He Lianfang asked, "After Emperor Chen Yuan ascended the throne, the regent proposed to return the court affairs to him, yet Emperor Chen Yuan refused this request and even rewarded the regent. Why is that?"
Zhao Yao replied, "The regent's proposal to return the court affairs to Emperor Chen Yuan was an excuse. He wanted to test Emperor Chen Yuan, not genuinely return control to him."
He Lianfang deliberately asked, "Why do you think it was a test?"
"The regent had been in control of the court affairs for a long time, and all major decisions were his to make. How could he possibly return the court affairs to Emperor Chen Yuan?" Zhao Yao replied, "His proposal to return the court affairs was, on one hand, to test Emperor Chen Yuan, to see what he was thinking, and on the other hand, to put on a show, as the entire court of ministers and the people of the realm were watching."
"Why did Emperor Chen Yuan refuse the regent's request to return the court affairs?"
