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So, Xiao Heng, who had been by his side since he arrived here, has gone to Youzhou to quell the rebellion?
The Regent is being too discreet, not even informing anyone of his departure.
Chu Zhaoyou pondered with his head down. Perhaps everyone in the court and among the military already knows, and he’s just the one who wasn’t informed because it’s not that important.
No wonder he suddenly taught him statecraft; it turns out there were signs. Did Xiao Heng really trust him with all the political affairs? Wasn’t he afraid that after risking his life in Youzhou and returning, he would find the young emperor firmly seated on the throne? Or was it his behavior yesterday that made Xiao Heng think he wasn’t interested in seizing power?
Lost in his thoughts, Chu Zhaoyou looked up and found that his aunt had already arrived.
He quickly put on a cheerful smile, his red robe making his cheeks rosy. Taking a few steps forward, he had Xue, the palace eunuch, hand over a similar cloak to Lady Zhao.
“Aunt, you’re here.”
His bright and obedient nephew, with features increasingly resembling his birth mother as he grew older, softened Di Yan’s heart. It also subtly relieved her, for despite being raised under Empress Dowager Wei, he was, after all, her sister’s child.
Di Yan’s eyes welled up as she looked at the towering city gate, her heart in turmoil.
Chu Zhaoyou, the pride of heaven, looked so thin from hunger!
“Your Majesty, you’ve lost weight,” Di Yan, like all concerned elders, said, “You should gain atleast twenty pounds.”
Chu Zhaoyou touched his cheek, “It’s okay. Actually, I eat a lot every day.”
He was quite content with himself for eating a lot but not gaining weight.
“Don’t deceive your aunt. Why don’t you eat a lot and grow as sturdy as your cousin?” Di Yan and Zhao Cheng had a son and a daughter, Zhao Feng and Zhao Yu, who completely inherited their father’s robust appearance, bearing no resemblance to Di Yan.
Di Yan was filled with contentment, “Seeing you, I knew you were of our Di family’s bloodline.”
“Do I look a lot like my birth mother?” Chu Zhaoyou looked at Di Yan’s expression, faintly sketching the image of a woman in his mind.
“A lot, it’s uncanny… I’m sorry for what happened, you were only ten years old back then, and I, shamefully, left without a care. I failed to protect my own child from being taken by Wei. The only way I could protect you was by disavowing you, my sisters child, to prevent her from being implicated by the Empress Dowager. But I’ve grown close to my sister’s child, the enemy, and in a fit of pique, I haven’t set foot in the capital for ten years.”
“I was wrong back then.” Chu Zhaoyou carefully wiped his aunt’s tears, “I mistook the enemy for my mother. I am guilty of dishonoring the pain of a mother’s ten-month pregnancy. I failed to heed righteous counsel, guilty of my mother’s unjust suffering. Aunt was not wrong; I was. If I make the same mistake again in the future, please use the cane to firmly awaken me on behalf of my mother.”
Di Yan never expected to hear such words from Chu Zhaoyou. It was like the old days when young Chu Zhaoyou repeatedly said, “Don’t speak ill of Mother,” as if it were yesterday.
“Let bygones be bygones, Aunt, don’t be sad anymore. Otherwise, even from a thousand miles away, Uncle will worry and rush into the capital to take you back to Youzhou.”
Speaking of Zhao Cheng, a hint of amusement flashed in Di Yan’s eyes. “What nonsense are you talking about, child?”
She composed herself and asked Chu Zhaoyou in a low voice, “Disregarding the Empress Dowager, does Your Majesty have any other aspirations?”
If her nephew said he wanted to contend for power with the Regent Prince, Di Yan would support him, regardless of her husband’s stance. She was determined to help him, even if it meant leaving her husband.
When Chu Zhaoyou first wrote to his aunt, he was destitute, with the Empress Dowager being malicious, and the Regent wielding absolute power, making life extremely difficult. But now, there had been a dramatic change. The Empress Dowager was under house arrest, the Regent occasionally showed humanity, he had protection around him, could leave the palace at will, and held the Imperial Dragon Guard and the ace against the Regent.
Chu Zhaoyou thought for a moment, “Yes, to die a natural death.”
“Well done!” Di Yan patted Chu Zhaoyou’s arm. “You sound just like your mother!”
“If I, as a son, don’t resemble my mother, then who do I resemble? Aunt, perhaps?”
“Hmph,” Di Yan snorted. Chu Zhaoyou had never been ambitious; he wouldn’t strive for power. He listened to others and did whatever they said. If today Chu Zhaoyou suddenly expressed an ambitious desire to overthrow the Regent, she would be surprised. “Why does Your Majesty seem a bit displeased today, Aunt wonders?”
Chu Zhaoyou’s face stiffened. “No, Aunt is mistaken. I’ve been so happy that I couldn’t sleep for several days.”
Xiao Heng really followed through. He had agreed to give Chu Zhaoyou face but didn’t bother with appearances. On the day his aunt arrived, he took the troops to Youzhou.
“You’re exactly like me when Zhao Cheng went to the battlefield!” Di Yan pointed out sharply.
Zhao Jin, the guard sent by Zhao Cheng to protect his wife, nodded earnestly. “You really look alike. His Majesty’s expression is as if he’s up to something.”
“I’m not!” Chu Zhaoyou retorted loudly.
Shoukang Palace.
Wei, the Empress Dowager, had been under house arrest for some time. No news could reach her, and her diet was monotonous, driving her close to madness.
Wei Wanhong was in an unprecedented state of distress, sitting at the gates of the Shoukang Palace every day, gazing forlornly outside, muttering, “My younger brother is in Youzhou; he’ll soon learn of my suffering. Xiao Heng! Xiao Yudao! You wait for me! You won’t outlive me…”
The attendants practiced detachment, paying no heed to the Empress Dowager’s ravings.
Today, Wei Wanhong repeated her words as usual, but the door creaked open.
Wei Wanhong’s eyes lit up suddenly, and she spoke incoherently, “Wei Shi has come—”
As she recognized the visitor, her voice faltered, sounding as if someone had gripped her throat.
“It’s you! Di Hua! You’re not dead! You’re still alive!” From shock, she swiftly descended into madness. “Do you want to contest for the Empress Dowager’s position with me? Hahaha! Let me tell you, it’s too late! Your son is useless! Cowardly and spineless, not focusing on his duties. At the sight of the Regent, he trembles. Even if Xiao Heng mercifully bestows the kingdom upon him, it’s futile. Sooner or later, it will be mine! The grand Great Chu Emperor, belittled by the heir of a petty state…”
“Smack!” Di Yan landed a resounding slap across Wei Wanhong’s face, her anger unleashed in full force.
Having faced life and death alongside Zhao Cheng, from being a mere palace maid proficient only in embroidery, she had evolved into a general’s wife. If she didn’t have some prowess, she wouldn’t have survived till now.
Thrown to the ground with her face half-swollen, Wei Wanhong covered her face, casting a malevolent gaze at Di Yan. “Who are you? That wretched woman wouldn’t dare strike me!”
“Smack!” Di Yan delivered another slap.
Chu Zhaoyou, who had been outside, hurried in upon hearing the commotion, trying to calm his enraged aunt.
He caught himself in time, careful not to offend with his words.
Upon seeing the young emperor, Wei WanHong’s demeanor changed suddenly. While crying, she scolded, “People say that one should repay kindness with gratitude. I raised you for nineteen years, protecting you under my care against the Regent’s claws until you turned nineteen! Now that you’re independent, you won’t acknowledge me anymore?!”
Chu Zhaoyou chuckled, “You sent Wei Shuangshuang to teach me a lesson and conspired with Zhang Huiji, hoping to exchange me for Yuexu’s support. The Empress Dowager doesn’t cherish the bond of over a decade between mother and son. Isn’t it excessive for me to cherish a bit of nurturing?”
Di Yan spoke sternly, “Wei Wanhong, today I demand justice for my sister.”
She presented an old imperial edict, “You forged an imperial edict, falsely accused the son of killing his mother, and forced my sister to poison herself. Here is the evidence. Your Majesty, please pass judgment.”
As Wei Wanhong had no natural-born sons, she advocated for the son to kill the mother, so she could take custody of the child. The old emperor, seeing Wei WanHong’s increasing influence and fearing instability with his own son, didn’t support the idea of the son killing the mother.
Wei WanHong directly forged an imperial edict, caused the death of Di Hua, and seized her son. The old emperor, being incompetent, found a solution in Xiao Heng, who emerged from the ranks of the newly appointed scholars to counter the Empress Dowager.
Initially very confident, the Empress Dowager gradually realized that Xiao Heng was formidable. She needed to win the young emperor’s heart to support her cause, so she overturned the imperial edict, silenced all those who knew the truth, claiming that Di Hua died of illness, and crafted an image of a loving mother.
Later, Wei Wanhong inadvertently learned that Xiao Heng wouldn’t live long. She then discarded the facade of a loving mother and didn’t wholeheartedly nurture Chu Zhaoyou. She did this to prevent Chu Zhaoyou from becoming a formidable adversary after Xiao Heng’s passing.
Her grip on power had been methodically eroded by Xiao Heng, much like the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. She had remained quiet for these years, conserving her strength, and had agreed with Wei Shi to bide their time, waiting for the Regent’s illness to take hold, seizing the opportunity to end his life.
She even concurred with the Regent’s decision to prevent Chu Zhaoyou from marrying. When Great Chu faced a succession crisis, Wei Wanhong would support someone from the Wei family as the heir.
She never expected that she wouldn’t live to see that day.
Wei Wanhong sneered, “Charge me, Your Majesty. I ask you, do you have the ability to do so?”
Chu Zhaoyou pondered. He didn’t have the power to do so…
Di Yan swiftly interjected, “Even if His Majesty won’t, I can take your life!”
Chu Zhaoyou paused, realizing his aunt was sparing no effort to maintain the facade of the puppet ruler.
“You have a brother and the large army in Youzhou, does my sister not have anything? I, Zhao, Lady of Liangzhou, have you not heard of my name during your prolonged house arrest?”
“You… you…” Wei WanHong was so infuriated that she spat blood. Where had she gone wrong? How had she not known about Di Hua’s sister? She even let her leave the palace. No wonder she had struggled to win over Zhao Cheng in earlier years!
Upon hearing that Di Yan had rushed to find the Empress Dowager, Qian Shicheng, anxious as a thunderstorm, immediately set aside his work to prevent the Empress Dowager from gaining the upper hand with the Emperor.
Upon entering, he overheard Wei Wanhong mocking the Emperor’s lack of ability. He cleared his throat and stood up for Chu Zhaoyou, “Hmph, the Regent left for Youzhou this morning to quell the rebellion, entrusting all internal affairs to His Majesty. Empress Dowager, what do you think?”
With one sentence, Qian Shicheng delivered two significant pieces of news. Both Wei Wanhong and Di Yan turned to Chu Zhaoyou.
“Xiao Heng went to Youzhou?” Wei WanHong was visibly flustered.
“Xiao Heng is willing to relinquish power?” Di Yan asked with a look of confusion.
Chu Zhaoyou nodded mysteriously.
He decreed, “Wei Wanhong, for forging an imperial edict, plotting against my birth mother, collusion, and causing chaos, as well as the Wei family’s abuse of power, rebellion, and crimes against the state, her entire clan shall be executed. Strip Wei Wanhong and her family of their titles, throw them into the dungeon, and await the Regent’s return to deal with them.”
Xiao Heng hadn’t arrived in Youzhou yet. What if the Empress Dowager could still be used as a hostage? Although Chu Zhaoyou didn’t have much faith in the sibling bond between Wei Shi and Wei Wanhong.
He looked at Di Yan, “Aunt, do you have any objections?”
Di Yan shook her head, indicating that letting Wei Wanhong die directly would be a favor to her. She looked lovingly at Chu Zhaoyou, who was just nineteen, still a child. It would be best not to expose him to harsh punishments. Xiao Heng was ruthless and cruel; he was better suited for such matters.
Chu Zhaoyou added, “I will issue another imperial decree afterward, posthumously honoring my mother as Empress Dowager and arranging for her burial in an auspicious location.”
Amidst the countless concubines during the late emperor’s reign, he had been thoroughly infatuated with Wei Wanhong alone, resulting in his power being overshadowed. It was better if his mother didn’t get involved in such matters.
“That’s good,” Di Yan nodded. If not for Chu Zhaoyou’s sake, she would have cursed the old man long ago.
As Wei Wanhong was being dragged away, her eyes were fixed on Chu Zhaoyou.
Xiao Heng relinquishing power to him? What a joke! Hadn’t he always looked down on the little puppet? Why had he shown no interest for so many years, and now suddenly wanted to relinquish power to him?
She recalled a time when the late emperor was alive. She had once been so exasperated by Xiao Heng that, unable to defeat him openly or assassinate him, she had intoxicated the old emperor and demanded why he had promoted Xiao Heng regardless of the consequences. Wasn’t he afraid that Xiao Heng would become another her?
In a drunken state, the old emperor had said, “I am afraid. So, he’ll live a solitary life and won’t live past thirty…”
The old emperor understood Xiao Heng. The He Xin Gu would only flare up three times at most, and Xiao Heng, unable to bear it, would end his own life.
Wei Wanhong desperately pressed the late emperor to disclose what he had done to Xiao Heng, but he remained stubbornly silent, as if he were already deceased.
Before Wei Wanhong could find evidence, the next day, the old emperor died due to excessive drinking.
Chu Zhaoyou felt unnerved by Wei Wanhong’s intense gaze and suddenly inquired, “Is there anything else you wish to say, Empress Dowager?”
She maintained a fixed gaze and replied, “In consideration of our mother-son relationship, let me tell you something. Do you think Xiao Heng sincerely intends to return power to you? He has given you a potion to end your lineage. How could he possibly intend to return power? I wanted to arrange a marriage for you while you are young, just in case Xiao Heng’s potion didn’t work. Giving you a taste, a moment of joy while he’s occupied. The Regent rarely leaves the capital. Your Majesty, make the most of this opportunity. When one suffers, all suffer…”
Qian Shicheng interjected, “Nonsense! Even on the brink of death, she dares to sow discord. Shut her mouth.”
As Wei Wanhong was dragged out of Shoukang Palace, she wouldn’t divulge the secret of the Regent’s poison to the young emperor. That was something she should tell the Regent.
Chu Zhaoyou fell silent. The Empress Dowager wanted him and the Regent to become enemies, to fight to the death. Regardless of whether he believed the Empress Dowager’s words, he appeared to be someone who valued continuing his family line.
Definitely not.
He believed the Regent wouldn’t resort to such means; he had directly prevented him from getting married.
Di Yan suggested, “Your Majesty, why don’t you get married and see? You’re turning twenty soon, and you don’t have a wife yet. I’m here, I’ll take charge.”
An unexpected push for marriage.
Qian Shicheng thundered, “The Regent stated that Your Majesty’s marital affairs can only be decided by him.”
This was an urgent matter the Regent had specifically instructed before his departure.
Qian Shicheng repeatedly confirmed, refusing to believe there was only this one matter, certain there was more to it. He was irritated and driven out by the Regent in a fit of anger.
Di Yan sneered, “What’s the Regent’s intention?”
Qian Shicheng swiftly left. The Lady Zhao seemed ready to argue, and he couldn’t win that battle. At most, he would go home and let his wife help him argue, “That’s his intention.”
Chu Zhaoyou said, “Aunt, calm down.”
Di Yan asked, “Why aren’t you worried at all?”
Chu Zhaoyou replied, “I’m just nineteen, of course I’m not in a hurry.”
He hadn’t reached the legal marriage age. Marrying an empress younger than him, forcing her to bear children at seventeen or eighteen, was akin to treating her like an animal.
“The Regent is twenty-seven and isn’t in a rush. Why should I be? Perhaps the Regent thinks it’s not good to marry too early, that it might lead to a life of indulgence. He’s considering what’s best for me.”
Di Yan found his reasoning sound. Both Zhao Cheng and she had decided to have children only after Youzhou stabilized. She couldn’t imagine having children a few years earlier, dealing with one with a fiery temper and the other as dense as a rock. How would they raise children?
“Yes, you’re right. It’s better to wait a few more years.”
Suddenly, she remembered something and became fiercely jealous.
“Zhaoyou, let me tell you, a man should establish himself before starting a family! Don’t be like your old man, incapable of protecting his children, yet daring to impregnate palace women at will! The Regent is watching closely, and our lives are still in others’ hands. You can’t inflict harm on another girl. Don’t have children for the next two years. If I find out you’re involved with anyone, I’ll break your legs!”
Chu Zhaoyou felt a twinge in his leg. Whatever Aunt said had to be obeyed.
“Alright, Aunt, don’t worry. I’m not involved with anyone.”
Author’s note: Extra updates tonight, at an unspecified time. It’s better for everyone to see it in the morning. Thank you for your support.