The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

In the back garden, the oars and paddles of the painted boats have stopped.

The pond was as smooth as a bronze mirror, with water and sky merging into one color, but the princess's words crashed into it like a boulder, creating a splash.

Lu Jun had long known that she wanted to build up her power, but she hadn't expected her ambitions to be so great.

After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Does Your Highness truly wish to inherit the throne?"

Li Lingyue retorted, "Is it not allowed? Don't you support my mother and women becoming empresses?"

"I naturally support it... but Your Highness lacks the opportunities of the Empress Dowager, thirty years of political experience, and the Imperial Guard. Isn't it a stretch to make such a grand plan?"

"What if we join forces?" Li Lingyue's eyes were sharp.

"Me? A mere Left Remonstrance Official?" Lu Jun chuckled. "The princess thinks too highly of me, doesn't she?"

Li Lingyue's gaze was unwavering: "Of course not now, but what about ten years from now? Twenty years from now?"

To become emperor, one must wait for one's mother to hand over the reins; she is not in a hurry.

"Chu Yu, I have an idea..."

"If I tell my mother that I have taken a liking to you and that I am determined to make you my son-in-law, she might agree."

"If the prince consort cannot participate in state affairs, she will surely neglect you for a few years, but eventually she will remember you and want to give you important responsibilities, and you will still be able to enter the court and wield power."

"Even if we no longer need you, with your talent and my status, we can gradually build up our strength."

"When the time comes, we'll stand before the palace. Who will surely be able to overpower us then?"

"After I inherit the throne, you can then realize your ambitions and bring peace and stability to the country. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

When Li Lingyue spoke of her ambitions, her face hardened with determination, faintly resembling that of Wu Zetian.

Finally, he smiled faintly:

"I was just testing the waters to see if you felt the same way about me."

"It seems you didn't..."

Seeing that her brows furrowed slightly, revealing disappointment, Lu Jun felt a ripple in his heart.

He quickly composed himself: "I appreciate Your Highness's kindness... but this path is not feasible!"

"It is not appropriate for a subject to speak too much about matters of the imperial family, but Your Highness must be able to guess that the court will be very turbulent in the next six months, and everything must give way to the Empress Dowager."

"Those who obstruct the Empress Dowager will not escape punishment!"

"The Empress Dowager's decision to confine the princess to her quarters had a deeper meaning than simply 'not to leave the house'; it was to protect Her Highness."

"Since I have been granted the title of Left Advisor and allowed to participate in important state affairs, it means that the Empress Dowager has already made arrangements for me."

"If Your Highness truly has foresight, then you should now bide your time and not go against the Empress Dowager's wishes."

Her thinking was too simplistic. If she really wanted to make him her husband, it would be like wearing her ambition on her sleeve.

To outsiders, he may indeed appear to be a mere nobody, but the Empress Dowager must have understood the value of his strategy.

Given her control over the court, she would not allow her daughter to do such a thing and would punish her immediately.

I will no longer trust myself...

As Li Lingyue listened to Lu Jun's analysis of the situation, she nodded frequently. Seeing that he was genuinely planning for her, a slight smile appeared on her lips.

Her bright face looked out the window, where the spring scenery was right in front of her, but separated by a pool of clear water, she could never reach it.

After a long while, he sighed:

"Actually, I know it won't work..."

"But I still want to ask you in person, is that you willing?"

"Ever since that day in the Luoyang Palace when I saw you debate with the Prime Minister, your eloquent answers and unparalleled talent, I have been fond of you..."

"My late husband has been gone for over a year. I thought I would never feel any more affection for any man in the world, but then I met you..."

"I'm the kind of person who always says what I mean. When I asked you to write a poem, I genuinely wanted your praise..."

"Take that table of goldware if you want, or don't if you don't. It's not a reward, nor is it meant to humiliate you..."

"Although the princesses of the Tang Dynasty held a noble status, they couldn't simply get whatever they wanted..."

A hint of melancholy flashed across his eyes.

quiet--

The wind and waves subsided, and after an unknown amount of time, there was no sound from inside the pleasure boat, only silence.

Hearing the princess's heartfelt expression, Lu Jun felt a pang of guilt, but ultimately managed to control herself.

Becoming a prince consort is impossible; the Empress Dowager would never allow it… Besides, the princess already has four children, two boys and two girls, and she doesn’t want to become a father unintentionally.

Being a lover is no different from being a prince consort, and it is certainly not something the Empress Dowager can tolerate.

Li Lingyue waited a moment, then waved her hand:

"Let's not talk about that. I called you here not only for my own sake, but also for something else..."

"Chu Yu, don't forget, besides me, the Li clan also includes the current emperor, the princes, and the dukes."

"They lived in constant fear, their lives hanging by a thread, lest someone advise the Empress Dowager to eliminate them completely."

"During your imperial examination, you openly supported the Empress Dowager and even wrote a poem about peonies, subtly urging her to ascend the throne. The Empress Dowager was naturally pleased, but what will those other people think?"

"These days, apart from a few people with the surname Wu, all the ministers are quietly going with the flow. Who else is as unconventional as you?"

"So, someone wants to get rid of you..."

"Huh?" Lu Jun was startled.

Suddenly, the image of Li Ying with her flowing beard and gentle smile flashed through his mind.

When Lu Jun graduated from the Imperial Academy, he went to bid farewell to Li Ying. There were many people present at the time, and the two only exchanged polite words.

Lu Jun didn't intend to remind him of anything. Li Ying's act of burning paper money had caused her to go to jail. It was already more than enough that she hadn't falsely accused him.

As for what happens in the future, since he enjoys the privileges of a member of the Li clan, he should bear the risks; it has nothing to do with me.

Could it be him?

It's possible, but Lu Jun is more afraid of another person.

He sat bolt upright: "Who is it? It can't be His Majesty the Emperor, can it? He wants to kill me?"

She was, after all, a favorite of the Empress Dowager... Based on Lu Jun's memories of Li Dan, this elder brother shouldn't be so stubborn, otherwise he wouldn't have given up the throne so many times.

Li Lingyue shook her head:

"He's not the emperor. I know my fourth brother well. He really doesn't want to sit in that position and has no hostility towards you."

"As for who it is, I really don't know; I just heard someone mention it..."

"After you are appointed to an official post, the local official will issue a document assigning land to you and specifically place you in your hometown of Luhun. You'd better not accept it, as it could very well be a trap."

"Get rid of you doesn't mean killing you outright. You are valued by the Empress Dowager, and they don't have the guts to do that."

"It means using a conspiracy to ruin your career."

"Huh?" Lu Jun was surprised again.

I always thought Wu Chengsi was behind this, but it turns out there was someone else behind it!

It seems the political situation is more complex than I thought, and I need to carefully analyze the various factions involved.

Lu Jun bowed deeply: "Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. I also noticed something amiss in this matter and have already refused."

Li Lingyue gave a thumbs up: "Chu Yu is Chu Yu, she won't fall for a trick so easily!"

Lu Jun pondered for a moment, then asked, "If we find the person who issued the talisman, wouldn't we be able to trace it back to who it is?"

Actually, he could also follow the lead of Magistrate Dong, but without a trusted confidant, it would be difficult to do so.

Li Lingyue shook her head again: "Not necessarily. You are currently favored by Mother. He could easily decline and say it's just to do her a favor."

He blinked:

"Don't worry, I won't leave you to fight alone!"

"As you are new to your career, your network is too narrow and your information is not readily available, which inevitably puts you at a disadvantage. I will remind you when appropriate."

"Let me tell you something first. Lou Shide, the military commissioner of Heyuan, has arrived in the capital. The Empress Dowager summoned him and showed him your strategies regarding the Hexi Corridor and Tibet..."

"It is said that he greatly praised some of the plans, saying that they were far-sighted strategies unprecedented since the founding of the Tang Dynasty."

"But there are also some, like Buddhist teachings or something, which I think are too far-fetched."

"He refuted it on the spot, and the Empress Dowager was persuaded and began to question the strategy."

In short, you need to be prepared.

…………

As Lu Jun walked out of the princess's residence, her mind was racing, and her steps were much slower than usual.

"Lu Lang, you have such composure! There are very few people who can resist such a beautiful day and scenery!" Feng Yan exclaimed.

Lu Jun's glance was full of gossip: "It sounds like a lot of people have been tested..."

Feng Yan gave an awkward smile: "Ahem, the princess's favor towards Lu Lang is something this humble servant has never seen before. It's completely different from what I've seen before, and cannot be compared to anything else..."

Realizing he had said too much, he quickly shut up.

"I will remember Brother Feng's reminder." Lu Jun bowed deeply to him.

Looking up, I saw Ade and Liu Da standing by the roadside, leading the imperial black horse, their eyes filled with longing and their faces full of anxiety.

Upon seeing Lu Jun, the two beamed with joy and waved frantically, "My lord, the horses are ready!"

"Hey, you guys were waiting for me? When did you arrive?" With Ade's help, Lu Jun mounted her horse.

"Our husband left in such a hurry, we are all very worried..."

"The Tian family members are all a bit difficult to talk to..."

"The group discussed it and decided they still had to come and keep watch..."

"Seeing that my husband is safe and sound, we are relieved..."

Neither of them were good with words, so they took turns speaking, and after a long while, they finally managed to get their point across.

It turned out that the servants, seeing that Feng Yan was half-pushing and half-pulling them, thought they were in danger and became very nervous.

The final decision was to have Ade and Liu Da block the door; if they didn't return by the next day, they planned to report it to the authorities...

A warm feeling rose in Lu Jun's heart and flowed through his limbs. He jumped off his horse and said with a smile, "Chongye Ward isn't far. Let's walk back together!"

By the way, while the iron is hot, let's think about some things...

Lou Shide has been in Heyuan for a long time and is familiar with the actual situation in Tibet. I'm afraid he might raise some difficult questions.

Even the Empress Dowager was persuaded by him, which shows that what he said was indeed reasonable.

Preparations need to be made in advance.

When Ade and Liu Da saw that their master wasn't riding a horse but wanted to walk alongside them, their eyes welled up with tears again.