Chapter Twenty-Three: Children Quarreling and Rumors in the Ghost Market (Part Two)

“Your Highness, that's not quite true. The Duke of Zhou commands a powerful household—he has both people and wealth at his disposal. Whereas in the Eastern Palace, there are many attendants, but Your Highness cannot easily mobilize them.”

Indeed, this woman had actually grasped the issue.

“You're mistaken. Power comes in many forms—righteousness itself is a force. In comparison, my strength surpasses the Duke of Zhou’s.”

“But we cannot simply wait for disaster to strike.”

In truth, Li Wei was troubled. This Helan Minzhi, for reasons unknown, had grown so bold as to flirt with Yang Min in his presence and even sent men to slander him with impunity. Was she mad?

He knew her fate would eventually be grim. After his maternal grandmother married into the Wu family as a stepmother, his grandfather died, and the Wu brothers never ceased to torment his grandmother, mother, and Lady Han. In such circumstances, his little sister perished young. Thus, for Wu Zetian, her mother was paramount; otherwise, Helan Minzhi would never have risen to power. But Lady Rongguo had died, and once she was gone, all affections cooled. Add to that the disrespect shown during mourning, and his mother was bound to be displeased.

Yet Li Wei could not fathom his mother’s current intentions, nor did he wish to entangle himself with Helan Minzhi.

But since he was being provoked so directly, Li Wei was not about to submit meekly.

After some thought, he said to Liu Qun, “Send word throughout the Eastern Palace that Steward Zhou once traded away the gifts bestowed upon me by His Majesty to curry favor with the Duke of Zhou, conspiring with the palace attendants.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Liu Qun replied without hesitation. There were witnesses and physical evidence for this accusation. As the Crown Prince’s trusted aide, she had no fear of confronting the Duke of Zhou.

“Then, take two trusted maidservants out of the palace to the Western Market. Spread rumors that since my illness, my temper has grown violent; every day I beat and berate the palace attendants and maids. During the rites before the plowing ceremony, I indulged in wine and revelry. My supposed kindness is mere pretense. Also, say I suffer from various ailments, sometimes coughing blood at night. In short, make me sound as wretched and unbelievable as possible. If anyone doubts, you and your people can vaguely hint you’re from the Duke of Zhou’s residence, and these are facts witnessed by the Duke himself in the Eastern Palace. But remember, first, do not let anyone recognize you; speak in crowded places and leave immediately. Second, do not use my title, nor implicate the Emperor, Empress, or any ministers.”

Liu Qun was puzzled at first, but as she listened further, she began to guess Li Wei’s intent, her eyes brightening.

She was a shrewd maid—though not as pure-hearted as Bi’er, she was useful for certain tasks. Li Wei, seeing her reaction, immediately decided on her role.

Liu Qun departed to carry out his orders, but Bi’er still could not understand and asked urgently, “Your Highness, why would you slander yourself?”

“How do you travel from here to the Taiji Palace?”

“From Chongjiao Hall to Mingde Hall, out through the Mingde Gate, past the Left Treasury, then through Tongxun Gate, and finally Taiji Gate, which leads into Taiji Hall. Beyond that are the various halls of Taiji Palace. Your Highness, why do you ask?”

“Why not walk in a straight line—it would be much closer?”

“But the palace walls block the way; how could you go straight?”

“It’s the same principle. When acting, just like walking, a straight path may be shortest, but there’s not always a road. Sometimes you must take detours, sometimes retreat, sometimes leap and climb. We’re children; our quarrels are of little concern to adults. So we must not implicate them. Yet we are not ordinary children—one is the Crown Prince, one is a Duke; we must uphold the rituals of the realm. So I have people let slip that the rumors come from the Duke of Zhou’s household, which is true. Once these absurd rumors spread, who will believe them? Rumors exposed are rumors broken. This matter cannot be hidden from Father and Mother,” Li Wei said, shivering inwardly. His schemes were not easily concealed. He continued, “Rumors will inevitably attract their attention; uncovering the truth will be simple for them. If the Duke of Zhou loses favor in their eyes, it is a grave counterattack.”

“I see, but Your Highness, you never thought this way before.”

“Tell me, then—was my previous thinking right, or is my current thinking right?”

“I think Your Highness is better now,” Bi’er replied without hesitation.

Of course—after all, I am a traveler from another world. Just as Li Wei felt satisfied at finding a solution, the little princess was announced outside.

“Let her in.”

Li Lingyue burst in, clutching a candy, and said excitedly, “Brother, are you going to the eastern suburbs tomorrow?”

“Yes, but not until the afternoon. Time is tight; the altar for the plowing ceremony is not yet ready.”

“Take me with you!”

“Why do you want to go?”

“I want to plow, too.”

This was mischief, but if word reached Luoyang, his parents might scold her, yet be secretly delighted. There wasn’t any rule forbidding the princess from joining the ceremony. He mentally reviewed the rituals and said, “I can take you, but tomorrow you must start studying at the Academy.”

“I don’t want to—I’m still little, why should I study?”

“Little sister, remember how I made that Cui fellow angry outside the East Market Gate? Did that please you?”

“Yes! He dared say bad things about you—I was very happy.”

“Why did it feel good? Was it because my poem was better than his?”

“Yes.”

“Then, since you’re smarter than me, why can’t you write even better poems in the future?”

The little girl’s pride was strong; she wouldn’t accept outsiders insulting her brother, yet she was unhappy if anyone claimed she was less talented than her sick brother. Tilting her head, she said, “I haven’t grown up yet.”

“Growing up doesn’t guarantee better poems; you must study diligently. Besides, there are many children your age at the Academy. You’re a princess—don’t you want to be their leader?” He wondered to himself, am I teaching her to be good or bad? No matter, as long as she goes to school.

“I want to! But, brother, you must accompany me to the Academy tomorrow, or I won’t go.”

“I’ll be busy.”

“I only need you to stay with me for the morning; in the afternoon, we’ll go to the eastern suburbs.”

“Are you going to study or just to go to the suburbs?”

“I want both the fish and the bear’s paw.”

Li Wei was dizzy—she wanted to have her cake and eat it too. He wondered what the ancient philosopher Mengzi would think of her words. In the end, he had to agree.

……………………………………

“Yuan Zhi, your father wrote asking me to guide you. I am naturally lazy and unworthy, but today I’ll introduce you to someone who may offer you some insight.”

“What sort of person would a Grand Scholar value so highly?”

“The Legal Officer Di Jun of the Bingzhou Governor’s Office.”

Yao Yuan Zhi was surprised. His father was the magistrate of Xieshi County, born to generations of officials. As a youth, he’d been fond of amusement, but after realizing his errors, he strove to study diligently. Thus his father sent him to the capital to study, recommending him to Grand Scholar Wei Yuanzhong.

After several meetings, Wei Yuanzhong struck him as a man of extraordinary spirit, proud and solitary, which had hindered his advancement. He had sharp insight and Yuan Zhi expected him to recommend some renowned court figure, yet he had never heard of this person.

Wei Yuanzhong smiled and said, “His surname is Di, given name Renjie, courtesy Huaiying. He passed the Imperial Examination in the classics, served as the inspector for the Henan circuit, but was falsely accused by officials. Chancellor Yan personally investigated and uncovered the truth. During their conversation, Chancellor Yan remarked, ‘A pearl of the River Bend, a treasure of the southeast.’ Although Chancellor Yan is known for his passive approach in court, such praise indicates Di’s remarkable character. I have had the fortune to meet him twice and found his conversation deeply moving. He’s here escorting Bingzhou’s grain shipments and agreed to meet me at the Drunken Sun Tower. Your father and I are old acquaintances; since you’ve sought me out, I’ll take you to meet him.”

“Thank you, Grand Scholar.”

They ascended the Drunken Sun Tower, where a slender, long-faced middle-aged man awaited them. Upon seeing Wei Yuanzhong, they exchanged greetings.

“Di Jun, this is the son of an old friend, Yao Yuan Zhi, whose wit is unusual. I’ve brought him to meet you.”

“Oh, greetings, Yao Jun.”

“Legal Officer Di, the honor is mine.”

They sat down and discussed affairs of state. Despite their age differences, all were highly talented; after conversing, they felt a strong mutual affinity, as if regretting not meeting sooner.

After a while, Wei Yuanzhong asked, “Di Jun, since you haven’t left the capital, do you wish to observe the Crown Prince?”

“Not exactly. The capital is busy with the plowing rituals these days; officials are occupied, and my paperwork is delayed. As for the Crown Prince—” Di Renjie lowered his voice, “he is cause for concern.”

“What do you mean—is it because of the rumors in the city?”

“The rumors, yes. I happened to have some free time and investigated, finding some clues.”

“Oh?”

“By chance, yesterday I met someone who spoke ill of the Crown Prince. I doubted his words and asked where he’d heard them. He claimed to have learned it in the Ghost Market, and that his household had women serving the Crown Prince, who witnessed everything firsthand. So, early this morning, I followed his directions to the Ghost Market and found someone discussing the matter, though most listeners were skeptical. I stood by quietly, waited for him to leave, and trailed him to a mansion.”

“Where?”

“It’s not my place to meddle. Though it’s absurd, our positions,” Di Renjie shook his head, “do not allow us to intervene. Still, the situation is preposterous.”

Wei Yuanzhong did not press further, but was equally puzzled. The Ghost Market lay west of the main street opposite the Imperial City’s southeast gate, in the Wuben Ward. When the weather was gloomy, tales of ghosts abounded. People used the eerie setting for trade, and eventually it became a night market, dispersing at dawn, filled with mysterious goods. As it was a folk custom, officials seldom intervened, and it grew ever livelier. Spreading rumors here was both hidden and safe. But why target the Crown Prince? He was known for intelligence and gentleness, and possessed no deadly political enemies.

Di Renjie continued, “Whoever did this courts their own destruction, though that’s not my concern. I fear another matter, intertwined with this, might awaken this person to the true danger posed by the Crown Prince.”

“What matter?”

“That is why I invited you here. The Crown Prince is wise and brilliant—he is the hope of our dynasty’s revival.”

Wei Yuanzhong nodded. The Crown Prince’s conduct thus far was beyond reproach.

“Especially when I heard him recite, ‘Scaling the summit, I see all mountains beneath me,’ which reminded me of Emperor Gaozu’s Song of the Great Wind. Kindness, wisdom, intelligence, frugality, and ambition—these are marks of a benevolent ruler.”

Wei Yuanzhong nodded again. Not only Di Renjie, but many officials in the capital shared this view.

“But it is precisely because of that line. If, years from now, he wrote it, it would be a fine poem. Or if an ordinary scholar composed it, it would matter little. But he is the Crown Prince; though His Majesty’s health is not perfect, he is still in his prime. If he hears that line, what will he think? Maybe nothing, but if some villain stirs trouble, what might happen?”

Wei Yuanzhong’s face changed dramatically.

“Don’t worry, my friend. Since I invited you to discuss this, I have exercised caution. Not long ago, the Emperor permitted two princesses to marry, and then tasked the Crown Prince with performing the rituals. Do not underestimate him. But the Crown Prince, though seemingly powerful in the Eastern Palace, is actually isolated, young, and lacking experience. If you notify him, perhaps he can devise a preemptive solution. But I am blind in the capital and wish to avoid conflict with the Crown Prince, so I asked you here to see if you could find a way to get word to the Eastern Palace.”

“You want to drag me into this?”

“Not necessarily,” Di Renjie laughed. “If you succeed, perhaps years from now you’ll earn great fortune because of it.”

Yet Wei Yuanzhong frowned deeply. There might be fortune, but it would be a perilous one.