Yuan Zhao thought of the worst-case scenario and didn't know what to do for a moment. He could only mutter, "As long as the emperor believes in him..."
Emperor Xuan glanced at her and said after a while, "Zhao Zhao, I am the ruler of a country. Even though I own the whole world, I still have many limitations."
"I don't have any omnipotent abilities. Every decision I make must be carefully considered to ensure that it doesn't go to waste the legacy passed down by our ancestors."
Since Yuan Zhao returned to the capital, Emperor Xuan himself has had a lot of thoughts.
In the past, he held the imperial power tightly in his hands. Even after he appointed a crown prince, he did not trust him much and allowed Yuan Cheng and Yuan Heng to compete with each other.
He didn't trust the Huo family at that time. To be more precise, he didn't trust anyone except himself.
This is the path that every emperor must take.
Even though some decisions were wrong, Emperor Xuan did not regret them.
It was only because of the unexpected incident of Yuan Zhizhi on this road that Emperor Xuan realized that if he insisted on going down this path, it would eventually lead to the tragedy of the destruction of his country and his family.
Only then did he begin to rethink and make some changes.
Thinking of some past events, Emperor Xuan continued, "Zhao Zhao, that year you negotiated with me. I listened to you, believed Huo Yan, believed the Huo family, and gave the Huo family the final honor."
I thought the past was over, but now I am afraid that the past will be brought up again and cause even greater waves.
"If this is truly the worst-case scenario..." Emperor Xuan's eyes darkened. "This matter involves Dacheng and Northern Qiang, and I can no longer minimize it."
"What we should consider now is not whether I trust Huo Yan or not," Emperor Xuan said, "but how your royal brother, the civil and military officials, the hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the border... and Huo Yan himself should deal with it..."
Hearing these words, Yuan Zhaowei closed his eyes.
The palpitating feeling I had more than ten years ago came back again.
That year, Yuan Cheng and Huo Yan went on an expedition to the northwest, and she stayed in the palace.
It just so happened that day that it was snowing heavily and she was in a good mood. She left the palace early and walked all the way to the Qinzheng Hall to pay her respects to her father.
When I walked outside the Qinzheng Hall, I heard my father was furious and mentioned the Huo family in conversation with someone.
A traitor emerged from the Huo family, and the Swift Wind Valley was defeated, with all the elite troops lost, leaving only Huo Yan alive...
There was a huge quarrel in the Qinzheng Hall:
Some people say that the Huo family should be punished with the death penalty for treason.
Some people say that there is no definite evidence to prove it and it is just hearsay.
Someone suggested that Huo Yan's order be used to commemorate the tragic deaths of the frontier soldiers.
Some people also said that the prince and Huo Yan were on good terms, and they might even be colluding with each other and were ambitious.
…
Yuan Zhao, who was outside, heard the fierce quarrel and his father's rage, and he felt cold from head to toe.
She couldn't even take a step.
Over the years, Yuan Zhao rarely thought about how he got through those days.
But the final result was good. Emperor Xuan did not make the matter public, did not order the execution of other members of the Huo family, and still compensated the Huo family with the same compensation as fallen soldiers.
The lives of Huo Yan and the rest of the Huo family were saved, and the Huo family's reputation for loyalty was also preserved.
But now, some things are vaguely within reach.
Once triggered, what will be the consequences?
Yuan Zhao didn't know either.
She sat there, thinking for a long time.
Emperor Xuan did not urge her and just read the book in his hand.
After an unknown amount of time, Zheng Lu came in to add more tea and caught a glimpse of the princess's wandering mind.
When Zheng Lu went out again, Yuan Zhao came back to his senses.
He caught a glimpse of the princess kneeling before Emperor Xuan and heard her say,
"Your Majesty, I beg you to grant me the marriage."
Arranged marriage? With whom?
Zheng Lu was surprised, but the person had already walked outside.
Emperor Xuan stared at the person kneeling before him and sighed, "Zhao Zhao, are you sure?"
"The matter between you and Wei Shaoqing has only just settled down. If you grant us a marriage now, you will be tied to Huo Yan and the Huo family, and you will be in the spotlight again."
Previously, due to the incident between Yuan Zhao and Wei Shaoqing, many censors were dissatisfied and submitted memorials of dissatisfaction or impeachment.
But Wei Shaoqing had no power after all, and with the support of the prince and the Shen family, the verbal battle was over.
But if Wei Shaoqing were replaced by the Huo family, it would be very different.
You don't have to think about how big the wind and waves will be.
If the Huo family encounters any more problems, Yuan Zhao's status as a princess will not be able to withstand the criticism from the court and the whole world.
Maybe even Yuancheng will be implicated.
"You are not a child anymore. You should know how to weigh the pros and cons." Emperor Xuan said in a deep voice.
Yuan Zhao knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Emperor Xuan.
"Father, I am an unfilial son."
She could choose to be a leisurely and comfortable princess, and as long as she drew a clear line between herself and Huo Yan, she could distance herself from the matter.
Yuan Cheng and Huo Yan have been in private contact over the years, so they can be left out.
If something really happened, both the brother and sister could stay out of trouble and it would also save Emperor Xuan from trouble.
But Yuan Zhao couldn't do it.
"Father," she said calmly, "Last time, I chose to leave him."
"This time, I want to stand with him."
Emperor Xuan looked at his daughter for a long time, his eyes showing a complicated expression.
He turned his head away, neither agreeing nor refusing, but simply waved his hand, "I still need to think about this matter. Kneel down and pay your respects."
…
Yuan Zhao came out of the palace and went to the East Palace to visit Song Yunci. It was late at night when he returned to the East Garden.
He first went to see Yuan Nanan and Yuan Xuan, and confirmed that they were recovering well, then returned to his room.
She dismissed the servants and just wanted to be alone for a while.
As soon as I entered the room and closed the door, I was embraced in a warm embrace.
The familiar fragrance filled her nose and she felt a moment of relaxation.
She didn't turn around, but just let him hold her and asked him, "Why are you here today?"
After Yuan Cheng returned to the Eastern Palace, Huo Yan was almost there too.
I don’t know what he has been busy with these days, but he rarely comes to the royal gardens.
Huo Yan hugged her from behind, put his face close to her ear, and said with a smile, "I came to see if you missed me."
Yuan Zhao couldn't help but chuckle and glanced sideways in the dark night.
I want to see how General Huo said such disgusting words.
But there was no light in the house, so she couldn't see clearly.
I could only feel his breath beside my ears.
Yuan Zhao turned around and hugged him from the front.
Huo Yan was stunned, but smiled slightly. She rarely took the initiative.
But Yuan Zhao didn't stop. She groped and stood on tiptoe.
Huo Yan heard her say, "Lower your head."
He didn't understand and lowered his head.
Although the room was dark, Huo Yan's night vision had always been excellent.
He saw her movements clearly.
In fact, there is no need to see clearly.
Because the touch on the lips was infinitely magnified in the dark.
She kissed him for the first time.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
