"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"
This announcement was like a truce, instantly freezing the tense, imminent atmosphere within the Golden Palace.
Regent Xiao Yuan, who had just been ready to confront the emperor head-on, slowly sat back down, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, and a meaningful smile returning to the corners of his mouth.
He knew that the real trump card to subdue his good nephew had been played.
Xiao Che's aura, which had been as sharp as a drawn sword just moments before, involuntarily softened slightly upon hearing the words "Empress Dowager." He slowly turned around, looking at the palace gate, his deep eyes filled with complex emotions—filial piety, respect, but above all, profound weariness and apprehension.
Behind the screen, Lin Wanwan's heart also tightened.
If the regent is the enemy in the open, then the empress dowager, who has long lived in the deep palace and seems to be detached from politics, is the most terrifying hand hidden behind the scenes, truly controlling countless threads.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Empress Dowager entered with great poise, surrounded by a group of palace servants.
Today, she wore a ceremonial robe symbolizing her status as Empress Dowager, and a crown with nine dragons and four phoenixes. Her makeup was exquisite and dignified. Time seemed to have been exceptionally kind to her, leaving few traces on her face, only adding to her graceful and noble bearing.
On one side of her was her niece, Consort Shu, whose title had long been revoked but whom she still kept by her side as a mere decoration; on the other side was Su Jinxiu, the former "perfect virtuous consort." At this moment, these two former rivals were like docile kittens, carefully supporting her with ingratiating smiles on their faces.
The moment the Empress Dowager appeared, she exuded a powerful aura. It was not the domineering power of an emperor, but a kind of majesty that stemmed from her status and bloodline, an aura that left no room for argument.
"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome Your Majesty the Empress Dowager! May Your Majesty live a thousand years!"
The officials, led by the regent, immediately knelt down again, this time with an even greater air of respect than when they had paid homage to the emperor.
Xiao Che descended the imperial steps and personally stepped forward to help her up, his tone carrying a complex emotion: "Mother, it's windy in the court, why did you come?"
The Empress Dowager did not let him help her up, but allowed Consort Shu and Consort Xian to support her. Her loving gaze swept across the entire room, finally landing on Xiao Che's face, her tone filled with deep "heartache" and reproach.
"Your Majesty, why are you doing this? You have just recovered from a serious illness and your body is not yet fully healed. How can you get angry with your trusted ministers over such a trivial matter in the harem?"
Her words immediately created a subtle atmosphere in the hall.
"Trivial matters of the imperial harem"?
With a single, casual remark, she characterized the fierce clash between imperial and ministerial power as a mere "family dispute" in which the emperor was throwing a tantrum over his wife.
This not only relieved the regent's faction from a predicament, but also subtly diminished the importance of the empress and this "battle for the Phoenix Seal".
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!
Upon hearing this, Liu Zan and the old Zongzheng immediately kowtowed with tears of gratitude, saying, "Your Majesty is wise! We old ministers would never dare to be angry with Your Majesty, but... we are only adhering to ancestral rules and thinking of the country and its people!"
"I know you all do this for the good of the Great Liang," the Empress Dowager said gently, then turned to Xiao Che, her tone becoming increasingly earnest, "Che'er, you are the ruler, and they are the subjects. Harmony should be valued between ruler and subject. Your thunderous anger has not only hurt the hearts of the old ministers, but also chilled the hearts of all the ministers in the land."
Every word she said made sense, and every syllable revealed a mother's loving heart that was "for your own good." But in reality, she was using the soft knife of "filial piety" to force Xiao Che to back down.
If you continue to insist, you will be disobeying your mother's advice, harming the harmony between the emperor and his subjects, and will be considered "unfilial and unbenevolent".
Xiao Che's face darkened, his thin lips pressed tightly together, and he remained silent. He knew that his most formidable enemy had arrived.
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager seemed to know that the time was right, so she stopped pressing the matter. She turned around and looked at Lin Wanwan, who had come out from behind the screen and was about to bow to her.
"Your Majesty, come here quickly." She waved to her affectionately, as if nothing had happened.
Lin Wanwan felt alarm bells ringing in her heart, but she dared not show it on her face. She stepped forward respectfully and bowed gracefully, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
"Good child, get up quickly." The Empress Dowager actually took her hand in her own, a gesture so intimate that everyone turned to look. She looked Lin Wanwan up and down, nodded with satisfaction, and her tone was full of praise.
"I heard everything from behind. The Emperor is right. The Empress is indeed a good girl."
She first affirmed Xiao Che's words of "protecting his wife," soothing her son's emotions, then changed the subject, her tone becoming even more loving:
"However, you are still young and have only been in the palace for a short time. There are many rules in the palace and etiquette in the court that you still need to learn slowly. I know that you are a smart and ambitious child and are willing to learn."
Lin Wanwan's heart skipped a beat; she knew the real killer move was about to come.
The Empress Dowager patted her hand and, in a tone that seemed to be negotiating but was actually firm and left no room for refusal, gently addressed everyone:
"This Phoenix Seal is of great importance, as it is not only the head of the harem but also connected to the imperial court. Since the Empress also feels that she still needs to learn, then how about this—I will temporarily manage this Phoenix Seal for her for a while, so that I can teach and guide her from time to time."
She glanced around at the assembled officials, her gaze finally settling on Xiao Che's face, and asked with a smile, "What do you think, is this alright?"
Upon hearing this, the entire Golden Palace fell into a deathly silence once again!
Ruthless! Even more ruthless than those two hats combined!
The Empress Dowager's move was a complete annihilation!
Instead of debating whether the empress is "worthy" or not, she directly shifts the focus, turning the question into "whether the empress needs to be taught."
The answer is obvious: the Empress is young and naturally needs guidance. And who is most qualified to guide the Empress? Naturally, it's the Empress Dowager, her mother-in-law!
Using her dual identities as "mother" and "empress dowager," she disguised her power grab of "taking over the imperial seal" as a loving act of "instructing her daughter-in-law."
If you agree, the Phoenix Seal will rightfully continue to be under her control.
If you object, you will be unfilial, rejecting your mother's teachings and showing the Empress no respect for her elders!
This is more damaging than any ancestral rule or crime, because it uses the most solid archway in the world, "filial piety," to firmly suppress the emperor!
A genuine smile finally appeared in Regent Xiao Yuan's eyes.
He knew they had won the battle.
All eyes were on Xiao Che, watching to see how he would deal with this seemingly unsolvable problem.
To publicly contradict one's own mother is unfilial; if word gets out, it will damage the emperor's authority and cause the people to criticize him behind his back.
But if he backs down, the imperial authority he has just established will vanish, the empress will become a joke, and the Phoenix Seal will be a distant dream!
Xiao Che clenched his fists tightly in his sleeves, his nails almost digging into his palms. He fell into an unprecedented silence, and for the first time, his handsome face revealed genuine difficulty and struggle.
Lin Wanwan, behind the screen, could see Xiao Che's predicament clearly. What she saw even more was the pitiful expression on his face.
The angry volcano disappeared, replaced by a cartoonish, chibi-style little emperor, bound tightly with thick ropes, unable to move, with tears of grievance and helplessness streaming down his face.
Below the image, a line of small text is clearly visible: "[Kidnapped.gif]".
He was held hostage by the concept of "filial piety".
Lin Wanwan's heart clenched suddenly.
She knew that Xiao Che couldn't get past this hurdle. Because he was a son, a king, and he had too many things to consider.
But she didn't.
Just when the tension was high and everyone thought the emperor was about to give in, Lin Wanwan, who had been silent like a background figure, suddenly moved.
She slowly pulled away from the Empress Dowager's hand, which was still holding hers, and gracefully bowed to the Empress Dowager.
Her bow was so abrupt that it instantly drew everyone's attention.
The Empress Dowager frowned slightly, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
Xiao Che also looked up abruptly, a hint of surprise and worry flashing in his eyes.
Lin Wanwan lay prostrate on the ground, her voice clear and melodious, yet carrying a perfectly measured hint of filial piety and sincerity, echoing throughout the silent Golden Palace:
"Your Majesty, I have something to say."
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