Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 1082 Handling with Care: A Helpless Choice!

Before Zhaoyang Palace, the imperial bedchamber of Gaoyao, more than twenty women stood silently. They were of varying ages, with extraordinary beauty and exquisite attire; they were the ladies of Gaoyao. At this moment, no one spoke, no one even looked around; all of them lowered their heads, awaiting the arrival of the emperor.

When Gao Yao's figure appeared at the end of the corridor, the air seemed to freeze.

"See your Majesty!"

The women bowed in unison, their voices synchronized yet tinged with barely concealed nervousness. They remained in their bowed posture, none daring to rise first, nor to look directly at Gao Yao.

Gao Yao did not respond immediately. His gaze slowly swept over the group of women, finally landing on the women at the front—Lü Zhi, Lü Su, Yu Shu, Xiao Yue... These women who had followed him the earliest were now embroiled in the most unwarranted conflict.

He strode through the crowd, and the women quickly made way for him. The hem of his dark court robe brushed against the polished ground, making a soft rustling sound. The sound was exceptionally clear in the silence, each note striking a chord in the women's hearts.

Gao Yao walked to the main seat, turned around, and sat down. It was a throne covered with a white tiger skin, smaller than the one in the court, but equally majestic.

"Get up, all of you," he said calmly.

The women straightened up, but kept their heads down, not daring to meet his gaze. Only the sounds of breathing and the soft rustling of fabric filled the palace.

"It seems you're all in quite a mood while I'm away." Gao Yao's voice was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. "The matter of the crown prince concerns the very foundation of the nation; how can the harem dare to discuss it so casually?"

One sentence sent shivers down the spines of every woman.

Gao Yao continued, "Not to mention, some people actually wanted to use this matter to stir up trouble, and even..." His gaze was like a knife, sweeping over Yu Shu's pale face, "...had thoughts they shouldn't have had."

Yu Shu swayed slightly, almost unable to stand. Lu Su, who was beside her, instinctively wanted to support her, but dared not move.

Gao Yao took everything in, sighing inwardly. Some of these women had followed him since his humble beginnings, some had entered the harem through political marriages, and some were spoils of war... Each had her own thoughts and schemes. He could turn a blind eye to minor squabbles in daily life, but when it came to the heir and palace coups, this crossed his bottom line.

"Xiaoyue," Gao Yao called out.

Standing beside Lü Su, Xiao Yue trembled, took a few timid steps forward, and knelt down: "This concubine is here."

Gao Yao looked at her. Xiao Yue was one of his earliest women, gentle and unassuming, who bore him four sons, Gao Qun. In this turmoil, her sons were caught up in the succession struggle, but Xiao Yue herself did nothing, neither fighting for her sons nor protecting them from the conflict.

“Women are inherently weak, but mothers are strong,” Gao Yao said slowly. “Since you know that Gao Qun has been involved, why do you do nothing and just let him face all this alone?”

Xiaoyue was stunned. She had thought the king would blame her for participating in the conflict, or for failing to properly educate her son and getting him involved in the dispute, but she never expected him to blame her for "inaction".

"I...I thought..." Xiaoyue stammered, tears welling in her eyes, "I thought that by not fighting or grabbing, I could stay safe..."

"Peace?" Gao interrupted her. "If I really don't come back this time, do you think you can guarantee your and your child's safety by not fighting or grabbing? Among your sisters, is there anyone who might threaten their son?"

Xiaoyue's face turned deathly pale. She truly hadn't considered things that deeply. She naively believed that as long as she didn't actively compete, she wouldn't become a target. But she forgot that in this deep palace, sometimes mere existence itself is a threat.

“Not competing or grabbing, being law-abiding and keeping to oneself, is a good thing.” Gao Yao’s tone softened slightly. “But it depends on the situation. You should fight when you should fight, and protect when you should protect. Blindly backing down is not wisdom, it’s foolishness.”

"Yes... I understand." Xiaoyue kowtowed, her voice choked with sobs.

Gao Yao gestured towards the outside of the hall. Immediately, twelve palace maids filed in and lined up on both sides. These maids were all newly selected, with delicate features and proper manners, but at this moment, they made all the women in the hall feel a chill—the king was about to invoke palace rules.

"Xiaoyue, you will be confined to your quarters for three months to reflect on your mistakes. During this period, you are not allowed to leave the palace or see any outsiders." Gao Yao announced the punishment. "The palace maids who originally served you were all transferred from Zhaoyang Palace due to their inadequate supervision, and their salaries will be suspended for three months."

Xiaoyue breathed a sigh of relief. The punishment was much lighter than she had expected—at least she wasn't stripped of her rank, banished to the cold palace, or implicated her son.

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." She kowtowed sincerely.

Two palace maids stepped forward, helped Xiaoyue up, and led her out of the hall. As Xiaoyue left, she turned back to look at Gao Yao, her eyes filled with gratitude and guilt.

Gao Yao turned his gaze to Lü Su.

Lu Su's heart tightened, and she knelt down. In this affair, because Gao Yao was absent, Lu Su had indeed harbored the idea of ​​profiting from the conflict between the two sides, and had even helped Gao Ning contact some court officials. However, her actions hadn't been significant. Lu Su had a two-pronged approach: if the opportunity arose, she would push Gao Ning to the throne; if not, she would maintain connections to ensure Gao Ning's safety.

"Confined to your quarters for a month, then you may leave." Gao Yao's punishment was concise and clear.

Lü Su was stunned, almost unable to believe her ears. Just a month of confinement? No other punishment? She looked at Gao Yao, her eyes filled with both confusion and gratitude.

"Thank you so much, Your Majesty." She kowtowed in gratitude and left the hall under the guidance of the palace maids.

Gao Yao's gaze swept over the other women. Most of them had been brought into the harem later; some were gifts from local officials, some were spoils of war, and some were political marriages. They were not deeply involved in this turmoil, mostly observing or taking sides lightly.

"You may all return to the palace," Gao Yao waved his hand. "This matter has no direct connection to you, but you should take it as a warning. Dismissed."

The women, feeling as if granted a pardon, bowed and took their leave. Before long, only Gao Yao, Lü Zhi, and Yu Shu remained in the main hall.

The air seemed to freeze.

Yu Shu knew it was her turn. She slowly stepped forward, knelt on the ground, offered no explanation, no begging for mercy, but simply awaited her verdict. This former Princess Tu'an, now a noble consort of the dynasty, wore a calm tinged with despair.

"Yu Shu," Gao Yao began, his voice complex, "you..."

“Your Majesty need not say more.” Yu Shu raised her head, tears welling in her eyes, but a sorrowful smile on her lips. “I know my sins are grave. I only ask for death, and I hope Your Majesty will not implicate Gao Zhe. All the blame lies with me alone.”