Chapter Fifty-Two: When the Scholar Huan Strikes Again—A Masterful Plan Unleashed (Part Two)

“Bi’er!” Li Wei called out again, stopping her.

Di Renjie would never speak rudely, much less curse him; rather, every word he uttered was laden with meaning, each phrase something to ponder. The more Di Renjie observed, the more satisfied he became: the Crown Prince was both intelligent and compassionate, and he treated them with genuine respect—truly gratifying, exceedingly so. He offered yet another hint: “A grave illness can be a blessing; when one is ill, all other troubles seem to vanish.”

Li Wei’s eyes brightened. “Are you referring to Wu Minzhi…?”

“Not only him! The Duke of Zhou is but a single example. Your Highness, you are the Crown Prince; you must possess the magnanimity befitting an heir. Recall how the Duke of Zheng once treated Emperor Taizong?”

“But Wu Minzhi is by no means like the Duke of Zheng.”

“Perhaps not, but Your Highness cannot allow yourself to be consumed by petty grievances and vengeance. As heir, the true foundation is a smooth transfer of the dynasty’s legacy,” Di Renjie replied solemnly.

“Yes, yes,” Li Wei answered reluctantly. A smooth transition? Easier said than done! And this resentment—how could I possibly swallow it?

His expression brought a knowing smile to Di Renjie and Wei Yuanzhong. So this Crown Prince, flawless in the rumors, also had a temper. At last, he seemed more human; the legendary princes had always been almost inhuman. Their gazes softened, even carrying a trace of elder fondness for the younger.

“Your Highness, let us speak of the Duke of Zhou later. I merely wish to say: parents always love their children dearly. After your recent illness, heaven has shown mercy, and your health is slowly returning. Surely the Emperor and Empress will be overjoyed to hear this in Luoyang. But should your health decline again because of the Duke of Zhou’s fright, what will Their Majesties think? Even if Your Highness has erred in some way, all will be forgiven.”

“Brilliant!” Li Wei clapped his hands in praise.

“More than that; Your Highness’s illness persists, slow to recover.”

Bi’er now understood that Di Renjie was offering wise counsel, but she could not help shivering at these words, almost losing her composure.

Di Renjie glanced at her. This little maid—Li Wei had not dismissed her even for such confidential matters, and she was so devoted to the Crown Prince; he himself seemed a man of true conscience. Her future was, indeed, limitless.

He continued, “Preparations for the Great Rain Sacrifice have not begun. Since Your Highness remains unwell, the ceremony should be suspended.”

“Suspended?”

“Precisely,” Di Renjie lowered his voice, “Your Highness has already received heaven’s favor at the Ploughing Rites. If the Great Rain Sacrifice does not bring rain—so be it. But if it does…”

Every hair on Li Wei’s body stood on end. If that happened, his prestige would rival his father’s. In the end, either his father would abdicate, or he would see to it that Li Wei was crushed into the mud. He said anxiously, “But if my father learns that my illness was feigned, would that not be another deception?”

“Even if he does, this is a different kind of pretense from what you did in the East Market; it concerns the fate of the realm. By stepping back, even if His Majesty suspects deliberate withdrawal, he will not be angered.”

“Thank you, Master Di, thank you all.” With that, Li Wei actually bowed to Di Renjie and Wei Yuanzhong in the manner of a disciple.

“Your Highness, we dare not,” the two hurriedly stepped aside, refusing the honor.

Di Renjie spoke again, “Of course, there remains the matter of the Duke of Zhou.”

At this, Di Renjie felt a headache as well. After all, Helan Minzhi was the Empress’s only close maternal relative. With such a scandal, the Empress herself would be deeply shamed. After pondering, he said, “Your Highness, why has he become so utterly deranged?”

Li Wei hesitated, then lowered his voice. “I can tell you, but it must remain secret.”

“Your Highness, by coming to call today, I have already joined you in the same boat—together in fortune and adversity, with no turning back.”

“It troubles you, Master Di. He acts this way out of resentment towards the Empress, following the deaths of the Lady of Wei and Lady of Han.” Having said half, the rest was hard to voice.

“We and Lord Wei have surmised as much. Alas, Lady Rong helped raise both the Empress and Lady Han, enduring countless hardships, yet never expected to have such a worthless descendant.”

“Hm.” Was that a scoff, or an acknowledgment? Inwardly, he reflected that Helan Minzhi’s madness was due in part to his grandmother’s ‘good nature.’

“True, an ant may shake a tree in vain—or so it seems. But enough ants can sway the mightiest trunks. Who was Jiang Chong in his day?”

“Exactly,” Li Wei replied. Jiang Chong—a mere fugitive clerk—yet with the witchcraft case, he destroyed the prime minister and the crown prince, dragging tens of thousands to death. Just because I am the Crown Prince, I cannot simply eliminate an official at will.

Recently, he had studied history and realized that being Crown Prince—especially one grown to manhood with a vigorous monarch—was among the most dangerous positions of all, more deadly than being a frontier soldier.

Di Renjie sneered, “To call him Jiang Chong flatters him. What we must fear is the emergence of another Jiang Chong. Therefore, Your Highness must eradicate the Duke of Zhou completely, or troubles will never cease.”

You must stop sparing the small birds, stop slashing at faces—you must remove him to warn all others who might harbor treacherous thoughts.

Li Wei nearly broke out in a sweat. So even Di Renjie could be ruthless. Of course—without such means, he would long ago have been eliminated by the likes of Lai Junchen.

“It is not so simple. First, there is the question of the maternal family’s dignity; second, the Duke of Zhou is still in mourning; third, when Lady Wei died, His Majesty wept bitterly. If Your Highness acts… the Duke of Zhou will surely die, and you may be safe, but unforeseen changes might follow.” Again he lowered his voice, “Actually, it’s not hard. As Your Highness said, his madness springs from hatred of the Empress. Simply write a tactful letter to the Eastern Capital, reporting the matter…”

“Brilliant!” Li Wei clapped again.

He had tried to punish Helan Minzhi himself, but Liu Rengui had stopped him. But what about his mother?

He had studied memorials, and through Bi’er and others, learned much about his mother, whom he had never met. Eleven years ago, as a child, his father fell gravely ill, and his mother governed in his stead. When his father recovered, seeing her retain power, cracks formed in their relationship; he had Chancellor Shangguan draft an edict deposing her. Before the ink was dry, she learned of it and took countermeasures. The result: Shangguan was executed, and she joined Li Zhi in court; the ‘Two Sages’ ruled together. She sat behind a screen while Li Zhi presided, later recorded in history as ‘government behind the curtain.’ Six years ago, at the Mount Tai ceremony, she maneuvered again—not only attending but serving as co-host.

His father, though mild and hesitant, was not to be trifled with. In the past, when Changsun Wuji showed arrogance, he was swiftly executed, along with Princess Gaoyang, Li Ke, and Fang Yiai—all put to death without hesitation. The ministers, too, were not to be trusted. Yet it was not his father’s weakness, but his mother’s strength, that prevailed.

Now, his mother had already amassed considerable power and cunning, far surpassing the still-green Yao Yuanchong. If she came to hate Helan Minzhi, ending him would be easier than crushing an ant.

Moreover, having frightened her son into serious illness, both parents would be furious.

But the letter had to be artfully written.

At this, he said again, “I am ill—gravely ill.”

The others bowed their heads, snickering. Even Bi’er could not help but smile; she finally understood—this was a truly underhanded scheme, but far better than threatening Helan Minzhi with a knife.

After their laughter, Di Renjie turned solemn. “But Your Highness, these crooked ways must only be used against scoundrels. One must not become skilled in them.”

“I understand. When friends come, I offer fine wine; when leopards and wolves arrive, I take up spear and blade.”

“Well said,” Di Renjie laughed, rough as the words were, they held wisdom. Some people could not be met with mere gentleness. Then he added, “If necessary, I will delay matters in the capital for two or three days, see what order comes from Luoyang, and devise further plans.”

“Agreed.”

They might be wildly speculating. If wrong, his parents might be enraged and order Helan Minzhi’s immediate execution.

After the four departed, Li Wei gleefully lifted Bi’er in his arms and said, “A great success—give me a kiss!”

Blushing, Bi’er allowed his advances and whispered, “My second sister-in-law is expecting.”

“Oh? Wonderful news! I’ll have Liu Qun bring her a gift.”

“The baby isn’t due for some time yet. But I have been thinking…”

“What is it?”

“I am of lowly birth—will I ever be able to… for Your Highness…”

Could she be wanting a child of her own?

In these hard times, girls of twelve or thirteen marrying were commonplace; young women of thirteen or fourteen bearing children were hardly rare. Was this to be a source of joy, or a shocking realization? Bi’er herself was only fourteen, yet already wished to share his bed, already dreamed of having his child.

…

Several imperial physicians came to examine him. Bi’er said, “His Highness has just fallen asleep; do not disturb him.”

“Yes,” one replied, and quietly took Li Wei’s wrist, feeling his pulse. After a moment, his expression grew strange: the pulse was perfectly normal—without careful attention, even the supposed consumption was undetectable. This showed the illness was fading. Moreover, they had heard that the Crown Prince had gone running and boxing that very morning, and had received guests; how could he be gravely ill by midday?

Suddenly, Li Wei muttered in his sleep, “Don’t kill me…”

“Run, Bi’er! Lady Yang, Lady Xu, Lady Pei—run!”

“Save me, save me…”

…

“What do we do? His Highness was well this morning but is like this by afternoon,” Bi’er said, bowing her head and nearly in tears.

In truth, she had to bow her head, or she would burst out laughing at the prince’s ‘performance.’

“Your Highness…” she wailed, drawing out the cry, then ran to a corner—pretending to weep, but actually to stifle her laughter. She could not contain herself.

In later times, with advanced medicine, Li Wei’s act would have been exposed instantly, but for now, it was believed. The physicians exchanged glances. “His Highness’s soul has been frightened away; this is beyond our abilities. We must call a Master of Incantations to exorcise the evil.”

The Imperial Medical Office, besides its physicians and acupuncturists, also had a Master of Incantations, and even a Doctor of Massage. The Master of Incantations was officially ranked, supported by incantation masters and workers, and tasked with teaching students so that the art might endure.

That last detail, when Li Wei first heard it, struck him as utterly absurd.

Hence this scheme.

The physicians summoned a Master of Incantations to recover the Crown Prince’s soul.

After the doctors departed, Li Wei asked, “Bi’er, has the memorial been sent?”

“It has—sent by courier at full speed.”

“Good.”

After Di Renjie left, he had written the letter. The contents were straightforward, quoting Liu Hansan’s words; if not for Liu Hansan’s warning, he could not have saved Yang Min in time. Only, Liu Hansan himself had yet to be found, to Li Wei’s concern.

Besides, he himself could not be sure if Lady Rong had forced herself upon Helan Minzhi, but his mother would believe it.

Only after writing the letter did Li Wei feign illness.

Sitting on his bed, gazing east, he pondered. Helan Minzhi’s hatred for his mother ran so deep—what would she feel when she read his letter?

He whispered, “Helan Minzhi, just wait for your end!”

His fiancée had nearly been violated, he himself nearly assassinated, and the heroic sacrifice of Li Zhuofan and the others had pushed even the gentle Li Wei to the limits of his anger. Never before had he wished for someone’s death. But this time, he truly meant it.

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