Volume One, Chapter 10: The Ministers' Petition

Otherwise, Consort Lu would have long since managed the inner palace not as a mere consort, but with the authority of an Empress.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Chu frowned and cast a glare at Luo Changfeng and the others, a flash of anger in his eyes. He opened his mouth, ready to refuse. Had he wanted Su Yuan to return, he would have agreed the moment Luo Changfeng and the others presented their petition. His fear was that if Su Yuan returned, the position of Crown Prince might eventually fall to him due to the intervention of officials like Luo Changfeng—yet he had already set his heart on Su Ming.

However, refusing so bluntly in such a public setting would make him appear overly partial, and he feared the resulting public criticism.

"Father Emperor, I have been wronged. I beseech you to grant me justice... and restore my innocence!" Su Yuan spoke up quickly. Since others had already broached the subject, he could hardly remain silent.

The Emperor frowned as he looked at Su Yuan, a cold glint flickering in his eyes. For a moment, he did not know how to respond.

Just then, Consort Lu, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke: "Su Yuan, there are still many doubts surrounding the case of Consort Shu. Your name has not yet been cleared, and it would be inappropriate for your Father Emperor to show favoritism... Let us discuss this matter another time!"

A murderous intent surged in Su Yuan’s heart. This poisonous woman—it was clear she was deliberately changing the subject to prevent him from regaining his status. The case had already been investigated; how could he still be under suspicion? Favoritism? Ha! Had his Father Emperor ever shown him favoritism? He only ever did so for Su Ming!

"Su Yuan, Consort Lu is right. This matter has not been concluded, and it would be inappropriate for me to show favoritism!" the Emperor interjected before Su Yuan could speak.

Su Yuan looked at the Emperor, his heart aching once more. The way the man addressed him as "Su Yuan"—so cold and devoid of any paternal affection—reminded him that he should have long ago abandoned such expectations. His heart sank; it was clear the Emperor had no intention of allowing him to regain his status. Or perhaps, regardless of his talents, he would never measure up to his "precious son" in the Emperor’s eyes.

He had already achieved first place in the literary competition, yet look at the Emperor’s reaction! Even though he was innocent, the moment Consort Lu mentioned "lingering doubts," the Emperor seized the excuse to back down. If there were still doubts, why had the Emperor's favored consort been released from the Cold Palace? The court had been informed that she had been framed, yet when it came to him, suddenly there were "many doubts" and "no favoritism allowed."

In the end, the Emperor simply did not want him to regain his status or compete for the crown against his beloved son.

"Your Majesty... regarding the matter of Consort Shu, haven't you already..." Luo Changfeng began, attempting to defend Su Yuan, but the Emperor cut him off before he could continue.

"Do not speak of this again. Let the matter rest," the Emperor commanded. He looked at Su Yuan and said coldly, "You are my son, so I shall make an exception for you just this once. If you can secure first place in both the literary and martial competitions, I will clear your name and restore your status as a prince!"

When those words left the Emperor's lips, Su Yuan’s heart ached, and he almost laughed. An exception? How generous. He was innocent, yet for the sake of his favorite son, the Emperor insisted on making him bear the weight of a false charge. Now, clearing his name was being framed as a grand favor granted to him.

What chilled Su Yuan the most was that this "justice" was so impossibly demanding. First place in both? Such a condition was likely beyond even the Emperor’s precious son—or perhaps, beyond anyone present. If that was the case, what made his father think he could do it? Was this truly an exception, or just a pretext to silence others?

Did the Emperor still harbor any shred of fatherly love for him? Perhaps none remained. Su Yuan did not believe the Emperor was unaware of his mother’s death, nor of the injustices suffered by the family of the Duke of Zhenbei. Yet, for the sake of his favored son, the Emperor was willing to sacrifice him, his mother, and the entire estate of the Duke of Zhenbei. Su Yuan’s heart grew colder still.

The veteran officials, including Luo Changfeng, turned pale, staring at the Emperor in shock. No one expected the Emperor to be so heartless toward Su Yuan, nor did they expect him to impose such a harsh condition. Everyone knew the Second Prince was of mediocre talent; for the Emperor to demand he win both competitions was absurd. If he didn't want to restore his status, he should have just said so instead of setting such a trap.

Luo Changfeng tried to speak, but the Emperor shot him a cold glare.

"Minister Luo, I have already given him a chance. Whether he can grasp it is up to him. Do you believe my judgment is unfair? If so, perhaps I should reopen the investigation into Consort Shu’s case—how about that?" The Emperor’s voice carried a clear threat.

Luo Changfeng swallowed his words. He understood the Emperor’s implication: *I have given Su Yuan a chance. If you persist, I will pin a charge of adultery on him that will make it impossible for him to ever recover.* Luo Changfeng knew a bit about the inner palace; the Emperor likely knew exactly who had framed Consort Shu and the Second Prince, but simply chose to let the error stand because he disliked the boy. He hadn't yet reached the point of murdering his own son, but if Luo pushed further, it might actually provoke the Emperor into doing just that.

Realizing this, Luo Changfeng and the other ministers fell silent, casting looks of worry and guilt toward Su Yuan.

Su Yuan met their gazes and offered a faint smile. He looked at the Emperor, his expression solemn. "Your Majesty, if I attain first place in both the literary and martial competitions, will you restore my status as a prince?"

Su Yuan no longer held hope for this father, but he needed that status. With it, he could at least act. Even if the Emperor despised him, the title commanded a certain degree of wariness and granted him privileges. That was all he wanted now.

The Emperor looked at Su Yuan with cold eyes, sensing the detachment in his tone—especially the fact that he no longer called him "Father." He felt a surge of irritation and anger, his body trembling slightly.

"Of course," he said coldly. "If you can win both, I will not only restore your status, but I will also grant you the title of Prince!"

Su Yuan felt a wave of bitterness. Even now, his father was still plotting against him. A title? It seemed like a great honor, but once a prince was enfeoffed, it signaled that he had withdrawn from the battle for the throne and was no longer in the running. To ensure his favorite son became the Crown Prince, the Emperor was even willing to hand out royal titles! After all, none of the other princes had been enfeoffed yet; typically, such titles were only granted after the Crown Prince had been named.