Capítulo 1134: Chapter 1133: The Power Struggle Behind the Throne
What Empress Shui thought would be an easy task turned out to be quite challenging once she actually undertook it. Just as Hou Niao had told her on Hell Star, she excelled in talisman studies but lacked understanding of the complexities of the human heart, which was her shortcoming.
In the Cultivation World, this might not be too significant, as there were many lofty individuals focused on cultivation who paid little attention to worldly matters. However, if she were to preside over a succession dispute in the Mortal World, the difference would be too great.
Intrigue, darkness, shalessness, despicable acts, alliances, betrayal, framing, using all ans necessary without limits—historically, no power struggle in the human world surpassed that for the throne.
She initially believed that with her abilities, a small display of her power would command the obedience of the court. Then, she would only need to investigate the pasts of a few of-age princes and observe their personalities firsthand, all of which could be done by a cultivator, and she could swiftly make a decision.
Then she would send herself to the newly renovated Royal Daoist School and continue with another thirty years of peaceful cultivation. This was the only retreat she had arranged for herself and also the only construction she utilized state funds for as a nation’s mother.
However, when she put this entire plan into action, she was shocked to discover that her displayed abilities were insufficient to intimidate others, even mortals.
Only then did she realize that over the past twenty years, these shrewd officials had already seen through her. They knew she was a rules-abiding cultivator who would never harm mortals, so her perceived strength had no aning in front of bureaucrats who were not even in the sa realm.
People simply did not listen. What could she do? Beat them up? Execute one as a warning to others? She wasn’t such a fierce person.
This was the consequence of being seen through.
Fine then, she would discuss with the full court of Wen Wu as long as it wasn’t entrusting unworthy people. She could also consider herself worthy of the privileges enjoyed in Da Li Country over the past twenty years.
Reality made her realize her naivety. She thought taking a step back would open up a vast world, but the harsh truth was that the consequence of stepping back was nothing but stepping back once more, step by step, countless steps.
Retreat if she must. Her character wasn’t competitive nor did it concern itself with face in front of mortals. Instead, she treated this as a test of her heart realm, a bit self-deceptive, yet still an effective way to adjust her mindset.
If the goal could be achieved, and if a wise ruler took over Da Li Country, her enduring a bit of grievance and being overlooked wouldn’t matter. However, that wasn’t the case.
The court ministers unanimously proposed a Prince among several eligible ones who was the least conspicuous. From any angle—age, experience, reputation, governance, virtues, achievents—this Prince was unqualified.
Suspecting at heart, she began her investigation and soon discovered the hidden intrigue: this Fifth Prince had a Cultivation background. While he was just a minor Essence Building cultivator, not having truly entered the path, his ntor’s Daoist School was in Guo Country, aning he barely had a Southeast Great Dao Sect background.
When mortal imperial power entangled with cultivation forces, the issue beca significant; because in the Southeast region, the traditional cultivation rule was the separation of Daoist authority and imperial power, with neither affecting the other. Although it’s challenging to achieve this in practice, that’s the attitude.
Da Li is the Yinfu Sect’s Daoist authority, yet the throne was to be bestowed on a prince with Guo Sect background—such an arrangent was inappropriate. Among nearly a hundred countries on the Continent, either the imperial power belonged entirely to mortals, or if there was so cultivation potential, it would certainly pertain to the national Daoist authority. There’s no reason for one to train under an external master, easily creating a rift between cultivation power and secular power, thus affecting a country’s stability.
Simply put, the National Religion must be the country’s Daoist authority, including mbers of the Royal Family.
Empress Shui, realizing this, as a cultivator by birth, instantly sensed the death of her nominal Emperor husband might not be so simple. Although they seldom interacted, they had been married for over twenty years, and she knew this deceased Emperor husband valued his country highly, never allowing foreign forces to ddle in Da Li’s internal affairs.
Reflecting on the inexplicable beauties, a previously robust individual dying in a short span from sexual indulgence revealed evident abnormalities.
Empress Shui realized she might be entangled in so vortex, and understood why her deceased husband entrusted her with the succession matter before his death. This wasn’t revenge but a trust, because in his view, troubles from the Cultivation World should be addressed by a cultivator, and she was his only reliable cultivator.
In these twenty years, although the Emperor wasn’t deeply affectionate towards her, he consistently showed respect, allowing her to pursue what she truly wanted, which made this trust weighty, hard to disregard.
Realizing all this, Empress Shui beca serious, secretly rallying those righteous individuals in the court who valued justice. Considering she might face real sect cultivators, while she was alone without assistance, she imdiately sought help from Yinfu Sect. In her view, guarding against the infiltration and arrangents of external Daoist authorities in the country should be what the national cultivation force was wary of the most, right?
But reality dealt her a heavy blow. Yinfu Sect’s response was beautiful, firmly opposing foreign Daoist authority interference in Da Li Country, yet without any real action, instead adopting a bystander stance.
Empress Shui was not worldly-wise, but that didn’t an she was foolish. She quickly realized that the force attempting to decide Da Li’s fate was disproportionately large, possibly a gigantic entity like the few Great Dao Sects of the Southeast, silencing even Yinfu Sect, perhaps even involving them as participants.
She didn’t understand what these forces ultimately wanted, so she played the fool, feigning negotiation, and eventually heard a plan from the still-not-so-sophisticated Fifth Prince.
It turned out the Southeast Daoist Sect intended to integrate the Southeast into one country, but such a matter couldn’t be spearheaded by the sect itself, as that would look too blatant, so they could only approach it through mortal imperial power, and there were several similar cases to Da Li among the several dozen Daoist countries in the Southeast.
This was rely a test to see the reaction in the Southeast and the Continent. If smooth, the next step would be the unification of the entire Southeast country.
A grand sche.
In the Southeast, such an undertaking couldn’t be attempted without the tacit approval of several Great Dao Sects. Thus, who her opponents were beca self-explanatory.
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