Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The word ârespectâ sounded simple, but there were many ways to do it, and there were also different levels of respect.
From the looks of it, Mother God was much more helpful to the people than Buddhism. At least she would help when something happened.
Thinking of this, he suddenly had an idea. Since he couldnât afford to offend Mother God, he would flatter and worship her with the people. It would not only prevent him from garnering the wrath of Mother God but also win the peopleâs hearts.
In a short while, the First Prince and the Fourth Prince arrived one after another with their foreheads covered in sweat.
After the Emperor had someone serve them tea, he asked, âHave you heard about the Mother Godâs manifestation?â
âI heard about it, but only the beggar was given mixed flour. The others were given very little.â The First Prince nodded.
âYes, many people are dissatisfied now. They say that Mother God is treating them differently.: The Fourth Prince chimed in.
âI heard that you received the news two days ago. Donât you know the reason why Mother God treats them differently?â The Emperor asked after taking a sip of tea.
When the two brothers heard this, they looked at each other and panicked. They immediately got up and kneeled, saying the same thing, âFather, we did receive the news, but we didnât believe it at first. Thatâs why we spread the word and let people try it.â
Although their words were slightly different, they all had the same meaning.
The Emperor nodded in satisfaction, and his requirements for his sons were low. As long as they did not lie to him, he was pleased.
âYou may rise. So, do you know the reason?â
âI have some guesses.â The Fourth Prince immediately chimed in and told the Emperor about the speculations he had heard from Dongyang Province.
The Emperor nodded. âYour third brother also thinks so. He has put it into practice, and it has worked.â
After he finished, he handed the Third Princeâs memorial to them and said, âYou guys take a look.â
âYes.â After the First Prince received it, he read it carefully before giving it to the Fourth Prince. However, his expression wasnât good.
After reading it, the Fourth Prince was shocked, as he didnât expect Mother God to give his third brother this many things.
The Emperor looked at their expressions and knew their people had not passed on the news to them, and he was immediately satisfied.
Otherwise, he was afraid that his reign as the Emperor would be coming to an end. At the same time, he decided to send two people to Dongyang Province to investigate what they were up to.
âWhat are your thoughts?â he asked.
âFather, in my opinion, Mother God is a caring and loving goddess. We should vigorously promote and worship her.â The First Prince bowed.
The Fourth Prince was stunned momentarily, but he quickly understood what he meant.
Since his father had already read the memorial, he knew everything and had made his decision.
At this time, they had to raise Mother Godâs status and weaken their third brotherâs achievements. Otherwise, if they were to suggest downplaying or sabotaging the Third Prince, it would just give them a reputation of pettiness and disgust their father.
After that, he agreed, saying, âFather, 1 have a suggestion.â
âSince third brother can get the seeds, why donât we hold a large-scale worship ceremony?â
âWith your status as the Emperor, wouldnât we be able to get even more and better seedlings?â
After the Emperor heard this, he hesitated momentarily before standing up and saying, âCome, letâs go find the Empress Dowager.â
After he finished speaking, he turned around and walked out.
The First Prince didnât think much of it. After all, the Empress Dowager and Empress were usually in charge of the royal familyâs prayers to the gods.
As for the Emperor, besides offering sacrifices to the heavens, he never took part in leading prayers to his ancestors.
The Fourth Prince looked at the Emperorâs back with disdain because he knew the Emperor wanted to push the Empress Dowager out. It would be preferable if they could obtain something, but even if they couldnât, the Emperorâs reputation would not suffer..