novelhk Chapter 1011 Lü Zhi's Dilemma, Xiao He's Cunning!
Chapter 1011 Lü Zhi's Dilemma, Xiao He's Cunning!
Therefore, when Xiao He seemingly casually asked, "Your Majesty... did you leave any message?" Empress Lü immediately understood his true intention.
At this point, Lü Zhi naturally couldn't directly say anything like Gao Yao wanted Gao Lin to succeed him; that would be too clumsy and too hasty, tantamount to handing over leverage to someone else. Xiao He wasn't stupid either; he could naturally tell the truth from the falsehood. This Grand Secretary had served Gao Yao the longest and sometimes even understood Gao Yao's thoughts better than she, his wife.
His purpose in asking this wasn't really to inquire whether Gao Yao had left someone to succeed him, but rather to use it as an excuse to bring up the topic. He needed to know the Queen's attitude and probe her stance and bottom line on this matter concerning the foundation of the nation.
Following Lü Zhi's lead, Xiao He steered the conversation toward a deeper and more dangerous direction: "Your Majesty, we still have to make other preparations. If His Majesty is temporarily unable to return to Xianyang, it will inevitably arouse suspicion among many people and may even lead to turmoil in the entire court."
These words struck Lü Zhi's heart like a heavy hammer. She knew this all too well, but she had to be cautious, extremely cautious.
"You mean, we should determine the crown prince as soon as possible?" Lü Zhi raised her eyes, her gaze sharp as she looked at Xiao He. "But, His Majesty has not issued any decree, so if this happens..."
Her words carried just the right amount of hesitation and unease. She was more anxious than anyone else, hoping to settle the matter quickly to reassure the people and for Gao Lin's future. But she knew very well that this suggestion must never come from her own mouth. Although she was the Queen and Gao Lin was the eldest son, Lü Zhi knew very well that she couldn't say it herself; only Xiao He could say it. Otherwise, they would easily become the target of public criticism.
The Empress Lü at this time was not the Empress Lü of history. The power of the entire Lü family, her maternal relatives, was unprecedented. At this time, Empress Lü was simply unable to influence the court, and even making an impact on the court would be quite difficult. Gao Yao had only been king for a short time, and although the Lü family had contributed to the rise of the new emperor, their foundation was far from deep enough to influence the government.
The military boasts veteran generals like Han Xin, while the civil service is led by figures such as Xiao He and Cao Can—none of whom the Lü family can easily control. If Lü Zhi were to propose that Gao Lin succeed her, it would likely arouse the suspicion of the ministers. They would worry that once the capable Gao Lin ascends to the throne, power might fall into the hands of Lü Zhi and her family, leading to a situation where the empress's relatives interfere in politics.
Once Gao Lin ascends the throne, coupled with the queen's methods, a new power capable of influencing the court could very well emerge. This is something all the ministers who rose to power through ability and merit do not want to see. They followed Gao Yao to establish the empire and do not wish to see a monarch surrounded by his maternal relatives.
Xiao He was clearly well aware of the implications. He made this suggestion out of public interest and for the stability of the empire. But deciding who to recommend was a huge dilemma.
Xiao He spoke these words with considerable helplessness. If he could, he truly wouldn't want to get involved; it would offend too many people. Regardless of who he supported, he would offend the other prince and the forces behind him. But the current situation was special. Gao Yao's fate was unknown, and as the Grand Secretary, Xiao He couldn't simply ignore it. Stabilizing the court was his primary responsibility.
Seeing that Lü Zhi had thrown the difficult question back at him, he offered a seemingly comprehensive plan that actually returned the final decision to Lü Zhi: "Although there is no order from the King, it is still best to prepare in advance, just in case. In accordance with the King's instructions and his usual practice, we should find a prince of good character among the princes and establish him as the crown prince, based on the Queen's decree!"
These words, while citing Gao Yao's concept of "selecting the virtuous," also upheld the Queen's authority, seemingly making them impeccable. However, what Empress Lü wanted was not this kind of empty rhetoric of principle, but explicit support.
"In that case, I wonder what Lord Xiao He's opinion is? Which young master is worthy of this position?" Lü Zhi pressed on, directly laying the most crucial and sensitive question before Xiao He.
"This……"
Upon hearing Lü Zhi's question, Xiao He froze on the spot, momentarily at a loss for words. He never expected Lü Zhi to be so direct. This was definitely a death trap! A fine sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Since ancient times, ministers have been forbidden from easily interfering with a monarch's choice of heir; this is a major taboo for ministers. Regardless of whether one follows ancient customs, this is not a reason for ministers to speak freely. You can influence the position of an heir through policies and words, but you must never openly express support for a particular prince. Ministers can influence the succession, but they cannot interfere. The balance here is extremely delicate.
Although it is said that the eldest son should be chosen over the youngest son since ancient times, there have actually been many similar cases in history. To take a recent example, the case of Fusu after the death of the First Emperor serves as a warning.
It's not uncommon for the eldest son to encounter problems, or for other issues to be deposed, assassinated, or otherwise. Who can guarantee that Gao Lin will successfully succeed to the throne and remain in power? It's a fact that ministers can only discuss whether the successor is doing a good job or not, but they cannot influence the selection of the successor.
More importantly, Xiao He understood Empress Lü's intention: to get Xiao He to personally express his support for Gao Lin. Once he spoke, it would be tantamount to binding the entire civil service group's stance to Gao Lin's cause, and simultaneously, to submitting a pledge of allegiance to Empress Lü. But Xiao He dared not, and could not.
How cunning Xiao He was! Having followed Gao Yao for so many years, he understood Gao Yao's personality and habits just as well as his wife, Empress Lü. He clearly knew the complex, slightly disappointed scrutiny in Gao Yao's attitude towards Gao Lin.
Gao Yao had repeatedly expressed his dislike for Gao Lin. Although Gao Yao did love his son, to outsiders it appeared as a lack of affection. If Gao Yao were present, what would he choose? Xiao He wasn't sure. What if he supported Gao Lin now, but Gao Yao returned later favoring someone else? How would Xiao He face this? Would he still be able to hold onto his position as Grand Secretary?
Therefore, Xiao He couldn't answer Lü Zhi's question casually. He could only pass the buck back to her, lowering his stance even further: "Your Majesty, since the King is not present, this matter should be decided by Your Majesty. I urge Your Majesty to make a decision as soon as possible."
Hearing Xiao He's words, Lü Zhi's lips twitched slightly. She hadn't expected Xiao He to be so difficult to deal with, leaving no room for error. She was secretly annoyed, yet helpless. Xiao He's caution precisely indicated the importance of this matter and that Gao Lin was not the popular choice.