eurekapd Chapter 438 After the closure
Chapter 438 After the closure
The emperor did not listen.
Back in the Zichen Palace, he said, "I have already instructed Feng Ziheng to find fault with the Right Chancellor. After gathering the evidence these past few days, I will dismiss him from his post and investigate him. The Hu family harmed me and Wan'er; they should have their property confiscated and be executed."
The younger sister was puzzled. The Emperor used to be known for his slow and methodical approach, so why was he being so aggressive now?
The Emperor continued, "Among the Jinshi graduates from earlier this year, there are a few quite good ones. I'll bring their information over for you to see later, and you can decide which ones you think are suitable for employment."
The young woman narrowed her eyes slightly and asked, "Your Majesty, what are you doing? I am a woman of the inner palace. It is already a great taboo for me to privately review memorials on behalf of Your Majesty. How can I interfere in the court's personnel appointments?"
The emperor did not speak, but the younger sister's face had already turned pale.
She rushed forward and hugged the emperor: "Your Majesty, please...please don't frighten me."
Tears welled up in my eyes.
She was indeed insincere towards the Emperor in the past, only wanting to gain benefits from him.
But after nearly two years together, their relationship didn't seem like that of ruler and subject, but rather like that of a real husband and wife. The Emperor's affection for her went beyond mere doting; he guided her on a deeper level.
He taught her the art of checks and balances in the imperial court, and how to make choices between the interests of the nation and its people.
He said that he was by no means a wise ruler for the Si family, but he had done right by the Great Zhou Dynasty and the people.
The younger sister's initial use of him turned into dependence, and then into admiration and appreciation; she truly fell in love with him.
The Emperor held her close and whispered, "I can no longer take care of everything for you, Wan'er. Tomorrow I will make you Empress and leave a will to choose an heir for you."
“Your Majesty, you mustn’t talk nonsense.” His younger sister interrupted him. “You promised me that you would stay with me for a long, long time. I don’t want to be the Empress, nor do I want an heir. I want you to stay with me. I want you to never leave me.”
The Emperor's eyes also reddened: "I have too many concerns, but my only concern is you, Wan'er."
He stroked his younger sister's hair: "Wan'er, my biggest mistake in this life is not raising my children properly. My sons are all ruthless and selfish people. This is my oversight. These days, I have thought about them carefully. The country of Great Zhou cannot fall into their hands. Wan'er, the only people I can trust besides a few court officials are you."
My little sister's eyes were red from crying.
The Emperor said, "If they ascend the throne, the golden age of the Great Zhou will come to an end. Wan'er, promise me that once I appoint an heir, you will raise him well and ensure he becomes an upright ruler, okay?"
The younger sister shook her head desperately. She refused. She didn't want to raise someone else's child. She only wanted to be with the Emperor.
The Emperor lowered his head and kissed her forehead: "Wan'er, I owe you. I owe you for a lifetime, no, for all eternity. But I have no one else to entrust my life to."
The younger sister suddenly remembered the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager asked her if she would regret it, and she said no, saying that she was the same as the Empress Dowager.
But now she knows that's not the case.
The Empress Dowager had no affection for the late Emperor, and her relationship with the Emperor was not deep. She raised the Emperor as if he were the Son of Heaven, not as her own child.
This also led to a rift between her and the emperor.
Therefore, no matter what the Emperor does, the Empress Dowager will only be disappointed, not heartbroken. She knows that the Emperor is weighing the pros and cons, choosing the method most beneficial to himself.
But Si Muwan regretted it. She never thought she would be so attached to the Emperor, but just when she fell in love with him, he was about to leave her.
The youngest sister in the palace was in unbearable pain, while the wise prince outside the palace was extremely anxious.
He was furious: "Everything was planned out, how could things have changed? Those idiots in the northern desert can't even guard a map properly, and Prince Ning managed to find out about it!"
The advisor advised, "Your Highness, this matter is already settled, there's no need to think about it anymore. Fortunately, it seems those people in the Northern Desert aren't too stupid; they didn't betray Your Highness."
The wise king said impatiently, "They are afraid of the Great Zhou's iron cavalry, but in any case, the Great Zhou's battle with the northern desert is inevitable."
The advisor then said, "Your Highness, this is a perfect opportunity for you. Why don't you send someone to deliver the defense map to the northern desert again? After the defeat, Your Highness can then request to lead the expedition in person. When your prestige increases significantly, that will be the time for Your Highness to achieve your goal."
The wise king pondered for a moment.
The aide continued, "Your Highness may not know how valiant General Shao, the Duke of Shao, was back then. The common people may not know the imperial surname Xiao, but they would certainly know General Shao. It is precisely for this reason that Your Majesty must do everything in your power to eliminate the entire Shao family."
The wise king rubbed his fingers together and nodded: "Do as you say."
On a bitterly cold winter day, the Emperor issued an edict to elevate Consort Wan to the rank of Empress, bestowing upon her a golden seal, book, and tablet. This caused a great uproar in the court, with officials, led by Feng Ziheng, strongly opposing it.
"Your Majesty, Consort Wan has neither merit nor offspring, how can she be made Empress?"
The Emperor said, "The position of Empress is vacant. Consort Wan has always been in charge of the affairs of the harem. Now she is the only high-ranking concubine. She cannot be the Empress. Minister Feng, who do you think should be the Empress?"
“But Your Majesty, the harem has been empty for nearly twenty years. The fact that the Consort has been in charge of official duties is not a great achievement.”
The Emperor sneered, "Consort Wan shielded me from a knife, which is enough to show her loyalty to me. As for having no heir, that is my fault, not Consort Wan's. Doesn't protecting me and staying by my side count as a great achievement?"
Feng Ziheng's forehead was covered in cold sweat, but he still advised, "Your Majesty, I think this is inappropriate. Consort Wan holds a high position, and it is her duty to share Your Majesty's burdens. She should not be further rewarded."
The Emperor glanced at him sideways: "According to Minister Feng's opinion, only those with great achievements are worthy of being the true Empress. Should I then select a suitable candidate from the court? Duke Feng has served me for a long time and is the one I favor the most. Shall I make him my Empress?"
The Duke of Feng was already old, and he was terrified when he heard this. He immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness.
The other court officials also knelt down, not daring to speak further.
After the emperor returned to the palace, he was still quite annoyed and said to his younger sister, "This Feng Ziheng, I trusted him so much, but he opposes me at every turn!"
The younger sister had naturally heard about what happened at the grand court assembly, but she didn't care. She simply smiled and said, "Your Majesty, according to kinship, Lord Feng is my cousin. This shows that he is also devoted to Your Majesty. Why should Your Majesty hold a grudge against him?"
The Emperor thought for a moment and then smiled, “It’s not that I’m being petty. It’s precisely because he’s so meticulous that I trust him. It’s just that I’m thinking that when I’m gone, given his abilities, I’ll inevitably have to make him a regent, and I’m afraid he might make things difficult for you.”
“If I do right and proper, I need not fear his troubles. If I do wrong, his troubles are to correct my mistakes.”
After the younger sister finished speaking, her eyes reddened again.
"Your Majesty, but all I want is to hide behind you and be a woman who doesn't care about or think about anything."