People know that when the mother is strong, the son is weak; when the mother is weak, the son is strong.
This principle can also be applied to fathers and sons. The overly powerful late emperor created the current weak imperial family, which even had to give in to the choice of his wife.
The half-decree proved that his feelings for Consort Ju were even more profound than twenty years of favor.
But it was also half an imperial edict, proving that his heart held not only emotions, but also the fate of the Great Yu Dynasty and the livelihood of its people.
Chang Yan turned his head and looked at his biological father.
When did she realize that he wasn't as bad as she thought?
When the top three scholars were selected by imperial decree, he appeared to be incompetent and compromised with the powerful families, but in reality, he was patiently waiting to profit.
They amassed hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, leaving not a single penny behind, and had the Sun family's sons transport it directly to the frontier so that the soldiers could have meat to eat during the winter.
As emperor, he was neither arrogant nor extravagant, nor indulged in debauchery. Instead, he ordered the cancellation of the triennial imperial concubine selection, and to date, there are only six concubines in the harem.
This person suddenly broke away from the image of incompetent and foolish people in my memory.
He was so heartless, keeping his freedom-loving mother locked up in the palace, coldly watching Consort Ju's arrogant demeanor, and showering all his affection on his eldest son.
He only knows how to smooth things over when faced with problems. He knows that the Yan family has been slandered and defamed, but he still lets the family of doctors wither away.
He knew perfectly well that the eldest branch of the Fang family was being persecuted, yet he remained indifferent and allowed the second branch of the Fang family to stir up trouble.
He's such a contradiction.
He did not eliminate the accomplice, but he saved An Jun.
He couldn't stop the cheating in the imperial examinations, but he insisted that Xu Mo become the top scholar.
He seemed to be wavering between the two princes, but upon closer examination, it was revealed that he was the one in control.
He made Changyan realize that cowardly people and wise emperors are not actually in conflict.
With a grandfather as brilliant as him, how could he possibly choose an incompetent figurehead to be controlled by a powerful family?
It was precisely because of all these factors that Changyan decided to lay all his cards on the table and take a gamble.
Admittedly, he could have obtained that position through intrigue, but he preferred to do it legitimately and openly.
"Father," the young man began, using the most common form of address among ordinary people, "when I brought you to the Fengxian Hall, were you annoyed or displeased?"
Tianjia paused slightly, a memory flashing in his eyes, "I haven't... come to see him for a long time."
The "he" here refers to the grandfather, the valiant emperor who, even in his fifties, still wore armor and went to war.
It turns out that everyone has a special feeling towards their father.
Chang Yan admired his father, who was both incompetent and foolish, as well as his own heroic and extraordinary father.
Or, on a sleepless night, she might quietly hide in front of her father's memorial tablet and mutter complaints.
It's a pity that those who have passed away cannot even utter a rebuke, let alone give their children a hug.
“I…haven’t seen him for many years.” Tian’s nose was slightly red, as if she was trying her best to suppress something. “After more than ten years apart, I miss him a little.”
Some say there are no fathers and sons in the imperial family, and some say there is no true affection in the royal family.
But there is only one father. No matter what the future holds, the filial piety and respect he once felt will always be etched in his heart, and his longing for affection will never disappear.
“Father…” The man, who was nearly forty years old, suddenly knelt on the prayer mat and choked out, “Have I fulfilled your expectations? Have I lived up to your expectations? Am I a good emperor? Am I like you?”
The pressure left by those who came before him was too great, and he would feel lost and afraid.
I fear I am not as good as my father, and I fear I will destroy this vast river.
He feared that a hundred years from now, his father would look at him with disappointment, shake his head, and say, "A-Yuan, why are you not as good as me?"
“A-Yuan also wants to be like his father, but everyone is different, please don’t blame me.” The man broke down in tears.
It seems that the mental anguish during the half-month-long drafting process was no small matter.
On one side is twenty years of affection, and on the other is half a lifetime of filial piety.
The ancients often said that loyalty and filial piety cannot be fulfilled at the same time. Why didn't they say that love and filial piety cannot be fulfilled at the same time? Or is it that emperors have to make sacrifices and always feel guilty towards those they have wronged?
Regardless, Changyan knew that coming to Fengxian Hall was the right decision.
He knelt on the small prayer mat, bent over with outstretched hands, and kowtowed with the utmost devotion.
After an unknown amount of time, the sobbing subsided, and only tranquility remained in the Fengxian Hall.
He slowly sat up and saw the distraught imperial family regain their composure, their eyes revealing the sharpness of an emperor. "You summoned me here to stop the investiture of the empress?"
You could say it is, or you could say it isn't.
The appointment of an empress would indeed cause trouble for the long banquet, but preventing it would be more about fighting for the mother's interests.
Empress Yan never received any love or affection in her life; her position as empress was her only honor and favor, and no one could compete for it.
What Changyan truly wanted to prevent was never the investiture of an empress.
He stretched out his five fingers again, made a grasping motion in the air, and finally clenched them into a fist.
“Father, you could actually be made Empress.” The young man smiled, his beautiful face gradually overlapping with that of Empress Yan. “But before you are made Empress, I am very curious about one thing: does Consort Ju love you as a person, or does she love the position of Empress?”
"How dare you be so rude!" The emperor frowned. "You should also address her as Mother Consort. How can you allow such speculation?"
"In front of Grandfather, in front of the ancestors of the Zhu family." Changyan tilted his head and smiled. "Is Father afraid of this answer?"
Before the emperor could get angry, he stood up, patting the corner of his clothes. "Why don't we make a bet in front of grandfather? If father wins, he can make Consort Ju his empress. If father loses, he can give up the idea. That would be a way to give grandfather an explanation."
What does winning or losing matter? What does explanation matter?
All of this is nonsense; the real key lies in the internal struggles within the imperial family.
If the situation was biased towards Consort Ju a few days ago, then today Fengxian Hall is clearly back to a state of confusion.
He couldn't bear to betray his childhood sweetheart, yet he also remembered his promise to the late emperor. In his moments of hesitation, his heart was torn apart and tormented.
The long banquet was more like a stepping stone, giving the imperial family a chance to step down.
Winning, coupled with his unwavering childhood friendship, allowed him to relinquish the position of Empress without any sense of guilt.
As for losing... he probably never thought about it.
"Twenty years of friendship remain unchanged. Even if Grandfather knew you hadn't kept your promise, he would forgive you, wouldn't he?" Chang Yan's voice rang out at the opportune moment, carrying an irresistible allure.
The emperor was stunned for a long time, his gaze shifting as he looked at the late emperor's memorial tablet. Finally, he hardened his heart and said, "Fine."
He only wanted to be crowned Empress; he had no intention of jeopardizing the nation's future. He would always remember the responsibilities his family bore.
Father, how about giving him a chance to fulfill his beloved's wish?
Just once.
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