Gaining Power Only to Sell One's Roots Is Shameful

Among the ministers who had failed to achieve their goal, Zhang Lian, Tian Youqing, and Prince Ding walked close together. It was clear from their somewhat dazed expressions that they had not yet fully recovered from what had happened in the imperial bedchamber.

Suddenly, Zhang Lian sighed. "Not simple at all. The moment His Majesty awakened today, he struck and parried in one sweep, utterly destroying our advantage. Then he seized the chance to cut off many Votive Thoughts directly. Such methods were truly exquisite..."

"That is precisely the problem!" Prince Ding revealed a trace of exasperation. "When had His Majesty ever possessed such decisiveness? Even if he had such wisdom, he could not possibly have employed it so readily. He would surely have been burdened by countless misgivings. Why was he so utterly decisive today?" The further he spoke, the lower his voice became. It no longer sounded like a simple complaint, but rather as though he were revealing some hidden secret.

In the end, he stared into Zhang Lian's eyes and softly said, "Could someone have borrowed a corpse to return the soul? Would that explain the change in the Emperor's temperament? You two should both know very well how formidable the people behind us are. How could they have made a mistake?"

The moment he said this, Tian Youqing's pupils widened, while Zhang Lian's expression changed drastically. He murmured, "Your Highness Prince Ding, please be cautious with your words!"

"No need to worry." Prince Ding bared a vicious smile. "You may be able to hide it from others, but you cannot hide it from this prince. The great figure behind me knows your circumstances like the palm of his hand as well. We are all chess pieces. In ordinary times, that would be one thing, but now,