Prologue

Meiniang ... ... He struggled to get up, but was unable to do so as he wished

How is our child? His palm naturally slid down, resting on her slightly protruding abdomen

With such power in her hands, will she still need him? Will she still depend on him as she did before?

Yes, Your Highness

Li Zhi, feeling listless, gave a sorrowful smile, reaching out to tremulously caress her beautiful hair, and fell silent.

"Yes, Your Highness!" replied the two palace maids in unison

At the moment Wu Meiniang stepped out of the palace door, all the female officials and palace maids knelt down in unison, exclaiming: "We respectfully bid farewell to Her Majesty the Empress!"

Your Majesty

Is it really ... ... impossible to be without him

No, he is still reluctant to die! As long as Hong'er has not yet reached adulthood, he cannot die!

A series of faint footsteps approached from a distance, followed closely by a palace maid who quietly approached the desk, fearful of disturbing her busy mistress. She knelt and said: "Your Highness, Eunuch Liu from the Liangyi Hall has conveyed His Majesty's message, summoning you for an audience."

Not only Hong'er, but also Xian'er, Xian'er, Dan'er, Tai Ping... Moreover, there is this child yet to be met; for their sake, he cannot die at this moment

Very good, very well-behaved, not noisy at all, just like when I was pregnant with Tai Ping...

Is it impossible to be without him? Is it really impossible to be without him?

The sounds from outside the door were transmitted layer by layer: "Her Majesty the Queen is arriving—" The shouts continued incessantly, and the silent imperial city seemed to have been awakened.

She is the Empress Wu Zetian, who held the highest authority in the Tang Dynasty.

In the central hall, the Tai Chi Hall, the candlelight seems to shine brighter than in other halls, with the palace maids standing in an orderly manner, quietly attending to their master. On the large desk, numerous documents are laid out, which are the memorials submitted by the ministers today. With delicate jade-like fingers, she lightly picks up a red brush, reviewing those memorials without the slightest hesitation.

You tell Lord Liu to wait outside the hall first. Her lips parted slightly, and her voice carried an inherent authority.

Cannot ... ...

Although she is now in her middle age, her grace remains undiminished from her youth, and it is no wonder that the current Emperor Gaozong is captivated by her

After approximately half a stick of incense, Wu Zetian, dressed in a yellow palace robe, slowly emerged from the inner palace. She turned back to the female officials and instructed, "I will return shortly to continue reviewing the memorials. You all must remain in the Tai Chi Hall for the night watch and must not be negligent or lazy"

"This is not your fault. The court is busy with state affairs every day, and it is thanks to your assistance that I... cough cough... I do not even know how to reward you." Wiping away the tears from her cheeks, Li Zhi's face was filled with guilt, "You have suffered for it."

"Hush, do not speak, come closer, let me have a look at you." His gaze was unfriendly, squinting his eyes, his fingers caressing her face, "You have lost a lot of weight..."

Cui'e! Lan'e! Follow this palace to the Hall of Two Instruments.

"Come here, assist me in changing my clothes!" Summoning her personal maid, Wu Zetian gracefully stepped into the inner palace.

Yes, Your Highness

Your Majesty! Please do not say that..." Her tears streamed down as she said, "I, your humble servant, and the children cannot live without Your Majesty!

As the lights begin to glow, the bright moonlight envelops the entire imperial city. Within the city, the palaces stand in layers, revealing flickering candlelight here and there. Those are the concubines who have not yet retired for the night, still desperately waiting for the miracle that is almost impossible to occur—perhaps tonight, the emperor will bestow his favor upon one of them

Tears welled in her eyes as she lowered her head: "Your Majesty ... ... "

Inside the Hall of Two Instruments, the candlelight was bright. Emperor Gaozong, Li Zhi, was leaning wearily against the dragon couch with his eyes closed, resting. It was not until a eunuch outside the palace announced, "The Empress has arrived—"

No, Your Majesty

"Yes! This servant takes her leave." The palace maid exited.

I do not know if I will be able to see the birth of this child

Seeing Li Zhi's weak and haggard appearance, she hurriedly quickened her pace and rushed to the bedside. Before she could speak, her voice was already choked with emotion, "Your Majesty... it is all my fault. Your Majesty has fallen ill to this extent, and I have not come to visit you in person..."

Oh? As she slowly raised her head, what emerged was an extraordinarily beautiful face, akin to a celestial being descending to the mortal realm, complemented by the adornments of pearl hairpins and jade rings. Remarkably, her graceful figure was both enchanting and refined, with a dignified charm that revealed boundless allure in the flicker of her eyes.

That must also be a beautiful daughter... Ahem, Mei Niang, I have often been reminiscing about the moments when we first met...

Now that her position is firmly established, there is no one in the court who can shake her status. During the Fengshan sacrificial ceremony, she led the concubines and royal relatives to ascend the sacred mountain, strongly demonstrating her legitimate status as equal to the emperor.

In the second year of the Qianfeng era of the Great Tang Dynasty (AD 667), at the Taiji Palace in the imperial city of Chang'an in the western capital.