At that time, Empress Ashina's husband had just fought a war with his own people.
The Turks were defeated and withdrew from the vast grasslands.
Her father and brothers were killed in battle one after another.
The one who inherited the Khanate was only one of her cousins, and she was not close to him.
The Turkic royal court can no longer be her protector!
Having lost her loved ones and her support, Empress Ashina knew very well that she would never again enjoy the same prestige in the harem of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Subsequent events proved that Empress Ashina's guess was correct.
Her adopted son, Helian Jue, whom she personally placed on the throne, was deposed.
The reason given was that he was "perverse by nature, prone to madness, extravagant and unrestrained, and unable to distinguish right from wrong."
How ridiculous!
Leaving aside the crown prince, which of the princes wasn't willful, capricious, and fond of extravagance?
Okay, so what if he's the crown prince and has a bad temper?
Empress Ashina had also read the history of the Han Dynasty.
The famous wise ruler of the Han Dynasty, when he was still the crown prince, killed a member of the imperial clan by swinging the chessboard because the member had a bad attitude while playing chess with him.
Those are members of the royal family, blood relatives of the same clan.
This even triggered a rebellion by the feudal lords!
However, the emperors of the Han Dynasty did not depose the crown prince because of this.
This crown prince not only ascended the throne smoothly, but also became a wise ruler who went down in history.
Therefore, being eccentric and tyrannical are just excuses.
The current emperor wants to depose Helian Jue, regardless of his temperament or whether he has truly made a mistake.
Having Empress Ashina as his adoptive mother was Helian Jue's biggest mistake!
Realizing this, Empress Ashina fully understood her predicament.
So she stayed in her palace all day, ignoring everything inside and outside the palace.
She awaited the imperial edict declaring her deposed.
However, the sage probably still had a shred of conscience, or perhaps he felt that he hadn't reached the point of being deposed yet.
Empress Ashina did not receive the edict deposing her, but instead received news that Helian Jue had been exiled to Lingnan.
"Let's go! It's good to leave the capital!"
Empress Ashina did not go to the Eastern Palace to comfort her adopted son. Instead, she sat alone by the window, gazing in the direction of the Eastern Palace, and muttering to herself.
Subsequently, Helian Jue got married, and the bride was changed from Xie Rou to Xie Yuan.
Empress Ashina was indignant and resentful, but she did not stop it.
She still did not go to see Helian Jue, nor did she preside over his wedding ceremony.
He secretly sent some gold, silver and jade artifacts to Helian Jue.
As for Xie Yuan, her daughter-in-law, Empress Ashina secretly ordered someone to observe her.
Knowing that she had just married into the Eastern Palace, he began to help Helian Jue with his affairs.
He went to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue, working tirelessly and running around.
Empress Ashina was somewhat satisfied. "Although she came as a substitute bride, she is quite honest."
Furthermore, this is the most down-on-his-luck time for Helian Jue, so it's not too disgraceful for him to have a legitimate daughter of the Xie family of Chenjun as his princess consort!
Finally, Helian Jue and his newlywed wife left the palace and the capital like stray dogs.
Empress Ashina remained indifferent and unconcerned.
It's not that she's heartless, nor that she truly doesn't care about her son.
Empress Ashina knew very well that, given her current situation, the best course of action was to do nothing and ignore everything.
She especially couldn't show any intimacy with Helian Jue.
Firstly, she couldn't let her son be a burden any longer.
Secondly, Empress Ashina still harbored a sliver of hope that her adoptive mother's cold-blooded behavior might earn Helian Jue the pity of his biological mother.
result--
"Heh, Xiao Shi is a ruthless woman too."
Empress Xiao refused to care for her own flesh and blood simply because she hadn't raised her from a young age.
Even though her son was going to Lingnan and they might never see each other again in this life, Consort Xiao remained indifferent.
"It's just a pity for Ah Xi! But this is his fate, and he can only accept it!"
Queen Ashina said this to herself.
In fact, wasn't she talking about herself?
Helian Jue could not decide her own fate, and how could Ashina Shi ever make her own decisions?
Married into the Northern Dynasty, becoming the Empress, unable to bear her own children... which of these things could she control?
Her only instance of assertiveness was when she was choosing an adopted son, forcefully selecting the eldest son of the Emperor and his beloved Consort Xiao!
Back then, Empress Ashina was simply taking her anger out on others and venting her frustrations.
She just wanted to see the Emperor and Consort Xiao looking troubled, heartbroken, and conflicted!
However, she is also a human being, and she has a heart. She has raised Helian Jue for more than 20 years and has developed feelings for him.
In her heart, she had long regarded Helian Jue as her own flesh and blood.
That's why she always puts him first.
On the surface, she was cold and heartless; when her son was leaving, she refused to even see him.
Secretly, Empress Ashina handed over her last remaining connections and assets in the palace and the capital to Helian Jue.
"Let's go! Let's go far away! Mother's eagle is finally about to spread its wings and fly high!"
On the day Helian Jue left the capital, Empress Ashina stood by the window, gazing south, and silently prayed.
With the adopted son gone, the turmoil in the capital gradually subsided.
Empress Ashina was not deposed, but she lost the right to manage palace affairs.
Empress Ashina didn't care and ordered a small Buddhist shrine to be built in her side hall.
She chants sutras and prays to Buddha every day for her adopted son.
After Helian Jue left, news about him gradually reached the capital.
At first, people outside said that Helian Jue had become listless and depressed after being deposed, and had even started taking drugs and drinking heavily.
There were some "meddlesome" people in the palace who deliberately went to Empress Ashina and exaggerated the rumors.
Empress Ashina showed no reaction at the time, remaining like a wooden figure devoid of its soul.
After those gossipy women with ulterior motives left, Queen Ashina returned to the small Buddhist shrine and, facing the statue of Guanyin, finally revealed a faint smile.
"Well done, my Ah Xi!"
Having raised Helian Jue for over twenty years, how could Empress Ashina not understand her son's character?
Listless and dejected?
Haha, her Ah Xi would never do that!
Then, rumors began to circulate in the capital that Helian Jue couldn't even control his own palace, allowing a woman to show her face in public.
His subordinates had all long since pledged allegiance to the Third Prince.
Empress Ashina was even happier: Good! That's how it should be done! The Xiao family mother and son loved to hide behind the emperor.
Helian Jue's move was to push the Third Prince, the emperor's beloved son, into the public eye and make him face the storms he deserved!
Then, news of Helian Jue's killing of Cui Boyong, the governor of Yuezhou, and his military occupation of Yuezhou reached the capital. Empress Ashina immediately drank half a jar of wine.
My Ah Xi, as expected, did not disappoint me!
She would wait in the palace, waiting for her Ah Xi to lead thousands of troops back to the capital!
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