Chapter 99 The Emperor and the Empress Dowager.
When Chu Heng returned home, Daiyu was reclining on the couch reading a book, while little Chu Yang was fast asleep on the bed. He couldn't help but chuckle, "He was asleep when I left, and he's still sleeping when I got back. How long has he been sleeping today?"
Daiyu turned a page of her book, her face showing concern, and said, "Don't say that. He cried for a while and it took a long time to coax him to sleep."
"What's wrong?" Chu Heng asked hurriedly.
Daiyu put down the book: "A little maid accidentally dropped the basin of water and frightened Yang'er."
Chu Heng frowned and said, "So careless! Who let her come in to serve you?"
"Don't be angry right now." Daiyu patted him. "Zijuan and the others are all grown up now, so we can't delay any longer. Once they get married, we'll need new maids to serve them. I think we should start by teaching some young maids. Let Zijuan and the others choose a few to come up here."
Chu Heng nodded and said, "Since you're so careless, let's not leave this one behind."
Daiyu said, "Let me take another look. Otherwise, I'll have her serve outside. If I kick her out, she'll have nowhere to stay."
In all matters concerning the household, Chu Heng always listened to Daiyu. Once she made a decision, he had nothing more to say.
Daiyu then asked, "How is the Empress Dowager? Is she seriously ill?"
"The Empress Dowager's illness isn't serious; she was just upset. The Fang family went to pay their respects today, and I don't know what they said, but before they even left, Renshou Palace summoned the imperial physician." Chu Heng stroked his chin. "I heard that His Majesty was furious and scolded the Fang family, including the women, without giving them any face. But..."
The Fang family went to Renshou Palace to see the Empress Dowager, presumably for the most important matter of establishing an heir. But the Fang family had already obeyed the Empress Dowager, so why did they quarrel, to the point that the Empress Dowager fell ill?
"But what?" Daiyu pressed.
Chu Heng seemed to be deep in thought: "When I went to see the Emperor, he not only did not seem angry, but... even though he tried to cover it up, I still felt that... the Emperor was overly pleased."
Daiyu hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "Do you think that the Emperor is pleased because the Fang family was angered to the point of illness by the Empress Dowager, or... is all of this part of the Emperor's plan?"
No matter how the Fang family provoked the Empress Dowager to illness, it was the Emperor who was behind it all. Therefore, when the plan succeeded, the Emperor could not help but be pleased.
This speculation is not unreasonable. After all, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager had completely fallen out over the issue of choosing an heir. The Fang family's words and actions in court were a way for the Empress Dowager to coerce the Emperor, so it would not be surprising if he took action.
Furthermore, if this was indeed the emperor's doing, he could kill two birds with one stone: use the incident of angering the ailing empress dowager to suppress the Fang family.
“But…” Daiyu continued, “Since that illness, the Empress Dowager’s health has deteriorated significantly. Isn’t Your Majesty afraid of upsetting her and causing her serious health problems?”
Chu Heng's smile was somewhat cold: "So what? It wasn't the Emperor who made him angry. It won't stop him from being a filial son. The Emperor..." He paused for a moment, "...the current Emperor doesn't care about the Empress Dowager."
Or rather, without the Empress Dowager, the emperor would have been less troubled.
As long as it was done by the Fang family, regardless of whether the Empress Dowager was alive or dead, the Emperor could always play the role of a dutiful son.
From this point of view, Chu Heng sneered, "The Empress Dowager and the Emperor truly are a mother and son."
And when his mother and brother were fighting to the death, Chu Heng, who watched coldly from the sidelines, was perhaps no different from them.
Chu Heng looked down at his hands. He thought that the reason he didn't like staying in the capital and didn't like facing the Empress Dowager and the Emperor was because looking at them would reveal a more authentic version of himself.
Suddenly, a fair and slender hand covered Chu Heng's hand. Daiyu's hand was a size smaller than Chu Heng's, but she still tried her best to hold it.
“That’s their business,” Daiyu said. “You are just you.”
Chu Heng looked up at her; her eyes were always so bright and clear, and Chu Heng was always in them.
"Mmm." Chu Heng pressed his lips to Daiyu's palm. "I have you and Yang'er, I know what to do."
...
When the Empress Dowager fell ill, the three marquises from the Fang family who had come to the palace to pay their respects that day were immediately sent home by the Emperor to reflect on their mistakes. The women were in a much better situation than the three dukes who had not been released from their bans. They still retained their titles, but the Emperor ordered them not to enter the palace to see the Empress Dowager again, lest they upset her and make her sick again.
The emperor was very filial, which made the empress dowager increasingly depressed. She ordered someone to invite the emperor to Renshou Palace, and forced herself to sit up despite her illness: "My own illness is none of their business, Your Majesty, please spare them their punishment."
The emperor sighed, “Mother, I know you care about your cousins, but they are not young anymore. If you continue to protect them like this, who will uphold the honor of the Fang family in the future?”
The Empress Dowager was filled with anger that she couldn't vent, some of which was directed at the other party's family, and others at the Emperor.
The Empress Dowager's illness was indeed caused by the Fang family's anger. Her request to establish the eldest prince was not going smoothly. Not only did she not have much support from the court officials, but the emperor also used Chu Heng to suppress her, and the Empress Dowager suffered a great loss.
The Empress Dowager was naturally dissatisfied. She summoned the Fang family to the palace, intending to discuss the next steps, but the Fang family had an even more "brilliant" idea.
For the Empress Dowager, establishing the eldest prince as the crown prince had little to do with the prince himself; rather, it was proof that she wanted to overshadow the emperor.
But for the Fang family, it didn't really matter who became the crown prince; all they needed was for a Fang family girl to be on the throne as empress or empress dowager.
Since the emperor doesn't want to appoint a crown prince, their stubborn resistance will definitely not yield good results. They might as well change their strategy and focus their efforts on the princes' harems…
The Empress Dowager didn't even listen to the Fang family's "grand" vision. She was furious and immediately started scolding them, making them unable to sit still. They all got up and apologized.
For the current Empress Dowager, her son has already betrayed her, and her own family, who rose to power through her, dares to defy her, which is undoubtedly also a betrayal.
The Empress Dowager has no time to think about what the Fang family will rely on to remain powerful in the future. All she wants to do now is prove that experience counts and that the Emperor is no match for her!
The Fang family surrendered to the emperor first, and the empress dowager could not accept that she would be isolated and helpless, and that she was destined to lose to the emperor.
Having suffered these repeated blows, the Empress Dowager, whose health was not as robust as before, immediately fainted.
This illness at least brought back some of the Empress Dowager's rationality. No matter how much she complained about the Fang family, or even hated them, they were still her own family. They had to rely on her and obey her. The Empress Dowager still needed them.
"After all, they are not outsiders..." the Empress Dowager said through gritted teeth. "Seeing them being punished like this, all my anger has vanished. The Emperor should also forgive them, otherwise I cannot rest in peace to recover from my illness."
The emperor still looked worried: "Since Mother says so, for the sake of your health, I can only pardon their punishment."
Previously, an imperial censor had accused the Fang family of abusing their power and bullying others. Now, the emperor is using the same excuse, which will not only cause the Fang family to lose face, but also put the Empress Dowager's face on the ground.
The Empress Dowager was furious. She held her forehead, this time truly having a headache: "It's just a small matter, but the Emperor insists on making a fuss about it. He can't stand to see me doing well."
The Emperor said, “Mother, I am truly ashamed of myself. Did I offend you? Alas… Never mind, never mind. Mother, I have given my orders. Even if I am the Emperor, I would never dare to be unfilial. I will now summon the Hanlin Academician to draft an edict.”
After saying this, the emperor prepared to get up and leave.
"Wait...wait!" The Empress Dowager, ignoring her headache, hurriedly stopped the Emperor. His words were becoming increasingly outrageous, and if word got out, she would be seen as someone who only cared about her own family and used filial piety to coerce the Emperor into being unreasonable.
Even though no one would dare to talk about the Empress Dowager outside, what they might say in private was enough to send chills down her spine.
From the time she plotted to seize the Empress's position, the Empress Dowager cultivated an excellent image for herself, and to this day, she remains kind and benevolent.
The emperor's move was intended to shatter the empress dowager's mask.
Otherwise, the Empress Dowager would have to accept the loss of the Fang family's power. She calculated that there were now less than five Fang family members who could speak for the court.
However, no matter what, how could the Empress Dowager possibly sacrifice herself for the Fang family?
She was always the Empress Dowager.
The emperor stood before the empress dowager's sickbed, awaiting the outcome he had anticipated.
The Fang family angered the Empress Dowager to the point of illness and were punished by the Emperor. Having suffered heavy losses, the Fang family dared not utter a word in the court.
When Daiyu first entered the palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager after giving birth, the matter was already settled.
The Empress Dowager was still recuperating, but Daiyu noticed that although she could not hide her illness, her eyes were brighter than before. Clearly, she not only had no intention of giving up, but had also been aroused by the Emperor's fighting spirit.
Daiyu sighed inwardly. The Empress Dowager was truly persistent. As long as she had a breath left, she would not admit defeat. Although the struggle between the mother and son would bring trouble to Daiyu and Chuheng, she still couldn't help but admire the Empress Dowager.
After hearing her sentiments, Chu Heng smiled and said, "When the Empress Dowager entered the Eastern Palace, the Fang family were just minor officials of a few ranks, and she was only of a certain rank. The Empress Dowager's determination to get to where she is today is truly admirable."
“I think there might be another reason: the Empress Dowager is used to fighting, so she can’t stop,” Daiyu added. “It’s just that the people she fights with keep changing.”
Chu Heng thought for a while and finally decided to skip the topic: "No matter what the Empress Dowager wants, the Fang family is no longer a force to be reckoned with, and we should start planning our own lives."
Daiyu was taken aback, then her eyes lit up: "Yes, His Majesty no longer needs you, we should also resign and go to our fiefdoms!"
However, she couldn't help but worry: "Now that the Empress Dowager is ill, you may not be able to bring up this matter, or even if you do, the Emperor will not allow it."
"Since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety have been difficult to reconcile..." Chu Heng said, "Whether it can be accomplished or not, let me bring it up first. We must let the Emperor see my determination."
Soon, Chu Heng submitted a memorial requesting to be enfeoffed as a prince. This was the established rule of the dynasty, and it was unusual for a prince to serve as an official in the capital. Therefore, this request was not considered abrupt.
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