Her mother’s inquiry and father’s cough came through the window together, striking like thunder from a clear sky. Wei Shubin’s legs turned to jelly, and she swayed, about to fall, but Chai Yinglu beside her was quick to catch her.
Another person in the room suddenly stood up and retreated two steps against the wall, seemingly also instinctively avoiding the Wei Zheng couple outside the window. Wei Shubin glanced over and saw it was the slender youth Prince Li Yuangui of Wu.
At this moment, she naturally had no attention to spare for others, only clutching desperately onto Chai Yinglu, whispering like a mosquito’s buzz: “Sister Ying, save me… please save me…”
Chai Yinglu called out to the window “Please wait a moment, Lady Wei,” then turned back to ask Wei Shubin in a low voice: “What exactly happened? Quickly tell me the important parts!”
Wei Shubin knew her escape from marriage was shameful, and with men present in the room, it was even more inappropriate to air family problems. But things had come to this point, and she really couldn’t care about face anymore. She collected herself and quietly explained the key points: her parents wanting to arrange marriage with the Cui family for her elder brother, the demand for thirty thousand bolts of silk as betrothal gifts, their plan to marry her to Cheng Yaojin as a secondary wife in exchange for fifty thousand bolts, and how she fled and accidentally ended up in the Chai family’s wedding procession.
Though troublesome, the matter wasn’t particularly complex, and Chai Yinglu, being from a noble family herself, understood immediately. Even so, by the time she finished explaining, Wei Zheng and his wife outside had grown impatient. Her father Wei Zheng directly called out “Pardon my rudeness” and pushed open the door to enter.
Wei Shubin was terrified, moving behind Chai Yinglu, wishing she could shrink into an ant and hide, or sink into the ground. Shadows moved across the floor as it seemed a large group of people entered the room.
The Chai siblings now stood up to greet and pay respects to Minister Wei and his wife. As forms swayed, Wei Shubin glimpsed another person following her parents—the tower-like youth Yang Xinzhi, who entered the room and explained awkwardly:
“I was ordered to dismiss the wedding procession, and on my return met Minister Wei and his wife. I inadvertently mentioned that Young Lady Wei was here…”
So he had let it slip. Though thinking about it, he couldn’t be blamed—he probably never knew Wei Shubin was hiding from her parents.
“Minister Wei and Madam, please forgive us,” Chai Yinglu’s voice remained calm. “The young lady has honored us by explaining her reasons for being here today. Minister, please calm your anger—we can discuss this matter thoroughly…”
“This is Wei’s family matter, what is there to discuss!” Wei Zheng cut off Chai Yinglu, his voice deep with anger. “Wei has failed in discipline, my daughter has brought shame to the family and troubled the Daoist Master. My wife will come to apologize later—Azhen! Come here! We’re leaving!”
Three calls, each louder than the last, the final one becoming a roar.
Wei Shubin’s legs could no longer support her body, and she collapsed behind Chai Yinglu, tears streaming down again, but she clenched her teeth and refused to respond. If her father wanted to drag her away and beat her to death right there, so be it—she would never submit willingly.
“Minister Wei, please calm your thunderous anger. Tonight was meant to be the Chai family wedding, but the bride met with tragedy, the circumstances were strange, and there were many complex matters to handle—the Daoist Master naturally couldn’t attend to everything. We’re all crowded in Young Lady Yi’s chamber, which is quite inconvenient. Why don’t we find a quieter place to discuss this slowly…”
This was Yang Xinzhi’s voice, trying to persuade Wei Zheng. Though the youth didn’t understand the situation fully, he was good at reading faces and smoothing over social tensions. Wei Zheng confronted Chai Yinglu in his anger, making the atmosphere quite awkward, but after this interruption, Lady Pei also chimed in:
“Indeed. This room is so crowded there’s barely space to stand—why don’t we go outside for some air… oh, is that… the County Princess’s…”
The warm chamber in Young Lady Yi’s quarters wasn’t large, and now seven or eight people packed it full. Lady Pei caught sight of the corpse lying on the bed and seemed about to be sick again. Chai Yinglu’s skirts moved as she quickly stepped forward to support her, but this exposed Wei Shubin collapsed on the floor behind her.
In the shifting lamplight, Wei Shubin saw her father Wei Zheng’s face dark with extreme anger, though Yang Xinzhi standing beside him deliberately or not held his elbow, showing some restraint, preventing the minister from rushing over to grab his daughter—which would have been too unseemly.
“Young Lady Wei cannot leave.” A voice suddenly came from the corner.
Everyone turned to look—it was Prince Li Yuangui of Wu standing against the wall. He had been avoiding attention in the corner since Wei Zheng and his wife made their presence known, and only now spoke, his tone very cold:
“County Princess Yi was murdered, and the killer has not yet been identified, only that it was someone who was near these east chambers during the wedding. Considering the time, location, and relevant persons, Young Lady Wei is highly suspicious…”
Several people in the room gasped in surprise at once. Wei Shubin drew in a sharp breath, her mind in chaos. Lady Pei let out a “wa” sound and vomited into the handkerchief covering her mouth.
“That can’t be—”
“I don’t think—”
Yang Xinzhi and Chai Zhiwei spoke almost simultaneously, but their voices were completely drowned out by Wei Zheng’s angry rebuke:
“Nonsense! How could my family have any connection to County Princess Yi’s death!”
“Whether there’s a connection or not isn’t for Minister Wei to decide,” Li Yuangui calmly replied. “Young Lady Yi’s death involves many parties and has far-reaching implications. She was the former Crown Prince’s eldest daughter, and Minister Wei was once a former palace official—who knows if there are any entanglements of interest? Your precious daughter’s mysterious appearance at the wedding, and being the first to discover the County Princess hanging, makes it not so easy to stay uninvolved.”
Is this person’s specialty offending people and making everyone hate him whenever he opens his mouth… Wei Shubin felt both angry and somewhat afraid. She had never thought she might have any connection to this death, but hearing Li Yuangui’s words, they seemed to make some sense.
So now in addition to being unfilial for fleeing marriage, she had become a murder suspect?
“You…” Wei Zheng was also quite choked by Li Yuangui’s words. After catching his breath, he asked in a deep voice: “Your Highness Prince of Wu, may I ask why you are here?”
Wei Shubin saw Li Yuangui’s lips tighten and his eyes lower, looking somewhat guilty as he mumbled: “I was ordered by imperial decree to preside over Young Lady Yi’s wedding…”
When a bride’s family sends her to be married, traditionally the bride’s father should preside over the ceremony. Since County Princess Yi’s father, former Crown Prince Li Jiancheng, was dead, and they certainly couldn’t expect her second uncle, the current Emperor, to do it, having one of her young uncles serve in this role was quite normal.
Minister Wei caught his breath and pressed further with a grave expression:
“At the end of last year, the Prince of Wu’s birth mother, Consort Zhang, unfortunately passed away. Though the mourning wasn’t publicly announced, it hasn’t been a hundred days yet. How is the Prince of Wu brazenly wearing celebratory clothes and attending weddings while still in the mourning period?”
Wei Shubin was so shocked her mouth fell open, momentarily forgetting her predicament.
In their world, among the Five Relations and rites, “filial piety” was held in the highest regard. If what her father said was true and the Prince of Wu’s birth mother had died recently, he should be wearing hemp mourning clothes and living in a thatched dwelling to observe the mourning period. Yet he dared to come to preside over the wedding in purple robes with a jade belt—one could truly call it “mad and heartless.” Not just a young prince, but even if the current Emperor dared do such a thing, Minister Wei would remonstrate to his face and submit memorials behind his back, sure to condemn him so thoroughly his name would stink for ten thousand years.
Li Yuangui seemed unable to answer this question, only shrinking back further and casting a pleading glance at Chai Yinglu.
Still supporting Lady Pei, Chai Yinglu sighed and said:
“Minister Wei, please forgive us. Many complex matters behind the Prince of Wu presiding over the wedding cannot be detailed at this moment. I can only say this: the imperial decree came from someone close to the Retired Emperor in the Da’an Palace. Minister Wei, you know the Retired Emperor’s current situation. For the sake of both loyalty and filial piety, the Fourteenth Uncle could only suppress his grief and endure. I beg Minister Wei to let this matter pass for now.”
Wei Zheng snorted and swept his gaze over Li Yuangui and the Chai siblings, saying slowly: “The royal family comes from old Longyou families, naturally not as bound by ritual and law as we Shandong scholar families. A prince attending a niece’s wedding while in deep mourning—truly unheard of in the world! My Julu Wei clan has maintained its pure traditions for generations with strict family discipline. Forgive us for not daring to imitate Handan’s steps! My unworthy daughter doesn’t dare trouble the Daoist Master with her instruction—my wife and I will take her back for proper discipline—”
“I killed Young Lady Yi!”
The words burst out, and Wei Shubin froze, not believing she had said them herself. But… why not?
Better to simply die and end it all than be taken home by her parents to be sold to Cheng Yaojin.
The room fell silent, everyone stunned by her bold declaration.
Her father Wei Zheng stood open-mouthed, unable to speak for a long while, while her mother started retching again. Chai Yinglu frowned and tried to advise: “Fengniang, don’t—”
“The young lady confesses to murder—quite bold,” Li Yuangui cut off his niece’s words, seriously questioning Wei Shubin, “In that case, may I ask when you killed Young Lady Yi?”
Wei Shubin froze, only able to think and fabricate lies simultaneously:
“I… after I followed the Prince of Wu into the courtyard… Yang Xinzhi went to find the Daoist Master, and the Prince also left. I was afraid of myself, so I walked toward the east wing… um… Young Lady Yi heard my footsteps and called me into her room… then, we started arguing, and in a moment of anger, I strangled her…”
Her parents simultaneously rebuked “nonsense,” but Li Yuangui’s voice overrode theirs:
“Then how exactly did the young lady carry out the murder?”
They had just spent half the evening discussing all this in this very room… Wei Shubin glanced at her parents, her heart jumping, and gritting her teeth, she followed the earlier discussions and deductions, describing how she strangled Young Lady Yi from behind, connected the three bands to hang her, and created the false scene of suicide.
As she spoke, she saw her mother Lady Pei’s face growing increasingly pale, her father Wei Zheng’s face growing increasingly dark, while the corners of the Chai siblings’ mouths twitched as if suppressing smiles, but Li Yuangui maintained his serious expression.
Finally, Wei Zheng could listen no more and shouted angrily: “Silence! Where did a young lady like you hear such preposterous nonsense? How dare you use it to sully yourself and ruin our family’s reputation!”
“Minister Wei, please calm down,” Yang Xinzhi, standing beside him, advised. “The truth is unclear, and the young lady is emotionally distressed to the point of confessing to murder. Further pressure on her might make matters worse.”
Chai Yinglu also counseled: “Fengniang stumbled into this case of Young Lady Yi’s death by accident. Since she insists she committed the murder, and her account is detailed and matches all the physical evidence, I cannot conceal this when reporting to the palace tomorrow. For now, I suggest Minister Wei and the young lady both calm down and discuss this slowly—anger and haste will accomplish nothing.”
These two were skilled at persuasion and comfort, and working in tandem, they finally got the Minister to close his mouth and stop shouting. The pale-faced Lady Pei finally found space to speak, asking Chai Yinglu softly:
“Will the Daoist Master report this case to the Emperor and Empress tomorrow? How do you plan… to present it?”
“With such a major incident, how dare I deceive Their Majesties in their divine wisdom? I must report everything truthfully,” Chai Yinglu sighed. “This case involves the Empress and is an incident within the inner palace—it may not be handed to the judicial authorities for investigation. Their Majesties might appoint a trusted minister to investigate, and Fengniang will certainly face questioning then.”
“Then let the investigator come to my home to question my daughter,” Wei Zheng said coldly. “My entire family, old and young, are all in the capital—surely you don’t think we’d flee?”
Chai Yinglu was momentarily at a loss for words, glancing at Li Yuangui, who immediately picked up:
“That might not be convenient. The young lady is young and innocent, while Minister Wei is a cunning… wise… experienced statesman,” —watching his lips, he had swallowed the phrases “crafty old fox” and “deeply calculating”— “Since the young lady has confessed to murder, if Minister Wei takes her home now, not only would there be suspicion of collusion, but we would also be failing in our duty and would have difficulty explaining to Their Majesties…”
“Collusion? What collusion!” The Minister erupted in anger again. “What confession to murder? This worthless girl spoke nonsense in panic, and you children are going along with her absurdity! Truly the world is declining, each generation worse than the last! Enough—I’ll speak with the Emperor and Prince Consorts Chai and Yang tomorrow!”
Father has started pulling rank… Wei Shubin sat up straight on the ground, looking worriedly at the Chai siblings and Li Yuangui. Threatened with “telling their parents,” the three young people looked slightly uncomfortable, but the tall and sturdy Yang Xinzhi remained composed, still mediating:
“Minister Wei, please consider—if you insist on taking the young lady home now, then everyone in the Wei household, old and young, who has spoken with her would be connected to County Princess Yi’s death. The investigators would have to question each person about what was discussed with her, her manner and expressions if there were any hints… Your household would be disrupted for days—why put yourself through that?”
Chai Yinglu added: “Let Fengniang stay in the imperial garden for a day or two first. Once the case is investigated and cleared, proving no connection to your household, Fengniang can return home free of suspicion, clean and clear, without implicating anyone—wouldn’t that be better? Madam doesn’t look well either, how can she have the energy to worry about this troublesome matter? Better to go home and rest for a couple of days, isn’t that right?”
Faced with this reasoning, Lady Pei couldn’t argue, only casting a sad glance at her daughter that filled Wei Shubin with guilt. Wei Zheng’s expression had also softened somewhat as he pondered when Lady Pei asked:
“If Azhen doesn’t come home, where will she go? Surely… she won’t be treated as a criminal and locked up?”
Wei Shubin started. She hadn’t even considered this question.
“What are you saying, Madam?” Chai Yinglu smiled. “Who would dare be disrespectful to a minister’s daughter? Why doesn’t Fengniang come to stay at Zixu Temple with me for a few days—Madam knows it well, it’s nearby, still within the imperial garden, with ready guest rooms and serving maids.”
“The Daoist Master’s suggestion is excellent,” Yang Xinzhi immediately agreed. “The young lady spending a few days in meditation and prayer at the inner temple, seeking blessings for her parents and family—anyone hearing of it would only be moved by such filial piety, there would be no other rumors, and it would reflect well on Minister Wei’s face.”
Chai Yinglu nodded and continued: “Minister Wei and Madam know that my master, Sun Yaowang, has vowed to collect medical prescriptions and treatments for women’s and children’s ailments to compile a medical text, and I’ve been helping my master with this meritorious work in recent years. Though Zixu Temple has copying maids, they can only copy characters and sentences, not assist with composition. Fengniang has been educated since childhood and is talented—if she could spare a few days to help me organize prescriptions and compile medical texts, not only would my master and I benefit, but it would be a great charitable deed helping to save lives…”
The two of them worked in concert, gradually making Wei Shubin’s escape from home sound righteous and aboveboard. As Wei Shubin listened, her back straightened, and her tears had stopped without her noticing.
Stay at Zixu Temple helping to organize and copy medical texts… This was like a gift fallen from heaven.
She had long admired Chai Yinglu’s medical skills. Though only in her twenties, this Zixu Temple master had studied for years under Sun Simiao, the “Medicine King,” and a few years ago had saved the Retired Emperor from the brink of death with miraculous medicines and elixirs, after which her reputation as the “Female Hua Tuo” spread far and wide. In recent years, Lady Pei had been frequently ill after childbirth, often bedridden and taking medicine, and Wei Shubin had long wanted to learn the arts of prescribing medicine and taking pulses to better care for her mother.
Lady Pei seemed to be thinking along the same lines, her expression greatly softening, though she only looked at her husband, not daring to speak easily. Wei Zheng maintained a stern face and snorted, saying quietly:
“Going to the inner temple to copy medical texts—what good will that do! Azhen is already of marriageable age, she’ll have to marry within these two years. How long can she hide!”
Minister Wei’s perspective remained sharp and clear, always understanding that today’s chaos, regardless of whatever reasons or excuses were presented, fundamentally centered on a “daughter trying to escape marriage.”
A hero who had struggled through world chaos and hell on earth wouldn’t be so easily fooled by a few young people. As a father, he naturally held life-and-death authority over his children. No matter how eloquent Chai Yinglu and the others were, if Minister Wei insisted on refusing, even if the case went before the Emperor, he would still win.
Vol 1 – Chapter 7 Notes:
1. Book Forms in Early Tang:
The “thread-bound books” commonly seen in modern TV dramas and films, which can be flipped page by page, did not exist in the early Tang dynasty. At that time, printing technology was either just emerging or had not yet appeared. Even after its emergence, throughout the Tang dynasty, printing was primarily used for calendars, tax documents, Buddhist sutras, and other “non-academic books.” All formal Tang dynasty books were hand-copied manuscripts, mostly in scroll form. Writing, editing, copying, distributing, purchasing, and collecting books were all extremely expensive activities, which limited the spread of knowledge and culture. This was closely related to the nature of “aristocratic society.” Later, as the imperial examination system matured and the talent selection base expanded, this directly correlated with the spread of printing technology and reduced costs of knowledge and cultural transmission. Related artifact images can be viewed on the author’s Weibo account.
2. Explanation of “Inner Temples” (Nei Daochang):
Starting around the Eastern Jin dynasty, emperors began establishing Buddhist temples and Daoist monasteries within palaces or imperial gardens to meet the spiritual needs of the emperor, empress, consorts, royal relatives, and even palace maids and eunuchs. These temples and monasteries within imperial grounds were called “inner temples.” They had resident monks, nuns, and Daoist priests (some were palace women who had taken vows), and regularly invited famous Buddhist and Daoist masters from outside to perform rituals and give teachings. Some temples were also temporarily established for specific people or purposes.
Specifically in the Tang dynasty, because the imperial family claimed descent from Laozi (Li Er), Daoist monasteries in the “inner temples” were particularly developed and famous. Many prominent royal women served as Daoist priestesses in these inner temples, nominally “entering the Dao” to “pray for blessings” for their elders. For example:
– Princess Taiping briefly became a Daoist priestess to avoid a marriage proposal from Tibet
– Emperor Xuanzong’s sisters, Princesses Jinxian and Yuzhen, formally became Daoist priestesses (though this didn’t prevent them from marrying and having children)
– When Emperor Xuanzong became interested in Yang Guifei, he first had her serve as a Daoist priestess in an inner temple as a formality
Therefore, in the story, it is plausible for Chai Yinglu, as a noblewoman of royal connection, to become a Daoist priestess and manage an inner temple, and for Wei Shubin to use the excuse of praying for her mother’s health to temporarily stay and observe religious practices there. However, as Tang Dynasty female Daoist priests later became increasingly dissolute and their reputation worsened, they never recovered their status throughout the rest of the feudal era… If this story were set in the mid-Tang or later, Minister Wei would likely never have agreed to let his daughter stay temporarily at a Daoist monastery.