With legs weak, the sickly stable boy became a mad regent.

At 3:45 AM, a secret letter sent from the Imperial Study fell into the hands of the Crown Prince.

There were only a few lines of text on the paper.

The emperor will summon the Imperial Clan Minister and several senior officials tomorrow to reconsider the position of crown prince.

The letter also mentioned the sixth prince at the end.

The crown prince read the paper three times, his expression growing increasingly grim. "Where did you get this?"

The kneeling eunuch bowed his head and said, "This servant personally witnessed His Majesty's attendants sending several secret letters out of the palace. One went to the Imperial Clan Court, and the other to the Ministry of War. His Majesty also asked where Prince Zhao's army had gone."

The crown prince gripped the letter tightly. "Father wants to summon Xiao Yunzhao back?"

"This servant dares not speak presumptuously." The eunuch prostrated on the ground, his voice trembling. "But the lights in the Imperial Study have been on all night. His Majesty also threw a huge tantrum, saying that the Crown Prince's faction has been forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices, which is becoming increasingly outrageous."

The crown prince's face darkened completely.

No sooner had Xiao Yunzhao left the capital than the emperor wanted to reconsider the crown prince.

If that person returns from the northern border, holding military power and supported by the Shen and Qiu families, what will be left for the Crown Prince?

"Mother!" The Crown Prince looked up at the Empress seated at the head of the table. "We can't wait any longer!"

The Empress did not answer immediately. She took the secret letter and slowly traced the words on the paper with her fingertips.

It was indeed the handwriting of the old eunuch who served the emperor for many years. He had secretly delivered many messages for her without ever making a mistake.

But this letter tonight came at the perfect time.

Xiao Yunzhao had just left the city when the Third Prince fell critically ill. Suddenly, the Emperor wanted to discuss deposing the Crown Prince, as if everyone was pressuring the Eastern Palace to take action tonight.

"What is Mother still hesitating about?" The Crown Prince paced back and forth in the hall, his patience worn thin. "Once the Imperial Clan Minister enters the palace tomorrow, I won't even be able to leave the Eastern Palace."

"My father has never trusted me. In the past, he was wary of the Shen family, so he made me compete with Xiao Yunzhao. Now that Xiao Yunzhao has regained military power, he feels that this son is more useful than me."

"Your subject has nowhere left to retreat!"

The empress looked up at him; his face showed both fear and an uncontrollable ambition.

This is her only son.

She had been plotting in the palace for many years, not just to watch him be deposed.

"We can move tonight," the Empress finally said.

The prince stopped in his tracks, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

"But remember this," the Empress placed the letter on the candle flame, watching the flames devour the corner of the paper, "once you enter the bedchamber, you are not allowed to harm your father immediately. As long as he is willing to write the abdication edict, you will still be the rightful new emperor."

"Your subject understands," the Crown Prince replied quickly. As for the Emperor, if he refused to write it down, no one would allow him to continue as Emperor after tonight.

The Empress couldn't possibly be unaware of this; she simply needed the Crown Prince to first make their father-son relationship public.

"The people in the palace are ready," the Empress continued. "The east gate will open at the end of Yin hour (3-5 AM). You can't bring too many people in. First, change into the Imperial Guard uniforms and don't alert the patrols outside. Once you have the Emperor's bedchamber under control, then you can take over the other gates."

"What about Cining Palace?" the Crown Prince asked.

Mentioning the Empress Dowager, a hint of apprehension flickered in the Empress's eyes.

"Don't make a move yet. The Empress Dowager has no troops under her command. As long as the Emperor is in your hands, she can't cause any trouble."

Moreover, with Shen Nian still in Cining Palace and that child there, the Shen family wouldn't dare to act rashly.

As for the sixth prince, he's nothing but a timid and cowardly child. After the crown prince ascends the throne, whether he's sent out of the palace to be a leisurely prince or allowed to die quietly from illness is just a matter of a word.

"Go," the Empress said, closing her eyes. "The abdication edict must be obtained before dawn!"

The crown prince bowed to her, then turned and walked out of the main hall.

The gates of the East Palace slowly opened in the night.

People who had been waiting for a long time emerged from various side halls. They were dressed in the clothes of ordinary guards, but hidden under the hem of their clothes were armor, and the long swords at their waists were already sharpened.

The prince stood on the stone steps, gazing at the still-lit palace in the distance.

Over the years, every time he stepped into that place, he was filled with trepidation, fearing that he would be crippled.

Meanwhile, the lights in Prince Zhao's residence remained lit.

Shen Nannan leaned against the soft couch in the study, holding a cup that had already gone cold in her hand.

Xiao Yunzhao sat down beside her, took the cold water from her hand, and replaced it with a warm one. "Have a couple of sips."

"I'm not thirsty."

"Your lips are dry." Xiao Yunzhao brought the rim of the cup to her lips.

Shen Nannan had no choice but to lower her head and drink a couple of sips. She hadn't slept since returning from the old Prince Rui's residence. News from the palace kept coming out one after another. The old officials in the Crown Prince's residence began to move to different places. The people who were originally responsible for guarding several palace gates were also quietly changing shifts. Even the number of imperial guards patrolling the city at night was much smaller than usual.

All signs were telling them that the Crown Prince was about to make a move.

Xiao Yunzhao cannot appear until the fighting truly breaks out in the palace.

"Are you sleepy?" He touched the faint bluish tinge under Shen Nannan's eyes.

"A little."

"Take a nap."

"I can't sleep." Shen Nannan leaned closer to him.

Xiao Yunzhao then lifted her onto his lap and pulled over a thin blanket to wrap her up from her shoulders.

As her pregnancy progressed, she gained weight.

When Xiao Yunzhao held her, he was more careful than usual.

"Are you going out again tonight?" Shen Nannan asked, leaning on his shoulder.

"Not for now."

"Then lie down with me for a while."

Xiao Yunzhao looked down at her. "Couldn't you be having trouble sleeping?"

"If you were here, I might be able to fall asleep."

This statement clearly pleased him.

Xiao Yunzhao carried her to the inner room. When they reached the bed, he first put her down, then took off his outer robe and lay down beside her.

Shen Nannan turned to the side and snuggled into his arms.

Xiao Yunzhao gently placed his hand on her pregnant belly through her nightgown. "Has the baby been quiet today?"

"He moved a few times in the carriage just now."

"And now?"

"It looks like she's asleep."

As soon as she finished speaking, her stomach stirred slightly.

A faint smile flickered in Xiao Yunzhao's eyes. "I didn't sleep."

"He probably heard you talking." Shen Nannan grasped his wrist and moved his palm toward the spot where the baby was moving.

The child touched it again.

News of a palace coup could arrive at any moment, but in this brief moment of quiet, the two of them felt the movements of the little life growing inside them.

"Ah Chao." Shen Nannan said softly with her eyes closed.

"Um."

"If someone says later that Niannian was killed by the Empress Dowager, you can't believe it."

Xiao Yunzhao paused for a moment while stroking her lower abdomen. "I know."

"If anyone says that I was taken away by the Crown Prince's men, you can't believe it."

"No one will take you away from the palace." The man's voice turned somber.

"I mean, what if," Shen Nannan opened her eyes and looked at him. "In your past life, they used the deaths of others to force you to lose control. In this life, no one knows what kind of message they will send."

"Unless you see the token we agreed upon, you are not allowed to believe anything."

Xiao Yunzhao was silent for a moment, then touched her hair, specifically the peach blossom hairpin she always wore.

"What if someone actually takes your things?"

"This hairpin will not leave me." Shen Nannan raised their clasped hands. "Unless I hand it over myself. Even if they get any item, even something stained with blood, it doesn't mean something has happened to me."

"Then you must promise me." Xiao Yunzhao lowered his head and touched her forehead, "No matter what news comes from outside that I have been captured, injured, or that the Gu poison has flared up, you are not allowed to leave the palace to look for me."

"But if it's a token of love..."

"There is no token."

He gave no one anything that could represent him.

The only thing that could convince Shen Nannan was that he had returned in person.

If you can't see me, stay in the safest place and wait.

"How long will it take?"

Xiao Yunzhao tightened his grip on her arm. "Wait for me to come back!"