The Emperor responded to the words of the elderly Duke: "Ah, not old, not old. As I see it, the elderly Duke, you can still work for the sake of Daliang’s mountains and rivers for another ten years."
The elder Duke was waiting for these words. He immediately said, "I can’t go on anymore. I have already told the Crown Prince after the war that I want to retire. Your Majesty, from now on I will not be providing royal service or managing military affairs."
The Emperor was startled, "Elder Duke, what are you talking about?" He looked at the Crown Prince, his eyes questioning.
The old Duke repeated the reasons he had given to the Crown Prince. In the end, he asked, "Your Majesty, I am twenty years older than you. Won’t you let me off the hook? I need a break."
He reminded, "My three grandsons are already capable of managing affairs. They can work for Daliang. I want to go home and take care of my great-grandchildren."
The Emperor was feeling a sense of loss, "Let’s have some wine first. Elder Duke, let’s discuss your retirement later!"
The old Duke did not expect the Emperor to promise him at the banquet. He merely expressed his intentions, nodded his agreement, and continued drinking with his courtiers.
As the moon reached its zenith, the palace banquet ended, and the old Duke was a little tipsy. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Yan Huisheng reached out to support the old Duke, "Old Duke, why not stay in my Eastern Palace? You can save some steps and return to the Duke Residence tomorrow."
"No need, I can still manage to walk. Crown Prince, you should return and rest!" The old Duke shook his head.
Yan Huisheng felt helpless, "Then let me accompany you back home!"
The old Duke turned to look at Yan Huisheng.
Yan Huisheng said: "Do you plan to stop attending court sessions after returning to the capital? Don’t worry, since I have agreed to it, I will persuade the Emperor to agree as well."
If it had been before, the Emperor would probably have hoped for the old Duke to know his place and retire gracefully. But it’s unlikely now.
The elderly Duke nodded, "All right then, I’ll trouble the Crown Prince."
So, Yan Huisheng escorted the old Duke out of the palace gates and back to the Duke Residence.
On the way, the elder Duke asked Yan Huisheng, "What does the Crown Prince think about the Emperor’s intention to abdicate?"
Yan Huisheng shook his head, "Let the Emperor keep the throne!"
"The Emperor must have meant it to some degree," said the elder Duke.
Yan Huisheng shook his head again, "Yes, the Emperor does mean it to a certain extent, but he is also forced by the circumstances. Besides, I haven’t thought about taking the throne so quickly."
The elderly Duke nodded, not asking any more questions.
Yan Huisheng sent the elderly Duke back to the Duke’s Residence before returning to the Eastern Palace by carriage.
Qin Luan and a group of stewards, palace maids, and eunuchs from the Eastern Palace were waiting at the palace gate to welcome the Crown Prince back. Standing in the front was a little girl wrapped in a thick jacket and a hearty cloak. It was Ye Qiuying.
Yan Huisheng was taken aback for a moment, then stepped forward quickly, coming before Ye Qiuying. He frowned at Qin Luan and the others, "Why would you let a little girl stand in the cold outside at this late hour?"
Qin Luan quickly apologized, "Replying to the Crown Prince, it is..."
"Crown Prince, don’t blame them, I wanted to come to welcome you." Ye Qiuying’s small face was red from the cold, "I heard that you won the battle, that Nanchu and Daliang made Dawei beg for mercy. I am a guest of the Eastern Palace, I’ve been eating and living here for so long, I should be the first to congratulate you when you come back. You are really amazing."
Yan Huisheng couldn’t help but laugh, he reached out and patted her head, "Good, thank you Miss Ye, I have received your congratulations. Go and rest quickly!"
Ye Qiuying nodded.
Yan Huisheng thought for a moment, "Let me send you back."
Ye Qiuying shook her head, "I don’t need to be sent back. Crown Prince, I can walk back myself. You must be tired too, so go and rest!"
Yan Huisheng said, "I’m not tired."
Hearing this, Ye Qiuying pursed her lips, no longer refusing. Because she had a lot of questions to ask Yan Huisheng, about her family, her grandparents, her father, her uncle, and Sister Su Qi. She had received only two letters from her uncle for a while, one was written to her after he returned to Nanchu, the other was from the day the Ye Xiang Residence packed up and left the capital. It seemed to be written in a hurry, telling her to behave well in the Eastern Palace of Daliang.
Yan Huisheng knew that Ye Qiuying, a little girl, had been living in his Eastern Palace for half a year. Though she had adapted to life in the palace, it was not her own home after all. She must miss her home a lot and was probably wondering when someone would come to pick her up.
Before she could ask, Yan Huisheng began to tell her as they walked, "Everyone in the Ye Xiang Residence is fine. You can rest assured. After the war, Nanchu has countless affairs, and your uncle is inevitably wrapped up in state affairs and can’t come to pick you up. However, I received a letter from the princess and the second young master of Ye saying that half a year later, on the princess’s grand wedding day, someone from Duke Residence or the Su family will attend the ceremony and take you back to Nanchu. You just need to wait patiently."
Hearing this, Ye Qiuying was very happy. Even if her family couldn’t come to pick her up, she still felt very happy and gratefully said, "Thank you, Crown Prince."
Yan Huisheng smiled, "You’re welcome."
This little girl from the Ye Xiang Residence was well educated, smart, and understanding. Living in the Eastern Palace, she never caused him any trouble.
After sending Ye Qiuying to her residence, she thanked Yan Huisheng and urged him to go back and rest. Yan Huisheng nodded, watched her go inside, and then turned to leave.
The day after, at the early morning court session, the Emperor said to Yan Huisheng, "The old Duke has sent his resignation letter. What do you think?"
Yan Huisheng sighed, "Father, please approve it!"
The Emperor frowned, "The old Duke looks healthy and the Duke Residence is loyal and is completely supportive of you. You can let the old Duke serve for a few more years."
Yan Huisheng shook his head, "The old Duke wants to go to Nanchu to attend the wedding of Su Rong and Zhou Gu. I can’t forcibly stop him. After all, the old Duke has indeed served the court for too long and has contributed too much. If it weren’t for the old Duke’s decisive action in the border conflict with Dawei, we in Daliang might have missed the opportunity and weren’t necessarily capable of defeating Dawei."
The Emperor was well aware of this, "If he wants to attend the wedding of Su Rong and Zhou Gu, he can just ask for leave. Won’t I approve it? Why does he need to retire?"
Yan Huisheng laughed, "Father, the old Duke really wants to retire and take rest. He has worked for the good of the country for a lifetime and now simply wants to spend time where his grandson will be living and take his great-aunt on a trip. I think you should not stop him. As the old Duke rightly said, the Duke Residence has his son Zhou Wei as well as Zhou Shen and Zhou Che, all of whom are capable."
The Emperor sighed, "Since you agree, what else can I say? After all, it’s you who will have to employ these people. Since you also say so, I will approve."
Yan Huisheng nodded.
The Emperor continued, "I was thinking of discussing with you. I am considering abdicating and you choosing the day of your enthronement, if you agree..."
"There is really no rush for you to abdicate, Father. Unlike the old Duke, you can still guide me for a few more years." Yan Huisheng refused, "Father, you are still in good health, so there’s no need to discuss this matter any further."
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