Wearing a yellow robe, Jiang Jin, usually gentle and refined, now exuded an extremely imposing aura. He looked down at the court officials, and the heavy burden on his shoulders made it feel as if even breathing had become difficult.
He vowed that he would work hard to govern the country, live up to his mother's expectations, and not disappoint his brothers' concessions. No emperor had such extensive knowledge as him, and no emperor had five exceptionally talented brothers to help him stabilize his empire.
"Your Majesty, we pay our respects! Long live the Emperor!"
"My beloved subjects, rise."
The retired emperor looked at his eldest son with mixed feelings. He was overjoyed when his son was born, but at some point, his affection turned into apprehension.
Perhaps it was because more and more people in the court supported the prime minister, or perhaps it was because more and more people praised the late empress. Even though he was still so young, people were already mentioning the matter of establishing a crown prince.
He was very angry at the time. Why was he in such a hurry to make him establish a crown prince? Once the crown prince was established, his life or death would no longer matter, right?
He then immediately summoned General Zhuang's daughter to the palace, eager to support someone who could rival the Prime Minister's power. Consort Zhuang proved herself very capable, giving birth to a prince less than a year after entering the palace.
However, General Zhuang commanded 200,000 troops, and he was equally afraid that he would march into the capital. Then, the younger sister of the Marquis of Zhongyong, Consort Xian, entered the palace, followed by Princess Li of Cuidi. Behind them stood different forces, capable of balancing the power of the Prime Minister and General Zhuang.
Finally, there were his cousin, Consort Shu, and Consort Zhen, the daughter of the Governor-General of the Two Lakes. In this way, the power of all parties was balanced, and he was no longer afraid of being threatened by any party. If any of them had any disloyal intentions, the other parties would not tolerate it.
He thought about the dream he had that day, and then gave a bitter smile. Indeed, no one would give in, and because of the balance of power, all sides were fighting each other and refusing to admit defeat. In the end, the entire Xuan Kingdom was exhausted by internal strife, allowing the Yan Kingdom and the Gui Kingdom to reap the benefits.
The Empress was right; his vision was too narrow, and he played a winning hand to the worst possible outcome.
He never imagined that his six sons would now work together so harmoniously. Was this the empress's personal charm? What exactly had she taught them?
After Jiang Jin ascended the throne, the first thing he did was to bestow titles. His father was made Emperor Emeritus, Song Xia was made Empress Dowager, and the original Empress Dowager became Grand Empress Dowager. Then, all five of his younger brothers were made princes, and the concubines in the harem were promoted to concubines and consorts, and were granted the honor of living outside the palace with their sons. The princes and concubines were also exempted from the ceremony of announcing their arrival in the palace.
Logically speaking, such an investiture was extremely dangerous. Five princes, along with their mothers, were to be sent out of the palace to live. In doing so, the emperor was essentially abandoning the weakness of his five brothers and exempting them from the formality of notification. If any of them harbored any disloyal intentions in the future, the emperor would be in great danger.
However, Jiang Jin had such confidence. His brothers had given him the throne without even fighting for it, so why couldn't he give them even a little trust?
The courtiers looked at the young emperor, and then at the five princes who showed him great respect. Their hearts were filled with excitement. Perhaps they could ride on the coattails of the emperor and the five princes and witness together the most glorious era in history.
After the investiture was completed, the emperor, who had been so composed just moments before, looked at Song Xia with excitement and tenderness, saying, "Mother, I will not let you down."
With a trusting look in her eyes, Song Xia straightened his clothes: "Mother believes in you."
She looked at Jiang Ming and the others with emotion and said, "Now that you have all grown up, I can finally rest. From now on, the fate of Xuan Kingdom rests in your hands."
"Mother, we haven't even finished learning all of your knowledge yet!"
Song Xia smiled and waved her hand: "You can leave your mother alone. I've taught you the basics. Explore the rest on your own. Your mother still has the important task of choosing concubines for you! The fourth, fifth, and sixth sons are still young, so we can put them aside for now. The eldest, second, and third sons can start looking at each other. You can tell your mother what kind of women you like."
Sixteen-year-old Jiang Zhen frowned: "Mother, didn't you say it's best to get married after you're eighteen? I'm not in a hurry."
"You're eighteen and ready to get married. It's perfect to date someone now, cultivate your relationship for two years, and then get married. You're not in a hurry, but your mother is. You're all alone at the border, and your mother thinks it would be better if someone was there to take care of you."
Jiang Zhen thought for a moment and said, "Then we need someone who can endure hardship."
Song Xia chuckled: "Young ladies from wealthy families are all pampered and spoiled. Who would want to suffer with you?"
“If she can’t endure hardship, then there’s nothing we can do. Your son is often stationed at the border, and I reckon there will be no shortage of battles in the future. If she can’t endure hardship and her physical condition isn’t good, then getting married would only harm her.”
“What my third brother said makes sense.” Jiang Ming nodded in agreement. “Your subject also wants someone who can endure hardship and is not spoiled. Now that the court is stable, your subject also wants to go and expand the territory of Xuan Kingdom.”
"Are you selecting concubines or recruiting soldiers?" Song Xia looked at Jiang Jin again. "You must have different requirements in the capital."
"Your Majesty, I want an Empress who is sensible and has a broad vision and good character, just like Mother Empress. Appearance is not important."
Jiang Jin's words drew snorts from her brothers. They thought, "How wishful thinking! They want to be like their mother. There is only one extraordinary woman in this world, their mother!"
"In a couple of days, your mother and your mother will host an autumn banquet and invite eligible women from the capital to attend. See if there is anyone you like. Sometimes, if you like someone, you don't necessarily have to meet the hard requirements. Your mother always feels that life is too short and you should marry someone you like to be by your side."
Song Xia tried to reason with them, but the children misunderstood. They felt very sorry for their mother, who had married their father at a young age, but their father was a scoundrel. Their mother had devoted herself to them all these years but had never had her own happiness.
Jiang Jin boldly asked, "Mother, do you have a man you like? Now we can all support you, so if you have someone you like, don't hold back."
Seeing their sincere expressions, Song Xia was both amused and exasperated: "How could you have such absurd ideas? Don't worry about it. For your mother, love is not a necessity. All I want to see is harmony among you brothers and peace throughout the land. Nothing else matters."
"Mother, you really don't need to worry."
"The Empress Dowager truly has no attachment to love and romance," Song Xia emphasized again. "On the other hand, your mothers will be living outside the palace with you from now on. If they have such thoughts, you should not hold it against them."
“No.” Jiang Ming and the others were all very insightful. “Father was never a good man, and we don’t care about other people’s opinions. If it were recorded in history books, it might be an interesting story for future generations. Besides, no one would dare to talk nonsense in front of us. Of course, we will do as we please. The most important thing is that our mothers are happy.”
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