Chapter 1413: Chapter 1391: Different Ideas (October Monthly Ticket Bonus 7)
The Emperor said, "When I was living in the estate of the heir apparent, not only did the former Crown Prince suspect me, but His Majesty also suppressed me along with many ministers in the court. The noble families all wished they could send assassins to have Third kill me. Didn’t I still manage to get through it?"
How did you manage to get through it?
The Empress rolled the question around her tongue but ultimately didn’t say it aloud.
How did the Emperor manage to get through it? He returned from afar, killed the Third Prince who was contending with him, forcing the former emperor to appoint him as the Crown Prince.
If she speaks it out, does it hint that the Crown Prince has the same intentions?
Moreover, isn’t it coincidental that it’s also the Third Prince contending with the Crown Prince now, her own son?
The Empress only felt a sense of injustice, holding her chest unable to speak.
The Emperor quickly soothed her chest, saying, "Don’t be upset; I’ll send Old Wang far away, not letting him create trouble for Dalang in the capital."
The Empress sighed, "It’s useless. Without Lord Wang, there’s still Lord Zhang, Lord Liu; many have opinions."
If Dalang were not the Crown Prince, just a regular prince, who among the ministers would care whether he could have children?
It would naturally be good if he could have children; if not, extending the royal line from another relative would also be fine, and the ministers wouldn’t bother to care.
But he is the Crown Prince, and thus the ministers cannot ignore it. He is the foundation of the nation; if he has no children, the country will inevitably become unstable in the future. Better to solve the problem now than leave it for later.
The Empress understood their mindset too well.
She even saw through them more clearly than anyone else.
In the end, the Crown Prince’s temperament is not stable enough.
The Empress wiped her tears; if only he possessed the patience and bravery that the Emperor had in the past, continued to be humble and respectful as before without losing composure, even without children, people would at most gossip, yet heavyweight ministers like Wei Zhi would still stand by him to uphold legitimacy.
Even now, although his temper became irritable, scolding people and fighting with his brother due to many hits, leading even stalwart ministers like Wei Zhi and Tang Hui to suggest the Emperor to appoint another Crown Prince, still, neither the Emperor nor the Empress abandoned him.
The Emperor gritted his teeth, refusing to depose the Crown Prince.
Both knew that it is not safe to depose the Crown Prince anywhere; to depose him is equivalent to killing him.
The Empress resented the Emperor for indulging the Third Prince too much, leading him and others to entertain thoughts they should not have.
The first couple of years, even though the Crown Prince was criticized for not having an heir, things were still good, basically stable.
But ever since Third got involved in the succession struggle, the attacks against the Crown Prince in the court increased, and he gradually lost composure.
The Emperor thought that the Crown Prince is to become Emperor in the future; if he cannot withstand little trouble now, how can he bear the burden of the entire country later?
With unrest in the north and unruly noble families, does he think that becoming Emperor is merely sitting on the dragon throne as a mascot?
Moreover, though he granted the whole realm to him, Third, born of the same mother and equally intelligent, has only a small parcel of land—what’s wrong with being more fond of him?
However, Third indeed went too far, knowing that the Crown Prince couldn’t drink alcohol yet changed his wine.
The Emperor was furious remembering this, making his beard flutter in anger.
The Empress also recalled this and frowned, asking, "How is the investigation into the wine-switching incident at the banquet going?"
The Emperor dodged, saying, "The wine-switcher is dead, hard to investigate further; I’ve sent Gu Zhong to look into it."
"Why send Gu Zhong?" the Empress heard and knew something was amiss, couldn’t help but lightly hit him, "Be honest, have you discovered something?"
The Emperor muttered, unwilling to speak.
The Empress looked helpless, "You haven’t discovered it was Third, have you?"
The Emperor fell silent.
The Empress said, "It wasn’t Third."
The Emperor’s spirit lifted, immediately asking, "Zitong, do you know who it was?"
"I don’t know who, but I know it wasn’t Third," said the Empress. "Before he left the capital, he came to me crying, saying it wasn’t him, he didn’t know, he was wrongly accused."
The Emperor couldn’t help but grumble, "He said it wasn’t him, and you believe it?"
"I believe," the Empress glanced at him. "If it were him, he wouldn’t dare come see me. When that incident with Ms. Liu in the Eastern Palace happened, I summoned him, yet he avoided even coming; if it were him, how could he dare come crying to me this time?"
The Empress felt like she was hitting iron that couldn’t be forged. "Your Majesty, you’ve wronged the Crown Prince, you can’t wrongly accuse another child, considering how bad the relationship between the brothers has become..."
The Empress swallowed back harsh words and angrily turned her head away.
The Emperor heard the implication of her unfinished words, couldn’t help but anger: "Does this mean it’s my fault?"
The Empress hung her head, saying nothing.
The Emperor, angered, got up, spinning in circles, and couldn’t resist kicking a nearby pillar, misjudging the force causing pain in his toes, couldn’t resist hissing from the pain.
The Empress, both angry and aggrieved, stepped forward to hold him saying, "You deserve it. Why vent your anger at me? Go ask in the court why they instigate Sanlang and Dalang to clash, isn’t it all for the glory of aiding a dragon? Witness the old soldiers who fought alongside you at the battlefield, how many yearn for that kind of prosperity?"
"I advised you many times; Wei Zhi and others openly submitted remonstrations often enough, did you listen—respond well then turned around and forgot?"
The Emperor said, "Sanlang is also your son."
"Do I not love him?" the Empress couldn’t help but shed tears, "A parent’s love for their child involves long-term consideration; is indulging and spoiling him purely for his good?"
"You showered them with love and indulgence; see what they’ve become under your care," the Empress’s tears fell one by one, choking up. "They were so close before, had you not spoiled them excessively, even if not helping each other, they wouldn’t have become hostile like now."
Both are her sons, and now they’re eyeing each other like roosters in a fight, with desires to replace the other; isn’t the one most heartbroken her, the mother?
Seeing the Empress cry, the Emperor became flustered, disregarded the pain in his foot, hurried to wipe her tears, admitting faults, promising not to indulge Sanlang anymore.
The Empress cried for a while, wiped her tears, brought the topic back, "You should investigate into the wine-switching thoroughly; if not fit for the Ministry of Justice, let Yin Li investigate."
Entrusting to Ministry of Justice means laying the inquiry bare within the court; if the Emperor has concerns, entrust it to the prefectural office.
Yin Li is the Emperor’s trusted aide, the capital prefecture under his control—silently probing, countless ways exist to keep things discreet.
The Empress harbors suspects in mind but dares not mention them misleadingly to the Emperor, only saying, "Regardless if the investigation reveals Sanlang’s involvement or not, a fair account to Dalang must be given."
Having seen the Empress cry, naturally, the Emperor acquiesced to her every word.
He nodded continuously, wiping her tears, "I’ll heed your advice, please don’t cry anymore; your crying pains my heart greatly."