The clan's myriad wonderful miracle-working imperial doctors could not save a heart-dead person.
Nor could they save the affections of the Imperial Court that favored one side, and the unchecked ambitions that would remain burning twenty years later.
"Don't worry, Fourth Brother," Chang Yan raised his head, his beautiful features marked by a near hollow emptiness, "She won't sit in that seat."
Ever.
"Remember to help me at the Imperial Medical Office..."
The two brothers whispered furtively in the shadows before separating.
One returned to the Imperial Medical Office to study medical texts and hone his medical skills.
The other walked into the dilapidated palace, gazing at the memorial tablet and sighing.
An overly tranquil life made it hard to pick out flaws. Ambitious people were more likely to make mistakes.
After careful consideration, it was time to take down the net that had been laid out for so long.
He was truly tired of hiding out at the Western Three Institutes, not even able to openly see his brother.
"Aspiring to be Empress? Wanting to establish a Crown Prince? Wanting to seize the throne?" Chang Yan laughed coldly, his right hand clenched lightly, "What I fear is that you don't want to, that you don't make a move."
In the next few days, news of appointing a successor Empress began circulating through the palace as expected.
It had been a full six years since the death of Empress Yan. Now the Imperial Court was finally taking a successor, an act that could be considered as profound affection and righteousness. However, when it was heard that Ju Noble Consort would be elevated, reactions were mixed.
Members of prestigious families would not usually elevate a concubine. After all, girls of good families would not become concubines. Those who did could hardly step into the open.
But things were different in the imperial family. Choosing a successor Empress from among the imperial consorts had historical precedent; Ju Noble Consort's status as the legitimate daughter of the Ju family was also worthy of this honor.
However, this made the position of the Eldest Prince very awkward.
Ordinary concubines, even if elevated, could not change the status of children born ahead of them to legitimate.
Things were different in the imperial family. A mother's nobility could raise the station of her son, just as a son could honor his mother.
This meant that the Eldest Prince could go from illegitimate first-born son to legitimate first-born son with absolute inheritance rights.
The entire court was in an uproar.
Voices calling for the Eldest Prince to succeed the throne were already high in Fengjing. But his weak and unimpressive personality made the cunning old families reluctant to show their stance too early.
The Ju family had tried so hard only to win over the Fang, Zhu, Tao and Min families.
Now with House Fang destroyed and Zhu and Tao defected, their power and influence were halved.
Astute people were now even more skeptical about the Eldest Prince.
But with news of Ju Noble Consort's elevation, those reservations turned into considerations as people wavered and watched the situation develop.
At the same time, this news could force the Imperial Court into an early decision, killing two birds with one stone.
Even the Second Prince was startled. He stood motionless outside the gates of his residence for a long time before finally turning away without responding.
"Why didn't he respond? With every Crown Prince our dynasty has established, there has never been a change. If he does not strive harder, he will lose this chance," Jiang Sheng wondered while cradling his chin.
Xu Mo put away the letter from the palace and burned it. "If you wish to destroy them, first make them go mad."
Anyone with clear eyes could see that the princes who wanted the throne had to prevent Ju Noble Consort from becoming Empress and the Eldest Prince from becoming the legitimate first-born.
Yet, the intelligent people did not make a move.
An eerie silence permeated Fengjing as voices calling for the Eldest Prince and Ju Noble Consort to be elevated grew louder and louder, almost reaching the point of certainty.
Childhood sweethearts with twenty years of affection between them - could it really be as firm as a rock?
If the Imperial Court was determined to appoint a successor Empress, nothing could stop it. Opposing would only bring disaster.
If the Imperial Court did not have such firm intentions, the fervent voices in Fengjing would have the opposite effect, becoming blades that stabbed the mother and son of House Ju.
Soon, House Ju realized something was wrong.
They had only released word about appointing a successor Empress and left the speculation for others.
Yet all of Fengjing was saying that the Emperor was in poor health and wanted to give the Eldest Prince legitimate status and establish him as Crown Prince for an orderly transition of power.
The Ju family panicked and tried to quell the rumors, only to find at least four forces in play behind the scenes.
"One belongs to Fifth Brother, one to the Second Prince, one to House Ju, who else?" Jiang Sheng counted on his fingers. "This person does not wish for Ju Noble Consort to become Empress."
The answer could not be found, but the effect was extremely positive.
Talk of appointing a successor Empress blew from September to November. With the new year approaching, the Imperial Court still had not issued an edict.
It was said that Ju Noble Consort threw tantrums for half a month, refusing to enter the Golden Sacred Hall. She finally made the Emperor feel guilty.
She occupied the Emperor's favor. Even her tantrums could let her retreat in order to advance.
Chang Yan was somewhat lost in thought as he remembered that uncompetitive woman who always smelled faintly of medicinal herbs. She would sit quietly by the window with a serene demeanor.
Sometimes it seemed she was gazing out the window, envious of the birds in flight, yet in the end she would bow her head.
Little Chang Yan had quietly asked, "Does Mother like the outside world?"
"I liked it before," the woman said lightly, a faint dimple by her mouth.
"Do you not like it now?" little Chang Yan did not understand.
The woman put away her smile and stroked his head. "Now I like you the most."
Because of the imperial throne, her wings were broken and she was bound in this deep palace.
And for her child, she completely abandoned all ideas and passed away in gloom.
If possible, he really wished he could tour the world on his mother's behalf and see the landscapes, people and customs.
But alas, an unfilial son still chose this path in the end.
In childhood, he could not protect Mother.
Now grown up, he had to protect those he wanted to protect.
At some point the sky began drizzling. Chang Yan opened up a tattered oil-paper umbrella and slowly walked along the winding palace path.
Palace maids and eunuchs would bow to him and respectfully greet, "Greetings, Fifth Highness."
He only smiled gently, until he walked into Taihe Hall and saw the smiling Wu Steward standing opposite him.
"Why has Fifth Highness come here?" The chief eunuch's eyes shifted slightly. "His Majesty is inside reviewing memorials. Does Fifth Highness need to announce himself?"
"I will trouble Steward Wu," Chang Yan said politely.
The chief eunuch waved him off and quickly went inside and came back out, gesturing for Chang Yan to enter.
Chang Yan gripped the oil paper umbrella tightly, neither leaving it for the junior eunuchs nor casually discarding it. Instead he used it as a walking stick as he slowly walked forward.
His father the Emperor stood before the imperial desk. Laid out was not memorials or documents, but half-completed imperial decree.
An imperial decree for appointing the new Empress?
Chang Yan's right hand clenched again, gripping tightly the umbrella handle. "Greetings, Father Emperor."
The man's face showed puzzlement that quickly flashed by as he hurriedly covered up the decree with documents. "Why have you come?"
"It is raining. I have brought an umbrella for Father Emperor," Chang Yan lifted the tattered umbrella with an arched brow and smiling eyes. "Along the way, I invited Father Emperor to take a walk and see the imperial city in the rain."
This was an odd invitation, almost unprecedented.
Yet it seemed common for a father and son to wander in the rain.
The Emperor paused, eyes falling on the oil paper umbrella as the words on his lips changed to, "Very well, let us take a walk."
Declining Steward Wu's company, the two only held this one umbrella between them, walking from Taihe Hall to Golden Sacred Hall, finally arriving at Fengxian Hall.
Fengxian Hall. It was named as such to revere their ancestors.
The rows and rows of memorial tablets represented generations of ancestors in the Zhu Family. Among them, the nearest were for the late emperor, whom the present emperor regarded with utmost respect as his father, and who was also Zhu Changyan's grandfather.
