Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 271 The Virtuous Empress Wu
In the Lizheng Hall, Wu Meiniang sat on the couch, staring at Princess Gao An, without saying a word for a long time.

Princess Gao An pinched her fingers nervously and whispered, "Mother, you called me here, what's the matter?"

Wu Meiniang was silent for a while, then said coldly: "Gao An, you don't have to hide it. I already know everything you did."

Princess Gao An was surprised and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Wu Meiniang stared at her. "You were asked by Li Yong to take His Majesty to a small garden next to the mountain pond so that His Majesty could hear the palace maid singing, right?"

Princess Gao An blinked and asked curiously, "Mother, I did take my father to the secret garden, but it was because of the female ghost. What does it have to do with my third brother?"

Wu Meiniang examined her expression and saw that she didn't seem to be lying. She waved her hand and said, "Forget it. I misunderstood you. Go ahead."

Princess Gao An said "Oh" and took her leave.

Wu Meiniang supported her chin with one hand, closed her eyes, and fell into thought.

She has already ordered people to find out about Zhu Zhenlian.

Zhu Zhenlian is Yang Yunv's person, and Li Yong often goes to Shanchiyuan.

These two things combined made her suspect a conspiracy.

Yang Yu-nu deliberately sent Zhu Zhenlian to sing opposite the small garden, and then asked Li Yong to find Princess Gao'an, and lure the emperor over on the pretext of a ghost.

If the emperor was furious about this, it would only cost him the life of a palace maid.

If the emperor felt pity and sympathy for the palace maid, Yang Yunv could use Zhu Zhenlian to get close to the emperor and leave Shanchiyuan.

However, after the test just now, Princess Gao An did not reveal any flaws. It was impossible for such a child to deceive her.

In other words, it's all just a coincidence.

Judging from the emperor's reaction yesterday, he must have liked that palace maid very much. It was impossible to stop her now, and he was also in an unfavorable situation because of Zhang Dahai's recklessness.

Wu Meiniang took a deep breath and made up her mind.

"Let Zhang Dahai come to see me."

After a while, Zhang Duohai came into the hall and knelt on the ground.

"Your Highness, this is all my fault. I will go and ask for permission from Your Majesty right now. I will say that all this was done on my own initiative and has nothing to do with Your Highness!"

Wu Meiniang snorted and said, "If you say that, His Majesty will become even more suspicious of me."

Zhang Dahai said with a sad face, "Then please, Your Highness, cane me to death."

Wu Meiniang stared at him for a while, and her expression softened a little.

"Da Hai, I know His Majesty very well. He has never liked you. I think you will lose your position as Junior Supervisor."

Zhang Duohai gritted his teeth and said, "This is all my own fault. I have no complaints!"

Wu Meiniang held up two fingers and said, "Now I give you two choices. First, I will temporarily remove you from your position as Junior Supervisor. In the future, I will give you a chance to make meritorious contributions and let you be promoted back."

"Secondly, you must be caned and suffer some physical pain to appease His Majesty and perhaps even keep your position as Junior Supervisor."

Zhang Duohai did not hesitate. He was very similar to Empress Wu, and valued power more than his life.

"Your Highness, please punish me with a stick. Even if I am beaten to death, I will have no complaints," he said loudly.

Wu Meiniang stared at him, sighed, and waved her hand, saying, "Come here, drag him away and give him fifty strokes of the cane. Be careful."

The miserable screams soon resounded throughout the Lizheng Hall.

After being beaten with the stick fifty times, Zhang Duohai looked like an eggplant hit by frost, and was dying.

Wu Meiniang ordered people to carry Zhang Duohai and head towards Ganlu Palace.

……

"Mei Niang, what are you doing?"

As soon as Li Zhi saw Wu Meiniang enter the room, he knelt on the ground and quickly went over to help her up.

Wu Meiniang lowered her head and said, "I have failed to discipline my subordinates, and I have come to apologize to Your Majesty."

Li Zhi pulled her to sit on the couch and said, "Mei Niang, you are indeed too petty this time. As the queen, how can you argue with a palace maid?"

Wu Meiniang did not shirk the blame and whispered, "I acknowledge my guilt."

At this moment, a low shout was heard from outside.

Li Zhi frowned and asked, "What's that noise outside?"

Wang Fusheng came to Li Zhi and whispered, "Your Majesty, it's Zhang Shaojian. He has been caned fifty times by Her Majesty the Empress and is lying outside the palace."

Li Zhi was slightly stunned, stood up and walked out of the hall.

Looking down, Zhang Duohai was indeed lying on a wooden board, his buttocks were covered with blood marks, his face was as pale as paper, and beads of sweat the size of beans kept rolling down his round chin.

"Your Majesty, I know my crime. This matter has nothing to do with Your Highness..." He said weakly.

Seeing him like this, Li Zhi was too lazy to punish him anymore and waved his hand, saying, "Take him away."

After returning to the palace, he said to Wu Meiniang, "Meiniang, this matter is over. You must be more careful when disciplining your servants in the future."

Wu Meiniang stood up and bowed, saying, "I will definitely keep this in mind. Your Majesty, I have another matter to report."

Li Zhi returned to the couch and sat down, picked up the teacup, and said, "Tell me, what's the matter?"

Wu Meiniang said softly, "I have heard about the story of Zhu Zhenlian and Your Majesty. Since she has met Your Majesty, she must be a person of great fortune. I would like to promote her to the rank of Talented Lady. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

Li Zhi's eyes lit up and he said, "Mei Niang, are you really willing to let her be a talented person?"

Wu Meiniang said softly, "Not one, but three. Yang Yu-nu and Zheng Yu-nu have been in Shanchiyuan for so long, and they have been punished enough. Now that their sons are no longer young, I think it is time to release them and promote them to talented women."

Li Zhi stared at her for a long while, then reached out and held her hand, sighing, "Mei Niang, you just got pregnant, how can I promote three talented women at once?"

Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "It is precisely because I am pregnant that I should add a few concubines to the harem."

Li Zhi asked curiously, "Why is that?"

Wu Meiniang said sternly, "The Concubine and I are both pregnant and unable to serve Your Majesty. Only Chongrong and Chong'er are left to serve. If their periods coincide, Your Majesty will be left without anyone to serve you. Wouldn't that be my fault?"

Li Zhi was stunned for a moment and sighed, "Mei Niang, you are becoming more and more virtuous."

Wu Meiniang lowered her head slightly and said softly, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. In fact, I have been considering this matter for a long time, but because of Wang Shuren's dislike for Yang Yu Nu and Zheng Yu Nu, this matter came to a head."

Li Zhi laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying, "It's alright. If you had released them earlier, I might not have been able to see Madam Zhu."

Wu Meiniang glanced at Li Zhi, tilted her head, and said, "Your Majesty, do you really like Concubine Zhu so much? I'm a little jealous."

Li Zhi reached out and squeezed her shoulder, smiling, "I've only known her for a short time, and I've only had a small amount of admiration for her. You're my queen, so why would you be jealous? Besides, regarding the matter of the talented woman, I have to ask her if she's willing."

Wu Meiniang chuckled and said, "Your Majesty, do you have so little confidence in yourself? She is just a palace maid, and she is so happy to receive your Majesty's favor. How could she refuse?"

Li Zhi said: "She is different from other palace ladies. You will know when you meet her."

Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "I am indeed curious about her. Your Majesty, can I meet her?"

Li Zhi said to Wang Fusheng, "Go and ask Zhu Siji to come over." After Zhu Zhenlian was transferred to Ganlu Palace, Li Zhi temporarily gave her the position of a female official as Siji of the Shanggong Bureau.

After a while, Zhu Zhenlian came to the bedroom wearing the clothes of a female official and saw Empress Wu at a glance.

Wu Meiniang's peerless beauty and temperament made her lose her mind for a moment before she bowed her head in greeting.

Wu Meiniang stood up and walked over, stretched out two fingers, hooked her chin, and said with a smile: "You are indeed naturally beautiful. No wonder His Majesty likes you."

The posture of the two women was quite ambiguous, and Li Zhi couldn't help but be stunned.

Zhu Zhenlian was even more nervous in front of the empress than she was in front of the emperor. Her face flushed and she whispered, "Your Highness, you are too kind. You are the real beauty."

Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "You have such a sweet mouth. Are you willing to serve His Majesty in the future?"

Zhu Zhenlian's body trembled slightly. She tilted her head to look at Li Zhi. Seeing that he was also staring at her, she lowered her head and said hesitantly, "It is my blessing to serve Your Majesty. It's just that..."

"Is there any difficulty?" Wu Meiniang raised her voice a few degrees.

Zhu Zhenlian said, "I still have an old mother at home who needs to be taken care of."

Wu Meiniang was surprised and asked, "You are very young. Don't you have anyone else at home?"

Li Zhi said: "Mei Niang, her life story is very pitiful. She only has an old mother and a younger brother left at home. She entered the palace to find her younger brother."

Wu Meiniang asked with concern: "Did you find it?"

Zhu Zhenlian whispered, "Thanks to Your Majesty, my brother has been found."

Wu Meiniang was very smart and guessed that her brother had entered the palace as a eunuch. She said to Li Zhi, "Your Majesty, why don't you issue an edict to release her brother from the palace so that he can serve our mother."

Zhu Zhenlian said hurriedly, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness. However, my brother and I have already discussed this matter. My brother wants to continue to follow His Highness the Third Prince and does not want to leave the palace."

Wu Meiniang thought for a moment and said, "That's easy. I'll send someone to take your mother to Chang'an and assign someone to take care of her. If you want to see her, you can let her into the palace anytime. What do you think?"

Zhu Zhenlian's eyes were slightly red. She knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "I bow to thank Her Majesty the Queen, but I am unlucky and cannot serve you."

Wu Meiniang was slightly stunned. She never thought that this woman would refuse.

Li Zhi suddenly said, "Mei Niang, please step aside first. I want to talk to her alone."

Wu Meiniang glanced at Li Zhi and saw that he had a serious expression. She thought to herself, "This might be the first time that Jiulang has been rejected by a woman. Alas, this woman really doesn't know what's good for her." She bowed, took her leave, and left.

Zhu Zhenlian was still kneeling on the ground, with her head lowered and eyes downcast, not saying a word.

Li Zhi sighed and said, "Madam Zhu, if you don't want to be my concubine, I won't force you to stay in the palace. Get up."

Zhu Zhenlian suddenly covered her face and burst into tears, sobbing, "Your Majesty, this servant... is not... if you... really are..."

Li Zhi went over and pulled her up, saying softly, "Tell me what you think."

Zhu Zhenlian choked up and said, "Your Majesty, if you are really Li Shuitai, I will follow you until death."

Li Zhi asked, "Isn't it possible for the king?"

Zhu Zhenlian lowered her head and said, "Do you still remember Changmen Fu?"

Li Zhi was startled and nodded.

Zhu Zhenlian trembled slightly and said, "The description of the palace and the fate of Yang Yu-nu in the Changmen Fu terrifies me. Your Majesty, I'm afraid that I'll become Empress Chen in the fu, or Yang Yu-nu, and be neglected by you..."

Li Zhi held her in his arms and said softly, "I'll protect you, are you afraid?"

Zhu Zhenlian whispered, "Whether it's Her Majesty the Queen or the Imperial Concubine, they both make me feel ashamed. Your Majesty, the days in the palace are long. You may be treating me well now, but what about the future? I'm unsure, and I'm worried day and night because of this."

Li Zhi laughed out loud, picked her up by the waist, and said, "If you hadn't said what you said just now, I might have let you go. But now it's different. I must keep you. What should I do?"

Zhu Zhenlian was half frightened and half surprised, and rested her head on Li Zhi's shoulder.

"Then I can only accept my fate."

The night was quiet. It was midnight and there was no sound in the dragon tent. The emperor and the new noble seemed to have gone to bed.

Wang Fusheng walked with cat-like steps, left Ganlu Palace, walked in the moonlight, headed northeast, and soon arrived at Shanchiyuan.

Behind the gate, a eunuch was waiting for him with a lantern, as if he had already guessed his coming.

The eunuch took him to the Beiyuan Eunuch Office.

Qin Shaojian's room was still filled with smoke. I don't know whether this old eunuch liked incense or just liked this atmosphere.

After Wang Fusheng came into the room, he glanced at the two young eunuchs beside Qin Shaojian and said nothing.

Junior Supervisor Qin said in a hoarse voice, "Everyone, step aside. I want to have a few words with Senior Supervisor Wang."

The young eunuchs all agreed and left the room.

Qin Shaojian raised a withered arm and said with a smile, "Wang Dajian, sit down and talk."

Wang Fusheng said calmly, "No, I'll just ask a few questions and then leave."

Qin Shaojian said, "Excuse me."

Wang Fusheng said, "I understand your intention in not trying to get rid of Lady Zhu for now. I just want to know who you want to deal with, Zhang Duohai or Empress Wu?"

Qin Shaojian smiled and said, "Why should I deal with them?"

Wang Fusheng said calmly, "Zhang Duohai has always looked down upon you as his senior. It's normal for you to want to teach him a lesson."

"As for Empress Wu, I heard that when you were young, you received favors from Zhangsun Wuji."

Qin Shaojian narrowed his eyes and said, "So you suspect that I was ordered by Zhangsun Wuji to deal with Empress Wu?"

Wang Fusheng agreed.

Qin Shaojian smiled and said, "Then let me ask, will this incident affect the relationship between the Saint and the Queen?"

Wang Fusheng shook his head.

"Then what do you think, if this is really the plan of Uncle Changsun and me, will this be the result?"

Wang Fusheng frowned and asked, "Then what exactly is your purpose?"

Qin Shaojian waved his hand and said, "Don't be impatient. Let me guess. Empress Wu just went to see His Majesty. She should have also made a petition to promote Consort Yang and Consort Zheng to higher ranks. Zhu Zhenlian should have been promoted to a concubine as well, right?"

Wang Fusheng's face turned pale slightly.

Qin Shaojian coughed a few times and said in a hoarse voice, "Judging from your expression, I think I guessed right."

Wang Fusheng said in a deep voice, "You had already guessed this would be the result?"

Qin Shaojian smiled and said, "This old servant simply understands Her Majesty the Queen's methods very well. No matter what mistakes she makes, she will immediately make up for them and will never leave any hidden dangers."

Wang Fusheng suddenly realized, "You did this for the sake of the two imperial concubines."

Young Supervisor Qin said sternly, "Yes, I told you that day that helping the two imperial concubines and helping the Saint to have children is the duty of us eunuchs!"

Wang Fusheng bowed deeply and said, "I will definitely keep Mr. Qin's teachings in mind!"

(End of this chapter)