Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 474 Only by revealing one's weaknesses can one protect oneself.

The crescent moon hangs low, a lone star casts its shadow.

Changsun Wuji hurriedly arrived at the Princess's residence, entered through the back door, and saw Changsun Quan waiting at the entrance. He asked, "What brings you here so late?"

Changsun Quan's expression was solemn. He said, "Elder brother, come with me to see someone." He then led Changsun Wuji to the study.

Pushing open the door, Changsun Wuji saw the person waiting in the room and looked surprised. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Greetings, Eunuch Wang."

Wang Fusheng returned the greeting and said, "Greetings, Imperial Brother-in-law."

Changsun Wuji glanced at Changsun Quan, signaling him to explain the situation.

“You don’t need to ask the Imperial Son-in-Law; I’m the one who asked him to invite you here,” Wang Fusheng said.

Changsun Wuji looked at Wang Fusheng and asked, "What business does Grand Eunuch Wang have with me?"

If Li Zhi needed to contact him, he would either send Wang Jishan or Li Ji, not Wang Fusheng in person, and would instead entrust Changsun Quan with the task.

Wang Fusheng glanced at the gate, and Changsun Quan immediately understood, saying, "Wang Dajian, please speak frankly. I have already given orders that no one is allowed to approach the study."

Wang Fusheng nodded, then turned his gaze to Changsun Wuji and said, "So that the Imperial Uncle may know that Qin Shaojian died yesterday afternoon."

Changsun Wuji showed no sign of surprise and sighed, "It's a pity that Qin Shaojian entered the palace in the third year of the Wude era and served three emperors."

Wang Fusheng stared at him and said, "I am aware of your relationship with Qin Shaojian."

"What is the relationship between Wang Dajian and the others?" Changsun Wuji frowned slightly.

Wang Fusheng said, "He has already told me everything about how you helped Qin Shaojian back then."

Changsun Wuji was slightly startled, but his face remained expressionless as he pondered without answering.

Wang Fusheng said softly, "I am not here on the orders of the Emperor to investigate this matter. Rather, it is because Qin Shaojian has made a mistake that has offended the Emperor's brother-in-law, and he hopes I can help him make amends."

Changsun Wuji said, "Oh?"

Wang Fusheng then told him about the letter.

"This letter has fallen into the Empress's hands. Eunuch Qin hopes I can help you retrieve it, but after careful consideration, I think the chances are slim. After much deliberation, I believe it is best to consult with you!"

Changsun Wuji tilted his head slightly, closed his eyes for a while, and then regained his composure, saying, "I appreciate Grand Eunuch Wang's kindness, but please do not interfere in this matter any further."

Upon hearing this, both Wang Fusheng and Changsun Quan were stunned.

"You don't trust me, Imperial Brother-in-law?" Wang Fusheng said, squinting.

Changsun Wuji shook his head: "I trust Qin Ye's judgment. Since he has chosen to tell you about this, I believe you will do your best to help me."

"If that's the case, why does the Imperial Brother-in-law say such a thing?" Wang Fusheng asked, frowning.

Changsun Wuji stared at him: "Your identity is special. If you don't get involved, even if it's exposed, the Sage might not pursue it too much. But once you get involved and the Sage finds out, it will only make things worse."

Wang Fusheng was startled after hearing this.

As Changsun Wuji said, if he, as a confidant of the emperor, were to help Changsun Wuji cover up this matter, it would have a negative effect.

Wang Fusheng secretly reflected on his lack of caution in his actions, realizing that he only saw this point after being reminded by Changsun Wuji.

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty. In that case, I will no longer be involved in this matter. However, there is one more thing I would like to ask you."

"Excuse me."

Wang Fusheng asked sternly, "I wonder how many more secret agents like Qin Shaojian are in the Imperial Palace, and how many more?"

Changsun Wuji was silent for a while, then said, "I have long since severed ties with them. Qin Ye should have told you that I have never contacted him, right?"

"Yes." Wang Fusheng nodded and said, "However, as the Director of the Palace Attendants, I am responsible for the safety of the Emperor. I cannot allow such a person to still exist in the palace. I hope the Imperial Uncle will understand."

Changsun Wuji walked to the table, wrote down a few names, and handed them to Wang Fusheng.

"Please, Eunuch Wang, spare their lives."

Wang Fusheng took the note, glanced at it, and smiled, "They haven't done anything wrong, so I won't punish them. However, they are no longer suitable to stay by the Sage's side."

He bowed to the two men and said, "Farewell." Then he turned and left.

After he left, Changsun Wuji walked to a chair and sat down. He glanced at Changsun Quan, who seemed hesitant to speak, and said with a smile, "You can ask me anything now."

Changsun Quan touched his nose and said with a wry smile, "Under such circumstances, I am truly impressed that you can still laugh."

Changsun Wuji smiled and said, "When you reach my age, you will understand that time flies and life is short. Whether it is good or bad, you have to face it. Rather than looking sad and gloomy, it is better to face it calmly."

“I cannot reach your level,” Changsun Quan sighed. “The thought of the Empress holding that letter in her hand makes my heart pound with anxiety and I cannot find peace.”

"You don't need to worry about this. Don't worry, I have a plan."

Changsun Quan stared at Changsun Wuji and said, "Brother, you don't need to lie to me. I know you plan to fight the Empress alone, but you said that because you don't want to involve me."

Changsun Wuji smiled slightly and said, "You've misunderstood. I don't intend to fight her, nor do I have the strength to do so." "Then what is your plan?"

Changsun Wuji picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of tea, and said leisurely, "There's no need to do anything. Just eat and drink as you please."

"Isn't this just waiting to die?" Changsun Quan exclaimed in astonishment.

Changsun Wuji slowly said, "Fourth Brother, do you know the story of Xiao He tarnishing his own reputation?"

Changsun Quan nodded.

"Xiao He did this because he was too capable and had too much prestige. He knew that the emperor was suspicious of him, so he took the initiative to hand over his weaknesses to the emperor. In this way, the emperor believed that everything was under control, and Xiao He was actually safe."

"The relationship between me and Empress Wu had been improving, but Qin Ye's letter has put me in a dangerous situation again."

"Empress Wu hates it most when others try to interfere in the inner palace. She will definitely become more wary of me because of this, and worry that I may have spies in the inner palace."

"If I were to fight with Empress Wu for that letter now, whether or not I could obtain it, it would only deepen her suspicions and I would be harmed by her sooner or later, and it might even implicate my entire clan."

"On the contrary, if I do nothing and let her hold my weaknesses, making her think that the situation is under her control and that she can deal with me at any time, I can remain as safe as a mountain."

"Do you understand it?"

Changsun Quan was stunned for a long time before sighing, "I understand now."

Changsun Wuji took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and continued, "I've noticed it now too. Empress Wu used to fight for power to consolidate her position. Have you noticed lately that her influence in the court is waning, and she's focusing all her attention on the harem?"

"That's true. Recently, she has frequently invited the princess to banquets at the palace and even asked the princess if she knew of any families with eligible women who could be chosen as good matches for the Sixth Prince and the Seventh Prince," Changsun Quan replied.

"That's it. Her position as Empress is secure, and her relationship with His Majesty is growing stronger. Therefore, she no longer interferes in court affairs. As long as she does her duty, why should I oppose her?"

Upon hearing this, Changsun Quan felt no more worries. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Elder brother, His Majesty's current focus is on the Western Regions. What are your thoughts on the war in the Western Regions? Can we win?"

Changsun Wuji said, "I know very little about the Western Regions, but with the current vigor of our Tang army and the leadership of good generals like Xue Rengui and Pei Xingjian, I absolutely do not believe that our Great Tang will be defeated."

"Should we petition His Majesty to transfer Chi Man to the Western Regions battlefield?"

Changsun Wuji raised his hand and said, "No. In the war against Goguryeo, Chiman has already shown too much prowess, which has aroused the jealousy of many people. He should remain quiet for a few years so that he can go far in the future."

Changsun Quan nodded and said, "That's true."

The two chatted for a few more minutes, and Changsun Wuji did not stay for a meal, but hurriedly returned to his residence.

The next morning, after having breakfast, he headed towards the Duke of Ying's residence to learn about the situation in the Western Regions.

After the war against Goguryeo, many of the older military generals in the court were semi-retired. For example, Li Ji, Cheng Zhijie, and Yuchi Gong would no longer attend court assemblies except for major ceremonies.

These veterans all knew they were getting old and couldn't compete with the younger players on the battlefield.

Moreover, they knew little about the situation in the Western Regions. Li Ji and others did not participate in the war against Tibet, so they were not as experienced as Xue Rengui, let alone Pei Xingjian and Su Dingfang, who had been stationed in the Western Regions for many years.

Therefore, they did not request permission to participate in the war in the Western Regions.

However, this does not mean they were indifferent to the wars in the Tang Dynasty.

On the contrary, knowing that the emperor was going to fight in the Western Regions, they actively sought out information. Yuchi Gong even hired three people from the Western Regions as his guests and consulted them on matters concerning the Western Regions every day.

On this day, he was chatting at home with a bearded Sogdian man when his family came to report that Cheng Zhijie was requesting an audience, seemingly on urgent business, and urged him to come out and meet him immediately.

Yuchi Gong thought to himself, "Could it be that the emperor has changed his mind and wants these veteran generals to participate in the war in the Western Regions again?" He was excited and hurried to the gate of the mansion.

Cheng Zhijie was already getting impatient waiting at the door. When she saw him, she took his hand.

"Come with me to the palace to meet the Emperor."

Yuchi Gong asked urgently, "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Let's get on the carriage first."

After the two boarded the carriage, they headed towards the palace, and Yuchi Gong inquired about the situation again.

Cheng Zhijie said, "I just received news that the Ministry of War received an urgent report. After receiving it, Hao Chujun personally took the official letter to meet with the Emperor."

Yuchi Gong asked, "Where did it come from, Anxi or Kunlun-Zang?"

Cheng Zhijie said, "I don't know then. Anyway, Hao Chujun personally met with the emperor with an official letter, so it must not be ordinary news. Something big must have happened."

Yuchi Gong thought for a moment and then smiled, "I guess Su Dingfang must have won the battle!"

"Oh, why not Pei Xingjian?"

Yuchi Gong snorted and said, "Are you really not clear-headed, or are you pretending to be? This time, if we start a war with the Arabs, it will be advantageous for us if the Western Regions take action, but it will be advantageous for the Arabs if the Kunlun and Tibet regions take action. If they make any moves, they will definitely launch an attack in the Kunlun and Tibet regions!"

Cheng Zhijie laughed and said, "Looks like you haven't been idle at home these days."

"nonsense!"

(End of this chapter)