Chapter 65 The Truth
For a long, long time.
It seemed like a century had passed.
The heaving of Emperor Xuanhe's chest finally calmed down a little.
His cold eyes swept over the two people kneeling on the ground.
One was a servant who was shaking with fear.
One is a court lady who is so calm that it is almost eerie.
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the rage in his eyes had been suppressed, leaving only a bottomless chill.
“Get out!”
The voice was hoarse, cold, and without a trace of warmth.
"...Yes, yes! I obey your command! I obey your command!"
The chief eunuch was as if he had been pardoned. He didn't even dare to raise his head. He used his hands and feet to quickly crawl out to escape from the suffocating low pressure. He did not forget to close the palace door again with trembling hands.
The palace door closed, once again isolating the inside from the outside. The icy air seemed even more dignified than before. Emperor Xuanhe's gaze returned to Chen He, who knelt alone there, with scrutiny, inquiry, and a hint of... the danger of having his reverse scale touched.
Emperor Xuanhe's icy gaze, like a solid ice ridge, scraped across Chen He's calm face inch by inch.
Chen He knelt quietly with his eyelids drooping, as if he was unaware of the gaze that could freeze a person.
She was waiting. Waiting for the emperor to make his final judgment. Either life or death. Or, to embark on a brand new path.
for a long time.
It lasted so long that it seemed as if the light and shadow outside the temple had moved.
Emperor Xuanhe stared at her, and the ice in his eyes seemed to melt very slowly.
He sat back on the dragon throne, and the lines of his body unconsciously relaxed a little.
Suddenly, he laughed softly.
The laughter was light, but it carried an indescribable complex emotion as it echoed in the empty imperial study.
"Oh……"
This unpredictable laughter was even more frightening than the previous roar! Not being able to understand the emperor's thoughts was the most terrifying thing.
"Chen He, ah Chen He..."
Emperor Xuanhe spoke slowly, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of fatigue, mixed with a strange... like a sigh after removing some heavy disguise.
"Do you know?"
"It's been a long time..."
His voice paused, as if he was recalling something.
"It has been a long time since anyone dared to say such words in front of me."
It's not the flattery that glosses over the truth, nor the cautious temptation, but the truth that is so straightforward, sharp, and almost tearing the face apart.
Chen He felt a little relieved.
The bet was right! The Emperor Xuanhe she knew, even though he was tortured by reality and constrained by power, still retained the ambition and courage of his youth.
It’s not that he can’t tolerate the truth, it’s just that no one has dared to tell him for a long time!
She remained kneeling, her voice steady, with just the right amount of respect, yet still retaining that all-seeing calmness.
"Return to Your Majesty."
"The reason I dare to speak so frankly," she said in a clear and firm voice, "is precisely because I believe in your majesty's wisdom."
"Your Majesty, I believe..."
She raised her eyes slightly and met those deep eyes.
"He is a monarch who can and is willing to listen to the truth."
This statement is both an explanation and a more sophisticated form of "flattery."
What is praised is not his supreme power, but his broad mind that can accommodate honest advice even if it may be unpleasant to the ears.
This touched the emperor's heart better than any fancy words.
Emperor Xuanhe tapped the armrests of the dragon throne with his fingertips, almost inaudibly.
"oh?"
He looked at her with deep eyes filled with complex and indistinguishable emotions.
"Interesting."
He raised his chin slightly.
"Go on."
"I'd like to hear what shocking truths you, little girl, can come up with."
He gave her the chance to continue. This in itself was a signal, a tacit approval, an expectation.
Chen He lowered his head again, but his tone was more direct than before, even with a hint of coldness.
"Your Majesty, the current situation seems to be a check and balance, but in fact..."
She paused and used stronger words without hesitation.
“…It’s about surviving in the cracks.”
"On one side, there is the military power of the Xue family, the future clan, which holds the military power in the capital and the border areas. The Fengyi Palace is the representative and is pressing forward step by step."
"On the other hand, the civil servant families, relying on the Empress Dowager, are deeply entrenched and have complex connections and control over the court."
"Your Majesty is maneuvering between the two, carefully maintaining that fragile balance."
Her voice was not loud, but every word was clear, like ice beads falling on a jade plate.
"But no matter which side completely overwhelms the other, or whether the stalemate continues..."
Chen He raised his eyes and looked directly at the emperor on the dragon throne with an almost cruel honesty.
"For Your Majesty, none of this is true control."
"This world of Dayin will eventually..."
Her voice was slightly lowered, but it was more powerful.
"It's not entirely your world yet, Your Majesty."
Every word, like a sharp knife, once again pierced the most secret and unwilling part of the emperor's heart. Which emperor would be willing to admit that his power was controlled by others?
Emperor Xuanhe was silent.
The imperial study fell into silence again.
The only sound left was his own steady breathing, which seemed particularly clear in the empty hall.
It took a long time.
He spoke slowly, his voice filled with an unconcealable fatigue and a deep helplessness.
"you're right."
These few words seemed to have exhausted all his energy.
"Whether it's the Xue family behind the queen, or the old ministers behind my mother."
He closed his eyes, as if he could see the intricate web of power.
"The power behind them is complex and deeply entrenched. I cannot completely bring them under my control for the time being."
"If you pull a single hair, the whole body will be affected."
This was the emperor's helplessness, and the dilemma he had always faced. Admitting this required immense courage.
Chen He raised his eyes, his gaze as sharp as a sword.
"Then Your Majesty, why don't you find another way?"
Her voice suddenly rose a few notches, with a deafening power!
She stared at Emperor Xuanhe closely and asked word by word, "Since the established power is difficult to shake, why not start cultivating a brand new power that truly belongs to you?!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xuanhe was stunned at first, then a bitter, self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips.
"You think I haven't thought about it?"
His voice was filled with obvious fatigue.
He shook his head, his eyes dimming a bit. "But those who have no roots and are willing to be loyal to me are either too weak to have any influence in the court, and very few can accomplish anything."
"Or they are scattered everywhere like sand and gravel, without forming a single entity."
"How can we expect them to fight against those prosperous and well-connected aristocratic families?"
This is the most realistic problem. The power of small people is too limited. How can we gather small things to build a strong force and fight against the behemoth?
"His Majesty."
Chen He's voice suddenly became extremely firm at this moment, like a sword drawn from its sheath, revealing an unquestionable determination.
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