Although they were nominally father and son, Changyan's relationship with the imperial family was far from close.
Whether he called for his father or went to Fengxian Hall a few days ago, it was all just to plot against Consort Ju.
Now that the Emperor has come to invite him in the middle of the night, could it be that he has seen through his scheme and is angry and wants to settle scores later?
The long banquet is not afraid of these things.
Now, the previous dynasty had the Dou, Jiang, and Yao families, the He family replaced the Fang family, and the Zhu and Tao families were not a force to be reckoned with, otherwise they would not have had to lie low and endure.
General Jiang controlled the military power in the northern frontier, and Fang Heng picked up some of the scattered former members of the Fang family, gradually forming a force to be reckoned with.
The biggest problem used to be the Ju family, and the decades-long affection in the emperor's heart.
With a bowl of poisoned white lotus seed porridge, even if the Ju family manages to retain their status, they will never regain their former glory.
At this point, the entire plan was in place.
The young man straightened his clothes, opened the door in full view of everyone, and said with a faint smile, "I'll trouble the guard commander to lead the way."
The night remained deep and dark, and no amount of candlelight could illuminate the way forward, just as life is forever shrouded in uncertainty.
But as long as you have a clear conscience, you can take every step firmly.
The West Third Palace was an auxiliary palace of Chengqian Palace. After the Fourth Prince moved out of the palace, only Changyan stayed there. The short distance could be reached in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
Steward Wu was on night watch at the gate, with Eunuch Wu by his side. Although they should have been yawning from exhaustion, the father and son were both wide awake.
Especially after witnessing the long banquet, this spirit turned into a shiver, and even the young eunuch Wu was filled with fear.
"Chief Steward Wu, why are you personally keeping watch at night?" Changyan inquired discreetly, "Does Father have some important business to attend to?"
"No, no," Steward Wu immediately shook his head with a smile. "I just wanted to sit outside for a while. Your Highness, please come inside."
It would be strange if there weren't any.
Tonight, from Wen Zhiyun to the guards, and then to Steward Wu and Eunuch Wu, there was something strange about them.
Chang Yan lowered his gaze, subconsciously adopting a guarded posture, and slowly stepped into the main hall of Chengqian Palace.
I don't know if it's just my imagination, but the entire hall felt eerily empty. Even though there was a charcoal fire in the corner, it still exuded a chilling atmosphere.
It's a bit like that dilapidated temple in Shili Pu Village, which quickly withered away after the siblings left. Jiang Sheng said it was because it lost its popularity.
It's popular.
Thinking of her brother and sister, Changyan's expression relaxed, and she became much quieter and gentler.
However, Chengqian Palace, as the residence of the emperor, should not be empty and deserted.
He frowned again, took a few steps into the East Hall, and saw a middle-aged man lying flat on the dragon bed.
The golden dragon was covered up to his chest, with his two arms draped over his sides. His slightly curled fingers were inexplicably thin and dry, like withered branches exposed to the sun in the wilderness.
Is this person... still the Tianjia I remember?
Chang Yan was a little doubtful that he was seeing things, but this was indeed Chengqian Palace, and what was in front of him was indeed the dragon bed.
He took two more steps forward and finally saw the chest rising and falling slightly under the blankets, and only then did he feel relieved.
Changyan had disliked his biased father for a long time—when he was a child, he would sit alone by the pond and always see Zhu Changhong being carried by the river, while he could hardly even get a glimpse of him.
At first, being young and unaware of the dangers, she would ask her mother, "Why doesn't Father hold me? Why didn't I get a share of the new luminous pearl?"
Empress Yan shook her head with a bitter smile, unable to express her feelings, and could only hold the child herself in her arms.
Later, Xiao Changyan understood that because his mother was not favored, he could not receive his father's favor, nor could he receive his father's embrace or the dazzling array of treasures.
Gradually, his deep affection for his son was replaced by disgust. He would no longer stagger up from the pond to catch up, nor would he covet the luminous pearl. He would only coldly feed the fish and then coldly watch Zhu Changhong's filial piety towards his father.
If you can't have it, then don't get it; if you can't get it, then don't ask for it.
His feelings for his father gradually dried up and have never recovered to this day.
What he admired and revered was only the image of his father, never any specific person, much less the person lying on the dragon bed.
He thought he was cold enough, especially after his mother passed away and he fled the capital alone.
Indeed, this was the case. Whether it was pushing Xu Mo to be the top scholar when he returned to the palace, or scheming against Consort Ju in the bet at Fengxian Hall, he felt no ripples or emotions in his heart.
He had been waiting, waiting to rightfully succeed to the throne, to control the world and protect the peace of all people.
Just now, the person on the bed lay flat like a withered tree, his heart pounding violently, accompanied by a frenzied surge of emotions.
It wasn't joy, it wasn't nervousness, it was fear.
He was actually afraid of losing it...
It's ridiculous. He and the Tian family have only ever had a nominal relationship; they have no real affection for each other.
The neglect they experienced in their childhood, the favoritism they received, and the absence of their loved ones in life are obstacles that will never be erased.
If there were any real feelings left, perhaps only admiration for a weak emperor who was still able to maintain both the court and the frontier.
He did not respect his father, but he was willing to respect the emperor.
After calming himself down, Chang Yan looked back at the person on the dragon bed and realized that the imperial family member had already woken up.
The middle-aged man's face was gaunt, but his eyes were bright and clear, possessing a captivating power that drew the eye directly into his pupils.
If one has not weathered countless storms, a long banquet would be truly difficult to endure.
Fortunately, he managed to hold his own.
The father and son stood there in the quiet hall, looking at each other, neither willing to back down, neither willing to admit defeat.
After an unknown amount of time, Tian Jia's hearty laughter rang out, "Good, very good, you've got guts, kid."
How many people in the world can meet the emperor's gaze without flinching?
"Although it's a bit of hindsight to say this, I still want to say that you are very good, all of you are very good." He sat up with difficulty, swallowing several times as if he was suppressing something. "I really didn't expect that the pampered Hong'er would not become strong, but the neglected children are all capable."
Perhaps this is also a flaw in human nature—the more smoothly things go for someone, the less likely they are to have ambition and achieve anything significant.
Chang Yan declined to comment.
Outsiders only saw the ambition and strength that grew from setbacks, but they never asked the child whether he was willing to endure the hardship.
“Chang Yu has some ability, but his background limits his vision. Although the second branch of the Fang family holds power, it is on the decline.” Tian Jia continued to analyze, “If he, a lone prince, cooperates with the Fang family, only the Fang family will benefit in the future, while he himself will be sidelined and become a puppet.”
"Besides..." the man paused, "a person who could force his elder sister-in-law to her death and harm his nephew, what kind of good person could he be?"
It's like trying to get something from a tiger.
The emperor's tone was calm, but it sent chills down Changyan's spine.
He almost instinctively took two steps back. "You...you knew everything? You knew everything and still let the Fang family run rampant, letting the eldest son of the main branch wander outside?"
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