Chapter 306 It Can Only Be You
The palace walls stood tall, casting a shadow under the cool moonlight.
Inside the Hanguang Hall, candlelight shone brightly.
The air was filled with an overwhelming, pungent smell of medicine.
Zhou Congxian paused slightly as he stepped into the palace.
The person sitting slumped down, whose once spirited face was now only a pale, almost transparent one.
The moon-white casual clothes he wore looked somewhat bare on him.
He had lost a lot of weight since he left Beijing.
Zhou Congxian's eyes quietly reddened.
The two first met when they were young.
One is a carefree, dashing prince, the other is a scion of a noble family who bears the weight of his entire clan's rise and fall.
They once rode horses together at the horse farm, and they also received a slap on the hand in the tutor's class.
Fate, in its course, ultimately led them to drastically different ends.
One who possesses the world and bears the weight of the nation is also trapped within the walls of this palace, suffering day and night.
A close advisor to the emperor, whose merits were unparalleled, willingly married into the emperor's family for the sake of love, becoming the laughing stock of the capital.
They all got what they wanted.
But they also lost everything they once longed for.
"how?"
His Majesty spoke slowly.
"You've been away from the capital for less than a year, and you don't recognize me anymore?"
His voice carried a hint of hoarseness and weariness, typical of someone who has been ill for a long time.
His Majesty forced a faint smile, attempting to ease the heavy atmosphere in the hall.
"I am in good health. It's just that the weather has turned cooler recently, and I have caught a cold."
"The imperial physician is making a mountain out of a molehill, insisting on preparing all these soups and broths."
"It has made me lose my appetite, which is why I have become a bit thin."
His understated explanation was like a breeze, not even causing a ripple.
Zhou Congxian felt a tightness in his chest as he listened.
He suppressed the soreness in his throat, slowly stepped forward, and knelt on one knee.
"Your subject, Zhou Congxian, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
"The rebellion in the north has been quelled. I am fortunate to have fulfilled my mission and have come to report back."
His voice was steady and resonant, just as it always has been.
His Majesty looked at him, a hint of relief in his eyes.
"Get up."
"Between you and me, there is no need for such empty formalities."
Zhou Congxian got up as instructed, a smile playing on his lips, and continued speaking in accordance with His Majesty's words.
"Then Your Majesty must recover quickly."
"Your Majesty, I am eagerly awaiting your victory celebration banquet."
"My men are all eagerly awaiting Your Majesty's imperial wine."
The atmosphere inside the hall seemed to finally ease up a bit.
A genuine smile appeared in His Majesty's eyes.
But that smile vanished in an instant.
He stared intently at Zhou Congxian, his gaze becoming deep and complex.
a long time.
He spoke slowly, his voice low and deep.
“From the obvious.”
"Have you... blamed me?"
This question, though seemingly light, carries immense weight.
His Majesty shifted his gaze from him to the boundless night outside the palace.
"As an emperor, I have too many unavoidable difficulties that cannot be told to outsiders."
"even……"
He paused for a moment, a hint of self-deprecation in his voice.
“Even my most trusted minister, I have to scheme against his marriage.”
"I know how much you've suffered because of this marriage."
Inside the hall, only the occasional crackling sound of burning candlelight could be heard.
After a long while, Zhou Congxian finally raised his head and met His Majesty's gaze.
His eyes held not a trace of resentment or bitterness.
"His Majesty."
"If it weren't for Your Majesty's plan, I'm afraid I wouldn't know when I would have been able to marry the one I love in a legitimate way."
Zhou Congxian's gaze swept over His Majesty's eyebrows and eyes.
He understood.
They were all born at the wrong time.
The journey he and Meng Shilan had taken had been incredibly difficult, let alone for His Majesty, who was at the center of the power struggle.
In His Majesty's life, perhaps... he has never truly met someone with whom he could completely open his heart and let down all his defenses and pretenses.
His world revolved around nothing but calculation, weighing options, and the fate of the nation.
He dedicated his entire life's work to this turbulent and precarious Great Sheng Dynasty.
He reigned for seven years, working tirelessly day and night to govern the country.
The imperial harem was filled with beauties, yet not a single child was born.
This is not fate, but human intervention.
It was this young emperor who, in the most decisive way, cut off all possible escape routes that could be hindered by the maternal relatives.
He lived his life as an isolated island.
Zhou Congxian's gaze fell on the imperial desk beside His Majesty.
There, piles of folded paper stacks were as high as mountains.
Layer upon layer.
They all bear the scars of the Great Sheng Dynasty.
Officials were rife with corruption, bureaucracy was corrupt, powerful families were deeply entrenched, and regional princes were eager to make their move.
This dynasty, which had lasted for hundreds of years, was already riddled with problems.
These were the straws that broke the camel's back for this young emperor.
Day after day, year after year.
It will eventually crush him.
His Majesty seemed to see through his thoughts, withdrew his gaze, and gave a faint "hmm".
His voice betrayed a lingering weariness.
"The Great Sheng Dynasty is terminally ill."
He casually picked up a booklet, stroking the gilded lettering on it, but his gaze was vacant and fixed on the void.
"All I can do is try my best to prolong its life."
He put down the folded document in his hand and looked at Zhou Congxian again.
"My seventh brother is young, simple-minded, and kind-hearted."
"He will be a good monarch, a benevolent ruler."
"But right now, he is still young and lacks experience, and he also lacks a good mentor who can help him overcome obstacles."
His Majesty spoke slowly and deliberately, with utmost solemnity.
"Zhou Qing, are you willing to shoulder this heavy responsibility?"
As soon as the words were spoken, the entire Hanguang Hall fell so quiet that one could hear each other's heartbeats.
Zhou Congxian instantly understood His Majesty's intention.
But at this moment, he was more like an older brother about to embark on a long journey, arranging the future path for his youngest brother whom he was most worried about.
Zhou Congxian's Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke with difficulty.
"His Majesty."
"The key to governing a country lies in civil administration, not military strategy."
"The Duke of Qin is highly respected and his word carries great weight in the court. He also has profound insights into the way of governing the country."
"The most suitable teacher for the Seventh Prince is naturally Duke Qin."
His Majesty shook his head, a sharp glint in his eyes.
"No."
"The Duke of Qin is a pillar of the state and a minister who maintains the status quo."
"What he can teach his seventh brother is how to be a benevolent ruler who maintains the status quo."
"But what I want is not just this."
His Majesty slowly stood up.
He was thin, yet still stood tall and straight.
"In terms of both literary and military talent, our Great Sheng has an abundance of people, like carp crossing a river, and we never lack them."
"But what the Great Sheng Dynasty needs now is neither embellished articles nor poems of praise."
The brocade fabric rubbed against the soft cushion, making a "rustling" sound.
"What it needs is an iron fist that can break through old ailments and deep-seated problems."
"It is a sharp blade capable of severing rotten flesh and malignant tumors."
"He's a capable person who can throw a single punch in the midst of chaos, thus avoiding a hundred more blows!"
He walked up to Zhou Congxian and stopped.
He raised his hand and patted Zhou Congxian's shoulder heavily.
"This person is only you, Zhou Congxian."
"It can only be you."
Looking at the raging fire in his eyes, Zhou Congxian could no longer utter a word of refusal.
Those words exhausted His Majesty's strength.
He let out a long sigh.
That sigh was long and weary, as if it had exhausted all the helplessness of a lifetime.
He turned around and sat down again.
My whole body felt like it was sinking into the wide back of the chair.
He spoke softly, his voice so light it seemed it might dissipate in the wind at any moment.
"I...have done my best."
"One day, when I am in the afterlife, I will be able to give an explanation to my ancestors."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
