Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 150 Princess Anle and Cui Shi, the Silla Envoy

The deaths of Prince Shao, Li Chongrun, and Princess Yongtai quickly caused a great uproar in Luoyang, arousing pity and sorrow among countless people. Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince had only been back in the capital for a few days when his two children died. The cause of their deaths was gradually spread and several versions emerged.

Some say that Prince Shao, Li Chongrun, and Princess Yongtai's husband, Wu Yanji, were discussing the Zhang brothers' alleged use of their beauty to please others when they couldn't help but get into a physical altercation and argument. Because the noise was too loud, it was quickly heard by some gossipy people, who then offended the two male favorites of the Empress. As a result, the two male favorites complained to the Empress, leading to the tragic end of the two imperial grandsons and princesses.

Some say that it was Prime Minister Xiao and his wife who went to the palace and, for some reason, angered the Empress, which implicated Prince Shao and Princess Yongtai, whom they had brought back to the capital.

Rumors always spread like wildfire, from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, until they lose sight of the original truth. But it is often those rumors that deviate from the truth that are the most hurtful.

Following the deaths of Prince Shao and Princess Yongtai, some ministers in the court launched a large-scale attack and impeachment against the Zhang brothers, with Wei Yuanzhong, the Left Vice-Chancellor of the Crown Prince, and Gao Jian, the Director of Ceremonial, leading the charge.

One of these two men was an advisor to Crown Prince Li Xian, and the other was one of Princess Taiping's lovers.

However, the impeachment did not go as planned. Ultimately, due to the slander of the Zhang brothers, Wei Yuanzhong and Gao Jian were both demoted, and Zhang Yue, a Fengge Sheren, was also expelled from the court.

This made Crown Prince Li Xian, Prince Xiang Li Dan, and Princess Taiping Li Lingyue, who were the daughters of the Empress, deeply realize that the affection between mother and son was far less than that between the Empress and her male favorites, or even a cruel official who specialized in killing people with a knife.

The Crown Prince's Eastern Palace was also filled with trepidation, gloom, and mourning.

Crown Princess Wei cried until her eyes were swollen in front of the mourning hall for her two children, while Princess Anle, Li Guo'er, looked at her mother with some guilt.

"Who exactly relayed this matter to the Zhang brothers, and even to the Emperor?"

Thinking of her brother and sister's deaths, Li Guo'er felt both fear and sadness. She herself had never imagined that things would develop to such an extent.

At first, she cursed the Zhang brothers as treacherous and depraved men who had corrupted the harem. She said that she herself was even more detestable than Shang Daji. Her elder brother, Li Chongrun, was an impatient young man who was full of enthusiasm and wanted to do his part for the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, removing the Zhang brothers from the Empress Dowager's side became his primary goal.

The siblings originally thought that simply publicizing the Zhang brothers' corrupt and illegal acts and their seduction of their grandmother would put pressure on her to stay away from these two scoundrels who used their looks to please her.

Unexpectedly, this incident resulted in both of them losing their lives.

“Mother, this matter must have been spread by my eldest brother, Li Chongfu. If my brother dies, the position of Crown Prince will naturally fall to him, the eldest son born out of wedlock. He must have informed Zhang Changzong and Zhang Yizhi!”

Li Guo'er raised her eyebrows and said confidently, "Moreover, Mother often makes things difficult for my eldest brother, and he has long been dissatisfied with Mother and the three of us siblings."

Upon hearing this, Lady Wei believed it wholeheartedly, and she couldn't help but wring her handkerchief tightly and clench her teeth.

"That Li Chongfu! A bastard born of a lowly maid and palace maid, he dares to compete with my son for the position of Crown Prince! I will avenge Chongrun!"

Upon hearing this, Li Guo'er's guilty conscience vanished, and her courage instantly grew.

“Mother, and that Madam Xiao, she is also involved in the deaths of my brother and sister.”

"What does this have to do with her?" Mrs. Wei asked, puzzled.

Li Guo'er then said, "Mother, you may not know this, but when I returned to Luoyang and chatted with the noble ladies in the city, I learned that this Lady Xiao, Murong Huan, is a person of bad luck. She killed her own father and mother, and also caused the deaths of the third son and third wife of the Su family. She was summoned to the palace by the Empress Dowager once, and then caused her brother and sister to be sentenced to death. How could this be such a coincidence?"

Wei had heard rumors about Murong Huan's background before, but she had previously dismissed them as nonsense, just some means used by the King of Wei to eliminate dissidents. Now, however, they seemed rather strange.

"Who told you these things?" Mrs. Wei couldn't help but ask.

"Anyway, someone told me that, so please don't ask anymore, Mother."

Thinking that she now only had this one biological daughter left, Madam Wei felt even more sorrowful and felt even more heartache for Li Guo'er. She couldn't help but hug Li Guo'er and said, "Alright, Guo'er, Mother won't ask anymore. But Guo'er, you must remember that as long as your Empress Dowager is alive, we must all keep a low profile. You must be careful with your words and actions in the future, and never be like your brother and sister..."

"Guo'er understands, Mother. Grandmother is so cruel, she is really so cruel... My brother is only nineteen years old this year, and he hasn't even come of age yet. How could she bear to do this to him?"

How could she be so heartless?

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wei felt even more pained and couldn't help but hug her daughter and cry loudly again.

……

As dusk approached, Li Guo'er, wearing a thick cloak, arrived at Mingxuexuan in a donkey cart.

Actually, this place used to have another name, Bailiang Poetry Society. After the case of Cui Ying spread in Luoyang, naturally no one from Bailiang Poetry Society dared to come here anymore.

However, after the Cui family reclaimed the assets that Cui Ying and Cui Yuan had expanded outside, they changed the Bailiang Poetry Society into Mingxuexuan, which was also a place for aristocratic children to exchange poetry and wine and have fun.

After getting off the carriage, Li Guo'er took a visiting card and went straight to the room where Cui Shi was.

Several women were drinking and making merry with Cui Shi in the side room. When they saw the princess arrive, they quickly put away their seductive and unrestrained manners and smiles, and all withdrew. Only Su San Niang and Su Rong stood quietly behind him, pouring wine for Cui Shi.

"Princess, come in and sit down!" Cui Shi said gently when he saw Li Guo'er.

Li Guo'er raised her eyebrows and shouted, "Lord Cui, didn't you say you were willing to submit to me and be my only person? Why are you still fooling around with these women?"

Cui Shi then stood up, took Li Guo'er's hand with great affection, and pulled her into his arms.

“These are all servants. Why should Your Highness lower yourself to their level? I am just used to being served by servants and have never been sincere towards them.”

"I am not moved, so it is not allowed to make a move. I am still young and innocent. If you have so many women around you, wouldn't I be at a disadvantage?"

"Alright, then I will never touch another woman again!" he said softly.

Upon hearing this, Li Guo'er felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey, then gave Su Rong a cold look: "And what about her!"

“She’s just a concubine!” After saying that, Cui Shi looked at Su Rong, “You can go down now! Also, keep an eye on the people outside the door. I’m talking to the princess, and no one is allowed to disturb us.”

"Yes!" Su Rong said obediently, nodding and retreating, a hint of bitterness flashing in her eyes, unknown to anyone.

This is the price she had to pay for insisting on marrying into the Cui family.

But even knowing this is the outcome, why does my heart still ache so much?
As soon as Su Rong left, Cui Shi openly whispered in Li Guo'er's ear, "Princess, don't be jealous of this concubine Su Rong. It would be beneath your dignity. The only reason I took her as a concubine is because she is a daughter of the Su family and a sister of Madam Xiao. I have a use for her!"

Why are you so interested in Madam Xiao as well?

“Your Highness misunderstands. I am not interested in her, but I hate her. Have you heard that five years ago, something happened in my family? My two younger sisters died as a result, and the reputation of my Cui family was greatly damaged at the time. If my father had not decisively severed his relationship with my aunt Cui Yuan and my sister Cui Ying, the Cui family would have been cursed by thousands, and my career would have been affected as a result.”

"Oh, so you mean you want to be on the same boat as me, sharing both the good times and the bad?"

"Of course."

Cui Shi deliberately lowered his voice and spoke in a very magnetic tone in Li Guo'er's ear. His warm breath hit Li Guo'er's ear canal, immediately causing an itch that further aroused Li Guo'er's desire.

Cui Shi was already quite adept at dealing with young girls who were just beginning to experience the stirrings of first love. After a few flirtations, Li Guo'er lost control and collapsed into his arms.

So Cui Shi picked her up and carried her to the large bed covered with fragrant flower petals, where the two began to make love.

Whether it was the intoxicating fragrance of flower petals in the room or Cui Shi's alluring face, Li Guo'er was completely unable to control herself and became immersed in his wanton teasing and kisses.

"If only... if only Xiao Muchen could be like you."

After the storm subsided, Li Guo'er seemed to be still enjoying herself, but couldn't help feeling a little regretful as she spoke.

"What, Princess, isn't having me enough? You also want Xiao Muchen, that cold-faced and utterly unromantic man?" Cui Shi asked teasingly, his tone tinged with a hint of resentment and discontent. "Am I not as good as him?"

"I just feel that he is too loyal and doting on his wife. He is completely unmoved by other beauties in front of him. This makes me feel that I am not as good as his wife. I am not reconciled!"

"Oh, so the princess is dissatisfied!" Cui Shi suddenly said, "Why would the princess compare herself to a woman of far lower status than you? You are a princess, and when your father ascends the throne, you will be a princess. Your elder brother is dead. As long as you get rid of your half-brothers, you will be your father's only imperial daughter. Since the current emperor can become emperor, why can't you, as an imperial daughter, succeed to the throne?"

Upon hearing this, Li Guo'er's eyes lit up, and her heart surged with emotion. She thought to herself, "Yes, why should I compare myself to a sickly woman who cannot bear children? I will be the Empress's daughter in the future, my father's only legitimate daughter, and then I will be the one to inherit the throne!"

Then she looked at Cui Shi and questioned, "Cui Chenglan, you wouldn't have said the same thing to my aunt, Princess Taiping, would you?"

Cui Shi's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Of course not. Your aunt, Princess Taiping, is old, and the throne will never be hers. This is something that not only the Emperor has never considered, but also the entire court will not stand on Princess Taiping's side. But you are different. As long as your father ascends the throne smoothly, you will have hope. Moreover, you are young and have plenty of time and opportunities to develop your own power!"

After saying that, Cui Shi brought his lips close to her ear and said softly, "Your subject is willing to serve you like a dog or a horse!" After saying that, he pressed down on her and began to work on her boldly and unrestrainedly.

After an unknown amount of time, the two were exhausted. Cui Shi breathed heavily and whispered in her ear, "Princess, you should go back now, or your father and mother will worry."

"I will send someone to escort you back!"

"it is good!"

"There is one more thing I need to tell the princess."

"What's the matter?"

"The Silla envoy is about to arrive in Luoyang!"

Li Guo'er snorted coldly: "What does the Silla envoy have to do with this princess?"

"Silla has maintained good relations with Great Zhou for the past few years. The envoys they sent are not only to continue their alliance with Great Zhou, but they may also be involved in a marriage alliance. There is something I wonder if the princess has heard of!"

Cui Shi paused for a moment, then continued, "Xiao Muchen's biological mother is none other than the Queen of Silla!"

"If this queen suddenly had the idea to let her son succeed to the throne of Silla, how do you think things would develop?"

……

“It would be quite interesting if this Queen of Silla wanted to bring her son to Silla to succeed to the throne.”

In the Liang Prince's mansion, Wu Sansi picked up a wine cup from the table and said with a sigh.

“King Liang, if the Queen of Silla really makes this request, will the Emperor allow Xiao Muchen to leave the Great Zhou and go to Silla?” Lai Junchen asked, standing outside the curtain with his hands clasped in respect.

"It's hard to say. If Xiao Muchen really becomes the king of Silla, given his status as a subject of the Great Zhou for more than 20 years, it will indeed further promote the alliance between the Great Zhou and Silla. However, if Xiao Muchen becomes disloyal and ultimately betrays the Sage, then he will be a formidable enemy that the Sage fears."

"Then let's..."

"It would be best if this assumption never came true. If we could make Silla an enemy of our Great Zhou and break this alliance, do you think the Sage would kill Silla as a sacrifice before going to war with them?"

Upon hearing this, Lai Junchen's eyes lit up: "Does the King of Liang have a brilliant plan?"

As he spoke, a hint of confusion and melancholy appeared in his eyes. "It's strange, really. Wei Shifang has already told the Sage that Murong Huan is the one who has affected the fate of the Great Zhou, but the Sage has not punished Murong Huan in any way, not even assassinated him. I can't figure out what the Sage is thinking."

“The sage is always suspicious. There is no need for her to have any thoughts now. Just plant this seed in her heart. After all, King Wei has mentioned this matter more than once. There will always be a time when it takes root, sprouts, and even erupts.”

After saying this, Wu Sansi slammed his wine cup down on the table and said, "Then let's make good use of this opportunity of the Silla and Tibet envoys coming to our Great Zhou and give them a great gift!"

"Here!"