pappabearbooks Chapter 5545 The Empress Selection
Chapter 5545 The Empress Selection
Chapter 5545 The Empress Selection
In the system of posthumous titles, filial piety is described as: being kind and loving to one's parents; being thoughtful and virtuous; respecting benevolence and righteousness; having virtue that extends to the people; and having a virtuous reputation that ensures one's descendants are all examples of filial piety.
Furthermore, obedience to orders is considered filial piety, a quality the late emperor failed to achieve. Everyone remembers that Emperor Taizong repeatedly attempted to change the heir apparent. If the late emperor were truly "filial," he should have voluntarily relinquished the position of heir, rather than resisting to the end until he ascended the throne...
Of course, no one should nitpick at this time. Overall, the late emperor was a kind and benevolent ruler. He had some shortcomings, but they did not outweigh his merits. As the saying goes, "to avoid mentioning the faults of the respected," all minor flaws were lightly overlooked.
However, the atmosphere in the Council of State Affairs caused some concern among the officials.
Whether it's Your Majesty's reign title or the temple name and posthumous title of the late Emperor, almost everything was decided by the Empress Dowager and the Grand Commandant with just a word, without much discussion. This shows that for a long time to come, imperial power will be controlled by these two, and Your Majesty will become a puppet...
Although this is inevitable, given His Majesty's current age and mental capacity, he is no longer able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the throne. However, with such power being controlled by the Empress Dowager and the Grand Commandant, who could not be jealous or envious?
*****
A spring rain, sometimes heavy, sometimes light, drizzled but never stopped. At night, white candles were lit in the Taiji Palace, and the palace was draped in mourning. Ministers went in and out of the palace to keep vigil before the late emperor's spirit in the Taiji Hall. Officials from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs were busy organizing funeral arrangements. Furthermore, officials from the Ministry of Works led craftsmen out of the city to the mausoleum at Jiuzong Mountain to speed up construction... It was a scene of bustling activity.
The curfew, which had been lifted many years ago, was reinstated tonight. Countless soldiers patrolled the streets in groups, and anyone found daring to go out into the streets without cause was immediately arrested and thrown into prisons in Chang'an and Wannian counties, to be interrogated after the late emperor's funeral.
The Wanchun Hall was quite quiet, while in the Taiji Hall, a Taoist priest was performing a ritual. The faint sounds of bamboo flutes and chimes mingled with the pattering rain outside the window, and the air was filled with the aroma of tea and the rising steam.
Empress Dowager Su held a cup of hot tea, reclining on a chaise longue, lost in thought.
Her eyes, red and swollen from crying, seemed unfocused. Her long black hair was simply tied into a bun and secured with a white jade hairpin. A few strands of hair at her temples were slightly messy. Her beautiful face was even paler, and even her once rosy lips had little color.
A white mourning dress draped over her delicate and slender body, she lay on her side on the chaise longue, appearing frail and weak. A pair of slender feet clad in snow-white silk stockings peeked out from under her skirt... She looked haggard and pitiful, making one want to gently caress and comfort her.
Fang Jun knelt beside the tea table on the mat in front of the couch, his face solemn, slowly sipping his tea.
The eunuchs and maids stood at a distance from the doorway, facing outwards...
After a long while, Empress Dowager Su came to her senses, her gaze falling on Fang Jun's face, and she asked softly, "What are your thoughts on His Majesty's death?"
Fang Jun took a sip of hot tea and said calmly, "That depends on what the Empress Dowager thinks."
Empress Dowager Su paused for a moment. Even now, she was still extremely uncomfortable with the change from Empress to Empress Dowager. Yesterday, she was an empress in her prime, a model of virtue for the nation. Today, she was a widow dressed in mourning clothes, having suddenly lost her husband...
Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she asked, somewhat puzzled, "What do you mean by 'what I think'? Don't you want to find the real culprit and avenge His Majesty? Besides, how can His Majesty and I sleep peacefully in this Taiji Palace if we don't find the real culprit?"
Fang Jun sighed softly, put down his teacup, and looked up to meet Empress Dowager Su's gaze: "Li Jingye has neither the ability to summon thousands of people to the palace, nor the ability to poison His Majesty. Looking at the court, no one is more capable or motivated to do these two things than the imperial family. But now that His Majesty has just ascended the throne, what he should do is bestow favors upon his subjects and win their hearts, rather than investigate the real culprit and fight to the death."
What good will finding the real culprit do?
Will they wipe out the remaining members of the royal family and kill them all?
That was not about avenging the late emperor, but about completely shattering the foundation that supported the empire's power structure.
Imperial power needs to be limited, but not completely eliminated.
Even if the Tang Dynasty underwent a complete transformation in its social structure due to technological advancements and the accumulation of wealth, the inevitable outcome would have been class division, confrontation between superiors and inferiors, and chaos without a nominal imperial power.
The imperial clan was the most solid foundation for the existence of imperial power.
Empress Dowager Su wasn't unaware of this principle; she simply refused to accept it.
Her previously listless phoenix eyes suddenly lit up, and she abruptly sat up from the chaise longue, revealing her slender and supple waist beneath her mourning clothes.
She glared at Fang Jun, gritted her teeth, and whispered, "What do you mean? Do you really think that just because I have to keep my promise to His Majesty now, I'm already yours to keep, and you won't even avenge His Majesty?"
Even Fang Junzhi, known for his boldness, was startled by these words. He nervously glanced at the eunuchs and maids at the door to make sure they couldn't hear him before he snapped at Empress Dowager Su, "Are you out of your mind, woman? I didn't eat anything, so how can you say I wiped it clean!"
Empress Dowager Su's phoenix eyes reddened as she bit her lip: "So what? You look down on me, a widow who's already fallen from grace, and you're too lazy to even eat?"
Fang Jun retorted angrily, "This is utterly unreasonable! You are the Empress Dowager, you should maintain your composure!"
This woman has suffered a great change and is extremely depressed. She has even become delirious. How can she say such things?
"I would like to be reserved, but what gives me the right to be reserved?"
Empress Dowager Su burst into tears: "This world belongs to you men. Everything a woman wants can only be obtained from you men. If she doesn't give herself up, what will she get to get what she deserves?"
Fang Jun was furious: "In your eyes, am I such a shameless person? I was the late emperor's subject and friend, and now that his body is barely cold, I'm using His Majesty's throne to blackmail you... This is the greatest slander against me!"
"Humph!"
Empress Dowager Su gave a soft snort, wiped away her tears, and looked Fang Jun up and down with a suspicious gaze: "You really don't want me?"
Fang Jun angrily replied, "I don't want to!"
Empress Dowager Su grew increasingly angry, slamming her hand on the chaise longue: "Why don't you want to?"
Fang Jun: "..."
Should I think about it, or should I not think about it?
Women really are emotional creatures...
He said, "We are in the midst of a major upheaval, a time when we should be stabilizing the situation. It's simply incomprehensible that people are thinking about all sorts of trivial things!"
Empress Dowager Su took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears, sobbed a few times, and then asked, "I really do have something important to discuss with you."
"What's the matter?"
"When the Crown Prince ascends the throne and rules the world, a marriage agreement should be made and a candidate for Empress should be selected."
Although Li Xiang was only ten years old, he had already become the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, so his marriage was of utmost importance. Even if he could not get married in the short term, he should decide on an empress as soon as possible to avoid any unexpected twists and turns or troubles in this matter.
Fang Jun nodded and asked, "Does the Empress Dowager have someone she prefers?"
Empress Dowager Su stared at him with her phoenix eyes: "I think Fang Jing is very suitable."
Fang Jun glared and shook his head: "Where did you get the idea that she's suitable? His Majesty is the supreme ruler of the world... Although I also think that anyone is worthy of Jing'er, she is not the legitimate daughter after all, and she will inevitably attract criticism from the world."
"Marrying someone of equal social standing" is not just about matching family backgrounds; it also requires matching "legitimate daughters" and "illegitimate daughters" with "illegitimate daughters." In some cases, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate daughters is even more important than matching family backgrounds. An empress's birth does not necessarily have to be from the most prestigious family of the time, but she must be the eldest legitimate daughter.
Furthermore, while the position of Empress may seem to represent the highest status and prestige of the nation, it actually comes with too many constraints. How could Fang Jun bear to let his daughter marry into such a "place where she cannot be seen by others"?
With her cheerful and lively personality, if her daughter were to marry into the royal family, either the various rules and regulations would drive her crazy, or she would burn down the Taiji Palace...
Empress Dowager Su asked suspiciously, "You don't mean to look down on His Majesty, do you?"
Fang Jun quickly denied it: "Your Majesty is wise and kind, possessing the wisdom of the whole world. You are truly a dragon among men. How could I dare to look down on you in the slightest? However, my daughter is born out of wedlock. If she causes Your Majesty to be attacked by the world because of this, then it will be the fault of my family."
Empress Dowager Su was quite disappointed: "Then let's discuss it again later."
She truly loved Fang Jing. She was intelligent, lively, and cheerful, and had the Fang family as her maternal family, which was an ally of His Majesty. In addition, she had her own bond with Fang Jun... enough to make Fang Jun wholeheartedly bound to His Majesty's chariot.
However, as Fang Jun said, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children is a major obstacle to etiquette and should not be taken lightly.
He then leaned to one side, half-lying down, and sighed softly, saying, "I suddenly feel like having a drink."
Fang Jun was puzzled: "Logically speaking, you and His Majesty have severed all ties. Now that the Crown Prince has successfully ascended the throne, you should have everything going your way. Why do you still look so listless?"
Empress Dowager Su glared at him and said reproachfully, "In your eyes, am I such a heartless and cold-blooded person? You talk about severing ties, but we've supported each other all the way since we were young. How can you just sever ties so easily? Especially when you think about becoming a widow in the future, suffering alone and unable to sleep... You won't despise me, will you?"
Fang Jun was helpless. This woman had suffered a dramatic change, which made it difficult for her to maintain a stable temperament. Her thoughts were unpredictable, and she was prone to self-pity, making her hard to understand.
He could only say, "This is a bonus."
Empress Dowager Su didn't immediately grasp the meaning of these words. When she finally understood, she couldn't help but let out a soft snort: "Ha, men!"
He sat up and called the maid at the door in. He went to the imperial kitchen to prepare some vegetarian dishes and warmed a pot of wine. He and Fang Jun sat on the floor and drank together.
After drinking two glasses of wine, tears suddenly streamed down her face again. She choked out, "Although I once hated him, I never imagined things would turn out this way. Suddenly, we are separated by life and death, and there is no one left to utter those words of resentment and hatred towards him. This feeling is truly unbearable..."
Fang Jun sighed softly, picked up the wine pot to pour her wine, and said gently, "We will take care of things outside, so Your Majesty can rest assured. Have a few drinks and take a nap. Please take care of your health."
Non-vegetation, ruthless Practice makes perfect?
He and Li Chengqian had differing views and growing estranged in recent years. He was heartbroken upon hearing the news of Li Chengqian's death, let alone a young couple like Empress Dowager Su.
Life is full of disappointments, just as the moon waxes and wanes, and fortunes can change in an instant. That's all there is to it.
The dead are gone, but the living must continue their journey.