Wei Shubin pondered to herself – “can’t be investigated further” meant Lady Yang and her daughter were protected by the father of her unborn child, making it impossible to press too hard, and there were concerns about collateral damage. “No need to investigate anymore”… did this mean there were conclusions for the Eastern Palace poisoned wine case, County Princess Lin Fen’s suicide case, and the search for the Tu Yu Hun prince?
The Eastern Palace poisoned wine case was masterminded by Prince Li Yuan Ji of Qi – this seemed undisputed. Li Yuan Ji took advantage of the chaos during the Eastern Palace banquet, ordering his men to disguise themselves as palace servants, carrying a double-chambered poisoned wine vessel, using Yi Niang to poison Prince Li Shi Min of Qin’s cup, then disposing of the vessel in a nearby well. He and his wife had a harmonious relationship, and Lady Yang knew about this. A year later during the reinvestigation, she secretly provided clues that led investigators to find the wine vessel and blame the Eastern Palace for masterminding it.
County Princess Li Wan Xi’s death was also Lady Yang’s doing. The two women were close friends, and Yi Niang might have discovered Fourth Aunt’s secret pregnancy and affair. Lady Yang feared Yi Niang might reveal her private matters after marriage, so she took the final opportunity to either personally strangle her or have someone do it, deliberately using the belt and jade ring to implicate Empress Long Sun and her son, intending to prevent a deeper investigation.
As for the Tu Yu Hun prince… according to former Sui Dynasty Empress Xiao’s revelation, that mother and son had indeed died during the Sui Dynasty’s chaos – nothing could be done, and no further investigation was possible. What remained to be done was perhaps only to persuade Mu Rong Shun’s envoy to agree to fabricate a suitable person, claiming him to be the young prince from back then, and send him to Qing Hai to be his father’s heir…
Wei Shubin’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat as the phrase “atoning for crimes through meritorious service” flashed through her mind.
The choice of this impersonator wasn’t just about matching age and appearance. He would be going to enemy territory to persuade his “father” Mu Rong Shun to unite forces within Tu Yu Hun, coordinate with Tang armies to overthrow the current Khan Mu Rong Fu Yun and make Tu Yu Hun a vassal state of Great Tang. This mission was both dangerous and demanding, requiring someone capable who must also remain loyal to the Great Tang, maintaining allegiance as a Tang subject even after ascending to the position of Khan.
Among young men not yet twenty, who would have such courage and ability? Who would be willing to abandon their ancestors, change their name, and venture beyond the frontier into the wilderness?
She became lost in these thoughts, stopping several times to ponder in the Xing Sheng Temple courtyard until Jing Xuan urged her forward from behind. She followed the procession in a daze to worship Buddha in the main hall, and then to offer incense to the portrait of Empress Dou in the side hall.
Looking up at the portrait of Emperor Emeritus’s first wife and current Emperor’s birth mother, that round and benevolent face was naturally far less vivid than the jade statue of Princess Ping Yang in the Chai family courtyard, but looking carefully, one could still see the facial features passed down through three generations from Empress Dou to Princess Ping Yang to Chai Ying Luo. And… behind those overlapping collars, on her chest, there should be a red birthmark…
Perhaps even more than physical features, the spirit, and temperament were passed down through these three generations of women. Wei Shubin thought about how Empress Dowager Dou’s mother was Princess Chang Yang, Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou’s full sister. She was born with neck-length hair, and by age three was as tall as an adult. Her uncle, Emperor Wu Yun Wen Yong, doted on this niece with unusual features, raising her in the palace like his own daughter, often heeding her advice, and she in turn loved her uncle like a father. When Emperor Wen Yang Jian of Sui destroyed Zhou and ascended the throne, Dou, who had already returned home from the palace, threw herself on her bed crying: “If only I were a man, I could save my uncle from this disaster!” Her parents hurriedly covered her mouth, preventing others from hearing.
That hatred for the Yang family of Sui perhaps remained deep in her heart ever after, passed down through her words and actions to her husband and children. Perhaps she had always secretly considered herself a princess of the fallen Northern Zhou, proud and perfectionist, to the extent that when she gave birth to a son with facial defects, she immediately ordered him abandoned, regardless of being criticized as cold and unmaternal…
The Li family of Long Xi she married into, or rather the entire old Long Right families she came from, seemed to share this temperament – uninhibited, bold, unrestrained, valuing martial prowess above all, vastly different from the Eastern scholars’ emphasis on benevolence and self-reflection. Yet in times of chaos, it was such people who could end war through war, stem the tide of disorder, unify the realm, and create peace.
So should one blame Li Cheng Qian for being violent and debauched? Or blame Lady Yang for being frivolous and unfaithful? Blame the Emperor and Empress for failing to raise their son as a modest and cautious gentleman.
Even Prince Li Yuan Gui of Wu, who was nearly flawless in moral character, had let his blood run hot and committed treason by storming the palace to kill…
Wei Shubin could only smile bitterly as she wandered, uncertain of her location. After walking for an unknown time, a hand reached out to grab her shawl and pulled it firmly. Wei Shubin turned around to recognize a familiar face – A Huo, her mother’s maid.
This was also an old family servant who had helped raise her since childhood. Seeing Wei Shubin turn around, A Huo’s eyes first reddened as she bowed, then delivered her message: “Young Miss, please follow this servant.”
Lady Pei, her mother, had found a side room in Xing Sheng Nunnery’s auxiliary courtyard and sat by the window waiting for her daughter. Jing Xuan and the other three serving maids who had accompanied Wei Shubin remained outside the door, allowing Minister Wei’s daughter to enter alone and respectfully kowtow to her mother in apology.
Beyond paying respects and greetings, she didn’t say much – there was no point in saying more. Looking up, she saw her mother’s belly had grown larger, her face more tired and haggard, with visible white strands at her temples. Her nose stung as tears immediately welled up in her eyes.
Lady Pei looked at her daughter, her eyes also reddening, but didn’t speak any pleasantries, only softly sighing: “My daughter has grown thin…”
Wei Shubin began to sob, prostrating herself in overwhelming grief. Above her head, she heard her mother’s gentle voice continue:
“…Your father doesn’t know I’m meeting you today, just us mother and daughter talking… Get up, A Fen, don’t cry… Listen to Mother explain… You were innocently caught up in all those matters in the forbidden garden and Da An Palace, we were angry at first, but later only worried… Thankfully the Emperor and Empress are wise. A few days ago when Mother went to the palace to apologize, the Empress said in person that she didn’t plan to pursue your crimes, just told Mother to bring you home quickly and not meddle anymore…”
“I… go home?” Wei Shubin raised her head in surprise.
Empress Long Sun agreeing to pardon her and Chai Ying Luo was expected, but what about her suspicion in the Gan Ye Temple murder and the mess of volunteering for the marriage alliance? Were those being overlooked so easily? And… her parents’ arranged marriage for her was still an immediate issue – if she just went home now, wouldn’t all these days of hardship and danger be for nothing?
“I know what you’re thinking,” her mother sighed. “We also learned about you volunteering to be made a princess for a foreign marriage alliance – His Majesty told your father about it as a joke… Your father was angry at the time and memorialized about sacrificing his daughter for the country, but His Majesty instead comforted him, saying he wouldn’t consider the marriage alliance for now, wanting to wait until after this war is finished.”
“Is… is that so?” Wei Shubin asked dazedly, and her mother nodded:
“Your father repeated His Majesty’s exact words to me, but I couldn’t remember all that reasoning, only remember His Majesty saying that arranging a marriage alliance after winning a war is completely different from sending a daughter to make peace when losing. The former is about establishing long-term bonds and succession, a strategy for lasting peace, while the latter is just seeking peace out of incompetence. When Great Tang was first establishing its righteous army, the Emperor Emeritus and his sons sent too many women and treasures to foreign tribes seeking the Turks’ help – His Majesty never wants to taste that bitterness again in his lifetime…”
So the marriage alliance was “not being considered for now,” waiting until after the war with Tu Yu Hun – but who knew how long this war would last, whether it would end in victory or defeat? From current information, the outlook wasn’t optimistic…
“Our family will also have a joyous occasion,” Lady Pei sighed again, “With my condition like this, I fear I can’t manage everything, but if you can come home to help, I might get some rest…”
“A joyous occasion?” Wei Shubin asked. Had her parents found a way to gather the thirty thousand rolls of silk to buy that Cui family bride for her eldest brother Shu Yu?
Lady Pei nodded, but her face showed no joy or happiness, only sorrow and resignation:
“You know about your eldest brother’s marriage arrangement – thanks to the Cui family’s eldest aunt helping to mediate… The Cui family has agreed, as long as we gather and send the betrothal gifts next month, they’ll accept the marriage letter and permit the engagement.”
“How did you gather the betrothal gifts?” Wei Shubin suddenly felt her heart racing.
Lady Pei’s gaze moved from her daughter’s face to the window lattice, tears glistening in her eyes:
“Eldest Aunt Cui said the Cheng General’s household has agreed to offer thirty thousand rolls of silk as betrothal gifts… to marry your second sister, Shu Yao.”