Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 491 The Queen’s Family
Chang'an, the back hall of the Xue residence.

Xue Yujin quickly arrived at Xue Ne's room, and without knocking, pushed the door open and went inside.

"Brother, Mother said everything is prepared, we should..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xue Yujin opened her eyes wide and stared at Xue Ne.

"Brother, why are you still carrying a bow? We're here for a spring outing, not a hunt! Hey, why did you pack a separate bundle?"

Xue Ne smiled at her and said, "Sister, I'm sorry, please go and tell Mother that I can't accompany you out of the city for the spring outing today."

Xue Yujin's eyes instantly reddened. She went over and grabbed his clothes, sniffling as she said, "How could you do this? You clearly promised to stay with us today."

Xue Ne said with a wry smile, "I have no choice. His Highness the Crown Prince just sent someone over to ask me to accompany him to Luoyang."

Xue Yujin asked in a daze, "Going to Luoyang again? Why has His Highness the Crown Prince been going to Luoyang so often lately?"

Xue Ne said, "Of course there is something."

Xue Yujin snorted and said, "His Highness the Crown Prince isn't without other people by his side, so why does he always insist on having you accompany him?"

Xue Ne said solemnly, "This matter is different. His Highness the Crown Prince does not want others to know, so he only brought me and His Highness Prince Yong."

Tears welled up in Xue Yujin's eyes.

"Waaah... Father is rarely home, and you're always running around with the Crown Prince. Don't you two like Jin'er anymore?"

When Xue Ne saw his younger sister start crying, he panicked.

Normally, his younger sister is always strong. Their father is often away from home, which makes their mother depressed, and she is always there to comfort her.

The fact that she looked so aggrieved today shows how deeply saddened she was.

“Oh, little sister, how could your brother and father not love you? We all dote on you the most. Don’t we always bring you gifts?” Xue Ne squatted down in front of his sister and wiped away her tears.

"Then why do you insist on accompanying His Highness the Crown Prince to Luoyang? Can't you come with me and Mother this time?"

Xue Ne hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "His Highness the Crown Prince is going to handle a very important matter this time, and he has not brought many people with him. Sister, His Highness the Crown Prince is of noble birth, and I must protect his safety!"

Xue Yujin asked, "What important matter is it?"

Xue Ne said in a low voice, "This matter is very confidential. After I tell you, don't tell anyone, not even your mother, okay?"

Xue Yujin nodded vigorously.

"Do you know about the Yang family?" Xue Ne asked.

"Is it Her Majesty the Empress's maternal clan?"

Xue Ne said in a deep voice, "Yes, they are members of the former imperial family, and most of them live in Luoyang. In recent years, relying on the power of Her Majesty the Empress and the Lady of Dai, they have acted lawlessly and recklessly in Luoyang, causing deep resentment among the people."

"Last year, His Highness the Crown Prince was ordered by the Emperor to go to Luoyang to investigate the situation of Hanjia Granary. At that time, Prince Yong and I also accompanied him. After the investigation, Prince Yong suggested to take a stroll on the streets of Luoyang, where we happened to encounter a member of the Yang family who was bullying others."

Xue Yujin listened intently and asked, "How does he bully people?"

Xue Ne snorted and said, "The behavior of these spoiled brats is truly outrageous. That Yang family member was playing backgammon at the chess house. After losing, he forced the other person to swallow all the chess pieces."

Xue Yujin covered her mouth in surprise and exclaimed, "The chess piece is so big, won't it make you sick?"

Xue Ne said in a deep voice, "They acted so recklessly, yet no one dared to stop them, which shows they were used to running rampant. His Highness the Crown Prince naturally couldn't stand it and stepped forward to stop them, but that person was extremely arrogant and even ordered his attendants to try to beat His Highness the Crown Prince!"

"They even dare to hit the crown prince?" Xue Yujin was stunned.

Xue Ne laughed and said, "No, it's because neither His Highness the Crown Prince nor His Highness Prince Yong revealed their identities."

"What then?"

Xue Ne chuckled and said, "I beat up all of that man's men with just a few punches and kicks. Do you know what that man said afterward?"

Xue Yujin shook her head.

"He said his sister is the current Crown Princess. If we offend him, we'll never have a peaceful life again!"

"Wait, hasn't His Highness the Crown Prince taken a concubine yet?"

Xue Ne said, "Her Majesty the Empress has selected four potential Crown Princesses for His Highness the Crown Prince, one of whom is Lady Yang!"

"Because the Yang family is the Empress's maternal clan, it is widely rumored in Luoyang that His Highness the Crown Prince will eventually marry a woman from the Yang family!"

"Is that true?"

Xue Ne snorted, "Of course it's fake. Even His Highness the Crown Prince doesn't know about this. It's just that brat using His Highness the Crown Prince's name to act arrogantly!"

"That's good." Xue Yujin patted her chest.

Xue Ne couldn't help but laugh and said, "Do you know how His Highness Prince Yong dealt with that person?"

"Should I spank him?" Xue Yujin guessed.

Xue Ne laughed and said, "No, he told me to subdue that Yang family member and force him to swallow the rest of the chess pieces."

Xue Yujin chuckled and said, "Your Highness Prince Yong is truly clever; this is what you call reaping what you sow!"

Seeing that he had amused his sister, Xue Ne said, "Alright, now you know I'm doing something important. His Highness the Crown Prince is waiting, and I need to hurry over."

Xue Yujin quickly grabbed him and said, "You haven't finished yet. Since you've already punished him, why did you still go to Luoyang?"

Xue Ne sighed, "Do you think only that one member of the Yang family has a problem?"

Xue Yujin thought for a moment and said, "Does His Highness the Crown Prince intend to eliminate the entire Yang clan?"

Xue Ne shook his head and said, "As the saying goes, even if you don't care about the monk, you should care about the Buddha. With the Lady of Dai as a connection, His Highness the Crown Prince would naturally not do that."

"Then why does His Highness the Crown Prince want to go to Luoyang?"

"Because this matter involves Her Majesty the Empress and the Lady of Dai, no one in Luoyang dares to deal with the Yang family, which has led to their lawlessness. If His Highness the Crown Prince also turns a blind eye, who will dare to investigate them?"

Xue Yujin blurted out, "Minister Di of the Court of Judicial Review is quite something!"

Xue Ne smiled and said, "You've also heard of Minister Di?"

“My mother told me.”

Xue Ne nodded and said, "Minister Di may indeed be able to find out the truth, but if he does, he will surely offend Her Majesty the Empress and the Lady of Dai. Wouldn't that be harming them?"

"So that's why His Highness the Crown Prince investigated it himself?"

"Yes, it is only His Highness the Crown Prince who is most suitable to investigate this matter. After the investigation is completed, His Highness the Crown Prince will give the evidence to His Highness the Empress, and His Highness the Prince of Yong will give it to the Lady of Dai. I believe that His Highness the Empress and the Lady of Dai will no longer protect their clansmen. Only in this way can this matter be resolved peacefully."

Xue Yujin thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Jin'er understands. Brother, go and attend to important matters."

Xue Ne touched her little face and said, "After this matter is over, I will definitely spend more time playing with you in the future."

Xue Yujin smiled and said, "Then you mustn't go back on your word, brother." "I will."

The two siblings went to the main hall and told Liu about the situation.

Lady Liu was much easier to talk to. When she heard that her son was going to accompany the Crown Prince on official business in Luoyang, she readily agreed and even asked him to protect the Crown Prince's safety.

After Xue Ne left, the mother and daughter headed towards the stables.

The sky was bright and cloudless today. Although Xue Ne was not going, the mother and daughter still decided to go out of the city for a spring outing.

Before they even reached the stables, a servant came to report that a woman was requesting an audience outside the gate. She identified herself as Li Binjiu, the Deputy Protector of Songzhou.

Li Bin had visited the Xue family many times. He was quite familiar with Liu and had learned about the strange customs of the Eastern Women's Kingdom from her, especially the system of female superiority and male inferiority, which Liu found novel and exciting.

Since a guest from afar had arrived, Lady Liu abandoned her plans for a spring outing and ordered someone to invite Li Bin to wait in the back hall. She then took her daughter to her bedroom to change clothes.

Li Bin was the female guest. After changing her clothes, Liu Shi led her daughter to the back hall to greet the guest.

Upon arriving at the back hall, after exchanging pleasantries, Li Bin presented Xue Yujin with an agate gem the size of an egg as a gift.

Xue Yujin dared not accept it and looked at her mother.

Madam Liu smiled and said, "This Lady Li is a good friend of my mother's, please accept her."

Xue Yujin then cupped it in her two small hands.

Lady Liu ordered tea to be served, and after the tea was finished, she asked Li Bin about his recent situation.

In the past, Li Bin would visit the Xue residence every time he came to Chang'an. However, in the last two years, due to internal disputes among the Qiang people, she has not been able to come to the capital, which is why Lady Liu asked this question.

Li Bin said softly, "Madam Liu, I have come here today to ask you for a favor."

Madam Liu smiled and said, "Between you and me, just speak your mind."

Li Bin sighed and said, "To be honest, in recent years, the situation in our Dongnv Prefecture is not optimistic, and there is even a risk of being annexed."

Liu asked in surprise, "Dongnu Prefecture is an inner prefecture, who can annex you?"

Li Bin then said, "Of course it's Tuyuhun. Their ambitions have grown bigger and bigger in recent years. They have already annexed many Qiang tribes, and I'm afraid they might even rebel against Tang in the future."

Xue Rengui was away from home most of the year, and Liu Shi had been left alone at home for many years. She had been ruthlessly cheated several times, and had gradually become shrewd. When she heard Li Bin say that Tuyuhun was going to rebel against Tang, she knew that this was a big deal and dared not speak up easily, for fear of being cheated again.

"Probably not," she laughed.

Li Bin then said, "The matter of rebelling against the Tang Dynasty may be uncertain, but Tuyuhun has already annexed the Tuoba tribe and even sent troops to attack our Dongnu Prefecture. Their intention to annex is obvious."

Lady Liu asked, "Why isn't the Songzhou Governor's Office doing anything about it?"

Li Bin sighed, "It's also the Qiang people's fault. They refuse to pay taxes to the Tang Dynasty, so the Songzhou Prefecture doesn't really care about the affairs among the Qiang people."

Liu said softly, "Since it is a prefecture or county of the Great Tang, it is only right that it pays taxes to the Great Tang."

Li Bin replied, "Yes, I have come to the capital on behalf of the Qiang people to request that we pay taxes to the Tang Dynasty."

Liu clapped her hands and laughed, "That's right. As long as you pay taxes, the Songzhou Governor's Office will definitely take care of it. If they don't, I'll have my husband stand up for you."

Li Bin then said, "Thank you, Madam. However, this matter has encountered some trouble. We Qiang people now have no way to pay taxes."

Liu was stunned and said, "How could that be? If you go directly to the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial, do you think they would refuse you?"

Li Bin sighed, “To be honest, Madam, I have already gone there, but the Court of State Ceremonies seems to be negotiating with the Arabs recently, and it has reached a critical juncture. I cannot see Minister Dai and Vice Minister Zhang.”

Lady Liu said, "There are many officials in the Court of State Ceremonial. Can't we tell other people?"

Li Bin whispered, "I did discuss this matter with a temple official surnamed Yang, but Temple Official Yang doesn't understand the situation of the Qiang people and hopes that we will pay taxes according to the standards of Jiannan Circuit."

Liu asked, "Is there any difficulty?"

Li Bin sighed, “Although we Qiang people have also been allocated land, we are not as skilled in farming as the Shu people. Our productivity is very low. If we pay taxes like them, we may not be able to feed ourselves and will be unable to support ourselves.”

Liu didn't know much about these matters and didn't interrupt easily, only asking, "So how do you want to pay taxes?"

Li Bin then said, "It would be best if the tax standards were consistent with those of the Kunming-Tibet Protectorate."

Liu sighed, "I am just a woman and I don't understand what you're talking about. My husband is still in Tokharistan and I'm afraid he can't help you."

Li Bin hurriedly said, "I dare not trouble you too much, Madam. I only hope that you can introduce me to Her Majesty the Empress."

Lady Liu asked in surprise, "You want to plead with Her Majesty the Empress?"

Li Bin nodded.

She was once invited to the palace by Empress Wu, who inquired about the unique customs of the Eastern Women's Kingdom, and thus she had a certain degree of acquaintance with Empress Wu.

As a noblewoman, Lady Liu had the privilege of requesting an audience with the emperor. After a moment's thought, she said, "I can inform Her Majesty the Empress about your request for an audience, but I cannot guarantee whether Her Majesty will see you."

Li Bin said happily, "That's enough, thank you, Madam."

Madam Liu smiled and said, "You can stay at my residence for the next few days and wait for news."

The next day, Lady Liu brought Xue Yujin to request permission to enter the palace.

When Li Zhi visited the Xue family, he made a solemn promise that Xue Yujin should spend more time in the palace playing with Princess Taiping.

With the emperor's word, as long as Lady Liu brings her daughter into the palace, the empress will agree.

Upon meeting Empress Wu, Lady Liu sent her daughter to play with Princess Taiping while she herself spoke with Empress Wu.

At noon, Wu Meiniang invited the mother and daughter to have lunch. After the meal, while having tea, Liu Shi brought up the matter of Li Binjiu, saying that she was staying at the mansion.

Wu Meiniang asked with a smile, "Is it the Eastern Queen, whose tribe reveres women?"

Liu smiled and said, "It is indeed her."

Wu Meiniang asked, "It's already March, and she still hasn't left the capital?"

Liu said, "She didn't come to the capital at the end of last year because of a situation in her clan. She only came to the capital this month."

Wu Meiniang asked, "What happened to her clan?"

Liu then recounted how the Tuyuhun had annexed the various Qiang tribes.

Wu Meiniang immediately guessed Liu's purpose in coming to the palace today, and said calmly, "She asked you to come and ask me for help, right?"

Lady Liu smiled and said, "Your Highness is wise. She said she had seen you once, so I thought I'd come and mention it to you. If you don't want to see her, I'll explain it to her."

Wu Meiniang pondered for a moment and said, "I have to go to the manor outside the city tomorrow and won't have time to see her. So, the day after tomorrow afternoon, after 1-3 PM, you can bring her into the palace."

Lady Liu gladly expressed her gratitude, chatted with Wu Meiniang for a few more minutes, and then took her leave with Xue Yujin.

(End of this chapter)