dognovel Chapter 1668 Coveting Supreme Power (271 million reward points added)
Chapter 1668 Coveting Supreme Power (271 million reward points added)
Lotus and hibiscus respectfully replied, "Yes."
The two exchanged a worried glance.
With so many things happening inside and outside the palace, and His Majesty never entering the inner palace, he still doesn't know that the Empress is pregnant.
When she first became pregnant, she could hide it from His Majesty by saying that it was still early in the pregnancy and she didn't know it herself.
But the Empress is nearly four months pregnant, and her belly is almost showing, yet she hasn't informed His Majesty. What if His Majesty finds out and blames the Empress for concealing this good news?
However, seeing that Shen Zhinian had his own plans, Han Dan and Fu Qu didn't dare to say anything.
After all, the most important thing for a servant is to obey their master, not to act on their own.
They believed that the Empress was always resourceful and would surely find the most opportune moment to announce this good news.
Shen Zhinian sat on the soft couch and closed her eyes, still feeling somewhat uneasy.
She was never one to swallow her anger.
After entering the palace, she planned every step carefully, from a lowly concubine to an imperial concubine. She seemed gentle and docile, but in reality, every step she took was a calculated struggle.
She can feign weakness, take a roundabout approach, and use gentleness to overcome strength, but those are all strategies and tactics. Deep down, Shen Zhinian is unwilling to yield and is vengeful.
If, during her pregnancy, the man who secretly investigated her innocence and suspected her of being faithful was not the emperor, but an ordinary high-ranking official, what would she do?
Shen Zhinian would smash a teacup, her face turn cold, and point her finger at the other person's nose to question them, pouring out all her grievances and anger.
She will use every means at her disposal to create chaos and demand clear justice, making the other party admit their mistake!
Shen Zhinian wanted to be swift and make the other party pay the price for this insult, so as to completely vent the anger in her heart!
But unfortunately, Nangong Xuanyu is an emperor...
He is the supreme ruler who holds the reins of power, whose words carry the authority of Heaven, and whose life and death can be decided with a single thought, and whose rise and fall can be determined with a single word!
His suspicions didn't need to be explained to her.
His investigation did not require her consent.
Even his guilt might just be a fleeting emotion he occasionally bestows upon someone after weighing the pros and cons.
Shen Zhinian couldn't smash the teacup, couldn't give a cold look and question her, and certainly couldn't make a scene.
All her anger, resentment, and heartbreak had to be carefully concealed and suppressed deep within her heart. Then, she had to adopt the gentlest, most submissive, and most loving demeanor towards him, using softness to overcome hardness.
Because she didn't have the power to confront the emperor head-on.
Realizing this, Shen Zhinian suddenly felt a surge of helplessness...
The power of an emperor is absolute, transcending all emotions, morality, and even the truth.
He can love her and pamper her; he can also doubt her and investigate her.
Even the way she expressed her dissatisfaction required careful planning. She could only be indirect, never touching the emperor's sore spot.
that power……
All of this is because of the power possessed by emperors!
Shen Zhinian once again experienced the benefits of power with crystal clarity!
It can give life, and it can kill.
It can make someone incredibly noble, or it can make them as insignificant as dust.
It can protect those it loves, and it can also crush those who disagree with it.
No wonder the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, with its powerful maternal relatives, held sway over the imperial family and disregarded even the royal family. In the end, it was completely uprooted and reduced to ashes by Nangong Xuanyu.
Because the Jiang family wanted to go further, how could those who had tasted power be willing to be mere appendages?
No wonder the Duke of Dingguo came from a family of generals who had achieved great military exploits. Yet, in the end, he was accused of treason and his entire family was executed.
Was he harboring inappropriate thoughts, or was he blinded by that supreme position?
No wonder Nangong Xuanche, the late emperor's son and a once illustrious prince, would take such a risk, collude with foreign enemies, and instigate the Rebellion of the Rebellious King.
As fellow sons and grandsons of the emperor, seeing his elder brother sitting in that chair, wielding the power of life and death and commanding the world, how could he not harbor the ambition to take his place?
The dragon throne in the Golden Palace, the power over all under heaven, is the most alluring thing in the world.
Who could refuse that power to control everything and make all things bow down?
Even knowing that the road ahead is a bottomless abyss, or that it means death and the extermination of one's clan, countless people still rush forward one after another, risking everything!
All for the sake of seizing supreme power in their own hands!
Even Shen Zhinian... felt stifled because the emperor doubted her innocence during her pregnancy. Deep down, she also coveted supreme power...
If... if she were the one holding the power of life and death, how would things have turned out today?
Does she still need to be so patient and calculating, swallowing her grievances and carefully trying to win a man's guilt?
Why worry that one day the Emperor's favor will be gone, and that she and her child will be like rootless duckweed?
The moment this thought arose, Shen Zhinian felt a slight chill run down her spine...
But in the end, she simply exhaled softly, concealing the dark glint that flashed in her eyes.
The road must be walked step by step.
What she needs to do now is to evoke the emperor's guilt to the greatest extent possible.
Shen Zhinian called softly, "Fuqu".
Fuqu immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, this servant is here."
Shen Zhinian instructed, "Have the kitchen stew a pot of bird's nest soup, and you personally deliver it to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Tell them that His Majesty has been working hard on state affairs lately and needs to nourish his body."
Fuqu replied, "Yes, this servant will go and prepare it right away."
……
The Hall of Nourishing Heart.
Li Changde bowed and reported, "...Your Majesty, I have been ordered to thoroughly investigate Consort Kang's activities before she entered the Prince's residence. After extensive inquiries with former servants, neighbors, and other potentially related individuals, we have found some leads."
Nangong Xuanyu gestured for him to continue.
Li Changde said, "Before Consort Kang was married, she accompanied her mother to Fatu Temple to offer incense and pray for blessings. On the way back, in a secluded spot on the mountain road, they encountered a group of bandits."
"At that critical moment, several warrior monks from Fatu Temple were escorting a senior monk from the temple back from a pilgrimage. They passed through this place, and Xingchen was among them."
"The warrior monks intervened and dispersed the bandits, protecting Consort Kang and her daughter. This can be considered a life-saving act."
Consort Kang and Xingchen did indeed have some connection!
Nangong Xuanyu's eyes turned cold: "And then?!"
Li Changde said, "Afterwards, Madam Zhang was moved to tears and brought generous gifts to Fatu Temple to express her gratitude. At that time, Consort Kang was still Miss Zhang. Because she was frightened and grateful for the kindness, she often accompanied her mother to Fatu Temple to make donations for some time afterward."
"According to the old servant's vague memory, Miss Zhang once admired Xingchen's Buddhism and asked him to transcribe a prayer book for her parents, which Xingchen agreed to."
"But apart from this matter of copying scriptures, they had no other clear contact."
"After entering the Prince's Mansion, Miss Zhang lived a secluded life and had no further contact with Fatu Temple and Xingchen."
"These are all old stories from many years ago, and the memories of the people involved are often vague."
Li Changde felt that this report was quite objective.
Xingchen did indeed save Consort Kang's life, and the two had some interactions, but that was many years ago, and they never contacted each other again.
Logically speaking, Consort Kang's illness this time is probably due to her old ailment and overwork.