Chapter 44: The Filial Shen Prince

…

Zhao Yu handed the repeatedly adjusted glasses to Empress Dowager Xiang.

Empress Dowager Xiang received this miraculous object that could restore her vision with great anticipation and slowly placed it on her nose.

In an instant, the entire world seemed to awaken anew.

A flicker of shock passed through Empress Dowager Xiang’s eyes, then was instantly filled with boundless joy.

She clearly saw her own reflection in the glass mirror—every wrinkle, every silver strand rendered in sharp detail; she saw the intricate patterns on the rouge box before her, the delicate carvings as if whispering the artisan’s craftsmanship; she gazed out the window, where the emerald bamboos beneath the distant palace walls revealed every vein on their leaves, and even the small bird perched on the branch, its lively eyes and colorful feathers, all laid bare before her.

“This… this is truly miraculous!”

Empress Dowager Xiang murmured to herself, her voice brimming with excitement and emotion.

Since childhood, Empress Dowager Xiang had studied classics intensively, and long ago her vision had deteriorated to the point where anything beyond a step away was blurred, she could not distinguish people from animals, and relied solely on instinct to navigate.

For years, the world had been nothing but blurred outlines in Empress Dowager Xiang’s eyes.

Now, with her vision restored, memories flooded back like a tide—she recalled strolling through the imperial garden in her youth, the blossoms once so splendid now vividly alive in her mind; she recalled the voice, face, and laughter of Emperor Shenzong, now strikingly clear…

Seeing the glasses seemed functional, Zhao Yu asked beside her: “Mother, how do they feel?”

Empress Dowager Xiang nodded gently, tears glistening in her eyes yet her face radiant with smiles. This small pair of glasses not only let her see the world before her, but also reclaimed precious memories long obscured by blurred years.

“My son is truly filial.”

Then, Empress Dowager Xiang turned to the glass mirror before her and marveled: “This glass mirror is splendid too—far clearer than bronze mirrors. I never realized I’ve grown so gray-haired and wrinkled—I’ve grown old!”

As she spoke, she reached out to touch her own white hair, then her own wrinkles. In her youth, she too had been a beauty.

Zhao Yu could not let Empress Dowager Xiang sink into self-pity; he gently helped her up and said: “Your servant has prepared ten large mirrors and a hundred small ones for Mother. If they’re not enough, I have more at my residence—Mother can take her time admiring them later. I’ve also prepared something even more delightful for you.”

Saying this, Zhao Yu moved to guide Empress Dowager Xiang toward the Shengping Tower behind them.

But Empress Dowager Xiang nearly stumbled.

She steadied her own head: “Why do I feel dizzy?”

“It’s normal the first time you wear glasses. The feeling will pass once you grow accustomed to them,” Zhao Yu said.

After letting Empress Dowager Xiang adjust for a while, Zhao Yu guided her to the Shengping Tower.

Ascending to the second floor, Zhao Yu handed her the telescope and patiently instructed her on how to adjust the focus and aim it at distant objects.

When Empress Dowager Xiang finally aimed the telescope at the distant palace city, the unreachable towers and pavilions suddenly drew near, rendered crystal clear—every tile, every carved beam and painted eave, as if within arm’s reach.

“This… this is truly a divine artifact!” Empress Dowager Xiang exclaimed, her voice filled with stunned disbelief.

“For Empress Dowager Xiang, long confined to the inner palace with little exposure to the outside world, this was undoubtedly a window opening onto a wondrous new realm,” Zhao Yu thought.

“Mother, look this way—can you see the scenery beyond the palace walls?” Zhao Yu pointed beyond the palace to Empress Dowager Xiang.

Empress Dowager Xiang followed his gesture.

The scene in the lens suddenly shifted to the bustling streets outside the palace walls—the throngs of people, the crowded roads, the boats on the Bian River—all unfurled before her like a living scroll.

“Is this really a Qianliyan?!” Empress Dowager Xiang exclaimed repeatedly.

“It’s not exactly a Qianliyan, but with this telescope, one can indeed see great distances. If deployed on the battlefield, it will allow us to anticipate enemy movements and seize the initiative, making victory easier for our Song Army. I shall present this telescope to His Majesty and urge him to award it to our frontline generals to aid our troops in battle,” Zhao Yu said.

Seeing Zhao Yu’s unwavering sense of duty and selflessness, Empress Dowager Xiang set down the telescope and asked Zhao Yu: “His Majesty insists on making Liu Qingjing, that venomous woman, Empress—why are you still aiding him?”

Zhao Yu did not hesitate; he replied with righteous solemnity: “Our Great Song is not the sole domain of His Majesty—it is the legacy passed down by our Zhao ancestors. We, the imperial clan, share its fortune and fate. When Great Song prospers, we all enjoy glory and wealth; when Great Song falls, we all face slaughter. My actions serve only to secure the eternal stability of Great Song, not merely His Majesty’s personal interest. As for the error in naming an Empress, when the right opportunity arises, I shall speak candidly with His Majesty and strive to correct this wrong.”

Empress Dowager Xiang nodded slightly, her eyes revealing a trace of satisfaction, mixed with resignation: “That you think thus brings me comfort—it proves my years of teaching you were not in vain. If…”

Empress Dowager Xiang wanted to say: “If you had been born ten years earlier, I would never have urged the late Emperor to name His Majesty crown prince. Had you been Emperor, how could Great Song fail to flourish?!”

But she could not say it—such words would benefit Zhao Yu not at all, and might even endanger him.

Empress Dowager Xiang could only whisper inwardly: “What a pity!!!”

Zhao Yu had come today to visit Empress Dowager Xiang not to discuss politics, but to cheer her.

After briefly touching upon the current political situation, Zhao Yu took Empress Dowager Xiang to observe the people and scenery around them through the telescope.

The spring scenery beyond Kaifeng’s suburbs, the prosperity of the Bian River, the bustling city streets, even the hardworking farmers in distant fields—all came clearly into Empress Dowager Xiang’s view.

The telescope seemed to possess magical power, shrinking distances and making Empress Dowager Xiang feel as if she were immersed in those scenes, sensing the life and breath of different people.

A joyful smile never left Empress Dowager Xiang’s aged face.

Beside her, Zheng Xiansu and Wang Yisu watched the unbroken smile on her face and thought: “How many years has it been since the Empress Dowager was this happy? Shen Wang truly knows how to please her—in this regard, Duan Wang cannot even compare!”

Then, Zheng Xiansu and Wang Yisu turned to Zhao Yu, their eyes filled with admiration and deep affection…

…

As Zhao Yu accompanied Empress Dowager Xiang in gazing afar, Zhang Chun, Li Lin, Ye Shi Yun, and Yuan Qing Cheng approached Ma Xiao Jiao. They gestured to her from a distance, signaling her to come over and chat.

To be honest, Ma Xiao Jiao was now a little afraid—no, more accurately, a little embarrassed to face Zhang Chun and the other three.

—She, a transmigrator, had been so easily won over by Zhao Yu, a native—this was a disgrace to all transmigrators.

But she could not refuse.

If her man wished to become Emperor and rule well, he would need the help of these four women.

With no choice, Ma Xiao Jiao told Tong Guan: “Chief Tong, I’ll go speak with some old friends. Please watch over things here.”

Tong Guan, knowing Ma Xiao Jiao was Zhao Yu’s favored concubine, would never refuse her face—he immediately beamed: “My lady, go ahead. Everything here is under my care.”

Then, Ma Xiao Jiao took the food box she had prepared in advance from Shan Duo’s hands and walked toward Zhang Chun and the other three women…

…

(End of Chapter)