Volume One, Chapter 11: The Empress Dowager's Persuasion, Cao Mo's Loyalty
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Tsk! That’s not the point!
Apart from the woman dressed in a deeply elegant purple dragon robe, crowned with a bright red phoenix headdress—her vivid purple and enchanting red hues striking, yet exuding an extraordinary grace—she stood distinctly apart amidst the assembly of civil and military officials, her poise as if a crane among chickens, a stunning mature beauty.
Cao Mo realized that the Empress’s influence was actually weaker than he had imagined.
She held almost no real power in the court.
Through his discreet observations, Cao Mo roughly divided the court factions into three categories: The Empress Dowager’s family was overwhelmingly dominant, though the Empress’s reign was legitimate. Yet, many camps existed within the court, not to be underestimated.
First was the stunning mature woman in the purple dragon robe and red phoenix crown, apparently the Grand Princess bestowed by the late emperor.
Then there was a burly general clad in armor, carrying a sword as he entered the hall, his rugged face fierce and imposing.
Lastly, a frail-looking but deeply composed elderly man, scholarly yet resolute.
Many strong forces vied for power, their relationships complex and tangled.
For instance, the relationship between the Empress Dowager and the Empress was delicate; after all, only if the Empress firmly held the throne could the Empress Dowager govern from behind the curtain.
“I am weary. That shall be all for today,” the Empress Dowager declared.
“We respectfully see Your Majesty out—”
After concluding the discussion on the return of governance, the Empress Dowager clearly had no intention to continue.
With the assistance of two attendant palace maids, she gracefully swept away, her splendid figure full of charm.
Cao Mo felt a surge of warmth in his chest.
By all rights, this Empress Dowager, dignified in both status and appearance, should command respect, yet to Cao Mo’s eyes, she was irresistibly alluring.
Just as Empress Dowager He once enlightened Cao A’man, now this enchanting Empress Dowager reaffirmed Cao Mo’s own feelings.
The Chancellor Cao was not mistaken—this Empress Dowager was truly tempting!
The morning court session ended.
The Empress Dowager departed, and the Empress did not linger long. Cao Mo and the White Fox followed closely behind her. Upon exiting the Golden Luan Hall, they saw the Empress Dowager’s phoenix carriage just being lifted.
“Wait a moment.”
Seeing the Emperor and others approaching, the Empress Dowager called out to the eunuchs carrying the sedan chair, her gaze fixed on Cao Mo: “Your Majesty’s attendant eunuch is growing more handsome by the day. I do find him quite appealing; why not let him come to me?”
“Mother, this eunuch is dear to me as well. I’m afraid I cannot part with him.”
The Empress shook her head.
“Oh?”
The Empress Dowager smiled. “What if I insist?”
The Empress’s expression was calm. “He belongs to me, Mother. I’m afraid you won’t succeed.”
“Is that so?”
The Empress Dowager looked at Cao Mo with a bright smile. “What is your name?”
“My name is Cao Mo, Your Majesty,” he replied, bowing his head.
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“Cao Mo?”
The Empress Dowager seemed to recall something. “Are you the adopted godson of the late Chief Eunuch Cao?”
Cao Mo nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Chief Eunuch Cao and I had old ties. When I was young, he even served in my palace. I never imagined how things have changed since his passing. Now, only you remain as his godson.”
A trace of nostalgia flickered in the Empress Dowager’s eyes.
She continued, “In honor of Chief Eunuch Cao’s old friendship, I intend to have you transferred here to serve me. What say you?”
“Rest assured, with me here, Your Majesty will not find fault with you.”
This... stirred Cao Mo somewhat.
But remembering his duties to serve the Empress and care for the Empress Consort, as well as the vast responsibilities of the imperial harem, he could not abandon the entire forest for a single alluring tree.
He bowed deeply and gently declined: “Your Majesty, I am but unworthy.”
The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes. “So you refuse?”
“Your Majesty, I am grateful for Your Majesty’s grace and wish only to serve faithfully at Your Majesty’s side.”
“You! You’re young, yet as stubborn as Chief Eunuch Cao was.”
The Empress Dowager smiled helplessly, then leaned back in her carriage, losing interest and no longer sparing Cao Mo a glance.
Hearing her words, Cao Mo was thoughtful.
He had long suspected Chief Eunuch Cao’s death was suspicious, and now it seemed even more so.
The Empress Dowager’s carriage departed. The Empress turned to Cao Mo with a hint of surprise: “I didn’t expect your loyalty to me to be so steadfast. Even the Empress Dowager you dare defy?”
She had assumed that, having witnessed the Empress Dowager’s power in court, Cao Mo, even if not terrified, would hardly refuse her advances.
Yet unexpectedly, this young man had a backbone, refusing to betray her.
“Your Majesty, as I have said, my loyalty to you is as vast as heaven and earth, as clear as sun and moon. A single command from you, and I shall brave fire and water without hesitation!”
Cao Mo seized the opportunity to reaffirm his loyalty.
“...”
The Empress’s expression was serene, yet her fingers beneath the dragon robe twitched slightly.
Although she knew Cao Mo’s ingratiating words were often flattery, not to be taken at face value, his bold refusal of the Empress Dowager just now made this declaration feel somewhat genuine.
Could it be that this seemingly false eunuch was truly loyal to her?
...
After the carriage had traveled some distance,
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the Empress Dowager glanced at a close attendant maid beside her. “Remember the eunuch’s name just now?”
“Your Majesty, he said his name is Cao Mo,” the maid replied respectfully.
The Empress Dowager’s expression was indifferent. “Say it again. What was his name?”
The maid repeated, “Your Majesty, his name is Cao Mo, the adopted godson of Chief Eunuch Cao.”
The Empress Dowager leaned lazily against the carriage and murmured, “Don’t forget—after tonight, I don’t want to hear that name in the palace again.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the maid replied respectfully.
Only then did the Empress Dowager close her eyes and rest slightly.
Her request for Cao Mo was not truly because he was handsome.
After all, no matter how handsome, he was still just a eunuch.
Of little use to her.
Her intent was simply to unsettle the Empress.
It was said that the young eunuch had served the Emperor during his bath the previous night and was immediately promoted to the inner court eunuch, winning the Emperor’s favor again this morning.
As the Empress Dowager, she naturally resented the Emperor cultivating his own close confidants in the harem.
Imperial favor was not something to be easily shared.
The more the Emperor cherished someone, the more she intended to destroy it.
After all, she must teach this young sovereign a lesson: not only in the court, but even within the harem, it was the Empress Dowager who ruled.
As for her old ties with Chief Eunuch Cao—ha! A master seldom remembers the sentiments of a servant...
...
Imperial Study.
After the Empress Dowager proclaimed the Emperor’s return to governance, all the memorials submitted by officials and provinces were delivered here.
It was a shock to see the extent of the crisis.
Though the Empress had long known the precarious state of the Great Zhou Dynasty, only upon personally taking up the reins did she fully grasp how turbulent the realm was.
External threats were unrelenting!
Internal strife stirred endlessly!
After a full day of handling state affairs, as dusk fell and the hour grew late, Cao Mo, standing nearby, could not help but ask, “Your Majesty, shall we still visit the Empress Consort’s chamber tonight?”
The Empress cast him a sidelong glance. “You seem more attentive than I am.”