Chapter 1017 - 1: I Can See All the Cheats
There was an Emperor whose luck was so good it made people question life.
From childhood to adulthood, his luck was extraordinarily good.
When he was still a Prince, the Princes fought tooth and nail for the throne. And him? He was just focused on eating and drinking. Whatever he fancied, he’d indulge himself first, then remember, oh right, there’s his father, the Emperor, in the Imperial Palace. He was stuffed anyway, so he’d send some to his Emperor father. After he sent it, he didn’t care for the Emperor’s feedback, he just kept on eating and sending more.
After the Eldest Prince was made Crown Prince, his brothers all schemed to bring him down. Every day was filled with plots and conspiracies.
At that time, all he cared about was food.
Other Princes tried to win him over, and he said he was too busy. Busy hiding away in his own estate eating watermelons in the summer and staying warm eating hotpot in the winter. The warm bed wasn’t fashionable in the Capital City, but he specially hired craftsmen from out of town to build it.
The Crown Prince finally couldn’t take it anymore and felt that if he continued like this, he wouldn’t be able to secure his position. So he simply decided to force the Emperor to abdicate. The Second and Third Princes had long set a trap waiting for the Crown Prince to fall into. Before the furious Emperor, the three brothers clashed, resulting in one dead, one injured, and one disabled.
The Fourth Prince jumped out and said they were all vile people, "Father, your son will help you kill them. And their entire families should be captured and executed." Execute nine generations? The Emperor was livid. "I am also part of their nine generations. You try executing them! Such a brainless person attempts to seize the throne? And zero familial affection. When trouble occurs, he jumps out wanting total annihilation, not considering his old father’s heartbreak!"
Out of the four Princes, one was dead, one was injured, one was disabled, and buried or confined by the Emperor. The Fourth Prince, lacking intelligence, was sent by the Emperor to guard the tombs directly.
The Fifth Prince stood out during these times.
Such a good child indeed. Never obsequious, always sincere. He always considered sending good food to his father. As a son, he never coveted his father’s estate, only thinking of filial piety. Upon learning of the palace upheaval, his first question upon rushing to the palace was, "Father, are you alright?"
And that’s how the Fifth Prince picked up the scraps and became Emperor, completely bewildered. His father, angered to no end by those unfilial sons, was although comforted by the Fifth Prince’s good nature yet was aged and worn down by the palace upheaval, passing away a few days after the Fifth Prince’s ascension.
Then the new Emperor began the mourning period.
After mourning, he started managing state affairs.
At this time, the Chief Eunuch left by the former Emperor told the new Emperor a startling secret. That his biological mother wasn’t the deceased Virtuous Consort, but the Virtuous Consort’s younger sister. After surrogate childbirth, the Virtuous Consort planned to keep the child but was rescued and taken back by her maternal family.
No wonder the Virtuous Consort was always distant, only telling him to study well to please the Emperor, turns out she wasn’t his birth mother! She never doted on him at all.
No, he must go and find his real mother! His real mother will surely cherish him!
At this time, the ministers also advised, saying in unison, "Your Majesty, you should choose concubines. You should expand the royal family."
The new Emperor responded, "I must first find my birth mother, then talk about other matters."
Thus, the new Emperor, in a grand spectacle, with the most ceremonious formality, welcomed his birth mother back to the palace. His birth mother became the highest authority in the harem, the Empress Dowager.
Tianmiao smiled mysteriously, "Ah, this time I have an Emperor as a son."
Moreover, this world is incredibly interesting indeed.