Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 318 Concubine Yan's Villa
In Chang'an City, outside Kaiyuan Gate, four officials from the Ministry of Justice escorted a prisoner out of the city through a side gate.

The prisoner was fat, and the largest prison uniform in the Ministry of Justice still looked very tight on him, with the collar stretched tight.

After he left the city, he turned around and looked up at the towering Chang'an City, motionless.

The four yamen runners around him did not rush him, but just waited patiently.

After a long while, the prisoner finally withdrew his gaze, turned around, took a long step, and said, "Let's go."

Although he was wearing prison clothes and had iron chains on his body, he still walked with the gait of a dragon and a tiger, and was majestic. The four yamen runners behind him looked like his followers.

After walking a few steps, a shout came from behind.

"Seventh Brother!"

The prisoner turned around and looked up, only to see several riders on fast horses galloping towards him, led by Li Zhen, King of Yue.

Li Zhen dismounted and approached the prisoner. He stared at him and said, "Seventh Brother, I'll see you off."

Li Yun sighed, "We've seen each other before in prison. What are you bringing me here for? Go back."

Li Zhen said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, I won't ask you why you killed someone in Luoyang this time. I just want to tell you that no matter where you go, you are still my brother."

Li Yun lowered his head, his eyes slightly moist. After a long silence, he raised his head and said, "Old Eight, don't blame the emperor. I brought this upon myself. He's already shown great mercy by not killing me."

Li Zhen had actually investigated the matter secretly. Although he had not fully understood it, he knew that the matter involved old palace affairs and was of considerable consequence. The emperor had his reasons for convicting Li Yun.

"I know. Is there anything else you want to tell me, Brother Seven?"

Li Yun said in a deep voice, "All of our uncles have ulterior motives and cannot be trusted. You should know what they are thinking."

Li Zhen nodded.

Because of the Xuanwu Gate Incident of the previous emperor, those princes of the uncle generation did not say it out loud, but in their hearts they actually had doubts about the legitimacy of the previous emperor's throne. Li Yuanjing was an example.

If the country is stable, they may not take any action, but as long as there is unrest, they will definitely take action.

Li Yun looked at him and said, "Help the emperor and protect the country passed down by the previous emperor."

Li Zhen didn't say much, just shook his hand vigorously, took out four gold cakes from his waist bag and handed them to the four yamen runners.

"Serve my Seventh Brother well along the way. If there is any mistake, you will be held responsible."

The four of them were overjoyed and promised to serve Li Yun well.

It was already March, and new buds had sprouted on the trees along the road. Under the protection of four yamen runners, Li Yun headed west and soon disappeared from the official road.

Li Zhen sighed, turned around, and was about to return to the palace when he suddenly looked up and saw a familiar woman standing on the city wall.

He stepped onto the city wall. The woman was still staring blankly to the west. The view from the city wall was excellent and she could still see five small dots moving away.

"Sister, why are you here? Since you are here to see me off, why don't you go downstairs and talk to Brother Seven?" Li Zhen asked.

Princess Changshan held a jar tightly in her hand, shook her head and said nothing.

Although Li Zhi ordered her to keep the secret, Princess Changshan was not stupid.

On her wedding day, King Jiang sent a jar of rock honey, but Princess Xincheng took it away and never returned it to her.

The next day, King Jiang was arrested by order of the emperor.

When she went to visit King Jiang, Li Yun ignored her completely. Then she thought about the fact that she had eaten the rock honey given by King Jiang before she fell ill.

The truth is clear.

Her closest brother was actually the one who caused her to be ill for many years. She was naturally sad and confused.

I came here today just to ask Li Yun why he wanted to harm me.

However, when she was standing on the city wall just now, she and Li Yun looked at each other for a long time.

Li Yun's eyes were full of hatred, which made her dare not go down to ask.

But gradually, the hatred in Li Yun's eyes melted away and turned into pity and apology. Princess Changshan felt relieved by these changes.

It’s better not to ask what the truth is.

Li Zhen saw the black spot disappear and turned her head to say, "Sister, we can no longer see Brother Seven. Let's go back."

Princess Changshan said "hmm", went down the city wall and got into the carriage.

Li Zhen rode on horseback to escort his sister back to the princess's residence, and then returned to the Prince of Yue's residence.

As soon as he returned to the mansion, he saw an old eunuch standing in the courtyard with an indignant look on his face.

The King of Yue hurriedly asked, "Master Deng, what is the matter that my mother sent you here for?"

Steward Deng was originally a palace eunuch who served Concubine Yan for more than 30 years. After Emperor Taizong passed away, he followed Concubine Yan out of the palace and went to live in the fiefdom of King Yue.

After Li Zhen was appointed as Si Tu by the emperor, he stayed in Chang'an to take up his post. He sent someone to bring his mother to Chang'an, and Deng Zongguan also came.

Chief Steward Deng gritted his teeth and said, "Your Highness the Prince of Yue, you must make the decision for the old concubine!"

Li Zhen's face changed and she asked, "What happened to mother?"

Chief Steward Deng's face turned grim as he said, "The officials in the capital are much more powerful than they were during the reign of the late emperor. They don't even take the old concubine seriously."

Li Zhen said in a deep voice: "What happened?"

Director Deng said, "The garden you built for the old concubine in Zhongnan Mountain has been demolished. The old concubine has nowhere to live and said she wants to return to Shu!"

Li Zhen was shocked and angry, and asked, "Where is mother now?"

Chief Deng said, "She was just packing her luggage and said she was going back to Shu when the King of Wu came to pay his respects. He comforted the old concubine and invited her to the King of Wu's palace."

Li Zhen immediately turned around and rode his horse towards the Prince of Wu's palace, and the steward Deng also followed on a horse.

When he arrived at Prince Wu's mansion, he asked the guard and learned that Concubine Yan was indeed in the mansion. He went straight into the mansion and soon saw Concubine Yan in the inner hall.

I saw Concubine Yan sitting on a chair, with two girls of seven or eight years old surrounding her, telling jokes with her, and Li Ji sitting at the head of the chair.

Li Zhen breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her mother smiling, and turned to nod at Li Ji.

The two girls were Li Ji's sisters, one named Li Hua and the other named Li Yun. They had both lived in Li Zhen's house and were quite attached to him. They went over to him and sweetly called him "Eighth Uncle".

Li Zhen winked at Li Ji, who understood and went over to take his two sisters out.

Concubine Yan glanced at Li Zhen and snorted, "Why did you let them go? I was having a great time talking to them."

Li Zhen walked over to Li Ji's seat and sat down, saying with a smile, "I have something to ask you, mother."

Concubine Yan yawned and said, "It's about the Zhongnan Mountain Garden, right? No need to ask. I will return to Shu tomorrow."

Li Zhen smiled bitterly and said, "Mother, you've only been here for a few days, why are you going back again? Shu is difficult to travel to, why don't you stay in Chang'an?"

Concubine Yan snorted, "They've demolished my house. Where do you want me to live? Sleep on Suzaku Street?"

This Concubine Yan is a few years younger than Concubine Wei. She is just over fifty years old this year. She was lively when she was young, and now that she is old, she still retains some childishness.

Li Zhen hurriedly asked, "Who is so bold as to demolish our garden?"

Concubine Yan angrily said, "It was an official named Zhang. He said that Zhongnan Mountain belongs to the Qinling Mountains and that a garden cannot be built there. When I argued with him, he even brought up the imperial edict to pressure me." Li Zhen frowned and asked, "Zhang?"

Suddenly a voice came from the door.

"Eighth Uncle, Queen Dowager, it should be Zhang Wenguan, the doctor of the Ministry of Justice. He was ordered by Your Majesty to restore the forests in the Qinling Mountains." It was Li Ji who walked in.

Concubine Yan said, "He's doing his job. I'm not in the Qinling Mountains cutting trees for firewood. I'm using coal. Why would he tear down the garden Zhen'er built for me?"

Li Ji smiled and said, "I heard that many people are building gardens in Qinling Mountains, and some are constantly building new ones. I guess he must be in a difficult situation."

Concubine Yan snorted and tilted her head slightly.

Li Zhen asked, "Mother, has our garden been demolished?"

Concubine Yan snorted, "The gate has been demolished by them."

Li Zhen said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, mother. I'll go find Yan Liben right away and ask him to be flexible. I won't let him really demolish the garden."

After hearing this, Concubine Yan felt relieved and asked him, "Have you been granted your official position?"

Li Zhen was conferred one of the Three Dukes by the emperor, but the Three Dukes was only an honorary title and had no actual position. Li Zhen has not yet been granted a real official position.

With his honorable status as a prince and one of the Three Dukes, if he were to be appointed to an official position, he would definitely be the head of the three provinces and six ministries, and it was not impossible for him to be appointed as a prime minister.

Li Zhen shook his head and said, "Not yet. Many ministers are still opposed."

Concubine Yan was annoyed and asked, "Why do they object?"

Li Zhen said, "They brought up the decree issued by the late emperor, forbidding the prince from holding office in the capital."

When Li Ji heard this, he nodded.

When he was enthroned as Shangnian Fengyu, some people opposed it, but because he was young and held a low official position, the opposition was small and the emperor ignored it.

Concubine Yan snorted, "Your Majesty has his reasons for making this arrangement, but they just love to make noise. Who are the people who object?"

Li Zhen said, "They are all veteran officials, including Linghu Defen, the Imperial College's chief academic officer, and Jing Bo, the counselor."

Concubine Yan said, "He really is relying on his age to bully others."

Li Zhen smiled and said, "Mother, there's no need to be angry. They are also thinking about the country. Besides, Your Majesty has his own opinions and will not be easily influenced by ministers."

Concubine Yan smiled and said, "That's true. Your Majesty has even changed the land system. Why would he listen to these old stubborn people?"

Turning to Li Ji, he smiled and said, "Ji'er, quickly let Hua'er and Yun'er come in. We haven't finished what we just said."

Li Ji agreed and turned to leave.

Li Zhen also left the Prince of Wu's palace and headed towards the Ministry of Works.

……

With a creaky sound, Zhang Wenguan pushed open the door and entered Yan Liben's office. He bowed and said to him, "Mr. Yan, you are looking for me."

Yan Liben just said "hmm", lowered his head to handle official business, and said nothing.

Zhang Wenguan waited for a long time, his legs aching from standing, but Yan Liben still said nothing. Zhang Wenguan had no choice but to ask, "Mr. Yan, what do you want to talk to me about?"

Without even looking up, Yan Liben said, "Doctor Zhang, ever since His Majesty issued the decree to restore the Qinling forests, I have left this matter entirely to you and have never interfered, right?"

Zhang Wenguan hurriedly said, "I am always grateful for Lord Yan's trust in me."

Yan Liben finally raised his head and said slowly, "You served as a deputy minister of the Ministry of Water Resources in the early years of the Yonghui era. Later, because your brother worked in the Ministry of Revenue, you took the initiative to request to be transferred to a different position. There are not many officials of your character in the court anymore."

Zhang Wenguan said, "Mr. Yan is overly flattering."

"From this incident, I thought you were a sensible person who knew the limits, so I never interfered. But when you were doing your job, you went too far." Yan Liben's tone gradually changed.

Zhang Wenguan was surprised and asked, "What do you mean?"

Yan Liben said in a deep voice, "Ever since you took office as a doctor in the Ministry of Justice, you've been patrolling the Qinling Mountains every day, tearing down any house you come across without asking who owns it. Is this true?"

Zhang Wenguan smiled bitterly and said, "Not every day. I only go once every three days."

Yan Liben raised his eyelids and said, "Then I have it."

Zhang Wenguan said sternly, "This is also my duty. Your Majesty has issued an order to restore the Qinling Mountains to tree planting as soon as possible. Naturally, I cannot allow people to build houses and gardens on the mountain anymore!"

Yan Liben said calmly, "I know that building a house in the Qinling Mountains is against the rules. But this is a custom that has been formed over the years, and those who build houses are mostly officials in the court. Do you know how many people you have offended by doing this?"

The Qinling Mountains have always been known as the dragon vein of China and the place of destiny.

In particular, two peaks, Mount Zhongnan and Mount Taibai, were the most favored by the powerful people in Chang'an. They built forest gardens on the mountains and occasionally stayed there for a few days to cultivate their bodies and minds and to attract good luck.

Many people built houses using local materials, causing great damage to the Qinling Mountains.

After Zhang Wenguan became a doctor in the Shangyu Department, he began to demolish houses.

Because he was acting on imperial orders, others did not dare to stop him openly, but they hated him secretly and used many means to deal with him, but they were all blocked by Yan Liben.

Zhang Wenguan saluted and said, "Your humble servant knows that if it weren't for Lord Yan helping me to block those people's attacks, I wouldn't be able to concentrate on my work."

Yan Liben sighed, "Even though I'm the Prime Minister, I can't stop everything for you. You should also be sensible in your actions. Why are you even going to demolish the summer garden that the King of Yue built for the Queen Mother of Yan?"

Zhang Wenguan was stunned and said, "I have always treated everyone equally in my duties. If only Concubine Yan's garden remains undemolished, how can others accept it?"

Yan Liben said, "The King of Yue has just been conferred the title of Three Dukes. He is the only one among the princes to enjoy this honor. This shows the trust Your Majesty has in him. If he were to report you to Your Majesty, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to protect you."

Zhang Wenguan hesitated for a moment and said, "I heard that His Royal Highness the King of Yue is always reasonable. If he knew, he would probably be able to understand."

Yan Liben glared and said, "That was the garden he built for his mother to spend her later years. How can you expect him to be reasonable?"

Zhang Wenguan asked tentatively, "Has he come to see you?"

Yan Liben nodded and said, "He didn't go directly to His Majesty, which was already a gesture of mercy."

Zhang Wenguan asked, "What do you mean?"

Yan Liben said, "I still support your plan to demolish the house, but please go around the concubine's garden, okay?"

Zhang Wenguan whispered, "If that's the case, I can't do this job anymore. Please, Lord Yan, find someone more capable!"

Yan Liben slammed the table and said angrily, "Are you threatening me?"

Zhang Wenguan raised his head and said, "I dare not. But if I bypass Concubine Yan, the others will definitely cause trouble, and I will no longer be able to argue with them with confidence."

Seeing that he was not afraid, Yan Liben was not angry but happy. He really liked his character. After pondering for a moment, he twirled his beard and said, "How about this, don't demolish the garden yet. I will go and test His Majesty's intentions."

Zhang Wenguan bowed in response and left.

Yan Liben continued to handle government affairs. After finishing the work at hand, he got up and left the room, asking a clerk about the time.

The clerk said, "Sir, it's past noon."

Yan Liben nodded.

The emperor was having a meal at that time and wanted to take a nap after the meal, so he asked the clerk to help him buy two sesame cakes on Zhuque Street, then turned back and continued to work.

(End of this chapter)