Hongli’s heart skipped a beat at the Empress Dowager’s blunt question, though he betrayed nothing on his face. Instead, he simply asked in return, “What does Imperial Mother think I want?”
Truthfully, Zhen Huan hadn’t thought much before asking. She genuinely wanted to know why Hongli had entertained the idea of elevating Lady Ula-Nara. Was he really so infatuated that he would go to such lengths for love?
But seeing the calm expression he deliberately maintained, while his eyes revealed unmistakable wariness, a sudden thought flashed through her mind.
Could he be doing this just to oppose me?
She possessed the original Zhen Huan’s memories and knew their relationship was no longer what it once had been. Mutual caution had long since replaced trust.
But she had never imagined this matter was about guarding against her.
The man had only just ascended the throne. Instead of handling the mountain of state affairs awaiting him or winning over the court officials, his first move was to stab his nominal mother in the back?
And he had chosen this method—giving the title of Empress Dowager to their mutual enemy.
This would disgust not only her, but himself as well.
She honestly couldn’t decide which possibility was more absurd: doing it for love, or doing it out of political suspicion.
But if that was truly his motive, then before dealing with Lady Ula-Nara’s matter, she first needed to have a serious heart-to-heart with her bargain-bin son.
Immediately.
Until he lowered his guard.
Instead of answering right away, she turned to Qingying, who was still standing there with an aggrieved and innocent expression.
“I have something to discuss with the emperor. You may leave first.”
Qingying’s eyes widened as she looked toward the emperor.
This concerned her aunt—how could she be excluded?
But this time, the emperor sided with the Empress Dowager.
“Qingying, return for now. I will visit you tomorrow.”
Qingying comforted herself inwardly.
The Empress Dowager and the emperor would surely argue over her aunt’s matter. Hongli was willing to oppose the Empress Dowager for her sake and had even sent her away beforehand to spare her from being put on the spot.
Her young prince truly cared for her.
At that thought, Qingying revealed a faint smile of triumph.
Between the Empress Dowager and herself, Hongli had chosen her.
Zhen Huan had no idea that Qingying had somehow declared herself the winner without anyone else’s participation.
All she saw was Qingying smiling strangely as she left after being dismissed.
She couldn’t help but make a complicated face.
No matter how she looked at it, this Qingying really didn’t seem very bright.
Once Qingying had left, Zhen Huan glanced at the silent Hongli, who was putting on an air of inscrutable depth.
Fine.
It was time for a heart-to-heart between the wild child and his equally wild mother.
She broke the silence first.
“Whether Lady Ula-Nara is elevated or not, what is it that you truly hope to gain from this matter?”
A polite but insincere smile appeared on Hongli’s face.
“Imperial Mother jests. What could I possibly hope to gain?”
Looking at his false smile, Zhen Huan thought to herself:
It’s over. This lunatic really is targeting me.
She sighed, took a sip of tea, and abruptly changed the subject.
“From the first time I met you until now, many years have passed in the blink of an eye.”
Hongli’s hand paused halfway to his teacup.
He hadn’t expected the Empress Dowager to bring up their first meeting.
Back then, she had only been a concubine, but she was one of the late emperor’s favorites, enjoying unmatched glory.
Meanwhile, he had been a neglected prince, abandoned in the Old Summer Palace.
What was she trying to say?
Was she reminding him of the favors she had done for him?
As she watched his expression shift as dramatically as Qingying’s had earlier, Zhen Huan understood that his wariness stemmed from the fact that, in his eyes, their relationship had evolved from one of mutual support and benefit into one of subtle opposition.
She needed him to understand that even now, as emperor and empress dowager, they remained inseparable allies.
“When we first met, neither of us imagined that we would truly become mother and son. But from the moment the late emperor spoke those words and the imperial genealogy was amended, our fortunes became forever intertwined.
“When the late emperor was alive, you were still young. You came to me for advice on many matters. But now you have a wife and children, and you sit upon the throne. From this day forward, you must make your own decisions.”
Hongli looked into her eyes, trying to determine whether her words were sincere or merely another layer of calculation.
“Your son is still young. I still need Imperial Mother’s guidance.”
Zhen Huan smiled.
Privately, she thought, Talking to him is exhausting. Anyone can tell his words don’t match his heart.
“Young or not, this empire is now yours. Great matters and small should be decided by you alone.
“When the late emperor was alive, he occasionally asked for my opinion as well. But whether he listened was entirely his choice.
“If you ever wish to hear your mother’s thoughts, come to me. Whether you follow my advice is up to you.
“If you can handle everything yourself, all the better.
“I spent years fighting and scheming in the late emperor’s harem before earning the peaceful life I enjoy today. Frankly, I hope you never bring me any problems at all.”
Hearing her speak so openly, Hongli hesitated.
If he let this opportunity pass, he might never again learn the Empress Dowager’s true thoughts.
At last, he decided to be a little more honest.
“Does Imperial Mother truly feel no attachment whatsoever to the power of the court or the harem?”
Zhen Huan laughed and shook her head.
“Emperor, what use would I have for power in the court?
“I will remain Empress Dowager for the rest of my life. No matter who rises or falls in court, would you mistreat me because of it?
“As for the harem, even less so. Who would dare trouble the Empress Dowager?
“I was never someone who craved power. If I hadn’t been pushed to the brink, I never would have come this far.”
Hongli suddenly remembered how, when she had still been Concubine Wan, she had voluntarily left the palace to become a nun after losing heart.
If she truly coveted power, why would she have abandoned everything back then?
It was only after calamity struck her family that she had fought her way back into the palace.
Seeing him lost in memories, Zhen Huan seized the opportunity to deliver the final blow.
“You are my only son now. All I hope for is that you and your two sisters live well.”
Her only son…
The late emperor had died suddenly. It was the Empress Dowager who had secured Hongli’s succession to the throne. Her own biological son, the Sixth Prince, had long ago been adopted out, eliminating any possibility that he might inherit the empire.
She had personally cut off her own son’s path to the throne.
Would someone like that truly care about a little power?
The fog clouding Hongli’s mind seemed to clear instantly.
All his recent probing and suspicions suddenly felt absurd.
A tremendous weight lifted from his shoulders.
“Mother, your son was wrong. I should never have doubted you.”
Looking at the bowed head before her, Zhen Huan patted his shoulder gently.
“You and I are mother and son. I will always stand by your side.”
For a brief moment, warmth filled the room.
Zhen Huan’s inner thoughts:
Absolutely fake, thank you very much. I can’t feel maternal affection toward this lunatic at all.
At last, Hongli spoke again.
“Your son wishes to know what Mother truly thinks about Lady Ula-Nara’s matter.”
“If you want my honest opinion, I naturally do not wish to see her become Empress Dowager.
“Lady Ula-Nara once wielded unchecked power in the harem. She harmed many people and repeatedly tried to place the Third Prince on the throne.
“She is an enemy to both you and me.
“I had assumed you would not want her to become Empress Dowager either.
“But in the end, the decision is yours to make. No matter what you choose, I will support you.
“However, since you still seem uncertain, perhaps you would be willing to tell me why.”
Zhen Huan herself had not experienced those bloody struggles firsthand and therefore held no personal hatred toward Yixiu.
If the matter had not affected her directly, she would have happily ignored it.
But having inherited this body, she felt obligated to speak on its behalf.
Hongli saw no reason to hide his motives.
“First, senior officials such as Zhang Tingyu have requested the title of Empress Dowager for Lady Ula-Nara on the grounds of ritual propriety.
“Second…”
He hesitated before continuing.
“Lady Ula-Nara is Qingying’s aunt. Seeing her aunt cast aside without favor or support, left to fade away in loneliness, is heartbreaking for Qingying.
“And… I also want to give Qingying someone she can rely on.”
So love really was part of this after all.
But when he spoke of being abandoned, without favor or support, left to die alone…
He clearly wasn’t talking about Lady Ula-Nara.
Zhen Huan thought Hongli was, in many ways, a coward.
He longed to compensate for the hardships his birth mother had endured, but he dared not remind anyone of his own humble origins.
So he misplaced those feelings onto Lady Ula-Nara.
Yet the two women had nothing in common.
“The emperor can always justify his decisions.
“You could grant her the title of Empress Dowager without allowing her to be buried alongside the late emperor. In that case, they would remain separated even in death.
“Or perhaps their separation in death already signifies rejection. The late emperor had prepared an edict to depose her, but refrained from announcing it only out of consideration for the late Empress Dowager. Elevating her now would go against his wishes.
“Ultimately, this is a matter of the inner palace. It has nothing to do with the welfare of the realm.
“As long as your reasoning is sound, you may decide as you see fit.
“And if officials continue to argue over it endlessly, does that mean the empire has no more pressing concerns?”
She paused before continuing.
“As for finding Qingying someone to rely on—her support can come from imperial favor, from children, or from her natal family.
“But it must never come from Lady Ula-Nara, the woman responsible for the deaths of so many of the late emperor’s children.
“Are you not afraid she would turn your harem into the same battlefield?
“Even if you sent her far away to one of the imperial estates, what if she invoked filial duty and demanded to return?
“You could never bear the reputation of imprisoning your father’s principal wife.
“That would only create endless trouble.”
Hongli’s heart trembled.
How had he never considered this before?
Lady Ula-Nara was clever, ruthless, and highly capable.
If she devoted herself to supporting Qingying, would he one day find himself struggling to preserve his heirs, just as his father had?
Qingying held a special place in his heart.
But he loved his sons and daughters as well.
Especially the legitimate son born to Empress Fuca, upon whom he placed his highest hopes.
Would Lady Ula-Nara truly be willing to watch another woman’s child inherit the throne?
After a long silence, he said, “Viewed this way, elevating her to Empress Dowager does seem inappropriate.”
Yet deep in his heart remained a small corner that could not bear to watch another woman die lonely and forgotten.
At that moment, Zhen Huan spoke again.
“The truly lonely and forgotten women are someone else entirely.”
Hongli looked at her in confusion.
“There are many women in the late emperor’s harem who once received his favor but never gained official rank.
“Instead of wasting your sympathy elsewhere, show kindness to them.
“Grant titles to those still living and provide for them in comfort.
“Give proper burials to those who have already passed away.
“Tell everyone it was my decision.”
Hongli was genuinely astonished.
“Mother… you… you would really agree to that?”
Zhen Huan patted his shoulder.
“Your filial heart comforts me.”
Overcome with emotion, Hongli rose and bowed deeply.
“Your son thanks you, Mother.”
His voice was thick with emotion.
Helping him to his feet, Zhen Huan smiled.
“Enough. There’s no need for such formalities between us.
“If you decide not to elevate Lady Ula-Nara, didn’t she once say she wished only to share the late emperor’s life and burial?
“Then simply have Qingying ask her this:
“Would she rather become an Empress Dowager in name only, forever separated from the late emperor after death?
“Or abandon these empty honors, want for nothing in life, and one day be quietly buried beside him, unnoticed by anyone?”
Supporting Zhen Huan as they walked outside, Hongli nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, Mother.”
“The night is late,” Zhen Huan said gently. “You should rest as well. There will always be more work to do. Don’t ruin your health.”
For a brief moment, they looked every bit the loving mother and dutiful son.
Zhen Huan’s inner thoughts:
I’m exhausted. Time to go back and sleep.
Hopefully, life will be peaceful from now on.