Too high to reach

Chapter 363 Stirring Up Trouble
Incense was burning in the incense burner.

Sunlight streamed through the window screens, falling on the emperor who was taking a nap on a small couch in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

He felt like he had slept for a long time, and it was like he had a very long dream, but it didn't seem to have any specific plot.

“Father.” The gentle voice belonged to his eldest son, Li Yuan.

"Father!" The crisp, proud voice belonged to his son, Li Zhen.

And Ming An's giggles echoed from all directions.

Then, he woke up.

As you get older, your senses become numb. As the days go by, you rarely think of them anymore. Even when you do, it's no longer as heart-wrenching as it used to be.

In every respect, he was merely mediocre. He was neither a wise ruler nor a tyrant.

He has never made any major mistakes, nor has he achieved anything noteworthy.

The struggle for the throne was difficult, but there were those who had it even harder, and they're all gone now...

So, overall, I am a winner who is favored by God.

On the contrary, it was after he took this position that he experienced a rebellion. He experienced those painful events too late and too early. Yes, too early... he had just settled into his seat.

Li Yuangang got married, Li Zhen is still choosing a wife, and Ming An... hasn't been able to marry Dongfang yet.

He had forgotten many of those unbearable past events through his deliberate avoidance.

But having gone through those experiences, he felt he had transcended them and come to terms with them.

My health has been poor for years, and I might not recover from any illness.

Then he had to prepare for his own death, and made Jiang Wanyi his empress and Li Huan his crown prince. It wasn't because they were particularly outstanding or because he liked them so much.

The reason is twofold: on the one hand, Li Huan is very similar to me in many ways, so I have developed a certain fondness for him.

But most importantly, this is the easiest way to do it.

He was so tired! So tired that all he wanted to do was think: Never mind, let it be!
They nurtured Li Huan and gradually delegated power to him. Slowly, Li Huan became a fairly competent crown prince.

In recent years, the imperial court has not suffered any major disasters. Although conflicts in the northwest have continued unabated, fortunately, there are several reliable forces, and Li Jing is also present…

Finally, a few years of peace and tranquility had passed. It seemed... he was about to close his eyes, and everything could be handed over smoothly...

In history books, the page about him was turned so easily.

This made him feel very uncomfortable.

As he grew older and survived several serious illnesses, he became obsessed with everything again, and this obsession led to some imbalance. For example, he loved beautiful women, but he was truly unable to conceive. He sought treatment from the imperial physician and secretly took some medicine, but nothing worked…

He wanted to use a stronger medicine, but the imperial physician pleaded against it, saying, "Absolutely not! Your Majesty, you can only choose between a moment of pleasure and a long life!"

The emperor smiled wryly after hearing this. If he could only choose one, he would choose longevity.

Fortunately, he was the emperor, and he still had supreme power!
So he insisted on attending court every day, even when he was unwell and lacked energy, he forced himself to do so.

As a result, he saw his successor, Li Huan, every day...

He is gentle and refined, with a graceful demeanor, and acts with composure. He is also very filial...

In the future, he'll be a very grand emperor, won't he? More grand than me! Healthier than me! And with so many people supporting him!
I used to think this was a good thing: if I handed the country over to him, things wouldn't fall into chaos, and I could rest assured.

But now, I don't feel good anymore.

There's always this misconception: "I can still do it!"

Let's look at Li Jing again...

Although he often made himself extremely angry, his strong physique, assertive personality, and decisive methods were everything he most longed for deep down.

And then there was Little Fifteen, with clear, unblemished eyes, fair skin with a rosy glow, and a height that seemed to grow every day. He felt the vigor of life.

So he would always call Xiao Shiwu to his side and personally guide him, talking to him like an ordinary father and son, eating together, and playing chess.

He was very happy with this.

The eunuchs serving him, though they dared not say it aloud, were probably all secretly speculating that he intended to pass the throne to him!

Actually, that's not the case. He doesn't want to give this seat to anyone! He just wants to sit there himself.

They do things for themselves, not to get the position. That's how it should be!
He wanted to control everything, but he lacked the power to do so...

For example, this so-called "King of Victory." We didn't get a single piece of prior information about him!

My intuition tells me there's a lot going on... The seventh prince takes the initiative to go, Yong'an tries to stop him, but the crown prince supports him.

Immediately afterwards, the Empress came to discuss Yu'an's marriage.

He wasn't stupid; of course he knew what the Empress and the Crown Prince were up to.

However, he did not stop him.

A faint smile appeared on his lips... "I still have a few things the Crown Prince has done wrong, which I will bring up when the opportunity arises."

Let them weaken each other and check each other.

Only by sitting back and watching the tigers fight can one maintain a stable position. And if it lasts longer, all the better.

……

How could the Empress possibly know what the Emperor was thinking?

She was in a good mood.

She swept away her previous anxiety and returned to being the gentle and self-possessed empress.

He summoned Princess Yu'an and first apologized gently and earnestly.

She also acknowledged and thanked her daughter for her contributions to the important events concerning mother and son.

He then slowly offered his suggestion: "Next spring, he will go to Beijing to get married. Just go through the motions, and then send him back immediately."

Everything will be arranged by the Empress Dowager. You can get pregnant now. It would be better if you had a son. If you have a daughter... then find a suitable boy, by whatever means necessary, to secure the position of the legitimate son.

With Li Jing gone, your brother won't even need to take the throne to deal with the Niu family. Then, their entire fortune will be yours. As a princess, you should be capable of such powerful and influential deeds.

Those romantic entanglements... are just the first stirrings of love in a young girl's heart. At your age, what matters is power, wealth, and having children to support you in your old age, allowing you to enjoy a comfortable retirement. Finally, a glorious legacy after death. Only then is life complete... Isn't that what your mother did?"

This lecture truly broadened Princess Yu'an's horizons.

She slowly nodded in agreement.

At this moment, the Prince of Qi's residence sent a message to the palace. The Empress opened it and said calmly, "Mo Yi is pregnant."

The current Empress didn't seem to care much about such news. She casually tossed the letter aside; it... couldn't change anything now!

Princess Yu'an's eyes, however, showed a hint of confusion: The Mo family women are quite capable, look at them all...

Then I thought: having a child might really be a great experience... Regardless of who the father is, let's have one first?

The Empress Dowager, in her palace, twirled her prayer beads, watching Qian Xiangqing, who had just entered. The little girl was growing up day by day, beginning to take shape as a young woman. She had fair skin, a tall figure, beautiful eyes, and naturally red lips without lipstick.

It's safe to say she'll be a stunning beauty.

The young lady was polite and attentive. She stepped forward to greet the Empress Dowager and then spoke softly about everyday matters.

The Empress Dowager's intensified efforts these days have yielded significant results. She maintains a very close relationship with Consort Dong, spending half the day chatting with her every day.

However, to put it bluntly, she was to link Xiao Shiwu's marriage to Xiang Qing with her own support.

But she didn't respond. However, she was quite good to Xiang Qing: she gave him quite a few things from Princess Qi's shop.

So, I still don't understand: is she unwilling, or does she not understand what I mean?

Ugh, this person... is really troublesome. Unlike Jiang Wanyi back then?

A single glance was enough to understand each other's intentions! The subsequent cooperation was built upon a foundation of continuous probing and expressions of understanding...

The emperor who stirs up trouble.

Queen of success gurus.

Having money and being willful is fine. Having power and being willful is deadly...