Yu Zi Heng

Chapter 11:

Shū Fēi, Xián Fēi, and I had been fasting for three days. We figured that if we held on a little longer, the Emperor would cave.

But before the Emperor caved, his sons got angry first.

It all started because the Grand Princess's body was laid out in the palace, and Shū Fēi fainted several times while crying at her daughter's spirit tablet.

Chen Yang didn't have much affection for his elder sister, but he felt sorry for his mother and followed her around.

Jiang Changsheng also took a leave of absence to take care of Chen Yang.

Chen Yuan, accompanied by his younger brother and their companions, came to pay their respects to the Grand Princess. Han Ran's grandfather was the Minister of Rites, so he was familiar with funeral rituals. He immediately noticed something amiss.

The Grand Princess's funeral should have primarily used jade objects, followed by gold and silver objects. However, at her funeral, half of the gold objects had been replaced with brass, and the jade objects had been downgraded in quality.

Han Ran discreetly told Chen Xi and the others, adding, “Don't tell Shū Fēi. She's already heartbroken enough. Just quietly reprimand the Department of Internal Affairs for switching the items.”

Even Chen Yang, who was usually hot-tempered, thought Han Ran was right. The deceased was gone, why make Shū Fēi even sadder?

But Chen Yuan suddenly erupted.

Everyone had forgotten that Chen Yuan and the Grand Princess had been raised together by the late Empress.

Whether the Grand Princess was a good child or not, in Chen Yuan's eyes, she was his dearest sister.

No one knew that during the years Chen Yuan spent living alone in Huguoxiaozhu, only the Grand Princess would care about him and secretly send him snacks.

Chen Yuan, most of the time, seemed reliable, but when he lost his temper, he was completely unreliable.

The last time he lost his temper, he called the Emperor a ‘scoundrel.’

This time, he had made progress:

He ran to the spirit tablet of the late Emperor, the Emperor's father, and called him a ‘scoundrel.’

He went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to cry.

59

Chen Yuan was tall and lanky. After living in the Imperial Study, eating well, dressing warmly, his skin improved, and he smiled more often, taking on the appearance of a gentle and refined young man. This young man, wearing only a single garment without even a cloak, knelt in the Imperial Ancestral Temple in the early spring chill, looking like a beautiful scene—if it weren't for Chen Yang, with his runny nose and tears, kneeling beside him.

Chen Yang hadn't felt much sadness. His sister died, so she died. Anyway, she was always grumpy, loved to scold people, and secretly pinched him, making fun of him for being stupid.

However, when the ever-docile Shū Fēi and the kind and gentle Second Sister burst into tears, and his elder brother, who always looked after him, suddenly flew into a rage, he finally realized—

His elder sister was really gone.

Unlike Chen Xi, he understood too late. He only had this one elder sister in his life, and now she was gone, forever.

Chen Yang cried until he could barely breathe.

Jiang Changsheng, annoyed, handed him a handkerchief, but Chen Yang pulled at his sleeve to wipe his tears.

Chen Xi and the others stood by, silently accompanying them.

Chen Yuan reached out and patted Chen Yang on the shoulder.

He looked at Chen Xi, “I know you didn't like her. She was the first child raised by Mother… the late Empress. No one told her that she wasn't the Empress's biological child. She always considered the Empress her real mother, so later, she saw the Empress gradually go mad.

When the Empress went mad and started hitting people, I would dodge, but she wouldn't. She… she just didn't meet the right people… Chen Xi, actually, she probably envied you.”

Chen Xi suddenly pulled up his robe and knelt down, his nose turning sour as he said to Chen Yuan, “Brother, stop talking. If you keep talking, I'll cry too.”

Yu Zi Chen saw his classmates kneeling and followed suit, muttering, “I'll kneel first. Brother Yuan, please stop talking. I didn't like the Grand Princess, but what you said made me want to cry too.”

Han Ran stood aside, hesitated for a moment, and decided to share the burden with the others. But as soon as his legs bent slightly, the others shouted, “Get back up! Don't kneel!”

Chen Xi added, “Why are you kneeling? Are you tired of living? Let me tell you, out of all of us, only you know the matter of funeral arrangements. You have to work hard for all of us!”

Han Ran nodded and then ran off.

He went to find his grandfather, Han Shangshu.

The most important matters of the state were in the realm of rituals and warfare. The Grand Princess's funeral had gone wrong, the princes had gone to kneel at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the ladies of the court were fasting, and Grandpa, what are you still doing? Quickly grab your old comrades and go scold the Emperor… I mean, go persuade him!

60

That day, Ying Man opened the door to Shuyue Residence.

The Emperor had arrived, standing at the entrance, looking much thinner.

After all the turmoil, he had indeed borne a lot of pressure, but he still couldn't understand how, as an Emperor, he could be controlled by his ministers.

Unable to grasp it, he came to find me.

“You've won, Yu Zi Heng. Jìn Guìfēi has been deposed and sent to the Cold Palace. They did not allow her to raise the Emperor's sons anymore; they say they will choose another nursing mother.” 

I remained silent.

“They want me to declare a new Empress. Ha! Let me tell you, dream on!”

“Your Majesty, I have been fasting for four days. I'm very hungry and thirsty. If you have something to say, please say it quickly. I want to eat something.”

“Isn't it that you want to be Empress? I refuse to let you have your way!”

I thought the Emperor was being childish. Could it be that the existence of the Jìn Guìfēi had truly made him foolish?

He had seemed quite normal when I first entered the palace…

“Your Majesty, if you don't want me to be Empress, I naturally can't argue. So please find a woman who can and dares to be Empress. I'm really tired; excuse me while I go eat.”

Suddenly, the Emperor stormed in and grabbed my hand.

“You've never regarded me as your equal, have you? Fine, let me show you who your man is!”

He grabbed me, trying to drag me toward the sleeping quarters.

Having not eaten or drunk anything for days, I felt dizzy. As he pulled me, the world around me spun, and I fainted.

…

When I regained consciousness, Fu Bao and Ying Man were at my bedside, both smiling brightly. Fu Bao called out, “Your Majesty the Empress has awakened!”

“Empress?”

Ying Man replied, “Niangniang has been officially declared Empress. The decree was issued the day before yesterday, and the coronation ceremony will take place on the tenth of next month.”

I placed my hand on my head, thinking that the holiday was over, and it was time to get back to work.

……

Yan Yun Que.

On the boundless grassland, a young man with a gaping wound on his shoulder, continuously bleeding, rode a black steed, pursuing a man who was also covered in wounds.

The young man swung his crescent blade from horseback, emitting piercing whistles that tore through the air.

They drew closer and closer, until the tip of the young man's blade grazed the man's hair.

Suddenly, the man turned around and threw a handful of white powder at the young man.

But the young man had anticipated this. He leaped off his horse, avoiding the powder, and with a flick of his wrist, drew a perfect arc. The man's head was severed cleanly.

The blade was too fast. The man's blood left a thin red streak on the young man's face, making the androgynous beauty of his features even more captivating.

Shortly after, two other youths in armor, leading a troop of cavalry, arrived.

“Brother!”

As they dismounted, the young man finally relaxed, holding up the severed head, forcing a smile:

“Take the head of the Turkic King. It's a wedding gift for my sister…”

With that, he collapsed to the ground and passed out.

61

Before the coronation ceremony, the Empress Dowager finally returned.

After her pilgrimage, she seemed even more serene, like a bottomless spring, both clear and profound.

She invited me for tea again. Compared to the time I first entered the palace, our hearts had both undergone many changes.

“Zi Heng, you'll never be a qualified Empress,” the Empress Dowager set the tone for our conversation.

“It's not that you can't do it, but that you don't want to. There were so many ways to handle Jìn Guìfēi's affair, but you chose the most dangerous one. That's not like you, always seeking perfection and accountability.”

Yes, stirring up the court to put pressure on the Emperor, what else could it be but a risky move?

I replied to the Empress Dowager, “Because without Jìn Guìfēi, there would be Zhao Fēi, Qian Fēi, Sun Fēi, Li Fēi. Zi Heng has been thinking, the Empress isn't just the Empress of the harem. If she confines herself to the harem, she doesn't deserve the Emperor. So, harem matters are harem matters, but Empress matters require the court's decision.”

“Go on.”

“You were also never Empress before the Emperor ascended the throne.”

Indeed, although the Empress Dowager had reached the highest rank of Noble Consort, ultimately, due to her humble origins, she was stuck at that position.

The Empress Dowager continued her movements, completely unaffected by my rebellious words.

“Yes, since the founding emperor, there have been instances of commoner women who rose to prominence in the harem, gaining the Emperor's favor. No matter how much the Emperor loves them, he can make them concubines or ladies, but the Empress needs more than just the Emperor's love. I couldn't understand it before. Are there really inherent differences between emperors, princes, and officials? Compared to others, I just didn't have a good father, yet I was stuck at the position of Guìfēi. Now I realize the late Emperor was protecting me.”

When the Empress Dowager mentioned the late Emperor, her expression softened.

I couldn't say whether he was a good Emperor, but he was a good husband to the Empress Dowager.

I pondered for a moment and continued, “Jìn Guìfēi's background is not bad, and her character… if examined closely, isn't inherently flawed. But she was protected too well, unable to see the people on the ground and their joys and sorrows.

Her mistakes were made simply because her parents held too much power and status. She never learned about the lives of ordinary people. She doesn't know that some people go hungry because they can't afford food, or they freeze because they can't afford clothes.

She is like the late Empress. The Emperor has always loved women like that. If I had simply overthrown Jìn Guìfēi, he would eventually find another woman to break my rules. So, Zi Heng did something rebellious. I wanted to use this opportunity to teach the Emperor that even the Son of Heaven cannot do as he pleases. In fact, because he is the Son of Heaven, he needs to restrain himself even more.”

After I finished speaking, I bowed my head, “Zi Heng has made a mistake. Please punish me, Empress Dowager.”

“Alright, you'll never admit you were wrong. Come back and sit down!”

Well… I just wanted to apologize, hoping you would say it wasn't my fault. Why do you have to expose me like that…

I sulked back to my seat.

The Empress Dowager finished brewing the tea and handed me a cup.

“Zi Heng, today, I'm not speaking to you as the Emperor's mother, but as the Empress Dowager of Dà Yè. You are not the Emperor's woman but the Empress of Dà Yè. So, I'll only say these next words once. Listen carefully and forget them.”

“Yes.”

“I entered the palace at thirteen and gained favor at sixteen. The late Emperor had difficulty having children. I gave birth to five princesses before finally giving birth to the Emperor. Everyone has selfish desires, and I am no exception. Of course, I wanted my son to become Emperor. But I had to maintain my favor, manage the harem, and raise six children at the same time. The Emperor's education wasn't good. Honestly, he was not suited to be Emperor.

Back when I was still Noble Consort, I thought that as long as my son ascended the throne, he would be able to govern the country well with the help of his ministers.

But when I became Empress Dowager, I realized he couldn't even manage the harem.

When the late Empress went mad, he went mad along with her. He was willing to use his own eldest son and daughter to please a woman.

Zi Heng, the Emperor is not good, but I am his biological mother. My life's honor and disgrace are tied to him. Moreover, the harem back then was a place where you had to move forward or be left behind. If I hadn't become Empress Dowager, I would have only had one outcome: death. I'm not telling you this to make you pity me. I just want you to know that I've walked this path to where I am now. There are regrets, but I can only keep going. Even if I had to do it a million times, it would be the same.”

“Now, I've handed the Emperor over to you. I won't be wrong about you being able to be a good Empress of Dà Yè. But as a mother, I also ask you to take care of my son and try to be his wife.”

The Empress Dowager smiled, “Of course, if you don't want to, then so be it. Compared to his father, Chen Lie is indeed far behind.”

“Yes, Empress… Mother.”

“Alright, have your tea and then get out of here. You took advantage of my absence to manipulate my son, causing him to lose face so badly. If you stay in Cining Palace any longer, I'm going to have to discipline you!”

I quickly scurried out, holding up my skirt.

As I ran, I thought to myself, the Empress Dowager truly is my mother in spirit, even though we have no blood relation. I love her so much!

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