Chapter 1322 - 1268: Giving Up (Part 2)
The Little Emperor’s eyes lit up, and he asked, "Has Second Uncle figured it out?"
According to his own thoughts, he did not want to ascend the throne and become the emperor. Even if he abdicated, when Zhao Hanzhang defeated the Xiongnu and stabilized the Northern Land the year before, he should have already given up his position to her.
But he was completely unable to make such a decision.
He couldn’t decide whether to be emperor, not even what to eat for three meals a day, let alone his own life.
Because the former ministers gathered under his two uncles, the officials affiliated with Zhao Hanzhang, and the neutral courtiers, they all pressed him into that seat.
Only those truly seated there know how miserable it is. The Little Emperor hasn’t found the benefits of being the son of heaven; he hasn’t enjoyed the glory and authority that a son of heaven should have.
Xun Fan finally agreed to take a step back, and the Little Emperor couldn’t help but shed tears, clutching his hand, nodding repeatedly, "I am willing, as long as Second Uncle can protect my life."
Xun Fan lovingly wiped his tears and softly said, "Your Majesty, don’t be afraid. The Great General is benevolent and kind. As long as you don’t harm the country, she will treat you well."
The Little Emperor nodded repeatedly and whispered, "She also cares about her reputation."
Xun Fan couldn’t help but laugh, nodding, "Yes, she does care about her reputation. In this position, caring about reputation is better than being shameless. Even for the sake of reputation, she will treat Your Majesty well, not to mention that what she is doing now goes beyond caring for reputation."
The Little Emperor looked puzzled.
Xun Fan softly spoke, "She sent Tai Zhang and Zeng Yue to fetch me, safely bringing the two of us back to Luoyang, not for power, but to demonstrate her virtue to all the officials and advocate for governance by virtue. Your Majesty has already studied the ’Book of Han,’ and should know why Qin in its second reign perished."
The Little Emperor hesitated but still shook his head and whispered, "Grand Tutor, I really don’t understand this."
Xun Fan sighed, "Qin focused too much on law, thereby restraining people but not winning their hearts. The people’s hearts were not united, which led to its downfall due to lack of virtue. Thus, when Emperor Shi passed away, chaos ensued across the land. His successors did not possess his ability to suppress the fierce world, nor did they bless posterity, hence failed in governance by merely enforcing the law and not virtue."
"To govern by virtue is like the North Star, remaining in one place while the multitude of stars surround it. Zhao Hanzhang is now that North Star," Xun Fan softly said. "This time, when I went to the disaster relief in the local area, I realized her influence among the people is unshakable. That is virtue. We cannot compare with her, so it’s better to let go early for the secure future of Your Majesty."
After listening to this discourse, the Little Emperor only understood half of it, but he grasped the latter part, so he eagerly asked, "How to let go?"
Xun Fan quietly said, "Release an edict on a solar eclipse in February and torrential rains in successive March, blaming yourself, and relinquish the throne to her."
He said, "She will certainly decline, but Your Majesty should not be anxious. After two or three days, issue another document of abdication. The rest will be handled by me, ensuring Your Majesty gets a secure place."
The Little Emperor agreed, feeling a burden lifted from his chest, joyous that he won’t have to attend court early every day or work on his studies till late at night.
Xun Zu returned with a letter, handed it to Xun Fan with both hands.
Xun Fan took it, glanced at it, and handed it to the Little Emperor, "Though the decision is made, Your Majesty must still fulfill your studies. This is the homework I assigned before leaving the capital. Alas, I was worried about your mood affected by state affairs back then, so I kept it from you. Now that I’ve returned, you can send someone out of the palace to ask me if you encounter any difficulties."
The Little Emperor lowered his head, looking at the ten-or-so questions and a series of articles he was assigned to memorize. He only felt darkness before his eyes, questioning why he still needed to study so diligently even when he was about to abdicate.
Xun Fan perceived the Little Emperor’s reluctance to study, but there was no alternative. As an emperor, it was a necessity he had to face.
He knew he was nearing a breaking point. He vaguely understood it was Zhao Hanzhang’s scheme. What was unclear was whether she aimed to crush him from the outset or test his ability to withstand pressure and become a wise ruler.
No matter Zhao Hanzhang’s initial intentions, over these two years, not only she saw it, but Xun Fan also recognized that the Little Emperor was not fit to be a proper emperor, let alone a wise and intelligent ruler.
Even the civil and military officials understood this.
Zhao Hanzhang never intimidated the emperor and always showed utmost respect to him. Even under such circumstances, he couldn’t endure the pressure. How could he possibly seize power from her in the future?