"When the emperor returned power to the emperor, he asked Zhihai to assist him, but Zhihai did not agree. Instead, he went to guard the gate of Biyou Palace. You have been to Biyou Palace. It was the place where the late emperor stayed. The empress dowager hated those years and hated the late emperor. So she imprisoned the concubines there and built high walls. So the empress dowager really loved you."
Zhao Shu understood that if it weren't for her, those imperial concubines would probably never have had the chance to leave Biyou Palace in their entire lives.
"Partly, the Empress Dowager compromised because of your twin brother. On the other hand, many of her people are no longer reliable, so she has to train people. But she can't do anything else. The Emperor will be watching. A son can't kill his mother, but a brother doesn't have to worry about that."
"That's why I dealt with those soldiers." Zhao Shu had always known that the Empress Dowager couldn't do anything. In ancient times, there was an emperor who thought his mother loved her youngest son so much that he killed the youngest son when the son had no intention of rebelling. So the Empress Dowager couldn't possibly do anything, and she had always understood that.
She understood why she punished herself by kneeling, and she understood her anger even more, because she always hoped that the Yongwang Mansion would be peaceful and safe. If the Yongwang was a little more absurd, she could live to a ripe old age in peace; if Zhao Shu was a little more foolish, she could live to a ripe old age. She was willing to send generous rewards to the Yongwang Mansion so that they would have the capital to be fools. In fact, she had made many, many concessions.
Zhao Shu remembered that in her previous life she died in despair.
"The Empress Dowager said that her only mistake in life was raising two sons, one scheming and the other innocent and kind."
"Grandmother's only mistake was not knowing that Jiecao was lurking around me with ulterior motives, otherwise she wouldn't have compromised so easily." In fact, if Zhao Shu didn't have the memories of her previous life, she would also think this idea was good. Pretending to be stupid and not showing any intelligence would prevent others from paying attention to her. If she wasn't being watched all the time, she could live a good life. But as it turns out, this path was foolish.
Later, Zhao Bi ascended the throne and became emperor. The Prince Yong's mansion was powerless to fight back and ultimately ended in tragedy.
Actually, both sons are equally dear to me, but I spend more time and effort on my eldest son. As a mother, how can I not compromise?
Between a mother and child, it is often the mother who compromises first, which is the highest and greatest form of maternal love.
The two remained silent for a long time. Zhao Shu remembered that he had mentioned Sun Yun. If Sun Yun had become Yi De's henchman, she would have been a hundred times more difficult to deal with than Hao Shu Mei. Fortunately, it wasn't her.
"Who are the forces behind Yide?" After a long while, Zhao Shu finally asked the question that had been on her mind.
"The heads of your Zhao family are no good either. After the emperor became the ruler of the world, he secretly implemented a policy of keeping the people ignorant. Those who had raised an army or expressed dissatisfaction with your Zhao family had all their smart members killed. As a result, many families later produced fools who couldn't even support their families. It has to be said that this method was very good and almost succeeded, but even the best plans can have flaws. Someone discovered the royal family's conspiracy and secretly joined forces. They are the ones standing behind Yide."
Zhao Shu understood. She neither defended the founding emperor nor agreed with Huo Baichuan's words. "Now that you are implementing reforms, all the old forces have been dragged to that side. The princes are facing the reduction of their fiefdoms, and they certainly won't just wait to die. There are also ambitious princes. I understand. The whole world stands behind her. Hmm, she's so difficult to deal with."
"It's not that difficult to deal with. The Emperor hasn't made much of a move. In fact, when he gets ruthless, everyone is afraid. We'll just wait for him and Yide to fight to the death, and then he'll come out to clean up the mess. Once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, everything will be settled." He seemed very confident, as if making enemies of the whole world was no big deal.
Zhao Shu glanced at him sideways, "Aren't you afraid that the Crown Prince will be the next Imperial Uncle?"
"Him? Heh." He used "heh" to replace his disdain for the question. "The Crown Prince has suffered hardships that others have not, and has long seen through the vanities of life. He is different from the Emperor. The Emperor's heart is not as broad as the Crown Prince's."
"See through illusion?" Zhao Shu rolled her eyes at him disdainfully.
"The Crown Prince was once hunted down by the entire world, and then escaped with his life on the line. However, he was stabbed in the back by Hao Shumei. So, don't be fooled by his calm and unassuming appearance. In fact, his resilience is stronger than anyone else's. To be an emperor, you need to have strong resilience and a proper attitude." He didn't say that he was about to be hurt again by Sun Yun.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Shu was speechless for a moment. It turned out that the Crown Prince appeared to be honest and kind in his eyes.
Is this a case of "Heaven will entrust great responsibilities to those who are destined for them, and will first test their minds, strengthen their bodies, and starve them"? If so, the Crown Prince is indeed qualified.
But it was tough enough.
"After all this talk, you still haven't told me how Yide died." Zhao Shu thought for a moment and realized that he had steered the conversation off course.
Huo Baichuan took another sip of tea. "Sigh, some people don't even think about treating me well. It took a lot of effort to find out this information."
Zhao Shu pouted, "Didn't the Empress Dowager tell you that?"
"Can your royal grandmother tell me everything?" He raised an eyebrow, his unruly demeanor making him look incredibly irritating.
That's true. Zhao Shu weighed the costs and time she would have to spend investigating on her own. After much deliberation, she realized that it would be easier to just listen to him. So she grinned and said, "Um, Uncle Huo, are you tired? Let me give you a shoulder massage."
"Pfft!" Huo Baichuan spat out all the tea he hadn't drunk. "Stop! You're trying to kill me!"
"Didn't you say you wanted me to treat you better? How about I give you a shoulder massage? Even my father doesn't get this treatment." Zhao Shu took out a handkerchief and wiped the water stains off the coffee table. "You don't know how lucky you are."
Huo Baichuan: ...The two looked at each other, and Zhao Shushun blinked, trying her best to show her utmost sincerity in a non-ladylike manner.
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