Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 433 Meiniang, Do Me a Favor
Chang'an City, Taiji Palace.

Li Zhi stood by the South Sea Pool, hands behind his back, gazing at the gently rippling water, lost in thought.

In his hands, which were clasped behind his back, was a message that had just been sent by the Inner Commandery.

The message was delivered personally by Wang Jishan, who, like Wang Fusheng, was standing behind Li Zhi.

A little distance behind the two men stood Hao Chujun, the Minister of War.

Li Zhi stood for a full quarter of an hour before finally turning around, sitting back down in his chair, and saying, "Tell me your thoughts."

Seeing Li Zhi's expression, Wang Jishan knew that the emperor had already reached a conclusion on the matter and was only asking others to confirm his own thoughts.

"I believe that Silla and the Mohe suddenly redeployed their troops back to their homeland to observe how things develop. If our army succeeds in attacking Goguryeo, they will also take the opportunity to bite Goguryeo," Hao Chujun replied.

Li Zhi remained noncommittal, then asked Wang Jishan, "What do you think?"

Wang Jishan said in a deep voice, "I think this matter is strange. The Mohe and Silla mobilized their troops back to their home countries, but the Japanese did not take the opportunity to attack them."

Li Zhi's eyes lit up, and he said, "That's right, why do you think that is?"

Wang Jishan said, "I suspect that Japan secretly sent people to both countries to reach a ceasefire agreement with them!"

Hao Chujun frowned and said, "How could the Mohe and Silla agree to a ceasefire with the Japanese? Aren't they afraid the Japanese will go back on their word?"

Wang Jishan said slowly, "Unless Japan agrees to stop demanding the lands they have occupied."

Hao Chujun said, "Does Japan not want to reclaim its lost territory?"

Wang Jishan said, "They may want to, but given the current situation, they are powerless to do so, and it will only lead to a stalemate. They know very well that after our Great Tang conquers Goguryeo, they will be the next to die."

Since Japan's target was not Silla or the Mohe, it could only be the Tang Dynasty.

Hao Chujun's expression changed slightly. He said, "Do they dare to break the agreement and launch a sneak attack on us?"

Li Zhi said, "It's not a matter of doubt, it's a certainty. The Japanese are shameless and dishonest; to them, an agreement is nothing but a piece of waste paper. Right now, our Great Tang is focusing all its efforts on attacking Goguryeo, and they will definitely take advantage of the most intense part of the war to launch a surprise attack on us!"

Wang Jishan cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is wise. The Mohe and Silla were also willing to see them launch a sneak attack on us, which is why we reached an agreement with them!"

Li Zhi waved his hand and said, "Send an edict to Liu Renyuan, telling him that the Japanese may launch a surprise attack on Junshu at any time, and that he should be on guard!"

Hao Chujun asked, "Your Majesty, could they launch a surprise attack on the Xiongjin Governor's Office?"

Li Zhi said, "No. Even if they occupy a part of Xiongjin, it won't do them any good. We can take it back at any time when we turn around. Their biggest goal now is to drive us out of Junju. Only when their rear is secure can they expel Silla and Mohe."

Wang Jishan suddenly said, "By the way, Your Majesty, although the main force of Silla has withdrawn from Japan, Buyeo Boksin's army is still in Japan. It is now surrounded by the Japanese army."

Li Zhi chuckled and said, "It seems Silla has sold out Buyeo Boksin. We don't need to worry about that; we should still focus our efforts on Goguryeo."

Wang Jishan replied, "Yes."

Suddenly, a cry came from afar. A tiny figure came running from a distance, stretching out its two little arms and calling out repeatedly, "Yay! Yay!"

When Li Zhi saw that it was Princess Taiping running over, he waved for Wang Jishan and Hao Chujun to leave, walked over, picked up Princess Taiping, and said with a smile, "What's wrong now? Why are you crying so sadly?"

Princess Taiping buried her head in Li Zhi's shoulder and sobbed, "Father, please control your Empress! She's always bullying people!"

Li Zhi chuckled and said, "Isn't my Empress your mother?"

Princess Taiping said angrily, "What kind of mother is she? I won't call her that."

Li Zhi sat back down in his chair, placed Princess Taiping on his lap, wiped away her tears, and said with a smile, "What happened? Tell your father."

Princess Taiping, with red eyes, said aggrievedly, "This morning, Mother invited some noblewomen from outside the palace to Ziyun Pavilion to receive them and watch a variety show with them."

“Mother originally wanted my sixth brother to accompany her to greet guests, but he disappeared without a trace. I kindly took his place and helped Mother greet guests, but Mother scolded me at the banquet. Tell me, isn’t she being unreasonable!”

Li Zhi chuckled inwardly. Princess Taiping's words sounded nice, but Li Zhi could guess that she only went along because she wanted to see the variety shows herself, and certainly not to help her mother.

"Tell me quickly, is she being unreasonable?" Princess Taiping said anxiously.

Li Zhi said, "Hmm, Meiniang really shouldn't have scolded you. By the way, why did she scold you?"

Princess Taiping blushed and muttered, "They scolded me for no reason. Who knows why?"

Li Zhi looked at her and said, "Yue'er, your father told you that you can't lie, have you forgotten?"

Princess Taiping panicked slightly and whispered, "I just laughed out loud while watching a paikatsu, and she scolded me for being improper!"

Li Zhi said, "Just because of this?"

Princess Taiping immediately perked up and exclaimed, "That's right! I just smiled and didn't do anything else, and she scolded me in front of so many people. How am I supposed to face people after this!"

Li Zhi looked at her chubby little face and comforted her, "You're still a child, it's normal to get some criticism, no one will laugh at you."

Princess Taiping looked sad and said, "Father, she scolded me, and you still sided with her. Don't you love Yue'er anymore?" She buried her face in Li Zhi's arms and burst into tears again.

Li Zhi was speechless. Girls mature early, it was true. This little girl was only three years old and already knew how to use tears as a weapon.

Li Zhi patted her on the back and said, "Alright, stop crying. I'll say a few words to your mother on your behalf, okay?"

Princess Taiping hurriedly raised her head and said, "Then we must hurry, she's about to leave the palace." Tears still clung to her eyelashes, hanging around Li Zhi's neck, urging him to set off quickly.

Li Zhi carried her toward the Lizheng Hall and asked, "Is your mother leaving the palace?"

Princess Taiping snorted, "Yes, I don't know what's wrong with her. Her temper has suddenly turned sour. She not only scolded me, but also ended the banquet early and told Zhang Duohai to prepare to leave the palace."

Sure enough, after walking a few steps, a palace attendant from the Lizheng Hall came over and said that the Empress requested permission to leave the palace.

Li Zhi was secretly puzzled and vaguely felt that things were not so simple, so he asked Princess Taiping to explain in detail what had happened at the banquet earlier.

Princess Taiping pouted and said, "Everyone was watching a variety show together. It was fine at first, but when it came to the actors' show, a woman performed very comically, pretending to be a little dog. I had never seen anything like it before, so I laughed out loud. Then my mother got very angry, not only scolded me, but also ended the banquet early."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi's heart stirred, and he said, "The one performing the 'Sorrow Relief Play' is a woman?"

Princess Taiping nodded and said, "Yes, this is the first time I've ever seen a woman performing as a court jester."

Li Zhi immediately showed a thoughtful expression.

During the Tang Dynasty, actors had a low social status, and actors were the lowest of all performers. Most actors were dwarfs or disabled, and they entertained the audience through exaggerated movements and comical language.

Although the imperial court did not explicitly prohibit it, such vulgar plays were considered improper, and few women would perform them, otherwise they would never be able to get married.

According to Li Zhi's impression, Wu Zetian detested opera and he didn't know why she was watching it today.

However, one thing is clear: her outburst today was not directed at Princess Taiping, but at the female actor.

Before long, they arrived at the Lizheng Hall, where Wu Meiniang was dressed in a magnificent red gown, and indeed she was preparing to go out.

When she saw Li Zhi carrying Princess Taiping, who was still in his arms sticking her tongue out at her, she immediately knew that the little thing had gone to complain.

She invited Li Zhi into the hall and said, "Has Your Majesty come to interrogate me?"

Li Zhi raised his hand and said, "It's not that serious. Meiniang, I just came to ask if you're angry because of the opera?"

Wu Meiniang glanced at him and said, "His Majesty already knows."

Li Zhi said, "I heard it from Yue'er."

Wu Meiniang lowered her head and said, "When I saw that woman being shameless and making such a move, I couldn't hide my anger, which is why I couldn't control my emotions."

Li Zhi said, "I know you feel that she has disgraced all women in the world."

Wu Meiniang said softly, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty." Princess Taiping blinked, looked at her mother, then looked up at her father, and was a little confused. She said, "Father, what are you talking about? Didn't you come to speak up for Yue'er about Mother?"

Li Zhi patted her head and smiled, "Yue'er, your mother didn't mean to scold you. She was just angry because of that actress. Go out and play."

Princess Taiping glanced at Wu Meiniang and muttered, "Then Mother should apologize to me!"

Wu Meiniang's face darkened, and she said, "Come here, I will definitely apologize to you properly."

Princess Taiping hurriedly grabbed Li Zhi's arm and snorted, "I'm not going over there, you'll definitely hit me again. Father, you have to control her!"

Wu Meiniang looked at Li Zhi and said, "Your Majesty, you said before that you would no longer stop me from disciplining the children."

Seeing that both the mother and daughter were staring at him, Li Zhi felt awkward.

"Moon, go out and play first. Your father and mother have some important matters to discuss." He patted Princess Taiping on the shoulder.

Princess Taiping pouted, knowing she had lost to her mother again, and had no choice but to slide off Li Zhi and leave the bedchamber.

After she saw that she had left, Wu Meiniang slowly stood up and made tea for Li Zhi without saying a word.

Li Zhi rarely saw her so downcast, so he asked, "Meiniang, why do you dislike women performing as actors so much?"

Wu Meiniang remained silent for a long time before saying in a low voice, "Jiulang, I never mentioned my time at Ganye Temple to you, did I?"

Li Zhi nodded. Whether it was his own memory or Emperor Gaozong's memory, Wu Meiniang never mentioned her life at Ganye Temple, and would always change the subject.

Wu Meiniang carried a small stove for brewing tea and sat down next to Li Zhi, saying softly, "When I was at Ganye Temple, I almost became a court jester."

Li Zhi exclaimed in surprise, “How could this be? Ganye Temple is a royal temple!”

Wu Meiniang's eyes showed a hint of pain as she said, "When I refused to shave my head, those ladies and all the nuns in the temple cursed me for being shameless and joined forces to find ways to humiliate me."

"At that time, there happened to be a haiku troupe that was going to perform at a court banquet, so they arranged for them to stay in the Forbidden Garden. There was a female haiku performer in the troupe who was sick and unable to participate."

"The people from the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution) were very anxious, so the nuns approached them and sent me to a troupe of actors. They had the dwarfs force me to perform for the female actor. They wanted to break my spirit and make me give up any thought of seeing you!"

Li Zhi felt a tightness in his heart upon hearing this.

Wu Zetian's experience was practically hellish, no wonder she never wanted to mention her time at Ganye Temple again.

He held Wu Meiniang in his arms and said softly, "Meiniang, if you don't want to think about it, then don't. It's all in the past."

Wu Meiniang nestled in his arms for a long time before continuing, "I bit off the ear of a dwarf, and they dared not force me anymore. Since then, I have deeply hated paisley."

Li Zhi asked, "Then why did you watch a Peking Opera today?"

Wu Meiniang raised her head and asked, "Does Your Majesty know who the noblewomen I invited today are?"

Li Zhi said, "I don't know."

Wu Meiniang said, "There are Madam Li, Madam Cheng, and Madam Yuchi."

Li Zhi suddenly realized and said, "You invited them to the palace for a banquet to appease them?"

Wu Meiniang nodded and said, "Your Majesty is taking their men to the battlefield. These women must be worried. I will naturally comfort them so that the generals will have no worries!"

Li Zhi exclaimed, "Meiniang, you are so thoughtful."

Wu Meiniang said, "Old Madam Cheng likes to watch pai opera, and I originally prepared it for her. However, I did not expect that a female pai opera would appear. I couldn't control my temper for a moment, which was really wrong of me."

Li Zhi said slowly, "It's not your fault. Anyone who has had such an experience would find it hard to control themselves. So, did you leave the palace for their sake?"

Wu Meiniang nodded and said, "I was trying to appease them, but I frightened them because I lost my temper for no reason. I want to apologize to them one by one in person."

Li Zhi said, "There's no need for that. In a few days, invite them to the palace again, and I will personally accompany them and help you comfort them!"

Wu Meiniang smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty should attend to important matters. I can handle these trivial matters. If Your Majesty cares about me, why not grant me one request?"

Li Zhi said, "Speak, what do you want me to agree to?"

Wu Meiniang said earnestly, "This concubine hopes that Your Majesty can issue an edict to prohibit women throughout the land from engaging in theatrical performances!"

Li Zhi took a breath and said, "Alright, I agree. But Meiniang, I also want to ask you for a favor."

Wu Meiniang's phoenix eyes lit up, and she said, "Your Majesty, please give your orders."

Li Zhi stood up and went to Wu Meiniang's desk. He saw a stack of papers on the table, which contained some calligraphy practiced by Wu Meiniang.

"It is graceful and fluent, with a free and unrestrained style. It is getting better and better," Li Zhi exclaimed sincerely.

Wu Meiniang was delighted and smiled, "Why has Your Majesty suddenly taken a liking to my calligraphy?"

Li Zhi looked through it for a while and asked, "Mei Niang, have you tried to create some new characters?"

Wu Meiniang was suddenly startled.

When she was practicing calligraphy, she did have the idea of ​​creating new characters, but the idea only flashed through her mind and she did not actually try it. After all, if people found out, they would laugh at her.

Seeing her expression, Li Zhi knew what she was thinking and said, "Don't be surprised. Sometimes when I practice calligraphy, I also have the idea of ​​creating characters."

Wu Meiniang smiled brightly and said, "So Your Majesty also had this idea?"

Li Zhi said, "I often think that the current font is too complicated and not conducive to popularization, so I want to make some characters simpler."

Wu Meiniang's expression turned serious as she said, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. The writing system we have today has gradually evolved from the Shang and Zhou dynasties."

Historically, the simplification and complication of Chinese characters have been a process that has progressed in parallel, and this process is also known as the complementarity of simplified and traditional characters.

The evolution of Chinese characters has a long history. It started with the oracle bone script, which had the fewest strokes. Compared to the bronze script, it had more strokes. The small seal script of the Qin Dynasty became more complicated. Then, when it evolved into the clerical script and regular script, it was simplified a lot.

Regular script first appeared during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and was mostly found in stone inscriptions. It was commonly referred to as "vulgar script" by the common people.

Simply put, it's about going from complex to simple; changes in fonts are often related to the emergence of a new font.

Historically, simplifying fonts and reducing the difficulty of popularizing education is the trend of development.

Now that the rebellious states surrounding the Tang Dynasty have been almost subdued, Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) has begun to consider promoting the development of Chinese culture.

One of the most important points is to promote educational development. When resources are limited, simplifying the written language is an excellent method.

Simplifying characters is not a problem that can be solved in a single sentence. It is the wisdom passed down from our ancestors. If Li Zhi had directly replaced them with the simplified characters of later generations, it would have caused a huge uproar.

Those literati could not suddenly accept this new script, and might even feel that the emperor did not respect ancient culture. The old scholars in the academic world would jump out to oppose it, which greatly diminished Li Zhi's image in the minds of scholars.

Moreover, Li Zhi was unable to explain the basis for his simplification of the characters.

Therefore, this matter needs to be handled slowly. Let Empress Wu Zetian try to simplify a few words first, test the waters, see the effect, and observe the reaction from the court and the public.

Wu Zetian was highly skilled in calligraphy, so having her do this task would allow her to do it even better, and it would also prevent others from having any doubts.

Li Zhi said, "Mei Niang, you can take your time with this. I just suddenly had an idea, and I'm not sure if it's feasible."

Wu Meiniang said, "I will try to create a new font. If it is not done well, Your Majesty must not laugh at me."

Seeing her eyes shining, Li Zhi was clearly pleased to do this and laughed, "Meiniang, if you can truly simplify the characters, you will surely be remembered in history and revered by future generations as the first virtuous empress!"

Upon hearing Li Zhi's promises, Wu Zetian was eager to try them out and her face lit up with joy.

(End of this chapter)