Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 526 The Alluring Empress Wu
July of the nineteenth year of the Yonghui era.

Chang'an, Tai Chi Palace.

As night deepened, Wu Meiniang, with one hand supporting her chin, lay on her side on the phoenix couch in an alluring pose, her round and pert body wrapped only in a bright yellow undergarment, her long, snow-white legs crossed.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing? Come here quickly!" Wu Meiniang called out sweetly.

Just now, while she was taking a bath, Li Zhi suddenly came to Lizheng Hall, barged into the bathroom, and took a bath with her, arousing her to the point that her whole body was burning with desire and her eyes were filled with seductive charm.

Unexpectedly, after she finished washing up and came to the bedchamber, Li Zhi was sitting on the edge of the bed, ordering someone to move the table to the window. He was engrossed in writing something and completely ignored her.

Li Zhi, without looking up, said, "Meiniang, don't you feel that I have changed a lot since the sixth year of the Yonghui era?"

Wu Meiniang paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I did have that feeling at first, but then I realized that Your Majesty did this on purpose to remind me that I am now the Empress and should not overstep my bounds."

In November of the sixth year of the Yonghui era, when Li Zhi arrived in the Tang Dynasty, Wu Meiniang had just become empress a little over a month earlier.

At that time, Wu Zetian was full of pride and became somewhat arrogant and reckless in her actions.

She was furious when she heard that Li Zhi had secretly met with Empress Wang and Consort Xiao again. She sent Zhang Duohai to the Cold Palace to execute the two using the bone-intoxicating method, but Li Zhi stopped her.

Later, Li Zhi suddenly became cold towards her, leaving Wu Meiniang at a loss.

Fortunately, she was very good at flattering the emperor. In the course of their interactions, she gradually figured out the emperor's thoughts and realized that once she became empress, he would no longer like her to interfere in court affairs.

As she gradually reduced her interactions with the previous dynasty, she indeed regained the emperor's favor and solidified her position as empress, which led to the loving and harmonious relationship she enjoys today.

When Li Zhi heard her say that, he laughed and said, "So that's what you think?"

"Isn't that right?" Wu Meiniang asked in surprise.

"More or less." Li Zhi rubbed his nose and said, "Then let me ask you again, do you think I was better before the sixth year of Yonghui, or after the sixth year of Yonghui?"

Now that the secret has been exposed, Li Zhi is no longer afraid of it being revealed, and therefore he is very curious to know how Wu Zetian views his changes.

Wu Meiniang's eyes sparkled: "Of course, the Ninth Prince after the sixth year of Yonghui is even better."

Li Zhi asked happily, "Oh, why?"

"Because it was only after the sixth year of the Yonghui era that Jiulang made me Empress," Wu Meiniang said sweetly, stretching out one long leg, her bare foot wrapped around Li Zhi's back, and resting on his thigh.

It must be said that Wu Zetian was indeed a very pragmatic person.

Li Zhi reached out and grasped Wu Meiniang's ankle, feeling its smooth texture. He quickly said, "Meiniang, stop fooling around. I want to talk to you some more."

Wu Meiniang had no choice but to stop and asked, "Is there anything else Your Majesty would like to ask?"

Li Zhi asked, "Do you know what I'm writing?"

Wu Meiniang shook her head.

Li Zhi said, "I've been thinking that since the sixth year of the Yonghui era, the country has been well-governed and its territory has expanded. This has been made possible by the assistance of the ministers in the court. Among these ministers, who are the ones who have made the greatest contributions?"

Wu Meiniang retorted, "Is Your Majesty biased? Are only the ministers the ones who have made the greatest contributions?"

Li Zhi smiled slightly and said, "Of course, my empress has also made a great contribution."

Wu Meiniang then turned her anger into joy and said with a smile, "There are quite a few ministers who have made meritorious contributions, such as Li Ji, Xue Rengui, and Pei Xingjian. Does Your Majesty wish to reward them?"

Li Zhi said, "I do want to reward them, but in a special way, so that they will feel honored."

Wu Meiniang's heart stirred, and she said, "Does Your Majesty wish to emulate the twenty-four meritorious officials of Lingyan Pavilion?"

"Does the Empress think this is feasible?" Li Zhi asked rhetorically.

Wu Meiniang thought for a moment and said, "I believe that with Your Majesty's great achievements, there is no need to follow the example of the late Emperor. You can use your own methods to reward those ministers."

Li Zhi laughed and said, "The Empress's words are exactly what I wanted. I plan to reward sixteen people, and I have already thought of fourteen of them. However, I am undecided about the last two. I would like the Empress to help me think of two more."

Wu Meiniang sat up, leaned on Li Zhi's shoulder, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, you must let me see the list of fourteen people first, lest I say the wrong one."

Li Zhi then showed her the paper.

Wu Zetian stared intently, and saw that the first person was none other than Li Ji, followed by familiar names of court officials, all of whom had made great contributions.

After reading everything, Wu Meiniang's eyes flickered for a moment, and she slowly said, "Your Majesty, I feel that there is one person who is indispensable."

Li Zhi asked, "Who?"

"Changsun Wuji!"

Li Zhi gave Wu Meiniang a deep look and said, "Changsun Wuji's achievements over the years certainly qualify him for this list of sixteen. However, his situation is special. If I were to reward him, do you know what that would mean?"

“That would be tantamount to telling the court and the public that His Majesty has forgiven Changsun Wuji,” Wu Meiniang replied.

"you do not mind?"

Wu Meiniang said earnestly, "Ninth Prince, I have thought about this carefully over the years. If it weren't for Changsun Wuji exposing Xiao Siye, both of us would have been in danger, as would Hong'er. This alone is enough to offset his crimes back then. Besides, although he was arrogant back then, he had no intention of rebelling."

Li Zhi looked at Wu Meiniang with a gratified expression and said with emotion, "Meiniang, I am relieved that you have such a magnanimous heart."

He assumed that Wu Zetian had become much more lenient with Changsun Wuji after she distanced herself from politics, and therefore spoke up for him.

Little did they know that Wu Meiniang held leverage over Changsun Wuji and could deal with him at any time, which was why she spoke up for him.

Li Zhi then asked about the last person, and Wu Meiniang hesitated for a moment before replying, "What does Your Majesty think of Li Yifu?"

Li Zhi shook his head and said, "He is no good. Over the years, although he has made many contributions, he has also made many mistakes. He is morally deficient and cannot serve as a role model for all officials!"

Wu Meiniang asked, "What about Yu Zhining?" Li Zhi frowned and said, "Although Yu Zhining has done some things, he hasn't made any great contributions. I'm afraid others won't accept it."

Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "Your Majesty, Yu Zhining comes from a noble family and has served as prime minister for a long time, yet he has never made any major mistakes. This alone is quite remarkable."

Li Zhi nodded.

What Wu Zetian said did make some sense.

It is difficult to discern a person's character when they hold a low-ranking official position; their true nature is only revealed when they hold a high position and wield great power.

Even someone like Lu Chengqing made mistakes after becoming prime minister.

Yu Zhining, however, is like an evergreen tree. He has almost never made a mistake, whether in big or small matters or when it comes to choosing sides.

Furthermore, Yu Zhining comes from an aristocratic family and is a veteran of three reigns with extensive experience. If he is not on the list, it would give the impression that Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) is treating aristocratic families differently.

Thinking of this, Li Zhi picked up the jade pen and waved his hand, "Very well, then add Yu Zhining and Changsun Wuji."

After he finished writing, Wu Meiniang reached out and hooked her arm around his neck, her bright red lips close to his ear, and said in a seductive voice, "Your Majesty, now that the list has been prepared, we should get down to business."

Li Zhi put down his pen and paper, turned around, embraced her curvaceous body, and laughed, "Meiniang, do you still want to give me a daughter?"

Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "As long as Your Majesty desires it, I will give birth to your child."

Li Zhi said no more, and pounced on her. Under the light of the curtain, it was clear that their bodies quickly became intertwined.

……

At dawn, the melodious sound of bells rang out in the Zhongnan Mountains, and the monks of Baiyin Temple began their morning prayers.

Li Ji arrived at the back mountain, breathing in the refreshing morning air, shrugged his shoulders, and began his morning exercise.

Last November, after careful planning, the imperial court sent troops to conquer the Mohe and Silla regions, and also took the opportunity to recover the entire territory of Yingzhou Island.

Although Li Ji was not involved in this matter, he had been paying close attention to it.

The entire plan was not particularly complex, but it was interconnected, making full use of the psychology of the Mohe and Silla people to ultimately achieve its strategic objectives.

Li Ji knew that Pei Xingjian had orchestrated the entire affair, and he greatly admired the younger man's strategic acumen.

With such outstanding young generals advising the emperor, this veteran could finally retire in peace.

During the grand court assembly on the first day of the new year, he requested the emperor's permission to retire.

Emperor Gaozong tried to persuade him to stay, but seeing his firm resolve to retire, he finally agreed. However, he retained his salary so that he could receive it and enjoy his later years in peace.

Li Ji originally had a somewhat otherworldly heart and had even thought about becoming a Taoist priest. Therefore, after retiring, he came to Zhongnan Mountain to stay for a few months and keep Changsun Wuji company.

After finishing his set of punches, Li Ji did not immediately return to the temple, but instead took a walk in the back mountain.

He was skilled in maintaining his health and knew that walking a few steps after strenuous exercise was even more beneficial to his body.

Only after his breathing had completely stabilized did he finally return to the front temple.

It was breakfast time, and monks had already brought vegetarian food, which was placed inside the room.

After having breakfast, Li Ji strolled to Changsun Wuji's room, and without knocking, pushed the door open and entered.

Looking up, I saw Changsun Wuji sitting behind a desk, flipping through several old books.

These books were sent by Zhao Chiman from Liaodong. They included Japanese classics as well as those of the Mohe and Silla peoples.

Changsun Wuji was compiling a history book, which included foreign content. Therefore, reading some foreign books was quite helpful to his writing career.

Seeing that Changsun Wuji was engrossed in his book with a furrowed brow, Li Ji sat down next to him and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with these history books written by the Hu people?"

"It can only be considered a notebook, not a history book," Changsun Wuji corrected.

He waved a booklet in his hand and said, "This is a record book from Silla. It contains many exaggerated and even contradictory statements, making it hard to believe."

Li Ji asked, "What about the Japanese and the Mohe people?"

Changsun Wuji snorted and said, "The Japanese are not even as good as the Silla people. Their records are mostly myths, with very few factual accounts. As for the Mohe, they don't record events of each dynasty at all; their books are just about fishing and hunting techniques."

Li Ji laughed and said, "It's quite normal for barbarians to lack etiquette and traditions."

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and a monk came in and handed Li Ji a letter.

After reading it, Li Ji's expression changed slightly, and he became deep in thought.

Changsun Wuji asked, "Brother Li, what's wrong?"

Just as Li Ji was about to speak, he suddenly laughed and said, "No need to ask any more questions, you'll find out soon enough. I need to go back to Chang'an first, and we'll meet again there in a few days."

After saying this, he hurriedly left the meditation room, appearing extremely rushed.

Changsun Wuji was very good at observing people, and he could clearly see a hint of joy in Li Ji's expression just now.

Seeing him leave in such a hurry, without even having time to explain himself, I knew something big must have happened, and it must be something good.

What kind of good news could it be that even someone as composed as Li Ji couldn't hide his joy? This piqued Changsun Wuji's curiosity as well.

However, he remained calm. Since Li Ji said he would know soon, it must be true, so he continued to bury himself in his book.

(End of this chapter)