“I assisted the Taoist Master in delivering medicine to Da’an Hall yesterday!” Wei Shubin suddenly burst out, trying to break the oppressive deadlock. “Unexpectedly, Imperial Consort Yin harbored hatred toward the Taoist Master, and as soon as we met, she loudly berated…”
Without looking at Li Chengqian’s expression, she focused on following their pre-arranged narrative, describing their conflict with Imperial Consort Yin Dufei, how she was paralyzed with fear, and how Imperial Consort Yin threatened and urged her to report that Chai Yuluo had poisoned the Emperor Emeritus. Naturally, she didn’t mention their fabricated story about the uncle-niece affair, nor the stinking medicinal powder the female Taoist had brought. She only said, “After Lady Yin met with her brother Palace Supervisor Yin in the evening, she ordered us to move the Emperor Emeritus from the West Chamber to the small hall, and had the Taoist Master bound and pushed into the West Chamber. That’s why when the assassins burst into the Emperor Emeritus’s chamber, they only found the Taoist Master.”
I’m not lying, she reminded herself, I’m just… omitting certain facts.
After she finished describing how Imperial Consort Yin was killed by black-clad assassins on the watchtower and how she and Chai Yuluo barely escaped with their lives, Li Chengqian let out a soft sigh, showing unexpected relief, though his expression quickly returned to neutrality.
It must be because “the dead can’t testify,” Wei Shubin thought. Previously, Li Chengqian had conspired with Imperial Consort Yin, orchestrating various malicious plans and actions. Now that the Yin siblings had both perished in this incident, no one could testify against them. This meant that after their night of desperate risk-taking, getting themselves covered in blood, they had ultimately only helped clear away a major threat to the Eastern Palace.
While their own risk of being married off to distant lands hadn’t diminished one bit.
Li Chengqian could still propose his “three princesses diplomatic marriage” plan to the court, taking all the credit, without having to fear being exposed for his connection to Imperial Consort Yin.
Now the only obstacle was the uncertain fate of the Seventeenth Princess, whose whereabouts remained unknown—if Li Chengqian wanted to propose sending his young aunt for diplomatic marriage, he’d first need to produce her.
Wei Shubin looked at the Tang heir apparent seated before the screen, suspecting he was thinking about the same thing. Li Chengqian still had slightly furrowed brows, but much of the earlier murderous air had dissipated, making him look more like a normal handsome youth of seventeen or eighteen… judging purely by appearance, Su Lingyu’s husband wasn’t bad at all…
“The Prince of Wu…” Minister Wei’s daughter mumbled, then quickly gathered her thoughts and continued, “May I ask Your Highness, before we entered the chamber, we saw the Emperor Emeritus’s Fourteenth Son, the Prince of Wu, leaving. Has he gone to search for the Seventeenth Princess?”
Li Chengqian gave her a noncommittal glance, still treating her as if she didn’t exist, and turned to address Chai Yuluo instead:
“Early this morning, guards found the body of Da’an Palace Deputy Supervisor Yin Tuo outside the West Chamber. His neck was broken, and he was wearing black clothes and a mask, similar to the assassins’ attire. I suspected then that Yin Tuo was in league with these foreign assassins, and that his clan sister Imperial Consort Yin was also involved. Lady Wei’s account seems to align with this. This is a matter of great importance—His Majesty and the Empress will personally investigate. Before Their Majesties, will the Taoist Master give the same account?”
“Of course,” Chai Yuluo replied softly. “This humble one… would not dare deceive His Majesty.”
“Then do you think His Majesty will believe this ghost story entirely?”
When Li Chengqian asked this, Wei Shubin felt her face flush. He was essentially accusing her of lying to her face, yet he still wasn’t even addressing her directly, treating her as if she were invisible. Thinking about it, it made sense—as an outsider, her words carried little weight. The Emperor and Empress would primarily listen to their son and niece’s accounts.
Chai Yuluo also raised her head to look directly at Li Chengqian, slightly biting her lower lip in thought, not immediately responding. They hadn’t had time for careful grooming that morning, and without makeup and wearing palace official attire, the female Taoist looked haggard and worn, quite different from her usual vivacious and striking appearance.
“Lady Wei, you may withdraw,” Li Chengqian suddenly said to Wei Shubin. “I have matters to discuss with the Taoist Master.”
It seemed he wanted to align their testimonies with Chai Yuluo before his parents arrived… Wei Shubin had just acknowledged and was about to rise when Chai Yuluo spoke:
“Your Highness, please reconsider. Wei Shi was a direct witness to last night’s incident at Da’an Hall. His Majesty and the Empress might… also summon her for questioning… If our accounts don’t match, there will be trouble…”
She was breathing heavily as she spoke, but her meaning was clear. Wei Shubin also found her words reasonable and settled back into her kneeling position.
This, however, angered the Crown Prince. The young heir apparent, second only to one and above all others, darkened his face and shouted at the minister’s daughter as if berating a servant or animal:
“Get out!”
Wei Shubin’s head buzzed, and her cheeks instantly burned hot.
Even the current Emperor and Empress Zhangsun had never treated her so rudely and dismissively.
The daughter of Minister Wei rose, supporting herself against the ground, blood rushing to her head. Before she could decide whether to reproach the Crown Prince for his rudeness or run out crying, an announcement came from outside:
“Your Highness, His Majesty’s procession has arrived at Da’an Palace’s gate—”
The Emperor had arrived, apparently earlier than Li Chengqian had anticipated. The Crown Prince, who had been sitting composed before the screen, suddenly stood up supporting himself against the table, looking nervous, and strode toward the door. Chai Yuluo and Wei Shubin found themselves standing as well, and heard Li Chengqian asking the inner attendant at the door:
“Only His Majesty’s procession? The Empress didn’t come?”
“Your Highness, it’s reported that accompanying His Majesty are the Prince of Yue, and… uh… Minister Wei.”
Her father had come with the Emperor. Wei Shubin’s legs weakened, and she nearly stumbled. No matter how severe last night’s incident at Da’an Palace was, it was still an internal palace matter. Why would her father, an outside official, be involved at this point?
Could it be… he had heard about his daughter being involved again, and finally unable to tolerate it anymore, had come specifically to take her home?
Chai Yuluo also turned to look at Wei Shubin, and both women understood they were thinking the same thing. The female Taoist tugged at her sleeve, and they followed behind Li Chengqian with lowered eyes, quietly leaving the East Chamber. The Crown Prince and his attendants were busy preparing to receive the Imperial procession, paying them no attention.
Outside in the courtyard of Da’an Hall, chaos and confusion still reigned. The two women escaped from others and hid in a corner, where Chai Yuluo asked in a low voice: “Shubin, what do you plan to do?”
“I… can’t return to Zixu Temple right now… and probably can’t go to the Chai mansion either.” If her father was determined to take her home this time, both places would be too easy to find, and there was no way to directly resist the current Prime Minister’s demand for his daughter.
Chai Yuluo nodded, understanding her meaning: “That’s why I’m asking what your plan is. Do you have any other places to hide?”
How could she possibly have other hiding places? She was a minister’s daughter who had been pampered at home since childhood… Wei Shubin smiled bitterly, fingers twisting the silk wrap on her arm. After a moment’s thought, she looked up and said:
“I plan to… I want to help the Fourteenth Prince rescue the Seventeenth Princess.”
[Note: Regarding the “half-sleeve” worn by Chai Yuluo and Tang Dynasty aesthetics of body curves.
The “half-sleeve” was a very important component of Tang Dynasty women’s clothing, essentially what later generations called a “vest” or “short-sleeved outer garment,” often referred to as “banbi” in hanfu circles. According to my friend Yang Mei Jian Wu’s book “Tang Dynasty Clothing and Caps” (ahem), this type of garment, when worn by men was called “banbi,” while for women “banjiu” was more consistent with historical records.
From the images, we can see the Tang Dynasty aesthetic regarding the chest and cleavage. While many clothes indeed had low necklines, the exposed chest area of women was still flat and slim—forget 36D, they probably couldn’t even fill an A cup. Poets’ praise of low-cut garments included phrases like “powdered chest half-hidden like clear snow,” “letting white snow occupy the chest,” “unevenly shy-killing white lotus,” “vainly loving the snow before chest, what of the frost above head,” celebrating the exposed skin’s color rather than rounded, protruding curves. Looking at unearthed female figurines, even at their plumpest, Tang Dynasty women favored a “flat chest, large belly” aesthetic.]