Great Dao Lord through Deducing Myriad Arts

Chapter 276: Chapter 229: Imperial Palace Infighting, Before the Martial God Temple

The vast bedchamber was deathly silent. All the maids and eunuchs kept their heads bowed, not daring to make a sound.

Even the high-ranking eunuch most favored by the Empress Dowager was prostrated on the floor, not daring to so much as raise his head.

Fortunately, her anger was as quick to fade as it was to flare.

"Xiaodezi!"

"Your servant is here!" The high-ranking eunuch hurriedly shuffled forward a few paces on his knees, answering in a respectful voice.

"You’re saying that this Wu Liangchen returned the Emperor’s gifts as well?"

"Yes. Your servant saw it with his own eyes. The ceremonial eunuch, Liu Sanhai, also returned with his gifts."

"Hmph. That’s fine, too. If I can’t win him over, you can forget about it as well." The Empress Dowager sneered, her eyes filled with disgust, completely devoid of the affection a mother should have for her son.

Although she held the title of Empress Dowager, she was in fact only fifty years old. But because she took such excellent care of herself, she didn’t look old at all, appearing more like a woman in her thirties.

She had entered the palace at fifteen, been named an imperial consort at eighteen, and given birth to a prince at twenty-five. Then, her status elevated by her son, she was made mistress of the imperial harem the very next year.

When the crown prince was six, the old emperor passed away and the new emperor ascended the throne. But with such a young ruler, the stability of the kingdom was in question. To assist her son, she began to rule from behind the curtain.

And so she did, for nearly twenty years.

Even after the Emperor turned fifteen, officials in the court began tactfully urging her to return power to him.

But having tasted power, how could she willingly relinquish everything she had fought so hard to obtain?

She stubbornly refused to cede control, even finding various pretexts to dispose of several senior ministers and force them into retirement.

Soon, a stifling silence fell over the court. No one dared to raise the subject again.

Yet the anxiety in her heart did not ease in the slightest. Instead, it grew with each passing day.

The source of her anxiety was her very own son.

She watched him grow day by day. He was now twenty-five, in the prime of his life. And though she held the true power, he had still managed to gather a faction of staunch royalists to his side.

All of this filled her with dread and unease.

For she knew that in a contest of endurance—whether of age or legitimacy—she could not possibly outlast her son.

Besides, it was too late to simply relinquish power.

A rift had already formed between them, and more than a decade of coldness and hostility had erased any semblance of familial affection.

Even if she were to abdicate power now, the outcome for her would be grim.

Besides, who could refuse power after tasting its sweet poison?

She was certainly no exception.

So she decided to go all in, joining forces with Prince Jing to topple the greatest of the royalists, Prince Yu.

Even so, she remained deeply uneasy, viewing her own son as a thorn in her side.

As for matters like these, the high-ranking eunuch, Wang De, naturally dared not get involved. He didn’t even dare to speak, simply remaining on his knees, waiting.

"Has he made any moves lately?" the Empress Dowager asked, something having occurred to her.

Wang De steeled himself and replied, "Everything is as normal. There have been no unusual movements."

"Good. Xiaodezi, you keep a close watch on him for me. If he manages to gain the upper hand, I’m sure you know better than anyone what would become of you," the Empress Dowager said coolly.

Wang De’s heart clenched. He knew the Empress Dowager was displeased with his response and hastily nodded.

"Yes, your servant understands!"

"Go. Take those gifts to the Martial God Temple," the Empress Dowager commanded.

Wang De understood at once. Having failed to win over Wu Liangchen, the Empress Dowager was now turning her attention to the two powerful figures residing in the Martial God Temple.

The Martial God Temple was a unique institution within the imperial palace, for it enshrined the founding emperor of the Great Yan.

This founding emperor had been a man of extraordinary talent, becoming a Grandmaster before the age of thirty and going on to conquer a vast empire.

This Martial God Temple was later established to commemorate him.

Over time, the Martial God Temple’s status grew, and it became home to several resident Grandmasters who acted as protectors of the kingdom.

These Martial Artists enjoyed the patronage of the Great Yan, receiving unlimited cultivation resources and whatever else they required, all for a single purpose.

In the event of a major crisis threatening the imperial power of Great Yan, they were to act as its guardians.

In its heyday, the Martial God Temple housed a full seven Grandmasters.

Together, they formed a formidable power that no one dared to ignore.

But now, as the power of the Great Yan Kingdom waned, the number of protector Grandmasters in the Martial God Temple had fallen to an all-time low of just two.

Even so, the Martial God Temple’s status remained above the political fray.

Even she, the Empress Dowager, had to make such gestures of goodwill, as she could not simply command these individuals.

The founding rule stipulated that the Martial God Temple was loyal only to the imperial authority of Great Yan itself, not to the individual who happened to occupy the throne.

As long as the ruler bore the surname Yan and was of the Great Yan imperial line, that was all that mattered.

They couldn’t be bothered with anything else.

Wang De left the Empress Dowager’s bedchamber with the gifts and headed directly for the northern part of the imperial city.

The imperial city was built on the highest ground in the Imperial Capital, like a city floating among the clouds.

The Martial God Temple was built atop a small hill on the city’s northernmost edge.

This was also the highest point in the imperial city, a place shrouded in mist year-round, like a celestial realm.

Upon arriving, Wang De dared not gawk. He ordered the junior eunuchs to carry the gifts inside with the utmost care, then knelt outside the main hall.

It was a rule of the Martial God Temple: eunuchs were forbidden from entering the main hall.

Thus, he could only kowtow outside.

This was not his first time performing this task, so he went through the motions with practiced ease. Just as he finished his kowtows and was about to leave, a clear, cold male voice drifted out from the main hall.