Chapter 434: The Oriole Scheme [V5C141 – A Distance Within Reach]

Lin Xitang’s indifferent expression finally changed into one of distinct astonishment. “Empress Li? How can she have the authority to do so?”

Heavenly monarchs were characters at the top of the empire. Even the emperor himself didn’t have much control over them, not to mention an intermediary from the imperial harem—the status was honorable but held little actual power.

But Lin Xitang was extremely sharp. After some thought, he associated this matter with recent developments and soon figured out the entire process.

Zhang Boqian’s first wife passed away early without any children, and his life as a soldier left him with only a bastard son of mediocre talents. He himself was also quite indifferent to producing offspring. The Zhang clan was already prepared to choose a successor from among his nephews from the Duke Dan lineage, as was conventional for nobility.

The Li family had their eyes on this point—they planned to split the number one clan and rope in this newly ascended heavenly monarch while the imperial court and the aristocratic clans were engaged in a power struggle. Their ambitions weren’t small, and their expenditure was just as steep. If the empress’s family managed to form an alliance with the new heavenly...