Chapter 340 The Second Prince Returns to the Capital
Li Ganxu immediately replied, "Your subject dares not."
But under Li Yuanzhao's all-seeing gaze, she remained silent for a moment before finally revealing her true feelings.
"At first... I hated her. I hated that my mother was biased, that she only had eyes for my older sister, and that she... didn't love me."
She twitched the corners of her mouth, revealing a faint hint of self-mockery, as if mocking her stubborn self from back then.
"But after spending more time in Tongzhou and seeing more of the world, I gradually... came to understand it a little."
She raised her head and met her mother's gaze with composure: "My elder sister is indeed more capable than me. Her temperament and strategies far surpass mine, and she is more suitable for the position of crown prince. If I stay in the capital, I will only be like someone under a spell, obsessed with opposing her, comparing myself to her in every way, and trapped in the word 'unwillingness' for the rest of my life, repeatedly doubting and torturing myself, and never being able to get out of it."
"When I arrived in Tongzhou, the sky was high and the land was vast, and I discovered that there was another world out there. There, I didn't have to compare myself with others day and night, or keep an eye on what others had done or gained. I just needed to do my own thing and guard my territory. In fact, I lived a more fulfilling and carefree life than I did in the capital."
Li Yuanzhao reached out and brushed aside a few stray strands of her hair. "Nine years have passed, and you have indeed grown up a lot."
After saying this, her gaze seemed to drift away, tinged with a touch of melancholy. "In the blink of an eye, the children have grown up, and I have grown old."
Before she knew it, she was already fifty-two years old.
She lost her mother shortly after birth.
He experienced palace intrigue in his youth and ascended the throne amidst bloodshed.
In middle age, she lost her daughter and husband in quick succession.
Perhaps this is the nature of life. Even if you are an emperor, you cannot interfere with life and death, separation and reunion, stop the years from making you old, or be overwhelmed by grief.
Seeing the vulnerability in his mother's eyes that he had never shown in front of her before, the dam he had built up in his heart due to nine years of estrangement collapsed.
Her throat tightened as she tried to find the right words to comfort her.
"Mother, it's only natural that you're heartbroken over my elder sister's passing, but you must also take care of your health. If my sister is watching from heaven, she probably wouldn't want to see you ruin your health because of her..."
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanzhao gave a wry smile.
When she was twenty-six, Qian Yuan became her daughter. He lived by her side for twenty-six years before suddenly passing away.
How could she not be heartbroken?
But she was the emperor, and she certainly didn't have the right to wallow in grief for long.
She also has the entire court of officials and the people of the world waiting for her.
Now that the crown prince has passed away and the palace coup has just been quelled, the hearts of the people in the court and the country are in turmoil, and the country needs stability. That is why she couldn't wait to summon Gan Xu back to the capital.
She withdrew her sadness, and her aura instantly shifted back to that of a calm and dignified emperor.
"Now that you're back, stay in the capital and help me manage state affairs and stabilize the court."
Upon hearing this, Li Ganxu was suddenly jolted.
What does the Queen Mother mean...?
On her way back to the capital, she had her suspicions: her elder sister had died suddenly, and her third sister had been executed for rebellion.
Among the princes now, none is more qualified or capable than her to succeed to the position of crown prince.
But the heart of an emperor is as unfathomable as a needle at the bottom of the sea.
Although she secretly pondered the matter, she dared not have the slightest hope.
Hearing this almost explicit reliance and arrangement with her own ears, she was momentarily incredulous, her heart pounding violently in her chest.
Seeing the shock and hesitation in her eyes, Li Yuanzhao raised an eyebrow slightly: "What? Do you think you can't do it? Or do you think... you can't be as good as your royal sister?"
Without further hesitation, Li Ganxu instantly cast aside all distracting thoughts and knelt down on both knees. "Your Majesty values me highly, and I dare not refuse! I will do my utmost to carry on my elder sister's legacy, protect the stability of the Great Qi kingdom and the well-being of its people, and never fail Your Majesty's trust and entrustment!"
As she spoke, she suddenly raised her head, looked directly at Li Yuanzhao, and asked the question that had been on her mind the most.
"Then, I wonder how Your Majesty plans to settle... Gan An?"
She shouldn't have asked those questions at that moment; it was an extremely presumptuous act.
However, the Empress Dowager never explicitly stated that she would make her the heir apparent.
Moreover, even though she was far away in Tongzhou, she had heard that her mother had always shown special favor to her youngest daughter over the years.
Having learned her lesson once, she was unwilling to repeat the same mistake and be used as a whetstone by her mother.
Li Yuanzhao never expected that his daughter, who had just returned to the capital, would be so open about her ambition and vigilance, daring to test his intentions so directly and without any attempt at concealment.
But she wasn't angry; instead, a barely perceptible hint of admiration flashed in her eyes.
"Gan'an will be eighteen in two months. Over the years, she has always said that she envies her uncle's life and has begged me to give her a beautiful, prosperous and stable fiefdom."
"I plan to select a fief for her when she comes of age and send her there. She's grown up now and shouldn't stay under her parents' wings any longer; it's time for her to go out and see the world."
The last trace of concern in Li Ganxu's heart completely disappeared.
She immediately seized the opportunity to express her opinion, her tone becoming much more sincere: "Your Majesty's considerations are thorough. Your subject will certainly remember Your Majesty's teachings, be a good elder sister, cherish your younger sister, and not cause Your Majesty any trouble."
Li Yuanzhao said no more, his gaze returning to the pile of memorials on his desk, his tone returning to normal: "Alright, you've just returned to the capital, you must be tired from the journey, take a good rest first. While you're at it, go see your father, he misses you very much after all these years."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave." Li Ganxu responded, stood up, and respectfully took two steps back before turning and leaving the hall.
Outside the palace, the afternoon sun of spring poured down without any obstruction, making her squint slightly.
Nine years have passed, and the spring breeze in Beijing seems even sweeter than I remember.
Before returning to the capital, she had considered whether to secretly mobilize her elite troops and station them in the capital region, taking advantage of the recent death of the crown prince and the turmoil in the court to force her mother, the emperor, to make her the heir.
Or they could simply go all the way and force the emperor to abdicate, seizing the supreme position.
Ultimately, she knew that no matter how meticulously she calculated or how much she thought, she could never outmaneuver the Empress Dowager who had fought her way to the top.
The Empress was the only person she had ever met in her life who instilled fear in her from the depths of her heart.
She had no doubt that if she dared to act rashly, her mother would have a backup plan, or even have already set a trap, just waiting for her to walk into it.
Therefore, she ultimately suppressed that dangerous idea and chose to obediently return to the capital as ordered.
But her silly younger sister thought she could still make a gamble.
Believing that his mother was old and frail, and exhausted after losing her beloved daughter, he no longer possessed the ruthless methods he once had.
They believed that the death of the crown prince and the resulting power vacuum presented a perfect opportunity.
Thinking that he had built up a strong network of connections in Beijing over the years, he felt confident enough to take a gamble.
Along with her fourth imperial aunt.
For many years, she had harbored resentment over her good-for-nothing son's failure to be adopted into the royal family.
Now they dare to join forces with the Third Princess to rebel.
She didn't even consider that even if the Third Princess succeeded, what benefit would she herself gain?
In the end, they were nothing more than doing the work for others, and died without a proper burial.
However, from another perspective, a cold smile appeared on Li Ganxu's lips.
It was thanks to these fools who jumped out so eagerly that they cleared the way for her.
If they hadn't rashly launched a palace coup and disrupted the court, the Empress wouldn't have made the decision so quickly to entrust the heavy responsibility of the country to her.
Now that the Empress Dowager has personally instructed her to "stay in the capital and help me manage state affairs," her position has been practically confirmed.
The position of Crown Prince, which was once out of reach and drove her mad with jealousy, is now nothing more than a piece of cake for her.
This vast land of the Great Qi, after all its twists and turns, will ultimately fall into the hands of Li Ganxu!
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