Chapter 98 You have had this idea for a long time, right?
Empress Dowager Jiang looked surprised, raised her eyelids and glanced at her son.
"Since their passing, the position of Empress has long been vacant. Now, the six palaces are without a leader, and all affairs are left unmanaged. Chaos is rampant. My son believes that we should choose a suitable candidate and appoint her as Empress. It has been seven years since Meng entered the palace. She comes from a distinguished family, is beautiful and intelligent, and is virtuous and worthy of being Empress."
Lu Haozhi spoke slowly, but his hands were gently clenched.
Empress Dowager Jiang said nothing for a while, then said, "You've had this thought for a long time, right?"
Lu Haozhi took a cup of tea from the palace maid without answering.
Recently, he always had a strange illusion that Meng Yan was about to disappear from this palace.
This illusion was absurd. She was his concubine. Where could she go without his permission?
However, Lu Haozhi was still troubled by this illusion.
"Mother, she deserves it."
Lu Haozhi took a sip of tea and said softly.
The Queen Mother was right. He had indeed had this idea in mind before, but the timing had not been right before. Later, Meng Yan's temperament became more and more arrogant and manic. The officials talked about it, and the six palaces were dissatisfied, so the matter had to be put on hold.
Recently, Meng Yan's temperament has gradually returned to normal. When she last took charge of the palace, everything was in perfect order. She is also the daughter of the Marquis of Yiyang. The civil official group headed by Liang Benwu is now increasingly powerful, and it is time to increase its influence elsewhere.
Putting aside her own selfish motives, Meng Yan is indeed the most suitable candidate for queen.
As for his innermost thoughts...
Lu Haozhi wanted to use the position of queen to keep Meng Yan by his side forever.
Live together and die together.
"If you think about it, the daughter of the old Meng family really deserves it."
Empress Dowager Jiang said lightly, and the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes wrinkled slightly, revealing the difficult years of this older woman.
"When the late emperor launched his rebellion, Meng Xiang fought numerous battles and achieved countless military feats. When you ascended the throne, it was he who executed Qin Heng in public, thus stabilizing the situation. Although this matter remains controversial, his contribution to supporting the emperor is undeniable. Even more remarkable is that Old Meng knew what was happening and never used his achievements to seek favor. Instead, he retired at the right moment, claiming illness, and has essentially handed over all military power over the past two years. Furthermore, her maternal grandfather, Ning Zhonghuai, practiced medicine in the army and once treated the late emperor. Logically, a girl of this background is worthy of the position of empress."
Empress Dowager Jiang spoke word for word about the past events and the Meng family's assistance in the past, which made Lu Hao's eyes light up.
"So, Mother..."
Empress Dowager Jiang raised her hand and said, "Emperor, you cannot make her empress right now."
Lu Haozhi's face darkened. "Mother, you just said that she is worthy of the position of Queen."
Empress Dowager Jiang sighed deeply and said, "The timing is not right now. You have just appointed Meng Changyuan as the Marshal of the Western Expedition, and now you are so hasty to appoint Yan'er as empress. Your intentions are too obvious. Furthermore, the Meng family is weak now, Meng Changyuan has not yet achieved success, and Yan'er has been criticized for being childless for many years. If you force her to be empress now, I am afraid that will not convince the officials."
The Queen Mother mentioned that Meng Yan had no children, which touched a sore spot in Lu Haozhi's heart. He snorted in displeasure.
"Back then, Wang Shi was also crowned empress without having any children. Why didn't they say these things then?"
Empress Dowager Jiang raised her eyebrows and scolded, "Wang was the Crown Princess married to you by the late Emperor. Whether she has children or not, it's only natural that she should be your Empress! Besides, the Jianghuai Wang family came to your aid, and several of Wang's uncles died on the battlefield. She deserves this position. Your Majesty, I thought you would have become more stable and shrewd after all these years of experience. Why are you still so willful?"
After these harsh words, Lu Haozhi fell silent, his pale thin lips pressed into a straight line.
Empress Dowager Jiang sighed softly and softened her tone, "Hao'er, I know you like Yan. However, the title of empress is a matter of great importance. The empress holds the seals, governs the six palaces, and has the power to issue imperial edicts. It's not like a common man can just marry a wife from the bed. The succession of empress positions often affects the situation at court. Yan can't hold that position securely. If that's the case, it's better to leave the position vacant. Forcing it would only harm her. You understand all this, but it's only because of your recent disagreements with Yan that you've acted impulsively. Am I right?"
Lu Haozhi did not answer, his eyes fell on a row of bird cages hanging on the corridor outside the window, where several cockatoos were happily jumping.
Empress Dowager Jiang followed his gaze, lost in thought for a moment, then patted his hand. "If you refuse to accept the gift of heaven, you will surely suffer the consequences. Born into the royal family and sitting on this throne, you must shoulder this heavy responsibility. Think about it from another perspective. If you hadn't been the crown prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty, you wouldn't have had this fate. That's all I have to say. Think carefully about it."
Lu Haozhi's mind turned, and he thought secretly, this is not a final word. When Meng Changyuan has made military achievements, I will appoint him as the general and give him the command of several military camps in the suburbs of the capital to protect the capital. Then Yan'er's enthronement as queen will be a natural outcome.
Empress Dowager Jiang looked at Lu Haozhi. Although he didn't say anything, his eyes kept moving. She couldn't help but sigh.
This son was the one she carried for ten months and gave birth to, and was raised with great difficulty. How could a mother not understand what he was thinking!
Lu Haozhi was gifted. He learned calligraphy at the age of three and could write poems at the age of five. He was proficient in both civil and military strategies. Several great scholars of the time came to the court to teach the prince, and they all praised Lu Haozhi's qualifications.
Raising and nurturing him had consumed all her energy. He was her pride, her only hope after a turbulent half-life.
Lu Haozhi lived up to her expectations. He diligently pursued his arts, remained humble and steady, and possessed a reserved and self-possessed demeanor. Even though the late emperor favored Concubine Li, despite countless whispers, he never considered changing the crown prince.
He was very clear about his identity and understood what it meant to be a king. The only time in his life that he spoke to her, he wanted Meng Yan.
Empress Dowager Jiang understood at that time that Meng Yan had different feelings towards Lu Haozhi, so she put aside her old face and went to find Ning Zhonghuai in person.
If the Crown Princess had not been decided at the beginning, that would have been fine.
Fate plays tricks on us and there is nothing we can do about it.
Empress Dowager Jiang, having experienced many hardships in her life, had long since lost interest in these sentimental matters. She changed the subject and asked, "Among the several concubines newly selected into the palace this year, are you particularly interested? I have heard that not only have you stopped entering the harem recently, but you've also removed the green cards from the concubines."
Lu Haozhi's face tightened, and he turned around and said, "My son doesn't like it and doesn't want other women."
“Nonsense!”
Empress Dowager Jiang threw the tea bowl in her hand onto the table, and the tea immediately splashed out. The palace maid standing beside her hurriedly took a towel to wipe it.
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