On the other hand, the fact that she was willing to endure hardship and hide in the palace to cut off the head of the tyrannical emperor and serve the new emperor shows that this third prince is deeply loved by the people, and even she, who was abandoned, is willing to support him.
This move has significant political implications.
The Third Prince is no fool to have risen to such a high position.
He naturally discerned the different meanings in her gaze, and his expression towards Jiang Tian changed repeatedly, but ultimately, it was mostly one of pleasure.
It would be strange if he wasn't happy that others had cleared two major obstacles for her out of nowhere.
Then he suddenly noticed something amiss: "Why are you the only one here? Where is my wife?"
At this moment, two lines of clear tears flowed from Jiang Tian's eyes, and then she burst into tears.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Consort said that a good reputation is more important than anything else. She humbled herself to enter the palace and did two things for you, but that cannot make up for the humiliation she has suffered over the long term... She asked me to tell you that as your wife, she is willing to give everything for you, including her life."
"So, after handing everything over to me, she took the young prince back to the prince's residence and committed suicide by setting herself on fire..."
After saying that, she burst into tears.
Smoke from the fighting lingered throughout the city, and no one noticed the fire that had broken out in the prince's residence.
Upon hearing Jiang Tian's words, the Third Prince's expression changed several times.
On the surface, the Third Prince's wife is thinking of him, but he first abandoned his wife and children in the capital, and later his wife did so much for him, and even committed suicide to protect his reputation, which will undoubtedly give rise to more thoughts in people's minds.
Perhaps he forced his wife to die in order to preserve his imperial dignity?
After all, he could never accept a wife who had been a servant to someone else, even if she did it for him.
To call someone like him heartless and ungrateful would be a compliment.
He originally wanted to smear the Third Prince's wife to improve his own reputation and reduce the negative impact of leaving his family in the capital, but now the Third Prince's wife can be described as "benevolent and righteous", and he can't compare to her no matter what.
Therefore, there was only one thing to do—to posthumously confer the title of Empress.
Only by posthumously honoring her as empress could he barely extricate himself from his moral dilemma.
In fact, the Third Prince had already decided who he wanted to make Empress.
The concubine he loved came from a very good family and was also a noblewoman.
However, his father disliked that the woman for being unreliable, and in order to choose a dignified wife for him, he rejected his beloved.
Before ascending the throne, he had promised that his beloved woman would become empress.
That's no longer possible.
Compared to securing the throne, the Third Prince naturally wouldn't value his beloved as much.
So, with tears streaming down his face, he said, "My empress and crown prince have both died for me; it is truly heartbreaking!"
Those nearby immediately sensed something was amiss.
They immediately knelt down on the ground.
After much persuasion from others, the third prince finally stopped crying.
He looked at Jiang Tian: "Madam Zhao, you have also made great contributions. Whatever you want, I will grant it to you."
He kept referring to her as Madam Zhao, clearly indicating that he was on Jiang Tian's side.
After all, she was a meritorious official, which gave him a good excuse to ascend the throne as emperor.
As for Zhao Jing, he is his trusted subordinate and certainly won't mind.
The Third Prince was always lenient with himself but strict with others. In his view, without his promotion, Zhao Jing would just be a minor general. The two complemented each other, so for his sake, it wouldn't hurt to accept Jiang Tian as his wife.
Although her reputation was ruined, her contributions were remarkable.
If he issued an imperial decree, Zhao Jing would never dare to disobey.
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's eyes fell on Jiang Tian.
She had made such great contributions that even if she wanted the stars in the sky, the emperor would have to send someone to pluck them for her out of consideration for her feelings.
So, what is it that she really wants?
Jiang Tian's lips curled slightly as she said to the Third Prince, "I have only one request, which is that you make the decision to completely sever my ties with the Jiang family."
“The Jiang family raised me with kindness, and I should repay them. So they used me as a pawn in their marriage alliances, marrying me off twice in succession, and I didn’t say a word. But later, they disregarded my life and death, and my heart turned cold.”
“My mother has long since passed away, and my father has found a new love and has new children. Now it seems that the complete end of our relationship is actually a blessing for me. Please grant me permission, Your Majesty.”
The concept of clan is very strong in this dynasty. If a woman suddenly says that she wants to sever ties with her maternal clan, and she encounters a pedantic official, it wouldn't be wrong to kill her.
Filial piety is of paramount importance.
It's almost impossible for Jiang Tian to completely sever ties with that family on her own.
But things are different when the emperor speaks.
As the ruler of a country, who would dare disobey his words?
Everyone present was extremely surprised upon hearing her words.
I thought she would make some demanding requests, but who would have thought that her request would be so simple.
All the Third Prince needs to say is enough.
Do you have any other requests?
Jiang Tian shook her head: "No more."
The Third Prince gave her a deep look: "Alright, then I grant your request."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."
Jiang Tian kowtowed to express her gratitude.
The Third Prince told her to get up, and then said to Zhao Jing beside him, "Your wife has had a hard life, so treat her well."
That one sentence was enough to vindicate Jiang Tian.
What does it matter if she has relationships with other men? In order to show his benevolence, the emperor has decided that she is still Zhao Jing's wife, so he cannot resist.
Zhao Jing replied in a deep voice, "Yes."
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