"His Majesty!"
Xie Yuan knew that Helian Jue must have paid a heavy price to gain the approval of the three prime ministers and to allow her, a woman, to step into the imperial court.
Moreover, this matter itself was extremely difficult for Helian Jue, a grown man.
To be honest, Helian Jue was not a very magnanimous person; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was vindictive.
He also harbored deep suspicion towards others.
His birth mother disliked him, and he was indifferent to her in return.
His adoptive mother was unreasonable, selfish, and cold-hearted, and he responded with coldness in return.
And then there's the late emperor's father, Helian Jue. Although he did many things under the guise of "filial piety towards the late emperor," he truly always ate vegetarian food and avoided meat.
But most of it was for acting.
Helian Jue didn't have much affection for the late emperor.
If I had to say there was anything, it would probably be resentment and hatred.
He also had brothers and sisters, but apart from the fourth prince, with whom he was still somewhat close, the others were like strangers.
This cannot be entirely blamed on Helian Jue's cold-heartedness.
His dysfunctional family background and lack of parental and familial love led to a twisted and paranoid personality.
Four or five years ago, when he was deposed, Helian Jue personally experienced the desperate situation of being abandoned by his followers and friends.
He harbored a deep fear and resistance towards people's hearts and the world!
Xie Yuan's wife won Helian Jue's heart through her actions, especially her selfless act of risking her life.
The more Xie Yuanyue understood Helian Jue, the more she realized how precious his feelings for her were.
However, she did not give herself to him completely.
There was no way around it; Xie Yuan remained calm and clear-headed throughout, and the person she loved most was always herself.
Leaving aside Helian Jue, Xie Yuan wouldn't place too much hope on the four little ones and Xie Zhen either.
She would never place her hopes on others.
Everyone is an independent individual and has their own choices.
For example, the four little ones and Xie Zhen will all grow up, get married, start their own families, and have their own lives.
Xie Yuan would not interfere, nor would he feel that his children's having other lovers was a betrayal of him.
Even if Helian Jue were to fall in love with a younger, prettier, and more talented girl someday, Xie Yuan wouldn't resent him.
Because she never bet everything on Helian Jue, she always stayed true to herself.
And future betrayals cannot erase her past happiness and sweetness.
...Whether it's love or resentment, the beginning and end of a relationship are all part of life's experiences.
Once you've experienced it, you won't have any regrets or remorse!
Furthermore, with Helian Jue as the emperor and Xie Yuan as the empress, their relationship was no longer purely that of husband and wife, but rather intertwined with power and interests.
Xie Yuan had even more things to worry about.
Fortunately, Helian Jue's feelings for her remained pure.
Sometimes, Xie Yuan would have the delusional thought that for Helian Jue, the throne was more important than the world!
"I guess I've become a bit arrogant. After transmigrating, I started to think of myself as a Mary Sue heroine."
"This isn't an idol drama. Historically, there weren't that many men who 'loved beauty more than power'."
Xie Yuan realized he was indulging in wishful thinking and couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
Leaving aside distant examples, the case of the late emperor and Empress Dowager Xiao alone is enough to demonstrate that imperial love is nothing at all.
When people mention the most favored concubines of this dynasty, the first one that comes to mind is Empress Dowager Xiao.
She was a female captive who caught the eye of the late emperor and was taken in as a concubine.
For over twenty years, she remained in the emperor's favor, not only giving birth to the late emperor's eldest son, but also rising from a lowly female slave to the rank of Zhaoyi.
But this was a lady-in-waiting second only to the imperial concubine.
Empress Xiao's son became the crown prince, and her other sons were also favored by the late emperor.
As a result, the name of Xiao's favored concubine became famous throughout the capital.
Before the late emperor died, only Empress Dowager Xiao was by his side.
He left the throne to Empress Dowager Xiao's son!
The late emperor entrusted treasures such as the Shadow Guards and the Imperial Seal to Empress Xiao, even though he had not entrusted them to his first wife, Empress Dowager Ashina.
What kind of pampering is this? And what kind of trust is this?
Perhaps more than a thousand years from now, when future generations mention this couple from the Great Zhou Dynasty, they will still say, "A favoritism recognized by history!"
But is that really the case?
If the late emperor truly loved Empress Xiao, would he have made her a Zhaoyi (a high-ranking concubine) instead of directly making her empress?
Zhaoyi is a noble title, but in the end, she is still just a concubine!
As for Empress Dowager Ashina, even though she was not favored by the late emperor, she was still his wife.
Teaching a concubine a lesson is incredibly easy.
In fact, Empress Dowager Xiao had suffered a lot of hardship in her early years.
Besides Empress Dowager Ashina, there were also several other high-ranking concubines from aristocratic families, such as Consort Mu and Consort Cui, who had all bullied her!
The late emperor knew all of this.
Although he would help Empress Xiao make decisions, he did not solve the problem at its root—he did not raise her rank, but only showed her favor!
Haha, is this true love or just a shield?
In the imperial harem, one should not shower favors without granting the recipient sufficient recognition or status.
Just like Helian Jue, he loved Xie Yuan, so he made Xie Yuan his empress.
He even argued with the court officials to ensure that Xie Yuan could enter the main hall through the main gate and along the imperial road on the day of the grand court assembly on New Year's Day.
Helian Jue not only gave her a title, but also unparalleled honor.
Therefore, not only Xie Yuan, the person involved, but everyone in the capital knew that the Emperor deeply loved the Empress!
"Helian Jue does love me, at least for now, he does."
Xie Yuan clearly felt and appreciated Helian Jue's deep affection and respect.
However, Xie Yuan still couldn't bring himself to completely gamble everything.
Helian Jue doesn't control just a family or any specific wealth; he controls a vast empire.
Xie Yuan never dared to put himself on a pedestal, nor did he want to indulge in any daydreams like "I am more attractive than the country."
Therefore, she held back when reciprocating Helian Jue's affection.
"Ah Xi, you must have endured so much for me!"
Xie Yuan nestled close to Helian Jue, sighing softly.
"..." Helian Jue stared intently at Xie Yuan, his beautiful peach blossom eyes shimmering.
Silly Yuan, you're talking nonsense again!
Helian Jue could distrust anyone, but he trusted A Yuan the only one.
Because not everyone is willing to risk their life to protect her.
During the day, he argued with a group of courtiers in the council hall.
Those people keep saying things like "a hen crowing at dawn is an ominous sign," and they even say that if they are too lenient, the disaster of the Lü family will be repeated!
Grand Tutor Zheng practically pointed his finger at Helian Jue and berated him for being muddle-headed and blinded by lust.
Xie Yuan, on the other hand, was clearly an ambitious and alluring empress who bewitched the emperor.
In the future, Xie Yuan will also plot to seize power and usurp the throne!
Helian Jue: ...This world was originally conquered by me and A Yuan together.
This is a business that belongs to the couple. So what if it's given to A-Yuan?
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