69novels Chapter 1044 Mutual Testing, Yu Shu's Conditions!
Chapter 1044 Mutual Testing, Yu Shu's Conditions!
Lu Zhi's mind was filled with doubt, but the conditions Yu Shu proposed were indeed very tempting. If she could take this opportunity to completely subdue Yu Shu and the forces behind her, and make Gao Yu give up the struggle, then Gao Lin's path to the throne would be much smoother. She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and waved her hand at the still stunned Gao Lin, her tone leaving no room for doubt: "Lin'er, you may step back."
Gao Lin glanced at his mother, then at the unusually poised Lady Yu Shu. Though filled with curiosity and confusion, he still bowed as instructed and slowly retreated towards the inner palace.
Empress Lü's entire attention was focused on Yu Shu, trying to find a flaw in her expression. She didn't notice that when Empress Lü ordered Gao Lin to leave, Yu Shu, with her eyelids lowered, subtly curved her lips into a faint, chilling smile. That smile didn't contain submission, but rather a mocking satisfaction of a successful scheme, and some deeper, unknown calculation.
The air inside the palace grew heavy and stagnant due to the confrontation between the two most powerful women in the harem. The night outside seemed to deepen as well. No one in Xianyang was destined to sleep that night. Xiao He's "invitation" and Yu Shu's unusual plea for peace were like two powerful undercurrents, violently colliding with the foundations of the Qin Dynasty's power structure.
"Yushu, there are no outsiders here now, so there's no need for such formalities. Just say what you have to say!"
Gao Lin's figure disappeared outside the palace gates, and the heavy, carved wooden door was gently closed by the eunuch, separating the inside from the outside. Almost at the same instant the door closed, the atmosphere in the warm chamber inside the palace changed abruptly. Lü Zhi sat upright in the main seat, her back ramrod straight. The deliberately maintained, somewhat maternal, gentle demeanor she had maintained when facing her son receded like the tide, replaced by an imposing aura of authority cultivated over many years in the deep palace.
Her gaze was sharp as a knife, seemingly able to pierce through one's heart, shooting straight at Madam Yu Shu sitting below. The temperature in the entire warm pavilion seemed to drop sharply due to her change in demeanor, and even the sandalwood incense floating in the air seemed to freeze.
Yu Shu took in all these changes, but her face showed no fear. Instead, the corners of her lips lifted slightly, forming a meaningful smile that even carried a hint of understanding and regret. That smile was like a deep, still river, calm on the surface but concealing turbulent reefs within.
“Sister,” her voice remained gentle, but her tone held a sharp edge that pierced to the core, “it’s truly surprising. No wonder Lin’er is such a… gentle and humble person. Now, you are so eager for Lin’er to inherit the throne, yet you protect him like a fledgling, keeping him firmly under your wings, shielding him from any storm or gloom. But I wonder if you intend to pave a smooth path for Lin’er, making him a stable and secure ruler, or…”
She paused slightly, her gaze meeting Lü Zhi's suddenly icy stare without flinching, and softly uttered a startling question, "...Intending to replace Lin'er and seize power over the world?"
"you--!"
A thin layer of icy anger instantly settled on Lü Zhi's well-maintained face, her fingers gripping the teacup so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her gaze was fierce as she stared at Yu Shu, her chest heaving slightly. This accusation was utterly devastating! It was practically an accusation that she was a hen crowing at dawn, implying she was ruling from behind the curtain and usurping the emperor's power! If this were to spread, not only would she be doomed, but Gao Lin would also be condemned to eternal damnation.
However, Lü Zhi was Lü Zhi after all. That surging anger burned in her eyes for only a brief moment before being forcibly suppressed by her strong reason. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Because a voice deep within her reminded her—Yu Shu's words were not entirely slander and provocation; to some extent, they had precisely struck at her most hidden and contradictory pain point.
She poured all her heart and soul into Gao Lin, her only son and her hope for the future. Her maternal instincts made her almost instinctively keep Gao Lin within what she considered a "safe" sphere. She carefully selected his teachers and friends, filtered information, and eliminated any potential threats or impurities.
In her eyes, Lin'er was still "young" and "not yet ready" to face the intrigues and bloodshed of the court. She habitually walked ahead, clearing obstacles for him, hoping that he could follow the safest path she had laid out and gradually ascend to that supreme position.
But Yu Shu's merciless words today were like a thunderbolt, shattering the cognitive barriers she had built up over a long period of time. She suddenly realized that it was precisely this meticulous, almost suffocating "protection" of hers that, like a carefully pruned greenhouse, while blocking out the wind and rain from the outside world, also stifled the tree's own ability to withstand the wind and rain.
Behind Gao Lin's gentle, courteous, frugal, and modest demeanor, is there a hidden dependence and cowardice born from being arranged and protected for a long time? On the path of a monarch who needs to stand alone, be decisive and ruthless, wouldn't such a temperament be the greatest fatal flaw?
Even today, discussing such an important and confidential matter concerning the future, she instinctively asked Gao Lin to leave. If things continued this way, even if she painstakingly placed him on the throne, how could a king who had never truly experienced the infighting and treacherous nature of power sit securely on that cold dragon throne? How could he control those ravenous courtiers and nobles? Ultimately, he might truly become, as Yu Shu had hinted, a puppet manipulated by powerful ministers, or even by her, his mother, invisibly.
Thinking of this, a fine layer of cold sweat broke out on Lü Zhi's back. She forcibly suppressed her turbulent emotions, her expression returning to its usual composure, though her eyes were even more unfathomable than before. She stopped beating around the bush with Yu Shu and went straight to the point, her voice carrying a barely perceptible hoarseness:
"Just tell me straight. After going through all this trouble, what is the purpose of your visit?"
Seeing how quickly Lü Zhi had adjusted her mindset, Yu Shu's eyes flashed with a hint of barely perceptible admiration. She then suppressed her smile and said seriously, "Sister is a smart person. Yu Shu has come today with a suggestion that may benefit both of us."
She leaned forward slightly, lowered her voice, and made her words carry more weight: "I'm sure you, sister, understand the current situation in the court better than I do. The King... his situation is unclear. Young Master Gao Ning and Young Master Gao Qun each have their own ideas and many followers, and their struggle is becoming increasingly fierce. Continuing to delay will actually be detrimental to both you and me."
"Sister, please consider this: right now, four young masters are vying for power, but the King's offspring are not limited to just these two. The longer this drags on, the more variables there will be. Those young masters who are currently observing or lack sufficient power may see an opportunity in the chaos and rise to prominence. At that time, the situation will become even more complicated and difficult to manage."