After the era of immortal methods, two dynasties were born in the Great Wilderness, Shang and Zhou.
If one traced the roots, the Great Yuan imperial family was actually the descendants of the Shang Dynasty. They survived by mixing into the Zhou Dynasty and were enfeoffed by the Zhou. They had always been biding their time, intending to reclaim the land lost by their ancestors, which could be described as enduring humiliation.
The Shang Dynasty was closer to the era of immortal methods before the Zhou Dynasty. In the end of the immortal method period, there was even a vigorous battle of the gods controlled by the immortals in the sky, which could be described as on a grand and spectacular scale.
Since mythology was prevalent, the Shang Dynasty naturally had an extraordinary connection with gods and ghosts.
It was said that at the height of the Shang Dynasty, all civil and military officials were great cultivators, and those with great merits could ascend on the spot. Great witches and witch ancestors with profound magic power were everywhere.
Later, the spiritual energy declined, and the immortals left the Great Wilderness, leaving only the witches.
The witch branch that now served the Great Yuan was the old vein that was loyal to the Shang imperial family. Unfortunately, as time had changed, many profound witchcraft had been eliminated in the long river of history. The once powerful ability to call the wind and rain was no longer there. The most profound witchcraft performed was nothing more than calculating the national fortune when each emperor was in power, and figuring out the most suitable prince to inherit the throne, who was also destined to inherit the throne.
This was the most important ceremony for each emperor in power.
All emperors throughout the ages had to be prepared to meet the challenge, no one wanted to become a monarch of a fallen country, or else they have no face to see their ancestors under the netherworld.
There were also such emperors in the history of the Great Yuan, who did not listen to the prince candidate calculated by the Great Witch, insisted on acting recklessly, and wanted to establish their more beloved prince.
Such an emperor had only one end. That was to fall to the point of almost annihilating the country.
So from this emperor who almost annihilated the country, the prince who was calculated on the Witch Sacrificial Ceremony established as the heir, which became the ancestral teaching of the Great Yuan imperial family. (TL: the legacy of ancestors or the precepts of grandfathers)
However, with so many princes under the knee, it was difficult to be impartial.
As the saying went, there were policies at the top and countermeasures at the bottom. In response to the Witch Sacrificial Ceremony, the emperors of the Great Yuan who exalted only one’s own self naturally couldn’t be so passive.
On the high golden throne, the late emperor sat on the dragon chair, his voice hoarse and tired. “The Zong family ancestors have found out through countless blood experiences, what kind of talents the prince who can show gold on the wooden plaque of the Witch Sacrificial Ceremony need to possess.”
As if guessing what was to be said next, the young prince who had just stormed into the Jinluan Hall in a fit of rage was trembling all over, his hand holding the Zhanlu sword was almost unstable.
“The princes calculated by the Great Witch, all of them have gone through hardships and endured trials.”
“Only those who have gone through selection, the wooden plaque will show the gold symbolizing the crown prince.”
The late emperor slowly said, “The eldest prince is powerful, and he forcibly changed the candidate to go to the Wei Country to be a proton. He didn’t want to go to war, so Zhen gave you the military power. Before the Witch Sacrificial Ceremony, he conspired with foreign enemies to kill you. If it weren’t for changing the wooden plaque, by the time your troops returned, it might have been too late.”
The young prince’s eyes widened.
Only he had the military power, and his prince’s mansion was the closest to the palace.
“Zhen doesn’t want to see fratricide. But even if Zhen lets you go, the eldest prince will not let you go. It’s better to take a gamble, just like when Zhen ascended the throne, and then send someone to notify you.”
The content of the Witch Sacrificial Ceremony should be top secret. Not to mention the planted spies, even if the wooden plaque was changed, only the late emperor and the Great Witch would know.
Even from the road to the palace, no one stopped him. Even when the palace was besieged, the garrison soldiers who should have played the biggest role turned a blind eye, just pretending.
“Zhen is very pleased that the wooden plaque did not predict wrong, you are the most suitable person to ascend the throne, even though you have followed Zhen’s old path.”
The late emperor’s face, twisted together like a dead tree, showed an ugly smile. He gently stroked his prince’s head, “Ah Li, Father Emperor loves you very much.”
“Forgive Zhen, Zhen didn’t tell you until now.”
Now, in this quiet night, in the narrow Star Gazing Tower, Emperor Yuan also placed his hand on the head of the prince in white, like a kind of inheritance, “When you were very, very small, such a small ball, Zhen held you, but accidentally dropped you to the ground. But you didn’t cry, you just kept staring at Zhen with your eyes open.”
At that time, Emperor Yuan had just lost his eldest son on the battlefield, and the second prince who died young. Even the mother concubine of the third prince died in childbirth. Almost one after another, the low-born courtesan also gave birth to the fourth prince.
The army of the Wei Country had already opened to the border, forcing the Great Yuan to hand over a proton, and named the eldest son. However, in fact, the third prince and the fourth prince almost spoke at the same time.
“The mother concubine of the fourth child came to Zhen for mercy, threatened with death, and asked Zhen not to send him to the Wei Country. Zhen just said ‘you don’t regret it later’.”
Only his third son, as soon as he was born, his mother concubine died in childbirth.
No one protected the third son, just like no one protected Emperor Yuan back then.
Another glass of wine went down, and the drunkenness deepened, “Since then, Zhen has decided. If you return to the country in the future, Zhen will definitely train you as a crown prince, which is also a kind of compensation.”
If no one protects, from now on, it will be Zhen.
Later, Zong Luo returned to the country, and other princes were trying their best to seize the throne, only the third son, who woke up early and practiced sword every day. He practiced there, and Emperor Yuan watched from upstairs, the more he watched, the more he liked…
Unlike other princes, where every filial piety would write ‘benefits’ on their faces. Only this child, silently following behind, buried his admiration very deeply, without asking for return.
He was also very good at fighting, quite like his own bravery, and his character was also humble and generous.
The only downside was that he was a bit too kind, lacking some ambition for power and dominance.
It was in the year that Zong Luo returned to the country that Emperor Yuan firmly recognized this heir in his heart.
Emperor Yuan doesn’t talk much on ordinary days. But today, it seemed like he couldn’t feel relieved without speaking out.
If it weren’t for the alcohol, he would never say these things at this time. He probably had to follow the rules of the late emperor and the ancestral rules of the Zong family, and reveal the truth only on the eve of his ascension.
Perhaps this was the fate of the Zong family.
The truly pampered prince who grew up, like a canary that didn’t suffer, could never compare to the eagle that soared outside and was full of scars.
It was many years later that Emperor Yuan understood the meaning of the late emperor’s words.
On the golden throne, the late emperor said word by word, “Before Zhen ascended the throne, Zhen’s father also said the same sentence to Zhen. Today, Zhen will also give this sentence to you.”
“If you have a child you like, then you have to keep him away from you from childhood to adulthood. Because you can’t accompany the eagle to spread its wings, just like you can never accompany him to finish his second half of life.”
If you love your child, you have to let him go out and suffer, to experience the wind and rain outside.
Even if he doesn’t understand, and will hate. But you can’t explain, you can’t let him notice.
Because favoritism and indulgence are obstacles to ascending the throne, they are the confidence of being spoiled and arrogant.
After ascending the throne, these storms will only be bigger and more fierce than the first half of life.
From just needing to get the attention of the father emperor, to bearing the country, the ministers, and the people.
There is no longer an emperor who stands silently behind him, sheltering his child from wind and rain.
“Don’t hate Zhen.” The late emperor smiled.
That was the first time in his life, and also the last time, that Zhanlu fell out of his hand.
Emperor Yuan slowly knelt down in front of the dragon chair.
Outside the Jinluan Hall, the setting sun slowly fell, lengthening his shadow.
He always thought that the late emperor didn’t value him and never gave him any fatherly love.
😭😭 EMPEROR YUAN AAA