Chapter 127: All Three Are Wounded in Defeat; This Body Is Not That One

"Then it would be better if I were dead," Di Hui cried, finally understanding the situation after some initial confusion.

Li Wei pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a bitter smile. Perhaps the Li family’s bloodline truly did originate from the Hu people; their personal conduct was indeed questionable, Li Shimin included. Even he himself, while loyal in his affections, hardly seemed to fit the mold. If what Di Renjie feared actually came to pass, what could he do? Should he unsheathe a blade and perform the same surgery on his father?

Di Renjie spoke solemnly: "Your Highness, the succession of the imperial line is a matter of paramount importance for the ethics of humanity and the stability of the state. I have no objections to that, but the proper ordering of human relationships is the foundation of morality. If human relationships are in disorder, how can one demand loyalty from ministers? If the ways of benevolent governance do not flourish, one must rely on the ways of force, which is never a long-term solution. In this matter, I hope it ends with Your Highness."

Li Wei was not particularly moved by this talk of "benevolent rule" versus "rule by force." He did not know much history, but he had witnessed the shifts of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. One type of collapse was internal, driven by natural disasters and the corruption of rulers, leading to peasant uprisings. Another was foreign invasion, which was usually caused by the state’s own internal decay; otherwise, no nomadic people could ever be a match for the Central Plains, which could exhaust them simply through its vast wealth and manpower—provided the people were willing to fight for their rulers. The final type was total disintegration, and while the Tang dynasty’s fall was attributed to the Huang Chao Rebellion, it ultimately belonged to this category of disintegration.

Therefore, centralized power was essential, as was maintaining political integrity. One also had to master the "art of the emperor"—that mysterious skill parents used to make ministers divide power among themselves. Otherwise, a powerful minister like Li Linfu would inevitably become a shackle on the state. In the end, it was all about the way of force. As for the "way of benevolence"? If one held a copy of the *Analects* and read it to An Lushan, would he stop his rebellion?

Still, this inversion of order was not a beautiful sight.

He nodded, equally solemn.

Di Renjie, however, was deep in thought. The Empress would not have brought up this matter without a reason. Although he had only just formally entered the court and had little prior interaction with her, he had heard much, and that only made him more wary of her. In this instance, the Crown Prince’s counterattack had left the Emperor passive, and the Empress even more so.

Thinking of this, he asked, "Why would the Empress bring this up?"

Li Wei recounted the events exactly as they had occurred.

"A three-way loss," Di Renjie sighed. "Xu Jingzong deserves to die! Without him, how could this have happened?"

"How so?"

"By summoning a common woman into the palace, the Empress invites endless rumors. But what if she summoned *all* of them? This is the Empress’s way of making a soft plea to Your Highness."

"A soft plea to me?" Li Wei pondered for a moment and finally understood. Indeed, it was! He said, "But the officials are filled with righteous indignation; this is no longer something I can control."

"The Empress underestimated the method you used to expose Ming Chongyan, and I underestimated it as well." Di Renjie sighed again. "Your Highness, return now and do nothing. Most of these women will likely not be summoned into the palace. But remember my words: filial piety must come from the heart. If it is not from the heart, it is merely painting a snake and adding feet."

Li Wei found his situation difficult to articulate. He could claim he was not a bad person, and he certainly felt a genuine, deep-seated fear of his parents, but filial piety from the heart... were they truly his parents?

The morning court session was merely the beginning. Afterward, from Chang’an to every corner of the realm, officials began submitting memorials, which flew toward Luoyang like snowflakes.

Originally, Li Zhi and Wu Zetian had not handled this matter well, and since it involved the Crown Prince, the officials felt emboldened. Even some Confucian scholars and students began to submit petitions. Because Chang’an was somewhat distant and the news they received was imprecise, some officials misinterpreted Li Wei’s plea for help, believing that Li Zhi, seeing his son’s growing reputation, was preparing to move against him. Consequently, their criticisms became even more severe.

Within the court, there were memorials. In the streets, there were all manner of rumors, most of which pointed the finger at Wu Zetian.

They said the reason the court had long delayed dealing with Helan Minzhi was that Wu Zetian was shielding her nephew, not treating her own son as a son. This time was no different: she was using the framing of the Crown Princess to establish her own reputation. A new theory began to quietly circulate: that the invention of bamboo paper had nothing to do with the Emperor or Empress, and that the two sovereigns had deliberately stolen the credit from the Crown Prince. First, to suppress the Prince’s rising reputation, and second, to legitimize themselves. The reason the country was suffering such endless disasters was because the Emperor had established the "Two Sages" and then performed the *Fengshan* sacrifices on Mount Tai. What business did a woman have with *Fengshan*? Thus, Heaven had sent down disaster after disaster as a warning. Who was the true demon? The Empress was the true demon. She had bewitched the Emperor, only to turn around and slaughter her daughter-in-law to prove her own innocence...

Luoyang was slightly better off because the Emperor and Wu Zetian were there, but in Chang’an, the rumors grew increasingly wild.

The only upside was that Yang Min’s reputation, which had been abysmal—with rumors even suggesting an improper relationship between her and Helan Minzhi—was suddenly reversed.

"Your Highness, did that bamboo paper truly have nothing to do with the Two Sages?" the eunuch Jin asked cautiously.

It was not mentioned before, but now that it was, suspicion arose. If it were as the official narrative claimed, and it had something to do with the Emperor and Empress, wouldn't there have been officials from various ministries to test it? Why would the Crown Prince need to do it himself? Furthermore, when the Prince was developing the bamboo paper, the two sovereigns had already been away from Chang’an for over a month.

"Can you believe the rumors in the streets?" Li Wei’s face darkened like a storm cloud upon hearing this.

Afterward, he said, "Follow me to pay respects to the Empress Mother."

His mother was very clever; as long as he explained, she would know where these rumors originated. However, the result was a bitter disappointment: Wu Zetian refused to see him!

Helplessly, he returned to the East Palace, where Wei Yuanzhong, Yao Yuanchong, and Ximen Chong were waiting for him.

After exchanging salutes and sitting down, Wei Yuanzhong said, "Secretary Di has some words he wishes me to convey to Your Highness."

"I was just about to discuss this with you all."

"Is it about the rumors in the streets?"

"Yes, it’s not looking good." Di Renjie had spoken of a three-way loss, but he hadn’t realized it would reach this extent.

"In truth, the mastermind is Xu Jingzong." Wei Yuanzhong frowned as he said this. That old man was like ginger—the older, the spicier. He didn't act often, but when he did, every move was fatal. He could kill with horizontal strikes and vertical stabs alike. He was a constant source of headaches.

"But the Father Emperor and Mother Empress do not see it that way. I want to see them to clear things up, but they refuse to see me."

"Your Highness, even if you saw them, what good would it do? Does the Emperor believe you would jeopardize his health just to protect the daughter of a commoner? Does the Empress believe that you are continuing to lead the ministers to embarrass her, or do they believe in the years of loyal service from Xu Jingzong?"

"..."

"If you meet them, begging might work. But if you try to defend yourself, it won't be a defense—it will be a show of defiance."

"..."

"Besides, these rumors are not solely the work of Xu Jingzong. Many people truly sympathize with Your Highness and are using this to clear your name. There are also ministers who do not wish for the Empress to govern and hope for power to be transferred to Your Highness sooner. A small minority, like the Yang family, are using this as a final effort to protect their daughter’s position as Crown Princess."

"..."

"Your Highness, why is the Emperor wary of you? Secretary Di has advised you many times: just perform your filial duties and do not offer explanations. It is not something you can clarify through words alone. In the position you occupy, some will suppress you for the sake of the Emperor and Empress, and some will harm you for other reasons—this is normal. But likewise, there are those who help you, and even ministers who wish to support you to the throne to claim the merit of establishing a successor. It is not up to you to decide, and if the Emperor is not prepared, it is not even up to the Emperor to decide. It is decided by those who hold the upper hand."

"..." Li Wei remained silent, but he touched his own body and finally understood. I am the Crown Prince, so what? This body is not mine; it belongs to many people. My words don't count, and no one else’s words count either. It is decided by whoever holds the power.

"Your Highness, do you understand my meaning? Only one person can rule the realm, and once attained, they are the supreme sovereign. That is why, during the transition from Sui to Tang, every hero and warrior bled for it. Now, Your Highness is merely suffering some trials—what does that count for? It is not just you; do we, your ministers, suffer any less than you?"

He understood now: to be a Crown Prince is to dance on the edge of a blade. You cannot step down; you must either dance successfully or be torn to pieces by the mountain of blades and sea of fire. In any case, there is no chance for a peaceful life.

"But Secretary Di instructed us to bring you a message. In fact, things are better this way—better than he had anticipated."

"How so?" Li Wei was confused again. *Sigh, is this what being a Crown Prince is?* The life he led was worse than that of a high-seas pirate hunted by the imperial court.

However, one could not put it that way. His life as a lecturer had left him unaccustomed to these power struggles, but some brilliant minds thrived on them—like his mother, or Di Renjie, or Xu Jingzong.

"The root of the evil is Xu Jingzong. Once we bring him down, capture the servants in his residence, and uncover the evidence of his confidants spreading these rumors, it can all be pinned on him. Secretary Di has already begun."

"Already begun?"

"Yes. We are ministers of low standing, so the Grand Tutor Xu looks down on us somewhat. The eyes of the world are focused on the Eastern Capital, so no one is paying attention to the Western Capital. The public discourse and the memorials from the officials are truly unfavorable to Your Highness, but very few people can see that—including the low-level clerks in the Grand Court of Justice. They all think Your Highness currently has the upper hand."

"Indeed," Li Wei touched his sparse mustache and nodded. Not bad, at least he had more insight than some low-level clerks.

"Secretary Di is gradually building a reputation in the Grand Court of Justice, and because he is a trusted aide to Your Highness, he is being courted by some of the clerks. Furthermore, in their memorials, many ministers have expressed dissatisfaction with Grand Tutor Xu. He is old and sick, and since he is not by the side of the two sovereigns, people think he is about to fall, so their memorials have become increasingly vicious."

In truth, it was not like that. The more things were like this, the more his mother needed Xu Jingzong. If not for his age and illness, she might have already unleashed him to bite. But it was possible that an imperial decree of inquiry had already reached Chang’an. This was what Li Wei was worried about.

He asked, "But what does this have to do with dealing with Xu Jingzong?"

"If it weren't for this, how could the clerks in the Grand Court of Justice help Secretary Di deal with the Grand Tutor?"

He still did not quite understand. Bringing down Xu Jingzong was not easy. How many ministers had tried? Had they succeeded? On the contrary, they had failed and were all destroyed in the process.

"Your Highness, who was the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on Mount Zhongnan?"

"Was it not Helan Minzhi?"

"Wrong. It was not Helan Minzhi, but the Grand Tutor."

"How is that possible?"

"It is precisely because everyone thinks it is impossible that the Grand Tutor dared to commit such an act of rebellion." Wei Yuanzhong looked at Li Wei’s shocked expression and gave a bitter smile; his own expression had been no better when he first heard this truth from Di Renjie.