latelenovela Chapter 187 Never Completely Trust an Emperor
Chapter 187 Never Completely Trust an Emperor
How would you react if an emperor spoke to you about the deepest affection between family and friends?
Cheng Yan had considered this question and had a clear answer when Emperor Jing'an ascended the throne.
In this world, emperors are almost always extremely profound individuals, regardless of age, and sometimes they even want both.
Once you establish a distinction between ruler and subject, he will try to connect with you on an emotional level, hoping to become closer to you and that those around him will never covet his supreme power, yet will always cherish and protect him.
But when you talk to him about feelings, he might be thinking that in this world, the country is the most important thing, and he would even sacrifice himself for the country, including you.
Just a moment ago, he might have been playing chess and discussing philosophy with you, and you and your beloved minister had a deep and abiding relationship during the New Year.
The next moment, he might stab you in the back. My dear minister, for the sake of peace in the world, I have no choice but to apologize to you.
Therefore, never fully trust an emperor, even if he is only twelve years old and a sensitive young boy, even if he was born in your arms and grew up by your side.
Cheng Yan said, "I regard Your Majesty as an emperor, and also as a family member."
However, despite his reservations, he will always treat the other person as family until they do something wrong.
"Really?" Emperor Jing'an blinked. His phoenix eyes looked very much like Empress Dowager Cheng's, and his other features were also somewhat similar to Qin Yizhen's, especially his eyes. When he was aggrieved, there seemed to be a light tear in his eyes, clear and soft, which made people feel soft-hearted.
Cheng Yan couldn't stand Qin Yizhen's aggrieved and delicate appearance.
"Of course it's true."
Emperor Jing'an may be a good emperor. I only hope that when he stands in a high position in the future, in addition to his vast empire, he will remember that he has close relatives who are the most important people in his life.
"Hurry up and catch the carriage, or the princess will be getting impatient."
When Cheng Yan brought Emperor Jing'an back to the Pingxi Marquis's residence, Qin Yizhen was idly solving a chess game in her study. Hearing footsteps, she saw Cheng Yan walking in from outside. She put on her shoes and went up to him to play chess. After taking his hand, she saw Emperor Jing'an following behind her.
Qin Yizhen blinked, wondering if she was seeing things: "Your Majesty?"
Emperor Jing'an tilted his head and smiled smugly: "Sister Yizhen."
Qin Yizhen looked at Cheng Yan with a bit of confusion: No, why did you bring His Majesty back?
Cheng Yan simply smiled and glanced at her without saying a word.
"Is Sister Yizhen solving a chess game?"
Qin Yizhen nodded in agreement: "It's just idle chatter. We're taking a look at some difficult chess positions from the chess manual. I have plenty of time at home, so I always need to find something to do to pass the time."
“If you’re free, why don’t you go to the palace? Mother needs a helper.”
"No, thank you." Qin Yizhen smiled. "I went to my mother's side before just to change my personality, broaden my horizons, and see more of the world. I hope that by doing more, I can be more open-minded and know how to handle things when I encounter problems."
"As Your Majesty knows, I am a person who naturally prefers quiet. I only go there occasionally to study and share the burden of the Empress Dowager. I would naturally not want to go every day."
In fact, Qin Yizhen and Cheng Yan had some secret similarities in their thoughts. Perhaps Empress Dowager Cheng wanted to teach her first, but she really didn't want to see another situation where a princess was involved in politics.
Cheng Yan already wields immense power. It's alright for now that Empress Dowager Cheng is in power, but if Emperor Jing'an were to take power in the future, perhaps his heart wouldn't be so pure, and he wouldn't want so many people to hold so much power, lest it threaten his empire.
Qin Yizhen truly did not want that one day, she and her husband would become estranged from Emperor Jing'an, or even become enemies due to mutual suspicion.
Cheng Yan had actually discussed these matters with her. He said that as Emperor Jing'an grew older, he would gradually return the military power to him. Power was important, but they did not want their family to become unrecognizable because of the struggle for power.
Emperor Jing'an was an emperor, so they were willing to back down.
Or perhaps they are not so eager for power, but only think about having money and status, and living a carefree life.
"I see. No wonder I haven't seen Sister Yizhen for so long. By the way, how about we try to solve this puzzle?"
"Okay."
Nowadays, there are two ways to play chess. One is to start from the beginning, and the other is to set up an endgame with a limited number of pieces for each side, and then continue playing. They call this "solving the game".
Qin Yizhen has two books of various endgame chess manuals, including the Seven Treasures Exquisite Endgame and the Seven Stars Linked Endgame, etc.
The brother and sister sat facing each other on the kang (a heated brick bed). The kang was made of blue bricks, and although it was covered with mats, cushions, and bedding, it was much harder than a wooden board. Emperor Jing'an felt a little uncomfortable sitting on it, as it was a bit too hard.
"This is a kang. Most ordinary people use this kind of kang for heating in winter. Although there is an underfloor heating in my room, I am afraid of the cold in winter, so the Marquis had one built. I was not used to it at first, but after using it for a while, I found it especially warm."
"In winter, it's nice to sit on a heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) to drink tea, read books, or even rest. And even in summer, it's cool to sit on a mat."
"Really?" Emperor Jing'an was greatly surprised and very curious about the kang (heated brick bed) that was a bit hard to sit on.
"Yes, human wisdom is always so amazing." Qin Yizhen said with great emotion, "In ancient times, people were exposed to the sun and rain, and suffered from hunger and cold. Later, people built houses to shelter them from the wind and rain and wild animals. They also learned to make fire by friction, hunt and tame animals, and cultivate land."
"I learned how to make clothes, how to dig a kang (a traditional heated bed) for warmth, and how to heat a kang."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing'an sighed, "It is said that the world is vast and humankind is insignificant, but now it seems..."
"Even a tiny speck of dust can shake the heavens and the earth." Qin Yizhen set up the chessboard, then pointed to the white piece and placed it down. "Your Majesty, it's your turn."
Emperor Jing'an glanced at the chessboard and gasped, "No, Sister Yizhen, it's only been a few minutes of conversation, and you actually chose this chessboard for me?"
Isn't this going too far?
Look at this broken chessboard, it's as if every path is blocked, how can we play like this?
Emperor Jing'an was furious and turned to Cheng Yan to complain: "Uncle, you should talk to her."
Cheng Yan sat down next to Qin Yizhen and was feeling a bit thirsty. Without waiting for the maid to bring tea, he took a sip of the tea that she had half-finished and said, "Your Majesty is a man, and you must not back down no matter what difficulties you encounter."
As for his wife bullying his brother-in-law, is that true?
No no.
Anyway, he didn't see it.
Emperor Jing'an's lips twitched. He looked at the somewhat smug Qin Yizhen, and then at Cheng Yan, who seemed to think he was blind.
What sins did he commit to have to walk up to these two and watch them put on such a show?