The relationship may be too structured for your tastes and it may feel like in the end you are only there to appease and address the Emperor's whims. Maybe even getting the feeling like he's only continuing the relationship out of charity work. There's also a degree of you wanting things on your terms in the 6oP, but I think that this may very well feel like unappreciated with the Emperor "leveling out" the playing field so to speak. So the situation may continue, but it'll be "his way".
You may have expected the 4W would provide breathing room after a good "heart to heart", it does give a a grander feeling of liberation, but this only gives the Emperor ample room to impose his will on his "lesser" (6P), as long as you continue to play that role in the relationship. I can see this ill-dignified as someone taking advantage of your inability to impose structure. So instead, the false Emperor continues to impose his will, pull all the strings in the relationship... in other words, 6P says the worst of this relationship will not change, and it likely will get worse as the Emperor imposes more and more rules on your interactions. He may even lose interest in this "game" after a while. 6P though, I think suggesting a power game of some sort here is being played... by the both of you.
The other thought, if he did decide to see someone else to start a relationship with, your friendship would only go as far as the 4oW. It may already be on his mind, with a fully instantiated Emperor in the mist. It feels overpowering compared to these other cards, so maybe that means the room for the "new" the 4W would normally bring, instead brings an unwelcome visitor (a reality check) in the form of the Emperor.
It may be also he is trying to reimpose a stricter set of boundaries in the 6P/Emperor so as to keep away future trouble. In other words, keep you exactly "where you belong". So maybe don't expect much more "reciprocation" on his part. You will possibly get entangled with him through little interactions and obsessing about whether, but it may be that those efforts are highly conditional, seeing that the Emperor tends to have some sort of "purpose" in mind when he appears in reading. I would almost say the 4W is a means to the end... maybe this is what you are hoping, that it will eventually bring order to the relationship and you can then impose your own order... but I guess look at the relationship in it's current state, and ask yourself, are you really up to the task?
I can see you as being the beggar who sits to the side waiting for his coin while he takes care of the other guy. In other words, he gets to pick and choose... meanwhile, you're wasting away waiting for the fruits of the 4W to instantiate in the Emperor... when all the while, he is taking advantage of your adoration (i.e. his "gifts" to you) that he stays in contact... it's possible the Emperor is pointing to a growing ego on his or both yours part, where you both are in a struggle to more or less tit for tat the other. I don't know that this situation will lead to more structure... it may be that the hope will be there on both sides, but the situation will only get more confusing as both are trying out their new roles.
Tbh, I think he is intending to put an end to the relationship. Whether consciously or not, the Emperor tends to come to "clean up" after messy situations. It may be this card is appearing to show the relationship NEEDS structure. The way I see it, it ends at the 4W. The 6P is drawing blood from a turnip. The Emperor would suggest the door is closed in terms of any type of substantial friendship to appear. The 4W is probably the wake up call you both needed. It may be that neither of you do well with full control. You both need boundaries about how to act and when. He may give you answer a few more of your texts and be willing to listen to you, but the feelings just aren't there. It's charity work because it's a hassle he has to deal with on his part (where he sees himself as the giver here) because he may want structure, and you may want structure too, but you'll want it your way. So it's more of a power struggle than a friendship. He may have too much pride to tell you exactly how it is, but that's what it is.
You may feel you are the giver is you in this case, having made the effort to appear before him and appease his sense of ego, but this Emperor is urging boundaries in the situation. You'll free to be liberated, but because of some sense of "obligation" to this person (6P + Emperor)", you keep going back. As far as this Emperor is concerned, HE is now free to impose his will however he chooses since he feels once and for all he has all the power in the relationship. That was it's effect with the 4W, was to create a power vacuum in the 6P to be taken up and Emperor to impose his selfish whims. A "requirement" for this continued "support" (6P) it would seem is you will need to put up wtih his pride more often. It may be too that he is not very good at friendships and dealing with people in general and it may be that the 6P + Emperor suggests he will abuse the power he is given since he has been given far too much to know what to do with it. Maybe he sees you as the "lesser" of the two who requires support and needs firm direction, in an unhealthy sense of obligation, he continues to simply "be available" as you need that guiding post (in the future card).
I'm more or less in agreement with BrightEye, that this relationship will be highly unequal. The problem with 6P in friendships, with it being sandwiched between a "freedom" card and a "restriction" card, there's the concern this will turn into a codependent situation when you are literally waiting with baited breath for this Emperor to appear. The relationship will be challenged emotionally every step of the way. Every interaction will have a caveat (6P) and every effort you make will be scrutinized (Edit: More fitting in this case, like a puzzle piece needing to have it's place). In other words, you'll be giving up your own sense of freedom to continue to engage this relationship. You also won't be able to fully move on and you won't be willing to pursue new relationships.
The other thought, he can't tell you how YOU should run your life. I think this is the "teacher" in the Emperor. He may feel in some twisted way he is "helping" you by not giving you attention when you demand it (Emperor). I usually refer to the first card in these kinds of spreads as the "birthpoint"/foundation card. The relationship itself is at a good start, but because of the obligations of the 6P, it will quickly fall into restriction. In other words, you're likely to end up back where you started.
I don't think of cards always telling us the future exactly, I think they tell us what is likely to manifest from CURRENT conditions and energies... I think with the Emperor in the end and the 6P, you're getting blood from a turnip. This relationship is very conditional (on both ends really). That will put an end ultimately to the relationship if certain conditions or goals are not satisfied in the 6oP. The writing is more or less on the wall at that point.
I normally love the Emperor card for the clarity he brings to the situation (at least through structure), but in this case, it's someone whose arrogance and domineering behavior far overstayed their welcome at the local hostel. Maybe he thinks it's Trump hotel? In either case, I see the 4W as removing his reigns and letting him run wild since he can create all kinds of silly rules and create structure exactly as he wishes. Not a recipe for happiness for you, but "good enough" for him since he gets to pulls all the strings.
If you're once attracted to this air of prestige (his ambiance he would say), and if any of this sounds remotely true, then I would consider giving your BS meter a good check. You have given this guy so much of your time and energy, and the 4W as foundation suggests you're better off without this complication as the 6P+Emperor may bring un-needed restrictions to how you enjoy your life... 4W being on the subject of YOUR enjoyment, YOUR sense of freedom... 6P I can see you as giving away your time and attention, ultimately all that the 4W gives to you... to someone whose ego is inflated and who creates unnecessary conditions for their being apart of your life.
