The Eunuch's Declaration of Loyalty

Chapter 67

On the morning of that day, an official from the Ministry of Personnel stood up and spoke eloquently about how "the Empress Dowager's intervention in politics was an expedient measure in times of emergency, but now that the Emperor is old, he should rule in his own right, and the Empress Dowager, being a woman, should abide by her duties as a woman."

This official looked extremely young. Zhang Zhaohua appeared to be a candidate from the same year as his brother, who hadn't performed particularly well in the palace examination. He only spoke jargon from books, lacking any practical ambition; a typical bookworm who only knew how to read and write. Young and impetuous, like a newborn calf unafraid of tigers, he hadn't experienced the political upheaval of the past and seemed extremely disdainful of Empress Dowager Liu Qingtang, who did little but boss people around. His face showed none of the fear that other officials displayed when he spoke.

Anyone who has spent a considerable amount of time in the imperial court can see that this minor official is being used as a scout; if the person above him is angered, he will die. But whether he lives or dies, he will not have a good future. Someone who doesn't even bother to hide his emotions, who is all talk and no action, how can he possibly last long in the court? Once he's been used up this time, he will undoubtedly have no chance of advancement.

However, not many people paid attention to the official at this moment. They were all focused on the Empress Dowager's expression. After so long, everyone could see that there must have been some kind of conflict between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Whether it was a power struggle or something else, these officials wanted to see what the Empress Dowager's attitude was towards this matter.

The factions between the Empress Dowager and the Grand Secretary have always been ambiguous. Even when there are conflicts, they seem harmless on the surface. However, the increasing friction in recent years has made people feel a sense of tension, like a tree that wants to be still but the wind won't stop blowing.

The entire court fell silent. After a long while, the Empress Dowager calmly asked, "Oh, is that what everyone thinks?"

The Empress Dowager's tone and expression were too calm, leaving no clue as to what she was thinking. Most of the officials remained silent.

Although the officials in Liu Qingtang's faction belonged to the Liu family in private, they were mostly neutral on the surface in order to lull the Grand Secretary and the Emperor into a false sense of security. These people had been somewhat exposed, and now they were all pretending to be wooden figures, standing in the main hall with their eyes downcast, perfectly in line with their 'neutral' identity.

The military officers all showed some resentment, but with Wei Zheng watching, none of them spoke up. Regardless of what they said, at this time, these military officers, whose interests were fundamentally tied to Liu Qingtang's, could not be the first to speak out.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager has toiled for the Southern Dynasty for many years. The words of that lowly official were truly presumptuous." Chief Minister Feng stepped forward first and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager's hard work and great achievements are evident to all the officials. Both Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and Duke Liu are truly dedicated to the ruler and the people, and everyone praises them. It is thanks to Your Majesty the Empress Dowager's assistance in governing during the crisis that we have this peaceful and prosperous era. Now that the Emperor is capable of handling state affairs independently, and the world is peaceful and prosperous, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager can rest and recuperate in the palace with peace of mind."

The good cop and the bad cop took turns playing their roles. First, Chief Minister Feng stepped forward and gave a mild reprimand to the officials who had spoken earlier, followed by a chorus of praise and flattery. But no matter how eloquently they spoke, the underlying message was the same: she should be kicked off the throne. Even if these people secretly wanted her dead, they still used such euphemistic language. The imperial edict given to her by the emperor when she died in her previous life was also extremely moving and earnest, stating that she had conspired with the Liu family to usurp the throne, and that for the sake of the Southern Dynasty's peace and stability, she had to be executed. If she had truly committed such a coup in her previous life, perhaps she would have been moved by the emperor's nephew's profound sense of righteousness and willingness to sacrifice family ties.

Back then, she was falsely accused of treason, and now she'd like to see that charge brought to light. But even if it were true treason, she wanted a respectable label; she couldn't let the Liu family's reputation be tarnished by her.

As soon as Chief Minister Feng finished speaking, more than a dozen officials stepped forward, knelt on the ground, and said in unison, "Please, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, rest and recuperate in the inner palace." Liu Qingtang smiled instead of being angry.

She had long anticipated this day, so she wasn't surprised or angry. In fact, she found herself bored at a time when tensions should have been high.

This wouldn't have happened in her previous life, probably because back then she was wholeheartedly clearing obstacles for her nephew, the emperor, selecting capable officials and servants for his future, worried that he was too young and would be controlled by those two cunning and shrewd chief ministers. Since she was so perceptive and sensible, they naturally enjoyed watching her bustling around like a fool, then laughing as she wholeheartedly handed over the power and connections she had accumulated over the years to the emperor, helping him control those powers and solidify his position.

In her previous life, she was wholeheartedly devoted to the emperor's nephew and was quite 'qualified,' so naturally the two chief ministers didn't need to worry about her so much that they had to intimidate her in the court.

As Liu Qingtang had predicted, they were so frightened by her attitude that they had to change their strategy. After Xiao Huaixu had a harem, they couldn't wait any longer and first tried to force her to back down.

Three years have passed since her rebirth; three years is enough for her to do many things. Even if she has regressed now, so what? Do they really think that simply refusing her court attendance will sever her influence in the court? Perhaps a sudden house arrest might have reversed the situation. But now, they can't even isolate her, let alone keep her informed. In the harem, the emperor's power is far less than hers.

The Imperial Household Department and the palace prison are both under Qin Shu's control, and they can't find any fault with her when she comes and goes from the palace. She now holds countless powers, both openly and secretly, and she will never be left with no way out but to wait for death like she was in her previous life!

As for now, she does need to back down. After all, even a rabbit will bite when cornered. She needs to give them some hope, and then gradually tighten her grip. It'll be interesting when they realize everything is out of control.

Liu Qingtang's sudden smile silenced the room once more. The usually stern and dignified Empress Dowager was actually laughing at a time like this—was she furious? Thinking this, the officials all kept their mouths shut. In such a power struggle, those who didn't want to be implicated could only keep their tails between their legs.

Liu Qingtang glanced at Xiao Huaixu, who sat at the head of the table, and found his feigned helplessness ironic. This whole charade was probably orchestrated by him; to be able to portray such a convincing emotion—no wonder people say that royalty are all born actors. "Your Majesty, do you think so too?"

"This... I haven't yet learned even a fraction of Mother's ways. Hearing you all speak like this makes me truly uneasy, fearing that I am still young and may have made some mistakes. But thinking of Mother's high expectations of me, I can only do my best to share her burdens." Xiao Huaixu pretended to be a respectful and filial son, and his words didn't sound like they were forcing her to retire to the inner palace, but rather like she was handing over power because she didn't trust him.

Before Liu Qingtang could speak, the old fox-like Chief Minister Wang, who had been standing motionless with his hands tied behind his back, finally stepped forward. "Your Majesty, we will certainly assist the Emperor wholeheartedly. Please rest assured, Your Majesty." After saying this, he knelt down on the spot.

Although both were prime ministers, Prime Minister Wang and Prime Minister Feng were of lower rank than Prime Minister Wang. When Prime Minister Wang knelt down, a large number of people behind him immediately knelt down as well.

Thinking of the news sent by Chief Minister Feng's son, Liu Qingtang glanced again at the two chief ministers, Feng and Wang, who were kneeling. There was also internal strife between the two of them. After all, they were both veteran ministers and chief ministers. Who would want to remain the one with a lower status forever? Ever since Xuan Ge, who was presented to the emperor, received his favor, Chief Minister Feng had many ulterior motives.

"Since that's the case, then so be it, my beloved ministers." Liu Qingtang stood up and left with a flick of her sleeve. As soon as she reached a secluded spot outside the hall, the anger on her face vanished, replaced by a hint of anticipation.

Today's events were partly orchestrated by her. Otherwise, if they had waited several years to deal with her, she wouldn't have been able to wait as long as they could. Wouldn't it have been better to expedite the process?

While Liu Qingtang remained secluded in Cining Palace, news indeed arrived that the Grand Secretary's faction had begun aggressively bribing neutral officials and courting some officials from the Liu family faction. Liu Qingtang smiled and ordered a group of people to feign allegiance to the Grand Secretary's faction. This group could include civil officials she had placed under her wing over the years, as well as some lower-ranking military officers with little connection to the Liu family. Only if these individuals struggled and then defected would the other side remain less suspicious. As for Wei Zheng and others who were outwardly loyal to the Liu family, they couldn't be so easily lured into switching sides. Even the most foolish person would become suspicious.

With Liu Qingtang's encouragement, the Grand Secretary's faction gradually rose in power at court. Grand Secretary Feng's son sent word to the palace that Grand Secretary Feng had relaxed considerably recently and had begun to give him more involvement in various matters. However, Grand Secretary Wang was not as smug as Grand Secretary Feng; instead, he became even more wary and suspicious. This reveals why Grand Secretary Feng couldn't outmaneuver Grand Secretary Wang. Wang Shuhui was strategic, cunning, patient, and cautious; unfortunately, he was already quite old, and the younger generation of the Wang family hadn't been known to be capable of handling anything.

Inside the palace, the news of the Empress Dowager's fall from power caused a brief period of unrest, but it was quickly suppressed by Qin Shu's bloody crackdown. Faced with self-interest, most people still valued their lives. With Wei Zheng and other strategists outside the palace, plus her brother from the Liu family, Liu Qingtang hardly needed to do anything more. The somewhat troublesome issues within the palace that she had anticipated were also resolved swiftly by Qin Shu, leaving her with absolutely no worries.

Ever since she secretly visited the palace prison, which the palace servants described as hellish, Liu Qingtang often felt that Qin Shu seemed to have another side to him, different from the indulgence he showed in front of her, different from the indifference he showed in her previous life, but rather a deep hatred. Liu Qingtang thought that if she were in Qin Shu's shoes, she would definitely not be able to be so indifferent.

For people like Liu Qingtang, it was just a drop of water, but for those at the bottom, it was a huge wave. The number of people who died in this wave was nothing to them, but seeing it with their own eyes was different. Liu Qingtang never had to do these things herself, so even if she cared, she rarely did. Qin Shu told her, but she didn't take it to heart.

Qin Shu did all of these things for her. Whether in her past life or this one, Qin Shu had his hands stained with blood for her sake, yet he only showed her the facade of peace. Did he also feel pain bearing all this alone?

Author's Note: Ada threw a landmine.

Seaweed threw a landmine

Book Maniac threw a landmine

[Thanks to all the girls for the landmines, they were all neatly arranged today! Fu Hua Zi, are you so out of ideas that you can't even think of a thank-you message? _(:3∠)_]

Oh right, let me make this clear first, Xuan Ge won't like the emperor. After the emperor dies, she'll only live a more comfortable life. In fact, a girl like her will be comfortable anywhere ┑(￣Д￣)┍