The young emperor, though being comforted, was still terrified to face his uncle, the "Living Yama." Gritting his teeth, he stood at the entrance of the Hall of Heavenly Purity and signaled for the eunuchs to open the doors.
Upon entering, he saw Xiao Wang Ye seated in his usual spot, holding the memorial that had delivered the day's news. With a rare furrowed brow and a grave expression, he stared intently at the document before him.
Hearing someone enter, he did not shift his gaze. He simply said, "Sit." He closed the memorial and tossed it onto the emperor's desk with a "thud," making the young emperor jump.
He quickly walked forward, sat down, and asked fearfully, "Imperial Uncle."
"Your Majesty, over the past half month, do you feel you have been fully capable of handling state affairs?"
"I, no, I, I, am still not capable. I am completely unable to do without Imperial Uncle's guidance." He lowered his head, appearing ready to accept any reprimand from Xiao Wang Ye.
Xiao Wang Ye gazed at the youth. In his memory, the child was a small, soft glutinous rice ball, affectionately calling him "Imperial Uncle." That child no longer existed. Having tasted the flavor of power, no one would easily relinquish the feeling of having control. kuAiδugg
These were all in the past.
"Write the imperial decree," he said lightly.
The young emperor looked up in alarm, surprised that his uncle wasn't scolding him. "Yes, yes." He decided it was best not to ask for reasons and just do as he was told.
After a while, Lin Xiao entered. "Reporting to Your Highness, the matter I was instructed to handle is in place. We are now just waiting for the target to take the bait."
"En, you may withdraw."
The young emperor looked at Xiao Wang Ye in confusion, not understanding what they were discussing. He wanted to ask but dared not, fearing his uncle would kill him with a single glance.
Noticing his subtle movements, Xiao Wang Ye spoke first, "What do you want to know?"
"Ah? No, Imperial Uncle can handle it," he replied timidly.
Seeing his lack of backbone, Xiao Wang Ye continued, "A while ago, there were rumors circulating in the capital about impending disaster. Have you, Your Majesty, heard of this?"
The young emperor guiltily avoided his gaze. He truly had not heard of this matter. "This, this matter, I have not heard of it."
It seemed the eyes and ears within the palace were not solely from the Regent's mansion. This matter was being deliberately concealed.
Why would Imperial Uncle bring up such a rumor? No, this seemed like a rumor, but the affair in Zhuzhou discovered today... could it be too coincidental with this rumor? "Impending disaster." If the common people learned of the Zhuzhou affair, it would likely cause panic, speculation, and widespread unease.
Xiao Wang Ye observed the shifting expressions on the young emperor's face. He was teachable, not completely foolish.
"Imperial Uncle, is it possible that this matter is the work of someone with malicious intent?"
"It is not yet known. The person behind it has not been found." He had initially thought it was someone close to the young emperor plotting to overthrow him. It seemed he had overestimated the young emperor's cunning. The boy's demeanor did not seem feigned.
Xiao Wang Ye gave Lin Xiao a look. Lin Xiao, understanding, took over the conversation. "Replying to Your Majesty. It was the Prince who just instructed me to inform all the ministers not to cause a stir about this matter. It will be made public after everything is resolved."
The young emperor's admiration for Xiao Wang Ye deepened. So, in places he didn't know about, his Imperial Uncle had done so much. It seemed he was truly unfit to be emperor. His face was filled with a sense of dejection.
Xiao Wang Ye did not expose him and quietly drank his hot tea, signaling Lin Xiao to withdraw. After a long while, the young emperor finally lifted his head from his thoughts. His gaze was firm as he looked at Xiao Wang Ye.
"Imperial Uncle, do you also think I am unfit for this throne?" It was the first time the child looked him in the eyes when speaking. In the past, he always averted his gaze.
"I also believe I am unfit. Since my father passed away, if it weren't for Imperial Uncle, I would not have been able to shoulder the great responsibility of this nation." His hands on the table clasped together nervously. "If it weren't for my Imperial Grandfather's dying words, perhaps it would have been you on this seat." The attendants in the hall had all been dismissed by Lin Xiao earlier, leaving only the two highest authorities in the royal power.
With a bitter smile, the young emperor also recognized this fact. "Imperial Uncle, you always appear so at ease, as if everything is within your grasp. Without me, wouldn't you be able to govern this country better? It seems I am obstructing Imperial Uncle's future."
Xiao Wang Ye looked at the youth before him. His immature face was now filled with an expression of dissatisfaction. Still a boy who couldn't hide his thoughts.
He chuckled lightly.
The young emperor looked up at him, puzzled.
He slowly spoke, "Do you think there is anything I desire that I cannot obtain?" His eyes held such arrogance and confidence, a gaze that looked down upon the world.
It was this very gaze that had captivated him when he was seven. He had wanted to become like his Imperial Uncle. This wish had been planted in his heart at the age of seven.
Ten years ago, on the night of the former emperor's death.
In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the lamps burned brightly, their flames flickering with the movements of the palace maids. The imperial physicians from the Imperial Academy were all present in the hall. On the dragon bed lay the emperor at that time, Xiao Wang Ye's father, Xiao Zhongxin. Though only fifty, he looked decrepit. This was partly due to the former emperor's pursuit of immortality, which led him to heavily fund Taoist priests from the Central Plains to refine elixirs.
"Are you very pleased that I won't survive tonight? That all your schemes have succeeded?" Xiao Wang Ye sat by the table beside the bed. He was different from the image Ye Qingcheng remembered. His face carried a ferocity that, even on his infamous countenance, appeared frightening.
"Heh, what have I desired that I haven't obtained? Do you think I don't know where the imperial decree you left behind is placed?" Xiao Wang Ye stood up. His tall frame, as he stood by the bed, cast a shadow that obscured part of the candlelight.
The former emperor looked at his son, whom he had never truly looked at in more than a decade, with fear. He had grown to resemble his deceased mother so much.
"It's not that I cannot, it's just that I do not want it." Leaving those words, he walked straight out. "The rest will be left to the imperial physicians. Do your best." It didn't matter if he died.
What shocked the court was not the former emperor's death, but the imperial decree left behind: establishing Xiao Qingyu, the legitimate son of the former Crown Prince, as the next emperor. Xiao Wang Ye, Commander of the Three Armies, would be appointed Regent until the young emperor reached the age of majority.
"A truly brilliant calculation. To scheme against me even in death," this was Xiao Wang Ye's only sentiment regarding the former emperor's passing.
The young emperor looked at the man before him, the only person he admired in his life. He was so powerful, so unattainable. His current confessions were mere childish petulance in the eyes of Xiao Wang Ye. With Xiao Wang Ye, he would always be so weak. Without him, this throne was merely a decoration.
"Imperial Uncle, this time, let the people know." But this time, he could not back down. Looking into Xiao Wang Ye's eyes, he said this deeply buried thought with seriousness.