Chapter 392: Battle for the Throne (Part 3)
This time, she truly realized she was wrong.
She had always been too naive and self-centered, never considering the feelings of others.
General Han understood his daughter; she never had any malicious or twisted thoughts. It was just that they pampered her excessively, leaving her unable to discern right from wrong, always considering only herself and never the feelings of others.
Hopefully, this incident will serve as a wake-up call for her, allowing her to recognize her mistakes and truly grow. After all, the journey of life is long, and they cannot always be there to clean up her mess.
General Han waved his hand: "Since you know you’re wrong, go back and reflect, Xiao’er. You’re not a child anymore; you should be more sensible. From now on, you should know what to do and what not to do, and start being more considerate. If you can’t distinguish right from wrong, you’ll never live a good life."
Han Yuxiao didn’t even know how she walked out. The more she thought about everything, the more ridiculous and absurd it all seemed.
——
Su Yaogeng left the Han Mansion, thought about it, and decided not to wait until tomorrow but entered the palace.
She arrived just as lunch was being served, and the Emperor was surprised to see her and invited her to dine with him.
After the meal, he summoned her to the Imperial Study Room, dismissed the attendants, and left only Su Yaogeng to speak with.
Su Yaogeng looked at the Emperor and realized that in just a few days, he had aged much, coughing occasionally, and looking visibly weary.
"Brother..." Su Yaogeng opened her mouth, feeling a twinge of sadness. Brother, being born into a royal family, and as an Emperor, had a rare kind heart. Yet, heaven had not favored him much, and at this time, he still faced hardships.
"Zheng’er, sit down. It’s been a long time since we siblings had the chance to sit and chat like this." The Emperor gestured for Su Yaogeng to sit, then sighed: "I know why you’ve come."
The Emperor looked into the distance, his eyes slightly empty and helpless: "Zheng’er, Father spent his whole life in confusion, never appointing a Crown Prince, only focusing on the harem, allowing us princes to fight against each other for most of our lives, until there was death and bloodshed among us. We were brothers, yet some died, some were crippled. At that time, I thought, if one day I ascend to the throne, I would never let such things happen; I would never let the tragedy repeat."
At this moment, the Emperor no longer seemed like the supreme ruler, but just an ordinary old man.
He didn’t even use the royal ’I’, speaking with Su Yaogeng like he was having a family chat, because probably in this world, he could only chat with Su Yaogeng like ordinary family members.
"So when you ascended to the throne, you immediately appointed a Crown Prince?" Su Yaogeng asked.
The Emperor nodded: "I thought, with the Crown Prince’s title established and rightful, as long as he is dutiful and virtuous, the throne would eventually be his, and there would be nothing for others to contest. Even though I also showed affection to my other children, how could it compare to the careful nurturing for the Crown Prince? They are all my children, and I hope they can get along well. If not deeply bonded as brothers, at least not giving rise to thoughts that should not exist, leading to fratricide..."