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I think one of the empress' mistakes was making people "loyal" to her through fear, abuse and threats. If she had been wiser she should have raised Astana to be loyal to her making him think that that is how he should be and being the power in the shadows that controls the empire through a puppet emperor by making him think that she IS wiser than her and all that. Also, if you're making sure that its your son who is inheriting the throne, make sure there's no other candidate. That or make sure the other child ALSO becomes a loyal puppet.
People are no different from animals, abuse them too much and they Will turn on you, feed them cookies and nice words and they will obey and protect you.
Also, stopping the killing of other babies would be helpful. She literally ended the lives of women and children, which crossed a real line. If anything, it proved her insecurity about her ability to become queen through skill, wit, and wisdom.
I dont think It's about insecurity or lack of ability. The Emperor rose to power by killing every single other member of the royal family, if I'm not wrong, so she was making sure that no other royal bloodline would get in her way and there would be no battle for the throne with the possibility of another child doing the same thing the Emperor did, specially if your plan IS to make your child dumb and useless without you...
What? Mungo is evolving!
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