He Qing was not exaggerating when he said this.
In reality, King He Yuan of Zhongshan was far more ambitious and stubborn than anyone had imagined. Consequently, the course of events far exceeded anyone's expectations.
It was this King of Zhongshan who was described by Queen Mother Lin as "mature and steady". Queen Mother Lin valued their small group and thought she could control them. However, she did not know that it was precisely because he had seen the vicissitudes of life too early that the King of Zhongshan developed a gloomy, mean and cruel character.
He was recalled to the capital, and before he became emperor, he had already humiliated Empress Dowager Lin.
——After entering the city, the court officials asked him to ascend the throne as the crown prince, but he bluntly stated that he was four years older than the late emperor, and in theory they should be cousins of the same generation. He rejected this request and was only willing to ascend the throne as the "imperial brother."
He was the emperor's elder brother, so the late emperor's funeral, memorial service, and other rituals naturally couldn't be treated like those for the crown prince; they had to be negotiated separately. Most importantly, Lin, who should have been promoted to Grand Empress Dowager, had inexplicably become "Imperial Aunt," making even her position as Empress Dowager almost untenable.
This was not enough. It turned out that this was just the first step in He Yuan's plan.
Because they couldn't persuade him and time waited for no one, the court officials finally persuaded Empress Dowager Lin to allow him to succeed to the throne as the emperor's brother.
However, as soon as the late emperor's funeral was over and the coronation ceremony was completed, the first imperial edict of the new emperor's enthronement completely tore apart his already precarious relationship with Empress Dowager Lin: he wanted to respect his biological father, the previous generation's King of Zhongshan, as the late emperor!
This was He Yuan's idea. He first established his identity as the emperor's brother, and then posthumously conferred titles on his biological father, mother, and ancestors. While establishing his own position, he also squeezed Empress Dowager Lin, who was already in a difficult situation, into a very embarrassing position.
The emperor has his own biological father and mother, so what does "imperial aunt" mean?
Empress Dowager Lin naturally wouldn't agree, and neither would the court officials. But while it was easy to push him onto the throne, it wasn't so easy to dethrone him. Thus, the matter remained ambiguous, turning into a protracted stalemate.
Until He Qing's death, no real conclusion was reached.
If that were all, it wouldn't really matter to He Qing. She wasn't close to Empress Dowager Lin, nor did she share much kinship with either the late Emperor or Emperor Ling, so there was no need to worry about their affairs. On the contrary, if Empress Dowager Lin was suppressed by He Yuan, she should, for the sake of her reputation, become closer to other members of the imperial family. She, the eldest princess, who had already left home, was the perfect choice. Perhaps her life would be better than before.
But who could have caused an accident when He Qing was resurrected, resulting in an extra soul in her head, which left her with a memory?
Everything she didn't know was contained in this memory.
Although it is very brief and omits the dangerous and complicated process, there is only one result: in order to posthumously confer a title on his biological father, He Yuan engaged in a protracted power struggle with Empress Dowager Lin and court officials in the palace, which lasted for a full three years and is known in history as the "Great Ceremony Debate."
The final outcome of this matter was that He Yuan won. He was the emperor, and if he really wanted to do something regardless of the consequences, who could stop him?
But they all lost again.
After two absurd emperors, the Chu Kingdom was already in chaos and in danger. The choice of He Yuan, the "long-term ruler," was intended to quickly stabilize the situation and govern the country well. However, this one turned out to be even more absurd than the previous one. He neglected state affairs for his own selfish reasons, plunging the entire court into a ridiculous internal struggle, wasting its strength.
Three years later, just as he had finally achieved his wish of posthumously conferring the title of emperor on his biological father, contentedly placing his spirit tablet in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where it would stand alongside the emperors of the Qin Dynasty, the iron cavalry of the Northwestern Wolf Clan marched south, overwhelming the lands of the Chu State with unstoppable force. In just six months, they had captured the capital and captured the emperor and his ministers.
The Great Chu was destroyed.
He Yuan, known in history as the Last Emperor.
Such an ending was too tragic, far beyond He Qing's ability to bear. So even though she had made up her mind to protect herself, she still couldn't help but remind Empress Dowager Lin.
Anyone is fine, but you can’t choose this ambitious and ungrateful King of Zhongshan!
It's not that she is particularly loyal to the emperor and patriotic, nor is it that she is reluctant to give up the position of the eldest princess... It's just that, compared to an individual, the vast empire is too big and too heavy. He Qing subconsciously doesn't want this dynasty to end as ridiculously as her own, with no dignity at all.
This was a shallow thought brought to her by the vast river of history.
This inexplicable emotion weighed on her, making her toss and turn, but she finally stood up.
He Qing was in a trance, and Empress Dowager Lin had already made her decision. The Chu Empire was certainly important, but it had been doing well for over a decade, so it wouldn't be a disaster. As for her, the one sitting on the throne wasn't her husband or son, but a stranger who didn't need her help. So how could she maintain her current status?
"Good child, if you hadn't reminded me, I would have made a mistake." She shook He Qing's hand, "It's just that the child is too young, and I'm afraid he can't stand."
Worried about not being able to raise an older child, she considered bringing a baby home to raise. Raising one by herself was always more intimate. Furthermore, with the Emperor unable to rule for the past decade or so, everything depended on her, the Grand Empress Dowager.
"You don't have to choose someone too young," He Qing said. "Six or seven years old is fine. They know what's important, but they can't make decisions on their own, so they need someone to rely on."
Empress Dowager Lin hesitated and said, "He can already remember things at the age of six or seven. Is he not close to me?"
"He's the emperor, and his background can't be concealed. Rather than hiding it, it's better to be open and aboveboard," He Qing said. "It's best to choose someone with both parents alive. To avoid suspicion, they won't dare get close to you, which will make you appear more kind. It also prevents the emperor from posthumously honoring his biological parents and ancestors when he grows up. He can't welcome him back to the palace to be the retired emperor while he's still alive."
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