This might have been the most shameless and improper thing she’d ever said in her life – her father would surely have been furious had he heard it. But she thought Chai Yaoluo would understand, and there was no need to hide anything.
However, this wish had yet to be fulfilled.
Chai Yaoluo had made efforts to inquire and learned that Prince Yuan Xie of Wu was confined to a direct chamber atop the Xuanwu Gate tower, personally guarded by General Cheng, with no one allowed to contact, visit, or pass messages to him. The General handled military affairs in the adjacent room and always inspected and gave instructions before ending his shift at night. Under such tight security, it was impossible to secretly bring anyone up there.
After much maneuvering, as a small consolation, the two women dressed as men and managed to secretly visit Yang Xinzhi once.
Yang Xinzhi was being held in the Northern Garrison’s military camp, very close to Zixu Temple, where people frequently came and went. With many familiar faces, it was easier to gain access, and although Yang Xinzhi was also labeled an “imperial criminal,” his offense was far less serious than Li Yuan Xie’s, so the supervision wasn’t as strict. The two women, dressed as men and carrying some items, simply said they were sent from Zixu Temple and easily managed to enter Yang Xinzhi’s tent.
The three had their share of sorrows and joys upon meeting. Yang Xinzhi wasn’t in chains or shackles and had a small tent to himself. He received daily meals, paper, and brushes, and lived quite comfortably aside from being forbidden to leave the tent or speak with others. Having started his career as a guard at this very Northern Garrison, standing watch at towers and gates, he was well-liked by everyone in the unit, and no one deliberately mistreated him.
The two women couldn’t stay long. After brief greetings, Yang Xinzhi hurriedly mentioned something that Young Lord Fourteen had called out to him about when they were being arrested outside Zixu Temple’s wall:
“The matter that the Pei siblings from the Weibei estate entrusted to me, about Sixth Brother taking a consort – find a way to tell it to Prince Zhao, I’m not in a position…”
His “not being in a position” likely meant he couldn’t mention it in his confession, fearing it would further implicate Sixth Brother Yuan Jing and the Pei siblings in the Da’an Palace incident. Yang Xinzhi had less involvement, so it would be safer for him to handle it, but the problem was he too was directly imprisoned in the garrison and forbidden from contact with others, making it inappropriate to tell anyone, hence the delay until now.
“Fourteenth Uncle is still too pure-hearted,” Chai Yaoluo sighed. “Doesn’t he realize from whom General Cheng got his reliable information to arrest you directly at Zixu Temple? Yet he still wants to help the Pei siblings…”
“A true man distinguishes clearly between favors and grudges,” Yang Xinzhi smiled. “Duke Pei has shown us kindness after all, and Young Lord Fourteen gave his word in person to help. A man’s promise is worth a thousand gold. Whether Duke Pei leaked our whereabouts to General Cheng isn’t worth dwelling on. His family has their difficulties; there’s no reason to drag them down with us.”
Though imprisoned and noticeably thinner, he was still the same considerate Young Master Yang who had been perceptive of others’ feelings since childhood… Wei Shubin felt a surge of emotion and told him about her agreement to marry Cheng Yaojin. Yang Xinzhi’s expression grew grave upon hearing this:
“I understand Miss Wei’s intentions, but if Young Lord Fourteen learns of this… ah, you all know his temperament well. Having grown up in the deep palace with little exposure to outsiders, he’s not very worldly and rarely becomes emotionally attached, but once he does, his nature is to remain stubborn and unyielding until death. Miss Wei… please think this through carefully.”
He implied that he didn’t approve of Wei Shubin’s marriage agreement. But when it came to suggesting how to remedy the situation, he was at a loss. Yang Xinzhi had always spent his energy on eating, drinking, playing, and socializing, and wasn’t skilled at strategizing or making judgments – it was useless to press him further.
Among their group of four, when it came to devising schemes and tricks, Chai Yaoluo was unanimously considered first, with Li Yuan Xie trailing behind. After leaving the garrison, Wei Shubin asked her what to do next, and Chai Yaoluo replied:
“I’ll seek an audience with the Empress to present the matter of Prince Zhao’s consort, and see if there’s a chance to put in a good word for Fourteenth Uncle as well.”
Indeed, rather than approaching Prince Zhao Yuan Jing to have him deal with the Palace Domestic Service, Da’an Palace, or the Court of Imperial Sacrifices about taking a wife, it would be better to bring the matter directly to Empress Zhangsun – her nodding approval would settle everything. Moreover, considering the Pei family’s current situation, Li Yuan Jing himself might not be very enthusiastic about this childhood betrothal, and if he raised objections, it would become endless trouble.
“In that case, I’ll go to Lizheng Palace with you, Sister Yao,” Wei Shubin gathered her courage and volunteered. Since the day she had defied Empress Zhangsun’s wishes when Li Yuan Xie proposed, she hadn’t dared to face the Imperial Palace. However, now that she had reconciled with her family as the Empress had instructed and agreed to marry into the Cheng family as her parents wished, surely there would be nothing to fear…
Since helping arrange the marriage between the Pei family and Prince Zhao was Li Yuan Xie’s last wish before imprisonment, she very much hoped to lend whatever assistance she could, even if it meant just standing aside and witnessing its natural conclusion. Chai Yaoluo thought for a moment, said “Very well,” and led her to turn their horses eastward toward the Western Inner Garden.
Approaching Xuanwu Gate, Wei Shubin was gazing up at the battlements and parapets of the tall gate tower, her heart and mind wandering, wondering which room behind those walls held Young Lord Fourteen when Chai Yaoluo suddenly spoke in a lowered voice beside her:
“Azhen, I have something extremely important to tell you.”
“Please speak, Sister Yao,” Wei Shubin turned to look at her in surprise.
“That person in Cihe Nunnery,” Chai Yaoluo paused, “that person, and her situation, and all related matters – don’t mention any of it in Lizheng Palace. If anyone asks about the investigation results, just direct everything to me.”
This referred to Princess Yang of Hailing, currently residing in Cihe Temple, whom Wei Shubin and Chai Yaoluo had found earlier, only to discover that after nine years of widowhood in the forbidden palace, she was mysteriously pregnant. Wei Shubin knew this was a major matter and agreed, but couldn’t help asking quietly:
“Have you not discovered what happened with her situation, Sister Yao?”
After discovering Princess Yang, Chai Yaoluo had acted contrary to her usually decisive nature, not only refraining from pressing Fourth Aunt for the truth but also quickly pulling Wei Shubin away from the nunnery. The several times Wei Shubin had asked since then, she had vaguely replied “I’m investigating quietly” and brushed it aside. This time was no different – the Daoist priestess just shook her head on horseback, saying “Such matters aren’t easily clarified” and said no more.
The two women dismounted for verification of their credentials, passed through Xuanwu Gate and Chongxuan Gate, and walked along the lake bordered by green willows in the mid-spring weather, winding south toward Lizheng Palace. Before they reached the north gate of Ganlu Palace, they suddenly saw a crowd ahead with fluttering banners, and screens set up along the shore, surrounded by many eunuchs and serving women, with the sound of women and children’s laughter carried by the wind.
“Which family… which palace’s ladies are out enjoying the spring?” Though Wei Shubin was familiar with such scenes, it obviously couldn’t be outside officials’ family members at leisure within the inner palace. Chai Yaoluo gave her a smiling glance:
“With such a grand display, out in the open – who else could it be but the palace ladies?”
She walked straight ahead and announced to the attending palace maids: “This humble Daoist and Minister Wei Zheng’s daughter seeks an audience with the Empress.”
Note: The matter of Wei Zheng’s main hall was also a famous case in Tang Dynasty. Tang Dynasty residences were generally “courtyard houses,” but notably different from old Beijing’s siheyuan. The courtyard houses of that time required an independent, impressive “main hall” in the middle, often semi-open-air. This was the most important place for the master to receive guests, handle family affairs, and even place coffins after death. A residence’s value was often determined not by its size, but by its location and the grandeur of its “main hall.”
As a famous minister known for his high moral character and frugal lifestyle, Wei Zheng’s main hall was never properly built (some say it was of such poor quality it was unbearable to look at).
During Wei Zheng’s lifetime, Emperor Li Shimin offered several times to help repair his house, but Minister Wei always refused. When he was near death, Li Shimin realized this wouldn’t do – Wei’s coffin would need to lie in state in the main hall to receive mourning visits from the emperor, officials, and foreign envoys. A shabby building would reflect poorly on the court, so he halted his palace construction project and diverted materials to rush the building of a proper main hall for Wei Zheng’s house, completing it in five days, allowing Wei Zheng to “die in his proper chamber.”
This main hall of the Wei family was preserved for nearly a hundred years until the Kaiyuan period of Emperor Xuanzong, when family members accidentally set it on fire, causing it to burn down. This incident shocked the court and common people alike – Wei’s descendants wept in self-reproach for three days over their unworthiness, and contemporary notable figures came to offer condolences. Less than a hundred years later, the Wei family had become so poor they had to sell this residence, which was divided into living quarters for nine households. When a wealthy provincial governor learned of this, he offered to buy back the residence for the Wei family, but upon learning of this, Bai Juyi memorialized the emperor, suggesting the court should do this instead to compete for prestige with the military governors. Emperor Xianzong agreed with this suggestion and spent two million from his private treasury to buy back Wei Zheng’s old residence and return it to his descendants.