"Mother, I'm not being willful!"
Helian Jue still had some feelings for Empress Dowager Ashina, and instead of calling her "Empress Dowager" as he did Empress Dowager Xiao, he called her "Mother".
Empress Dowager Ashina: ...I didn't feel much respect.
If Helian Jue is truly filial and respectful to his mother, then he should listen to her.
Admittedly, Empress Dowager Ashina had her own selfish motives, but she was also doing it for Helian Jue's own good!
She was a new ruler, having just ascended the throne. She had no trusted and loyal ministers, no prestige, and had only obtained the throne after a palace coup.
Although there was support from royal elders such as the Empress Dowager and the Eldest Princess, and evidence from the will presented by Empress Dowager Xiao, there were still some shortcomings.
It is easy for people to fabricate rumors about them.
...Given all these problems, it won't be easy for Helian Jue to secure his position on the throne.
By forming a marriage alliance with the Turks and renewing the alliance, some trouble could be avoided.
For example, the eight noble families could not "hold up their own troops and rely on their own soldiers" without obeying the new emperor's orders.
The former emperor, who was originally a prince leading troops into battle, was still hampered by the eight pillar states.
It took more than 20 years of painstaking efforts to gradually weaken the military power of the eight pillar states.
However, Helian Jue was not the former emperor; he lacked prestige and did not have enough troops.
If the eight noble families were to recruit their old subordinates again, they could very well be revived.
There are also powerful families eyeing the market covetously.
Helian Jue needs to solve many problems if he wants to completely control the court.
With the Turks as allies, he could borrow troops from them in critical moments.
Marrying a Turkic princess and sending some "betrothal gifts" would not be too much for Helian Jue to bear.
Why can't he understand?
"You still say you're not being willful? Your mother is only doing this for your own good—"
Empress Dowager Ashina wanted to teach her adopted son a lesson, but she was also worried that the situation would be difficult to control tomorrow.
After all, once a major war breaks out, no amount of planning in advance will be of any use.
Even the young Turkic prince could not guarantee that the situation on the battlefield would develop and proceed according to his wishes.
In case of any unforeseen circumstances... Empress Dowager Ashina just wanted to take this opportunity to tell her adopted son that he was still very naive and it was not yet time to "discard the bridge after crossing the river".
It's not about actually ruining the adopted son.
Empress Dowager Ashina still wanted her adopted son to control the Zhou Dynasty.
She is the most honorable Empress Dowager in the world!
"Mother, I know you're doing this for my own good! But you have to believe me!"
Helian Jue "patiently" spoke empty diplomatic rhetoric to Empress Dowager Ashina.
Helian Jue revealed nothing about his trump card or the approaching army to Empress Dowager Ashina.
In some respects, Helian Jue was more inclined to trust Empress Dowager Xiao.
It wasn't because of blood ties, but because Empress Xiao was clever enough.
Empress Dowager Ashina wasn't stupid; she was quite clever.
On the contrary, the most dangerous thing is this kind of cleverness. As the saying goes, "cleverness can backfire," which describes this kind of person.
When it comes to crucial moments, being too clever for one's own good can easily lead to trouble.
Helian Jue did not want to accompany his adoptive mother in "trial and error," nor did he want to become her puppet.
Even when he was in exile in Lingnan, he was still the Prince of Yue, whose word was law.
Now that he has entered the palace, he is the most honorable emperor.
The only person who could influence him was A-Yuan, who shared his joys and sorrows and risked his life for him!
"..."
Empress Dowager Ashina was also somewhat annoyed.
She tried to persuade him again and again, but Helian Jue only said, "I know, you have to believe me."
They talk a good game, but they just won't listen.
Enough!
Since you are so stubborn, don't blame me for being heartless as your mother if you suffer a loss tomorrow.
...
The next morning, Helian Jue, dressed in coarse hemp mourning clothes, first went to the mourning hall for a walk.
Both empress dowagers were also present.
The two people knelt on either side of the coffin at the lower end.
After several days of mourning, Empress Dowager Ashina had grown tired of putting on an act.
He wouldn't even use a handkerchief soaked in ginger juice; he just sat there silently with a sullen face.
Empress Xiao, on the other hand, still had a numb look of "nothing is more sorrowful than a dead heart".
There were no cries or wails, yet the sight of them was deeply moving.
The second prince's birth mother, Consort Mu, the fourth prince's birth mother, Consort Cui, and the fifth prince's birth mother, Consort Wang, all prostrated themselves on their knees.
Consort Cui was alright; she just followed the rules and cried occasionally.
Consort Mu and Consort Wang looked utterly hopeless.
Their "despair" was quite different from Empress Xiao's numbness.
The former was truly desperate and grief-stricken; her husband had died, and her son was "useless."
Consort Mu and Consort Wang saw absolutely no hope.
Living seems to be a burden.
The concubines who had given birth to princes and princesses were also sobbing.
They wept for the late emperor, for their children, and for their own uncertain future.
Kneeling beside the concubines were female relatives of members of the imperial family and noble families.
The concubines' tears weren't genuine, let alone those of outsiders.
After crying for several days in a row, they were all exhausted, and their voices sounded hoarse.
Except when officials from the Ministry of Rites shouted "Lamentation!" and they passively followed along with the wailing, they remained kneeling and staring blankly at other times.
Helian Jue: ...
This atmosphere is really uncomfortable.
After offering incense and completing the rituals, Helian Jue rose to go to the side hall to handle official business.
Consort Cui covered her face with a handkerchief, her eyes darting around nervously.
She didn't have much affection for the late emperor, and even when he was alive, she wasn't particularly favored; at best, she was only slightly better off than the disfavored Consort Mu.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
