He let out a cold laugh and said, "According to you, is De Fei more suitable to be the Empress than Empress Wanyan? Let me ask you, why did the late Emperor decide to establish the current Emperor as the Crown Prince in the first place? Was it because of De Fei’s family power? Right, De Fei hadn’t entered the palace at that time, and it was your wife’s daughter from a concubine family who was designated as Empress back then, right?"

At that time, the main reasons the late Emperor set the current Emperor as Crown Prince were threefold. First, he was the adopted son of the Empress, and apart from the deceased Crown Prince, he was regarded as the most noble among all the Princes and the most qualified to ascend to the position of Crown Prince. Second, his capability was also extremely strong, able to undertake great responsibilities. Third, he married Princess Roujia of Qing Luo Kingdom, thus forging a kinship between the two countries, where they shared glories and losses alike, forcing the neighboring countries to regard Great Yong with respect, fearing to provoke them.

Therefore, even if Empress Wanyan’s true identity was that of a businessman’s concubine’s daughter, she is now the most favored princess of Qing Luo Kingdom. Her identity added a significant weight to the late Emperor’s decision to establish the current Emperor as the Crown Prince, which no one could deny.

"The Emperor is far-sighted and extraordinarily talented, and would never ruin the Great Wall over a bit of personal affection, nor would he dethrone Empress Wanyan. Besides, Empress Wanyan has always treated people peacefully and without fault, and even if there were faults, with Qing Luo Kingdom and Empress Dowager Wanyan backing her, the Emperor would never depose her. So don’t daydream about something so unrealistic."

Princess Gao Yang has been accustomed to being arrogant since childhood, and once she makes up her mind to do something, no one can stop her. Due to her noble birth, she has never regarded this eunuch as an elder. It was merely a formality to call him "eunuch" when she needed him. Whenever she was displeased, she’d flaunt her status as a princess in front of him!

Upon hearing the eunuch’s reprimand, she retorted defiantly, "It is said that success depends on human effort. Even if my Ling’er doesn’t have the qualifications to be Empress, with my status as Eldest Princess, why shouldn’t I vie for my daughter’s sake? If you, eunuch, disagree with my Ling’er being Empress, it doesn’t matter. Just remember to pay your respects at Changle Palace when one day my Ling’er is modeled on all under Heaven."

With an air of arrogance, she said and turned to leave without even bidding farewell to Prime Minister Li. This left Prime Minister Li coughing with anger.

"Cough, cough... Ignorant fool... Cough, cough, cough... An unfortunate family..."

Seeing his father enraged, Li Nai hurried forward to pat his back and comforted him, saying, "Father, don’t worry. Gao Yang spoke carelessly in a fit of anger. I’ll talk to her once she has calmed down, ensuring she won’t cause trouble."

"Get out—"

Upon seeing his son’s cowardly attitude, which feared his wife, Prime Minister Li was infuriated, grabbing a teacup from the table and hurling it at Li Nai’s head. Startled, Li Nai quickly covered his head and fled.

Although Gao Yang is domineering, she is not brainless. Her daring clash with the Empress Dowager and attempt to overthrow her were not impulsive actions but rather because she discovered something significant!

Something significant enough to topple the Empress Dowager and ensure she could never recover!

She realized that despite the Emperor’s many consorts, not a single one had borne an heir. Not only had none given birth, but none were even pregnant. Considering the Emperor’s prime vitality, having the consorts of the palace conceive shouldn’t have been an issue, yet not a single one had, prompting suspicion.

She had discreetly probed De Fei, who, embarrassed to speak plainly, merely stated that the Emperor was always exhausted from handling state affairs and very tired by the time he retired each day. In other words, the Emperor had never actually favored her, and the other consorts should be the same.

This brought her back to a few years ago, back when the Emperor first came to the Empress Dowager’s attention. At that time, the Emperor had already been earmarked as the Empress Dowager’s adopted son, though it was not yet declared to the world. One day, after the Emperor had been out drinking with some Princes outside the palace, he returned and was poisoned shortly thereafter. The poison took effect fiercely at the time, causing him to vomit black blood—nearly losing his life. In the end, it was thanks to the Thousand-year-old ginseng that Qing Luo Kingdom had presented to Empress Dowager Wanyan that he was saved.