him because it was unnecessary. Moreover, if she did that, she would be more easily at a disadvantage. After all, her current identity was his empress, and Yue Chen was deeply in love with him. If she admitted it, it would be difficult to escape the fate of serving him in bed. Look, he was here tonight.

　　Yu Qian leaned forward, trying to hook Yue Chen's chin, but Chen Zhi slapped his hand away. "It seems the Empress is tired. Why don't we go to bed early?"

　　"Emperor, who are you trying to disgust? The Prince Regent, me, or yourself?" Chen Zhi distanced herself from him, not wanting to be too close. "An emperor doesn't necessarily have to have feelings for a woman to ask her to serve him in bed, but at least he shouldn't have enmity towards her. Yue Chen and the emperor have come to this point. I'm afraid we both want to eat each other's flesh and drink each other's blood."

　　Yu Qian smiled gently at the corner of his mouth. "I also wanted to depose the empress, but Chen'er was reluctant. Since you want this position, serving me in bed is the price Chen'er has to pay."

　　"Unfortunately, I don't want to pay this price," Chen Zhi replied.

　　"Given the current situation, I'm afraid it's not up to Chen'er to decide," Yu Qian said as he quickly grabbed Chen Zhi's wrist. Before Chen Zhi could react, he pressed her shoulder and pinned her down on the bed. "Chen'er probably doesn't realize that men are much stronger than weak women in terms of physical strength."

　　"So the emperor is going to force me?" Chen Zhi struggled, but Yu Qian's strength really made her unable to move.