A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 294 Good Banquet
"Today's banquet is so wonderful that words cannot fully express the joy."

The zither resonates with vibrant energy, its new melody captivating the senses.

Lingde sang lofty words, and those who understood music listened to its true meaning.

They were of one mind and shared the same wish, but their intentions remained unfulfilled.

"Is this... today's grand banquet?"

Liu Che slowly woke up, gazing at the dancing figure and the "exquisite" new voice, as if he had returned to the third month of spring in the second year of Jianyuan.

During the ritual of purification, people would go to the riverbank and wash their bodies in the river water to drive away illness and misfortune. This was called purification. Even the emperor was no exception.

After the ceremony that year, he went to his elder sister Princess Pingyang's residence to attend a pre-arranged banquet.

During the reigns of Emperors Xiaowen and Xiaojing, the Han Dynasty's treasury was full, the country was prosperous, and the upper class indulged in extreme pleasures, with extravagant banquets and feasts.

How to describe it? "Sitting comfortably with carved screens, silk and brocade mats, and rhinoceros horn ornaments as weights," "draping long skirts, flying wide sleeves, and waving long tassels," "indulging in wine and singing, overturning bowls and cups."

My elder sister is very thoughtful. Besides indulging in drinking and merrymaking, there was something even more important to do at this banquet.

That is, even though he had been on the throne for several years, he still had no children. Therefore, his eldest sister specially collected many beauties, raised them at home, carefully trained them, and presented them to the emperor at banquets.

One by one, beautifully dressed women served him wine, but he didn't fancy any of them and could only drink.

Since it was a drinking occasion, it was natural to "drape long skirts and flutter wide sleeves" and "indulge in wine and song." When the princess's courtesans took the stage to perform, amidst the swaying of their long skirts and the fluttering of their wide sleeves, he spotted a singer and was deeply attracted to her.

The singer's name was Wei Zifu.

He had forgotten whether he was initially attracted by Zifu's beauty or moved by her "exquisite" new voice; in any case, he ordered her to serve him wine after she finished singing.

The emperor, being of immense capacity, naturally drank more to achieve a state of intoxication. After drinking too much, he would change his clothes, and it was in the Shangyi Pavilion that a wonderful story unfolded.

Then, her elder sister offered her to the palace, which led to all the events that followed.

Liu Che was momentarily dazed. Could it be that everything before was just a dream?

Was it a dream during a grand banquet?

Zifu did not enter the palace, the crown prince was not born, and he remained the emperor of the Han Dynasty who was the only one who mattered.

If it happened again, would you still support Zifu as empress and establish Ju'er as heir?

As his mind gradually returned to normal, Liu Che immediately noticed something amiss; it seemed someone was putting shoes on him.

However, the shoes seemed a bit small. It took the man a lot of effort to put his foot in, and he felt the pressure and pain.

"These shoes are a bit tight," Liu Che said instinctively.

Upon hearing the sound, Princess Wei Chang, who was dancing through a thin veil, immediately lost her composure. Her figure swayed, her singing went astray, and she chuckled softly, completely erasing the image of a dignified banquet.

Liu Che finally came to his senses and saw Wei Zifu at his feet. At that moment, he felt a mix of emotions.

There were regrets, disappointments, and helplessness... but also joy; it was a mix of emotions.

"Your Majesty, it's too small."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zifu seemed to understand something. She paused for a moment, then gently slipped the emperor's other foot into the shoe. Raising her head, she smiled radiantly and said, "You'll get used to it after a while. Once you're used to it, it won't feel tight anymore." Liu Che's heart seemed to have been struck. After a long pause, he finally said, "Yes, I'll get used to it... and it will be fine."

He's about to become the retired emperor, so he'll get used to the "treating him like a king" situation.

All the grumbling and complaints gradually disappeared.

It's hard not to get used to it.

"I have heard that when you left the princess's residence and boarded the carriage, your elder sister... that is, Pingyang, patted your back and said: 'Eat well and do your best. If you become rich, do not forget me!' How is Pingyang doing?" Liu Che asked.

Wei Zifu remained silent, recalling her time in the Pingyang Marquis's residence. As one of the "singers of the princess's residence," wealth and status were out of the question; all she could do was have enough to eat and survive. After being favored by His Majesty, she gained value, and Princess Pingyang truly treated her and her brothers and sisters as human beings.

Perhaps, as the song at today's banquet goes: "Life is but a fleeting moment, as swift as a whirlwind. Why not spur on your swift steed and seize the key passes? Why remain in poverty and lowliness, forever tormented by hardship?"

She wanted to "strategize with her best" and "secure a strategic position," not only to change her own lowly status but also to bring wealth and honor to Princess Pingyang.

At that time, she nodded in agreement, then boarded the carriage and entered the palace, and so it has continued to this day.

"Our Han Dynasty governs the country with filial piety as its top priority. Your Majesty, please rest assured that Princess Pingyang has everything she needs in the Imperial Clan Court. Even if there are any shortcomings, Chang Le Palace and I will do our best."

Wealth is wealth.

But it doesn't say where he was rich and powerful. In the Imperial Clan Prison, he lived better than other prisoners. Isn't that also considered rich and powerful?
She kept her promise.

As for Princess Pingyang's tragic end, it has nothing to do with her. Was it because Princess Pingyang continued to flatter the emperor, or because she was enraged after failing to find her husband Wei Qing, or because she intended to restore the monarch and commit regicide...? She is not innocent.

When Liu Che heard the word "filial piety," he couldn't help but laugh. The posthumous titles of the emperors of the Han Dynasty always included the word "filial piety," such as Emperor Xiaohui, Emperor Xiaowen, and Emperor Xiaojing. But what kind of fatherly love and filial piety did the imperial family have?

Establishing a nation based on filial piety—good, very good indeed.

This is referring to Princess Pingyang, but also to the Emperor of the Han Dynasty.

Innuendo.

Liu Che nodded, taking a new look at the woman before him, the woman who had stood firmly by the Crown Prince's side from the very beginning, and smiled, "Are you very calculating?"

Wei Zifu remained noncommittal, saying, "Being an empress is difficult, but being His Majesty's empress is even more difficult. You can't do anything wrong. It's not easy to be an empress."

If you weren't shrewd enough to be the empress of such a fickle emperor, you would probably have died a horrible death long ago.

Since being made empress in the first year of Yuanshuo, she has asked herself if she has done anything wrong in the position of empress, and she has asked herself if she has ever coveted anything in the position of empress. She has lived up to the position of empress, but what is His Majesty doing?
Lady Wang was favored by the emperor, who intended to support the Wang family as relatives of the emperor. With just a few words, the reward for Wei Qing's military exploits, which involved braving ice and snow, became a prize for the Wang family.

Furthermore, the king's wife and son were granted a fief in the prosperous Qi region, with the additional instruction, "The crown prince has worked hard; you should encourage him."

Leaving aside his status as the eldest son and heir, is Ju'er's ability not good enough? Is Ju'er's character not benevolent and forgiving enough?
If it were any other prince, and they were in this predicament, the story of Dune would have already been repeated.

In His Majesty's mind, the mother and son were plotting a rebellion, but in their own minds, they were trying to save themselves!
Self-preservation inevitably offends the root cause, and Your Majesty is that root cause.

"Your Majesty, I will visit you often. I hope you will take good care of your health and witness the prosperity of the world and the arrival of a golden age!"

After paying her respects, Princess Wei Zifu left.

Watching the mother and daughter walk away, Liu Che was furious. He angrily took off his shoe and threw it at them...

(End of this chapter)