Chapter 833 A Dream of Youth 365
"As a ruler, one cannot be biased. They are all your subjects. You ascended the throne as a princess, and this position was personally passed down to you by your father. It will be even more difficult to maintain your position."
Not only will the court officials be watching you, but the imperial relatives will also be watching you. They are also imperial relatives, and even if their bloodline is distant, as long as they are men, the world will accept them more.
If you make a mistake, they will say, "Look, a woman is not fit to be an empress..."
Yan Xi remained silent for a moment, then finally met the Empress Dowager's dark eyes. "Grandmother, what about you? Do you also think Yan Xi is not good enough?"
She was actually more concerned about what the Empress Dowager thought.
The Empress Dowager smiled and shook her head, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes a testament to the passage of time. "This is the way of the world."
She didn't judge Yan Xi, but simply told her that her current path violated the rules, like walking on a single rope, and that she would fall to her death if she wasn't careful. Wasn't the fate of the former Grand Princess enough to serve as a warning?
“But Grandmother, rules are made by people.”
Who says a woman can't be an emperor? There was Emperor Wu in the previous dynasty; she could become a second Emperor Wu.
She will do even more.
The Empress Dowager was at a loss for words. She was a model empress dowager. After the late emperor passed away, she assisted her son, Emperor Jing, in ascending the throne. She served as regent but did not wield power. After Emperor Jing came of age, she returned power to him and then retired to the inner palace. Both the court officials and the world praised her for her virtue.
She had the ability to govern, but she didn't have Yan Xi's ambition, because the traditional moral code told her that such ambition was wrong.
Emperor Jing passed the throne to Yan Xi. The Empress Dowager had been trying to calm him down for a long time, but she was still a little confused. However, since Yan Xi had already taken that position, she would do everything she could to help him consolidate his power.
However, "Rules are indeed made by people, but if the person who makes the rules is not powerful enough, no one will follow them." The Empress Dowager listened to the sound of rain outside the window and felt increasingly calm.
"Sitting in the highest position doesn't equate to strength, Yan Xi. You are still too weak. Before choosing who to mentor, you must first learn to leverage existing power..."
Compared to when Emperor Jing ascended the throne, the Empress Dowager is more willing to teach Yan Xi some things now, which are her life experience. Perhaps the Empress Dowager also wants to see if Yan Xi can make it.
Aunt Qian glanced at Yan Xi's serious profile, then followed the palace servants to the corridor, leaving the grandmother and grandson a quiet space.
A light drizzle drifted onto her face with the wind, bringing a slight chill. Aunt Qian was somewhat dazed. When the Empress and the young Crown Prince died, she was also seriously injured. It was only thanks to Prince Duan's quick arrival that she was able to save her life.
The Empress treated her well, so she thought she had to do everything she could to protect Yanxi's last bloodline. After all, a princess without a powerful backer was not as well off as an ordinary noblewoman.
To Aunt Qian's utter surprise, Yan Xi actually managed to secure that position and avenge the Empress and the Crown Prince. She should have been happy, but Aunt Qian was filled with unease because she didn't know what the future held.
The last plum blossoms have fallen, the apricot blossoms are in full bloom, and the capital is shrouded in mist and rain, a scene of deep spring beauty.
Because of Yu Tong's matter, Xie Ning was unable to attend Yan Xi's formal enthronement ceremony before heading south, mainly to record the practical results of the new gunpowder.
However, before leaving, Xie Ning still went to the courtyard on Qianxing Street to meet Yuan Can and the others.
"Is Lord Xie no longer going to participate in the imperial examinations?" It would be such a pity if he didn't.
"I have more important things to do, and I have already taken office. Moreover, His Majesty is here with you all, so I have no worries." Xie Ning sat with the others in the waterside pavilion, where the carp in the pond would occasionally surface to pick up a fallen petal.
Snowball lay on the railing, its tongue lolling out in drool.
Yuan Can and the others felt their eyes well up with tears. They had long sensed that Xie Ning was not participating in the imperial examination for her own sake. After all, she already held an official position, and participating in the imperial examination would easily attract criticism.
He was just leading the way for them.
Now that the Empress is above her, Xie Ning can truly let go, because someone will protect her.
Seeing their sad expressions, Xie Ning smiled and said, "I haven't reviewed the classics for many days. If I really go to take the imperial examination in a few days, I might fail immediately. I can't lose face like that."
To be honest, Xie Ning's words of comfort only made them feel worse. Everything was in chaos. The Northern Jin launched a major invasion of the pass to attack the Great Zhou. Xie Ning not only helped Bingzhou defeat the Northern Jin army in Hedong, but also led reinforcements to the capital to defend the emperor and turn the tide of the war.
With the rebellion in the south, Xie Ning is once again extremely busy.
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