Helian Jue remained silent, staring intently at Consort Xiao.
The woman in front of him was his biological mother.
She has very similar eyebrows and eyes to me.
There was a time when Helian Jue hated his appearance.
The reason is simple: it's all about taking my anger out on my own mother—why doesn't she love me? She doesn't love me! So I don't want to love her either!
Consequently, Helian Jue also looked down on this face, which was entirely inherited from Consort Xiao.
However, that was just a naive memory from my childhood.
Helian Jue quickly emerged from the fog of familial affection. He was indeed Xiao Zhaoyi's own flesh and blood, and was just as cold-hearted as she was at heart.
His biological parents, adoptive mother, wet nurse, and all his brothers and sisters were kept outside Helian Jue's heart.
If it weren't for Xie Yuan, and if it weren't for her sincere devotion, Helian Jue would still be a "lonely man".
Empress Xiao Zhaoyi made a deal with her own son in a business-like tone.
Helian Jue's sadness and disappointment were of no use.
On the contrary, he felt that this was the real Consort Xiao.
Moreover, Helian Jue was willing to bet that Consort Xiao treated him this way not only, but also her other two sons.
Blood ties?
Ha, nothing compares to tangible benefits!
Helian Jue remained silent, and Consort Xiao showed no signs of anxiety or guilt.
Her gaze was calm, her expression indifferent, as if what she said was perfectly normal.
She was going to make a deal with her own son—she gave Helian Jue the imperial seal and the shadow guards that only the emperor could control;
Helian Jue honored her as Empress Dowager, placing her on equal footing with Empress Ashina!
"Can!"
After a long silence, Helian Jue spoke, uttering two words.
"Good! The imperial seal is in the palace; I have already sent someone to retrieve it."
Consort Xiao knew that Helian Jue was a smart man and knew how to make choices.
Perhaps Helian Jue hated her, resenting that despite being blood relatives, she had never shown him any care or affection.
However, she was no longer a child and had long passed the age where she needed her mother. Consort Xiao thought that Helian Jue should be able to understand.
Agree to her conditions and make a deal with her.
There are more than one benefit.
Besides obtaining the Imperial Seal, Consort Xiao could even help Helian Jue forge an edict of succession, making his claim to the throne even more legitimate.
In addition, having another empress dowager is more beneficial than harmful to Helian Jue.
Don't be fooled by the fact that Empress Ashina seems to be doing everything for Helian Jue.
However, once Empress Ashina became Empress Dowager, this "mother and son" had a conflict of interest.
Unfortunately, the Ashina clan held the moral high ground, and whether for the sake of the Empress Dowager's honor or for the sake of so-called filial piety, Helian Jue had to be controlled by the Ashina clan.
Of course, there is also an Empress Dowager in the palace, who will become the future Grand Empress Dowager.
However, this person is almost seventy years old.
It's rare for a person to live to seventy.
The current Empress Dowager appears to be in relatively good health, but no one can guarantee how long she will live.
If things go wrong, upon learning of the saint's "bad news," this old lady might be able to pass away along with him!
It's simply unrealistic to expect her to suppress the Ashina clan.
Furthermore, wouldn't the Empress Dowager have no conflict of interest with Helian Jue?
This old lady has always doted on Princess Yongchang, but Yongchang is willful, selfish, and cold-hearted; she is truly not an easy person to get along with.
With her meddling in the middle, the old lady might do something foolish that would put Helian Jue in a difficult position.
After considering all the options, Consort Xiao felt that having another Empress Dowager would be more beneficial for Helian Jue.
Consort Xiao did not love Helian Jue, but she was smart and rational enough.
As long as the benefits are right, Consort Xiao is even willing to "sacrifice family for the greater good" to help Helian Jue get rid of many troubles.
Helian Jue: ...
Fortunately, he had long since given up on Consort Xiao, otherwise, seeing such a "clear-headed" birth mother might have made him heartbroken and sad.
"I see!"
Helian Jue nodded, indicating that the deal was done.
Consort Xiao opened her mouth, but finally said, "I just heard that Turkic scouts have appeared in the capital region?"
A few years ago, the sage defeated the Turks.
The newly appointed Khan led his remaining forces to retreat into the deeper grasslands.
However, this does not mean they will give up their covetousness for the Central Plains.
Since the second half of last year, things have been quite unsettled in Beijing.
First came Jia Yi's indiscriminate, mad dog-like attacks.
The aristocratic families suffered considerable losses.
For these aristocratic families that have been passed down for hundreds or even thousands of years, the interests of the family are paramount.
The sage was too powerful and too harsh on the aristocratic families.
To protect their own family interests, those powerful clans didn't mind starting wars.
For example, they secretly colluded with the Xiongnu, acted as intermediaries with foreign enemies, and overthrew the imperial court!
When it comes to opening the door to thieves, powerful families don't hesitate to do it.
For the past few centuries, it has always been a case of "unbreakable families and ever-changing dynasties"!
Therefore, even without the sage causing the Tangquan Palace Coup, the capital would still have been unable to escape the calamity of war!
Now that the Sage is seriously ill, the Great Khan of the Turks, who was originally in a wait-and-see state, immediately made up his mind to send troops!
The first batch of scouts has already arrived near the capital.
If chaos were to break out in the capital, the Turks could easily advance unimpeded.
Consort Xiao worried that, given Helian Jue's inexperience, he might not be able to take over the garrison in the capital in a short period of time.
Without soldiers, how can we stabilize the overall situation and defend against the invading Turkic cavalry?
Consort Xiao has already reached a deal with Helian Jue; to Consort Xiao, this biological son is "one of her own."
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