Mother and Son

"Her contributions benefited three generations, but she lived too long and meddled in many things she shouldn't have. She wrongly killed Zhi Du, sowed discord between the late emperor and Zhou Yafu, and insisted on paving the way for the Prince of Liang, causing a separation of talent between Chang'an and Suiyang, and also allowing the neutral Huainan Kingdom to grow powerful and become a hidden danger..."

The new emperor lay on his side on the bed, while the Empress Dowager spoke attentively about many things.

The Empress Dowager was the anchor of the Great Han Dynasty, but she spent her entire life seeking stability.

Like Cheng Bushi, who excelled at defense, the Empress Dowager only sought to stabilize everything.

This pursuit of stability was correct at a specific historical stage, but as times progressed, what was once correct became wrong, and even became an obstacle, leading to Emperor Jing's nearly twenty years of unhappiness during his reign.

"The late emperor repeatedly sought to promote virtuous and upright officials who could speak frankly and offer the most outspoken advice, thereby purging the abuses in the court. Even if only half the officials had been replaced, Chang'an wouldn't be in this state!"

"With three generations of the Aristocratic Clan dominating the court, where is there room for anyone else?"

"The entire court is filled with mediocre officials. Xu Chang is old and frail, Zhuang Qingdi is barely passable, but he's still the tallest among the short. The court can't even muster all three high-ranking officials, let alone the nine ministers. And the military region is a hotbed of corruption!"

"The talented are relegated to lower positions and never rise, all ending up in the hands of the various states and vassal states; this Chang'an City..."

The Empress Dowager had a facial injury, but she was clearly superior to Princess Dou.

From criticizing the Empress Dowager to discussing the shortcomings of the court, everything she did was aimed at the Anle Palace faction and was part of her upcoming strategy.

These statements are not without merit.

Not to mention the high-ranking officials in the Liang King's court, even the people in the King of Huainan's Household were not mediocre; they almost had the strength to rival high-ranking officials in the imperial court.

"What Mother says is absolutely right!"

Lying on the bed, the new emperor nodded repeatedly.

Judging from what the Empress Dowager expressed, she was always considering the well-being of the Great Han Dynasty.

But as Emperor Jing said, the most terrifying thing about the Great Han Dynasty was that many people seemed to be doing their best for the Great Han Dynasty, but no one could tell what was true and what was false.

When disloyalists have a need, a simple misjudgment in command of a single war could potentially cost the Great Han Dynasty its most elite army.

However, by seeking retaliation within the imperial court, one could legally and legitimately kill their opponent.

Such situations occurred time and again, even causing emperors to become paranoid, leading to incorrect judgments and even suspicion of everyone around them.

Otherwise, the Empress Dowager wouldn't have been on Emperor Jing's list.

"Liu Piao contemptuously claims that I am a descendant of the King of Yan, and attempts to restore the Western Chu. That Western Chu is a thing of the past, over a hundred years ago. My son is already the Emperor of the Great Han Dynasty. Why would I want to restore the Western Chu? This is utterly outrageous!"

Seeing the new emperor's humble attitude, the anger and anxiety in the Empress Dowager's eyes gradually subsided. She also mentioned the cause of the struggle in the Anle Palace, and even did not shy away from mentioning that it involved her personally.

"Is it the Western Chu that rivaled our great-grandfather for supremacy?" the new emperor asked.

"Indeed, Xiang Yu, the King of Western Chu, has been dismembered for a hundred years, yet there are still people who doubt his restoration," the Empress Dowager said. "Isn't this utterly absurd!"

"That's right!"

The new emperor nodded in agreement, indicating that he would absolutely not believe such nonsense.

"Don't even mention Liu Piao. I suspect that my mother may have had similar suspicions about me in the past, and may even have whispered them in the ears of the late Emperor and His Majesty," said the Empress Dowager.

"No, what son would make unfounded assumptions about his mother!"

After nodding, the new emperor shook his head repeatedly. After shaking his head many times, he pressed his head down and lay down.

"Your Majesty, please don't be angry," the Empress Dowager said. "I don't know if it's because Liu Piao is so gossipy, or if the late Emperor left a will instructing Your Majesty. Trust your mother; you are my only son. What mother wouldn't think of her child?"

"Whatever Mother says, I will do!"

Upon seeing the Empress Dowager unveil the last veil of shame, the new emperor's heart pounded, and he immediately lowered his head.

"That's good then. Let's discuss it again after the burial!"

The Empress Dowager nodded, then felt the new emperor's wrist pulse. After leaving the room and repeatedly questioning the imperial physician, she hurriedly left.

"Han Yan, Dongfang Shuo!"

Only when the footsteps faded into the distance did the new emperor raise his head, breathing heavily.

The Empress Dowager's final words unveiled her own facade, and also exposed the new emperor's true nature.

Whenever he thought about his actions over the past few years, and how he was wary of the Empress Dowager, the new emperor felt like he had been acting like a clown for almost six years.

Zhang Xuezhou was far inferior to Xu Chang, Zhuang Qingdi, and others in the court, behaving like a greenhorn. The new emperor felt that his performance was not much different.

If it weren't for the trump card of the fake Crimson Sky Sword and his cultivation at the Divine Ability Realm, the new emperor would have almost lost his footing.

He called out twice, and then Han Yan and Zhang Xuezhou stepped into the room.

"Two things," the new emperor said in a low voice, holding up two fingers. "One involves the Empress Dowager, and the other involves Princess Dou. I don't want to get involved, but I want to know about the Empress Dowager and Princess Dou..."

The new emperor didn't finish his explanation, but only gestured, which made Han Yan and Zhang Xuezhou exchange a glance.

"You are the most astute people around me; you should know what to do," the new emperor said.

The new emperor's eyes were slightly red as he stared at Han Yan and Zhang Xuezhou.

For the new emperor, one side is his mother, and the other is his most important in-law; he needs a real answer.

This answer will not change the political landscape of the court, nor will it bring him any benefits, but it can calm him down and even have a significant impact on his character.

"I promise you freedom of entry and exit from the palace, and also the freedom to enter and exit the Royal Library three times, and to go to the Armory to select three items that you need!"

The new emperor touched his body and grasped a key carved with dragons and phoenixes into his palm.

He pushed hard with his right hand, breaking the key in two, and then handed it out.

"I choose Consort Dou!"

Zhang Xuezhou spoke first, and then took the key with the dragon on it.

Han Yan hesitated for two seconds before reaching out and taking the key with the phoenix mask.

"This harem is beyond Han Yan's reach," Han Yan said, his face twitching. "I've been thinking hard, but I don't know how to begin!"

"I will not forbid you from going anywhere, not even to the Yongxiang Palace!"

Yongxiang was a long alley in the imperial palace. The palace maids who were not assigned to other palaces lived in this alley, and the Cold Palace where the imprisoned and disgraced concubines lived was also located in this alley.

This is the most strictly controlled place in the inner palace. The fact that the new emperor has granted Han Yan the power to enter the Yongxiang Palace means that Han Yan can move freely within the inner palace.

As for what pretext Han Yan used to stay in the inner palace, and how he could find out everything about the Empress Dowager, that was something Han Yan needed to think about.

"Dongfang Shuo, is there something troubling you?"

Seeing Han Yan nod in agreement, no longer looking troubled as before, the new emperor turned to look at Zhang Xuezhou.

"My residence is far from the capital. I would like to borrow Your Majesty's thousand taels of silver to see if it is possible to purchase a place closer to the capital, which would also make it easier to visit Princess Dou!"

Zhang Xuezhou spoke politely.

His relationship with Princess Dou wasn't exactly good, but there was certainly some connection between them.

It's not difficult to find out something from Lord Dou, and it's also easy to warn the other party through Divine Lord Zhenyuan.

These tasks were not difficult for Zhang Xuezhou, and he readily offered to take on the task first, lest Han Yan beat him to it.

The new emperor granted quite a lot of key access, although some of it overlapped with the rank of "Governor-General," but this promise meant that the rank of "Governor-General" would not be lost no matter how much one squandered it.

Entering and exiting the Royal Library three times to view a vast collection of books may not seem like much, but it's similar to the privileges of a first-class guest minister in the Wenying Pavilion, something many high-ranking officials need to attain after years of political service.

Choosing three items from the armory is like receiving a free treasure. This is usually a reward for being crowned with an official rank, or a reward for a general who wins a battle. For example, the materials for the Eight Steps to Immortality Pill that Li Shaojun needs can be obtained from the armory.

Zhang Xuezhou was very satisfied with this simple and easy task, and also satisfied with the corresponding remuneration.

Since the new emperor still wanted to ask, Zhang Xuezhou reluctantly agreed and took care of the emperor's recent trivial matters.