Chapter 135: The Stunning Young Maiden — The Poisonous Empress (Part Two)

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These two sought refuge with Li Wei, not because he had any sinister qualities, nor were they opportunists looking to attach themselves to power. The group from Shaolin Temple held the Crown Prince in high regard. Without a hint from the Crown Prince, they would not have mentioned anything about seeking refuge. Even if they wanted to, it was difficult to say, as it meant covertly competing against Di Wei and his three companions—a matter unworthy of gentlemen.

Upon their return, Li Zhi summoned them to the palace and said, “You two are straightforward and stern by nature. I have assigned you to accompany the Crown Prince as role models, to set an example for him.”

After saying this, he dismissed them.

Understanding that this was a forceful appointment as the Crown Prince’s advisors, they found it awkward to speak directly about it. They arranged an outing with Yao Yuanchong and others, subtly expressing this intention. When they met Wei Yuanzhong, they spoke frankly. Wei Yuanzhong pondered and finally understood.

It turned out that the Emperor was somewhat troubled by his son’s erratic behavior and worried he might have learned some unscrupulous methods. Since Wei and Zhu were upright and disciplined—Wei Zhigu was only twenty-five, Zhu Jingze not much older at thirty-seven, and both communicated well with the Crown Prince—they were chosen to be his confidants, serving as examples.

This also revealed the Emperor’s conflicted mindset: he wanted to nurture the Crown Prince but was cautious. Although he recommended these two as close aides, their official ranks were not high. Why not hint at powerful ministers like Hao Chujun, Li Jingxuan, or Dai Zhide to be responsible officials in the Eastern Palace system?

Wei Yuanzhong said, “I can pass on the message. The Crown Prince holds you in high esteem, but once you become his advisors, you must plan carefully.”

“Under no circumstances should you discuss matters with the Crown Prince and then secretly report to the Emperor.”

Wei and Zhu immediately replied, “Inspector Wei, we understand the crucial points.”

This was merely an introduction, but winning the full trust of the Crown Prince’s inner circle would take time. Nonetheless, they could be used as observers.

Li Wei said, “Do not trust the doubted; use the trusted without doubt.”

“But Your Highness, one must not harbor ill intentions, and suspicion should be limited…” Faced with the Crown Prince’s frankness, Wei Yuanzhong couldn’t continue. He could only pray silently that these two were sincere gentlemen, not duplicitous villains.

As they spoke, Wei Zhigu and Zhu Jingze arrived.

Since this was their first time “seeking refuge,” and their personalities were straightforward yet somewhat reserved, they hesitated to be too explicit. After some casual talk, the subject turned to Ming Chongyan. Wei Zhigu lamented, “At that time, Your Highness’s ambitions were vast, not just against Master Xu, but focusing on Ming Chongyan alone. Perhaps this villain could have been brought to justice today.”

Li Wei smiled but said nothing. It was not to conceal deliberately; after all, what Di Renjie did was significant and best kept secret. Besides, Di Renjie was not one to boast, and as a mere assistant magistrate, even Wei Yuanzhong wouldn’t claim absolute certainty in confronting Xu Jingzong.

Wei Zhigu continued, “Regarding the merchants, although some disaster victims were helped, the court and Your Highness’s actions had both benefits and harms—it was a double-edged sword and should not become routine.”

“Decisions must be made as circumstances demand. After all, lives are at stake,” Li Wei said helplessly. Whenever merchants were involved, matters became complicated. He added, “You are in the Eastern Capital and have not seen with your own eyes. Wei and others came from Guanzhong; ask them about the conditions of those disaster victims there. My actions may sully my reputation, but if it’s for the sake of the Emperor and Empress, and many people, it is worthwhile. I do not say the remonstrators are bad; they do not know the hardship of being in the position. If they were disaster victims, starving for days, not only themselves but their families starving, would they be so adamant in their remonstrations?”

Li Wei’s words were somewhat shameless, but it was a choice between compassion—saving the people from disaster at some cost—or coldly watching them starve, maintaining rigid principles that reject merchants forever.

Wei Yuanzhong said, “Your Highness’s words are very true. Wei Zuolang and Zhu Buwei, you may not understand this.”

Even if the Crown Prince’s reputation was somewhat sullied, it was not a big problem—like mountains of gold and silver, so much that even the Emperor envied and wanted to share some. It was not about deliberately avoiding suspicion. What mattered was that the Emperor and Empress were pleased. What else could be more important? Now, what was more important to the Crown Prince than repairing his relationship with his parents?

All were frank in character and got along well. After some wine and heartfelt conversation, night fell.

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Nearby and distant taverns began to fill with revelry, the mournful sound of the huqin echoing endlessly. The group parted after enjoying themselves…

…

Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, Li Wei was summoned by Wu Zetian.

After paying respects, Wu Zetian said, “Hong'er, you have done well these past days.”

“You have borne the blame for us; if not well done, then how else could it be? Rare is the chance to see one’s mother, so matters should be spoken openly. Otherwise, Di Renjie cannot overturn Xu Jingzong, and if he does, the Empress will be even angrier at this crucial ally.”

Gently holding Wu Zetian’s delicate hand and stroking it—a gesture not excessive, much better than Li Lingyue lying in Wu Zetian’s arms acting spoiled—he said, “This is what a son should do. Yet, some words have long been held in my heart. When the Emperor and Empress were angry, it was hard for me to explain. Mother, allow me to speak.”

“Speak,” she said, still upset but resigned. What else could she do? Kill this son?

“Since childhood, I have heard about the Emperor and Empress’s hardships. Before the Emperor became Crown Prince, he was ostracized by his brothers and endured much suffering. But compared to the Empress, he was nothing. At home, she was bullied by her elder brothers and even distant cousins. In the palace, she had no relatives, and only the Emperor’s pity saved her. However, Empress Wang and Consort Xiao, relying on their noble birth, oppressed her, and many ministers abetted them…”

But in his heart, it was not so. Empress Wang and Consort Xiao were the legitimate consorts from prominent families, while his mother came from a modest merchant background, the daughter of a merchant’s secondary wife, treated pitifully. Yet, to curry favor with his mother, he had to say untrue things about Empress Wang and Consort Xiao.

No matter how many flattery attempts, Wu Zetian found some of it agreeable.

Seeing her expression, Li Wei continued, “Therefore, I have always pondered how to prevent the tragedies of the previous generation from repeating. Being Crown Prince, I pay special attention to my younger siblings. At the same time, I do not want foreign ministers meddling in my affairs. Mother, have you not suffered enough because of outsiders?”

“Hong’er, do not deceive me. You are unfilial and forget your Emperor and me because of the beauty of the Yang family’s young lady,” Wu Zetian interrupted.

“No, Mother, I only hold a kind heart. But my parents will always have the highest place in my heart. I later saw the ministers’ impeachments and heard from Assistant Di and Inspector Wei that you and Father were troubled on my account. I was wrong. Please forgive me.”

He then buried his head in Wu Zetian’s embrace.

It was not an inappropriate gesture but an expression of affection. The more you fear, the more one dislikes. What could be closer than this?

Wu Zetian’s embrace was indeed broad, soft, and fragrant—very comforting.

The senior eunuch Li Shoucheng closed his eyes. Seeing Li Wei’s unusual expression for the first time, he often grew suspicious. Moreover, the Empress remained as beautiful as ever… Sigh, Empress, your son seems to have impure thoughts. You must not allow another mistake. There is already controversy between Emperor Taizong and His Majesty; yet this son is your own flesh and blood…

Wu Zetian felt no such doubt. Li Wei’s gesture was skillful, reminding her of when he was a child, clinging to her. Her gaze softened. But she still worried. These past months, he was sometimes cold, sometimes warm. Though clever, it troubled her. Composing herself, she pushed Li Wei away and said, “You mean well? How good is your heart? Why did you not sit down and discuss properly? As you wished, Doctor Ming has been dismissed. What will become of your father’s illness?”

“Mother, I do not know if Father’s condition truly improved because of Doctor Ming’s treatment, but that man is clearly a fraud. Whether he cures Father or not, history will record it. If treatment were possible, why not do as I do? My stubborn illness is no less severe than Father’s. Now, look at me.”

He demonstrated a set of Tai Chi, without breaking a sweat, and finished.

“Mother, advise Father to practice this. He can train within the palace, avoiding gossip. Even Jin, my personal attendant, whose health was poor, has improved greatly in the past two months practicing this.”

Normally unnoticed, this Tai Chi set had some difficult moves that required good health. Witnessing it, Wu Zetian was somewhat tempted. After a moment’s thought, she said, “I will try to persuade him.”

“That is good,” Li Wei boldly picked up Wu Zetian, spun her around, and said, “I dream of a peaceful family.”

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“Put me down, put me down,” Wu Zetian scolded repeatedly. Though their bond was strong, this gesture was too intimate. The other palace maids all hid away, secretly amused. Wu Zetian was exasperated yet amused, saying, “Hong’er, you are an adult now; some actions are inappropriate.”

“Yes, yes.”

“I called you here to inform you of something.”

“Please instruct me, Mother.”

“Do not pretend to be pitiful. Just avoid upsetting your father and me in future. Read this memorial.”

Since coming to the Tang Dynasty, one of the annoyances was reading contemporary writings, including memorials. The ornate parallel prose style flourished, even in official documents. Writers pursued parallelism, antithesis, flowery language, rhythm, and allusions. While some were well-written and melodious, how many truly good works emerged? Not to mention lengthy works, even poems—though brief—were constrained by such strict rules. The Tang Dynasty produced millions of poems, yet how many were truly preserved? Stripping away the superficial, the real content might be less than a tenth, and even that contained obscure allusions, hard to understand. Writing was difficult, reading equally so.

But he read this memorial seriously because it was authored by Xu Jingzong. The characters were large but decent. Old Xu was not highly regarded personally, yet talented. After reading, he was puzzled. Even if Xu Jingzong were treacherous, what could he do with a six-year-old girl by his side? Moreover, the Wei family of Jingzhao would not stoop to collude with Xu Jingzong.

Upon arriving in Luoyang, Wu Zetian did not doubt Xu Jingzong based on his past conduct. But knowing he was somewhat upset, she suspected that someone close to her son had advised him and included that person in the list of targets. This close person included Jiang Bi’er and Shangguan Wan’er. Particularly, Shangguan Wan’er’s grandfather, Shangguan Yi, was executed for treason after being falsely accused by Xu Jingzong under Wu Zetian’s orders. Now that she could write poetry and knew certain truths, Wu Zetian was angry and flooded the Eastern Palace with girls from the Wei family.

However, considering the Crown Prince’s personal maids were future candidates for consorts like Liangdi, the Eastern Palace’s harem system was large. Besides the Crown Princess, there were two Liangdi of the third rank, six Liangyuan of the fifth, ten Chenghui of the sixth, sixteen Zhaoxun of the seventh, and twenty-four Fengyi of the ninth rank. Among these, Liangyuan and Chenghui were positions overseen by Di Renjie for two adopted daughters.

Of course, these were official quotas, but for the sake of benevolence and lightness of desire, whether in the Emperor’s or Crown Prince’s harem, these positions were often vacant.

Jiang Bi’er and Shangguan Wan’er came from modest backgrounds. Though Xu Jingzong’s act was out of anger, Wu Zetian was quite taken with the Wei family’s women. Regardless of Xu Jingzong’s motives, this memorial had some merit.

Wu Zetian said, “After receiving the memorial, I inquired among Wei family officials and learned about Wei Xuanzhen. Though young, her beauty is evidently the finest among the Wei women, surpassing even Shangguan Wan’er. She is exceptionally clever from youth and warmly welcomed throughout the Wei family. When Wei Xuanzhen was appointed to Puzhou, the elders of the Wei family were reluctant to let her suffer hardship and kept her in Jingzhao. I am pleased with this.”

Yet Li Wei’s mind was uneasy about this Wei girl. He had read this history, even the name Wei Xuanzhen, but had forgotten it. Hearing Wu Zetian’s repeated praise brought some recollections.

He did not know when the third son became Crown Prince in history, but it was possible he died mysteriously after three or four years, and the second son was exiled to Bazhou, where he wrote that poem on soybeans. Counting the years, this Wei girl would have been about thirteen to fifteen then. He could not recall the appearance of Empress Wei but knew that the third son’s daughter, Li Guo’er, was famed as the most beautiful woman of the Tang Dynasty, which could not be explained by genetics alone, proving the beauty of the Wei family.

This Wei girl’s age matched, her beauty clearly outstanding in the Wei family. Wan’er was already quite attractive. This suggested the girl might surpass Yang Min and others when grown. This matched the records.

He hurriedly said, “Mother, this is not right. She is too young and resembles the third brother. You should let her be betrothed to the third brother.”

What a joke! This poisonous Empress would never allow it. She could scold the mother, which was for the children. For her husband—at least in Li Wei’s eyes, she fulfilled her wifely duties to his stepfather. But the Wei girl? Who knew what poison cake or tea might be served? No regard for brotherly affection or friendship, she kicked the matter back to the third brother and let him take the consequences.