Chapter 1613 IF Route: What if Shen Tang woke up earlier? (IF Route Side Story)
Wei Lou dislikes conflicted people.
Looking back on half a lifetime, I realize that I am the most conflicted person.
For example, he praised the virtuous ruler Shen Tang.
Wei Lou was fully aware of Shen Tang's true identity and prepared for two scenarios: assisting Shen Tang in achieving unification while devoting most of his efforts to Ji Mofeng. He understood, or rather, hoped that she, as a goddess, would not linger in the mortal world.
The filth of worldly power should not pollute the gods of the heavens.
And gods should not be attached to worldly power.
The two are like two intersecting lines; a brief overlap is enough, too much is as bad as too little—of course, there's also a slight expectation that Ji Mofeng will change the utterly awful name of the country, "Quan E" (Complete Evil)! But as time goes by, Wei Lou finds himself unable to empathize with his past self. The thought of Ji Mofeng succeeding him has somehow been forgotten.
until--
Shen Tang mentioned abdication in the eighteenth year after unification.
Wei Lou was stunned, as if he did not understand the meaning of the word.
"...What did the wise ruler say?"
Wei Lou picked up the chess pieces that had accidentally fallen onto the chessboard.
Shen Tang patiently repeated, "I said that Lingde is getting old, and after observing her over the years, I feel that she is capable enough to suppress certain evils in the court. It would be reassuring to abdicate in her place now. What do you think of this suggestion?"
Wei Lou's expression turned slightly cold.
"Is the wise ruler testing his ministers?"
In their early years, they really wanted Jimo Feng to rise to power.
In recent years, there have been discussions about this matter among the public.
Shen Tang never paid attention to these discussions. Occasionally, when she sneaked out of the palace walls to mingle with the common people, she would ask for their opinions. A crown prince who is accepted by the people is a truly qualified crown prince, and the one who truly deserves everyone's support. Ji Mofeng, on the other hand, was somewhat anxious about this, worried that his abilities might be insufficient, and also worried that these words would displease his mother.
After all, which person in a position wants to step down early?
Throughout history, there has never been such a magnanimous monarch.
Shen Tang didn't care. She only had this one child. Who else could the throne go to if not her? Even if she adopted another and raised him, the officials wouldn't agree, and the newcomer wouldn't be able to defeat Ling De. The only one who could truly threaten Ling De was someone she could give birth to herself, which was obviously unlikely.
"My lord, please don't overthink it. Why would I test you?"
The more the public approves of Lingde, the happier she is.
A surge of pride in being a mother welled up inside me.
Look how popular my child is!
If she didn't have a phone now, she would take nine beautiful photos of Lingde every day and go to the social media platform Versailles every now and then to ask everyone if her child could become a model/star.
"If it's not a test, why would a wise ruler mention abdication? With your qualities, abdicating in seventy or eighty years wouldn't be too late."
"Throughout history, has there ever been a crown princess who lived to be ninety years old?"
Wei Lou: "That's a good idea!"
Shen Tang: "This is not allowed."
Wei Lou left again after being angered by Shen Tang.
Shen Tang coughed twice, took a sip of tea to moisten his slightly sweet and metallic throat, and muttered, "Still such a temper. If he were any other monarch, how could he be subjected to the constant slaps and jeers from his subjects?"
Wei Lou thought that the matter of abdication was over and done with.
Unexpectedly, a month later, on the Crown Princess's birthday, Shen Tang dropped a bombshell, ordering his ministers to prepare for the abdication ceremony. Anyone who wanted to change the dynasty's name could start preparing in advance. The ministers, and even Ji Mofeng himself, were caught completely off guard.
This court assembly was unusually quiet and peaceful, without any signs of violence.
Shen Tang felt an unprecedented sense of peace in her ears.
When Ji Mofeng resigned, civil and military officials submitted memorials opposing his resignation.
Shen Tang treated all of this as part of the process: "I understand the custom of declining three times and accepting three times. There are two more times. Let's get to the process quickly."
The peace and quiet didn't last long before Wei Lou's bombshell dropped.
His expression, one of utter hurt, seemed to accuse Shen Tang of being a heartless scoundrel who had betrayed her true feelings. Shen Tang wanted to wave her hand in defense of herself; she wanted to laugh, but before the curve of her lips could fully form, a familiar feeling welled up in her throat. Even though she quickly covered her mouth, red blood still slowly trickled from between her fingers.
Wei Lou stood frozen in place, his fingers trembling so much they could leave afterimages.
"What...what is this?"
Shen Tang suppressed the cough and took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from her palm: "Sigh, do you believe me? Actually, I didn't want to hide it from you, I just didn't know how to say it. Once it gets out, the hard-won stability will be disrupted again."
She can't possibly pass the throne to Ling De after she dies, can she?
One should abdicate while still alive.
She could find an excuse to travel the world incognito. As long as the world knew that she was not only alive but also secretly watching them, they wouldn't dare to make any rash moves. Once Lingde ascended the throne and firmly secured his position, there would be nothing else to worry about.
"Keep this news under wraps. If it gets out and affects Lingde, I'll be the first to kill you, Lord Jun." Shen Tang teased Wei Lou on purpose, but the other party's expression didn't change, which made her feel bored.
"I asked, 'What is this?'"
"As you can see, it's exactly what you think."
In an instant, Wei Lou felt enveloped by endless panic and despair. His plans never included the possibility of Shen Tang dying young. He was only concerned with whether Shen Tang would reign for fifty years or a hundred. Scholars and warriors lived longer than ordinary people; a hundred years was still considered prime age, while a monarch's hundred years was not long.
But now—
She was to abdicate eighteen years after the unification.
No, she said she was going to die.
Wei Lou's features gradually contorted into a ferocious grimace as he approached, his voice low and menacing: "You're not a god? God, tell me how you're going to die!"
Shen Tang tilted her head slightly away: "But I'm not a god."
She could feel that the life force of this body was about to be exhausted.
Thud—
Another loud bang.
The beams of the entire hall were covered in dust.
Shen Tang wiped her face: "Why is your temper still so bad? It's only because I'm easy to talk to that you are. If it were anyone else, their entire family would line up to say goodbye to this world. Without me, who would indulge you like this? That's not right either, your brother would too."
As she spoke, she sighed.
Shen Tang didn't know what was wrong with her body.
She woke up one day this year with a vague feeling that some kind of countdown had begun. She couldn't quite put her finger on what the countdown was, but she knew her time was running out.
Naturally, she needed to make arrangements before the countdown ended.
Abdication to Lingde is just one example.
The court officials clearly sensed that the atmosphere in the court had become tense after Shen Tang proposed abdication. Although she had killed many people before, this time was different; she acted with exceptional decisiveness, showing no mercy in eliminating the remaining forces among the common people, and even wiping out entire families more frequently.
In addition, the transfer of officials between the capital and the provinces became more frequent.
The speed of demotion and promotion also increased rapidly.
Everything seemed to be on fast-forward.
This forced some ministers who had been focused on opposing the abdication to turn their attention to other matters. As the abdication ceremony drew near, they suddenly realized that their empress was not joking or testing them; she was serious!
Even Jimo Feng's feigned illness and seclusion were of no use.
Finally, Shen Tang pulled him out of bed.
"Come here, let Mom see what you look like in the dragon robe."
Ji Mofeng: "Mom, why the rush?"
Shen Tang gently took her hand and helped her sit in front of the dressing table. Looking at the handsome young man in the mirror, whose figure was as upright as a pine tree and as graceful as a bamboo, he felt very gratified: "I have to be in a hurry. These days I keep feeling like someone is calling me. The voice is getting louder and louder and more complicated."
Ji Mofeng covered Shen Tang's hand that was pressing on her shoulder with her other hand.
"If they call you, are you supposed to answer?"
She turned her head and stared into Shen Tang's eyes.
She bit her lower lip and said, "Mom, refuse them!"
Shen Tang simply lowered her eyes, gently patting her shoulder with a loving smile: "Even a fledgling eagle will spread its wings one day, let alone you, who is not a fledgling eagle yet. You are very familiar with the affairs of the court. You may feel a little uncomfortable at first, but don't be afraid. Your mother allows you to make mistakes."
No gold is pure, and no man is perfect.
Making a mistake once or twice is nothing. As long as you don't go down the wrong path, Jimofeng has plenty of opportunities to boldly try and fail.
Jimo Feng: "Your subject—"
When she felt the light yet irresistible force that Shen Tang exerted on her shoulder, Ji Mofeng swallowed the rest of her words.
"Being a monarch is no easy task. You must become the head of the family and the mother of the people, and love them as your own children. Listen to their voices and never confine yourself within the palace walls—the physical walls can only impede the physical body, but the invisible walls can isolate the voices of the people. Whether it is you or your successor, if one day you can no longer hear the voices of the people, then abdicate and pass the throne to a more worthy successor."
Ji Mofeng held Shen Tang and wept bitterly.
Despite the public and the imperial court's resistance, the abdication took place as scheduled.
Shen Tang placed the imperial crown on Ji Mo Feng's head and handed her the imperial seal. She had said everything she wanted to say, and now all her unspoken words were condensed into a sigh. She smiled with satisfaction and patted her daughter, whom she had watched grow up: "Go."
Go and usher in her era.
The entire ceremony was solemn and dignified, but the suppressed sobs and whimpers seemed like lingering, vengeful spirits burrowing into Chen Tang's ears.
Shen Tang: "..."
Those in the know understood that this was a ceremony for the abdication of the throne.
Anyone who didn't know better would think she had passed away.
She's not dead yet!
Why are you crying? You're crying away all your good fortune!
After retiring to the position of Emperor Emeritus, Shen Tang stayed in the capital for more than a month. During this time, court officials still came to report to her indirectly, but Shen Tang sent them all to Ji Mofeng: "The current monarch is Lingde, not me. What do you mean by coming to me?"
She finally lost her patience and made an excuse to run away from home.
No, I mean sightseeing and traveling around the world.
Before leaving, she rode her motorcycle, pointed at the civil and military officials who had come to see her off, and smiled maliciously: "My daughter Lingde is still young, and I hope you will all be lenient and take care of her. If she does anything wrong, I will come back with a whip to clean up the mess. You don't need to overstep your bounds!"
The palpable killing intent terrified the courtiers, causing them to break out in a cold sweat.
Shen Tang gave him a fright, then burst into laughter.
Without needing to crack the whip, the motorcycle beneath her understood her thoughts: "The green hills remain unchanged, the clear waters flow on forever, farewell, everyone!"
Shen Tang didn't bring many people with her on this trip.
The officials in the imperial court were so angry that they cried, and the local officials were so frightened that they cried.
For several months in a row, local officials have been inexplicably dismissed. When this news comes out, local officials always feel a chill down their spines.
They all tensed up, fearing the executioner's blade would fall on their heads.
Since then, the retired emperor has rarely returned to the capital.
When he occasionally returned, it was only to meet briefly with his lord or trusted courtiers. He came and went without a trace, truly like a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail.
More than twenty years later, the old guard was replaced by new ones.
Even the memories of her ruthless methods from those who were once close to her are somewhat hazy.
On an ordinary sunny day, the royal court announced the death of the retired emperor. In accordance with her wishes, his body had been returned to the old ancestral home of the Gongxi clan for eternal rest, and only a memorial tablet was placed at the ancestral temple.
These are all messages released to the outside world.
In fact—
Several months after leaving the capital, Shen Tang fell seriously ill and never recovered.
Even the high priests were powerless to reverse the situation.
"His Highness is about to return to his throne, so there is no need for you to be sad."
At this moment, Wei Lou was like a firecracker that would explode at the slightest touch.
He gritted his teeth: "When have I ever been sentimental?"
At that moment, Ji Mofeng inside the room suddenly burst into tears.
Wei Lou felt all his strength drained away, his legs were weak, and he could only barely keep from falling by grabbing the door frame with his right hand.
The late emperor did not live to a ripe old age.
Despite feeling dizzy and lightheaded, Wei Lou looked up at the sky.
Several times I experienced hallucinations of the sky collapsing and the earth splitting apart.
Outside the door, all the trusted confidants who had rushed over knelt down in unison.
Jimo was in a difficult situation during that period. Outsiders were unaware of the specifics, but those present that day knew that these were all influential figures in the court. If they were to harbor any disloyalty…
Fortunately, the worst outcome did not occur.
Wei Jun, who was like a teacher to her and a father to her, stepped in to help her.
At that time, she and Wei Jun often looked at each other in silence. If neither of them were people who showed their emotions outwardly, they would probably have been in tears frequently.
Unlike Shen Tang, Ji Mo Feng did not establish a crown prince early on.
The court officials also inexplicably tacitly avoided mentioning the matter.
Even though they all knew that without a crown prince, there would always be a risk to the succession, after all, the "All Evil" royal family had only the late emperor and his daughter so far—yes, Ji Mofeng did not change this bizarre country name that was disliked by countless people after he ascended the throne.
Especially after the late emperor passed away, they lost the will to make changes.
The late emperor left behind few relics, and this peculiar name of the country was one of them. It's unpleasant to hear, but we've tolerated it for so many years. Only occasionally does a touch of melancholy arise: "Do you think there's land beyond the sea?"
"What's wrong? Want to fight?"
"No, no, I was thinking, if there really is such a secluded place, and their people come here and hear that our place is called 'All Evil,' will they be so scared that they wet their pants? Will they think that everyone here is a fierce and evil demon?"
Heaven and earth bear witness, the common people can abide by the law.
Despite being a wicked country, its people are simple and honest!
In the blink of an eye, several decades have passed.
The monarch, who was over a hundred years old, was in his prime.
On a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, the emperor toured the nine provinces.
Dressed in white dragon robes, he traveled to the countryside and happened to meet a little boy.
This child came from a poor family and received assistance from the wealthy Chu family in the area. His parents, grateful for Chu's kindness, conceived the idea of having their son become Chu's godfather, hoping to benefit from it. Chu initially refused, but changed his mind after the child awakened the second-rank upper-level literary mind.
The boy was then renamed Chu Yao, with the nickname Yu Ge'er.
"A second-rank scholar with profound knowledge, would you be interested in having more teachers? With my talent, I will certainly not let this bright pearl of yours be wasted."
The child readily agreed.
The old minister Wei Lou beside him frowned.
"You intend to make him your heir?"
The monarch said, “Of course not. It’s just that when I saw him, I felt that his face was familiar, as if there was a preordained master-disciple relationship between us. I think this inspiration is the guidance of the heavens. If that’s the case, I might as well follow the will of heaven. It’s just to take him as a disciple to fulfill the master-disciple relationship. It’s not about entrusting the world to him.”
Chu Yao listened with trepidation.
Wei Lou: "That's good."
"Does the Marquis seem unwilling? Is he not talented enough?"
"No, this old minister just thinks it's good as it is now. Your Majesty is in your prime and there's no need to think about those unnecessary things."
Most importantly, don't learn the bad habits of the former sage.
The monarch smiled.
In fact, she already had a choice for the crown prince in mind.
Years ago, High Priest Ji Mo Can and Gong Xi Yao had a daughter, and the clan celebrated for seven days and seven nights. She went back to see her; the girl's talent was quite good, and her temperament over the years was also suitable. A ruler must have both ruthless methods and a compassionate heart.
and--
In recent years, various trends have emerged among the people.
Since the founding of the state, the various schools of thought have emerged one after another, and their influence has grown rapidly to this day. The disciples of the Mohist school have penetrated deep into the lives of ordinary people, bringing them countless conveniences. Some senior officials have vaguely sensed something amiss and intended to curb this trend, but they have all been stopped by the ruler. Items that bring convenience to the people are what the people desire, and these are the very things that resonate with their voices.
Perhaps—
The royal court, which is currently in its prime, will one day become obsolete.
What was that era like?
The monarch gently stroked the head of the young Chu Yao: "Let's go."
——
"Hahaha, stealing what others cherish!"
"What's the point of a traitorous minister seizing power?"
"If you're going to take something, take what the ministers desire!"
"Perfect!"
"Those who lose, bet money!"
|ω`)
There are a few more side stories.
P.S.: Actually, the new book will be released at the end of the month, but the editor said that since it's the National Day holiday, all the recommendations and such have been arranged in advance. So, there won't be any recommendations for the new book if it's released now; we'll wait until after the National Day holiday.
PPS: _(:з」∠)_
(End of this chapter)
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