Chapter 43: Terminal Stage of Love-brained Fool? Beyond Saving, Just Wait for the End 12

These words forced the Empress to gather her strength. "Has the decree not been issued yet?"

"Yes, Your Majesty still has both princes in mind. I don’t know the specifics of what happened, but His Majesty must have acted out of necessity. Perhaps it was the Prince of Chu who angered him in some way..."

Yes, he did anger him.

But wasn’t it brought upon himself? The Prince of Chu was once the upright Crown Prince. After he fell ill, he became utterly muddled, as if he were a different person altogether, abandoning his own son and instead supporting his nephew.

...As if he were a different person...

A sudden clarity flashed through the Empress’s mind, and she immediately regained her composure.

Yes, where in the world would a father leave his thriving estate to his nephew rather than his own son? It could only be that he truly was a different person.

A cold light flickered in the Empress’s eyes.

She could tolerate her son not being the Crown Prince; at least he would remain a royal prince, able to rule over his own fiefdom like a local emperor, enjoying wealth and honor.

But she could not tolerate her son dying from illness without reason, reduced to a commoner, unable even to secure basic sustenance.

Suspicion grew in the Empress’s heart. The more she thought, the more convinced she became. It was as if she had grasped a monumental secret, and she began to revive, reaching out to powerful ministers across the court.

The first she contacted was the aged Wen Ding’an.

Wen Ding’an had served as an official for many years. When Emperor Yong’an was still Crown Prince, Wen Ding’an was already a prominent figure in court.

When Yong’an ascended the throne, Wen Ding’an was heavily favored.

His character and conduct were well known to all.

If the Empress believed the Emperor to be an impostor, then not a single palace attendant, including the chief eunuch, could be trusted.

Otherwise, if the Emperor were a fraud, how could those who served him daily fail to notice? Their normal behavior meant they must be complicit.

Ji Cheng couldn’t be trusted either. Although promoted by Emperor Yong’an, he was favored even more after the ‘false’ Emperor took power; perhaps he had been thoroughly bought over.

After much deliberation, the only trustworthy figure was Wen Ding’an, a veteran of two reigns.

The Empress secretly invited Wen Ding’an, claiming to discuss matters concerning the fate of the realm.

Since the Emperor’s miraculous recovery, Wen Ding’an had recounted his own strange experiences, watching the state grow ever more prosperous and well-governed, flourishing day by day.

Even if he were to die immediately, he would depart with a smile.

Every year, he would fall ill; each time, it seemed his end was near, and preparations for his funeral could begin.

Yet he never died—he would recover and return to vigorous life, until another bout of illness came the next year.

Wen Ding’an suspected that the late Emperor wished him to witness the country’s prosperity firsthand, so that when he entered the underworld, he could personally tell the late Emperor of the golden age he had seen.

Thus, he believed he was kept in the mortal world for this reason.

He trusted this, so he lived peacefully, cherishing each day.

Now, upon receiving the Empress’s secret letter, Wen Ding’an wondered: with His Majesty present, what could possibly threaten the realm?

Even remnants of Yun Kingdom dared not stir, waiting for the Emperor to be gone before causing trouble.

What other great matter could there be?

Though he could not fathom it, Wen Ding’an pondered and decided to accept the invitation.

But before doing so, he notified Qin Ye.

Qin Ye, after considering the message, quickly guessed the Empress’s intentions.

Given the situation, the Empress was certainly dissatisfied a million times over.

But she was powerless.

The Emperor’s choice of heir was his prerogative.

A weak emperor might be swayed by ministers, but the current sovereign was no weakling.

He favored the young and capable, judged only by merit.

He was extraordinarily well-informed, knowing things the ministers themselves were unaware of; those attempting to deceive him through feigned kinship would never succeed.

Unable to affect the outcome, the Empress nevertheless continued her schemes. Based on her temperament, she must believe she had found a deadly leverage against Qin Ye.

There was no need to guess—she must be convinced that Qin Ye was a false emperor, and once such suspicion arose, she would accept it as fact with unwavering conviction.

Qin Ye sighed, but took no action, deciding to wait until Huayang’s marriage was over.

After all, only one child remained.

This was a resounding failure in Qin Ye’s child-rearing career.

In the wake of such defeat, Qin Ye let the Empress plot as she wished behind his back.

Unfortunately, Wen Ding’an did not believe a word of the Empress’s claims. She listed every behavior to prove the Emperor was false, but Wen Ding’an countered with even more examples proving otherwise.

The Empress’s strongest evidence was the Emperor’s abolition of the Crown Prince, but Wen Ding’an merely settled himself calmly.

The Empress could not understand why Wen Ding’an refused to believe her.

Wen Ding’an sighed; truly, it was fortune itself to encounter a wise emperor who genuinely cared for the state.

Qin Yun was indeed unfit to rule.

This was apparent to Wen Ding’an from the very first day, when Qin Ye fabricated his tale of a journey to the underworld to explain his miraculous recovery.

After observing Qin Yun closely, Wen Ding’an concluded:

One unfit to be emperor, yet his own son; and one who was an excellent candidate in every respect, but only a cousin.

The Emperor decisively chose his cousin.

It was the most suitable choice, but from the Emperor’s perspective, also the hardest.

A cousin could never compare in intimacy to a son.

The Empress’s attitude made this clear.

Wen Ding’an’s respect for the Emperor only deepened.

These were things Qin Ye had not anticipated.

He had little time to dwell on them.

Since he had abolished one child, he might as well make use of the failed prince.

The founding of the State of An was still recent, but the royal princes and relatives had multiplied across the land.

The treasury would be strained to support so many idle princes and kin; sooner or later, it would collapse.

Qin Ye thought, since he was idle anyway, he might as well use the Prince of Chu’s departure from the capital as an opportunity to randomly select a few unlucky princes as examples.

Random unlucky princes: ...

Truly, it was speechless disappointment for everyone.

Huayang was oblivious to the events surrounding her wedding preparation, her heart filled with joy as she awaited her marriage.

On the wedding day, adorned in red for miles, Huayang left the palace to be married. She did not reside in the Princess’s mansion, but went straight to the Xue family.

Madam Xue had previously been unaware that Huayang was a princess, treating her poorly and often rudely. Now, upon learning the truth, she immediately abandoned her previous proud demeanor and became respectful and eager to please.

But Huayang personally helped Madam Xue up, positioning herself as a daughter-in-law, seeking to please her mother-in-law.

Madam Xue had never expected such a thing; after all, Huayang was a princess.

Previously, in families marrying princesses, no one dared to assert their position as mother-in-law before the princess.

Naturally, Madam Xue wouldn’t dare either. She complained, “If you were a princess, why didn’t you say so earlier? If I’d known, would I have treated you so poorly?”

“I’d have worshipped you from the start, declaring my son could marry no one but you.”

But Huayang had kept silent. If not for the Emperor’s decree, Madam Xue would never have known that the woman pursuing her son was the most favored Princess Huayang.

Madam Xue was anxious, unsure if her princess daughter-in-law would resent her or the Xue family.

But to her surprise, the princess daughter-in-law truly behaved like a common daughter-in-law.

Her attitude left Madam Xue floating with pride.

Days passed, and Madam Xue’s pride soared even higher.

A princess need not pay respects to her mother-in-law; first comes the relationship of ruler and subject, then family.

It was the Xue family who should bow to the princess.

Yet Huayang greeted Madam Xue every day without fail.

She never acted with royal airs.

Gradually, it wasn’t just Madam Xue who felt elated; the whole Xue family became similarly proud.

At that time, the imperial edict announcing the Prince of Chu’s death was finally issued. The Xue family saw that their princess daughter-in-law had lost her influence.

Almost immediately, the cousin who had begun to restrain herself after learning Huayang’s identity, now renewed her closeness with her own brother.

Upon receiving the edict, Huayang believed her brother was truly gone. Overcome by grief, she fell ill and could not recover. During her illness, Xue Yulang and the cousin spent every day together.

It wasn’t just the cousin—outside, there was a courtesan.

The courtesan was likely a pawn to test whether Princess Huayang would be affected by the Prince of Chu’s death.

But the cousin was genuine.

When Princess Huayang finally recovered somewhat, the cousin, shy-faced, was brought by Xue Yulang, claiming to carry his child and asking to be taken as a concubine.

Madam Xue openly supported her niece.

After all, in the Xue family, Huayang had shown not a trace of princessly arrogance.

The chance to humble a princess daughter-in-law was, for Madam Xue, a matter worth boasting about even in her grave.

Her support for her niece also indicated she was watching the royal family’s reaction.

After all, Huayang couldn’t leave her son; even if she resented her, she would still speak for her.

There was no need to fear the Emperor’s response.

Huayang began to suffer in the Xue household; the inner quarters had endless ways to inflict silent misery.

Her maids, indignant at her treatment, wanted to enter the palace to seek justice from the Emperor, but Huayang stopped them.

Maids: ???

In this world, any daughter with a strong natal family that loves her would have her relatives defend her.

With such support, no woman would forsake her birth family, enduring humiliation to serve her husband’s family, giving her all.

Princess Huayang, with her royal status, had the greatest backing in the land, yet she refused to use it, choosing instead to suffer at her husband’s family.

What was wrong with her?

The maids couldn’t understand, but could not disobey their mistress.

The Xue family’s attitude became increasingly bold. Xue Yulang brought the courtesan home, quarreling with Huayang for her sake.

The Xue servants dared not openly mistreat the princess, but they tormented and mocked the palace maids she had brought.

When those close to her suffered indignity and grievance, Huayang did not stand up for them, but instead wallowed in self-pity, waiting to complain to Xue Yulang and have him defend her.