At the tender age of eight, he was hastily dragged out and made emperor!

The youngest son, the eldest grandson, are the old lady's lifeblood.

This is a common psychological state among women in this position, and Chu Ling was well aware of this, which is why he set his sights on Sun Li.

The three empresses ruled from behind the curtain, using his youth as a pretext to temporarily seize the imperial power that belonged to him, in order to ensure the stability of the country and prevent chaos.

From a power structure perspective, the three parties form a triangular relationship, with each checking and supporting the other, which constitutes this stable relationship.

Whom others gravitate towards is their business.

But when it comes to Chu Ling, the one he wants to get close to must be someone who can touch upon something.

The choice is obvious.

It must be Empress Dowager Sun Li!

He had no blood relation with Xu Zhen, but because of the law and etiquette, he had to call her "Empress Mother" because she was his elder and he had to respect and be filial to her.

Similarly, Wang Xiu was also of the same generation.

One lost her son, the other her husband, and Chu Ling chose to get close to them—wasn't that just asking for trouble?

Sun Li, on the other hand, is different.

Even a grandson born out of wedlock is still a grandson!

That's still closer than a nephew or the like.

A hundred years later, I have seen sons and grandsons pay their respects every year, but I have never seen nephews or grand-nephews pay their respects.

People's thoughts will change in any environment. Even the most stubborn ideas will change with changing circumstances and experiences.

"Royal brother, you look so thin. Come, have some of this. I think it tastes good." With the arrival of the third queen, the family dinner kicked off in Cheng'en Palace.

Various performances were taking place in the hall.

The group attending the family dinner chatted amongst themselves, each with their own thoughts, and the atmosphere seemed so harmonious.

But there is one exception.

Chu Ling seemed uninterested in these things, but rather in the food. She would interact with Chu Hui from time to time, feeding him. This gradually eased Chu Hui's nervousness.

Interested in singing and dancing.

He was interested in dancers.

That's going too far!

No matter how mature Chu Ling is, he's still young. What good is his interest if he can't touch or hug her? It's better to do something more practical.

I must say, the food prepared for this family dinner was quite plentiful, and more importantly, it tasted very good. The only thing to complain about was that the portions were too small.

But that was enough for Chu Ling.

As for others, that's not something Chu Ling needs to worry about.

This family dinner wasn't his stage to begin with, so why bother with all this? Besides, how many of those who came here were really here for a meal?

Let’s watch a show.

As Chu Ling leaned against the armrest and fed Chu Hui, he glanced at the people in the hall and felt like laughing. Compared to the high-ranking officials from the outer court who had come, it was the relatives who were putting on a great show, putting on a performance. Wasn't this more exciting than watching a song and dance?

Chu Ling, however, was unaware of this.

After the family dinner began, Sun Li, who was sitting behind him, would glance at him intentionally or unintentionally, especially when he was talking and laughing with Chu Hui, or feeding Chu Hui. He noticed Chu Ling's ease, Chu Hui's unease, and finally, Chu Hui's gradual calming down. Sun Li noticed all of this.

The most touching moments always happen unexpectedly.

If you try too hard, you won't be moved.

"Brother, this woman's dance is truly wonderful."

After finishing his meal, Chu Hui caught a glimpse of a beautiful young woman in the center of the hall, with delicate features, fair skin, and graceful movements in a dance costume. Drawn to her beauty, Chu Hui couldn't help but speak to Chu Ling.

"It's pretty good."

Chu Ling looked over and nodded in agreement, but then smiled and looked at Chu Hui, "Royal brother, how old are you, and you've already started appreciating beauties, haha."

"Brother Emperor~"

Chu Hui's face flushed red instantly.

Ok?

Upon hearing the commotion, the three saw Chu Ling laughing and Chu Hui looking flustered, and felt a variety of emotions. For some reason, Wang Xiu felt a strange sense of warmth upon seeing this scene.

If she has children with Emperor Xuanzong, will they end up like Chu Ling and Chu Hui when they grow up?

Amidst the warmth, a wisp of sadness lingers in my heart.

"Look how well His Majesty and the Eighth Prince get along."

In one corner of the main hall, Changli, holding a wine cup, saw the two chatting and laughing. He lowered his voice and said to Zongchuan beside him, "Seventh Brother, how happy do you think the Taizu would be to see these?"

"Yes."

Zong Chuan said with some melancholy, "Emperor Taizu loved it most when his children and grandchildren were playing and laughing."

"Respect to Emperor Taizu."

Changli, with mixed feelings, said to Zongchuan.

The two drank wine in remembrance.

When you're young, you think about your country, your career, and your struggles. Even after you have children, this mindset changes, but it makes you work even harder and be stricter with your children. But as you get older, you have everything you need, and you become less concerned about what you used to care about. You crave more time with your children and grandchildren.

As people get older, their lifespan decreases.

After going through the stages of seeing mountains as mountains, then not seeing mountains as mountains, and finally seeing mountains as mountains again, we finally realized that our little family is still the best.

But some can come back.

Some, however, can never come back.

"Pour wine for me."

When Liang Huang, who was serving the Emperor, heard what the Empress Dowager said, he was shocked. She had not drunk alcohol for a long time, so why was she drinking at this banquet?

Surprised, Liang Huang caught a glimpse of the new emperor and Chu Hui laughing and talking out of the corner of his eye, and immediately understood.

"Did she drink?"

What did I see?

"This……"

As Liang Huang made his move, the expressions of some people in the hall changed. Although they concealed it well, they were still somewhat shocked when they saw Sun Li pick up the wine cup that Liang Huang was holding.

She has never drunk alcohol since the death of the founding emperor.

Chu Ling, who was joking with Chu Hui, noticed some people and looked in one direction with a shocked expression. When Chu Ling turned around, he saw Sun Li holding a glass of wine.

"Grandmother, what joyous occasion has befallen you?"

Chu Ling smiled and stood up, walking towards Sun Li. "However, you should drink less of this wine. You haven't had any for a long time. Drinking too much is not good for your health."

"Your Majesty, are you doubting my drinking capacity?"

Sun Li held the wine cup and looked at Chu Ling.

"I don't have a grandson."

Chu Ling quickly waved his hand and said, "Grandson knows that Grandmother is a man of few cups and never gets drunk."

joke.

As a daughter of a powerful family, Sun Li was a woman who was just as capable as any man when she was young!

In the midst of the chaos and war, the Great Yu Dynasty had not yet been established. While the founding emperor led his army in the field, he had civil and military officials stationed in the rear. But the true backbone was the man right in front of him!

"Good that you know. What I fear most is that some people don't know!!!"

Sun Li's voice was calm, but loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear. As he spoke, Sun Li picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. His words, however, stirred up ripples in the hearts of many.

This is a warning to some people.

Upon seeing this, Chu Ling immediately guessed what had happened. Seeing that Sun Li didn't even flinch, Chu Ling was quite impressed. At such an advanced age, to drink a cup of fine wine, he truly was still as sharp as ever!