Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 331 How the Queen Was Formed

Changsun Mansion, the big study.

Changsun Wuji stared at Changsun Quan without blinking, examining his every expression, without saying a word.

Chang Sunquan said: "Brother, this is really not my doing!"

Changsun Wuji smiled slightly and said, "I know."

Chang Sunquan was stunned for a moment and asked, "Then why are you looking at me like that?"

"Sit down and talk."

Changsun Wuji raised his hand and said, "I'm just observing your reaction. If you encountered something like this a few years ago, your face would definitely be filled with anger, but now you can keep your composure, which is good."

Chang Sunquan smiled bitterly and said, "I was just trying to be calm. I was also very nervous inside."

Changsun Wuji said, "As long as you can't make others see that you're panicking, that's progress. First, tell me about this. Why did you go to see the Crown Prince yesterday?"

Chang Sunquan said, "It's because of a case in Chang'an County. Because it involves the children of the Wei family, the Chang'an magistrate did not dare to make a decision arbitrarily, so he reported it to me."

Changsun Wuji asked, "Then how did you break it?"

Chang Sunquan said: "Of course it will be handled impartially."

After a pause, he said, "But since it involves the Wei family, I want to report it to the Crown Prince to prevent the Wei family from confusing right and wrong in front of the Crown Prince."

Changsun Wuji nodded and said, "It seems someone knew you were going to report this, so they took advantage of the opportunity to frame you."

Chang Sunquan asked, "Could it be Wei?"

Changsun Wuji tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said thoughtfully, "When we look at this matter, we can't consider it from your perspective, otherwise it will easily lead us astray."

"what do you mean……"

"The other party's target is the Crown Prince, and you are their scapegoat. Whoever knew you were going to report this to the Crown Prince might have chosen you as a scapegoat, but that doesn't mean they have any grudge against you!"

Chang Sunquan asked, "So we should consider the Crown Prince?"

"good."

"In other words, among those who have motives to deal with the Crown Prince, there might be someone behind this?"

Zhang Sun Wuji glanced at him and said, "Are you so sure that they are targeting the Crown Prince?"

Chang Sunquan was stunned and said, "How can it be..."

Before he could finish his words, he was suddenly shocked. If it wasn't to deal with the prince, then it could only be to use this matter to deal with the current emperor!

"Brother, could it be that they intend to use the Crown Prince's seal, falsely convey the Crown Prince's orders, and plot something bad against His Majesty?"

Chang Sun Wuji asked in return, "Did the prince's seal get lost?"

Chang Sunquan said, "No, the seal was on Fu Baolang's body. However, there was more than an hour between the time the murderer killed Fu Baolang and the time his body was found. The murderer may have used the seal."

Zhangsun Wuji pondered, "The military power is in the hands of Li Ji, Cheng Zhijie, and Yuchi Gong. It's highly unlikely that we can conceal the deployment of troops from them with just an order sealed by the Crown Prince."

Chang Sunquan frowned and asked, "Then why did they want to kill Fu Baolang?"

Changsun Wuji shook his head and said, "It's useless to speculate. I heard that your jade pendant fell on a corpse. What happened?"

Chang Sunquan frowned and said, "The jade pendant was lost the day before yesterday."

Changsun Wuji said calmly, "It seems they've been eyeing you for a long time. Did you go anywhere the day before yesterday and yesterday?"

Chang Sunquan thought for a moment and said, "Apart from the regular visits to the government office, I've only been to the Yuwen Mansion once to attend the first birthday celebration for Yuwen Rong, the eldest grandson of the Yuwen family."

Changsun Wuji murmured, "Yuwen clan?"

Seeing his expression, Chang Sunquan asked in surprise, "Brother, do you suspect that the Yuwen family is behind this?"

Zhang Sun Wuji looked up at the void and said slowly, "When Your Majesty implemented the imperial examination reform, the three families that opposed it most fiercely were the Xiao family, the Yuwen family, and the Wei family."

"To this day, these three families still stand tall in the imperial court, while I and Chu Suiliang have been relegated to this point. These ancient aristocratic families are indeed well versed in the art of self-preservation!"

Zhang Sunquan frowned and said, "Didn't the Xiao family also have their property confiscated?"

Zhangsun Wuji snorted and said, "But Xiao Siye pulled the Xiao family back from the brink."

Chang Sunquan was surprised and asked, "Brother, from the sound of your voice, it seems that you have doubts about Xiao Siye as well?"

Changsun Wuji shook his head and said, "It's too early to say that now. I just want to tell you that the people you will be dealing with in the future are not simple. You must be careful in the future."

Chang Sunquan frowned and said, "But how can we overcome the current difficulties?"

Changsun Wuji smiled and said, "Don't worry. Such an obvious frame-up wouldn't be hidden from the eyes of people like Li Ji, Di Renjie, and Yu Zhining. You don't have to do anything, just cooperate with the investigation."

Chang Sunquan bowed and said, "I'll remember this."

At this moment, almost all the major forces in Chang'an City were secretly discussing this matter.

Li Hong from the Eastern Palace was also extremely anxious, spinning around in the room like a top.

Li Xian was still sitting there eating cakes and drinking drinks, his little mouth busy as he ate and drank.

"Brother, could you please stop spinning? It's making me dizzy and I'm about to throw up what I just ate."

Li Hong glanced at him and said, "You should go back soon. The Eastern Palace is not peaceful recently. You should not come here for the next few days."

Li Xian said with a grin, "What are you afraid of? I'd like to see that murderer and ask him if he has the guts to kill someone in the East Palace."

Li Hong shook his head and said, "Nonsense. If you meet him, will you still be alive?"

Li Xian snorted, "I have Zhang Baofu and Xiao Lizi and the others by my side. I'm not afraid of him."

Li Hong was too lazy to pay attention to him. He clenched his little hands and said, "Oh, what should I do? What should I do?"

Li Xian stuffed another piece of cake into his mouth and said incoherently, "Brother, what are you mumbling about?"

Li Hong said, "I'm wondering whether I should tell my father and mother about this."

Li Xian said, "What's there to think about? Just tell them."

Li Hong frowned and said, "But my father is recuperating. I'm afraid that if I tell them, my father and mother will worry."

Li Hong said casually, "Even if you don't tell them, they will know. With such a big thing happening, the court officials will definitely tell them!"

Li Hong was stunned for a moment before he reacted and clapped his fist on his palm.

"Yes, then I'll write them a letter to let them know I'm safe and don't worry."

He wrote a letter and handed it to Chen Shun'er, saying, "Take it to Wang Sheren and ask him to send it to Hedong as soon as possible."

Chen Shuner took the order and left.

Li Xian suddenly asked, "Brother, who is Wang Sheren? Why do you always ask him to handle things?"

Li Hong walked over to sit next to him and said with a smile, "Wang Sheren is the son-in-law of Xu Binke."

Li Xian said, "Oh," and said, "I know. It's Wang Dejian. He was also instrumental in my mother's enthronement as empress."

Li Hong also picked up a piece of cake, took a small bite, and said, "Yes, this Wang Sheren is very pitiful. He only committed a small crime, and his father banished him from Chang'an. He is less than forty years old, but his hair has turned white."

At the beginning, Li Zhi was afraid of Wu Meiniang and was always cold towards the pro-military faction. Many pro-military officials were dealt with when he was rectifying the administration.

Li Hong naturally didn't understand all this. He just felt that Wang Dejian was too unlucky. Out of sympathy, he usually valued Wang Dejian very much to make up for it.

Li Hong's letter quickly left Chang'an City and headed north to Hedong Road, Yunzhou, and Sanggan River.

This river is exactly the one Li Zhi encountered in Youzhou.

The upper reaches of this river pass through Yunzhou and reach Youzhou.

When Li Zhi arrived in Yunzhou, he encountered this "Little Yellow River" again and set up camp on the south side of the river bank.

Yunzhou was a territory of Zhao during the Warring States Period and was also a border state of the Tang Dynasty.

Continuing northwest from Yunzhou is the Turkic settlement, Hanhai Protectorate.

Before coming to Yunzhou, Li Zhi had already visited Di Renjie's hometown, Bingzhou.

Bingzhou is the place where Li Tang rose to power. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and has only a river valley plain in the south.

There are many mountains in this area, and Li Zhi originally wanted to stay for a while, but Zhang Jianzhi advised him against it, saying that earthquakes occurred frequently in this area.

Since Li Zhi started to remonstrate, he headed north, passed Shiling Pass, and went through Daizhou and Shuozhou before arriving in Yunzhou.

It was already December, and the end of the year was approaching. That night, Li Zhi stood outside the dragon tent, looking far south towards Chang'an.

This was the first time he had celebrated the New Year outside since he came to the Tang Dynasty, and he didn't know whether Chang'an City could safely survive this New Year.

At this moment, I suddenly saw lights flashing in the distance.

Looking sideways, he saw two eunuchs holding lanterns leading the way, followed by Wu Meiniang, who was holding a sable cloak in her hands.

Wu Meiniang came to Li Zhi and put the cloak on him.

"Your Majesty, it's colder here than in Chang'an. Liu Chong'er also caught a cold yesterday. You should wear more clothes and take care of your body. Don't stand in windy places for a long time." Li Zhi nodded with a smile, pulled Wu Meiniang into the dragon tent, sat down in front of the brazier, grabbed her hand and placed it above the fire.

"Mei Niang, your hands are a little cold, let's warm them for a while."

Wu Meiniang smiled slightly and held Li Zhi's hand with her backhand. A warm atmosphere filled the air between the two of them.

Li Zhi looked at her and said with a smile: "Mei Niang, I have a feeling that you seem to have changed a little after coming out with me this time."

Wu Meiniang turned her head to look at Li Zhi, with a smile on her lips, and said, "Your Majesty, what do you think has changed about me?"

Li Zhi thought for a moment and said, "I can't really explain it, but I just have this feeling."

Wu Meiniang's eyelids drooped slightly, staring at the charcoal in the basin, and she said softly: "Your Majesty may be right. After this trip, I have a lot of feelings. Maybe these thoughts have made me different."

The firelight shone on her face, making her look brighter and more beautiful than usual.

Li Zhi held her hand tightly and asked, "What are your feelings?"

Wu Meiniang said quietly, "Since I entered the palace at the age of fourteen, everything I've seen, heard, and known has never been beyond the walls of the palace. Later, I was favored by Your Majesty and was crowned Empress. Although I occasionally leave the palace, my heart is always locked within it."

Li Zhi looked at her speaking softly, and his heart was moved.

Wu Meiniang spent her entire life in the deep palace, fighting with others endlessly. It can be said that she has fought her way to where she is today step by step.

If she had not taken over the body of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, she would have continued to fight when he became seriously ill, using iron-fisted methods and stepping on the corpses of countless people, eventually evolving into the empress Wu Zetian.

She had spent most of her life fighting, so she was used to it.

Now she follows me, without distraction, traveling to enjoy the beauty of mountains and rivers, away from power and disputes. This should be a life she has never experienced before.

So she seemed to be much quieter along the way, like a virtuous wife, silently accompanying him and even taking care of Concubine Zheng without taking off her clothes.

She was less sharp, so Li Zhi naturally felt differently.

At this moment, the last trace of wariness Li Zhi had towards her also disappeared.

Wu Zetian was born in a special environment.

Li Zhi had been with Wu Meiniang for so long that he knew very well that she was not a bad person by nature. It was just that because of her experience in Ganye Temple, she felt extremely insecure, so she wanted to hold on to power.

Now that Li Zhi has given her a sense of security, she will no longer be as aggressive as before and will become more and more like a virtuous queen.

Li Zhi thought of this, held her in his arms, and said softly: "Mei Niang, I like the way you are now."

Wu Meiniang's face flushed, she looked at him with charming eyes, and panted, "Jiulang, I feel a little hot."

Li Zhi's heart skipped a beat. He picked her up by the waist and walked towards the bed.

At this moment, Wang Fusheng's voice came from outside the tent.

"Your Majesty, urgent news from Chang'an."

Li Zhi frowned and put Wu Meiniang down.

Wang Fusheng was the one who was most adept at observing people's words and expressions. If nothing very important had happened, he would never have disturbed me at this time.

Li Zhi walked to the chair and sat down, while Wu Meiniang straightened her clothes and stood aside.

"Come in." Li Zhi said.

Wang Fusheng pushed open the curtain and came in, holding an official document in his hand and handed it to Li Zhi.

After reading it, Li Zhi's face changed suddenly.

Something happened in Chang'an City after all!

"Jiulang, what's wrong?" Wu Meiniang saw his expression and asked hurriedly.

Li Zhi handed the document to her.

Wu Meiniang took it and looked at it. In an instant, a sharp light flashed in her eyes.

This was a secret report sent by Li Ji, which stated that an official in the Eastern Palace had died, and he was a Fu Baolang who was in charge of seals.

Li Zhi saw her expression and soothed her, "Mei Niang, don't worry. Li Ji and his men are still in Chang'an City. Nothing serious will happen!"

Wu Meiniang nodded and was about to speak when Zhang Duohai suddenly came hurriedly with another official document in his hand.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, there is a message from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Li Zhi reached out to take it, and after reading it, he was shocked.

The content of this urgent report was the same as Li Ji's, reporting the death of someone in the Eastern Palace.

However, Li Hong also wrote in the letter that he felt someone around him wanted to harm him and he was very scared.

Li Zhi took a deep breath and handed the letter to Wu Meiniang.

I was worried that she would be even angrier, but unexpectedly, after reading it, Wu Meiniang was unusually calm.

Li Zhi couldn't help but feel a little worried. He put his hand on her shoulder and asked, "Mei Niang, are you okay?"

Wu Meiniang glanced at him and said, "Your Majesty, don't worry. I'm fine. However, there is a problem with this letter."

Li Zhi was surprised and asked, "Is there a problem?"

Wu Meiniang narrowed her eyes and said, "Hong'er was raised by me. I know his temper best. If he really felt that someone was trying to harm him, he wouldn't tell us and make us worry."

Li Zhi's heart trembled, and he asked, "Could this letter be fake?"

Wu Meiniang nodded and said, "Hong'er is just a child. His handwriting is easy to imitate."

Li Zhi's heart sank suddenly and he glanced at Wang Fusheng.

Wang Fusheng understood and said, "I will go find the guard who delivered the letter."

After a while, Wang Fusheng came back, and Wang Jishan followed him.

"Your Majesty, General Wang and I have confirmed that the guard who delivered the letter is fine."

Li Zhi nodded.

Since there was no problem with the person who delivered the letter, it could only mean that there was something wrong with the people around Li Hong. After he delivered the letter, that person replaced it.

The only ones who could do this were the officials and eunuchs of the Eastern Palace.

Li Zhi looked at Wu Meiniang and said, "Meiniang, let's return to Chang'an and resolve this matter."

Wu Meiniang hesitated and said, "But Your Majesty, your headache..."

Li Zhi smiled and said, "I have already consulted the Divine Doctor Sun. The headache is recovering smoothly and the condition is under control. We can return to Chang'an now."

Wu Meiniang nodded, stopped trying to persuade him, and stared at him, saying, "Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask of you."

Li Zhi said, "You and I are one, husband and wife. There's no need to say such things. If you have any requests, please tell me as soon as possible!"

Wu Meiniang said, "I would like to go ahead and return to Chang'an to investigate this matter secretly."

Li Zhi knew that she was still worried about Li Hong, so she wanted to return to Chang'an as soon as possible. After thinking for a while, he said, "Then let the team return slowly. I will go back to Chang'an with you and see who is causing trouble!"

When Wu Meiniang heard what he said, she smiled slightly and held Li Zhi's hand tightly with her backhand.

Wang Fusheng suddenly gritted his teeth and knelt on the ground.

"Fu Sheng, what are you doing?" Li Zhi asked in a deep voice.

Wang Fusheng said, "Your Majesty wishes to separate from the main force and return to Chang'an. I dare not dissuade you. However, I hope Your Majesty will give me three days."

Li Zhi frowned and asked, "You want me to wait for three days before separating from the group?"

"Yes."

"What's the reason?"

Wang Fusheng said, "Your Majesty, I suspect the thief has forged the Crown Prince's letter and caused you so much worry, hoping that you will separate from the main group and quietly return to Chang'an, so that he can carry out his evil plan in secret!"

Li Zhi's expression changed slightly.

Wu Meiniang held Li Zhi's hand and said, "Your Majesty, what Wang Dajian said is reasonable. I was too worried and anxious and overlooked this point."

Wang Jishan also followed suit and said, "I think so too."

Li Zhi said in a deep voice: "Okay, I will wait for three more days."

The next morning, the emperor's patrol team turned around and returned to Chang'an.

At the same time, after Wang Fusheng, Zhang Duohai and Wang Jishan discussed it, they sent out several groups of spies to survey the route.

Xue Rengui also secretly dispatched troops to clear out bandits along the way, while Zhang Jianzhi and Shangguan Yi dispatched personnel to make arrangements at various inns in advance.

Three days later, Li Zhi, accompanied by Wu Meiniang, Xue Rengui, Sun Simiao and others, plus dozens of Yulin Guards and Qianniu Guards, separated from the main group and secretly returned to Chang'an City.

(End of this chapter)