On the way back to the palace from the Duke Protector's Mansion, the emperor took Yan Hui back to talk to him all the way.
After entering the palace gate, he said to Yan Hui: "Go and see your mother first!"
Yan Hui nodded, "My son, I'll go right away."
He didn't go back to the East Palace to bathe and change clothes, so he went directly to see the queen.
The queen learned that her son was returning to Beijing today, and that the emperor had led all the civil and military officials out of the city to greet him. However, as a queen, she could not go, so she could only wait anxiously in the palace. After waiting for most of the day, she waited for him. When she came back, she saw Yan Huisheng and cried with joy, her eyes red, "Mother, I heard that you were injured, have you recovered? Hurry up and have Dr. Xuan come and take a look at you?"
Yan Huisheng greeted the queen and said quickly: "Don't worry, mother, the injury is healed. My son left the capital and took the imperial doctor with him. Did you forget?"
"I haven't forgotten, even if you don't let the imperial doctor take your pulse, I always feel uneasy." The queen discussed with him, "Let the chief of the imperial hospital come, he has the best medical skills."
After all, the imperial doctor who was brought out was no better than the imperial physician at the head of the hospital?
Yan Hui said helplessly, "Okay, listen to your mother."
The mother and son talked for a long time. When the head of the Imperial Hospital arrived, he took Yan Huisheng's pulse and said that His Highness the Crown Prince was in good health and all his injuries had recovered. The Queen was completely relieved.
The queen knew that her son was tired, so she did not let him return to the East Palace. Instead, she arranged for someone to bathe and change clothes in her palace, and then go to the side hall where he lived when he was a child to rest and wait for the palace banquet.
Yan Huisheng did not refute the queen's loving motherly love, and listened to the queen's arrangements obediently.
It wasn't until the emperor waited for half an hour that Yan Huisheng went to look for him again. He sent someone to ask and heard that he was resting in the queen's palace. The emperor gave up, thinking that the relationship between mother and son was better than the relationship between him and the prince. The relationship between father and son must be deep. In the past years, he hurt his son deeply. Even if it has eased now, he cannot be too close to him like the queen.
He simply went directly to the queen's palace. Even if the prince was resting, he could talk to the queen. He had to work harder to ease the relationship.
The queen did not expect that the emperor was chasing her. Today she went out of the city with all the civil and military officials to welcome the crown prince, the old protector and the soldiers on their triumphant return. He had been tired for most of the day. If it had been before, he would have decided to rest and would not come to her. Here, unexpectedly, I seem to be chasing after him now as if I am not tired.
The queen sighed in her heart, things are different now. Women in the harem are like this. The mother is more valuable than the son. The son she gave birth to is capable and able to stand up and keep the position of crown prince. Even she, the queen, has obviously benefited a lot.
She still remembered those years when the emperor only came to her palace twice a month on the fifteenth day of the lunar month. Sometimes he would leave immediately. Not only the precious concubine who doted on the sixth palace made her retreat, but also the virtuous concubine. He and Concubine De were both more proud than her and arrogant in front of her.
It's good now that these women are gone, the palace is finally clean, and she has lost face. Even if she feels disgusted in her heart, His Majesty still comes every now and then.
The emperor lay down on the couch and said, "I come to your place to have a rest, and I will go to the palace banquet with the prince later."
What else can the Queen say? He could only nod his head, "Your Majesty, just rest, I will not let anyone disturb you."
The emperor held the queen's hand and said, "I am really happy. I have thought about it and will discuss my abdication with the prince tomorrow."
The queen immediately said: "Your Majesty, you still..."
"Don't tell me that you are in your prime. Hey, the prince is capable. For me, it is the blessing of the ancestors and a good thing. I am increasingly exhausted mentally and physically, so I can take a rest early." The emperor said.
The Queen frowned, "I see that Your Majesty is in good health. I also believe that the Prince is not in a hurry. Your Majesty, don't be anxious about this either. The Prince has just returned to Beijing. Please let him have a good rest and don't bother with this matter." Is he successful?"
These words were spoken just as they were when they were young, without much caution, and it really seemed like something only a couple would say.
The emperor was moved in his heart, "Okay, I listen to you. What you said makes sense, so let him rest first."
Although both of them knew that Yan Huisheng could not rest, there were a lot of things in the capital and a lot of court affairs waiting for him to return to the capital to make decisions.
Yan Huisheng rested in the queen's palace for an hour. When he woke up, he was stunned for a moment when he saw that the emperor was also there.
The emperor waved to him, "Let's go, I'll be waiting for you. The palace banquet is about to begin."
Yan nodded in response.
The celebration banquet is not a palace banquet. If the female family members do not attend, the queen naturally does not need to go.
Seeing the father and son leaving together, the queen turned around and went back to the inner hall to rest. The nanny who was serving her whispered: "Your Majesty, your Majesty is really different now compared to before. You have finally managed to survive."
The queen said: "Your Majesty said that he would abdicate. It doesn't look like he was lying. I don't know if the prince will agree." She sighed, "Based on my understanding of the prince, he may not agree."
Mammy asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty abdicated the throne early, and the Crown Prince took that position early. Wouldn't it be good? Nowadays, both the government and the public hold His Royal Highness in high esteem. If Your Highness takes the throne, it will be the support of the people."
Daliang defeated Dawei, and the prince personally went to the front line to supervise the battle. The popularity among the people was unprecedented, and no one could shake the status of His Royal Highness. Now that he has ascended the throne, there is no guarantee that His Majesty will not go back on his words and try to use checks and balances as time goes by.
The queen said: "Of course it's good, but it depends on the prince! Whatever decision she makes, I will support him."
Just like when she learned that Yan Huisheng liked Su Rong, she didn't interfere much. After all, Zhou Gu's engagement was there, and she believed in her son. Later, it turned out that even if he liked him, he sensibly didn't get closer, maybe even Su Rong didn't even know he liked her.
When the emperor and the prince arrived at the palace banquet, the courtiers had already arrived, and the old protector arrived one step ahead of the emperor and the prince.
Everyone saw the ceremony and shouted long live the mountain. After sitting down, the emperor vigorously commended the crown prince and the old protector for their merits, and said some happy words before ordering the banquet to begin.
The palace maids and eunuchs filed in, placed delicacies on the table, sang and danced, and everything was peaceful.
The emperor raised his first glass of wine in honor of the old protector of the country, "Old Duke, I salute you. I really didn't expect that after a battle, you are still as strong as the tiger. I have the old Duke in my beam. This is the blessing of Daliang Sheji and my blessing."
The old Duke hurriedly said: "This is all the work of His Highness the Crown Prince. I am old and fell ill during this period. I completely relied on His Highness the Crown Prince." Before the emperor could speak, he sighed again, "I am no longer as good as when I was young. When I was young, I was fighting. I haven't been tired for eight days. Now I am really exhausted. If His Highness the Crown Prince hadn't led the charge into the battle, the veteran might have been defeated by Yuan Zhao. In short, thanks to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The veteran finally knew, People cannot accept old age.”
(End of chapter)
