Empress Jin Zetian

Early in the morning, Crown Prince Jin Yuchen paid a sudden visit to the Empress's palace, leaving her both shocked and delighted.

Empress Jin Zetian, now in her late 50s, was renowned as one of the most beautiful ladies of her time. She had married the Emperor at the young age of 18 and gave birth to Crown Prince Jin Yuchen when she was only 20 years old.

recent years, she had been living in an abandoned place as a punishment from the Emperor, despite her innocence. As a result, her health had suffered, and her body had become weaker.

Empress Jin Zetian possessed a simple, forgiving, and helpful nature. Despite the wrongdoings of the noble consort and the Emperor, she never complained about them and had already forgiven them. Her soft nature and kindness became a disadvantage as many people in the palace took advantage of her.

When the crown prince arrived, all the servants and court lady bowed their heads in respect.

"Your Royal Highness," Jin Yuchen lowered his head and showed respect of his mother, who was also an Empress.

He took a seat on the opposite side of his mother.

The Empress looked at her court lady who took care of all the things in her palace, and a bunch of maids entered with different dishes.

"You arrived suddenly in the morning, and I know you haven't had breakfast yet. Join me for a breakfast with me. these were the only dishes my palace could prepare Since we didn't know about your arrival,," the Empress stated, with a little disappointed.

She couldn't help but desire for her son's regular visits.

She was a mother before she became Empress. A mother's heart will always fear about her children, no matter how old, accomplished, or strong they become. Jin Yuchen was her only child and the source of her happiness.

" I was a little occupied with court matters, so I failed to visit you for a long time. I apologize, mother. This is not going to happen again I promise you ." Jin Yuchen apologized to the Empress and began eating quietly.

The Empress grumbled and nodded. She hoped for her son to be interactive, friendly, to share secrets with her, show emotion, to express his feelings, to her..

Her son was not like this distant, almost like a cold, lifeless stone. It was the circumstances that had made him into this form. The Empress prayed day and night to see him, during the time when she was banished to the abandoned palace by the Emperor.

Finally, she was proven innocent, and she came to see her son, who had become very cold, distant, different from before.

"Huh... what... what did you say?" The Empress startled out of her thought , slightly shocked.

"I questioned why you had constantly asked for my visit to the palace. "Is everything all right?" Jin Yuchen curiously asked.

The Empress smiled and shook her head when she heard him.

"Thank you for your concern, Crown Prince. Everything is fine", the Empress responded, carefully watching her son's expressions and attitude.

She didn't want to disrupt his appetite or mood early in the morning.

"I wanted to discuss about the selection of a Crown Princess with you," she said, slowly and hesitantly speaking.

Jin Yuchen stopped eating and looked at his mother with an amused expression.

"Crown princess selection? What crown princess selection are you talking about, Mother?" Jin Yuchen asked.

"Yuchen, didn't the Emperor discuss this matter with you?" the Empress asked, noticing her son's puzzled expression.

"No, he only mentioned that you wanted me to visit your palace. He didn't say anything about a crown princess selection," Jin Yuchen replied.

"Yuchen, didn't the Emperor discuss this matter with you?" the Empress asked, noticing her son's puzzled expression.

"No, he only mentioned that you wanted me to visit your palace. He didn't say anything about a crown princess selection," Jin Yuchen replied.

The Empress was filled with anger and frustration towards the Emperor.

"Yuchen, your father has issued a royal decree for the selection of the crown princess. Many young misses and foreign princesses have been invited to participate in this selection. The selection will be started in a week's ..." the Empress began, but before she could finish her sentence, Jin Yuchen angrily stood up from his seat, glaring at his mother.

"How could both of you make this decree without informing me?" Jin Yuchen shouted furiously.

The atmosphere turned cold and tense. The maids trembled in their places, feeling the the situation.

The Empress calmly said, "Leave us," and all the maids, court ladies, and guards obediently exited the room, leaving them alone.

"You're already in your late twenties, Yuchen. It is your duty as crown prince to create heirs in order to ensure the continuing of the Jin dynasty. You can't be single forever. Starting a family and protecting the bloodline is a huge responsibility that falls on your shoulders," the Empress continued, her tone filled with anxiety and expectation.

To her disappointment, Jin Yuchen remained silent. He had a mix expression of anger and frustration. Without uttering a word, he stormed out of the Empress Palace, leaving his mother stunned and worried. Reacting quickly, the Empress stood up from her seat and hurriedly followed him, calling out his name.

"Yuchen"

"Yuchen! Please stop and listen to your mother!" she pleaded, her voice filled with concern and depression.

"Yuchen, please!" she continued, her voice echoing through the empty halls of the palace.

As she caught up to him, her tone shifted, filled with the authority and power of the Empress of the Jin dynasty.

"How dare you go against the order of the Empress of the Jin dynasty!" she exclaimed, her voice commanding and overbearing, trying to use her authority and power to control over the situation.

Hearing the Empress's words, Jin Yuchen stopped in his tracks. He turned to face her, his head bowed in acknowledgment.

"As you have said, the crown princess selection will proceed as planned in a week," he stated with no expression emotion

Without saying another word, he departed from the Empress's palace, leaving his mother behind with a sense of discomfort and heartache as she watched him go.

The weight of their unspoken feelings weighed heavy in the air, their connection weakened by the circumstances they were in.