The Emperor choked up a bit.
He looked at Yan Huisheng, "What’s wrong with you ascending the throne earlier? I could also leave the palace and visit the traveling palace occasionally."
Yan Huisheng replied, "I think that Your Majesty is still capable of overseeing the ancestral affairs for another two years. I am truly not in a rush to take over."
The Emperor was somewhat annoyed, "Are you blaming me for how I treated you in the past..."
"If I were to hold grudges, there would be some from earlier days. But now..." Yan Huisheng shook his head, "I do not."
"Then give me a reason." The Emperor did not expect Yan Huisheng to decline. Although he was somewhat reluctant to give up the throne, he was no longer as insistent as before.
Yan Huisheng sighed, "Your Majesty, there is a heap of issues within the court and the country. I do not have that much time to handle your abdication and my ascendancy. This matter can be put aside for now."
The Emperor reluctantly accepted this reason, "Alright, we will discuss this further in the future."
The father and son reached a consensus on this matter. The Emperor then brought up Su Rong, "I heard you say that Su Rong and Zhou Gu are getting married. When will her coronation be?"
Yan Huisheng replied, "In a year’s time."
The Emperor was surprised, "Why won’t she ascend the throne?"
Yan Huisheng looked at the Emperor, "The preparations for the grand wedding and coronation, combined with the myriad affairs of state in Nanchu, fill her plate for the year. She has no time for anything else!"
The Emperor thought about it and realized it was true. He was starting to understand Yan Huisheng’s perspective. His current reluctance probably arose from his wish to first strengthen the nation. Dawei had been severely weakened by the war, but the strength of Daliang and Nanchu had also been almost completely depleted in the fight against Dawei. Despite the victory and land reparations, their condition hadn’t improved much. The real status of the internal power was known only to them. He partially blamed himself for these years of myopia that had affected the country’s strength.
The Emperor had nothing to say. He lowered his voice and confided in Yan Huisheng, "I indeed feel a bit under the weather lately, suffering frequent headaches. This has been happening for several years now. Since you’re not in a rush to ascend the throne, I will continue to give you the power of the prince regent. You can make decisions as you see fit."
Yan Huisheng knew about the Emperor’s headaches, but he had pretended not to know about it. On hearing this revelation, he quietly asked, "What did the Imperial Doctor say?"
The Emperor sighed, "The Imperial Doctor said I have migraines. There’s no cure. I just shouldn’t overwork myself, or worry too much."
Yan Huisheng nodded, "I understand. Your Majesty needs to rest. Please be assured; as long as you keep your position, I will try my best to shoulder more responsibilities, to reduce your workload."
The Emperor felt relieved. Keeping this secret had been burdensome; he didn’t think Yan Huisheng was unaware of it. Yet now, putting it into words felt different, as if he had been greatly relieved. He extended his hand and patted Yan Huisheng’s shoulder, "Su Rong and Zhou Gu are about to have their grand wedding, and they’re younger than you by a few years. Once you’re done with this busy period, we should let your Empress Dowager arrange a ’Flower Banquet’ to choose your Crown Princess."
Yan Huisheng replied, "There’s no rush."
The Emperor raised his eyebrows, "How can it not be urgent? Once you have offspring, only then can we, still with a bit of stamina, make toys for our grandchildren. Old Duke is already preparing to play with his great-grandchildren, but I haven’t even seen a single grandchild."
He thought of Yan Li and Yan Lin, his two sons. Having gotten married recently, they had yet to have offspring. Ning Yao did carry Yan Li’s child, but reportedly she miscarried upon returning to Marquis Nanping Residence. The crown prince didn’t care for marriage, so how could he not be concerned?
He suggested, "The Fifth Miss Zhou Yun of Duke Residence is currently discussing marriage. We are selecting candidates. I think she’s a good match for you. A girl from Duke Residence, she won’t be a bad choice. What do you think?"
In the past, he didn’t want the crown prince to marry a woman from a noble family because he was afraid the wife’s powerful family would become a threat. But now things were different. He wished his son would marry a woman from a noble family.
Before Yan Huisheng could open his mouth, he proposed, "Well, let me and your Empress Dowager discuss this. I think the Fifth Miss Zhou of Duke Residence is a good choice."
With a sigh, Yan Huisheng thought about the fifth Miss Zhou. He was familiar with her. After all, he had to visit Duke Residence several times a year. And every year, at the palace banquet, Fifth Miss Zhou would come to the palace, and he would see her. He knew she was a decent girl. Given his position, it would be impossible for him not to nominate a Crown Princess. She was indeed suitable for this position.
But Fifth Miss Zhou was not trained from a young age to eventually enter the palace. If she didn’t aim for the future position of the Empress and only cared for her own personal preference and love, he understood that he wouldn’t be able to give her this.
A person’s heart is only so big. When filled with country affairs, there isn’t much room left for love. His tiny bit of love, he didn’t want to uproot. He would rather keep it buried in his heart. Even if it would never see the light of day, what did it matter?
"Why aren’t you saying anything? Do you disagree?" The Emperor frowned. "Fifth Miss Zhou is excellent."
Yan Huisheng answered, "I am not ready to get married."
The Emperor disagreed, "Well, I’ll turn to your Empress Dowager for help! If I have to wait for you to choose for yourself, I’m afraid that day will never come."
He waved his hand to dismiss Yan Huisheng, "You can go on with your duties! I’m going to talk to your Empress Dowager."
Yan Huisheng nodded, turned around, and left.
He was not afraid of his parents meddling in his marriage. No one could influence his choice of marriage. Moreover, his mother knew who he had fallen for in the past, so she would never forcibly decide for him.
As expected, when the Emperor met the Empress to discuss Yan Huisheng’s marriage and suggested it was time for her to arrange it, the hand she was using to trim the plants paused. She asked, "Your Majesty, have you chosen the candidate?"
"What do you think of Fifth Miss Zhou from Duke Residence?" asked the Emperor.
After mulling it over, the Empress also found Zhou Yun agreeable, but she had the same thoughts as Yan Huisheng. As the saying goes, "Mother knows best." He had fallen for Su Rong at first sight, and his feelings for that little maiden remained undiminished. Just because he hadn’t done anything about it, didn’t mean he had let go. People who know they cannot attain what they seek, but do not seek it, are the ones who hold it closest to their hearts.
He is the heir, the future emperor of Daliang. Having fallen for a woman and retained her in his heart without doing anything about it does no harm, since it does not occupy any space or interfere with anything. The key point is, the Empress should be magnanimous. Or rather, even if she is not magnanimous, the selected person should not be associated with Su Rong. And the current Fifth Miss Zhou, being a cousin to Zhou Gu, is not quite suitable.
Therefore, she said to the Emperor, "Fifth Miss Zhou is not suitable. Do you have any other candidates?"
The Emperor looked at the Empress in confusion, "Why is Fifth Miss Zhou not suitable? Her family background is suitable and she is outstanding in both her manners and looks."
The Empress naturally wouldn’t mention the fact that the Crown Prince still had Su Rong in his heart. She could only come up with another excuse, "Her maternal family is very powerful, hence posing a risk of outsized influence by the wife’s family. Although I heard that the old Duke has already submitted his retirement petition, the position of Duke Residence is still very influential with a crown prince and two dukes holding military power. Therefore, it’s not quite suitable."
The Emperor said, "Exactly because they are holding the military power, should we cement the bond through marriage to consolidate the sovereignty."
"Duke Residence also has two unmarried dukes. Your Majesty could offer a Princess for marriage. When our elder sister married the old Duke, isn’t their marriage still going well even after so many years?" said the Empress.
The Emperor pondered for a bit and was convinced by this reasoning, "Alright. I asked the Crown Prince. He doesn’t seem very willing, let’s drop the idea for now. After a while, you should arrange a Flower Banquet and select another candidate for the Crown Prince. If not from Duke Residence, we still have Rui’an King Residence, Cheng Duke Residence, Prime Minister Residence, Yong’an Marquis Residence, or Princess Qingping Residence."
The Empress nodded. She also felt that since Su Rong and Zhou Gu were going to have their grand wedding, it was about time for the Crown Prince to have a Crown Princess. He couldn’t continue being unwed, "Your Majesty, don’t worry. I will take care of this."
The Emperor was satisfied and cautioned, "Before you finalize the candidate, please discuss it with the Crown Prince. I am not able to obtain any useful information from him. He has always been closer to you, please pay more attention."
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