Chapter 151 Karma and Retribution (Important Plot Points You Must Read)
Seeing Emperor Mingwu's expression, Chu Huaiyu smiled mockingly and continued, "Father, you don't need to remain silent, because I have already seen through your thoughts completely!"
"You allowed my mother to treat me that way back then, simply to control Empress Yu and the Yu family!"
"You knew that the Empress Dowager was using despicable means to curry favor, but you pretended not to know, because in this way you had a way to get ahead."
"Wouldn't it be a win-win situation to both take away Empress Yu's favor and elevate the Rong family?!"
Chu Huaiyu paused, his gaze growing even colder.
"You are worried that Chu Siheng is too soft-hearted and kind-hearted. If he ascends the throne in the future, he will definitely not be able to bear to do anything to Empress Dowager Yu's family."
"After all, Empress Dowager Yu's brother holds great military power and is also your sworn brother. You want to get rid of this major threat, but you don't want to bear the infamy of killing your own brothers. So you want to use me to clear the obstacles for Chu Siheng and give him a stable and complete empire, is that right?"
"It's just a pity that despite all your careful planning, you ultimately misjudged Chu Siheng." Chu Huaiyu's tone was full of sarcasm.
"Chu Siheng is now blind and a cripple. He stays in the Mo Nan Prince's Mansion all day, never daring to see anyone. How can someone so cowardly and incompetent bear the responsibilities of an emperor?!"
At this point, Lu Zhaoxue's image suddenly flashed through Chu Huaiyu's mind.
He was wrong, and they were all wrong... But thankfully, he still has a lifetime to make it up to her.
Chu Huaiyu silently added in his heart: Chu Siheng is not only not a good man for the throne, but also not a good man for Lu Zhaoxue!
Upon hearing these words, Emperor Mingwu, who had been silent for a long time, finally smiled. The smile contained relief, as well as a complex mix of emotions.
He slowly said, "Huaiyu, you truly are the prince who most resembles me. You are absolutely right. Back then, that was indeed what I thought!"
Emperor Mingwu sat up slightly and looked out the window, as if recalling the past.
His voice remained calm as he continued, “Siheng is too soft-hearted and values relationships too much. Yu’s elder brother is his maternal uncle. If you ask him to take action to eliminate the Yu family, he will definitely be reluctant!”
"At that time, the Yu family will hold military power and their ambitions will grow. They will inevitably disrupt the court and endanger the country. I cannot ruin the future of the entire Great Zhou Dynasty because of my own favoritism!"
"Therefore, when Siheng, as the Crown Prince, committed a breach of morality, I was indeed just going along with the flow."
"I thought to myself at the time, if you really have such imperial methods, and can gradually concentrate the military power of the world into your own hands, and can firmly suppress Chu Siheng so that he can no longer cause trouble, then what's wrong with handing the world over to you?"
Emperor Mingwu raised his eyes to look at Chu Huaiyu, a hint of solemnity and a touch of barely perceptible guilt flashing in his eyes.
"I admit that I do have a slight preference for Siheng. But I am first and foremost the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and only secondly your father. The fate of the nation is paramount, and I cannot disregard the safety of the country for the sake of personal feelings between father and son!"
Upon hearing Emperor Mingwu's words, Chu Huaiyu suddenly couldn't help but laugh, his laughter low and sorrowful.
"Father, stop making excuses for your despicable behavior!"
He looked at Emperor Mingwu, his eyes filled with coldness: "Most like you? Father, what an irony those three words are to me!"
"Your posthumous title is 'Ren' (仁, meaning benevolence/humanity)! But what you have done is utterly unworthy of this title!"
"For the sake of imperial power and the country, you schemed against your wife and children, treated human life as worthless, and did not even spare loyal and meritorious officials. Is this your 'benevolence'?"
Chu Huaiyu took a deep breath, his gaze suddenly sharpening as he stared directly at Emperor Mingwu, saying each word clearly: "General Lu, Lu Zhaoxue's father, was it you who sent people to kill him back then?"
"General Lu has fought for the Great Zhou for many years, making outstanding contributions and being extremely loyal. However, you are wary of his military power and worried that he will become dissatisfied after his daughter marries Chu Siheng..."
"So you sent someone to assassinate him during his exile to the frontier, didn't you?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Mingwu remained calm and nodded, readily admitting, "What you say is quite true. I did indeed have such thoughts back then, and I did send people to carry them out."
A hint of melancholy flashed in Emperor Mingwu's eyes, but it quickly disappeared.
"I am well aware of General Lu's talent, but the way of an emperor cannot tolerate even the slightest hidden danger."
"However, I did not succeed. The men I sent encountered an unexpected situation and failed to complete the mission. As for General Lu's final whereabouts, whether he is alive or dead, I have no way of knowing."
When he said this, Emperor Mingwu's tone became unusually low. Perhaps it was out of regret for this meritorious official, or perhaps it was out of remorse for his scheming back then, but there was no remorse at all!
After all, if the ruler commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die!
After hearing this, Chu Huaiyu's face remained expressionless, and he had no further thoughts, as if he had already anticipated this outcome.
He looked at Emperor Mingwu silently, his tone icy cold and devoid of any warmth: "Father, you have spent your whole life scheming, scheming against the concubines in the harem, scheming against the ministers in the court, scheming against your own son."
"But you've forgotten that you are not only the emperor of the Great Zhou, but also the father of me and Chu Siheng! Now that we brothers have turned against each other, it's all thanks to you!"
Having said that, a resolute glint flashed in Chu Huaiyu's eyes, and he said coldly, "But it doesn't matter, Father. Since you can disregard the bond between father and son and manipulate us as pawns, then don't blame us for being ruthless..."
"Perhaps it is true, as you say, that I am most like you. Since I am to be like you, I must be like you thoroughly!"
"If a father is not a father, then a son need not be a son!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the meditation room fell silent again. The mountain wind, carrying mist, swept past the windowpanes, making the somber atmosphere in the hall even more intense.
The standoff in the meditation room finally came to an end, and the last trace of warmth in Chu Huaiyu's eyes was completely extinguished, leaving only bone-chilling coldness and decisiveness.
He looked at the aged and lonely Emperor Mingwu on the soft couch, and a cold smile crept onto his lips.
Chu Huaiyu didn't say another word to Emperor Mingwu. He turned and ordered in a deep voice towards the door, "Someone come here!"
Upon hearing the sound, the guards standing outside the door immediately bowed and entered, their expressions respectful yet revealing a hint of obvious fear, bowing their heads and awaiting the emperor's instructions.
With his back to Emperor Mingwu, Chu Huaiyu spoke in a voice as ghostly as a ghost, yet each word was clear: "Send this old benefactor on his way in peace. Make sure everything is done cleanly, so as not to defile the tranquility of Taihang Temple."
The guard froze upon hearing this, looking up at Chu Huaiyu with astonishment in his eyes, but dared not disobey in the slightest, and could only reply in a trembling voice: "Yes, Your Majesty."
When Emperor Mingwu heard Chu Huaiyu's words, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but it quickly turned into understanding and calm.
He didn't struggle at all, but just quietly watched Chu Huaiyu's departing figure, his eyes filled with complex emotions that were hard to describe.
Perhaps it's regret, perhaps it's relief, or perhaps it's helplessness...
Emperor Mingwu was a cunning man who schemed and plotted throughout his life, but in the end he was defeated by his son who resembled him the most. It can be said that this was karma!
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