sjar Chapter 545: Imperial Power Blinded by Depth
Chapter 545: Imperial Power Blinded by Depth
When Empress Dowager Yuan heard these words, she was somewhat moved.
Jiang Yanfan was right. Over the years, both sides had paid a huge price for the throne and to be able to be together.
These costs are extremely painful and have also had a certain impact on their bodies.
Although they were unable to accompany Yuan Chao during these seventeen years, he was not deprived of the material conditions he needed.
In fact, everything he used and ate was dozens or hundreds of times better than those of his peers outside.
Empress Dowager Yuan felt that she had not treated him unfairly. At least she had ensured that he lived a prosperous life with no worries about food and clothing.
Seeing the change in Empress Dowager Yuan's face, the Imperial Master struck while the iron was hot and continued to persuade:
"Cousin, haven't you always wanted to conquer the world? Soon our son will become the crown prince and sit on the throne. Then our wish will come true."
"Chao'er is now only one step away from the throne, the succession ceremony and the coronation ceremony. Are you going to give up the throne that is within your grasp and give it to someone else just because of what that little female doctor said just now?"
"If someone from the other four great families takes the throne, you and I will be sidelined sooner or later, and your Yuan family will decline as a result. At that time, all our efforts will be in vain."
"Cousin, can you really bear it?"
Empress Dowager Yuan softened her heart after being persuaded.
Could she bear to give up the power and wealth she had worked so hard to gain?
The answer is definitely no.
How could someone who is used to being a general be willing to be a soldier?
So does she.
The imperial power brought her not only a life of luxury and supreme power, but also the joy of being able to call the shots.
No one can satisfy these things except the throne.
Thinking of this, Empress Dowager Yuan finally hardened her heart. She gritted her teeth and said, "Cousin, don't worry. The throne can only belong to our Chao'er. I will go and ask Chao'er to change his clothes and attend the crown prince ceremony later."
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Master smiled with relief.
He leaned close to Empress Dowager Yuan and whispered, "Cousin, it's great that you think this way. Chao'er is not in good health, but he is old enough to get married."
"As for the issue of offspring, you don't have to worry. When he ascends the throne, we will select a few concubines for him so that he can have more offspring."
"In this way, the throne will still belong to the Yuan family, and no one can take it away."
Empress Dowager Yuan nodded, and in her heart she agreed with the imperial teacher's opinion.
Offspring have always been a big problem for the royal family, so she had to consider leaving a few offspring for the Yuan Dynasty.
As long as the Yuan Dynasty becomes an emperor, his descendants will be of orthodox royal blood and will be qualified to inherit the throne.
In this way, she wouldn't have to worry about the throne being taken away by someone else.
Empress Dowager Yuan looked at the Imperial Master with a gentle expression and said, "Cousin, I will listen to you."
The two hugged each other tightly. What they didn't see was that a white shadow was standing behind the wall and heard all their conversation.
Yuan Chao clenched his hands, feeling an uncontrollable sense of loss and bitterness in his heart.
It turned out that in his parents' minds, he was just a tool for them to control the imperial power.
He only raised himself so that he could seize the imperial power from the Chu family one day.
Yuan Chao now finally understood why Empress Dowager Yuan said in front of Ji Yuntang that he was her nephew instead of her son.
Because there is an unspeakable secret between her and the Imperial Master.
They dare not tell others their identities, let alone let others know their relationship.
Because once this matter is made public, the good reputation they have worked so hard to build will completely collapse in front of everyone.
Yuan Chao had an indescribable feeling in his heart. What he didn't see was that Ji Yuntang was standing next to him at this moment.
Ji Yuntang did not leave the Cining Palace directly, but found a place where no one could see him, hid in the space, and then entered the Cining Palace again.
She didn't expect that she would actually witness the selfishness of Empress Dowager Yuan and the Imperial Master.
The sadness on Yuan Chao's face was visible to the naked eye, but the Empress Dowager Yuan and the Imperial Preceptor were still immersed in their own private affairs and did not notice.
Ji Yuntang took this opportunity to sneak into Empress Dowager Yuan's bedroom, then opened the drawers and cabinets and started searching.
Her hard work paid off, and she actually found a black key in a small box in the closet.
She took out the photo she had taken earlier of the iron chain that locked Emperor Chu, and compared it with the shape of the keyhole and the key.
Sure enough, it was this key.
Ji Yuntang quickly put the key away. When she came out of the room, Empress Dowager Yuan and the Imperial Master had already finished their intimate moment and left.
The two men walked up to Yuan Chao as if nothing had happened.
Queen Mother Yuan looked at him tenderly and said, "Chao'er, the crown prince ceremony will begin in half an hour. I have asked the best embroiderer in the palace to make you a four-clawed dragon robe for the crown prince. The color is also your favorite off-white. I will have someone take you downstairs to change clothes, okay?"
Yuan Chao said nothing, and didn't even raise his head.
Empress Dowager Yuan sighed helplessly, and then continued to persuade earnestly: "Chao'er, I know you don't want to sit on the throne, but today the Western Shu royal family wants to make you the new crown prince. I have already issued an edict to announce it to the world. Now many ministers and envoys from the other three countries have come here just to see you."
"If you are unwilling to cooperate with us, how will your mother raise her head in front of the rulers of the other three countries, and how will she establish her authority in front of the ministers of Western Shu?"
"Even if you don't consider yourself, please consider your mother. After all, I am the queen mother in power in Western Shu. If I don't do what I said this time, where will my face be?"
After a long silence, Yuan Chao raised his head and looked at Queen Dowager Yuan calmly.
"Mother, do you really want me to be the emperor? Even if I have no ability at all and cannot convince the people, you still want me to attend the ceremony of establishing the crown prince, right?"
Queen Dowager Yuan did not hear the disappointment in Yuan Chao's tone. She was surprised that Yuan Chao finally spoke and was willing to communicate with her.
She said with a gentle expression: "Don't worry, Chao'er. I'm just asking you to go through the process. If you don't want to be involved in state affairs in the future, then don't do it. If you don't want to approve memorials, then don't approve them. I'll help you solve all these problems one by one."
"You just need to be happy and be an idle emperor. You don't need to worry about other things."
To put it bluntly, this means making the Yuan Dynasty a puppet emperor in name only.
How could he not understand this?
He knew very well in his heart that Empress Dowager Yuan and the Imperial Master didn't care at all whether he was happy or willing. They only cared about whether he should sit on the throne or not.