In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

"A momentary lapse in attention?"

Li Zhi sneered.

"Then how do you explain these things?" he roared, throwing a stack of travel documents at the Empress in a very rude manner, directly hitting her noble face.

"What do you need so many travel permits for, someone from the harem? Where are you sending people?"

"You still dare to say that you didn't instigate the surveillance of the Far East King?!"

Empress Wang was caught off guard by the sudden impact. Realizing the gravity of the situation, she looked at the scattered travel documents and her expression turned grim.

She knew she had been framed. These things were hidden very well, but the Imperial Guards found them as soon as they entered. Someone was definitely plotting against her!

"Your Majesty, it is my fault that I took so many travel permits without permission, but it was for Your Majesty's health. I often need to send people to various places to find famous medicines and prescriptions for the palace, so I asked the Inner Palace to approve so many."

"You still dare to lie?" Li Zhi roared.

"Your Majesty, is it really so? My heart is as clear as the sun and moon!"

"As a member of the inner palace, how dare I send someone to spy on the Prince of the Far East? What benefit would I gain from doing so?" Empress Wang choked with sobs, feeling even more wronged than Dou E.

Emperor Gaozong was furious, but he couldn't do anything about Empress Wang. He couldn't very well kill the mother of the nation; he had to consider the Buddha's feelings even if he didn't respect the monk.

Moreover, once convicted, many things become public, which constitutes a scandal.

Therefore, the only explanation is that the eunuch stole the travel permit and left the palace without permission, and the empress was unaware of it.

Having figured this out, Li Zhi angrily shouted, "Guards!"

The Imperial Guards rushed in.

"Your Majesty!" Empress Wang exclaimed in terror, thinking that something was about to happen to her.

"By imperial decree, Eunuch Guo has been found guilty of issuing unauthorized documents, deceiving the emperor and concealing the truth. His crime is unforgivable. He is to be immediately executed!"

Empress Wang was shocked.

"Yes!" The Imperial Guards clasped their hands in a fist salute and moved swiftly.

They only obey the emperor, regardless of your rank.

"Furthermore, the Empress has failed in her duties as Empress Dowager and is therefore confined to her quarters for three months, effective immediately, and ordered to copy one hundred volumes of palace regulations!"

"Temporarily strip him of his power to oversee the six palaces!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. Was it that serious?

"His Majesty!"

"No, no!"

"Your Majesty, I have truly been wronged!" Empress Wang cried, clinging to Li Zhi's leg, her makeup ruined.

Li Zhi's eyes were filled with disgust and anger.

How could he not know that Empress Wang was hostile to Li Yuanchang, and that her family had made many enemies with Li Yuanchang and were completely at odds with him?

He might let it go if she said a few words to him normally, but at this critical juncture, when the country is in danger, for the First Lady to do such a thing is completely reckless and a direct challenge to his red line!

He would never allow anyone to disrupt the overall stability of the Li Tang dynasty.

"Give it to me!!"

He raised his hand and roared angrily, his eyes clearly indicating no room for negotiation.

Empress Wang trembled, seeing Li Zhi, who was usually easy to talk to, so angry; it was impossible not to be afraid.

She was in despair!

In the end, they could only hand over the "Phoenix Seal," which represented the highest power in the harem and was also the Empress's symbol. Taking this away meant losing favor.

After handing over the Phoenix Seal, she wanted to make amends and repair the relationship, but Li Zhi didn't give her a chance to speak at all, and just left after coldly uttering a sentence.

"Wang Ling, you'd better reflect on your actions. If you dare to do something like this again, it won't just be taking away your imperial seal, hmph!"

A cold snort echoed, and then the palace gates slowly closed, gradually swallowing up the sunlight.

This warning is already at its highest level.

boom!

Empress Wang collapsed to the ground, her face filled with despair and sorrow, her sobs echoing continuously.

After a long while, a palace maid dared to step forward and cautiously inquire, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"

"This servant will help you..."

"It's her!" The dazed Empress Wang suddenly spoke, her eyes filled with resentment, jealousy, and boundless hatred, which made her beautiful face look ugly.

"It must be Wu Zetian, that vile woman!"

"The people I sent were to monitor her, how did they end up monitoring Li Yuanchang? There's something fishy going on here! That vile Wu Meiniang and that traitor Li Yuanchang have rekindled their old flame, no, they might have always been entangled in a conspiracy!"

Her trusted maid frowned: "Then, Your Majesty, why didn't you tell His Majesty just now?"

"This must be the Far East King framing you!"

Empress Wang's noble face showed a hint of frustration.

Unable to vent his anger, he slapped his trusted aide across the face.

Snapped!

"Ah!" The personal maid screamed in agony.

"Are you an idiot?"

"If I were to make such a accusation, it would confirm that I sent people to monitor Wu Meiniang, which is a major taboo in the palace. Moreover, His Majesty detests jealous people the most, and Wu Meiniang is His Majesty's favorite, who is incredibly wealthy and has a wide network of connections. His Majesty relies on her for many things."

"If I admit it, I might even be banished to the cold palace!"

"Your Majesty, it was my ignorance that led to this. I beg you to forgive me!"

"It's because there are too many fools like you that I've fallen into this predicament. What good will it do you if I collapse?!"

Empress Wang vented her anger, and the people below knelt on the ground, trembling and not daring to raise their heads.

After a while, Empress Wang finished venting her anger and was helped to her feet. The thought of being confined to her quarters and stripped of the imperial seal filled her with hatred.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he glared at her fiercely.

"Wu Meiniang, you just wait!"

"I refuse to believe I can't win over a mere merchant girl like you!"

"Don't think that just because Li Yuanchang is behind you, I can't do anything to you. This is Chang'an; we'll see!"

"You two despicable couple will die a horrible death sooner or later!"

"..."

Empress Wang uttered the most venomous curse of her life, but this could not change her tragic defeat in this struggle, nor did she learn her lesson or intend to behave herself.

Three days later.

Li Zhili was in a bad situation, so he sent his confidant Liu Chaoyuan with an urgent message to catch up with the Far East Army, which was on its way out, and to meet Li Yuanchang.

Besides announcing the outcome of the matter, the other task was to appease Li Yuanchang, lest he harbor resentment.

At the same time, Li Zhi sent a message on his behalf, promising that such a thing would never happen again, and that he would personally oversee the battle against Tuyuhun.

When Li Yuanchang learned of Empress Wang's fate, he was overjoyed!

He wouldn't normally stoop to fighting with a woman, but Empress Wang was being so aggressive that he felt he was standing up for Wu Meiniang.

I just hope she can learn from this experience.

It would be impossible for Li Zhi to cripple or kill the person because of this incident, as he also had to consider the influence of the person's maternal clan.

While this approach covered up the scandal, the punishment was already quite severe.

In response, Li Yuanchang did not press the matter further, but instead left room for maneuver and readily accepted Li Zhi's reassurance and favor.

After bidding farewell to Liu Chaoyuan, Li Yuanchang continued his journey, throwing himself wholeheartedly into the impending clash with the Tubo!