Chapter 159 "I wish to give to all..."
Below the altar, the officials remained silent, solemnly watching the sacrificial ceremony. They even slowed their breathing, afraid of becoming the sinners who would interrupt the ritual.
Even on that altar, the emperor's words drifted back through the rustling wind.
"...Now I wish to abdicate the throne to my eldest son..."
"Su'er, come quickly."
A surprised and uncertain voice exclaimed, "Father!?"
Um? !
What is this talking about?
In an instant, all the officials were shocked. They quickly exchanged bewildered glances. But with the situation unfolding this way, how could mere eye contact be enough to express their feelings? After a few breaths, some began to whisper among themselves, and eventually, they all began to murmur openly without any restraint.
However, some officials remained calm and composed, showing no surprise at the unexpected response. Fan Zhongyan, for example, was informed twice in advance. At this moment, disregarding the strong wind blowing through his eyes on the mountaintop, he stared intently at Fusu's figure, awaiting his reply.
"Brother Xiwen, what exactly is going on?" His friend Teng Zongliang's bewildered face appeared in his peripheral vision.
"Zijing, don't panic." Fan Zhongyan's eyes remained unchanged: "In your eyes, what kind of person is His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Teng Zongliang's expression shifted slightly. He had been serving in various posts away from home for years, and his first return to the capital coincided with the joyous occasion of a trip north to pay respects to his ancestors. In the days since, aside from occasional encounters, he hadn't exchanged a single word with the Crown Prince. But this didn't mean he had nothing to say on the topic.
"Your Highness's temperament is gentle and kind, compassionate and benevolent, much like the Emperor." He said in a low voice, "He loves the people with virtue and is capable of governing well. He is a sage in the heart and a king in the outside, with the legacy of the Three Dynasties."
"Yes." Faced with such high praise, Fan Zhongyan didn't even flinch, accepting it all on behalf of his young disciple: "Also, Zijing, don't forget that the Yanshan Mountains beneath our feet are also thanks to His Highness the Crown Prince."
Because the Emperor diligently handles state affairs every day and meticulously safeguards His Highness's interests, His Highness's civil administration is still uncertain. However, his formidable military achievements have already surpassed those of three generations of his ancestors and are approaching those of the founding emperor.
Fan Zhongyan: "Zijing, don't you think it's a great fortune for a subject to be able to receive the salary of this lord?"
“Xiwen, you…” Teng Zijing’s eyes widened.
Fan Zhongyan's loyalty was something his friend knew best. Even when the reforms failed and he was exiled to the Northwest, he harbored no resentment towards the government. Yet, this same Fan Zhongyan uttered such disloyal words in broad daylight, before the altar.
This can only mean one thing.
Fan Zhongyan's "disloyal" intentions were tacitly approved and even supported by the emperor. The emperor's act of abdication was by no means a whim or a rash imperial tactic of retreating to advance, but rather a long-planned and sincere act.
Teng Zijing withdrew his shocked expression and, mimicking his friend, began to observe the prince's behavior. The others, who had been whispering amongst themselves, gradually calmed down as they exchanged information. The ranks of officials returned to normal.
To be able to receive the bounty of this ruler is indeed a fortunate thing for a subject. But what does His Highness the Crown Prince himself think?
"..."
When people feel lost and confused, they always try to find something to do to distract themselves. As exams approach, everything seems fun, and Fusu, caught between his two fathers, became unusually interested in the whispers of the civil and military officials.
Although his rational mind knew perfectly well that they were whispering about him one hundred percent.
But the officials certainly didn't know that there were actually two people on the altar who could refer to themselves as "朕" (Zhen, the imperial "I"). If he nodded now, that would be three.
After finishing his mental calculations, Fusu turned around with great difficulty: "So, you were prepared all along?"
The official nodded: "Yes."
"Has it been there since you mentioned it to me last time?"
"Probably even earlier than that."
Fusu's head began to ache, not from the mountain wind. It started even earlier, indicating that this thought had been lingering in the Emperor's mind for a long time. It was definitely something he had carefully considered, and he must have already prepared a backup plan.
But he hadn't prepared at all. He wasn't prepared to be an emperor. Is it the same to know you'll take the college entrance exam someday in the future, or to be suddenly told you you have to take it tomorrow?
But another person present wouldn't stop there, adding fuel to the fire: "Your father in this life has been plotting this for a long time. But I came here on a whim, never expecting to see him today."
"Although this emperor was weak-willed, had conservative national policies, valued civil affairs over military affairs, and had a rather narrow territory..." Qin Shi Huang thoroughly criticized Emperor Renzong before finally saying leisurely, "But you, Fusu, were truly excellent."
Fusu: "..."
"You can do what I cannot do, and satisfy my regret of not being able to witness Fusu's ascension to the throne..." At this point, Qin Shi Huang's voice was tinged with a few barely perceptible sighs: "Having seen this day, I can return home without regrets."
Fusu: "…………"
"Father, don't think I don't know you're acting." Normally, Fusu would never speak to Ying Zheng so rudely. But today he truly couldn't hold back: "You're definitely putting pressure on me, aren't you?"
Even after being exposed, Ying Zheng showed no sign of shame or anger. So what if he was under pressure? Every word he spoke came from the heart. In his first life, which started strong but ended weakly, he rebuilt his kingdom in the Milky Way after its fall; and he reunited with his eldest son, who died young, in another time and space.
The only thing he no longer had the chance to do personally was to help Fusu ascend the throne. As a second-best option, it would be good enough to see it with his own eyes.
From Fusu's unseen perspective, Qin Shi Huang's gaze slowly shifted from him to Emperor Renzong, who had just been criticized but remained completely unaware of it.
This is someone who is completely opposite to him.
He was also Fusu's father in this life.
Whether an emperor is good or bad is for posterity to judge; the First Emperor himself didn't care. But when had his eldest son, whom he had raised, ever mocked him so blatantly as he had just done?
In Qin Shi Huang's memory, this had never happened before. Even during their first reunion, Fusu was in tears.
Proud as he was, it was incredibly difficult for him to admit that he was inferior to others in some way. But Qin Shi Huang sighed coldly.
It is precisely because of such a gentle nature that a man would not covet power and position, and with the country restored to its former glory and the situation looking so favorable, he would leave the right to write history to his descendants.
So, Fusu/Su'er, what are your thoughts?
From the perspectives of the Emperor and the First Emperor, their son remained silent. The Emperor waited even longer, until he sensed something was amiss.
Did he misunderstand what Su'er meant when she said that? Was he actually unwilling?
The Emperor made a swift decision: "If you, Su'er, are unwilling..."
“Who said I don’t want to?” Fusu suddenly said.
He shrugged his little shoulders and looked at the hazy smoke rising from the altar: "Father, aren't you afraid that the ancestors will laugh at you and blame you for this?"
The official stood with his hands behind his back, saying nothing. But everything was self-evident in his eyes.
Rituals are for the living to see.
If you, Su'er, are truly unwilling, what does it matter if I am reprimanded by our ancestors?
"So, I can't expect you to give in to me."
Fusu glanced at the wide-eyed emperor, then at the motionless altar, his gaze sweeping over the officials silently awaiting the outcome, and his father, who shouldn't have been there at all.
He had wondered countless times why he had ended up in this dynasty after time-traveling once.
People always try to imbue their fate with drama in order to combat mediocrity and emptiness. He once made countless efforts to avoid becoming the crown prince who was deposed for the second time.
But the so-called constraints of fate, in the face of the emperor's long-planned abdication, the emperor's gratified gaze, and the land of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun that Fusu now stands on, are as insignificant as a paper tiger.
Perhaps, this is the meaning of his coming here.
"Your subject humbly obeys Your Majesty's abdication edict, deeply grateful, as if standing on the edge of an abyss. How can I ever forget the moment when Your Majesty held my hand and entrusted the empire to me in the Fengxian Hall?"
"With the union of Youyun and Biyuan, the land of China is united. Your humble servant respectfully declares this to Heaven and Earth with this sincere heart—"
Fusu proclaimed to his two fathers, the spirits of his ancestors whose existence was uncertain, his relatives and officials standing below, the land of Youyun beneath his feet, and the people of the Great Song Dynasty in even more distant lands:
"I wish to join you all in ensuring a peaceful and prosperous Song Dynasty, with a clear sky and a tranquil sea!"
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Author's Note: The main story is finally finished! [Sprinkling flowers] This was my longest serialized novel, spanning half a year. So much has happened since its inception. I wouldn't have been able to persevere without the support of all my readers. I'm giving away 30 red envelopes in this chapter to celebrate! (I wonder if I can give them all away! [Let me see])
But this story doesn't end there. First, there's the epilogue, which will wrap up the foreshadowing left unresolved in the main text. It will cover some events after Fusu ascended the throne and grew up, including the future of the Song Dynasty after his ascension.
Then there are the side stories and bonus side stories, which will be selected from the suggestions made by everyone in the pinned post, as well as some content that I want to write myself.
Thank you again for your support, which has given me the opportunity to overcome numerous difficulties and get this far. I am truly grateful. [Please!]
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