tallest building

Chapter 288 Old Man Dong
Grand Tutor Dong entered the palace.

The Empress dismissed all attendants.

"Father, how is your appetite these days?" The Empress, despite being ill herself, did not forget to inquire about Grand Tutor Dong's condition.

"This old minister is well, Your Majesty need not worry. But Your Majesty must take good care of yourself and not overthink things, lest you harm your health." Grand Tutor Dong's eyebrows and beard were already snow-white, and his tall body was slightly hunched, but his majesty was undiminished, like an old tiger king returning to the mountains, whose remaining power was still there.

"In a few days it will be the anniversary of Mother's death, and I have already had people arrange the memorial service. Father need not worry about anything. Gang'er came to the palace yesterday and mentioned this matter as well. Now that he is gradually taking charge of the household affairs, it is always good for him to gain more experience. Besides, the priesthood is an important matter and cannot be taken lightly." The Empress coughed twice as she said this.

“These matters will be handled by them. Your Majesty only needs to rest and recuperate. You have always been a worrier since you were little, which is actually harmful to your health,” Grand Tutor Dong sighed. “Your sister and the others should have arrived by now. Going to the north is not a bad thing. I am just worried about Song’er’s health.”

When the Empress heard him mention Ying Song, her coughing grew louder. Chunying quickly brought in tea from outside and served the Empress a couple of sips before leaving.

The Empress, having calmed her breathing slightly, said, "Father told me not to worry, but you're so old and you still can't let go of your worries."

I've been blaming myself for what happened to Tong'er. He was raised in the palace and shouldn't have acted so rashly. It's all because I didn't properly instruct him."

"Let's not dwell on the past. Learn from our mistakes! Children are a debt we can never repay until we die." Grand Tutor Dong sighed. In truth, none of his children were particularly talented.

Sometimes when he's alone, he often wonders if he's used his mind too much, which is why he has such mediocre children.

But no matter what, as long as I am alive, I will definitely make every effort to plan for them to ensure their long-term wealth and peace.

As his eldest daughter, the empress was impatient and lacked thorough consideration.

The harem shouldn't be like this, but she was too jealous. Whenever another concubine gave birth to a son, she couldn't help but want to get rid of her as soon as possible.

If she didn't do that, even if the crown prince died, she could just register any prince born to one of her concubines under her own name, and it would all be the same.

The Emperor wouldn't be so superficially friendly with her; the only reason he could still treat her with respect was because he was wary of her.

However, if the Empress is to live a peaceful life, then Ying Tong should become the next Emperor, since the Empress is his aunt.

Thinking of this, Grand Tutor Dong said again, "Now that the Prince of Chu's child has been sent to the palace, the Empress must instruct people to take good care of him. We mustn't let any gossip spread."

In the next few years, King Zhao and his men will have to bide their time and conceal their abilities. To achieve great things, they must be patient!

"Father, you should talk to my sister about this more! If it weren't for them, mother and son, repeatedly causing trouble, we wouldn't have to worry about them," the Empress said angrily.

“She wasn’t raised at home since she was little, and I always felt I had mistreated her,” Grand Tutor Dong sighed. “I think she will learn her lesson after this incident.”

"I hope they can get along well with the King of Fenye in the north, and it would be best if they could form an alliance," the Queen said. "I hope Duanmin won't cause any more trouble then." "Princess Duanmin is currently in the palace, along with the King of Fenye's two children. We can keep them from going back," Grand Tutor Dong said casually.

"What? You're not letting them go back?" The Empress had never considered this. "Father means to keep them as hostages?"

“It’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s always good to make the King of Fenye somewhat wary,” said Grand Tutor Dong. “We can’t afford to lose again. Do you think the King of Chu wasn’t planning this while we were scheming? After all, his son is now in the palace. There will always be people supporting them.”

The Empress knew that Grand Tutor Dong was right; people's hearts are never truly united. It seemed that most people supported the Dong family, but some would always have other choices.

"It would be best if Duanmin could stay in the capital. Firstly, she could be used to control the Prince of Fenye, and secondly, there would be no need to worry about her saying divisive things to the Prince of Fenye," the Empress said. "I always felt that she was more inclined towards the Prince of Chu. She has hated the Dong family for so many years."

“Yes, once this hatred is formed, it is very difficult to resolve.” Grand Tutor Dong nodded. “It just so happens that she is pregnant now. Even if she gives birth to the child, such a small baby is not suitable for long-distance travel. In two or three years, we should be able to get things done.”

Then he sighed heavily and said, "I wonder if I'll be able to live to see that day?"

His words made the Empress uneasy, and she quickly said, "Father is in good health and will surely live to be a hundred years old."

“Alas, it’s springtime here, Jian! Lately I’ve been dreaming of your mother frequently,” said Grand Tutor Dong. “These past few years I’ve always wanted to retire to the mountains and forests, not for any other reason than to prevent the Dong family from becoming too powerful.”

How could Grand Tutor Dong not understand the principle that prosperity must eventually decline? However, he was reluctant to give up the power and wealth of his family, and he also thought that even if he withdrew from the limelight, he might not be able to protect himself completely. Now he was in a dilemma, and unfortunately, his children were all useless.

“Isn’t it the anniversary of Mother’s death coming soon? It’s not surprising that Father dreamed of her.” The Empress didn’t think of anything else. “Old people always dream a lot, and they love to dream about people and things from the past. I remember my grandmother was like that too. She said every day that she wouldn’t live much longer, but she still lived to be over ninety years old.”

"How many people in this world can live as long and blessed as your grandmother?" Grand Tutor Dong smiled.

At this moment, a eunuch from the Emperor's side came over and conveyed the Emperor's oral decree: "His Majesty knows that the Grand Tutor has entered the palace and has instructed me to tell the Empress that the Grand Tutor must stay in the palace for lunch. He will come over after His Majesty finishes reviewing the previous memorials."

The Empress said, "Understood, I will have the kitchen prepare it."

After the eunuch who delivered the message left, Grand Tutor Dong said to the Empress, "Your Majesty, please have someone summon Ying Shan for lunch today! Treating the child well will put His Majesty's mind at ease. His Majesty has many affairs to attend to in the court, and everything in the inner palace depends on Your Majesty to manage."

“What Father is saying is true, and that’s exactly what I was planning,” the Empress said. “But I’ve been sick these days, so it’s not good to call the child over, lest I pass on my illness to him.”

“His servants are treated better than the palace maids who serve the Empress, so that he can silence the gossip,” said Grand Tutor Dong. “Public opinion is a fearsome thing, and we must be wary of it.”

An empress must be mindful of her reputation for virtue, even if she was unaware of or did not participate in the events that occurred before.

However, some people inevitably feel that the empress is biased towards her own sisters and sympathize with the Chu King's family.

This sympathy will gradually become the will of the people, and once it gains momentum, it will be difficult to control.