The Emperor's Situation, the Attitudes of All Sides

"In addition to these, I will promote you to the position of Deputy Director of the Mixed Bath Division and award you a sixth-rank Bu Zi title. It will be convenient for you to handle matters for me in the future," the emperor spoke up.

Gao Xuan pondered and said, "Your Majesty, do you want me to restrain Wan Deshun?"

"Exactly," the emperor squinted her beautiful phoenix eyes and said coldly, "As you can see, although I am the emperor, I am currently nothing more than a puppet. I have very little actual power."

"So even someone like Wan Deshun, that lowly servant, does not take me seriously and repeatedly tests me."

"But even so, I cannot do anything to him. That's why I need you to take his place first. When the time is right, we can replace him!"

Gao Xuan didn't expect the beautiful empress to be in such a difficult situation. Curiously, he asked, "I don't understand. Who is behind Wan Deshun that even you, Your Majesty, can't deal with him?"

The emperor sighed lightly, her gaze seeming to penetrate through the long palace, into the capital city.

"Wan Deshun is loyal to the General Wan Zhenshan. His surname 'Wan' was bestowed to him by General Wan."

"The Wan Clan controls more than half of the army and generals of the imperial court. Wan Zhenshan is the General-in-Chief, commanding a well-trained army of two hundred thousand. His residence houses numerous skilled experts and fierce guard dogs."

"His elder sister is the late emperor's esteemed concubine, who is now the empress dowager."

"His eldest son, Wan Hu, is the commander of one of the two garrison forces near the capital city, while the other is under the control of the empress dowager."

"The second daughter, Wan Xiyan, is my concubine and currently resides in Changchun Palace."

"The youngest son doesn't hold any official position, but it is said that he dominates the capital city and commits all sorts of evil deeds. He even dares to openly kill high-ranking officials on the streets."

"Now do you understand? It's not that I can't kill him, but if one is eliminated, another from the Wan family will rise in his place! That's why I said we have to wait for the right opportunity."

The emperor tightened her grip on the teacup, her eyes filled with a chilling murderous intent.

Upon hearing this, Gao Xuan couldn't help but think, damn, this is a perfect template for a powerful antagonist family! Why didn't I transmigrate there? Instead, I transmigrated into a little eunuch. It's so unfair!

No wonder the emperor couldn't do anything to Wan Deshun. It turned out he had a powerful backing.

Dealing with opponents of this level was not something he could handle right now. Perhaps there would be an opportunity in the future when he became stronger.

The thought excited Gao Xuan, and his blood began to boil slightly.

In his previous life, he started as a nobody, but those giants and bosses who never paid attention to him ended up buried in the ground, becoming stepping stones on his path to the peak.

"Your Majesty, with your extraordinary wisdom and strategy, I believe that one day you will be able to reclaim everything that belongs to you! For that, I am willing to go through fire and water without hesitation!"

The emperor shook her head and smiled self-deprecatingly, "I hope so. I'll take your kind words as a good omen."

"You should know that there is not just one Wan family eyeing my position."

Gao Xuan grinned and said, "Not just one, even if there were ten or eight Wan families, they would not be your match."

At these words, a slight smile appeared at the corner of the emperor's mouth. It only lasted for an instant, but it was as enchanting as a fleeting glimpse of a magnificent swan, captivating hearts.

She suddenly realized that this fake eunuch, with his slick tongue, wasn't as annoying as before.

"Alright, it's getting late. You may withdraw. If there is anything, I will find you."

"Then I will take my leave, Your Majesty."

After bowing, Gao Xuan left the grand hall.

...

In the capital.

General Wan's family mansion.

The mansion was vast, with pavilions and towers arranged like a small imperial palace, many areas even exceeding the royal protocol.

It was already late at night, but the rear hall was brightly lit.

Upon closer inspection, it was decorated exactly like the Qianqing Palace, with a high platform and a dragon throne placed on it.

A middle-aged man wearing a golden dragon robe sat on the throne. He had a robust figure, rough features, and an extremely powerful aura of martial arts. He was none other than Wan Zhenshan, the Great General-in-Chief. His ambition had reached an undisguised level.

Below the platform, one of his subordinates was reporting on the events that had taken place in the palace tonight.

After listening, Wan Zhenshan crushed the wine cup in his hand with a loud bang. His face was filled with anger as he questioned fiercely, "Are you saying everything you've just said is true?"

The subordinate trembled, stammering, "Reporting to General, it is absolutely true! The queen's cries were excessively loud, and her lingering voice resounded incessantly..."

As he spoke, the subordinate's voice gradually lowered because Wan Zhenshan's expression had become extremely ugly. Everyone knew that he had been desiring the queen for a long time.

The Empress's father, Zhangsun Wuji, was Wan Zhenshan's sworn enemy. Even in his dreams, he wanted to ravage the other party's daughter.

But now, the woman he regarded as his own had been slept with by someone else...

Wan Zhenshan's eyelids twitched, like a bloodthirsty beast.

"Didn't I say it? Here, you should address me as Your Majesty."

Hearing these words, the subordinate was instantly scared witless. He knew that Wan Zhenshan was deliberately picking a fight and venting his anger on him. He quickly kowtowed, begging for mercy, "Your Majesty, I was wrong. I was wrong. Please forgive me this time, considering all the dangers I have faced for you."

"Hmph."

Wan Zhenshan let out a cold snort. With a wave of his hand, the person instantly burst into a pool of blood, not even having a chance to gasp before dying.

"Damn dog emperor! How dare you touch the woman I've set my eyes on? Sooner or later, I will crush your head and feed it to the dogs!"

...

Cining Palace.

On the soft phoenix bed, a graceful and luxurious middle-aged beauty reclined lazily, with palace maids fanning her on both sides.

The Chief Eunuch of the Internal Affairs Department, Wei Xian, stood by her side.

The identity of the middle-aged beauty, who could make Wei Xian act like this, was self-evident. She was none other than Empress Dowager Xiao, who currently held the imperial power.

When the news came, even she was momentarily surprised.

Although the previous emperor had concealed this earth-shattering secret well, even resorting to the Qin Tian Court's extensive manipulation to cover up the heavenly secrets, how could she, as the former empress and the current empress dowager, be kept in the dark?

In this world, she was the only one who clearly knew that the emperor was a woman.

But tonight, the emperor made the empress moan and the lingering sound echoed?

A playful smile tugged at the corner of Empress Dowager Xiao's mouth.

She wondered what methods the emperor used to convince the empress. It was quite a performance to keep it up for so long. This empress was indeed dedicated.

But it didn't matter. Let them be.

She had no intention of exposing anything at the moment.

If she rashly revealed the truth, it would only plunge the world into chaos. Then, relying solely on herself, she wouldn't be able to withstand the many others coveting the throne.

So she could only wait for the most opportune moment to make her move and reap the benefits.

Empress Dowager Xiao plucked a grape and brought it to her lips, the gentle bite accentuating her enchanting red lips.

Although she was approaching forty, her charm remained undiminished.

While maintaining her exquisite beauty, she exuded a mature allure. Every frown and smile contained an indescribable myriad of charms.

"No need to act rashly. Just continue as usual, keeping an eye on them."

Wei Xian bowed slightly, "Yes."

...

At the same time, countless forces received the news, and for a moment, everyone was filled with uncertainty.

Some believed it, while others doubted it. But regardless, their unrestrained ambitions were somewhat restrained, and they could only wait for the next opportune moment.

...