Chapter 12

The Empress Dowager looked at him for a while, then with a disdainful look, said, “Your Majesty is the legitimate ruler of Great Chu. You should take this matter to heart. I can’t persuade Xie Heng, but you can take the opportunity to discuss it with the Regent. Go now, I am tired and need to rest.”

The Empress Dowager was going to sleep. Who would give the order tonight for Chu Zhaoyou to rise? The implication was that he would have to kneel all night.

Chu Zhaoyou quickly considered if there was any room for recovery. Suddenly, several figures appeared behind the curtain, their boots resembling those he had seen by the cart yesterday.

“Your Majesty, please come with me to the Fuxian Hall.”

The tone was firm, and a hand was placed on Chu Zhaoyou’s arm, as if to forcibly remove him if he disturbed the Empress Dowager.

Chu Zhaoyou glanced at the eunuch and gave up trying to appeal to the Empress Dowager’s emotions, following the eunuch.

Yingtao called the palace attendants to clean up the shards. The Renshou Palace was left with only the faint sound of porcelain clashing, and a figure in white emerged.

“Aunt, why did you ask His Majesty to discuss the selection of concubines with the Regent? But Aunt, didn’t you also…” Wei Zhuo gently massaged the Empress Dowager’s shoulders as he asked.

Wei Wanhong rubbed her temples with her middle finger, eyes closed. “If Xiao Heng disagrees, I only need to show a displeased face.”

Wei Zhuo reacted humbly, “Nephew still has much to learn from Aunt.”

In this court, the Regent’s power far exceeded that of the Empress Dowager. If he disagreed with the Emperor’s selection of a consort, the Emperor would not be able to have an heir. At this point, even if the Empress Dowager was pleased, she had to pretend to disagree to maintain the Emperor’s favor.

Decisions made by the Regent were never changed. If the Emperor suddenly discussed marriage with the Regent, it would only displease him and make him suspect that the Emperor was trying to win over the courtiers through marriage.

“Nephew has one more question. Is the Regent really…?” Wei Zhuo was skeptical. They had no opportunity to contact the Regent’s physician. If they did, wouldn’t it be simple to bribe them to administer poison? The Empress Dowager wouldn’t intentionally give the anxious young Emperor such thoughts, would she?

The Empress Dowager: “Why ask so much? You just need to know that temporary honor or disgrace doesn’t matter. What’s important is who will have the last laugh. The Regent is at the height of his power, and we are avoiding his sharpness. When his time is up, it will be our turn.”

Wei Wanhong, older than Xiao Heng, exuded such confidence. Wei Zhuo connected the dots and had a sudden realization, feeling relieved and invigorated.

The Fuxian Hall, as the name suggests, is a place for enshrining ancestral tablets. From the imperial family to Chu Zhaoyou’s lineage, the family was sparse. Additionally, with the Regent showing no interest in ancestral worship, this place had been neglected, with cobwebs entangling the neatly arranged tablets, a desolate sight.

Chu Zhaoyou took one look at this desolate scene and deeply felt that the Regent was truly planning to usurp the throne, neglecting even the superficial task of having the palace attendants clean the Fuxian Hall.

The old eunuch, expressionless, said, “Please kneel down and reflect, Your Majesty.”

Chu Zhaoyou redefined the term “puppet” in his mind.

Standing straight, Chu Zhaoyou felt pain in his legs, back, and even his lower abdomen. He hadn’t eaten properly since waking up, and he wasn’t sure if he was hungry. He regretted not eating a big bowl of braised noodles before attending the morning court.

Without any cushions around, he knelt directly on the ground, feeling the coldness on his knees. He was sure he couldn’t bear it; once he knelt, he wouldn’t be able to stand up, and he didn’t want to develop rheumatism or arthritis.

He sneered, “My knees are uncomfortable. I won’t kneel. Surely my late father in heaven would spare me from this.”

Since seeing those boots, Chu Zhaoyou didn’t want to play along with the Empress Dowager anymore. He had been too dizzy and disoriented in the wine barrel yesterday to think clearly, but now he was very hungry and alert.

Why did the cart suddenly become agitated and charge at him? Why were the black boots so close to him, only pretending to help him when the Imperial Guards arrived?

It was clear that those people had tampered with the cart!

The Empress Dowager was not only not on his side but also setting traps for him at every turn. Even temporary allies were out of the question!

In fact, during his three-day escape, the biggest loss was for Xiao Heng. Not only had he lost the seal of authority, but his dear ally’s sister had almost been taken away as a hostage by the Empress Dowager. The Regent, apart from being a bit cryptic, hadn’t punished him.

Was the Empress Dowager more wronged than the Regent, who had missed out on the spoils?

“Empress Dowager’s order! The Emperor must kneel and reflect.” The eunuch lifted his eyelids and emphasized loudly, indicating that if Chu Zhaoyou didn’t kneel, he would personally intervene.

Chu Zhaoyou raised an eyebrow. “Tell me, is the Regent  in the palace right now?”

He actually didn’t know, but the Emperor’s escape was a major mistake for the Imperial Guards and needed to be rectified. Xiao Heng was most likely reorganizing the palace’s patrols and defenses to prevent a recurrence.

The eunuch’s face changed again as Chu Zhaoyou continued, “Today, I only retained the Regent’s seal of authority. The Empress Dowager then displayed her power. Do you think I didn’t want the seal of authority? I handled the Regent’s matter, and the Empress Dowager made me kneel. If I can’t attend court in the future, will the Regent hold the Empress Dowager accountable? Especially you—”

Chu Zhaoyou pointed at him. “Insulting the Regent, assaulting the Emperor. Do you think I won’t report this to the Regent? Can the Empress Dowager protect you?”

The eunuch exclaimed, “When did I insult the Regent?” It was a fact that the Regent held more power than the Empress Dowager in the palace.

The eunuch looked at Chu Zhaoyou in disbelief. What was this about reporting to the Regent?

Chu Zhaoyou smirked. The Regent was quite perceptive. He had probably figured out how the original owner usually interacted with the Empress Dowager after just a few words.

Using both kindness and coercion, she would say a few heartfelt words and then follow up with threats. She would brainwash the emperor every day, making him fear the Regent and respect and obey the Empress Dowager.

Actions speak louder than words.

The Empress Dowager’s words sounded good, but in reality, she hadn’t done anything for the young Emperor. She would scold and punish him. Although Chu Zhaoyou felt that reporting to the Regent would be futile, as he clearly wouldn’t bother with such a minor issue, he couldn’t resist the Regent’s power.

Under the Empress Dowager’s control, the original owner had never taken the initiative to speak to the Regent. The old eunuch couldn’t gauge the Regent’s reaction. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Then, Your Majesty, just sit here. I’ll guard outside.”

As soon as the eunuch left, Chu Zhaoyou slumped to the ground. He had suffered too much in the past two days. It was no wonder everyone was so eager for power. At least they wouldn’t end up like him, a dignified Emperor being forced to kneel in the ancestral temple.

A small spark of determination ignited within him. Even if he couldn’t counter the Regent, he at least wanted to ensure his own well-being.

He had taken over someone else’s body. Did he really want to change the fate of the nation just because of his own soft-heartedness? But the Regent was actually governing the country quite well!

Chu Zhaoyou was troubled. As the Emperor, he was definitely not suitable for the Regent. He was a staunch socialist at heart and had no obsession with hereditary succession.

After pondering on an empty stomach for a long time, he suddenly saw things clearly. He realized that he couldn’t compete with the Regent. Was agonizing over this any different from a poor student worrying about whether to attend Tsinghua University or Peking University?

Once he came to this realization, he felt relieved. As long as he could ensure that the Regent didn’t usurp the throne during his reign, it didn’t matter who was actually in control. As long as he ate and drank well and the people lived in peace and contentment, it was enough.

As long as the Emperor remained optimistic, the Regent was just a hired hand.