Empress Liu could be said to be a virtuous and shrewd woman.

On the matter of naming a Taizi, she wavered. After all, First Wangzi was a Di son and the eldest.

Other women would have certainly killed First Wangzi while her husband was in power. But Ne Liu did not do so and actually treated her husbands deceased wifes son well. Even when the Emperor was discussing naming a Taizi, she prevented her family from interfering.

Finally, the Emperor named Ne Lius eldest son as Taizi. She was afraid that First Wangzi would be upset, so she took her Taizi son and swore an oath in front of First Wangzi to never harm his big brother.

So when Xuanwu Emperor ascended the throne, he immediately bestowed the title Ning Wang to his older brother.

Ning Wang and Ne Liu had a very good relationship. They were as close as biological mother and son.

Actually, this Liu Empress Dowager was Zi Yous Aunt Ne Lius distant cousin. Ne Lius father, Liu Ruiyuan, was a second-rank senior minister. He was the Empress Dowagers cousins son, from a different branch of the family.

There was another Wei Wang, the Emperors third brother. Wei Wangs mother was the previous Emperors favored Liang Fei.

This Wei Wang was one of the powerful contenders of the throne then. If not for Empress Dowager Liu and her father Duke Anguo obtaining the previous emperors trust and respect, the throne would not be the current Emperors.

To make a metaphor: the previous Emperor was like Li Shimin, Empress Dowager Liu was like Empress Changsun, and Liang Fei was like Li Kes mother: Yang Fei [all historical figures and references].

The last to mention was the Emperors younger brother: An Wang.

An Wang, Shangguan Yixuan, was the previous Emperors sixth son. He was thirty-four years old and the current Empress Dowagers most beloved son.