"I'm telling you! I won't betray His Majesty for you!"

Lu Xiaoxiao never expected that Julian would seek her out one day.

Lu Xiaoxiao stared warily at the elegantly smiling man before her. Her gut instinct told her that this guy wasn't as good-natured as he seemed on the surface.

"I'm not asking you to betray Father Emperor."

Julian couldn't help but smile every time he saw Lu Xiaoxiao guarding against him as if he were some kind of menace.

When Lu Xiaoxiao wore all her emotions on her face, it meant she was "easy to deal with." If it weren't for this, Julian might have had to restrain his smile and speak solemnly to her about his intentions.

"Then what are you doing seeking me out in private?"

Lu Xiaoxiao puffed out her chest, trying to look as unapproachable as possible, afraid that this person would strike in the dark and kill her when she wasn't paying attention.

Although it seemed like there was no conflict of interest between them in this game.

"I know you are Jing An Emperor's favorite, and I also know you are close to that consort in the Cold Palace. I just want you to say a word to that consort in the Cold Palace."

"What word?"

…

"Julian is really talented…"

That night, Ming媚 (Ming Mei) told Mu Chen what she had heard from Lu Xiaoxiao during the day. Seeing that Mu Chen hadn't reacted yet, she started complaining herself.

"Is it really okay to acknowledge me as his mother just to get the throne?"

Ming媚 (Ming Mei) really never thought that Julian would have such an idea.

"Isn't it good? Once he ascends the throne in the future, you will be the supremely noble Empress Dowager."

Mu Chen put down the book in his hand, walked to Ming媚 (Ming Mei)'s couch, and made a gesture of inviting her to dance.

Ming媚 (Ming Mei) glanced sideways at him, and although she didn't speak, her hand naturally rested in his palm.

Immediately afterward, her hand was grasped by him, and his other hand cooperated tacitly to lift Ming媚 (Ming Mei) from the couch, turning her half a circle in the air before landing her steadily on the ground.

Ming媚 (Ming Mei), still without shoes, once again stepped on Mu Chen's feet.

"After the game is over, there are only a few days left until the party you mentioned, so why not practice a little more?"

Mu Chen said in a low voice, but Ming媚 (Ming Mei) seemed to hear something else: "Is this game coming to an end soon?"

"Yes."

"Just because Julian took the initiative to recognize me as his imperial concubine mother?"

"Not only that, but that point does add to his score~"

Mu Chen chuckled softly and replied, "Only the role he got consistently insisted on employing scholars from humble backgrounds and cracking down on aristocratic families. Moreover, the power in the court is now indeed a major reshuffle."

"Then that's completely because the role itself is good. Everyone else supports aristocratic powerhouses, but he's the only one employing scholars from humble backgrounds. Regardless of whether the emperor in this game is you or not, that Ying Wang should have been the emperor's most important heir."

Ming媚 (Ming Mei) felt that with such a setting, Ying Wang was the most favored by the emperor.

"In this way, the difficulty for the other players is obviously greater than for Ying Wang."

"That's not necessarily true."

Mu Chen, however, gave a different view: "First, there's the eldest, Qing Wang. He has the Su family's support. The military bigwigs are on his side, and the Su family is considered a new noble, not an aristocratic family.

Although the Su family's path has narrowed and they want to develop toward becoming an aristocratic family, they are still the representatives of new nobles on the surface.

If Qing Wang is a little more clear-headed, he would know to rely on the Su family on the one hand, and secretly win over other people in the military on the other.

The Su family was built up by the emperor single-handedly. If he could build up the Su family, he could naturally build up others. It's just that Yuan Fang didn't do that. He focused his attention on the forces left behind after Yong Wang's death."

"Oh~~ Yong Wang~~"

Ming媚 (Ming Mei) could see the movements of all the players. Speaking of Yong Wang's remaining forces, Mu Chen knew that she was clear about it from the tone of her voice.

"Yes, Yong Wang… Zhen Hu's biggest mistake was underestimating Yong Wang's consort."

Speaking of this consort, from the time Zhen Hu was in the game, she had been by Zhen Hu's side, not only as a consort but even, in Ming媚 (Ming Mei)'s eyes, as a strategist.

As a result, after Zhen Hu went offline, not only did Yong Wang's consort take over all of Yong Wang's forces, but she actually secretly allied with Julian.

It was really frightening!

When the world said that Ying Wang went to the prime minister's mansion and came out with an unhappy expression, and the next day the prime minister asked for a few days' leave due to illness, everyone was spreading rumors that Julian failed to win over the prime minister and was humiliated instead.

But the fact was that Julian didn't say anything to the prime minister. Instead, Julian and the prime minister's daughter, Yong Wang's consort, met privately that night.

Regarding Zhen Hu's death, Julian directly mentioned that at the banquet that day, Zhen Hu had gone out to get some fresh air because of drinking, indicating that he hadn't actually drunk much and had also relieved himself in the middle. Why did he die of suffocation from vomiting after drinking when he went back to rest?

Julian attributed the difficulty in collecting evidence and Zhen Hu's silent death to the high skill of the person who did it, pointing implicitly at the Empress Dowager in the palace.

Unexpectedly, Yong Wang's consort only said one sentence: "Even if An Wang's people did it, didn't you and Qing Wang intend to do it as well?"

Ming媚 (Ming Mei) didn't know if Yong Wang's consort's NPC persona had a prototype, but Ming媚 (Ming Mei) was so nervous watching the scene of her confrontation with Julian that she didn't even eat her snacks.

She was just watching the dialogue between the two.

In the end, Yong Wang's consort even pointed out that Chen Zhihan was Julian's man and revealed that Julian planned to ambush and kill Zhen Hu outside the palace.

At the time, Ming媚 (Ming Mei) could only say that Julian's expression management was becoming more and more in place. The earthquake in his pupils was only a momentary thing.

But the more Yong Wang's consort pressed him, the more Julian wanted to get her support, admitting what he wanted to do and then asking them if they didn't have murderous intentions toward the other brothers.

What surprised Julian the most before was that he had only noticed that Zhen Hu and Zhen Po seemed to have been alienated.

Zhen Po didn't do anything, but Zhen Hu did. As a result, after investigating along the trail, he found out that it was actually Yong Wang's consort who did it.

This NPC was amazing!

Mu Chen and Ming媚 (Ming Mei) also praised Yong Wang's consort: "The forces behind Yong Wang's consort naturally come from distinguished noble families. Compared with hereditary nobles, they are not so exclusive in their treatment of scholars from humble backgrounds. On the contrary, they are willing to win over some good talents who appear in the imperial examinations every year. The role of Yong Wang is actually relatively more powerful."

"What a pity~" Ming媚 (Ming Mei) sighed softly, "But speaking of which, why would Yong Wang's consort join forces with Julian? Julian could be considered to have attempted to attack, right? Even if she wanted revenge, Qing Wang would be a better choice, right?"

In response, Mu Chen, while dancing with Ming媚 (Ming Mei), chuckled: "Because the Empress Dowager has already secretly joined forces with Qing Wang."

"Ah?" Mu Chen saw the astonishment on Ming媚 (Ming Mei)'s face clearly. He smiled again, "Qing Wang's consort died of postpartum hemorrhage after giving birth to a daughter."

"Hmm…"

Speaking of this, a trace of unnaturalness flashed across Ming媚 (Ming Mei)'s face. She remembered Qing Wang's persona, having an affair with a palace concubine while his wife was pregnant. It was really hard to say whether something had happened to Qing Wang's consort.

"Zhen Hu died. On the surface, Yong Wang's consort only investigated Zhen Po, while Julian found out the deeper relationship and gave it to Yong Wang's consort."

"Oh, no wonder." After Ming媚 (Ming Mei) suddenly understood, she seemed to think of something again, "So, the recent changes in officials in the court…"

"Yes, they are all Ying Wang's from Yong Wang's former forces. Qing Wang and An Wang have already lost the best opportunity to rebel."

Mu Chen said, smiling, and after the dance ended, he took Ming媚 (Ming Mei) into his arms and whispered in her ear:

"Jing An Emperor has never failed the people of the world in his life. The only thing he feels sorry for is the palace maid who accompanied him since childhood. She had no children, no status, and was hidden in the Cold Palace by Jing An Emperor all her life, never seeing the more wonderful world outside…

All Jing An Emperor can give her is the noble position of Empress Dowager, in order to be buried together in the imperial mausoleum after their deaths."