Chapter 346: Persuade the Emperor to Make an Early Decision

The palace’s square and corridors were brightly illuminated.

Lanterns were hung beneath the corridors and eaves, strung together in a line that cast light on the red pillars. In the square ahead, short stone lantern pillars, carved in the style of pavilions, also glowed with light, resembling stars scattered across the ground. Occasionally, palace maids and guards carrying lanterns passed by, their footsteps soft and light.

This was how the palace appeared in the cat’s eyes.

Perched on the threshold, she turned her head back—

The people behind her had more or less finished eating, setting down their chopsticks and refraining from touching their wine cups. They were now seated, chatting.

“I still have one matter troubling me.” The emperor, seated in the seat of honor, leaned forward again, his eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at the Daoist with an air of seeking advice.

“What else troubles Your Majesty?” The Daoist turned his head to look at him, pausing briefly. “Is it something I might be able to help Your Majesty with?”

“This matter has been troubling me for quite some time.”

“The matter of appointing an heir.”

“Precisely.” The emperor was not surprised by the Daoist’s accurate guess, only sighed and said, “It is lamentable that, despite being surrounded by countless capable individuals, in this matter they are all mere participants, each with their own positions and interests, constantly arguing. The moment they speak, their words are full of personal agendas. Only you, sir, are truly an outsider, which is why I wish to seek your counsel and hear your perspective on the matter”

“A discussion at a banquet need not be framed as seeking counsel.”

“Very well.” The emperor clapped his hands. “The matter of appointing an heir has stirred up conflicts in court, to the extent that even the common folk of Changjing are aware of it. You must have heard about it as well, sir?”

“I have indeed heard of it.” Song You, as always, responded honestly.

“How do those common folk, merchants, clerks, and officials discuss this? Are they saying that by principle, the heir should be chosen based on legitimacy rather than seniority, but I, favoring the noble consort and my second son, have been delaying the decision?”

“More or less.” Song You was completely candid.

“Haha...” The old emperor leaned back slightly and chuckled twice.

“Your Majesty has Your Majesty's own considerations. Just as those in court, regardless of which side they support, each has their own calculations,” said the prime minister, seated opposite Song You.

He continued, “It is regrettable. In the past, Daoist Spiritual Master Fuyang, who assisted the founding emperor in founding this dynasty, once remarked that the founding emperor was a peerless figure, unmatched among rulers throughout history. He predicted that the Great Yan would become the most prosperous empire ever.

“However, he also warned that both the dynasty and the bloodline of the founding emperor would suffer divine envy, making their continuation difficult. And indeed, for the past two hundred years, the royal family's descendants have been few and far between.”

“A peerless figure, and divine envy, you say? Are you suggesting my royal bloodline is impure, which is why our offspring have always been few in number and prone to early deaths?” the emperor spoke casually.

At his level of power, and at his advanced age, with his achievements, he naturally feared little. Like the Daoist Spiritual Master Fuyang and Song You, he dared to speak freely. However, the prime minister was visibly startled upon hearing this.

“I see.” Song You nodded thoughtfully.

The scarcity of descendants and the high mortality rate among the Great Yan royal family were indeed problematic. The previous emperor, after all, had only three sons, all of whom had died prematurely, leaving the throne to the current emperor.

There had even been two or three occasions in the dynasty’s history where emperors, lacking direct heirs, had to adopt successors. Events like the Princess Changping’s rebellion and even the earlier era of the Empress stemmed from these very issues.

The so-called “impure bloodline” likely referred to some hereditary disease.

“It is true that I am fond of the noble consort, and I do prefer my second son over my bookish third son. But I also believe that one martial emperor is enough. Great Yan has endured decades of war, and having another martial emperor immediately afterward might not be a good thing.” The emperor paused briefly.

He continued, “Yet, looking at our ancestors, those who died young and prematurely were invariably frail and weak. Although both my second and third sons have reached adulthood, I cannot predict the future. For now, my second son is robust, strong, and combative. My third son, while not sickly, is delicate. Most importantly, my second son already has children, while my third son, though long married, has yet to produce an heir.”

“I see.”

The “second son” mentioned by the emperor was the prince commonly referred to as the eldest in public, though he was actually the second prince.

The “third son” was the youngest prince.

This was because there had been another son who had died young.

Song You couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated. “Your Majesty seems to regard me as Grandmaster Tiansuan.”

“I am deeply conflicted. Sometimes, I think I should just let them resolve it among themselves.” The emperor spoke casually, which once again alarmed the prime minister and the palace attendants. He then added, “But since the situation is as it is, I might as well hear your opinion. I figure that as someone outside these affairs, you might see things from a perspective I cannot.”

“I am not Grandmaster Tiansuan. I cannot foresee which prince would be more beneficial to the nation, nor can I predict whether the youngest prince will live a long life or what his offspring might be like. I also know nothing of medicine. While I have a few minor abilities, if even the Daoist Spiritual Master Fuyang and Grandmaster Tiansuan couldn’t resolve the royal family’s hereditary ailments, then I certainly can’t either,” Song You replied honestly.

He added, “However, sometimes, while every choice has its advantages and disadvantages, the harm caused by long delays can outweigh them both.”

“Oh? Are you suggesting I make a decision soon?” the emperor asked.

“In the current era, if we talk about skills in prediction and calculation, the State Preceptor must be among the best. If we talk about strategy, Your Majesty is undoubtedly exceptional. If even the State Preceptor and Your Majesty find it difficult to decide, then it truly is a hard choice.

“However, instead of being trapped in prolonged hesitation and delay, Your Majesty might as well decide sooner. If the better choice is made, that is naturally ideal. Even if fate plays its tricks and the other side is chosen, there will still be more time to make amends.”

Song You explained, pausing briefly before continuing,“Especially now, when the court is unstable and undercurrents are stirring. Prolonging this further may lead to changes and even chaos. Thus, indecision is the worst path.”

“...”

“Peace and prosperity are hard-won and must be cherished. Your Majesty has always been decisive and swift. Why hesitate at this critical moment?”

“...”

The emperor remained silent, lost in thought.

It seemed he truly found it difficult to make a decision.

And understandably so. Between the two princes, even those analyzing from the outside—unaffected by who won or lost—could not clearly determine which choice was better. How much harder must it be for someone like him, caught in the center of this intricate game?

After a moment, the emperor finally spoke, “These past days, I have set them some tasks. Whenever it involves matters related to the people’s welfare, the third prince performs better. But when it requires boldness and resolve, the third prince falls short compared to the second.”

“What kind of tasks did Your Majesty set?”

“The prime minister can explain it to you,” the emperor said, waving his hand as he remained seated, his gaze flickering with thought.

The prime minister acknowledged the command and turned to Song You, saying, “For instance, a few days ago, following the recent turmoil in court stemming from the previous princess’s incident, there have been some rumors spreading outside the palace. While casual chatter among the people is harmless, deliberate fabrications or the intentional dissemination of information to incite political unrest is unacceptable.

“The Wude Division traced these rumors to the ghost market outside the city. His Majesty then ordered the two princes to investigate but forbade the Wude Division from obeying the princes' commands, to see how they would handle the matter.”

The prime minister paused briefly before continuing, “The youngest prince exhausted himself seeking help from all quarters, achieving some results, but ultimately fell short of the second prince's decisiveness.”

“Oh?” Song You’s curiosity was piqued. “What did the second prince do?”

“The second prince struck swiftly. He executed one of the Wude Division's captains with a single stroke of his sword. He delivered a few stern reprimands, invoked His Majesty's authority, and quickly subdued the situation. That same night, he led a group to the ghost market and captured all the culprits.” The prime minister couldn't help but add a note of admiration. “He displayed much of the decisiveness His Majesty showed in his youth.”

“...” Song You was momentarily stunned by this.

Then, he raised his gaze toward the prime minister.

The emperor had likely asked the prime minister to recount the events, perhaps to discern whether he harbored any bias in his perspective.

At first, Song You thought the prime minister had discerned his character and deliberately started by recounting an incident unfavorable to the second prince, perhaps intending to reveal the prince's brutality and disregard for human life.

But upon closer observation, Song You realized that the prime minister hadn’t put that much thought into it. He was simply narrating the second prince’s decisiveness and boldness.

As for the captain of the Wude Division, who had been forbidden by imperial order to obey the princes and was subsequently slain by the second prince, he was nothing more than an inconsequential backdrop in this story.

Song You turned his gaze toward the emperor. Naturally, the emperor shared this perspective.

And he saw it as entirely reasonable, even inevitable.

“Mr. Song? Mr. Song?”

“Hm?”

“Why aren’t you speaking, sir?”

“It’s nothing.”

“You are a man of cultivation and possess a benevolent heart, which is a great virtue. However, sir, you must also understand that the emperor is the ruler of the world. His every action, even a single word, can mean the difference between prosperity for millions or devastation and countless corpses—a matter of the utmost importance,” the prime minister said, gently offering his advice.

He added, “The second prince is indeed young and impetuous, and it is regrettable what happened to that captain. We had not anticipated such an outcome. Yet in all things, there is a hierarchy of significance. Compared to the well-being of the nation, the life of one captain is insignificant...

“Besides, the court has already provided a generous burial for him and adequately compensated his family. It is the best we could do under the circumstances.”

“I see...” Song You understood the implication.

It was essentially an argument about the inequality of lives.

And the prime minister was not wrong. In this era, the emperor indeed controlled the lives and deaths of countless people, standing above the masses. Aside from lacking divine powers and immortality, emperors in some ways resembled deities even more than actual gods.

Choosing the wrong emperor could lead to far more deaths. Thus, in the eyes of the prime minister and the emperor, the death of a Wude Division captain under such circumstances was indeed a trivial matter.

Each era had its own rules and beliefs. Song You refrained from judging right or wrong. But it was precisely this worldview that had made him dislike this world before he descended from the mountains. Now, hearing and witnessing it firsthand, he did not explode with anger, but he also found it difficult to take in the prime minister’s subsequent words.

“It’s already late, and I’m feeling a bit tired. Perhaps I should take my leave, Your Majesty.”

“You’re leaving already, sir?”

“I’ve arranged a performance for you, sir. A dance troupe from the Western Regions.”

“I’ll pass on the performance.”

“Did I do something to displease you, sir?”

“I’m just tired.”

“In that case, I won’t insist.” The old emperor stood up and hesitated for a moment. “In a few days, it will be my seventy-second birthday. I’m planning a grand banquet for the civil and military officials. Might you have time to attend...?”

“I am but a Daoist, and Daoists prefer tranquility.”

“Very well.” The emperor nodded, not pressing further. “Then may I ask, sir, when you plan to leave the capital again?”

“I’ll depart in the spring.”

“And where will you head this time?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“When you next return, it may be several years later.”

“Yes, indeed.”

“Sir, can you perhaps tell how many years of life I have left?”

“From what I can see, if Your Majesty takes good care of your health, drinks less, and avoids overexertion, you have at least one year, and at most three years.”

The prime minister, hearing this, couldn’t help but be taken aback once more.

In his impression, questions like this—even if the emperor dared to ask—the State Preceptor would never dare to answer. Yet, unexpectedly, this man not only answered but did so without the slightest hesitation.

Looking at the emperor again, there was no anger on his face, only deep regret.

“Then, if I have the fortune to see you again, sir, I fear I will already have departed this world and be but a wandering soul.”

“...” Song You gazed at him impassively.

For a moment, a strange feeling arose within him: the next time he saw the emperor, the man might indeed be dead, a ghost.

How would he be then?

After a long silence, the Daoist finally replied, “Perhaps so.”

With that, he offered his thanks, bid farewell, and left the palace.

His cat had already darted off somewhere. It seemed even she found such conversations dull and had run off to who knows where.