To begin with, I do think the Emperor low-key loves and takes pride in his son. I feel like as a child, he did not want to pamper him, so that Suige does not become an easy target and then cultivated this ‘hatred’ between them. But it is just annoying to keep that going when he is his pride and joy, and his greatest support. I do hope they make up before it is too late. They were obviously a close knit family before the former Empress’s incident.
Now to the theory, I used the word ‘incident’ because I am hoping that she is actually still alive. Might be a wild goose theory but these are my reasons:
1. She was a warrior. Even if she was plotted against, she would not have gone down without fighting fiercely.
2. The emperor forbidding the matter appears two-pronged to me, On the surface, it appeared he felt betrayed but didnt want the royal family tto be gossiped about, so he shut it down. But what if it is all a cover-up. She was badly injured and barely escaped with her life, so he did that to help her cover her tracks.
3. The theory in the latter part of No.2 will add up if:
A. She is recuperating or even leading that secluded place we heard about when Lord Ling came into the story.
B. Lord Ling is actually the couple’s secret messenger. Comes around once a year and the emperor turned out to be who he comes to take care of secretly.
C. Lord Ling sounded very familiar to FSG and his mum. I cannot remember hearing any previous interactions that suggest they knew each other. Well, apart from FSG’s knowledge of that healing pool.
D. FSG’s mum is the second person (well, the first) that Lord Ling had ever had to reconstruct their meridians according to LXY.
(There is definitely more to Lord Ling’s affection for FSG. He is always grumpy and harsh but never denies him anything or even reprimands him too much. He seems like FSG’s grumpy but loving uncle).
I really do hope I am right. Do not know if the novel touches any of these, or if it is completely different.
