Yet these imperial clan relatives… these so-called elders, insisted on coming before him at this moment, using this matter to sow discord between him and Ninth Uncle. Murong Li simply could not bear it anymore.
Wang Jiuzhou watched Murong Li without speaking for a long while. After all, His Majesty was still a child, and one could not be too demanding of him. That His Majesty had endured until now was already quite remarkable.
Murong Li raised his hand to catch the snow pellets carried by the wind, feeling that the wind seemed even stronger now. But he could not be soft-hearted. He had already acceded to the imperial clan relatives’ request, allowing his mother to stay and celebrate the New Year. This was already the final and greatest dignity he could give his mother. He could not be soft-hearted anymore.
He clenched the dots of snow pellets in his palm, the slight coolness helping him regain clarity.
Just as Ninth Uncle had said, this was his kingdom, and he must make his own decisions and hold firm.
·
A group of elderly imperial clan relatives emerged from the great hall, all shaking their heads.
“Who knows how the Regent has manipulated the young Emperor, that the young Emperor trusts the Regent so completely…”
A clan elder, startled by the swaying lamp shadows upon hearing these words, hurriedly stopped his younger clan brother. He looked around cautiously, and only after confirming no imperial confidants were present did he lower his voice: “This is the imperial palace, watch your words!”
“However… those words aren’t wrong. This Regent has so thoroughly won over His Majesty that he won’t even listen to our loyal counsel as elders.” The eldest clan elder struck his walking stick forcefully against the mirror-bright golden brick floor, displaying a pained expression of disappointment over unmet expectations. “Detestable!”
“The Empress Dowager is still waiting outside the palace. Let’s go report back to the Empress Dowager first! Perhaps… the Empress Dowager will have better methods!” someone said.
“If the Empress Dowager had methods, she wouldn’t have been driven from the imperial palace!”
“Sigh… let’s go!”
Outside the palace gates, the Yan Empress Dowager, accompanied by Murong imperial clan elders, poked her head out from the carriage, frequently gazing toward the brightly lit imperial palace, hoping that with the imperial clan relatives’ persuasion, A’Li would soften his heart and allow her to return to the palace.
These past days she had regretted countless times, and had repeatedly wanted to meet A’Li face to face, to plead with him and admit her wrongs, hoping only that A’Li would let her remain in the Yan capital, stay by his side, and watch him marry and have children…
She was, after all, his birth mother. Now her eldest son was in the capital city, and if she went to the traveling palace, she would be beyond reach. She would have only A’Li as her remaining child—how could she bear to part?
She understood that once she set foot in the traveling palace today, except for holidays, she would likely never see A’Li again. How could she endure such a thing?
Soon, the Yan Empress Dowager saw the clan elders wrapped in cloaks emerging from within the palace gates. She hurriedly urged her attending maid to help her down from the carriage.
“They’re back, the uncles are all back!” the imperial clan relatives who had been guarding the Empress Dowager’s carriage here, preventing the Imperial Guards from escorting the Empress Dowager away, called out loudly.
The maid quickly helped the Yan Empress Dowager adjust her cloak and opened an umbrella: “Your Majesty, please be careful.”
The Yan Empress Dowager tightly gripped her hand warmer, watching expectantly as the Murong imperial clan relatives walked swiftly toward her, hoping they would bring good news. Her palms were damp with nervous sweat, and her voice was choked with emotion: “A’Li… A’Li will listen to the clan elders’ words, won’t he!”
“Certainly, Your Majesty. His Majesty’s heart holds the deepest love and respect for Your Majesty. It’s only because after the Regent returned and exposed the matter, His Majesty had no choice but to give the court ministers and the Regent’s faction an explanation. Now that the Yan imperial clan has stepped forward, His Majesty has been given a way out. How could there be any reason to send Your Majesty to the traveling palace in such heavy snow?” the Yan Empress Dowager’s personal attending maid also said gently. “Besides, what mother and son harbor grudges overnight!”
The Yan Empress Dowager nodded: “Exactly, A’Li is the most soft-hearted!”
The Yan Empress Dowager was filled with hope, thinking that with the Murong imperial clan stepping forward, all of the elders whom Murong Li had previously respected, they would surely be able to persuade A’Li.
“Why hasn’t His Majesty come personally to welcome the Empress Dowager?” someone asked with dissatisfaction.
“As long as the Empress Dowager can stay, that’s good enough!”
Hearing the imperial clan relatives’ discussion, the smile on the Yan Empress Dowager’s face deepened, as if she were already certain that the imperial clan elders had come to escort her back to the palace. She turned to those imperial clan relatives and said, “With such heavy snow, A’Li’s health hasn’t fully recovered yet. Whether he comes out to welcome me or not doesn’t matter!”
Seeing the clan elder being supported by imperial clan relatives, the Yan Empress Dowager was about to step forward to greet them when she was blocked by the Imperial Guards.
“Insolence!” An imperial clan relative stepped forward angrily to rebuke them. “Our Yan Empress Dowager—how dare you block her!”
“Your Majesty, forgive me!” The Imperial Guard immediately knelt on one knee to apologize. “This humble servant is only following orders. Without His Majesty’s command… this humble servant truly cannot let Your Majesty pass. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!”
As long as she didn’t have to leave and could remain in the Yan capital’s imperial palace, the Yan Empress Dowager was unwilling to quibble with a mere Imperial Guard.
She also did not bid the Imperial Guard to rise, only watching as the imperial clan relatives drew closer and closer, unable to suppress her joyful expression, her eyes growing moist and red.
But as they drew nearer, the Yan Empress Dowager could increasingly make out… that the expressions on those clan elder relatives’ faces didn’t seem very good.
The Yan Empress Dowager’s heart immediately grew cold, and she gripped the handkerchief in her hand tightly.
“Clan Uncle, has His Majesty agreed to let the Empress Dowager remain?” Before the Yan Empress Dowager could ask, an imperial clan relative couldn’t restrain himself and stepped forward to inquire of those clan elders of advanced age.
Upon hearing this, the white-haired clan elder with the walking stick struck the ground forcefully with his cane, saying indignantly: “Who knows how this Regent has won over His Majesty’s heart! We merely asked His Majesty to guard against the Regent’s usurpation of power and should keep the Empress Dowager in the Yan capital to oversee matters. But His Majesty… said we’re unworthy to call ourselves elders before him! His Majesty is young… if it weren’t for the Regent’s deliberate instigation leading His Majesty astray, how could His Majesty, who was formerly such a well-mannered, benevolent, and filial child, now become someone who shows no respect for elders, even driving his birth mother from the imperial palace!”
These words, the eldest and most senior imperial clan elder dared to speak, though others dared not say them aloud. But they felt stifled in their hearts and nodded in agreement.
Especially His Majesty’s words about them “scurrying about” and being unworthy to call themselves elders before him… it was truly too harsh to hear. If he weren’t the Emperor… with their seniority, even slapping him would be considered light punishment! “Scurrying about”… what family’s child could speak to elders this way? It was simply arrogant and discourteous.
Upon hearing these words, the Yan Empress Dowager’s face turned deathly pale, her mind buzzing. She could only hear the fine, dense rustling sound of snow pellets falling on the oiled paper umbrella, and her body went limp as she leaned into her personal attending maid’s embrace.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty…”
The imperial clan relatives were her last hope!
“If the Regent hadn’t instructed His Majesty about something before leaving, how could His Majesty be so heartless toward the Empress Dowager?” A clan relative glanced at the Empress Dowager and spoke. “The Empress Dowager is, after all, His Majesty’s birth mother. Even without merit, she has toiled for him. His Majesty is someone we watched grow up—he can’t treat the Empress Dowager this way!”