PDLP Chapter 525: Imperial Law
Chapter 525: Imperial Law
When the lunch was almost over, the Crown Princess once again witnessed how loving the emperor and the empress were. Lan Qingwu was wholeheartedly removing fish bones and preparing bone soup for the emperor, and Emperor Shenwu was also concerned that his empress had a weak stomach and could not eat food.
When lunch was almost over, Emperor Shenwu put down his silver chopsticks and said to the Crown Prince, "It's been a few months since the Emperor and the Crown Princess got married! In another two months, the two concubines will also enter the Eastern Palace. How are your arrangements for the Eastern Palace going?"
This was the old father's concern for his son's inner life. Emperor Shenwu always felt that this was an injustice to his most cherished heir.
Lan Qingwu naturally understood the hidden meaning. The Crown Princess had been married for several months, but there was still no movement in her belly. It goes without saying that many people from the Crown Prince's direct lineage and the harem of the previous dynasty were eyeing the Crown Prince's backyard. One could imagine the enormous pressure on the Crown Princess.
The Crown Prince immediately suppressed the smile on his lips: "Father, the Emperor and the Empress, rest assured, the two concubines have entered the Eastern Palace, and I and the Crown Princess will not treat them unfairly!"
Emperor Shenwu nodded. In his opinion, he had given the Crown Princess Wu an extra half year, which was already good enough for her. If she still couldn't get pregnant by then, he would have to leave the opportunity to someone else.
The second prince will soon have his own offspring. As the crown prince is the heir to the throne, the royal heir is also very important. This will save a lot of trouble and avoid unnecessary complications.
The Crown Princess's face was slightly pale. She knew clearly that even ordinary aristocratic families valued offspring. The Emperor and Empress had been lenient enough to her, but when she looked at the Crown Prince's calm face, her heart still felt sour and bitter.
Lan Qingwu was slow to realize what was happening. She looked at Emperor Shenwu, then at her son. The seventh prince and the seventh princess all lowered their heads, drinking the sour plum juice unconsciously.
In reality, Lan Qingwu would have been the most appropriate person to bring this up, but the Emperor knew her so well that Lan Qingwu didn't see any problem with it. The Crown Prince had been personally raised by the Emperor, following the principles of imperial training for a crown prince. Therefore, the Emperor hadn't expected Lan Qingwu to bring this up.
The Crown Princess stood up, bowed her head slightly, and saluted with both hands: "Please rest assured, Father and Mother, I will definitely be tolerant and manage the Crown Prince's backyard well."
Lan Qingwu retracted his gaze, gently stroked the teacup, and personally poured a bowl of sour plum juice, "Your Majesty, please try this juice, it is very sweet and sour and delicious!"
Emperor Shenwu glanced at Lan Qingwu, then casually took the glass cup without drinking from it. "Queen, take the two children with you first, and the Crown Princess should also step down!"
The Crown Princess was even more uneasy, and she suppressed her emotions and said, "I'll take my leave!"
Lan Qingwu also stood up, bowed slightly, took the seventh princess' hand, and retreated to the inner hall with the seventh prince.
Li Xiang quickly made a gesture, and a palace servant came forward and quickly and quietly cleared the dining table.
Emperor Shenwu stood up and walked to the main hall, sitting upright on the dragon throne.
The Crown Prince faced the Emperor Shenwu's gaze and spoke with a brave face, "Father, I have already told the Crown Princess that we will have a legitimate son soon. However, this matter of heirs will still require some time and fate."
Emperor Shenwu reached out and gently stroked the glass cup that Li Xiang brought over. The sour plum juice inside was just poured by Lan Qingwu and presented to him.
"Of course I know, but my son, it would be best if the Crown Princess could be pregnant during this period. It would reduce disputes and benefit the court. But if the Crown Princess doesn't have this blessing, even if a concubine enters the Eastern Palace and has an heir, you must prioritize the heir!"
"My son, your mother likes to follow her own whims. I know you are inevitably influenced by her, but you are the crown prince of a country, so you cannot do things from the same perspective as her. Do you understand?"
The prince said respectfully, "I understand!"
Lan Qingwu took the Seventh Prince and the Seventh Princess back to the side room of the bedroom to drink digestive tea. The Seventh Princess saw her mother looking thoughtful and personally presented the teacup: "Mother, please drink some! Father didn't drink it just now. Yueyue will bring him some later!"
Lan Qingwu gently stroked the Seventh Princess's hair: "I'm sorry for worrying Yueyue. Xiaoqi, take Yueyue to the side hall to rest! Your mother will be waiting for your father!"
In the main hall, Emperor Shenwu gazed solemnly at the Great Sheng Dynasty's Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains. "Today, I will teach you the most important rule of the imperial art from the Imperial Secrets. As an emperor, the court is the tool for governing the world, and the harem is the tool for ensuring the continuation of the royal lineage and the enduring rule. No matter how brilliant your skills and achievements, if you reach the end of your life and cannot find a qualified successor, the royal family will then fight among themselves, which will inevitably lead to endless disputes in the court, and the people of the world will suffer greatly!"
"Since the third generation of the direct lineage of the Human Emperor, a strict rule has been in place for all the emperors of Dasheng: The dragon gives birth to nine sons, and each one is different! One of the nine sons must bear the powerful bloodline of the Human Emperor! This has allowed the Dasheng Dynasty to continue for a thousand years! I have appointed you as the heir, and it is time to inform you of this law that specifically governs the emperor!"
When the prince heard this, he was filled with endless confusion. He looked at his father, then lowered his eyes, but still did not ask.
He only said: "But as far as I know, there are exceptions!"
Emperor Shenwu nodded expressionlessly, "Yes! But without exception, they all caused a lot of disputes! According to rumors, the most famous ancestor, in order to wait for the reincarnation of the daughter of the Xue family, forcibly kept the harem empty for more than ten years. The incidents and bloodshed caused by it are too numerous to mention. If it weren't for the ancestor's strong hand and the concentration of military power in his hands, who knows what kind of disputes would have arisen! Even so, instability in the court is certain! The ancestor also established another rule: if you don't want to follow the first rule, with three thousand concubines and nine sons born, the strongest one must be chosen as the crown prince, then you must ensure that the only legitimate wife has at least three legitimate princes, and all of them must grow up. The ancestor even opened a new palace specifically for the daughter of the Xue family - Fengqi Palace! It is different from the conventional palace of the queen, Fengju Palace! And the two rules cannot coexist!"
The backlash it would cause would be terrifying! It was definitely not something that an average person could withstand.
"But my son, think about it and you'll know this isn't an easy task! From one emperor to the next until now, the second law has practically been abolished, and Fengqi Palace has long been abandoned!"
The Crown Prince felt as if a fog had been cleared when he heard this. Neither of these two laws was easy to follow. Nine sons were born, and some had miscarriages or even premature deaths due to various reasons. The harem consisted of concubines, and competition for favor was inevitable. Choosing the best among the nine grown-up sons required them to be born and reach adulthood. And once they reached adulthood, another brutal battle for the throne would ensue!
The second rule was even more difficult. An emperor's harem had only one empress, and countless people would stare at her with bloodshot eyes, ignoring endless disputes and conspiracies! And their children, not to mention the harems of previous dynasties, were always willing to take risks and risk everything! Just thinking about the dangers and bloodshed involved was enough to send thorns spiking all over one's body!
Take the prince himself as an example. Although he is powerful enough, and even Emperor Shenwu asked him to train his own three guards of the Eastern Palace early on, and also assigned a number of mysterious phantom guards, he is still a thorn in the eyes of the former dynasty and the harem. Many people wish he could never open his eyes again, and only the prince himself knows how many arrows and blood he has experienced.
Since entering the palace, his mother has been on the verge of death several times under the emperor's careful protection!
She received the emperor's deep affection, but at the same time she paid an unimaginable price!