Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5416 The Empress in Desperation

Fang Jun was led into a side hall by a palace attendant, where he saw Empress Su sitting at a desk supervising Crown Prince Li Xiang as he copied articles.

Empress Su was not dressed in her finest attire today, but in a simple crimson palace dress that accentuated her snow-white skin, slender waist, and pearly white teeth.

Her eyebrows were like emerald feathers, her skin like mutton fat, her face like peach petals, and her hair piled high with golden phoenix silk.

The charm of a mature young woman flows silently...

Everyone loves beauty, so Fang Jun looked him up and down.

Empress Su keenly sensed Fang Jun's gaze, a blush rising on her fair face, and she glared back at him.

Fang Jun then stepped forward to greet him and bowed deeply to the ground.

"Your humble servant pays homage to the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Grand Commandant, please rise."

Empress Su gently raised her jade-like hand, gesturing for Fang Jun to rise.

Crown Prince Li Xiang happily put down his brush, jumped up from behind his desk, and asked curiously with his little face upturned, "Is the Grand Commandant going out to sea?"

Fang Jun was slightly taken aback: "Your Highness is so well-informed!"

He immediately realized that the message must have come from the Wude Hall, so he glanced at Empress Su, who was smiling and slightly raised her fair and delicate chin, looking quite smug.

Being able to keep track of the movements of the Wude Hall at any time is indeed something to be proud of.

No wonder this woman preferred not to live in the Taiji Palace and wasn't afraid of the concubines causing any trouble; she had everything under control...

Li Xiang, holding Fang Jun's hand, asked expectantly, "Grand Commandant, could you take me with you? I've never left Chang'an before!"

Fang Jun laughed and said, "How could you not have left Chang'an? When His Majesty led His Highness to offer sacrifices to Heaven, it was at the Circular Mound Altar, which is already outside the city."

Li Xiang stamped his foot, impatiently saying, "Oh dear! What kind of going out of the city is that? I also want to go out to sea, to ride on the navy's warships to conquer barbarians and subdue the rebellious!"

Before Fang Jun could politely refuse, Empress Su scolded, "Your Highness, please don't talk nonsense. You are the foundation of the nation; how can you easily leave the Eastern Palace? Let alone go to sea? Absolutely not!"

"Oh."

Li Xiang immediately hung his head in dejection.

Fang Jun pulled him to sit on a chair next to Empress Su, touched his hair, and said with a smile, "Everyone in this world has their own responsibilities. Your humble servant leads the army to conquer the world and expand the territory to build a glorious era for all people. Your Empress sits firmly in the palace, nurturing and teaching Your Highness. Your Highness, on the other hand, must be a role model for all people and set a good example for an emperor... No one can truly act on impulse. Everyone has to pay a certain price for the responsibilities they bear."

Li Xiang nodded. Although he was still in low spirits, he understood the reasoning: "There are gains and losses. We can't enjoy the honor of being the crown prince. We have to go around like ordinary people."

Fang Jun said with delight, "Your Highness has the bearing of a wise ruler!"

Empress Su's eyes lit up, and she said softly, "Don't praise him too much. Children's temperaments are not yet settled, and excessive praise can easily breed arrogance."

Seeing that Fang Jun was ignoring him and exchanging glances with Li Xiang, he said in an annoyed tone, "Is it because of the controversy surrounding the Hebei policy that you want to avoid the limelight?"

Fang Jun shook his head and said calmly, "Why would I care about those things? They are just a bunch of insects who put their personal interests above the national interests. Their clamor is nothing. If anyone dares to openly oppose me, I will think highly of them."

He took the teacup Li Xiang handed him, took a sip, and continued, "With the recent establishment of vassal states overseas, the empire's foreign policy has undergone a significant change compared to the past. Inevitably, people in many places are unsettled. This time, I will personally go to demonstrate our military strength and deter the scoundrels."

In the past, the navy's strategy was primarily based on trade, with warfare as a secondary objective, aiming to lease overseas territories rather than seize them by force. However, with His Majesty's policy of establishing a feudal empire, in order to eliminate future troubles, all vassal states had to be located overseas. This inevitably led to the proactive instigation of wars, employing various means such as occupation, submission, or referendums to seize land.

Those indigenous tribes were willing to trade with the Tang Dynasty, but they were not necessarily willing to become part of the Tang Dynasty. In addition to open resistance, there must have been people secretly colluding to try to overthrow the rule of the Tang Dynasty.

These natives and savages have no cultural background whatsoever. They have been fighting against nature for survival from beginning to end. In their minds, there is only violence. They believe in whoever is stronger. So it is useless to reason with them. The only way is to intimidate them with force.

When the invincible fleet of the Tang Dynasty arrived at the port, when heavily armored infantrymen stepped onto the dock, and when bows, crossbows, and firearms were everywhere, the indigenous tribes could only kneel to welcome the Tang Dynasty and express their eternal submission to its rule.

If they dare to resist the Tang Dynasty again, it will be a disaster that wipes out their entire clan.

Empress Su nodded, hesitated, and then said to Li Xiang, "You are permitted to go to the back hall to play with your younger brothers for a while. Your mother has some matters to discuss with the Grand Commandant."

"it is good!"

Li Xiang immediately perked up, bowed respectfully to the two men, and then ran off in a flash.

Inside the hall, there were two maids standing far away by the door with their heads bowed. The Empress and Fang Jun were very close, their voices could even be heard...

Afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window lattice of the side hall. Empress Su sat sideways, the sunlight casting a soft, half-lit glow on her cheeks, highlighting her distinct features.

Fang Jun glanced at her and asked, "What does the Empress wish to discuss with me?"

Empress Su frowned and asked, "Is it absolutely necessary to go to sea?"

Fang Jun nodded and said, "Don't be fooled by the navy's current invincibility. The overseas territories are not peaceful. In particular, the recent series of battles have seized a lot of territory. The local tribes will certainly not be willing to accept the rule of the Tang Dynasty. It would be best if we could intimidate them and make them submit. If they still harbor illusions and are not repentant, we must resort to force when necessary. Otherwise, if the root of the problem is not eliminated, the princes will face a chaotic situation after they go to their fiefdoms, which will be detrimental to the national policy."

Logically, the internal affairs of a vassal state should be decided by the ruler, and only in critical situations should the suzerain state be asked for help, with the navy dispatching troops to assist in quelling the rebellion. However, since these princes were, after all, his brother-in-law or sister-in-law, having the navy eliminate potential threats in advance could be considered a gift from Fang Jun to the princes upon their enfeoffment.

It's beneficial without costing anything, so why not do it?
Empress Su looked anxious, leaned forward slightly, stared at Fang Jun with her beautiful eyes, and said urgently, "But what will I do if you leave? Don't be fooled by the fact that the Eastern Palace seems as stable as Mount Tai now. Even the most solid foundation cannot withstand His Majesty's imperial edict! Without you here, I toss and turn in bed, and I'm afraid I won't even be able to sleep peacefully!"

Fang Jun was slightly taken aback, looking at Empress Su, who was standing close to him, with a surprised gaze. He raised an eyebrow, as if asking, "Do you really not be able to sleep without me?"
"..."

Empress Su then realized that her words had been somewhat ambiguous. Her face flushed red, but she didn't care about that. She grabbed Fang Jun's wrist and said, "What if His Majesty stirs up trouble again? You can live a carefree life overseas, but what about us, mother and son?"

The ambiguity is getting stronger, it's almost like accusing a faithless man...

Empress Su's hands were beautiful, with warm, smooth palms and slender fingers. She gripped Fang Jun's wrist with a slight force, causing her knuckles to turn slightly white.

Fang Jun lowered his head, staring intently at the slender hand.

Empress Su withdrew her hand abruptly as if touched by a hot iron, her pretty face flushed as she glared at Fang Jun reproachfully: "What are you looking at? Let's get down to business!"

"cough!"

Fang Jun coughed lightly and comforted him, "There's always a second chance, but not a third or fourth. His Majesty's previous actions were merely testing the Crown Prince's bottom line. Firstly, to see if the Crown Prince would have the heartfelt support of the court officials, and secondly, to test the Crown Prince's defenses. Although the outer six defenses of the Crown Prince's palace could be breached, the core of the Crown Prince's defenses, the 'Divine Machine Battalion,' is as solid as a rock and loyal to the Crown Prince. For this alone, His Majesty will not launch a major attack."

In any case, the succession must be completed smoothly in a stable environment. If force is used, it is very likely that the situation will not be resolved, especially if the defense of the "Divine Machine Camp" cannot be broken.
How can we explain this to both the government and the public?
How can the majesty of a monarch be maintained?
This is no longer the Wude era when the country was newly established, and Your Majesty is no longer Emperor Taizong. Another "Xuanwu Gate Incident" is not impossible, but the consequences would be something Your Majesty cannot bear.

Empress Su listened to his analysis and found it reasonable, so she was slightly relieved, but she still couldn't help but ask, "When will you be back? What if it takes too long? There might be unforeseen circumstances."

Fang Jun did not answer. Instead, he looked the young woman in brocade robes and exuded elegance up and down and asked with a smile, "Does the Empress really not want me to leave the capital and go to sea?"

Empress Su was delighted: "Can I not go?"

"If the Empress agrees to fulfill our agreement first, then I can naturally choose not to go."

"..."

Empress Su blushed, gritted her teeth, and spat out, "Pah! Dream on, absolutely impossible."

"Ugh……"

Fang Jun sighed in disappointment, then stood up and bowed: "I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shines on the gutter... Enough, this humble subject takes his leave."

Empress Su was overwhelmed with shame. She turned her face away and waved her hand, saying, "Go quickly, go quickly! If you don't leave soon, who knows what absurd things you'll say, you traitor!"

"what!"

Fang Jun chuckled softly, then turned and left.

Watching Fang Jun's tall figure disappear through the doorway, Empress Su raised her hand to touch her burning cheeks and sighed inwardly.

Just a few flirtatious words were enough to make her heart flutter. If she were to actually keep her promise and fulfill his wish in the future, would she fall into a state of depravity from which she could not extricate herself?
He immediately reflected on himself, realizing that when the Crown Prince's position was in jeopardy and he had no choice but to enter the situation, he could justify his actions by "considering the bigger picture" even if he had truly submitted to Fang Junshang. Although his body was defiled, his spirit remained pure and noble.

But now, she herself can't figure out what her true feelings are for Fang Jun, and sometimes she even feels that he's just using the "agreement" as an excuse to do something despicable...

For a noblewoman like her, who was revered as the mother of the nation, losing her virginity once was nothing, but if she were to be corrupted in body and soul, it would be an irreversible disaster.

Empress Su raised her head, looked towards the direction of Taiji Palace, and gritted her teeth in resentment.

Why force her to this point?