SFL Chapter 23

The Emperor initially thought about delaying the promotion of his sons, believing that they still needed to be tempered.

However, Mu Yunfeng thought they had waited long enough. After all, it wasn’t healthy to keep them waiting without any sense of accomplishment. It was also a tremendous waste of talent. When he felt they had gained enough experience, Mu Yunfeng assigned each of them to positions that best suited their abilities.

Over the years, there were significant changes within the capital, both big and small. One of the most noteworthy changes was the significant decrease in the population of the royal family relatives. They could no longer rely on funds from the Ministry of Revenue, so they had to support themselves. In this context, they were also not willing to have too many children.

And also, the royal family relatives who had the skills were provided with a far better education than the common populace. Those who wanted to make a difference in the world found that Mu Yunfeng was not reluctant to promote them.

By giving them responsibilities and providing recognition for their efforts, the attitude of the royal family relatives toward Mu Yunfeng, the Crown Prince, became extremely favorable.

Among the common people, Mu Yunfeng was gaining popularity. While he hadn’t actively bought people’s loyalty, the Emperor didn’t want to have everything to himself.

Consequently, as the Emperor aged, Mu Yunfeng’s achievements gradually became well-known among the people.

When Mu Yunfeng was in his thirties and the Emperor’s health was deteriorating, the Emperor abdicated the throne and passed it to Mu Yunfeng, choosing to retire and take care of his health. Of course, the veracity of this reason was known only to the Emperor.

On the eve of Mu Yunfeng’s ascension to the throne, the father and son had a deep conversation. Mu Yunfeng was over thirty and already very composed. What satisfied the Emperor the most was Mu Yunfeng’s calm demeanor.

Despite becoming Crown Prince in his early twenties, Mu Yunfeng had remained patient over the years. He was unlike some princes who became frantic and eager to ascend the throne upon being named Crown Prince.

Therefore, when the Emperor’s health made it inconvenient for him to continue ruling, he willingly abdicated. Even though he had some years left to live, the abdication would free Mu Yunfeng’s hands, allowing him to fully demonstrate his abilities as Emperor.

The Emperor’s decision to step down was willingly accepted, not just for his own well-being but also for the future of the Empire. Mu Yunfeng didn’t show excessive sentimentality or drama. With a former Emperor in the background, the transition of power from one generation to the next was smooth and harmonious.

After ascending to the throne, Mu Yunfeng named Su Qianluo as the Empress and their First son as the Crown Prince. The whole family moved into the palace, but their daily life didn’t change drastically. After all, the few years hadn’t made their household overly crowded.

Mu Yunfeng looked at the little Crown Prince with a contented expression, believing that this son would be ready to take on responsibilities within a few years. He had no intention of struggling throughout his lifetime in the role of Emperor.

After Mu Yunfeng ascended to the throne, the entire Empire experienced rapid development. After all, wealth could resolve nearly ninety-nine percent of the world’s issues, and this applied to an empire as well. With wealth, many problems became non-issues.

Compared to the former Emperor, Mu Yunfeng was more willing to delegate authority, so he carried a lighter burden as Emperor than when he was a Crown Prince.

As for the Empress Su Qianluo, on the night she was crowned, she had a dream. In her dream, she found herself again as a substitute bride in the Third Princes’ residence, but instead of the Third Prince, a large rooster appeared to officiate her marriage. Naturally, as a bride married off to a rooster, she didn’t receive much attention from her husband. The Third Prince, and she idled away for several years in the palace’s backyard.

If her days had remained dull and uneventful, it would have been bearable, as there were many couples in the world who only appeared harmonious on the surface. However, Su Qianluo began to notice that her husband and her cousin, Su Qianhuan, had a romantic connection. The passionate couple didn’t settle for secrecy but instead openly brought Su Qianhuan to the Third Princes’ residence. Moreover, they even considered replacing Su Qianluo as the wife of the Third Prince.

Su Qianluo didn’t care if her husband had feelings for her, but Su Qianhuan’s attempts to replace her crossed a line. She started taking action against Su Qianhuan to safeguard her position. However, her attempts often backfired because she couldn’t compete with the affection her husband showed to the other women. Consequently, she ended up ruining her own reputation.

In addition, the child in her dream was a source of anguish. She believed she shouldn’t have brought him into the world to experience suffering. In the end, her husband took her life, and her child was neglected to death. The despicable couple, the man and the woman, danced on her and her child’s corpses and lived happily ever after, with children of their own.

Su Qianluo was jolted awake by this nightmare. However, as she turned to see her husband, Mu Yunfeng, peacefully sleeping beside her, her distress began to subside. She remembered the dream but couldn’t help feeling that her husband and the man in her dream, though they had the same face, were entirely different individuals.

The man in her dream didn’t become the Crown Prince, not even close to her husband’s stature. Su Qianluo created a slight itch on Mu Yunfeng’s face, who, not quite fully awake, opened his eyes and embraced her, asking her what was wrong.

Su Qianluo’s dream left her feeling frustrated, and when she shared it with Mu Yunfeng, he fully awakened to the situation. He knew that Su Qianluo had dreamt about the original story. Taking a closer look, he noticed that Su Qianluo’s progress in “captivating” him had reached the maximum level.

Mu Yunfeng gently covered Su Qianluo’s eyes with his hand and said, “Sleep, and if you dream again, it will go according to your thoughts and wishes.”

Su Qianluo thought Mu Yunfeng was comforting her, but the night was still young, and she lay in Mu Yunfeng’s embrace and drifted back to sleep.

In her dream, Su Qianluo once again found herself dressed in a red bridal gown, marrying a big rooster, and being coldly treated by the Third Prince. This time, she didn’t wait passively but took the initiative. Unlike her previous actions, where she obtained a child from the Third Prince, who didn’t show any affection for their son, this time Su Qianluo didn’t follow the same path.

In this dream, she saw the true nature of her husband’s indifference. Su Qianluo decided to take more decisive action. Over time, the Third Princes’ health deteriorated, and even though he continued his entanglement with Su Qianhuan, her cousin, the Third Prince passed away.

As a concubine, Su Qianhuan came to visit after the Third Princes’ death, but Su Qianluo, now a widow, cast her out. With the absence of the two culprits, even as a much-pitied widow, Su Qianluo lived a more peaceful life compared to the past.

***

Outside the palace, the Fourth Prince’s residence began its day. Su Qianhuan got up early to prepare herself, still maintaining her elegant appearance compared to several years ago. However, she still hadn’t gained favor in the Fourth Prince’s eyes. This was partly because there were other beauties around the Fourth Prince, and partly because she was avoiding him intentionally.

After the Fourth Prince’s unsuccessful attempt to seize the throne and the Su family’s decline, they were alienated from each other. Due to her lack of favor and offspring, life was challenging in the backyard of the prince’s residence.

The Fourth Prince continued to observe quietly, and Su Qianhuan’s heart had long turned cold. Any hint of affection from her husband would have made her life much better.

Nonetheless, she still held the title of the Fourth Prince’s consort, though this position was now quite precarious.

With these thoughts, Su Qianhuan couldn’t help but laugh quietly, head bowed.

*

The two strange dreams that Su Qianluo experienced were quickly forgotten after she awoke. She recognized that the Mu Yunfeng she knew wouldn’t be so heartless, and their child, as the Crown Prince, enjoyed the whole-hearted love of his parents. Their lives were far from the desolation depicted in her dreams.

Su Qianluo met Su Qianhuan again at a palace banquet, which she presided over. By rank, Su Qianhuan, as the Fourth Prince’s consort, sat relatively close to them, despite being family. But even though they were now sisters by marriage, Su Qianluo had no desire to converse with Su Qianhuan, and the latter remained unusually quiet, showing formal respect to the Fourth Prince beside her.

During the festivities, with music and wine flowing, Su Qianhuan suddenly poured a cup of wine for the Fourth Prince, an unexpected and gentle gesture that surprised him.

“Your Highness, this concubine still remembers the reckless days of youth. Back then, I was headstrong and lacked knowledge, not caring about respect or family. However, I say this not to defend the Su family but to admit that their downfall was their own doing. It has nothing to do with this concubine, nor with Your Highness. All of it is due to the Su family’s own actions…”

Su Qianhuan continued, “Of course, this is not to plead the Su family’s case. It is merely that over the years, I’ve come to understand that the Su family’s decline was a result of their own actions. It is not my place, as a concubine, nor Your Highness’s place to bear the burden of their choices…”

She explained how the Su family, in its desire for more wealth and glory, decided to engage in the struggle for the throne. A decision that had nothing to do with her as a daughter from another family. She reflected on the past, acknowledging that the Su family’s downfall wasn’t her fault or the Fourth Prince’s. It was simply the result of their own greed. She expressed that, in a way, she no longer held any resentment.

Listening to her, the Fourth Prince’s expression softened, believing that Su Qianhuan was perhaps trying to reconcile with him. His earlier intention to dispose of Su Qianhuan due to her involvement as a princess in not having a son was momentarily shaken.

Su Qianhuan went on to mention her mother’s recent passing. The estrangement of the remaining relatives from her natal family, and then she continued, “If you count it all, the closest family I have now is my cousin, who is the current Empress.”

The Fourth Prince’s expression subtly shifted, and he said in a softer tone, “Since you are cousins, you should spend more time together and not let your relationship grow distant.”

“You’re right, Your Highness. To be honest, I think the same way,” Su Qianhuan replied with a smile.

At this point, the Fourth Prince finally noticed how truly beautiful his wife was. He felt a moment of longing, but before he could continue, Su Qianhuan expressed her thoughts.

“Your Highness, do you not think you’ve changed over the years? Your past ambitions and determination seem to have faded. Now you’re indulging in pleasures and letting a few women lead you around. As for me, I believe I’m still the same as before.”

Su Qianhuan withdrew her hand from the Fourth Prince’s grasp even before he could react.

Not waiting for the Fourth Prince to respond to her words, Su Qianhuan left her seat and approached the front of the hall. As she did so, the music in the background naturally quieted down.

“Your Majesty, the Emperor, I am cousins with the Empress. A bond as close as flesh and blood, and as Your Majesty’s sister-in-law, we are one family. I am willing to follow my husband’s order and enter the palace to serve his majesty, and accompany the Empress. I shall share her burdens.” Su Qianhuan declared loudly before respectfully kneeling to Mu Yunfeng and Su Qianluo.

As her words fell, many officials were so shocked by the audacity of the Fourth Prince’s consort that they dropped and shattered their wine cups. They were taken aback by Su Qianhuan’s shocking words.

How can you, as sisters, go into the palace and serve the Empress? Or tend to the Emperor? These words, even just in thought, were filled with sensuality.

The civil and military officials began to carefully observe the Emperor’s expression. When they noticed the deepening scowl on his face, they instantly jolted to awareness.

If His Majesty truly allowed this girl to enter the harem, it would undoubtedly become a dark stain on his imperial career.

This was absolutely unacceptable!