Chapter 5, Descendants of Loyal Ministers

Empress Xiaozhen'an, Wen Huaiyu, despite her humble origins, shared a deep affection with Hong'an, and is considered one of the most stable empresses in history. Especially before Hong'an was made crown prince, it is said that feelings formed during times of hardship are more genuine, and Empress Wen was his cherished ideal woman.

As everyone knows, in the records of empresses during the Ning Dynasty, before Hong'an, only the surname was usually recorded, not the given name. Empress Xiaozhen'an set a precedent; Emperor Hong'an not only chose her reign title as his wife's name, but also wrote a special book to commemorate his beloved wife.

Emperor Hong'an smiled wryly, glancing at his sons prostrate on the ground.

Her eyebrows and eyes resembled those of the late Empress.

He hadn't written his book yet, knew nothing about the future, and looked up at the sky.

The perfunctory font on the cover has finally changed; the image shakes slightly, switching to a faded book page.

It looks like a rubbing, but it appears somewhat distorted.

Emperor Hong'an looked closely and saw that the cover was indeed in his handwriting, with a small seal at the bottom that read "Zhong Shi Yunzhi".

It is indeed his handwriting.

This book has been passed down for a thousand years and has been reprinted and published several times. The loving relationship between Emperor Hong'an and his wife has also become a timeless tale.

The Ning Dynasty was known for its romantic figures, and Emperor Zhongzong was no exception. However, Zhongzong's marriage was a conflict between husband and wife. Although his position as empress was secure, he lacked tenderness, so his character is often portrayed as a couple who are both extremely close and distant. Recent discoveries of artifacts in his mausoleum, however, prove this to be a classic example of misleading propaganda, which I will discuss later.

emperor:……

The emperor blushed.

Just as he was about to say something, his legs felt heavy again. Looking down, he saw the Third Prince quickly climbing up on him again, his trouser legs slightly damp once more: "Father—I miss Mother too!"

Emperor Hong'an's face, which had just collapsed, quickly changed, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly saw someone hurrying towards him in the distance.

The visitor dared not raise his head and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the nine candidates for the position of tutor have all arrived and are waiting for your decree outside the flower hall."

Emperor Hong'an's expression turned serious. He raised his leg and kicked his third son, causing him to stumble, then pretended not to see it and said to Zhao Wen, "Bring him in."

This is what Zhou She and his entourage saw when they entered the flower hall.

The four princes stood solemnly to one side, seemingly having just been reprimanded, their faces increasingly grim.

Only the Third Prince's expression was somewhat acceptable.

Zhou She had no time to think and knelt down to pay his respects along with the others.

Emperor Hong'an remained silent, carefully examining the group before smiling after a moment: "You are all dashing young men."

Zhou She felt a chill run down his spine from the emperor's laughter and silently shrank to the far right, praying that the emperor wouldn't notice him.

The emperor's gaze swept over him and landed on another person.

He was looking at Zhuang Shi, the heir of the Marquis of Zhen'an.

“A few days ago, your father sent a letter to me about the situation in the northern frontier. The conditions there are harsh, and Marquis Zhen’an is able to endure the loneliness, but it is you who are suffering.”

Zhuang Shi never expected to be targeted by the emperor. He knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling slightly at first: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. It is our honor that my father guards the border for the country. I am not suffering."

Emperor Hong'an nodded slightly, staring at Zhuang Shi with a kind expression: "The Zhen'an Marquis's family has been loyal and virtuous for generations, serving as my valiant generals. Zhuang Shi, look at my four sons, which one would you choose to assist?"

Zhuang Shi: "???" Is this human speech?

He began to doubt himself: I shouldn't be here!

Zhuang Shi desperately wanted to say, "Your Majesty, if you want to kill me, just do it. There's no need to make up a reason." But in the end, he didn't dare, and after stammering for a long time, he couldn't utter a single word.

Seeing that he was sweating profusely with embarrassment, Emperor Hong'an said knowingly, "Alright, judging from your appearance, it seems you can't answer. In that case, don't stand here, give them seats."

The last sentence was said to Zhao Wen.

The eunuchs quickly got to work, bringing chairs for everyone so they could sit down comfortably.

Emperor Hong'an and Empress Xiaozhen'an had a deep affection for each other, and he had high hopes for his sons, and was very tolerant of them. As the saying goes, true feelings are revealed in times of adversity. In the more than ten years before his ascension to the throne, Zhong Shize had only received love from his first wife.

After his wife's death, he poured his remaining affection into his children, becoming a truly loving father.

Those who were not involved in the conversation lowered their heads further and further as they listened.

Is this really something I can hear?

Everyone had become numb to Tianmu's previous comments about the emperors, but when Tianmu addressed them by their full names, they were all drenched in sweat.

We really don't want to hear about matters of the imperial family.

At least they didn't want to hear it in front of the emperor himself.

As for how good the emperor was to his sons, that was an unquestionable fact. Even Zhou She had heard about it; he was practically an ancient version of a doting parent.

Everyone lowered their heads and tried their best to pretend they didn't exist.

At this point, some people might ask, what does that have to do with the matter of Emperor Hong'an's selection of an heir?

That's a good question. Emperor Hong'an looked at his sons with great affection. When his third son died, he wept bitterly, and although his hair was already white, he also fell seriously ill.

Now that he's finally made the eldest son the crown prince, he turns around and sees the fifth son, sigh, this child is also very cute! How can I bear to send him to his fiefdom?

Anyone who has seized the throne knows immediately that this is bad news.

The fifth prince choked up for a moment, but in front of a group of ministers, he couldn't very well cling to his father's leg, so he could only lower his voice and say, "Your subject is grateful for your concern, Father, and I am also reluctant to part with you."

Emperor Hong'an didn't bother to look at him, his tone calm, only his trembling fingers betrayed his true feelings: "You just need to do your job well."

Tianmu continued almost without pausing:

In the thirtieth year of the Hong'an era, the Fifth Prince gained increasing favor, his influence almost rivaling that of the Second Prince (the Crown Prince version). The Second Prince was truly insecure and anxious; being the Crown Prince had never been easy!

He opened the history book and saw that the crown prince had no right of succession. He had no choice but to take the throne!

So he sought out a "fierce general" he'd met years ago while studying at the border. The two conspired—if they waited any longer, the emperor might depose the crown prince. Deciding to strike first, they decided to break into the emperor's palace in the dead of night, intending to force the emperor to abdicate.

The second prince had just stood up when he heard this, and he knelt down again with a thud.

The emperor, finally losing his temper, rose and roared, "You unfilial son! What else do you have to say?!"

He listened patiently for so long, but when he finally learned that his son was planning a rebellion, his emotions were in turmoil and he could no longer control himself.

He had nothing at hand and wasn't the type to resort to violence. He pointed at the Second Prince, trembling for a long time, but ultimately said nothing.

Seemingly enraged, his vision blurred, and he slumped back into his rocking chair. The crowd surged forward, chanting in unison, "Your Majesty, please take care of your health—"

As for the rest, they didn't dare to say a word.

Who knows if the emperor will kill the second prince once he comes to his senses?

Some people frantically grabbed medicine and summoned the imperial physician, creating a chaotic and noisy scene.

Taking this opportunity, Tianmu continued:

It was already known that the second prince was dull-witted, but as the eldest son and crown prince, he also had unique advantages.

The main reason was that the emperor was getting old, and various powerful families were eager to make their move. For example, the Zhou family, the Tan family, and the An family all threw themselves into the battle for the throne.

This former colleague joined the Second Prince's camp, willingly betraying the Emperor, for three reasons: first, during the defense of the city, the Second Prince displayed remarkable courage, which, even if not abundant, was still rare compared to the emperors. Second, he held the title of Crown Prince, securing his position. Third... he was blinded by greed, believing the Emperor was old and incapable.

The emperor was sobered up by the anger.

Even the most good-tempered person can't help but get angry when they hear these words.

Although his eyes were blurry, his hearing was still working. He strained to hear who Tianmu was talking about.

This time, the sky wasn't beating around the bush:

This fierce general is the one I just mentioned, who charged into the Northern Di army and rescued the Second Prince's brother.

He was also somewhat distinguished, as he came from a family of military generals. His great-grandfather had served his great-grandfather and was later enshrined in the Temple of Martial Arts. In other words, he actually had some family background in martial arts.

However, this guy caused a rebellion, and the emperor was reluctant to kill his own son. But who did this kid think he was? Not only was he beheaded, but the emperor also moved the cards out of the way.

If his great-grandfather saw this from underground, his blood pressure would spike, and he'd jump out of his coffin and slap him twice.

This filial son was none other than Zhuang Che, the second son of the Zhuang family and a renowned general.

When the emperor heard the first half of the story, he had already vaguely identified several families, including the Zhuang family.

But Zhuang Ziqian, Zhuang's father, was his capable assistant, and he could not be dismissed at will.

Until the very end, when Zhuang Che's name was revealed, there was no longer any room for concealment.

Emperor Hong'an's expression changed drastically, and the atmosphere instantly darkened. Caught off guard, Zhuang Shi hadn't even grasped the cause and effect; his first reaction was to kneel down and beg for forgiveness.

"His Majesty……"

Fear gripped Zhuang Shi, and his voice trembled uncontrollably, but he didn't know what to say.

Emperor Hong'an ignored him, staring intently at the sky. At this moment, what was displayed on the sky was no longer his handwriting, but a map.

At the same time, in northern Xinjiang.

Zhuang Ziqian was stiff all over, the sound of the sky still swirling in his mind.

Zhuang Che stood straight on the training ground, looking up at the sky, his face turning pale.

"I...I don't know the Second Prince..."

Zhuang Ziqian remained silent for a long time. He closed his eyes, utterly exhausted: "Of course you don't recognize me now."

Treason is a grave crime, and even the most lenient person cannot tolerate it. If the reigning emperor were to execute nine generations of their family, they would not be able to utter a single cry of injustice.

This is the sky, a miracle!

Could the canopy be fake?!

There was no sound from the sky; the map on the screen showed red lines and several arrows of varying thickness pointing to circles.

Meanwhile, Emperor Hong'an, who was in the center of the crowd, was once again drawn to something else.

"Someone come here!" he shouted, "Make a copy of this map!"

I don't know how this map was drawn, but it perfectly shows the undulating mountains and changes in terrain, all within this one map.

The marching routes of the Northern Di were shown by several arrows of different colors and thicknesses.

The sound of drawing behind him filled the air, and the emperor was momentarily mesmerized, his heart brimming with boundless pride.

Could it be that in my lifetime I will be able to sweep away the Northern Barbarian royal court?!

Back then, the Northern Barbarians launched a massive attack, besieging Mingyuan Pass for months. The Second Prince fought his way out of the city, and on the verge of death, Zhuang Che personally charged into the fray, bringing the Prince out. At that moment, two mediocre men with only the strength of warriors found a mutual respect.

Zhuang Che: "..."

You just said I was a famous general.

Clearly, Tianmu's mention of a famous general was not a compliment:

In this battle, Zhuang Che displayed an aura of being able to hold off ten thousand men, but other than that, he was nothing special. The two of them were chased around like stray dogs for a whole day.

The second prince, pierced by an arrow, miraculously survived the jolting on horseback, demonstrating superhuman physical abilities. Even unconscious, he clung tightly to his younger brother's head, a testament to their brotherly love and respect!

The sound from the sky was melodious and varied, but unfortunately, no one in the palace could laugh.

The voice sounded cheerful, like a joke to her, but to everyone else, it was like seeing a ghost in broad daylight.

At the very heart of the storm, Zhuang Shi trembled with fear, awaiting only Emperor Hong'an's judgment. He could almost see himself thrown into the imperial prison, exiled to Ningguta, forced into hard labor for life, and dying on the frontier...

"Zhuang Shi? The Crown Prince?"

The voices around him grew louder and louder, and Zhuang finally snapped out of his daze. He saw the Grand Eunuch Zhao Wen half-squatting in front of him, calling his name in a soft voice: "Your Highness, His Majesty is calling for you."

Emperor Hong'an smiled enigmatically. Seeing that Zhuang Shi was lucid, he chuckled and said, "You don't even listen to me? You think you're invincible?"

This laugh was neither gentle nor cold.

Zhuang Shi was filled with bitterness, cursing his good brother in his heart, and choked out, "The sinner Zhuang Che has betrayed the emperor, but our Zhuang family is truly loyal! Please, Your Majesty, see clearly. If the Zhuang family is fortunate enough to be spared, we only wish to guard the border for Your Majesty and do our best."

The look in Emperor Hong'an's eyes made him feel extremely uncomfortable. After saying this, Zhuang Shi slammed his head on the ground with a thud and buried his face in his arms like an ostrich.

After a long silence, Emperor Hong'an finally looked away and said, "Your father was indeed a loyal and upright minister."

He was so pleased with Zhuang Ziqian that he hesitated about how to handle the matter.

So he decided to think about the problem later and let Zhuang Shi kneel for a while first.

The sky curtain thoughtfully said:

It was perhaps during this period of friendship that General Zhuang developed some misunderstandings about the Second Prince. Fortunately, he encountered Emperor Renzong, who only executed him as a warning to others. If he had encountered Emperor Taizong, even ten generations of his family would not have been enough to kill.

As for famous generals… Emperor Renzong disliked him, so how could he allow his ancestor to remain in the Temple of Martial Arts? He single-handedly changed the ancestral tablets in the Temple of Martial Arts; how could that not qualify him as a famous general of his time?

Emperor Hong'an seemed to be deep in thought.

So this is how I handled it?

This serves as reassurance: knowing that the emperor only punishes the ringleaders, the dealers are even more willing to submit and guard the country's borders for the emperor.

Only when the emperor knew the outcome of the matter and knew that the Zhuang family would not truly rebel because of Zhuang Che's affair could he make his next decision.

In short, the emperor was in complete chaos because of the second prince. The son couldn't fight against the father; Emperor Hong'an had just imprisoned his son when he received news the very next day that the prince had committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

Emperor Hong'an, being such a loving father, must have been incredibly exhausting.

After the deaths of the second and third princes, Emperor Zhongzong's role in the story gradually increased. From here, we'll also debunk some long-standing misconceptions.