When Xu Zifan attended court again, he proposed making a woman from the Fu family empress. He was expressionless, and his attitude was much tougher than before.
The Emperor, having heard from Xiao Shunzi about Xu Zifan's visit to the Empress Dowager the previous day, had already suspected that the Empress Dowager would use Xu Zifan to pressure him. He hadn't expected it to be about establishing an empress, and with a woman from the Fu family as the chosen one. Remembering the Empress Dowager's earlier analysis that a woman from the Fu family as empress wouldn't provide him with power, he sneered inwardly. The Empress Dowager was clearly trying to suppress him!
The other court officials had also witnessed the Empress Dowager's people escorting Xu Zifan away. Considering the series of events that had occurred recently, it was clear the Empress Dowager was determined to place her niece on the throne. The officials pondered this matter. The selection of an empress had been discussed for a long time, and with the Empress Dowager and Xu Zifan's firm stance, neither of them would gain anything by vying for the position. Furthermore, the affair between the Emperor and Furong had become a major scandal, a royal scandal with a very negative impact. It would be better to hold a joyous celebration.
It's better to make Fu Lin's daughter the empress than to have everyone gossip about Fu Rong again. Fu Lin's abilities are average, and once she becomes empress, her family won't pose any threat.
The Prime Minister and the General of the State both breathed a sigh of relief, confirming that it was the right decision not to agree to the Emperor's request. Otherwise, wouldn't they be facing off against the Regent today? The Empress Dowager wasn't on the Emperor's side, and the Emperor himself was disgracing the Empress by indulging in a courtesan. If they had agreed, they would have been utterly humiliated.
After a brief silence, a dozen or so ministers voiced their agreement with Xu Zifan's proposal. Xu Zifan turned slightly and glanced around casually, and almost all the ministers echoed his sentiment. Only two of the emperor's confidants attempted to object, saying they needed to consider it further. But before Xu Zifan could even speak, his faction vehemently rejected their objections.
Xu Zifan's words sealed the deal, yet he still wore a sullen expression, clearly displeased with the emperor. This infuriated the emperor, who gripped his knees tightly on his throne, barely managing to suppress his rage. He had already lost many advantages; acting recklessly in court and confronting Xu Zifan head-on was the most unwise thing to do. An empress was just a woman; he didn't care about either of them. Would he care about such a thing? But he would repay Xu Zifan a thousandfold for this humiliation, grinding him to dust!
The emperor forced a smile. "The person chosen by the regent is undoubtedly the best. So it's settled then. The Ministry of Rites shall determine an auspicious day for the investiture ceremony."
Xu Zifan, seemingly oblivious to his overtures, pressed his advantage, saying, "Your Majesty, things have been rather unsettled in the palace lately. Both Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager have been frightened. The Empress Dowager intends to hold a grand wedding for the Emperor and Empress. However, Your Majesty has been recuperating recently and is not fit to handle state affairs, so please arrange the wedding yourself." He turned to the Minister of Rites and said, "Minister Li, please take good care of His Majesty's wedding. We must consult His Majesty's wishes before making any decisions regarding the wedding."
He paused, and as the Emperor's eyes blazed with anger, he added, "After the Empress is crowned, there will be a grand selection to enrich the harem. Preparations for related matters can begin. If Your Majesty has any ideas, you may wish to discuss them with Minister Li."
Lord Li instinctively cupped his hands in response, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will do my utmost."
Only after he finished speaking did he realize that the emperor hadn't even spoken yet. What was he doing responding like that? But since the emperor hadn't reprimanded him, he must agree with the regent's suggestion, right? Lord Li silently retreated to his seat and stood with his head bowed.
The emperor lost all interest in listening and, after announcing the adjournment of the court, strode away, his anger so intense that he felt dizzy, his ears ringing, and his chest almost bursting! He felt increasingly superfluous in the court. Xu Zifan had already tried to speak less and let him do the talking, so why was it like this now? It was as if he was still that ignorant child, only able to sit on the dragon throne and watch Xu Zifan issue orders.
That day, all the furnishings in the emperor's bedchamber were smashed, shards littering the floor. He felt more anger in these past few months than he had accumulated over the years, and he even felt somewhat helpless. Power had been held by the regent for so many years; how could he possibly reclaim it? Perhaps only with the regent's death could he become the true emperor.
From that day on, officials frequently consulted the emperor about the wedding, and besides this, he secretly plotted to expand his own power. But no matter how hard he worked, day and night, achieving even the slightest success, his men would soon be in trouble.
De'an impersonated Xiangyun and claimed that the emperor's secret forces were actually Xu Zifan's forces, which prompted the empress dowager to take action.
These people were either injured in accidents, framed, or transferred to sinecure positions. One or two incidents might be tolerable, but every now and then, one of the emperor's men would get into trouble—it seemed like they were deliberately targeting him! The emperor launched a fierce investigation, and Xu Zifan secretly gave him a push, delivering the evidence to him. Only then did he discover that the Empress Dowager was behind it all, with most of the tampering done by the Fu family. Of course, Xu Zifan also took the opportunity to reveal the Empress Dowager and the Fu family's clandestine influence to the emperor.
The emperor's palace suffered another calamity, and his hatred for the empress dowager grew even stronger. As for the Fu family, he already harbored resentment because of the matter of establishing an empress, and now that he knew the Fu family had helped the empress dowager suppress him and had done so many dirty things with despicable means, he also began to hate the Fu family, and by extension, he hated Fu Qiuwen even more.
He began retaliating against the Empress Dowager, using his own power to undermine hers, and even reprimanded the Fu family several times in court, showing no regard for their reputation. As the saying goes, one wrong step leads to another; he was being led astray by Xu Zifan, losing sight of the bigger picture. Xu Zifan's blade was already hanging over his head, yet he remained oblivious to the impending danger, insisting on provoking the Empress Dowager.
This might be his strategy of prioritizing internal stability before external threats, aiming to resolve his issues with his birth mother and end the infighting before strategizing against Xu Zifan. However, Xu Zifan is no longer the same person. While they were fighting, he had already used them to eliminate rivals and rapidly expand his own power.
Undercurrents are surging in the court
Officials are frequently brought down, not high-ranking officials, but those with excellent career prospects. This makes everyone nervous, fearing they might be the next to be investigated, so they all strictly manage their own families and check if they have done anything out of line.
Xu Zifan took the opportunity to recruit many neutral officials to pledge their loyalty to him. After all, under Xu Zifan's deliberate misleading, the image of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor in the hearts of the officials had become increasingly worse, giving the impression that they would destroy the country if they took power. Only the Regent was capable of managing the country. A good bird chooses a good tree, so naturally many people would pledge their allegiance to Xu Zifan.
Xu Zifan helped the Emperor cover up the truth, preventing the Empress Dowager from finding out who was targeting her. The Empress Dowager had previously thought she had eliminated Xu Zifan's power and naturally assumed that Xu Zifan was retaliating for his subordinates. However, she believed that her power was well-hidden and that Xu Zifan should not know that she was the mastermind, so she simply considered those who had been lost as scapegoats.
This was the result she had confirmed with Xiangyun. Although she felt heartache for those who had been lost, she still felt a sense of satisfaction at eliminating many of Xu Zifan's people. Even if this power wasn't given to the emperor, it couldn't fall into Xu Zifan's hands. She had to gradually weaken Xu Zifan's influence and reclaim the power.
Through Xu Zifan's machinations, the Emperor, believing the Empress Dowager was deliberately suppressing him, launched a strong counterattack. The Empress Dowager, thinking her subordinates had been dealt with by Xu Zifan while she remained unexposed, confidently continued her actions. Then, seeing her attack, the Emperor retaliated again, resulting in a lively back-and-forth exchange, during which both sides suffered significant losses.
As their frustration and anger grew, the day of the Emperor and Empress's wedding arrived. The ceremony was incredibly awkward, lacking any grandeur whatsoever compared to the investitures of the previous Emperor or the Holy Ancestor; it could barely be described as merely adequate. Furthermore, the Emperor's face remained dark throughout, his reluctance evident to everyone, which prevented the ministers from showing any joy, let alone any festive atmosphere. In the eyes of the Empress Dowager and Fu Qiuwen, it was an utter disgrace!
Even more shockingly, the emperor did not stay in the empress's palace that night, but instead stayed at Furong's place!
Although this matter would not be spread, the Empress Dowager and Fu Qiuwen felt disgusted, as if they had swallowed a fly. The Emperor actually used a courtesan to slap them in the face! Furong was naturally unwilling for the Emperor to do this, but since the Emperor insisted on staying overnight, she did not dare to be too forceful in driving him away. She could only stand on the opposite side of the Empress and fight her.
The next morning, the Empress Dowager summoned Xu Zifan and angrily questioned him: "What exactly happened? Why was the coronation ceremony so shabby? What was the Ministry of Rites doing? Zhongqian! Is this how you solve my troubles? You're just making things worse for me!"
If it were the original owner, she would have already coaxed her. Who would bear to see their beloved so angry? Xu Zifan frowned and said, "The coronation ceremony was personally arranged by the Emperor. The Emperor believed that things should be done in a frugal manner and not be too extravagant. The Ministry of Rites naturally had to follow the Emperor's orders."
"And what about you? You don't object either?"
"Empress Dowager, I have already forced him to marry someone he doesn't like, just as you wished. How can you interfere in such a matter?" Xu Zifan said deliberately. "When you got married and were later made a concubine, the scale of the ceremony was not as grand as this one, and you never complained. Why are you so angry this time? Could it be that the Empress is being unreasonable and has brought this matter to you?"
The Empress Dowager's questions caught in her throat, her face turning terribly pale. She had been a concubine of the late Emperor, and later entered the palace as a concubine, but she had never been favored, and her status was meager. Why was Xu Zifan saying all this? Wasn't he just rubbing salt in her wounds? What was there to like or dislike? The Emperor had three palaces and six courtyards; how could the word "force" be used?
She used to like Xu Zifan's sentimental nature, because she could use it to manipulate him. But now she truly hated his personality. All those years of reminiscing about the past and deepening their relationship had become stumbling blocks!
Xu Zifan continued, "Empress Dowager, you once said that if the Emperor took a liking to a commoner, she should recognize me as her father and enter the palace as a noblewoman. Shouldn't we arrange an identity for Furong? We can't let her live with the Emperor in this ambiguous way forever. Although I am unwilling to recognize her, I can find someone else to be her father. How about Lord Fu Lin? His biological daughter will be the Empress, and his adopted daughter will be a favored concubine. Lord Fu is truly blessed."
Let her brother adopt a courtesan as his daughter? Let that Furong become a member of the Fu family? What kind of blessing is this? This is going to infuriate her!
The Empress Dowager had been in a bad mood all night, and now she was angered by Xu Zifan, so she fainted!