New Year's Eve finally arrived. Chu Fan stood on the high wall inside the palace, overlooking the lively and festive scene outside the palace, but his heart felt even more lonely.
After all, all this excitement was for others and had nothing to do with him. Even if he left the palace, he couldn't truly blend in with the crowd, which would only increase his inner loneliness.
Today was a family reunion, and Mu Xi and the other women, as a matter of etiquette, had not entered the palace to accompany Chu Fan for the Lunar New Year. Although Chu Fan and Mu Xi and the other women had a harmonious relationship in private, it had not yet officially established a relationship. Normally, this would have been acceptable, but today was Lunar New Year. If Mu Xi and the others had entered the palace to accompany Chu Fan instead of staying home with their families, they would have faced criticism and the accusation of being unfilial.
As for the four palace maids around him, including Eunuch Li and Qiu Ya, although they did not return to their own families and had a very close relationship with Chu Fan, they were well aware of the gap between the emperor and the palace maids, and always abided by their duties and did not dare to do anything beyond the limit.
Chu Fan looked at them, a complex emotion welling up in his heart. He knew that even in this palace, there were always insurmountable distances and boundaries between people.
On this day that should have been a time of reunion, Chu Fan felt an unprecedented loneliness. Even though he was an emperor, possessing supreme power and status, there were some things that power could not compensate for.
Throughout history, we've witnessed many emperors who, in the early years of their reigns, earned the respect and love of their people through a series of wise decisions and achievements. However, as the years passed, these once-wise monarchs often began to make absurd and incomprehensible decisions in their later years. This change often stemmed from a deep sense of emptiness within themselves.
Although they had reached the pinnacle of power and became the supreme emperor, their parents had already passed away in their later years and they were unable to share their achievements and glory. At the same time, they also faced challenges from their own children, who, in order to compete for the throne, did not hesitate to secretly plot various things, and some even hoped that their fathers would die soon.
Despite possessing supreme power, these emperors who ruled vast empires found themselves unable to control even the affection of their own parents and relatives. In the end, they even lost the affection that ordinary people had for their families, and eventually became lonely rulers.
Under such loneliness and the weight of power, even the most rational person might experience a mental breakdown. Consequently, some aging emperors became increasingly stubborn, developing intense obsessions with certain things. Immortality was one of their most persistent pursuits. They yearned to evade death through various means, whether refining elixirs or searching for legendary secrets of immortality, extending their reigns so they could achieve more grandiose goals within their limited lives and leave behind lasting fame.
They firmly believe that if they can find the legendary elixir of life, they and their loved ones will not pass away so quickly, and they will be able to witness the life and growth of their children. However, Chu Fan knows that immortality is ultimately illusory, and true love and companionship are the most precious treasures in the world.
This is also one of the reasons why Chu Fan does not want to stay in this world and continue to serve as emperor, because humans are creatures that need emotions.
Chu Fan thought that he could not reach the level of those emperors. They had to deal with mountains of memorials alone every day and could not even sleep well. Moreover, if they had to go to court, they had to face a group of ministers who each spoke from their own standpoints, which made people feel exhausted.
When Chu Fan sat on the dragon throne to attend court, he did not feel the pleasure of controlling the entire court like the ancient emperors. Instead, he only felt that all the officials wanted to get more power and benefits from him, as if he was just a tool to be used, which made him feel very disgusted.
Therefore, Chu Fan now handed the memorials to the Royal Government Affairs Office for processing, and he basically stopped attending court. Unless something major happened, he would not attend court.
What Chu Fan truly desired was a family filled with love and warmth, not the cold throne and power. Furthermore, in this world, the emperor of Wei was recommended by the ancestors of the royal family. If the emperor of Wei truly acted as he pleased, the ancestors would not hesitate to depose him and install a new ruler.
It's just that what he did seemed to be something that a normal emperor wouldn't do. Why didn't the royal ancestors step in to depose him?
After careful consideration, Chu Fan decided not to dwell on those difficult questions. Instead, he made a bold decision: to leave the palace and go to the residence of a prominent court official to enjoy a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner. He wanted to experience the warmth and reunion of another family and feel the long-lost family affection.
Historically, this behavior was called "sharing happiness with the people", meaning that the monarch and the people share the joy of life together.
Chu Fan didn't know many people in this world. Besides Liu Xueyu, there were only Mu Xi and the Changsun Pinting sisters. Although Tang Ji and Wen Xuexuan often visited the palace, Chu Fan didn't feel that he had a close enough relationship with them to just drop by their houses for meals.
As for the Mu family, Chu Fan felt he couldn't easily go there because Mu Yunfeng was currently stationed at the border. The Mu family was a large clan, and Mu Yundian would have to spend the New Year at his own home before returning to the Mu family mansion to reunite with the rest of the family.
At present, only Mu Xi and his mother are at home in the Mu family, and Mu Xi's mother is a mature and beautiful woman.
Chu Fan believed that going to the Mu family for a meal at such an important time as the New Year might cause unnecessary misunderstandings, and he might even be mistaken for an immoral person like Cao Ze who liked other people's wives. This was obviously inappropriate.
Therefore, Chu Fan finally decided to go to Changsun's house for a free meal. When Chu Fan brought Eunuch Li and Qiu Ya and other four female officials to Changsun's house, Changsun Dechong was very surprised when he heard the servant's announcement. He did not expect that His Majesty would come to his house on such an important day.
Changsun Dechong looked at Chu Fan and knelt on the ground excitedly to greet him. He said respectfully, "Your Majesty, your visit to my humble home is truly an honor to me."
Chu Fan gently helped Changsun Dechong up and said with a smile, "My dear Changsun, there's no need to be so polite. I came here just to see how the ministers of the court celebrated the New Year and to have a meal with you."
Chang Sun Dechong quickly welcomed Chu Fan into the mansion, led him into the hall, and asked him to sit at the head of the table. He then ordered the servants to serve the carefully prepared delicacies.
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