Chapter 90 No Hope
The mother and her two children were sitting in the hall. They were such close family members, but they had nothing to say to each other.
Concubine Sun looked at her two children and felt both happy and sad.
At least from now on, her children would not be inferior to others. Her son was the emperor who governed the country, and her daughter was the emperor's elder sister and the eldest princess of the Ming Dynasty.
Even if she fails to become my queen, at least she can become my queen mother. As long as she and my son are around, she can be buried with him in the future and become his legitimate wife.
The only thing that made her resentful was that Empress Dowager Zhang took her son away, causing the mother and son to be separated. The son had almost no feelings for her, his biological mother.
Seeing that his mother and brother were silent, Zhu Hanjia could only bite the bullet and speak, "Your Majesty, how was your lunch? How about some sweet water? It's made of the finest honey that Mother had someone find."
"I had lunch already." Zhu Qizhen said, and seeing his mother was a little disappointed, he said, "Send it up for me to try."
Concubine Sun hurriedly sent someone to bring over the honey water. Seeing her son drink a few sips, she couldn't help but smile with relief and asked, "It's still windy lately, my son, you must pay attention to keep warm."
Zhu Qizhen responded obediently, and Wang Zhen beside him also agreed.
Fortunately, he did not continue to mention Zhu Yuhuan, which made Zhu Hanjia feel relieved.
She really didn't want her mother and brother to have any more disputes because of her older sister.
Seeing that Zhu Qizhen was in a good mood, Concubine Sun asked, "Brother, have you discussed with the ministers when to move to the palace?"
Zhu Qizhen was still savoring the taste of the honey water, which seemed to be nothing special. Suddenly, upon hearing Concubine Sun's question, he said, "Of course, wait until the title is given."
Concubine Sun followed up on his words and asked, "Have you considered the title, brother?"
Concubine Sun naturally understood that Hu Shanxiang was the queen and should be more noble than her, but the emperor was her biological son, so Concubine Sun naturally did not want to be inferior to Hu Shanxiang from the bottom of her heart.
She has been patient for so long and has been forced to wait in the position of imperial concubine for so long. In the past, it was the young master who warned her to persevere for him. Now that her son has become the emperor, she no longer wants to endure.
Zhu Qizhen suddenly realized that although Concubine Sun was asking when to move to the palace, she was actually asking about his title.
Zhu Qizhen immediately stood up and said, "This is a matter of state, mother, please don't ask too much."
Concubine Sun had never expected her son to reject her so directly. She also stood up and said, "The emperor is my biological brother. I was just asking about his title. How can that be considered interfering in state affairs?" After she finished speaking, she realized that her tone was too urgent, so she slowed down her voice and said, "I just didn't mean to ask..."
Zhu Qizhen could hear the grievance in her tone and had to sit down again. He said, "The cabinet is already drafting the title. I will listen to Minister Hu's interpretation of the title this afternoon. If you have nothing else to do, I will return to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to rest."
Zhu Hanjia sat aside, not knowing what to say, and could only stare at the teacup in his hand silently.
After going on and on about this, she still hadn't gotten to the point she wanted to know most. Concubine Sun couldn't help but get straight to the point, saying, "Of course, the Empress has a title, but I am the Emperor's biological mother..."
Zhu Qizhen remained calm and said, "Grandma said she would give Mother the title of Empress Dowager. Why are you still worried about this? Is there anyone in the palace who dares to treat the Emperor's biological mother harshly?"
The cabinet and the Ministry of Rites had already drafted this matter. Zhu Qizhen didn't want to cause trouble, otherwise those cabinet ministers would nag him again. Moreover, these five ministers of state were appointed by his father during his lifetime. Even if they would not scold him as the emperor in person, Zhu Qizhen would not be able to say anything if they objected.
Not to mention that this matter was also approved by his grandmother, Empress Dowager Zhang, and Zhu Qizhen did not want to disobey his grandmother. It would be even worse if such a thing were to be spread out.
Besides, this matter is not important. It's not like the emperor's biological mother is not allowed to be the empress dowager. Isn't it just missing a title? At worst, she can be given an official title later.
Concubine Sun argued, "If there were no additional titles, how would the palace servants distinguish between the two Empress Dowagers?"
Zhu Qizhen frowned and said, "Mother wants me to confront the ministers?"
Concubine Sun was speechless after being directly exposed by him. She could only say: "Isn't this a disrespect to the emperor? If someone uses this to criticize the emperor's filial piety in the future..."
Zhu Qizhen was unconcerned when he heard his mother's words. He said, "I am the emperor. What is the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children? Who dares to disrespect the emperor? I have inherited the legacy of my ancestors and ushered in a peaceful and prosperous Ming Dynasty. The civil and military officials, as well as the people of the world, should praise my achievements. There is absolutely no reason to rebuke the emperor."
Concubine Sun was stunned and realized that her son was already the emperor. He only considered his own interests and naturally would not care about what she, his biological mother, had endured over the years. He would not understand her and the late emperor's wish to share the same bed and death.
History books and the future do not care about the true nature of an emperor's stepmother or biological mother. People only care about whether the emperor was a good emperor and what he left for his descendants.
The emperor naturally didn't care that much about this.
Concubine Sun felt even colder in her heart. No one, her husband or her son, was willing to stand up for her. They only cared about themselves.
What was she then? What was all the disappointment she had endured all those years?
Seeing that she was silent, Zhu Qizhen finally walked out. Before leaving, he did not forget to say, "Mother asked me to think about you. Mother should think about me and not make things difficult for me. Earlier, there were rumors that Grandma wanted to make Prince Xiang the emperor. If it weren't for Grandma and Big Sister, Mother wouldn't even be able to become the Empress Dowager. What reason do you have to complain here?"
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