Chapter 5, Fasting

Hey, your royal family is powerless and insignificant, so you want to use our Cui family as a support, right? I won't fall for it... unless you are willing to hand over the throne to me

I never intended to be this emperor, I can hand it over to you at any time

The King of the East Sea was much more confident, suddenly crawling over from behind. He was so excited that he almost knocked Han Rizi down, "I have a way to deal with the Empress Dowager! And it will be very quick, it can be realized by tomorrow!"

Han Rizi turned his head and smiled at his brother

Han Rizi indeed has little difference from a puppet, only in his heart can he follow the founding emperor as he gallops across the battlefield

Accompanied by two eunuchs, the King of the East Sea entered the quiet chamber, his expression as cold as water. He knelt down stiffly, lowered his head, and said: "Your servant pays his respects to Your Majesty"

Yang Feng has not appeared for ten days; it seems he has given up on the new emperor and is even deliberately avoiding him. Han Rizi feels that his truthful remark in the ancestral temple may have frightened the eunuch.

Inside and outside the palace, and throughout the court, everyone was busy with the matter of the ascension to the throne, while Han Rizi remained leisurely and unoccupied. Each day, he knelt and sat in the quiet room, his stomach rumbling, repeatedly counting the number of wormholes in the garments of the founding emperor, or admiring the murals on the wall. No one explained the content of the paintings to him, and he speculated that these depicted the various battles fought by the founding emperor in his quest for dominion over the world

Fear, but what use is fear? Han Rizi's gaze turned to the treasured sword on the rack, which the founding emperor had once used to slay numerous enemies. Now, it can only remain in its scabbard, untouched by dust, utterly useless

Since leaving the Grand Ancestral Temple, he has not seen Yang Feng, the King of the East Sea, or the Empress Dowager again. Different eunuchs and palace maids come and go, yet their actions remain the same. Aside from a few necessary words, they always bow their heads and obey, deliberately ignoring the new emperor, as if serving a moving puppet

The King of Donghai was taken aback for the third time. He had indeed said similar words before, but he did not expect Han Rizi to remember them and turn them back on him. "Stop being so self-satisfied; do you think you are the true emperor? No one listens to your words. I remain here because the Empress Dowager wants to use me to threaten the Cui family"

Han Rizi turned around and looked at Emperor Taizu in his robes and crown. He knew that he was a puppet, and moreover, a puppet that would not last long. However, this matter was not to be disclosed to outsiders, except for Yang Feng

"The emperor, like this crown, is revered yet utterly useless." Han Ruzi, having spent a long time in the quiet room, developed a certain affection for these old garments

What is there to see? I have seen it long ago, and I even know its origin: everyone says that the crown has been passed down since ancient times, enduring through five dynasties, and has existed for over a thousand years. In fact, only a few of the precious pearls may have such a long history; the other parts have long been replaced. As far as I know, at least seven pearls were replaced during the reign of Emperor Wu.

His voice was a bit too loud, and as the door opened, Jing Yao's dough-like pale face peeked in, "The Emperor is watching." The old eunuch's posture and expression were extremely respectful, yet his tone was unequivocal.

You said that once you become emperor, you would either kill me or keep me by your side. I do not wish to kill you, so I have chosen to keep you.

The voice of the King of Donghai was filled with hatred; compared to Han Rizi, he harbored an even greater loathing for the Empress Dowager who manipulated everything from behind the scenes

"So you left me in the palace to be your servant?" The King of the East Sea gritted his teeth

"Look at the crown of the Emperor Taizu," said Han Ruzi, who, having finally found a companion, hoped to engage in a few more words.

No, they are watching closely. That old bastard Jing Yao tricked me into the palace, and now he has become my guard. But this is only a temporary situation; my mother and uncle will surely find a way to send me a message

Han Rizi remained still; over the past few days, he had grown accustomed to having others manage everything for him, thus he did not speak. After a while, Jing Yao spoke on behalf of the emperor, saying: "Prince of Donghai, you may rise."

The vividly colored scene does not appear tragic; the army of the founding emperor always achieves overwhelming victories. The enemies either lie dead in droves or submit in surrender. The founding emperor rides on a white horse, significantly larger than others, exuding an aura of heroism.

Strictly speaking, Han Ruzi is not yet the Emperor of the Great Chu. He has been introduced to the ancestors in the Grand Ancestral Temple, but he still needs to undergo a series of rituals before he can meet with the entire court of civil and military officials. Even after significant streamlining, the entire process still requires half a month to complete

"Hey, this is common knowledge that every prince must understand. The crown of the founding emperor can only be worn once during the formal ascension to the throne; thereafter, it can only be worn a few more times during the coming-of-age ceremony, the wedding, and the conferral of the crown prince. There is nothing particularly enjoyable about it; that thing is a burden." The King of Donghai gazed intently at the crown, even wanting to stand up and touch it.

The door slowly closed, and the King of the East Sea squeezed out a voice from his throat, "Jing Yao is also a treacherous minister, my master is not wrong, eunuchs are all treacherous ministers"

There were footsteps outside, and the King of the East Sea immediately retreated to his original position. After the outside fell silent, Han Rizi said: "Do you have any connections with the Cui family?"

The King of the East Sea was taken aback once again, and then a trace of disdain appeared on his face, "What do you know? Do you think the false emperor is just a joke? That is something that..." He did not continue.

Han Rizi could not fathom the true nature of Yang Feng, yet the impression left by that eunuch was indeed too profound. If he could only choose one person to be his "partner," he would rather it be Yang Feng

Han Rizi did not know who the traitors were and who the loyal subjects were; he only knew that he was in imminent danger. If no miracle occurred, he would never see his mother again

Others think you are honest, but only I know you are pretending. However, it is of no use; even if you were a hundred times smarter, being trapped in the palace would still make you a fish in a barrel. The King of the East Sea grinned; there are many people in the palace who frighten him, but the newly crowned emperor is certainly not among them

"Have you ever seen Yang Feng?" asked Han Ruzi

The relics left by the Emperor Taizu are numerous; in addition to the crown, there are also dragon robes, boots, swords, scepters, whips, jade pendants, and other items. These objects are all quite ancient and cannot withstand much handling, with only the crown occasionally being usable.

My idea

For a full nine days, Han Ruzai's life remained unchanged: he would rise before dawn, dressed by a line of palace maids and eunuchs. He would then proceed to another room, where several other eunuchs and maids would undress him for a bath in a tub. After a quarter of an hour, he would change into a new set of clothes and hats, and move to a small, clean room with bright windows. There, he would kneel on a mat, staring at the garments left by the founding emperor, until the afternoon when he could have his first meal. There were more than ten attendants serving tea and carrying dishes, yet the food consisted only of rice porridge and a bit of pickled vegetables.

Han Rizi adjusted his posture on the mat, continuing to face the attire of the founding emperor in deep contemplation. This time, however, he could no longer weave stories in front of the mural, as there was now another person beside him, making him feel that his thoughts might be stolen. The King of Donghai was kneeling slightly behind him, fidgeting restlessly, the fabric of his clothing rubbing against the mat, producing a rustling sound, and he would occasionally cough lightly or sigh.

The King of Donghai's last shred of respect for the Emperor vanished, and he began to speak at length about his plans, "You return the throne to me; this is called abdication. There have been such instances in the past. At that time, just say that you are afflicted with a serious illness and unable to fulfill the responsibilities of an emperor. This is quite simple. The difficult part is how to bring down the Empress Dowager... It is truly strange; there is one thing I have never understood: why did my uncle agree to hand over the seal of the Grand Marshal of the Southern Army to someone from the Shangguan family? That represents half of the military forces in the capital. Moreover, after making such a significant concession, I still was not made emperor. How can this be? It is truly outrageous!"... It is truly strange; there is one thing I have never understood: why did my uncle agree to hand over the seal of the Grand Marshal of the Southern Army to someone from the Shangguan family? That represents half of the military forces in the capital. Moreover, after making such a significant concession, I still was not made emperor. How can this be? It is truly outrageous!

This is your idea

You know so much, "Han Ruzai said sincerely

No, it is 'still' give it back to me

Another eunuch bowed and moved forward, placing a mat behind the emperor's right side, then stepped back out of the quiet chamber. Jing Yao said: "The Empress Dowager's decree states that the King of the East Sea shall from this day forth attend to Your Majesty's side. Please, Your Majesty, focus on fasting. Tomorrow morning, you will observe the ceremonial rites conducted by the Ministry of Rites, and in the afternoon, you will fast." Having said this, he also withdrew.

As Han Rizi was about to rise, the eunuch Jing Yao, who was following behind King of the East Sea, stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, please do not move; this is the room of the Grand Ancestor's garments and crown, and the etiquette between sovereign and minister must not be neglected"

The King of Donghai was taken aback, leaning forward with both hands on the ground. This was not an act of kneeling, but rather an attempt to get closer to the other party, conveying the voice that emerged from his throat, "Do not be complacent, you are not the true emperor, only a false emperor"

This way of life is referred to as fasting

He turned his head to glance at the East Sea King again, fully aware that with just the two of them, both having just turned thirteen, aside from sharing their troubles, they would find it nearly impossible to make any progress within the palace, and nothing else could be accomplished.

The King of Donghai stood up, glanced back at the door, and quietly approached Han Rizi from behind. "Since it is like this, let me send you on your way ahead of time. You need not be afraid anymore, and I can also fulfill my wishes sooner."

I know. "Han Rizi spoke the first sentence after ten days.

The voice of the King of the East Sea did not sound like a joke, yet Han Ruzi was not afraid of him, nor did he turn back, still fixated on the treasured sword, "I thought we were supposed to be on the same side"

Bored to the extreme, Han Rizi began to weave stories around these murals, gradually discovering some flavor in them, to the extent that the thing he looked forward to the most each day was to go to the quiet room to fast. He would rather sit alone here than face the strangers coming and going.

The King of Donghai stood up, his head bowed even lower

I have seen the eunuch Yang Feng once; he ran past me without even greeting me... You wouldn't have any expectations of him, would you? I have heard some news in the palace, that he is negotiating with the ministers to elevate you to the throne, only to lead you into a pit of fire. He is currently the favored confidant of the Empress Dowager, and the one who will surely kill you in the future will be him. Truly, he has the face of a usurper. If I were to become emperor, the first thing I would do is eliminate him.

Therefore, we should be in this together

On the tenth day, Han Ruzi in the quiet chamber finally welcomed a companion

Ha! The King of the East Sea laughed recklessly, and a eunuch's cough was heard from outside. He hurriedly knelt properly and waited for a long time before whispering, "Indeed, you are only occasionally useful. After the crown is used, it can still be returned to the quiet chamber, but you do not enjoy such treatment. If I were to become emperor, I would never fall into such a predicament. Tell me honestly, are you not afraid?"

Alright, here it is back to you