Li Zhi's identity and vision meant he could never have conceived that Wu Meiniang would usurp the throne and become empress herself.
It wasn't that he was foolish, but rather that the highest status afforded to women in the feudal era was that of the emperor's wife, mother, or grandmother, not the emperor herself.
Those who criticize Li Zhi as foolish for this are all armchair quarterbacks.
The same situation appears in "The Pure Scent of Musk."
After the finale of this drama aired, many self-proclaimed "big brains" online laughed at the Empress, deeming her foolish for not adopting the Fourth Prince when she had the chance. Instead, she supported the Third Prince, who only seemed to grow taller, and was thus exploited by Zhen Huan.
When Jiang Ling saw these comments, she found them extremely laughable.
The Empress raising the Third Prince was not foolish; on the contrary, it was very astute.
Firstly, the imperial succession system in ancient times dictated that the legitimate heir took precedence, and if there was no legitimate heir, the eldest son would inherit.
As both her and Chun Yuan's children had died prematurely, and the Emperor had no legitimate sons, the Third Prince was, in effect, the eldest son.
The eldest son inheriting the throne was the most lawful succession. Otherwise, Emperor Wanli would not have stubbornly clashed with his court officials over the matter of establishing his eldest son, Zhu Changluo, as Crown Prince, leading him to refuse to attend court for over twenty years.
Secondly, a mother's status is elevated by her son's, and a son's status is elevated by his mother's.
The status of a prince was closely tied to his birth mother.
The Third Prince's birth mother was Consort Qi, while the Fourth Prince's birth mother was a lowly palace maid. It was clear whose status was more esteemed, wasn't it?
As the eldest son with a high-status birth mother, the Third Prince surpassed the Fourth Prince in every aspect.
If Jiang Ling were the Empress, without knowing the future, she too would have undoubtedly chosen the Third Prince without hesitation.
Zhen Huan raising the Fourth Prince was not her choice, but an arrangement by the Emperor.
If it weren't for the actual historical events and the protagonist's halo effect, she would never have been able to defeat the Empress, who had a higher pedigree with the Third Prince.
A person's destiny can indeed be very peculiar.
The future is unpredictable; one only knows by living each day.
Jiang Ling could not control the future, and the only thing she could do was to live each day as well as she could.
This way, when she grew old, she would not regret wasting her youth and time.
This might be the biggest gain she derived from filming "The Great Tang Twin Sages."
After filming Li Zhi's final scene, Jian Zhou and Jiang Ling had a wrap-up meal together outside.
While they were enjoying their meal, Jiang Ling received a message from Jiang Yushuang stating that Jian Zhou's mother was preparing to make a move against her.
Seeing Jiang Ling's stiff expression, Jian Zhou leaned closer and, upon seeing the message, also became very grim. "Lingzi, ignore this. Focus on filming. I'll handle my mother."
But Jiang Ling shook her head. "If it's meant to be, it will be. If it's trouble, it can't be avoided. Don't you interfere with this; I'll handle it myself."
"But my mother..."
"This is a war between women. It's best you men don't get involved, lest you get hurt!"
Jian Zhou: "..."
Although she spoke with a confident tone, Jiang Ling couldn't help but feel worried in her heart.
After all, this was Jian Zhou's mother. She couldn't just grab her hair and beat her upon meeting, asking, "Do you accept me as your daughter-in-law? If not, I'll beat your face until it's bruised!"
Violence was not an option, but neither could she be a doormat to be trampled upon.
Jiang Ling found herself in a dilemma.
A few days later, Jiang Ling received an invitation delivered by someone sent by Jian Zhou's mother. It invited her to a meal at the city's most high-end club, requesting her presence.
Although it was phrased as "requesting her presence," the provocation and oppression were evident between the lines.