Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Cui Yan practically watched me grow up.

Before I ascended the throne, he was already the Chancellor of Great Xia, the youngest in history to hold the position.

He achieved fame at a young age, a man of extraordinary talent who assisted the late Emperor in building his legacy. On his deathbed, the late Emperor personally entrusted me to his care.

When I decided to dispatch troops to attack the Wei State, he opposed it vehemently. But back then, I wouldn’t listen and insisted on marching south.

Halfway through the campaign, I actually began to regret it.

It was then that Cui Yan, conversely, remained steadfast. “Things have come to this; only through destruction can there be rebirth.”

The battle at Pingqiao Ferry drained more than half of our national strength.

I was utterly demoralized at the time, but Chancellor Cui worked tirelessly to manage the situation, holding everything together while still finding time to counsel me.

Bit by bit, he taught me how to be a proper Emperor.

In my eyes, he was never one to be as fragile or sentimental as he is now.

That was why, when I passed away from illness, I wasn’t worried at all.

With Chancellor Cui there, he would surely help me protect Great Xia and look after the Crown Prince.

But his current state is detrimental to the country.

The sensitive period of imperial transition is the most prone to instability. With wolves circling on all sides, how can he afford to be so careless?

In the past, whenever I felt frustrated, I loved to wander through the Inner Palace. But now, I don’t want to step foot in it at all.

The form of address is a minor issue. I can adapt-calling my own wife “Mother Empress” is something I can endure. I’ll just consider it fulfilling my son’s filial duties on his behalf.

However, I’ve realized that I seem to have never truly known my Empress.

The Empress’s birth name is Zhou Rou. She was the pearl of the late Grand Tutor Zhou’s eye, known for being the most gentle, virtuous, quiet, and refined of women.

Yet, my gentle and virtuous Rou’er’s greatest hobby now is brandishing swords and spears.

She even called Zhou Ke over to be her sparring partner.

The moment you enter Fengyi Palace, you can hear the sounds of these two siblings brawling.

It’s maddening.

The Empress, having fought to her heart’s content, exclaimed, “I’ve spent so many years pretending to be a refined lady from a prestigious family. It nearly bored me to death! Finally, I can have a good fight. How refreshing!”

I seriously doubt that if Grand Tutor Zhou had been sent to the battlefield back then, he might have earned some military merits himself.

Not only has the Empress released her martial nature, but even her taste in food has changed.

The light, bland dishes of the past have all been replaced with heavy oil and spice.

She stuffed a large piece of poached spicy pork into her mouth. “This is wonderful! I finally don’t have to accommodate the late Emperor by eating those tasteless dishes anymore.”

I instantly felt a pang in my chest.

She even kindly offered a piece to me. “Che’er, try some too.”

I took a bite, and the spiciness immediately shot to the top of my head. It felt exactly the same as when the Empress smeared that substance on my face in front of the memorial tablet the other day.