Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 134: Lady Zhou, Ji Yuchi

In May, the early morning air is fresh and warm.

The wind is blowing gently, and the peonies in Qiumi Garden are in full bloom.

The fragrance of peony flowers is rich and pleasant, long-lasting and makes people feel like they are in a sea of ​​fragrance.

For pregnant women, the fragrance of peony flowers is too strong.

Li Zhi walked with Wu Meiniang in the garden for a while, then took her back to Lizheng Hall.

Wu Meiniang ordered someone to serve the medicinal soup. While Li Zhi was drinking it, she said with a smile, "Your Majesty, many ladies have entered the palace in the past two days. Do you know why?"

Li Zhi said, "Is he here to chat with you and relieve your boredom?"

Wu Meiniang shook her head and said, "They didn't just come to see me. Many of them also came to see the Imperial Concubine, the Concubine Rong, and the Concubine Rong."

Li Zhi was stunned for a moment and said, "Is it because of the Dragon Boat Festival?"

Today is the fourth day of May, and the next day is the Dragon Boat Festival.

The Dragon Boat Festival in the Tang Dynasty was also a holiday, and the emperor would also hold a Dragon Boat Festival banquet on the festival.

The Dragon Boat Festival is a festival to commemorate Qu Yuan and is a festival for ministers.

At the banquet, the emperor would give fans, clothes, and other gifts to his ministers, and it was also acceptable for the ladies of the court to take the opportunity to enter the palace to meet the concubines.

Wu Meiniang said sternly, "They never enter the palace on Dragon Boat Festival. These people come to the palace to deal with the Ministry of Personnel."

Li Zhi put down the soup bowl and frowned.

He knew that Liu Rengui had recently been investigating the Ministry of Personnel and had encountered great obstacles.

A large number of memorials were submitted every day to impeach Liu Rengui and the upright officials for abusing their power for personal gain.

If it weren't for Li Zhi's full support, Liu Rengui would have been unable to continue the investigation.

"They came to the palace to plead for their husbands?"

Wu Meiniang nodded: "That's what they meant. But Your Majesty, don't worry. The imperial concubines are very sensible and will not disturb Your Majesty because of these matters."

Li Zhi nodded. When he met Xu Jin and others recently, no one mentioned these things to him.

Wu Meiniang continued, "Your Majesty, do you still remember that you sent Li Jingxuan to the Ministry of Personnel?"

Li Zhi said: "Of course I remember."

Wu Meiniang said, "He is now under investigation as well. His wife and Li Yifu's wife came to the palace together and came to me, hoping that I could help speak for them."

Li Zhi glanced at her and said, "Mei Niang, do you want me to issue an order to stop Liu Rengui's investigation of him?"

Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "I have no such intention, nor is there any need for it."

Li Zhi said: "Oh?"

Wu Meiniang said, "Your Majesty, think about it. Most of the officials in the Ministry of Personnel are from aristocratic families. I don't know how many eyes are watching Li Jingxuan. If he made a mistake, he would have been impeached long ago."

Li Zhi smiled and said, "That makes sense." After a pause, he said, "Then why did you suddenly bring this up?"

Wu Meiniang said, "What I care about is not Li Jingxuan, but Ji Sizhong. Has his wife also entered the palace?"

"Ji Sizhong?" Li Zhi began to search for memories about this person in his mind.

After a while, he remembered this person. It turned out that he was the younger brother of Lady Ji Yichi of Zhou State.

Ji Xizhi was one of Li Zhi's four wet nurses.

This woman's experience is very legendary, somewhat similar to Shangguan Wan'er's.

Ji Xichi was the daughter of Ji Wei, a minister of the Sui Dynasty, and married the son of Li Xiaochang, King Yi'an.

Later, when Li Xiaochang rebelled, she was implicated and sent to the imperial palace.

Ji Yuchi was appreciated by Empress Zhangsun for his talent and was appointed as Li Zhi's tutor.

Because of her loyalty and diligence, even Emperor Taizong of Tang praised her highly and conferred upon her the title of a third-rank county lady.

After Li Zhi ascended the throne, she was promoted to Lady of Zhou.

Because her husband's family was away, Li Zhi gave her a Zhouguo Lady's Mansion for her to live in.

Li Zhi thought about this and said, "Mei Niang, are you worried that Ji Yuchi will be persuaded by her brother and come to plead for mercy as well?"

Wu Meiniang nodded and said, "Although Madam Zhou is known for her virtue, her husband's family is no longer around, and she now only has two younger brothers. I'm worried that she will lose control and cause trouble for Your Majesty."

Li Zhi waved his hand and said, "Mei Niang, you worry too much. Even if she is my wet nurse, I will not show favoritism because of her."

Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "I hope she can stay sober on this matter."

I thought to myself, "Your Majesty has always been filial to our wet nurse. This statement must be insincere. I must think of a way to avoid embarrassing him."

……

Late at night, at Mrs. Zhou’s residence.

The lights were on in the room, but no sound could be heard and no figures could be seen. There was a strange and eerie feeling.

A row of people were kneeling outside the house.

Ji Sizhong had been kneeling at the spot closest to the stone steps for more than two hours.

He was sweating profusely and his legs were numb, but he could only endure it.

He knew his sister's temper very well. If he couldn't impress her this time, it would be even more impossible in the future.

The upper moon rises slowly, and the moonlight is as clear as water.

After an unknown amount of time, the door was pushed open with a creaky sound.

A woman in her forties dressed in palace clothes walked out. She had beautiful features and obvious crow's feet at the corners of her eyes. She was Mrs. Ji Yichi of the State of Zhou.

Ji Sizhong was overjoyed and was about to speak when he suddenly saw Ji Xi holding a rope in his hand.

Ji Sizhong asked anxiously, "Sister, what do you want to do?"

Ji Yuchi said with a stern face, "Since you have come to me for help, you must have done something wrong. I will tie you up and bring you before the Saint to let him decide your fate!"

Ji Sizhong said anxiously, "Sister, I just took a little money from them and helped them revise their year-end evaluation. Please forgive me this time!"

Ji Yuchi said angrily: "Shut up and stop polluting my ears!"

Ji Sizhong said in a trembling voice: "Don't forget, when my father and mother died, I asked you to take care of me."

Ji Xianchi was stunned for a moment and looked hesitant.

Just then, there was a commotion outside. Not long after, a group of yamen runners rushed into the courtyard and surrounded Ji Sizhong.

Ji Yuchi frowned and asked, "Who are you? How dare you trespass into my mansion?"

The runners parted ways, and a young official came out. He bowed to Ji Yu and said, "I am Xue Yuanchao, and I am under the orders of Prime Minister Liu to arrest Ji Sizhong!"

Ji Sizhong was stunned for a moment, and the rope in her hand fell to the ground. Seeing that she didn't say anything, Xue Yuanchao waved his hand and said, "Catch him." Several yamen runners rushed forward and grabbed Ji Sizhong.

Ji Sizhong struggled and shouted, "Sister, save me!"

Ji Jianchi showed an expression of reluctance on his face.

Xue Yuanchao waved his hand and said, "Take it away."

Ji Yuchi couldn't help but said, "Wait a minute."

Xue Yuanchao turned to look at her and said calmly, "Madam Zhou, you have always been quite virtuous. You wouldn't want to protect your brother, would you?"

Ji Jianchi gritted his teeth and said, "Can you wait until I go to the palace before interrogating him?"

Xue Yuanchao snorted coldly, "Are you trying to use your relationship with the Saint to show favoritism?"

Ji Yu said anxiously, "He is my brother, why can't I speak up for him?"

Xue Yuanchao said in a deep voice: "Your status is special. If you use this to confuse the emperor and disrupt the law, aren't you afraid of being criticized by the world?"

Ji Yuchi said angrily: "You are rude!"

Xue Yuanchao snorted, "Please respect yourself."

Ji Xianchi stamped his feet and said, "I won't argue with you. I'm going to the palace to talk to the saint." He ordered his men to prepare a carriage and headed towards the palace.

……

Outside Changle Gate, Zhang Duohai saw Ji Yuchi stepping down from the carriage and stepped forward, bowing and saying, "I am Zhang Duohai, your humble servant, and I greet Madam Zhou."

Ji Yuchi frowned slightly and asked, "Are you waiting for me here?"

Zhang Duohai smiled and said, "I have been waiting for you here for a long time by the Queen's order. Please follow me into the palace."

Ji Xichi's heart sank.

She was very clear about Empress Wu's methods. Xue, one of the four wet nurses, offended Empress Wu and was demoted to a county lady.

The other party specially sent someone to wait for her, obviously having calculated that she would enter the palace, which made her even more uneasy.

Ji Yuchi followed Zhang Dahai into the Lijeong Hall with a heavy heart.

Wu Meiniang was sitting on the phoenix couch in the bedroom waiting. When she saw her come in, she stood up and said with a smile, "Baofu, you are here. Please take a seat."

Ji Yuchi glanced at Wu Meiniang's belly, bowed, and said, "I pay my respects to Her Majesty the Queen."

Wu Meiniang pulled her to sit on the phoenix couch and said with a smile, "You are the elder, no need to be polite. Come, serve the tea."

In the harem, if someone treats you coldly, it's not a big deal. But if someone greets you with a smile and warmth, you should be extra cautious.

This was the experience Ji Yuchi had summed up after years of being in the harem. She was secretly alert in her heart, and after thanking him, she sat upright and said nothing.

Wu Meiniang said softly, "Master Ji is here for your brother, right?"

Ji Yuchi knew she couldn't hide it, so she whispered, "I know I shouldn't have entered the palace, but he is my brother from the same mother, and the bond between us is so deep that I can't let him go. That's why I took the liberty to enter."

Wu Meiniang sighed, "I understand your feelings. However, I still want to advise you that entering the palace will only harm your brother."

Ji Yuchi frowned and asked, "Why do you say that, Your Highness?"

Wu Meiniang asked, "A few major events have happened in the palace recently. Are you aware of them?"

Ji Jianchi shook his head.

She was a Taoist. After leaving the palace, she practiced self-cultivation at home and did not care about external affairs.

Wu Meiniang picked up the teacup, blew on the hot steam, and said, "Have you heard about what happened to Duke Zhao?"

Ji Jianchi was shocked.

The incident involving Changsun Wuji had a huge impact and spread throughout the city. Even she had heard of it.

She understood even more clearly that Zhangsun Wuji and Empress Wu were sworn enemies, and thought to herself, "She suddenly mentioned the Duke of Zhao. Is she trying to scare me?"

Wu Meiniang continued, "Last November, Xu Chongrong volunteered to have his brother exiled, and just last month, I also requested permission to have two of my brothers exiled."

Ji Xichi's face turned pale slightly, and he vaguely sensed that there was some connection between them. He thought about it for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out.

"Please explain clearly, Your Highness." She asked softly.

Wu Meiniang asked, "Please think about this: what is the relationship between the Duke of Zhao and Your Majesty?"

Ji Jianchi was stunned for a moment and was suddenly shocked.

Zhangsun Wuji was the sage's uncle and the regent left by the previous emperor. However, the sage forced him to retire and live in seclusion. This was easily criticized in the Tang Dynasty, which attached great importance to filial piety.

For the sake of the greater good, the saint treated his relatives so ruthlessly, and he must have been very sensitive to this.

At this time, if someone shows deep affection in front of him, it can easily irritate the saint.

Therefore, Xu Chongrong requested an imperial decree to send his brother away, and Empress Wu also requested an imperial decree to send her two stepbrothers away.

Both of them put state affairs first and put family affection aside, all for the sake of looking good for the saint.

Ji Yuchi gave a wry smile and said, "Thank you for your reminder, Your Highness. I almost made a big mistake."

Wu Meiniang said softly, "Your relationship with the Saint is different. I believe the Saint will not blame you. At most, he will be sad and upset."

Ji Yuchi shook her head and said, "I almost put the Saint in an unfilial position. I really shouldn't have done that."

Wu Meiniang said softly, "I've had people make inquiries. Ji Yuanwailang's crime is not serious. At most, he will be demoted, but he won't be dismissed or exiled."

Ji Yuchi whispered, "Her Majesty the Queen is thoughtful."

Wu Meiniang said sternly, "You are His Majesty's wet nurse, and you are a meritorious official of the Tang Dynasty. I naturally cannot let you suffer any injustice."

Ji Jianchi realized that Empress Wu was deliberately trying to win her over, but despite this, she felt very pleased.

"Your Highness, you are too kind." She bowed her head in thanks.

Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "I've thought about it for a while and have come up with an idea for you. Would you like to hear it?"

Ji Yuchi said hurriedly, "I was just about to ask Your Highness for some advice."

Wu Meiniang said slowly, "Your Majesty has ordered Liu Rengui to investigate the Ministry of Personnel, but now there are great obstacles. When you return, you can submit a petition to His Majesty requesting severe punishment for your brother. With you taking the lead, those who resist will have little chance to say anything."

Ji Jianchi was a smart man and immediately understood Wu Meiniang's intention.

At this time, she stepped forward to help the saint share his worries. Although the saint would not say it, he would definitely be very grateful in his heart and would have a better impression of Ji Sizhong.

Although Ji Sizhong will be temporarily punished, as long as he leaves a good impression, the saint will sooner or later re-employ him.

Ji Qi stood up and bowed deeply to Wu Meiniang.

"I bow to thank the Queen for her kindness!"

(End of this chapter)