"Do you recognize this object?"
Emperor Xuanwen raised his eyelids and looked. "This scepter was made by my father. Back then, because my mother had an injury to her right leg and had difficulty moving, he personally made this scepter to give to her."
"It is good that you remember," the Empress Dowager said in a low voice, continuing, "For over forty years since your father's death, you were young. Enemy forces attacked the borders, and the princes in court were rebellious, attempting to usurp your throne. There were several rebellions, and they even forced their way into the imperial court. It was your mother who protected you, safeguarding your throne!"
"My mother, with her own strength, protected the Eastern Chu, nurtured me to adulthood, and secured my throne. Without my mother, I would certainly not be where I am today."
Emperor Xuanwen knelt before the Empress Dowager, his face a picture of deference.
"I do not want you to remember my contributions. I want you to be able to safeguard the realm of Eastern Chu, so that even after I die, I can face your father and the ancestors with honor. But you… you listen to the Liu clan and show undue favoritism to the Third Prince born of the Liu clan. For years, you have minimized the transgressions of the Liu clan, treating major issues as minor and minor ones as non-existent, which has emboldened them both, mother and son, to the point of arrogance!"
The Empress Dowager sighed, her face filled with regret. She had known long ago that the Liu clan was unfit to be Empress, but it was only because Emperor Xuanwen truly loved her.
Knowing that to be an emperor meant abandoning what one truly loved, she did not wish for Emperor Xuanwen to also abandon the woman he genuinely loved. Thus, she had repeatedly turned a blind eye and tolerated the Liu clan.
She had not anticipated that this would lead the Liu clan to become so arrogant and act so outrageously.
The current actions of Chu Yanxi were undoubtedly condoned by the Liu clan.
"Mother, the Empress and Yanxi have not made any mistakes recently."
Having been reprimanded, Emperor Xuanwen had not yet grasped the reason for it.
"Not made any mistakes…" the Empress Dowager snorted, "Did you not order the Third Prince to lead a hundred thousand troops to support Yingzhong Prefecture?"
"Yes, I did indeed instruct the Third Prince to go and support Yingzhong Prefecture. This matter… should have already reached Yingzhong Prefecture."
Judging by the timeline, they should have reached Yingzhong Prefecture by now. Could it be that the situation in Yingzhong was dire, prompting his mother's criticism?
"The Third Prince, with his hundred thousand troops, has not yet reached Yingzhong Prefecture. Hundreds of thousands of troops are besieging Yingzhong Prefecture. General Ling is fighting to the death, isolated and without aid. Do you know any of this?"
Emperor Xuanwen's expression froze. If they had not reached Yingzhong Prefecture, then where had these hundreds of thousands of troops gone?
"Mother, I beg your forgiveness. I was unaware of this. Perhaps… perhaps there was an unexpected situation during the march that caused a delay."
Even now, Emperor Xuanwen was still making excuses for Chu Yanxi. In his heart, he had long regarded Chu Yanxi as the crown prince. Coupled with his affection for the Liu clan, it was natural for him to show more love and protection to the child born of the woman he loved.
The Empress Dowager's anger, which had begun to subside, was reignited. Filled with frustration at his lack of progress, she glared at Emperor Xuanwen.
"It is my fault," she thought, "for protecting him too well, which has led him to be so foolish today. The matter is already laid bare before him, yet he still tries to make excuses for them."
"Do you truly wish to see the Eastern Chu fall and its people annihilated? Even now, you still seek to make excuses for these two… you… you…"
"Empress Dowager, please calm yourself!" Eunuch Yun, sensing something was wrong, quickly stepped forward to support the Empress Dowager and helped her to sit down.
"Mother… Mother…"
"Imperial Grandmother, quickly summon the imperial physicians!"
"I am well!" the Empress Dowager leaned back in her chair, her voice noticeably weaker.
"Emperor, I have always known of your deep affection for the Liu clan, and therefore you have shown more care towards the Third Prince born of her. Among your sons, you have long intended to establish the Third Prince as the Crown Prince, but it was only because I repeatedly intervened that you have not yet done so."
"Mother, it is not that I intentionally favor Yanxi, but rather, among my five sons, only the Third Prince is truly outstanding and capable of bearing great responsibility."
Chu Chenyi, who was standing nearby, heard these words and his gaze dimmed. Although he had long known that his father never favored him, hearing it said so directly still caused a pang of bitterness in his heart.
"Silence! How can you be so partial? Are you not afraid of chilling the hearts of your other princes and causing estrangement between father and sons?"
The Empress Dowager glared reproachfully at Emperor Xuanwen. Her gaze then fell upon Chu Chenyi. This child had suffered grievances in his youth and was sensitive; now, there was likely a rift forming between father and son.
Emperor Xuanwen cast a glance at Chu Chenyi, finally realizing that his words had been too harsh. However, as a father and as the Emperor, he could not bring himself to apologize and could only maintain a stern demeanor.
If only his leg… had not had that incident back then. Perhaps…
But now, everything had become a fait accompli, and further discussion would be fruitless.
"The entire hundred thousand troops have halted their advance. Delaying military operations is a capital offense. The law is unforgiving, Emperor, you should know this!"
"Mother, perhaps in this matter, the Third Prince…"
"Enough. Stop making excuses for him. No matter the reason, any delay in military operations is a capital offense. Send someone to bring Chu Yanxi back and imprison him. After the war in Yingzhong Prefecture concludes, he will be brought to justice."
The Empress Dowager's tone was firm and brooked no argument. Even if Emperor Xuanwen wished to show favoritism to Chu Yanxi, he had no means to do so.
"And the Empress, for her poor guidance of the princes, even though the Third Prince has committed such a grave error, she is to be confined to the palace from today onwards. All matters will be handled by the Imperial Noble Consort."
"Furthermore, Prince Jing, Chu Chenyi, will lead another hundred thousand troops to Yingzhong Prefecture to support Ling Mohan."
"Your grandson respectfully obeys the Imperial Grandmother…"
"Wait!" Emperor Xuanwen jumped out at an inopportune moment, objecting, "Mother, it is not that I dare to disobey you… but rather, Prince Jing's legs are inconvenient. If he were to lead an army on campaign, I am worried it would be too strenuous for his body."
Ultimately, Emperor Xuanwen remained concerned for Chu Chenyi, hence his myriad of excuses.
"Chenyi, stand up and take a few steps so your father can see whether you are fit to lead an army on campaign."
"Your grandson obeys!"
Chu Chenyi said respectfully. As soon as his words fell, he placed his hands on the armrests of his wheelchair and slowly stood up. Every movement drew Emperor Xuanwen's gaze. By the time Chu Chenyi had fully stood and walked to his side, he had yet to recover.
"You… your legs?"
Emperor Xuanwen was filled with disbelief. His legs had been broken previously, and it was deemed that he would never be able to stand again in this lifetime.
Today… today, he was walking as freely as a normal person. This was too incredible.
"Reporting to Father, my legs have recovered and are no different from those of an ordinary person. It has been my failing these past years, causing Father to worry."
"Good… good. That your legs have healed is the best thing," Emperor Xuanwen said, patting Chu Chenyi's shoulder. The look in his eyes was dim and unfathomable, betraying no hint of joy.