The grudge between the Empress and the Wei family had existed for a long time. It could also be said that the Empress was unilaterally targeting the Wei family. She felt dissatisfied with Wei Su. She believed that only by completely eliminating the Wei family could she ease the hatred in her heart.
The Empress ordered, "Qiu Xi, go find someone to handle this matter. I want to hear news of that old woman’s death as soon as possible. Also, send someone to invite the Crown Prince and my elder brother to Changning Palace. I have words to share with them."
"Yes," Qiu Xi replied with a slight bow, then hurried away.
The Crown Prince arrived quickly, naturally he was as happy as the Empress. "Mother, this time we must not fail. The Wei family is nothing but a curse to me."
The Empress motioned for him to sit. "Don’t worry, mother will definitely help you. Not only the Wei family, but also the eldest prince. We must ensure he doesn’t return to the capital. Do you understand?"
The Crown Prince was puzzled. "But Father said the eldest brother won’t return to the capital for another two years. He doesn’t want to be emperor, so he poses no threat to me. Mother, instead of wasting effort on him, wouldn’t it be better to eliminate…" The Crown Prince pointed in the direction behind Changning Palace. "That’s the real threat."
When the Crown Prince mentioned Yue Heng, a look of disdain flashed across the Empress’s face. "What kind of threat? He’s nothing but a sickly man who won’t live much longer. A few days ago, he told your father he wanted to leave the palace for a walk, but he caught a cold and fell ill as soon as he returned. He hasn’t been able to get out of bed for days. In my opinion, he won’t last much longer."
The Empress advised the Crown Prince, "You don’t need to worry about him. He can’t escape my grasp. If he dies suddenly, you’ll have to pretend to mourn him as a brother, which would waste your time and give others a chance to accuse you. Let’s spare his wretched life for now."
The Crown Prince instinctively felt that Yue Heng posed a significant threat to him, but after the Empress’s persuasion, he found her reasoning quite convincing. He said, "I will listen to you, Mother."
The Empress was pleased and continued to persuade the Crown Prince to eliminate the eldest prince. Just as she finished speaking, Minister Cao arrived.
Minister Cao overheard the latter part of the Empress’s words, and he could easily guess what she was planning. Seeing the Crown Prince’s reaction, he assumed the prince had already been convinced. Minister Cao felt a throbbing in his temples an. Therefore without even bothering to greet them properly, he directly questioned the Empress, "The eldest prince has been guarding the border for years. Everyone knows he has no interest in the throne. Why must you go to such extremes to eliminate him?"
"Or is it that you dislike military generals and won’t be satisfied until you’ve eliminated all of them?" Minister Cao said with a stern face, his eyes filled with deep displeasure.
The Empress stood up, also putting on airs. "Elder Brother, although you are my brother, there is a distinction between respect and disrespect. You failed to greet me and the Crown Prince, which is already impolite, yet you dare to reprimand me? How bold of you!"
[尊卑有别 zūn bēi yǒu bié: lit. There is a distinction between respect and disrespect; fig. A reminder of the hierarchical order and proper etiquette]
Minister Cao remained unmoved, simply staring at the Empress, while the Empress waited for him to show proper respect. The atmosphere became tense for a while.
The Crown Prince had no choice but to step in and mediate. He first tried to calm the Empress, then turned to Minister Cao. "Uncle, Mother is only doing this for my sake. Father’s arrangements are clearly meant to pit the eldest prince against me. If we don’t eliminate him, how can I ascend the throne?"
Minister Cao said, "Your Highness, the eldest prince has no interest in the throne. He won’t stand in your way to ascension, so why must you go to such extremes? Moreover, there are already few military generals in the court who can win battles. If you eliminate Wei Yunzhao and the eldest prince, who will guard the borders in the future? Will Your Highness personally lead the troops into battle?"
"This…" The Crown Prince hesitated.
However, before he could finish, the Empress let out a cold snort. "What’s the matter? Dayue is full of talented individuals and capable generals. Are you saying that without these two, the country will fall into ruin?"
"Elder Brother, don’t forget that your surname is Cao. We are siblings who share the same blood. Instead of helping your own sister and nephew, you keep speaking up for outsiders. What exactly are you plotting?"
Minister Cao’s tone was cold. "If Your Majesty feels that I'm not helping you or His Highness, why did you summon me to the palace today?"
The Empress was momentarily speechless. Why else? Naturally, she wanted the Cao family to act as their ally.
Seeing the Empress was silent with cold face, Minister Cao sighed and began to carefully explain the situation to the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, if you were the Emperor, would you be willing to hand over the empire to a son who is ruthless and willing to kill his own siblings?"
No comments:
Post a Comment