Emperor Chu looked at Empress Gongsun kneeling at his feet for quite a while before bursting into laughter. He leaned over to lift her up and pulled her to sit beside him, patting her hand.
"Throughout history, I fear you might be the only empress to proactively suggest deposing the Crown Prince if he is too foolish to teach, even though he is your own legitimate son."
Empress Gongsun replied, "Precisely because he is my legitimate son, I dare not allow him to falter. I am a mother, but before that, I am the Empress of a nation. My foremost responsibility and duty are to consider the nation's continuity. If the Crown Prince misleads the country and endangers the dynasty, who bears the blame? As his mother, I cannot evade responsibility."
"Listen to what you're saying. We just established the Crown Prince today, and you're already speaking such ominous words?" Emperor Chu feigned annoyance.
