stonecrandall Chapter 1050 Xiao He's Sudden Request for an Audience!
Chapter 1050 Xiao He's Sudden Request for an Audience!
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Lü Zhi's body, which trembled slightly with anger, and added, "By the way, to keep my sister from being lonely, I will also invite Lin'er over to keep her company."
"Yu Shu! How dare you!" Empress Lü was utterly enraged, shouting fiercely, her words filled with the authority and threat of a queen. She was certain that if anything happened to her here, Yu Shu would be implicated and would inevitably face a thunderous retaliation.
However, Yu Shu merely straightened her sleeves slightly, her tone remaining calm, yet carrying an all-encompassing indifference:
"There's nothing to be afraid of, sister. The royal physicians will diagnose that Your Majesty... fell ill due to excessive longing for the King, and needs to rest and recuperate, and is not fit to receive guests. This is perfectly reasonable, isn't it?"
As soon as the words fell, the twenty-odd maids stepped forward slightly. Although they did not draw their weapons, the invisible pressure completely enveloped Lü Zhi. A palace coup was quietly unfolding amidst this seemingly gentle conversation.
Yu Shu stood by the window of Queen Lü Zhi's palace, her fingertips icy cold. Even her magnificent palace attire seemed unable to ward off the chill rising from the depths of her heart. She understood the current situation better than anyone. Yes, she and her son Gao Zhe were not entirely without a chance. Through years of quiet cultivation, especially by leveraging the networks of military generals like Batu, she had indeed garnered some support. This support, like chess pieces scattered on a board, possessed some power, but was far from enough to determine the outcome.
“Batu…and those military officers…” Yu Shu murmured to herself, a bitter smile appearing on her lips. Most of these people were mid- to low-ranking officers. They might be brave and might have influence in certain areas, but their voices were far too limited to truly affect the central government and the core power circle chosen by the supreme heir.
The attitudes of Xiao He, the chief minister, Cao Can, the second minister, and the generals and ministers who had followed Gao Yao in conquering the country remained ambiguous, or rather, they were more inclined to support the eldest son who was rightfully in power and had a strong family background.
Yu Shu knew very well that time was not on her side. His Majesty Gao Yao was advanced in years and had recently fallen ill; the struggle for succession had long since moved from the shadows to the surface. Every day of delay increased the uncertainty. Empress Lü was no easy opponent; Yu Shu had experienced her political acumen and ruthless decisiveness firsthand over the years. If Empress Lü were to completely consolidate her power, or if she were to seize any leverage over them, then her and Zhe'er's fate would likely be a thousand times worse than imprisonment in the cold palace.
"Delay will only lead to trouble!" These four words burned like a red-hot iron, searing Yu Shu's nerves. It was this growing sense of urgency and fear of the future that finally prompted her to make this risky plan—to control Lü Zhi, to use the Queen to command the court officials, and at least in critical times, to buy herself and Zhe'er the initiative and time.
At this moment, the maids standing in Lü Zhi's palace were the key executors of her plan. Nominally maids, they were in reality assassins secretly selected and meticulously trained by Yu Shu from the Southern Border through Batu over many years. Their lives were already bound to Yu Shu's, and their loyalty was beyond question.
Taking advantage of the management loopholes in the palace caused by the preparations for selecting a concubine for Gao Yao, Yu Shu cleverly managed to infiltrate these "maids" into the list of palace service personnel in advance. Since the last assassination attempt, the palace security had indeed become much stricter, but the checks on these palace maids who were responsible for miscellaneous tasks in the inner court and whose identities were "clean" could not be as strict as those on military officers and officials.
This oversight in detail was seized upon and exploited by the astute and anxious Yu Shu. Selecting concubines for Gao Yao was a top priority, and choosing maids to enter the palace in preparation was perfectly normal; who would bother to investigate the true origins of these maids? It was precisely this blind spot in thinking that gave Yu Shu the opportunity to successfully deploy this surprise force around Lü Zhi.
The atmosphere inside the hall was oppressively tense, almost suffocating. Empress Lü sat regally in the main seat. Even though she was in a passive position, her powerful aura, honed over many years, still made the maids who had tried to seize her tremble with fear,不敢然若乱作 (不敢然若作乱作 - this phrase is a Chinese idiom meaning "dare not act rashly"). Her gaze, like an icy spike, pierced directly at Yu Shu: "Yu Shu, do you know what you are doing? If His Majesty finds out, if the court officials find out, you and Zhe'er will be doomed!"
Yu Shu's heart clenched; Lü Zhi's words struck her deepest fear. But she couldn't back down. Things had come to this; like an arrow released from a bow, there was no turning back. She forced herself to remain calm, but her voice trembled slightly: "Sister, there's no need to say more! Now, what other options do you think I have? I only want to fight for Zhe'er's survival!" She waved her hand, signaling the maids not to forcibly pull her away. "Please have the Queen move to the inner palace to rest. To the outside world, say that the Queen is unwell and needs to recuperate for some time."
Yu Shu remained clear-headed. Killing Lü Zhi? That would be the most foolish choice. Lü Zhi's sudden death would trigger a massive upheaval in the court and endless investigations. At that time, no matter how clean she acted, suspicion would ultimately fall on her and Zhe'er. Then, she would lose not only her right to the throne, but also her life. Therefore, she could only control, imprison, and exploit information and time differences to operate, rather than completely destroy her. The delicate balance she struck was crucial.
Just as several maids were surrounding Lü Zhi, whose face was frosty, preparing to lead her to the inner palace—
"Your Highness, Lord Xiao He requests an audience!"
The sound of the imperial guards' orders outside the palace boomed like thunder, instantly shattering the silence. The already tense atmosphere nearly broke. Several maids' expressions changed drastically, instinctively clutching the short blades hidden in their sleeves. Yu Shu was even more shaken, turning around abruptly, her brows furrowed tightly.
Xiao He? Why would he enter the palace at this hour? And why would he directly request an audience with Empress Lü?! Yu Shu's mind raced, a multitude of possibilities flashing through her mind. Was it a routine government report? Impossible, something extremely important must have happened so late at night. Had the plan been leaked? Had Xiao He already noticed the unusual activity in the palace? Countless thoughts and speculations surged into her mind, making her feel dizzy.
Xiao He must not be allowed to see Lü Zhi! Absolutely not!
Empress Lü's intelligence and shrewdness, combined with Xiao He's experience and composure, meant that if these two met, even for a brief exchange, without even a word, just a glance would be enough for Xiao He's keen insight to detect a momentous event from Empress Lü's demeanor and the unusual atmosphere in the palace. At that point, a single order from him to mobilize the Imperial Guards would be enough to wipe out everything he had painstakingly built, along with his own and Zhe'er's lives, in an instant.