In response to this, He Lianshan could only sigh suddenly, lamenting the changes in his highness.
In fact, many years ago, King Dai did not look like this today. He still remembered the scene when he first met King Dai under the guidance of the palace attendants.
At that time, Prince Dai was only twelve years old. He was wearing a golden silk brocade robe and standing under a pear tree with dots of blossoming flowers, answering the Queen's test. He was as handsome as jade, and had a unique charm at such a young age, making people look forward to him like the morning sun.
He spoke clearly and had a sharp mind. After answering the queen's questions, he turned around and saluted her, looking humble and polite.
At that time, he could not help but feel full of hope and ambition for having such an heir to the dynasty. After that, he gradually approached that position and was promoted to be a teacher specializing in teaching King Dai.
When he was young, Prince Dai was full of energy. After completing the homework assigned to him, he would take many of his peers out of the palace to play. Sometimes they would ride horses and hunt, sometimes they would take a boat on the river, recite poems and make friends with the younger generation of the dynasty's nobles. He was simply an ideal prince.
But... these are all things of the past.
The sound of snoring was heard in the hall. Seeing that King Dai was drunk again, He Lianshan had no choice but to bow his head and then slowly retreat.
The next day, King Dai was still drunk and did not hold a meeting in the government office.
On the third day, he reluctantly opened the palace, but he was drowsy sitting on the throne. When someone reported to him from below, he gave a perfunctory response. Seeing this, everyone had to leave.
On the fourth day, He Lianshan went to visit Prince Dai's mansion.
After passing through the long corridor and the courtyard guarded by guards, He Lianshan came to the depths of the backyard. A woman wearing a gorgeous dress with a black background and gold embroidery came forward.
"Why are you here today, father?" This was his daughter, and now the wife of King Dai.
"I come to see your majesty."
"Father..." The woman asked the maid beside her to step aside temporarily, and then pulled the old minister aside.
Seeing that there was no one around who could eavesdrop, the woman spoke.
"Even today, father still refuses to give up?" Compared to this minister, as the wife of King Dai, she had long realized the nature of the people around her and had long given up hope.
"I...have failed the late emperor's trust." He sighed, and understood his daughter's feelings in his heart.
"Back then, the Emperor asked me to teach Your Majesty, but I never imagined it would end up like this."
"Father, there's no need to say such things anymore." The woman led He Lianshan to a small pavilion and sat down.
"Your Majesty's affairs and temper are beyond the reach of a father to teach and correct."
"The then-Chief of the Autumn Office, Ying Lixing, repeatedly submitted memorials impeaching Prince Dai for forming a clique for personal gain and acting tyrannically, but the Emperor never rebuked him. Ultimately, His Majesty retaliated, leading to Ying Lixing's dismissal and death."
"Ying Lixing was the head of the Xuanyi Palace. He was fair and just throughout his life. After his death, the Xuanyi Palace disciples gradually lost their influence in the court, and the Lei, Minze, and Qizhou clans also gradually drifted away from the dynasty."
"Even the emperor is so indulgent. How can my father's simple admonitions change him?" The woman has long passed the age of youth and caution, and now she is very unrestrained when evaluating her husband.
"In the past, I also entered the palace and socialized with the queen and concubines in the harem, and learned some information from them."
"Father, do you know why the Emperor loved your Majesty so much when he was young?"
"Oh, why is that?" He Lianshan was puzzled and looked at his daughter beside him. This was the first time he knew about these past events in the deep palace.
The woman sat by the pavilion, threw the bait in her hand into the water, watched the fish swimming below come to compete for food, and talked about some past events.
"When the late emperor was young, he was raised by Concubine Lan. Concubine Lan was weak and often bullied in the palace. The empress at the time was the daughter of the Bi family, one of the six great families in Luojing. They had many powerful people both inside and outside the court, and they had many friends and marriages. This made the daughter of the Bi family extremely arrogant, and the other concubines in the palace all feared and avoided her."
"At that time, the late emperor was still young. He followed Concubine Lan and was taught many rules. He became low-key and sensible, thus avoiding the suppression of the empress and her offspring."
"Originally, everyone thought the Queen's son would inherit the throne. However, on his way to Yuzhang Mountain to pay homage, the late emperor, as a child, stumbled upon His Majesty Chifeng, who was admiring the scenery at the Sea of Clouds. Chifeng took a liking to him, and he often taught and raised him."
"Seeing how much His Majesty Chi Feng loved this child, the then-Sovereign gradually changed his mind and later made him the Crown Prince, and later the heir to the throne."
"After the emperor ascended the throne, the Bi family lost power, and the six aristocratic families of Luojing were also implicated and suppressed. It wasn't until more than ten years ago that they gradually recovered."
"Although the emperor was very sensible when he was young, he also suffered a lot of grievances and had many regrets in his heart. However, Your Majesty, Prince Dai, was born handsome and similar to him, so he was loved by everyone."
"When Prince Dai was young, he was cheerful and impulsive, and acted without restraint. Although this might seem inappropriate to outsiders, the Emperor was very pleased and happy because he was no longer as cautious and careful as he was back then. Furthermore, Prince Dai was the Empress's eldest son, and was doted on by the Emperor, so..."
"Father, it's useless to persuade me now." After spreading the bait in her hand, the woman turned around. Although her eyebrows were still dark, there were some wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.
"I never thought, so this is the reason why the late emperor doted on His Majesty Prince Dai. Sigh..."
After listening to his daughter's story, He Lianshan suddenly understood some of the puzzles he had before. Now he vaguely understood why, even with such solid evidence and strong power as the head of the Autumn Officials, he was unable to punish King Dai.
After her father gradually understood, the woman slowly stood up, looked at the flourishing Dai Wang Mansion again, and then spoke.
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