Denghuangtai

"Empress Dowager..."

Yun Zheng knelt outside the queue, just as he was estimating that the time was right and was about to speak when the door of Jianzhang Palace was suddenly opened from the outside.

"Mother, your son has a way to resolve today's predicament."

The young emperor walked into the palace with his hands behind his back, looking inscrutable. However, he was still young and had not yet grown to his full size. He was somewhat powerless to cross the threshold in front of the Jianzhang Palace. In the end, the "inscrutable" emperor crawled over in a comical manner. The eunuchs around him tried to help him several times, but he dodged them each time.

The young emperor "personally" stepped over the threshold and strode past the assembled officials.

Finally, he stood at the foot of the imperial steps, looking up at Empress Dowager Yun on the high platform.

"Mother, I have a way to resolve today's matter. Please dismiss everyone else."

Although Empress Dowager Yun was somewhat surprised by the young emperor's sudden arrival and didn't think a child could possibly have any solutions, she couldn't refuse him in front of the assembled officials. She could only patiently ask, "Gua'er, what solutions do you have?"

The young emperor smiled but did not answer directly. "This matter is only suitable for you and me, mother and son, to discuss alone."

Seeing that the young emperor was determined to do so, Empress Dowager Yun had no choice but to get up and say, "Come with me to the rear hall."

After speaking, the Empress Dowager walked down the side of the imperial steps.

The young emperor slowly followed, and the officials kneeling in the hall, without Empress Dowager Yun's decree, could only continue to kneel.

In the rear hall, the Empress Dowager and the young emperor sat on the couch, one on each side.

"It's just the two of us, mother and child, now. Are you going to keep me in suspense?"

The young emperor took out a bronze tiger tally from his sleeve. "A few days ago, I sent someone to the Yan Kingdom to meet with my uncle. My uncle knew that the court's military strength was insufficient and that the Xiongnu in the north were eyeing us covetously. In order to protect the Great Zhao Dynasty, my uncle took the initiative to offer up the military tally of the Yan Kingdom. This time, we can use it to mobilize the troops of the Yan Kingdom to relieve the urgent crisis."

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Yun frowned, secretly alarmed. The young emperor was still very young, and to prevent anyone from maliciously abducting him, the palace servants around him were all carefully selected by Empress Dowager Yun.

Logically, Empress Dowager Yun should have received the news that he sent someone to Yan. But strangely enough, the tiger tally was brought back with him, yet she was completely unaware of it.

Empress Dowager Yun stared at the young emperor, a hint of wariness in her eyes. "Emperor."

She no longer called the young emperor by his childhood name, but instead used the term of address used between a mother and son in the imperial family, "Since you have the tiger tally, why don't you report to me in front of all the ministers?"

"Because my son wants to ask you for a favor."

Empress Dowager Yun frowned. "What favor?"... "The Pei family has devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the Great Zhao. Regarding the Linhe incident, Grand Marshal Pei Xuan may have been at fault, but he has already died in battle. I believe the imperial family should govern with benevolence, and the debt is forgiven upon death. As for Marquis Yin'an, Pei Qingyan, he has repeatedly achieved great feats, almost never suffering defeat. After the fall of Linhe and Jiuyuan, if it weren't for Marquis Yin'an leading troops to resist the enemy, Shuofang would likely have also fallen..."

Before the young emperor could finish speaking, Empress Dowager Yun's eyes were already filled with anger. She said coldly, "Emperor, the Pei family has a feud with your maternal family. Pei Xuan is the culprit who killed your uncle."

"Mother, Father Emperor has already made a decision regarding my uncle's matter," the young emperor said calmly. "The Pei family is loyal to the Great Zhao Dynasty; nothing else matters."

The implication is that even if Pei Xuan deliberately killed Yun Heng, who was the emperor's uncle, the emperor would not do anything to the Pei family out of consideration for their loyalty.

Empress Dowager Yun was amused and annoyed by the emperor's blatant favoritism. "My son has really grown up. He is willing to abandon even his maternal clan for the sake of the country."

"Mother, my surname is Zhao. You and I possess the Great Zhao Empire, and it is our duty to protect the Zhao family's nation."

Although the young emperor is young, he has already grasped the "essence of emperorship" and has shown the ruthlessness of an emperor to the fullest extent.

"Very well," Empress Dowager Yun sneered repeatedly. "Does my son intend to live a solitary life?"

"The people of Dazhao are all my subjects."

Suppressing her irritation, Empress Dowager Yun said sarcastically, "The Grand Tutor has really taught my son very well."

"Mother, I understand your desire to avenge my uncle, but this concerns state affairs and we cannot act on emotion. The Pei family affair has already hurt the hearts of the court officials and made everyone wary. If we continue to act willfully and lose the support of the people, it is uncertain whether this country will still be under the Zhao family's control."

"You're threatening me?" Empress Dowager Yun abruptly stood up, looking at her son who was feigning maturity. "Do you think you can make me compromise by threatening me with the Zhao family's empire? Emperor, don't forget, this Zhao family's empire is ultimately yours. If anything goes wrong, you won't be able to escape responsibility."

The young emperor jumped off the bed, stepped forward and grasped Empress Dowager Yun's hand, his voice gentle: "Mother, it is precisely because I do not want to be the ruler of a fallen kingdom that I am willing to risk angering you to plead for Pei Qingyan. Pei Qingyan's life may be insignificant, but the things involved behind her are not so simple."

While the mother and son argued in the back hall, the officials kneeling in the front hall, no longer intimidated by Empress Dowager Yun, gradually began to exchange glances. These cunning old foxes secretly discussed how to resolve the day's events amicably.

Only Yun Zheng kept his eyes down, not getting involved in the disputes among these people.

The appearance of the young emperor was completely unexpected by Yun Zheng. Like Empress Dowager Yun, he had no idea what tricks the young emperor had up his sleeve, so Yun Zheng was unusually flustered at this moment.

If the young emperor's method can truly resolve the current predicament, then Yun Zheng's plans will be completely disrupted. What bargaining chip should he use to help Pei Qingyan out of this predicament?