The Emperor Qianyu was momentarily stunned by Ding Yun's sudden pronouncement. His daughter's transformation was too drastic. She had been hesitant that morning, merely wishing for a normal marriage and children, but by evening, she was resolutely determined to contend for the throne. Was the brink of death such a powerful crucible?
"Yun'er, the moment I conceived this idea, you were targeted by an assassination. This path is not easy. Currently, the entire court and the royal clan oppose it, and I myself am gravely injured... Alas, I failed to consider the differing national conditions. I have inadvertently brought such immense danger upon you!"
Emperor Qianyu was filled with regret. He regretted ever involving his daughter in the first place. Perhaps, from the moment she was born, he should have abandoned all illusions, and none of this would have happened.
"Do not worry for now. I will devise a plan that satisfies both sides and ensures you do not face such danger again."
His words were quite clear. He was reneging on his support; he was afraid.
"Father Emperor, I don't believe I have any room to retreat. Do you recall Emperor Zhangwen of the former dynasty? He only had three daughters and adopted a descendant from a collateral branch as his heir. After his death, his three daughters passed away one by one within a decade for various reasons. One was clearly abused by her consort. That Imperial Daughter even sought a divorce at the palace, but what was the outcome? The new Emperor accused her of impropriety. If ordinary Imperial Daughters fare so poorly, how much worse for me, an Imperial Daughter who was once forced to covet the throne?"
As she spoke, Ding Yun coughed twice:
"Cough... cough cough... cough cough cough..."
"That's secondary. When Emperor Zhangwen adopted an heir, he intended to find someone whose parents were both deceased. That's why he specifically chose Emperor Xiaode. But what was the result? In the third year of his reign, he posthumously honored his father as Emperor Mingyun and his mother as Empress Huiwen, and directly moved Emperor Zhangwen's ancestral tablet away, replacing it with his parents' tablets in the Grand Ancestral Temple. This is a precedent!"
"Look at how he acted. In the end, he even received an additional posthumous title of 'Xiao' (filial)!"
It was no wonder history books were likened to mirrors. Under the sun, nothing was truly new. Many current affairs and sentiments could find similar scenarios, stories, and even the experiences and lessons of those who came before in the historical records. Some people always gambled that they would be different, but the facts often proved them all to be the same. Such was human nature.
However, Ding Yun's counsel did not immediately sway Emperor Qianyu. He nodded silently, sighed again, and said helplessly, "Yun'er, I have read no less history than you. I have long known about Emperor Zhangwen of the former dynasty, and I am even aware of similar incidents in neighboring imperial dynasties. Those who sincerely wished for an adopted heir were less than a tenth. Those who never changed the sacrifices throughout their lives are unheard of. The best outcome was to not allow their parents to ascend to the main position, but to share the Grand Ancestral Temple sacrifices with the late Emperor and his consort."
"However, supporting you to become Emperor is simply too difficult. The entire court, the princes of the royal clan, even those who were once most obedient to me, none of them were willing to support my idea after I tested them. The millennium-long inheritance of rites and music is difficult to shake. If I had not been gravely injured, perhaps I could have struggled and had a fifty-fifty chance of success. But now, I don't even have a ten percent chance. If we fail, not only you and I might perish, but we might also become infamous for eternity and be condemned by the world."
Regarding Emperor Qianyu's suggestion that if he hadn't been gravely injured, he might have struggled, Ding Yun could only scoff. If he hadn't been injured, would he have even considered letting his daughter inherit the throne? If he hadn't been injured and had lived for another seven or eight hundred years, he could have had as many sons as he wished, so why would he care about his daughter?
Of course, this was only Ding Yun's internal monologue. In reality, she spoke with unwavering resolve:
"Father Emperor, if we act, even if the hope is slim, there is still hope. But if we do nothing and accept our fate, then there is truly not a shred of hope. Have you considered this? Also, do you think how many ordinary people in the world today remember Emperor Zhangwen? Don't you think being infamous for eternity is better than silently disappearing into the river of history, forgotten by all? Besides, who can say for sure that we will inevitably fail, and that failure will inevitably lead to infamy? Perhaps later generations will even call us pioneers. I am willing to gamble, to strive. Are you?"
"I..."
"Enough, enough. I truly become more timid and fearful as I approach death. I was never as pathetic as this when I fought the Flood Dragon alone. Since even you have such determination. Then I will go mad with you for once. But you absolutely cannot falter. If you suddenly back down, you will truly have let me down!"
After digesting Ding Yun's passionate, almost toxic, encouragement, Emperor Qianyu finally made up his mind to go mad with his daughter. However, at the very end, he was still somewhat worried that his daughter might change her mind later, which would make him appear foolish. Thus, he repeatedly asked for confirmation, almost demanding Ding Yun swear a solemn oath. Only then did he reluctantly believe her and instructed Ding Yun to heal her wounds first. He, on the other hand, would make other preparations.
To have his daughter become the Crown Princess, and even inherit the throne, could not be settled with mere words. Many things needed to change, but all of it had to be based on safety. Therefore, the first thing Emperor Qianyu did after leaving was to comprehensively purge the Imperial Palace. The last such purge was when the former Crown Prince rebelled. He never expected that after failing to clean it thoroughly back then, many vermin would have proliferated over a decade later—many with malicious intent, and manipulated by others—enemy factions and assassins.
To complete this purge, and to ensure his daughter's injuries were not in vain, as well as to reduce the possibility of her being assassinated in the future, Emperor Qianyu returned to the Heavenly Palace and specially mobilized the Imperial Dynasty's destiny to scan the entire palace. Under the blessing of the Imperial Dynasty's destiny, who was loyal and who was treacherous became clear. Of course, the loyalty and treachery here could only distinguish who was loyal to him, and who harbored malicious intent towards him, not whether they were loyal or deceitful to the entire Imperial Dynasty. Furthermore, this process consumed a great deal of destiny. Under normal circumstances, there was no need. But now, the situation was extraordinary, wasn't it? If he didn't kill or remove those with ill intentions towards him, how could he be at ease? How could his daughter's safety be guaranteed?
With loyalty and treachery revealed.
The next step was, of course, the formal and comprehensive purge. Outside the Imperial Palace, the officials and members of the royal clan did not find this strange. They generally felt that the Emperor Qianyu, who had no heir, might go a little mad, which was normal. They even expected more outrageous actions at the morning court tomorrow. Having already selected their scapegoat, why should they worry about anything?