Chapter 103: A Mother’s Embrace (Part One)

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"Has that bamboo paper been made?" Xu Jingzong suddenly rose from his chair.

"It has, and the writing effect is quite good," the servant whispered. "Not only that, I went once to the outskirts; the sorghum in the imperial estate is growing very vigorously—about half taller than usual sorghum, with stems lush and strong, and leaves broad and healthy."

He hesitated, as if holding back something. This servant was a trusted aide in Xu Jingzong’s household and had done many covert tasks for him.

But this time, he felt a chill of fear. The Crown Prince, really, was nothing much—just a nominal title without substantial power, less than a minister. But this Crown Prince was troublesome—the poems, their lingering beauty, seemed otherworldly, as if descended from the heavens. To claim someone else wrote them—what a joke.

Consider this: in the entire Tang dynasty, how many could compose lines like "The autumn wind at the frontier brings strange sights," or "The great river flows eastward," or "One must ascend to the mountain’s peak"? If one poem could be ghostwritten, how could so many be?

The Crown Prince’s illness was gradually healing; now bamboo paper had appeared, and the sorghum was growing well again.

Ordinary people are like insects or fish—fleeting. But some who accomplish great deeds are like stars fallen from the heavens—quite different. Don’t talk about the Crown Prince’s past; even Liu Bang was but a rogue clerk before his rise. Yet once powerful, he slew the little white dragon.

The Crown Prince is very similar.

His master wanted to deal with this strange Crown Prince, but inside he was uneasy.

"Bamboo paper and sorghum," Xu Jingzong paced a few steps, a headache brewing. If the Crown Prince didn’t attribute the achievements to the Emperor and Empress, he would crush him outright. But this time... it was difficult. After pondering, he said, "You quietly spread rumors that the Crown Prince never uttered those words. The Empress is merely coveting the Crown Prince’s merit to glorify herself. But be careful—this must be done subtly, without anyone noticing, and the message must spread silently."

"Will the Empress notice?" the old servant asked anxiously.

"No, dissatisfaction with her in court is not from a few individuals but from others. Moreover, the common people hold some resentment. The Empress is wise, but after all, she is not in the Western Capital, right?"

"Yes," the old servant answered, though his heart trembled. Mocking the Empress—if she found out, the entire household would be destroyed in an instant.

"Also, summon Ming Chongyan. It’s almost time to leave the Western Capital and head to the Eastern Capital."

"Yes."

The servant left. Xu Jingzong sat back down, lost in thought, feeling somewhat lucky that a strong wind had just passed. Otherwise, if his memorial had been submitted, the Yang family woman would have stopped it, and his grandson’s life would be in danger. This wind would surely delay the matter of the marriage dissolution. But the emergence of the bamboo paper displeased him; still, with the paper’s appearance, the Emperor and Empress would have to summon the ailing Crown Prince back to the Eastern Capital. Once there, his grandson’s life would be safe.

After a while, Ming Chongyan arrived.

Not yet thirty, he looked refined, no less than Helan Minzhi, though slightly less beautiful, but with a masculine vigor. Well-read, composed in manner. They had met a few days prior, and this time Xu Jingzong was even more pleased.

He bowed grandly. "Greetings, Minister Xu."

"Sit," Xu Jingzong extended his hand and ordered tea to be served.

"Thank you," Ming Chongyan said, sipping generously.

"His Majesty suffers mainly from vertigo..."

"I have pondered over this illness for a long time. It is incurable but can be temporarily alleviated."

"A temporary relief is enough. Here are some of my trusted men in the Eastern Capital. They are capable—like sharp blades. Used well, they can cut down enemies; used poorly, they may harm themselves. My grandson has gone to the Eastern Capital, and I have entrusted these men to him." Xu Jingzong handed over a list.

Ming Chongyan merely sipped his tea, not thanking. Their relationship was cooperative: benefits given, services expected. This was also his chance to rise swiftly.

Xu Jingzong did not mind; he was pleased. Such talent deserved support. If they were timid men, how could they face the Emperor and especially the Empress?

He called out again, "Someone, come here."

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The servant was ready, presenting an embroidered box. Xu Jingzong opened it. "Here are two hundred gold taels for your use in the Eastern Capital."

In the Sui-Tang era, trade was mainly in cloth and silk, with copper coins as secondary currency. Copper was scarce, and sometimes, due to coin devaluation, it was more valuable as copperware than as coins. Despite repeated bans by the court, the practice persisted, so currency was always insufficient.

Gold and silver were not currency but could be exchanged. Rewards were usually cloth or copper coins, sometimes rice, slaves, estates, mansions, or land. Occasionally gold and silver were given—during Prince Liang Ruiping’s time, rewards included 5,000 bolts of cloth, 1,000 slaves, 2,000 taels of gold, and 3,000 taels of silver.

Two hundred gold taels was a vast fortune in this era—not like later times when rewards could reach thousands or tens of thousands of silver taels. There was little gold and silver in circulation nationally. Converted into copper coins, it would require over a thousand strings, needing large carts; in cloth, over three thousand bolts, requiring several carts.

Gold rewards were mainly for Ming Chongyan’s convenience.

Two hundred taels of gold was a heavy bet by Xu Jingzong.

Ming Chongyan was visibly moved, cupping his hands. "Minister..."

"Though I made the introduction, you are still an outsider there, and you don’t know many people. You’ll need money. Take it and use it. Go to the Eastern Capital; I will handle things for you."

"Yes."

Xu Jingzong felt the sting too; he loved money. His grandson was in Luoyang, and the sick Crown Prince had extorted much money. Now he had handed over two hundred gold taels—what a loss. His jaw twitched. He called out, "Someone, come and massage my back."

Two pretty maidservants came over to massage him. One was very beautiful. Xu Jingzong asked, "When did you come to my household? I’ve never seen you before."

"Reporting to the Grand Master: I am from a good family, but due to drought, my family sold me to the Minister’s household a few days ago."

"Oh, from a good family. What is your name? How old are you?"

"My name is Dai’er, and I am fourteen."

"Good. Tonight, you will accompany me."

"Minister," Dai’er was stunned. How old was this master?

"Do you refuse?" Xu Jingzong snorted coldly, eyes flashing fiercely.

"I am willing."

…

"Big brother, I don’t want to go," Li Lingyue pouted.

This time was so joyful.

If she could grow wings, she would almost fly to the heavens during this period.

By day, she went hunting with the guards or accompanied eunuchs and guards on righteous deeds. At night, she cuddled her big brother, mainly to hear stories, but cuddling was pleasant. After all, she was a princess. Except for accompanying Wu Zetian to sleep, who else dared to share a bed with her? She was a child; children like to sleep cuddled, but most ended up sleeping alone. She liked this very much.

Fortunately, influenced by Shangguan Wan’er, she still found time to study for an hour or two daily; otherwise, Li Wei would have no excuse when they returned.

Hearing they were returning to Luoyang, she was unhappy.

"This is Father’s order; I must obey." She couldn’t compare with her father, who could tug his beard and pull it hard, making him laugh heartily.

"Big brother," Li Lingyue turned and twisted, her little head trying to think of a way to play tricks.

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Preparations to depart began. Shangguan Wan’er was busy managing the books and had brought many to read, so she checked carefully to ensure none were lost. The so-called "book collection" at the Yeting Palace had made her cherish books even more.

Bi’er said, "Wan’er might grow up to be even more talented than that young lady from the Xu family."

"Who knows," Li Wei replied casually, but inwardly thought, "Much more so."

Yao Yuanchong felt relieved; the Crown Prince would no longer harm his little sister.

The main thing was to scare Xu Li, not so terrible after all. Curiosity is natural for a teenage girl to be curious about the Crown Prince—like later fans, similar in nature. Of course, if Li Wei intended to defeat Yao Yuanchong’s little sister instantly, she likely would not escape his grasp. But if that happened, Yao Yuanchong might be happy; alas, sometimes love is one-sided.

Wei Zhigu said, "Your Highness, Guangcheng Marsh is a beautiful place."

While the guards hunted, this group of officials enjoyed sightseeing, composing poetry. Guangcheng Marsh was scenic, with Mount Kongtong nearby. Of course, the Kongtong in Ruzhou could not compare to the one by Liupan Mountain, but it was decent. Sometimes they discussed scholarship with the Crown Prince; mostly, they spoke while he listened. Actually, Li Wei felt lacking in classical knowledge and feared speaking for fear of exposing ignorance. But Wei Zhigu and others thought the Crown Prince was humble.

They collected their salaries without delay and happily befriended the Crown Prince—why not enjoy it?

They were reluctant to leave.

Only two wished to depart: Di Renjie, who accompanied the Crown Prince, and Xu Jingzong, who would not hesitate to act as time grew short. Xu Yanbo was finally freed from misery.

The procession rolled on, heading once more toward Luoyang…

"Your Highness, did you really hear these stories from the marketplace?" Shangguan Wan’er asked in the carriage.

"Ahem, ahem," Li Wei nearly choked.

Marketplace tales? Could one hear Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Andersen’s stories, or One Thousand and One Nights there? Li Lingyue and Li Xulun believed them wholeheartedly; Li Xian and Li Xian, when grown, knew their eldest brother made them up to amuse them.

The day Li Wei castrated Helan Minzhi, the only joy to Li Zhi was seeing Li Xian and Li Xian rush out together. Though not ideal—they were princes, yet acted like villagers—this showed brotherly unity, much better than when he was young. This was partly due to the eldest son’s influence.

Yet this little girl had begun to doubt.

After clearing his throat, Li Wei said, "Just listen."

"Yes." Shangguan Wan’er stuck out her little tongue and sat beside him to listen. The girl was clever—Li Wei underestimated her. Sitting in the carriage, if not the Crown Prince, could she sit there? Inside were the closest people—the beloved Bi’er, the little princess. What was she?

Moreover, she knew the little princess could not be offended and that the Crown Prince was not coaxed, but the princess, one year younger, was.

Small but cunning, with a delicate mind even Wu Zetian underestimated her…

Li Lingyue looked outside and asked Xue Ne, "How far to the Eastern Capital?"

"Princess, about forty li remain."

"Can we go slower?" Li Lingyue said disappointedly. This meant arriving in the Eastern Capital tonight.

"Princess, we only travel about forty li a day; we cannot go slower."

The sun rose high and slowly set. In the distance, the tall and majestic Dingding Gate came into view.