Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 336 Empress Wu visits the prison
Half a year after Li Zhi left Chang'an, he returned to the familiar Taiji Palace and admired the scenery inside the palace after a long time.

A thick layer of ice, two inches thick, had formed on the Nanhai Pond, and the lake viewing platform was also covered with a layer of frost.

The stone table where Li Zhi often sat and reviewed memorials was now covered with a layer of fine ice flowers.

The palace servants and eunuchs were still busy in the palace, and in the corner of the rockery, one could still see a pile of snowflakes that had not yet melted.

Just as he was walking along the Thousand-Step Corridor towards the Ganlu Palace, a clear shout came from afar.

"Yeah yeah!"

Two little girls, wearing thick cloaks, ran over quickly.

They are Princess Gao'an and Princess Yiyang.

Both girls had their hair tied in buns. After not seeing each other for half a year, their baby fat faces gradually faded away and became more and more pretty, like silkworms emerging from their cocoons, about to evolve from little girls into young women.

Li Zhi returned in a hurry without notifying anyone in advance, so no one in the palace had time to welcome him.

The two little princesses were originally practicing pipa and calligraphy in the Princess Courtyard. When they heard that Li Zhi had returned, they hurried to see him and happened to meet Li Zhi.

Li Zhi picked up Princess Gao'an with one hand, touched Princess Yiyang's face, and nodded, "Well, I haven't seen you for half a year. You have grown taller."

Princess Gao An said happily, "Yeah, I'm already taller than my sister."

Princess Yiyang asked, "Father, why did you come back so suddenly? We thought you wouldn't be coming back for the festival."

Li Zhi said, "Something happened, so I came back early. Have you been living well in the palace these past six months?"

Princess Gao An said, "We are fine, but something happened to Wulang. I heard someone died in the East Palace. Yes, is this what made you come back?"

Li Zhi put her down and said, "That's enough. You guys go pay your respects to the Queen. Yeye still has some things to take care of."

He separated from the two women and went straight to Ganlu Hall, entering the side hall from the back door.

Gao Youdao and several others who were handling official business in the hall were startled when they saw the emperor suddenly come in, and hurriedly stood up to greet him.

Li Zhi smiled and waved his hand, saying, "No need to be so formal, just go about your business." He casually picked up a few official documents and looked through them.

While the emperor was checking the memorials, Wang Fusheng came to the west wing hall, stood at the door, glanced into the hall, and found that Li Ji and Di Renjie had already arrived.

When Li Zhi just crossed the Wei River, he sent people to summon the two men, so the two men arrived at Ganlu Palace before him.

Wang Fusheng returned to the East Hall and said to Li Zhi, "Your Majesty, Duke Ying and Minister Di are already waiting in the side hall."

Only then did Li Zhi put down the official documents in his hand, walked to the main hall and sat on the dragon throne, and summoned Di Renjie and the other two to meet him.

On the other side, Wu Meiniang also returned to Lizheng Hall. Before she could even sit down, Concubine Xu and Concubine Zheng came over to pay their respects.

Wu Meiniang asked the two about the situation in the harem when she was away. Seeing that nothing major had happened, she asked the two women to leave.

She summoned several eunuchs and palace maids to inquire about matters concerning the harem.

The eunuchs and palace servants all said that Concubine Xu managed the harem well, and there was peace in the harem, and nothing unusual happened.

Wu Meiniang was relieved then. She changed her clothes and ordered people to summon the Crown Prince and the Sixth Prince to meet her. Then she held her forehead with her hand and closed her eyes to rest.

After a while, a eunuch came to report that the two little princesses came to pay their respects.

She invited the two men in, chatted with them for a few minutes, and then asked them to leave.

After a while, Li Hong and Li Xian finally arrived.

After Li Hong saluted Wu Meiniang, he lowered his head, looking as if he had done something wrong.

Li Xian was less restrained. He rushed towards Wu Meiniang, hugged her legs, and said with a smile, "Mother, you're back."

Seeing that her two sons were safe and sound, Wu Meiniang was very happy. She said softly to Li Hong, "Hong'er, your father and I know everything about the Eastern Palace. It's not your fault. There's no need to be so depressed."

Li Hong said, "It's because of the child that you came back early. Mother, has father's headache been cured?"

Wu Meiniang said: "This trip, the treatment went smoothly, there is no need to worry."

Li Hongxi said, "That's great."

Li Xian suddenly exclaimed "Huh" and stared at Wu Meiniang from head to toe.

Wu Meiniang asked, "What for?"

Li Xian nodded and said seriously, "Mother, you must have had a very satisfying time out this time!"

Wu Meiniang laughed and said, "You know this again?"

Li Xian smiled and said, "Your temper has improved. If it's not because you've been having too much fun, what else could it be? Right, brother?"

Li Hong smiled and felt that his mother seemed a little different.

Wu Meiniang glanced at him and said, "Don't think I won't punish you just because you're smiling."

Li Xian shouted, "Why are you punishing me?"

Wu Meiniang said with a stern face, "For the past six months, you've been attending Chongwenguan classes whenever you wanted and skipping them whenever you didn't want. You've also often stayed at your brother's place instead of returning to Lizheng Hall. Do you think I don't know?"

Li Xian looked at Li Hong and shouted, "Brother, you weren't the one who told the secret, were you?"

Li Hong laughed and said, "No way. There are so many eunuchs in the palace, someone must have told your mother the news. She told you to behave yourself, but you just didn't listen."

Li Xian thought so too, and looked at his mother again, observing her carefully, trying to judge whether his mother was really angry.

It’s a pity that this trick of observing people’s expressions and words works well against my father, but it never works against my mother.

Li Xian could only smile and say, "Mother, I was worried about my brother because of the situation in the Eastern Palace, so I went to protect him. Right, brother?"

Li Hong bowed and said, "Mother, please don't be angry with my brother. I was a little scared a few days ago. Fortunately, my brother was with me."

Wu Meiniang said, "You don't have to speak well of him. I don't have time to deal with him right now. Both of you should leave."

Li Xianru felt as if he had been pardoned and ran out happily.

Li Hong bowed respectfully and left.

Wu Meiniang glanced at Zhang Duohai and said, "Get ready, I want to leave the palace."

Zhang Duohai was slightly startled and said, "Your Highness, do you want to tell His Majesty?"

Wu Meiniang waved her hand and said, "No need, Your Majesty knows where I will go."

After a while, the phoenix carriage was ready. Wu Meiniang sat on it and left the palace, heading towards Xu Jingzong's mansion.

When he arrived outside Xu's mansion, a eunuch had already come outside the door and ordered everyone in the Xu mansion to come out to welcome the emperor.

However, after a long time, only Xu Boyan rushed out from the house and kowtowed to the phoenix chariot, saying: "I, Xu Yanbo, pay my respects to Her Majesty the Queen."

Wu Meiniang lifted the curtain of the carriage and asked, "Where is your father-in-law? Do you want me to go in and see him?"

Xu Yanbo said anxiously, "Your Highness, please forgive me. Weng Weng is behind the door, but he is mentally disturbed and unconscious. I am afraid that he will offend Your Highness later, so I come here to apologize first!"

Wu Meiniang was slightly stunned: "What's wrong with him?"

Xu Yanbo wept and said, "This morning, my father came into the house with a sword, intending to kill Weng Weng, but he died in front of him. Weng Weng... has gone mad..."

Wu Meiniang's eyes flickered as she said, "No problem, ask him to come out and see me."

After a while, two servants from the Xu Mansion carried Xu Jingzong out. He had a dull expression, his eyes were unfocused, and he was muttering something softly.

Wu Meiniang stared at him and asked, "Minister Xu?"

Xu Jingzong had no reaction and stared blankly at the void in front of him.

"Xu Jingzong?" Wu Meiniang raised her voice a few notches.

Xu Jingzong still didn't react, his eyelids didn't move, and his lips kept trembling.

Wu Meiniang glanced at Zhang Duohai and said, "Go over and listen to what he is saying."

Zhang Duohai agreed, came to Xu Jingzong's side, listened closely for a while, and reported quickly.

"Your Highness, Minister Xu kept repeating, 'Ang'er, Daddy will buy you some malt sugar.' He just kept repeating this."

Wu Meiniang looked at him silently for a long time, then lowered the curtain and said, "Let's go to the Dali Temple."

The Dali Temple has three dungeons in total, and the lowest level is where death row prisoners are held.

Wang Dejian was currently locked up in a room on the third floor.

Zhang Kai, who was imprisoned in the third cell with him, was lying motionless in the cell like a dead dog.

Wang Dejian was different from him. After being arrested, he answered whatever the Dali Temple asked him without hiding anything.

Although this could not save him from death, at least he could avoid physical pain. After being interrogated for more than an hour, Wang Dejian was imprisoned here.

Another half hour passed before the bailiffs dragged Zhang Kai, who was covered in blood, over. He was tied up tightly with iron chains to prevent him from committing suicide.

Wang Dejian surrendered himself and cooperated very well, so the people from the Dali Temple did not tie him up.

Having said that, the fate of the two people will not be much different.

Assassinating the emperor was considered the first of the "Ten Evils" in the Yonghui Code and was the crime of treason.

According to the Yonghui Code, anyone convicted of treason and high treason would be executed regardless of whether they were the ringleader or the accomplice.

The father and all sons over sixteen years old were to be strangled, and all immediate family members were to be taken into the government as servants. Uncles, nephews, and nephews were to be exiled three thousand miles.

This is still a normal punishment according to the law. If the king is furious, the punishment may be increased, such as being torn apart by five horses...

Therefore, the best choice for them is to follow the example of Hou Shanye and others and immediately choose to commit suicide after being targeted by the Dali Temple.

But Wang Dejian did not do so.

At times like this, living requires more courage than dying.

He did this not for Xu Ang or Xu Jingzong.

When Xu Ang learned that he was going to surrender himself, he was also surprised and asked him the reason.

Wang Dejian said nothing.

At this point, those involved in this incident are either dead or arrested, and it seems to be over.

However, there is a little-known secret about this matter.

Even Yuan Gongyu, Hou Shanye and the other five people did not know this secret; only he knew it.

Since the plan failed, he had to make the secret public and let the emperor know that the real mastermind of this case was not the seven of them.

However, the matter was of great importance, so he could not tell this to ordinary Dali Temple runners. He had to tell Di Renjie in person.

Just as Wang Dejian was leaning against the wall, waiting for Di Renjie's interrogation, footsteps were heard.

Wang Dejian's heart was lifted and he looked up.

I saw a figure wearing a purple cloak slowly walking out of the darkness, and there was no jailer leading the way.

The light in the cell was dim, and one could vaguely see that it was a woman, tall and graceful, walking with a dignified posture. It was obvious that she was from a wealthy family.

As the woman got closer, her face became clearer.

Wang Dejian's heart skipped a beat. He quickly knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Your humble servant, Wang Dejian, pays respects to Her Majesty the Queen."

The person who came was Wu Meiniang.

She came to the prison door without saying a word, and someone opened it for her.

Wang Dejian kept his head pressed against the ground, only to hear the footsteps getting closer and closer, and soon stopped in front of him.

"Wang Dejian, you did a good thing!" Empress Wu's majestic voice came from above.

Although Wang Dejian was prepared to die, he still couldn't help but feel fear when facing the queen.

When Wu Meiniang was still Wu Zhaoyi, she often exchanged information with Xu Jingzong.

Wang Dejian was an official in the Secretariat at the time. Due to his convenient position, he often delivered messages for the two and met with Empress Wu many times.

At that time, he felt that this Wu Zhaoyi had a cruelty that was not found in ordinary people, and the things she did often made him shudder.

For example, there was a eunuch who wanted to harm her, so she cut off his hands and feet, cut off his nose and tongue, gouged out his eyes and pierced his ears, and placed him in a wine jar, where he died of drunkenness.

After seeing this, Wang Dejian was so frightened that he didn't dare drink for several months.

Although he was not afraid of death, how could he not be afraid when facing such a cruel queen?

"I am guilty, I deserve to die. Please forgive me, Your Highness!" he said in a trembling voice.

"What crime do you want to forgive? You have done a great job. I am just thinking about how to reward you." Empress Wu said sternly.

"Your Highness, please give me a quick death for the sake of my support for you in the past," he pleaded.

After waiting for a long time, he did not hear Empress Wu's voice.

When he looked up, he saw Zhang Duohai moving a chair in. Empress Wu was sitting on the chair, staring at him coldly.

"Tell me, who is the mastermind behind this incident?" Wu Meiniang's voice was filled with an irresistible tone.

Wang Dejian took a deep breath, thinking that telling the Queen the secret would be the same, so he said, "Xu Ang was the first to plan and persuade us."

Wu Meiniang asked, "Xu Ang?"

Wang Dejian said, "Yes, that's him. For so many years, my father-in-law has been constantly disparaging him. Xu Ang feels resentful and has always wanted to prove himself."

"After the pro-military officials like me were ignored by His Majesty, my father-in-law withheld his power and didn't dare to fight for it. This made Xu Ang very dissatisfied and he felt that my father-in-law was too cowardly."

"He has been actively expanding his network, hoping to use his own abilities to get pro-military officials to be reused by His Majesty."

"Unfortunately, because of his close relationship with the Zheng family, he was quite biased when handling the Zheng family case. His Majesty demoted him to the rank of Sima, which made him feel desperate."

"He was depressed for a long time, drinking, visiting prostitutes, gambling on horses, and fighting insects. Until one day, he suddenly came to us and said that he could not let the pro-military faction gain power through legitimate means. He wanted to let the crown prince ascend the throne and you become regent. Then, he would certainly use the pro-military officials to suppress the court officials."

Wu Meiniang said coldly, "You guys just agreed to this?"

Wang Dejian lowered his head and said, "At that time, although Yuan Gongyu and the others were also disheartened and dissatisfied with the current situation, they did not trust Xu Ang and felt that their plan would not succeed."

"Later, Xu Ang, intentionally or unintentionally, led them to believe that his father-in-law was behind this matter. They all knew that his father-in-law was always cautious and would never do anything without confidence. Moreover, they also felt that..."

Wu Meiniang sneered: "You think Xu Jingzong has my instructions behind the scenes, don't you?"

Wang Dejian agreed.

The biggest beneficiary of this matter was Empress Wu, so they had no choice but to think in this direction.

Wu Meiniang laughed out of anger.

She knew that the pro-military faction would do such a thing most likely under her name, so after returning to Beijing, she came to investigate without stopping.

She really guessed it.

If it weren't for the fact that her relationship with the emperor had grown stronger along the way, the emperor would most likely have become suspicious of her, and their relationship would have returned to the time when she had just become empress in the sixth year of Yonghui.

"go on!"

Wu Meiniang calmed down and continued questioning.

Wang Dejian said, "When Donggong Fu Baolang was killed, Yuan Gongyu was the first to notice something was wrong because his father-in-law broke his leg due to being too active in investigating the matter."

"He came to the mansion under the pretext of seeing a doctor to test his father-in-law's abilities and found him to be anxious. He initially thought his father-in-law was worried about the project's success, but later discovered that his father-in-law knew nothing about the matter."

Wu Meiniang suddenly asked, "You said Xu Jingzong was anxious. Why is that?"

Wang Dejian hesitated for a moment and said, "Because my father-in-law discovered the secret between Xu Ang and Yu Shi."

Wu Meiniang's eyes twitched a few times, and she said coldly, "Are you trying to say that Xu Ang committed adultery with Xu Jingzong's second wife?"

Wang Dejian said in a very low voice: "He hopes to prove that he is better than his father-in-law in every aspect, so..."

Wu Meiniang interrupted coldly, "That's enough. I don't want to hear this. Let's get back to business."

Wang Dejian responded, "Yuan Gongyu discovered that his father-in-law was unaware of this matter, and he was furious. He told Hou Shanye and the others, and they all went to Xu Ang to question him."

"Xu Ang stopped hiding it and told them that this matter had nothing to do with my father-in-law, and certainly nothing to do with you. Hou Shanye and the others were furious, but the matter was done, and everyone was tied together. They had no choice but to continue."

Even if treason does not occur, the penalty is hanging.

Therefore, even if Fu Baolang did not die, Xu Ang could drag everyone into the water.

Wang Dejian said, "The most difficult step in this plan is obtaining the transfer order from the Ministry of War. This step is under the personal responsibility of Xu Ang. Yuan Gongyu and the others thought that without his father-in-law's participation, he would not be able to complete it successfully, but who knew that he actually did it.

"Hou Shanye was in charge of the assassination attempt. One day, he told us that his men hadn't sent back any more information, and the plan had failed. We gathered one last time in the south of the city, each taking a bottle of prepared poison, and then went our separate ways."

Wu Meiniang looked at him with a sharp gaze.

"Then why didn't you commit suicide like Hou Shanye and the others?"

Wang Dejian smiled bitterly and said in a hoarse voice, "Because I have a secret that I want to make public!"

(End of this chapter)