stonecrandall Chapter 1014 Gao Lin is too restrained and has been ruined by his teaching!
Chapter 1014 Gao Lin is too restrained and has been ruined by his teaching!
The night was as dark as ink, so thick it seemed impossible to dissolve. The vast complex of the Palace of Light cast heavy shadows under the moonlight, like a lurking beast, silently watching the turbulent emotions within its walls.
Palace lanterns lit up one after another, winding along the long palace path like streams emitting a faint warm light, eventually flowing into the palaces of their respective owners. Among them, Empress Lü's bedroom—Chang Le Palace—was brightly lit at this moment, the glow shining through the exquisite window lattices, yet it could not dispel the solemnity and oppression that permeated the air.
Inside Chang Le Palace, the air was filled with the fragrance of fine agarwood, its aroma rich and long-lasting. But this fragrance, usually soothing, now seemed to intensify the unease within. The palace was lavishly furnished, with gold and jade vessels and brocade curtains, all reflecting the owner's noble status and power.
Empress Lü sat regally in the main seat, dressed in a dark robe embroidered with intricate phoenix patterns in gold thread on the lapels and cuffs, exuding solemnity and majesty. Her face remained beautiful, but the marks of time and political maneuvering etched around her eyes and brows gave her an imposing aura even when silent. However, beneath this imposing presence lay a barely perceptible weariness and…disappointment.
The palace doors were gently pushed open by a palace attendant, and a slightly slender figure walked in against the light—it was none other than the eldest son, Gao Lin. His steps were steady, but upon closer inspection, one could see that his hands, hanging at his sides, were slightly clenched, as if he were suppressing something. Reaching a few steps before Empress Lü's seat, Gao Lin stopped, bowed, and performed a proper salute, his movements textbook perfect and meticulous.
"Your subject Gao Lin greets Your Majesty. May I ask what important matter Your Majesty has summoned me here so late at night?" His voice was clear and resonant, yet it carried an inherent caution, even bordering on...timidity. Every word seemed to have been carefully weighed before being uttered, as if afraid of making the slightest mistake.
Empress Lü did not immediately rouse him. Her gaze, like the finest ruler, meticulously measured her son before her. Gao Lin inherited the best features of both his parents; his features were refined, and his demeanor gentle—a quintessential gentleman. Yet, beneath this gentleness lay a lack of the decisiveness and sharpness expected of someone in a position of power.
He lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the ground in front of him, not daring to meet his mother's eyes. His posture was not like that of a young master who was about to come of age and had the potential to inherit the throne, but rather like that of a child waiting for instruction from his teacher.
"You really don't know?" Lü Zhi asked, her voice steady and unreadable, but the slight upward inflection at the end of her sentence was like a fine needle gently pricking Gao Lin's heart.
Gao Lin's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and his head drooped even lower: "Your son... Your son has been studying military books and strategies in the study ever since he returned from the hunt, without daring to slack off for a moment. Father often teaches that the way of a general is to know oneself and one's enemy. Your son is dull-witted, and only diligence can make up for his shortcomings." He tried to prove himself through hard work, but he completely failed to understand the true intention behind his mother's question.
Seeing Gao Lin's appearance, Lü Zhi felt a surge of pent-up frustration that almost burst forth, but it ultimately transformed into a long, heavy sigh that escaped her lips. "Alas..." This sigh contained too many complex emotions—helplessness, anxiety, and a deep, belated regret.
At that moment, she understood perfectly what Gao Yao had told her before. Gao Yao said she was too strict with Lin'er, interfering in everything, big and small, and that this would stifle his natural instincts and prevent him from making his own decisions. While she outwardly agreed, she disagreed, believing that strict discipline was the key to success, especially in a family like theirs caught in the vortex of power, where one wrong step could lead to utter ruin. She firmly believed that her methods were the best protection for her son.
But now, looking at the son before her who was almost entirely "molded" according to her expectations, Lü Zhi felt a chilling cold for the first time. Gao Lin was respectful, diligent, and filial; he almost never went against her or Gao Yao's wishes.
But this also means that he is like an overly exquisite piece of porcelain, well-ordered but lacking the resilience and tenacity of life itself. His first reaction to any situation is to ask for instructions and obey, rather than to think, judge, and act for himself. Such a person, let alone be a monarch who rules the world and balances the court, may not even be competent as a minister who needs to stand alone.
At this moment, Lü Zhi finally realized with pain that the root of all this lay largely with herself. Her strong personality was ingrained in her very being, whether in that hazy memory of another historical period or in the reality she was in now, which had been altered by Gao Yao.
A person's personality may be temporarily hidden or restrained for certain people or things, but its essence is extremely difficult to truly change. This domineering nature is especially evident when dealing with one's own children, and it is unconsciously revealed without warning.
As for Gao Yao, that man of deep thoughts and unpredictable methods, Empress Lü was neither qualified nor capable of "managing" him; their relationship was more of a cooperation and a check and balance. But as for Gao Lin, Gao Yao was busy with war and politics all year round and had no time to discipline him carefully, so the burden of his education mostly fell on Empress Lü's shoulders.
From the very beginning of Gao Lin's education, his life was meticulously planned. Every day, there were strict rules about when to get up, when to read, what books to read, and to what extent to read; when to practice martial arts and what weapons to use; how to greet and what to say to which minister; and even when to eat and when to go to bed.
His favorite toys, if deemed "frivolous and distracting," would be ruthlessly confiscated; any interests or hobbies he occasionally revealed that were unbecoming of a young master would also be promptly corrected. His life was as if tightly bound by an invisible framework, allowing no room for transgression.
Year after year, this led to the direct consequence that Gao Lin almost completely lost the courage and ability to make his own decisions. His thinking seemed to have become accustomed to relying on external instructions, and anything outside of the established plan would make him feel lost and uneasy. He dared not refute Lü Zhi, much less disobey Gao Yao, and all his personality and ideas were worn down by the daily "discipline".
This is one of the reasons why Gao Yao grew increasingly disliked his eldest son. Gao Yao himself had risen through the ranks from the bottom, and he admired people with courage, ambition, and adaptability. He had once tried to entrust Gao Lin to Li Si, who was known for his wisdom and resourcefulness, hoping that Li Si's tact and intelligence would influence Gao Lin and break down the suffocating "sense of rules" within him.