Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 334: What will happen to the government if the emperor dies?

In the Lizheng Hall of the Eastern Palace, Li Hong was handling government affairs.

He flipped through the memorial absentmindedly.

Normally, when he handled these imperial edicts and memorials, he would just glance over them and usually would not propose any changes.

Only in rare cases, when something was extremely displeasing to his liking, would he discuss revisions with officials from the Eastern Palace.

In recent days, he was in a low mood due to the murder in the Eastern Palace. When he encountered memorials that he did not like, he had no interest in discussing them. He sat there blankly until he left the yamen, like a clay sculpture or wooden carving.

After a long time, today's government affairs were completed, and all the officials took their leave and left. Li Hong also prepared to return to his bedroom.

At this time, an official stood up and bowed to Li Hong, saying, "Your Highness, I have something to report."

Li Hong looked up and saw that it was Wang Dejian, the Prince's attendant. He sat back down and asked, "What do you want to say, Mr. Wang?"

Wang Dejian whispered, "Could Your Highness please ask everyone to leave?"

Li Hong waved his hand and dismissed all the eunuchs and palace servants.

Wang Dejian was about to speak when a woman suddenly walked in from the side door, sword in hand, and sat down next to Li Hong.

Li Hong called out to the woman, "Auntie."

The person who came was Princess Xincheng. She glanced at Wang Dejian and said, "The Eastern Palace has been uneasy lately. For the sake of the Crown Prince's safety, I am listening here. I hope Wang Sheren doesn't mind."

Wang Dejian glanced at the princess, a complicated expression flashing in his eyes, and whispered, "I dare not."

Li Hong said, "Wang Sheren, what do you want to tell me?"

Wang Dejian was silent for a moment, then whispered, "I am a humble and incompetent person, but I have been entrusted with such a great responsibility by the Crown Prince. I am deeply grateful and cannot express my admiration. Please accept my greeting and pray for the Crown Prince's good health and success in everything. I have no further requests!"

After he finished speaking, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed nine times. After the ceremony, he stood up and performed a short prayer dance before leaving.

Li Hong looked surprised and said to Princess Xincheng, "Aunt, there seems to be something wrong with Wang Sheren. He looks like he has a lot on his mind."

Princess Xincheng snorted, "This person has something on his mind, so naturally he has a lot on his mind."

Entrusted by Di Renjie, she temporarily lived in the Eastern Palace to secretly protect the prince and prevent him from talking to Wang Dejian alone.

Li Hong was stunned and said, "What the hell is going on?"

Princess Xincheng was about to answer when the eunuch came to report that Li Ji wanted to see her.

Princess Xincheng smiled and said, "You can meet the minister. I won't interfere." Then she turned and left.

After Princess Xincheng left the outer hall and returned to the back bedroom, she saw Li Xian playing Cuju in the room.

This little guy is only five years old, but he can kick the ball very well. The ball made of eight pieces of cowhide keeps swinging on his head and won't fall down.

Princess Xincheng walked in with a smile and asked, "Did you learn this Ju technique from the Crown Prince?"

Li Xian said proudly, "No, my brother is not as good at playing Cuju as I am. I learned it from my third brother."

Princess Xincheng sat down on the couch, put down her sword, took a sip of tea, and said, "Why do I always see you playing here lately? Don't you need to go to Chongwenguan to study?"

Li Xian said, "I asked the teacher for leave."

"Why take leave? Just to play?" Princess Xincheng asked curiously.

"No, I took leave specifically to protect my brother's safety."

Princess Xincheng nearly spit out the tea in her mouth and laughed, "You little thing, you can't even protect yourself, how can you protect others?"

Li Xian looked at her seriously and said, "Aunt, what do you think you would do if someone wanted to harm my brother?"

Princess Xincheng said, "Of course I'll find a chance to be alone with the Crown Prince, and then take action!"

Li Xian shook his head and said, "No."

Princess Xincheng asked, "Why?"

Li Xian said, "Officials entering the Eastern Palace are searched. Without weapons on them, how could they easily kill my brother? As long as my brother screams or makes a noise, the people outside will rush forward and they will surely fail."

Princess Xincheng was stunned, and actually felt that what this little guy said made some sense.

Li Xian said, "So, it's unnecessary for you to hold a sword beside my brother like you did."

Princess Xincheng tapped his forehead with her finger and said unhappily, "You little brat, now tell me, if someone wants to harm your brother, what are you going to do?"

Because of her finger movement, Li Xian lost his balance and the ball on his head finally fell down.

Li Xian picked up the ball, climbed onto the couch and sat down. He picked up a piece of cake, stuffed it into his mouth, and said, "It's very simple. Trick my brother out of the palace!"

Princess Xincheng frowned and said, "The Crown Prince is three years older than you. Is he so easily deceived?"

Li Xian's mouth was full, and he said vaguely: "That's because you don't understand my brother. In fact, my brother is very easy to deceive."

"How to lie?"

"My brother is soft-hearted. Just tell him that a tragic incident has happened among the people and that he needs help, and he will be easily fooled."

Princess Xincheng was originally talking to him half-jokingly, but after hearing this, she couldn't help but become more serious.

"Even if he was deceived, he is the crown prince after all. If he wants to leave the palace, people will naturally know about it and will definitely try to stop him, right?"

Li Xian curled his lips and said, "That's not easy. As long as they tell me not to tell anyone else, and then let me go to the Taimiao to burn incense as an excuse, I can sneak out of the palace."

When Princess Xincheng thought about it carefully, she felt that there was indeed a possibility of success.

Li Xian looked up at her and said with a smile, "Aren't you afraid that one day you'll wake up and find your brother is suddenly missing?"

Princess Xincheng became more and more frightened the more she listened.

Although the situation Li Xian described was somewhat childish, she had never thought that someone would lure Li Hong out of the palace!

Li Xian became more and more excited as he spoke, his little face flushed with excitement.

"Aunt is a woman and cannot sleep with my brother at night. But I am different. I can always keep an eye on him. He can't hide where he wants to go at night from me. So I am the only one who can protect my brother!"

Princess Xincheng smiled and said, "You have some truth in what you say. The Crown Prince's safety is now in your hands."

Li Xian rolled his eyes and said, "Since I've worked so hard, shouldn't you give me a reward?"

Princess Xincheng smiled and said, "What reward do you want?"

Li Xian smiled ingratiatingly and said, "I want to eat some malt sugar. Please bring me some when you come to the palace next time."

Princess Xincheng was stunned and said, "This is what ordinary children eat. Why do you suddenly want to eat it?"

Li Xian muttered, "I heard from my second sister that malt sugar is better than the snacks and candied fruits in the palace, so I want to try it."

Princess Xincheng chuckled and said, "He's just a child after all." "Well, do your job well and protect the Crown Prince. I'll bring you a few more pieces someday."

Li Xian was overjoyed and started playing with the ball again.

In the afternoon, Di Renjie personally came to the East Palace, found Princess Xincheng, and said with a bow, "Your Highness, thank you for your hard work these past few days. You can return home now."

Princess Xincheng said, "Don't you need me anymore?"

Di Renjie said, "We have already found the other masterminds. The net has been cast and will be closed soon. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is safe and will be safe."

Princess Xincheng hurriedly asked, "Who are the others?"

Di Renjie immediately showed an embarrassed look and said, "It is not convenient to disclose it for the time being. In short, this matter has nothing to do with Prince Consort Changsun."

Princess Xincheng snorted, "Of course it has nothing to do with the Prince Consort. Then can the Prince Consort's suspension order be rescinded?"

Di Renjie said, "Of course. Tomorrow the Secretariat will issue an official document reinstating the Prince Consort's position."

Changsun Quan was listed as a suspect because of the jade pendant found on the corpse. After discussion among several prime ministers of the Secretariat, they suspended him from his position and cooperated with the Dali Temple in the investigation.

Princess Xincheng was so active in helping the Dali Temple because she wanted to clear her husband of suspicion as soon as possible.

Half an hour later, Princess Xincheng packed up her things and left the East Palace. Before leaving, Li Xian reminded her to bring malt sugar next time she entered the palace.

After returning to the princess's mansion, Princess Xincheng found her husband and explained the whole situation to Changsun Quan.

After hearing this, Changsun Quan frowned and said, "Di Renjie asked you to pay attention to Wang Dejian, which means he must be the one who killed Fu Baolang." Princess Xincheng said, "I think so too."

Chang Sunquan said, "From what Di Renjie said, it seems Wang Dejian is not the mastermind."

Princess Xincheng asked, "His father-in-law is Xu Jingzong. Do you think Xu Jingzong was the mastermind behind this?"

Changsun Quan said in a deep voice: "It is better to discuss this matter with my elder brother." He immediately sent someone to invite Changsun Wuji to his house.

Half an hour later, Changsun Wuji came to the princess's residence, and the two discussed the matter in the study.

When Changsun Wuji heard Wang Dejian's name, he looked thoughtful.

"Brother, do you think Xu Jingzong was behind this?"

Changsun Wuji was silent for a moment, then said, "No. I know Xu Jingzong well. He has been very cautious throughout his life and would never do such a thing."

Chang Sunquan frowned and asked, "Who could have instructed Wang Dejian?"

Changsun Wuji suddenly asked, "How did Xu Ang treat you after you arrived in Yongzhou?"

Changsun Quan was shocked, knowing that Changsun Wuji suspected Xu Ang.

The two of them worked in the same Yongzhou Prefecture, so it was not difficult for Xu Ang to steal his jade pendant. He was also fully aware of his investigation into the Wei case.

As long as we calculate the time well, we can frame him.

"He was polite to me on the surface, but I could feel that he was harboring hostility towards me," Changsun Quan replied.

Zhang Sun Wuji said slowly, "That's normal. He's nearly twenty years older than you, and you squeezed him out of his position as Chief Clerk, forcing him to be demoted to the rank of Sima. Naturally, he's hostile to you."

Chang Sunquan asked, "Do you suspect that he was the one who instigated Wang Dejian?"

Changsun Wuji nodded.

"Then why did he go after the prince?"

Zhang Sun Wuji pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Xu Ang and Wang Dejian, these two were originally officials who supported the military faction. I'm afraid their actions were not motivated by personal reasons."

Chang Sunquan's heart moved, and he said, "Do you suspect that the entire pro-military faction is behind this?"

Chang Sun Wuji narrowed his eyes and said, "I just got two pieces of information. Through these two things, I can actually analyze what's going on."

Chang Sunquan knew that although Chang Sun Wuji was a commoner, he was much more informed than himself. He did not ask where he got the information, but only asked: "Which two things?"

"First, two days ago, Yuchi Gong quietly led 10,000 soldiers of the Left Guard out of Xuanwu Gate and headed towards Hedong."

Changsun Quan was shocked. The emperor was in Hedong, and Yuchi Gong suddenly led his troops to Hedong. Did something happen to the emperor?

Changsun Wuji continued, "Secondly, all the officials in the capital who originally supported the military faction have been targeted by the Jinwu Guards, including Li Yifu."

Chang Sunquan was stunned and asked, "Brother, what on earth is going on?"

Zhang Sun Wuji said, "If you think about it carefully, you can connect all the things. Yuchi Gong led his troops out of the capital, which means that the emperor is in danger. The pro-military officials were targeted, which means that the danger is related to the pro-military officials!"

Chang Sunquan asked, "So, the matter of the Eastern Palace is also related to Your Majesty?"

Zhang Sun Wuji sighed, "If I'm not mistaken, the Eastern Palace incident was intended to make the Emperor anxious and lure him back to the capital so they can start their attack on the way."

Changsun Quan’s face turned pale and he said, “Your Majesty, will you…” He couldn’t finish the rest of the sentence.

Zhang Sun Wuji smiled and said, "Don't panic. If something really happened to the emperor, Li Ji wouldn't be so cautious and would have arrested them long ago."

Chang Sunquan nodded, calmed down a bit, and said, "I still don't understand why the pro-military officials would do this."

Zhang Sun Wuji said calmly, "The reason is actually not difficult to guess. You can imagine, if the emperor died, what would happen to the government?"

Chang Sunquan's heart tightened in an instant.

When the emperor passed away, the crown prince would naturally ascend the throne. Since the crown prince was young, the queen would definitely act as regent.

How could the court officials submit to the Queen so easily? If the Queen wanted to control the court, she had no choice but to use those pro-military officials!

He also thought of another thing.

If the emperor died, the empress would definitely kill all of Changsun's clan, and then they would have no choice but to rise up in resistance.

The situation will be chaotic and everyone will be drawn into a new political struggle, and no one will be immune.

Zhangsun Wuji seemed to sense his worry and said with a smile, "Don't be nervous. Your Majesty has Xue Rengui and Shangguan Yi by your side. Furthermore, Wang Fusheng and Wang Jishan are both capable men and will not put Your Majesty in danger."

Chang Sunquan sighed, "I hope so."

Just a few days after Changsun Quan worried about the emperor, Li Zhi's touring team met Yuchi Gong's rescue team.

The place where they met happened to be in Puzhou.

Yuchi Gong was relieved to see that the emperor was safe and sound, and immediately dispatched boats to escort the emperor across the river.

The Yellow River here is much more turbulent than the Yellow River in Qizhou, so it is no longer possible to take a tower ship.

Li Zhi crossed the Yellow River on a canal boat.

He stood at the edge of the boat, looked up at the majestic mountains in the distance, and couldn't help but sigh.

The last time I was standing on Hangu Pass looking at the Yellow River, but now I am sitting on a boat, looking up at the mountains.

There were still seven or eight days left until the end of the year, so it was more than enough time to rush back to Chang'an.

I originally thought that I would have to celebrate the New Year away from home this year, but after going around in circles, I ended up back in Chang'an.

Just as he was sighing with emotion, Wu Meiniang came over from the gangway, holding a cloak in her hand, and said, "Your Majesty, the wind is strong at the bow, please go into the cabin and rest."

It was December and the wind was bitingly cold. Li Zhi could no longer bear it, so he put on a cloak and entered a cabin.

The two sat opposite each other on a couch, and Wu Meiniang made him a cup of tea.

After taking a sip, Li Zhi felt warm. He held the teacup in his hand and said to Wu Meiniang, "Meiniang, do you think Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu were involved in this incident?"

Wu Meiniang put down the teapot, pondered for a moment, and said, "Li Yifu will definitely not participate."

Li Zhi nodded in agreement.

Li Yifu was already the prime minister, the highest official position. Even if Wu Meiniang came to power, he could at most be promoted to a higher title. There was no need to take such a big risk.

"Where is Xu Jingzong?" he asked.

Wu Meiniang thought for a moment and said, "This man has always been cautious. Your Majesty has just appointed him as the Crown Prince's guest. I don't think he would plan such a thing at this time. But his son..."

Li Zhi's heart moved: "Xu Ang?"

Wu Meiniang nodded and said, "Your Majesty, do you still remember that at the beginning of the year, you promoted Zhangsun Quan to the position of Chief Clerk of Yongzhou, and demoted Xu Ang to the position of Sima."

Li Zhi naturally remembered it.

He did not demote Xu Ang for no reason, but because in the Zheng case, Xu Ang was obviously protecting Zheng and was clearly inferior to Changsun Quan, so he demoted him.

Wu Meiniang continued, "I have met Xu Ang several times. Because Xu Jingzong was too strict with him, he has a somewhat extreme temper."

Li Zhi said: "Severe?"

Wu Mei Niang said, "Yes, he never praised Xu Ang once in public, and always scolded him. Your Majesty, do you know Xu Yanbo?"

Li Zhi thought for a moment and said, "Isn't he Xu Ang's son?"

Wu Meiniang nodded and said, "That's right. Xu Jingzong often told those around him that his son Xu Ang was not as good as his grandson Xu Yanbo."

When she was Wu Zhaoyi, she had a lot of contact with Xu Jingzong and others. In order to win them over, she sent people to investigate them, so she knew a lot.

Li Zhi frowned and said, "Mei Niang, are you sure this is harsh? Why do I hear that Xu Jingzong doesn't like this son?"

Wu Meiniang smiled slightly and said, "Xu Jingzong compiled too many historical books and has very old-fashioned ideas. Therefore, he is a bit pedantic in educating his son. In my opinion, he has high hopes for Xu Ang."

Li Zhi shook his head and said, "If Xu Ang doesn't become extreme in educating his son like this, it would be strange."

Wu Meiniang nodded and said, "That's why I said he was pedantic." She picked up the teacup and swung it in her hand, forming a small vortex.

(End of this chapter)