Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 498 The Cultivation of the Crown Prince

The night is deep, and the bright moon hangs high in the sky.

The palace doors were open, and the evening breeze blew into the main hall, causing the sixteen palace lanterns in the Ganlu Hall to flicker on and off.

One of the eunuchs standing in the hall couldn't help but yawn. Although he covered his mouth and didn't make a sound, his body swayed slightly, and he was immediately glared at by Wang Fusheng.

Wang Fusheng turned to look at Li Zhi and saw that he was still sitting on the dragon throne deep in thought, undisturbed, which relieved him.

After meeting Li Ji, Li Zhi sat in the palace pondering.

This is understandable, as the news Li Ji mentioned was truly astonishing.

In recent months, Li Hong has been traveling to Luoyang frequently.

Although his stated reason was to investigate the Luoyang granary, Li Zhi knew that this was just an excuse; he was actually investigating Lady Yang.

Li Zhi did not interfere, but instead sent his inner guards to protect him secretly, and also ordered Wang Fusheng to investigate the matter.

In Chang'an and Luoyang, the intelligence capabilities of the Sigongtai (Imperial Palace Guard) are no less than those of the Inner Guard.

Wang Fusheng had uncovered an important matter, which was why Li Zhi hurriedly returned to the palace.

This is utterly outrageous.

Two scions of prominent families in Luoyang actually built an estate on the banks of the Luo River, named Emerald Estate.

On the surface, it is just an ordinary manor, but it is planted with many exotic flowers and is quite famous in Luoyang.

However, in secret, this place is a living hell.

The two scions of powerful families gathered a large number of young beauties from all over the country, many of whom were girls under the age of fifteen. These women were then sent to serve the powerful and wealthy officials of Luoyang.

Many officials toil their entire lives to finally achieve their current status, but in their daily lives, they are watched by superiors and supervised by censors. They may have the desire to indulge in their desires, but they cannot go to brothels or keep women outside.

Such a manor was just right to satisfy their desires without being known to the world.

This was an underground manor where power and sex were exchanged, and the two scions of noble families used this manor to accumulate a large network of connections in Luoyang.

The evil in human nature blossoms in its entirety where there is no law to restrain it.

No one knows what they did in the manor, except that one year, villagers found more than a dozen female corpses in a forest five miles away from the manor.

This matter caused a great stir and even alarmed the Dali Temple. Di Renjie also sent people to investigate.

Unfortunately, the woman's body had long since turned into skeletons, and the Luozhou government had not received many cases of missing women, so her identity could not be verified.

No clues were found at the scene.

A month later, a fire suddenly broke out at Emerald Manor, burying everything under the flames. No one knew the connection between the female corpses and the manor.

The raging fire burned the manor to the ground, as if everything that had happened there had never existed.

This matter only came to light today, unintentionally.

Who would have thought that beneath the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, such a bizarre and dark side was hidden?

Moreover, the Jade Manor was established during the reign of Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi), when he was focused on reforming the equal-field system.

If Li Hong hadn't inadvertently discovered a clue to this matter while investigating the Yang family, it's likely that the matter would have remained buried in the dust forever.

What was even more unexpected was that the two were so bold as to try to put up a last-ditch resistance, attempting to collude with the aristocratic families and fight to the bitter end.

Li Zhi also knew that his long-term suppression of aristocratic families, including this tax reform, would inevitably cause dissatisfaction among them.

It is unknown how many other people, like Li Jingye, had met Wei Shen.

Li Ji ultimately concealed something regarding the matter of his eldest grandson, Li Jingye, only saying that Li Jingye reported the matter to him after meeting with Wei Shen.

In fact, regardless of whether Li Jingye reported it or not, Li Zhi would not pursue the matter further simply because Li Ji confessed to the matter upon entering the palace tonight.

The current situation is that dealing with Yang Miao and Wei Shen is a piece of cake. The question is, after Wei Shen arrived in Chang'an, who else has he met?
According to Li Ji's intelligence, Wei Shen had also met a member of the Xiao family. Given Wei Shen's identity as a member of the Jingzhao Wei family, it's hard to say whether the Jingzhao Wei family was unrelated to this matter.

The real challenge is figuring out how to deal with these people.

However, on the other hand, Li Zhi was quite experienced in dealing with aristocratic families. Although this matter was somewhat troublesome, it was not difficult to deal with now that Wei Shen had been exposed.

Li Zhi pondered for a long time, but he was considering another aspect.

Should I handle this myself?
Although Yang Miao and Wei Shen committed heinous crimes, they were backed by the Yang family of Hongnong and the Wei family of Jingzhao.

Behind the Yang family was Madam Yang, who also had some connection with Wu Zetian.

Behind the Wei family were Prince Ji, Li Shen, and Consort Wei, among others.

Furthermore, the Xiao family was also involved, with Xiao Shuren behind them, which implicated the fourth prince Li Lian and the two little princesses.

If Li Zhi were to handle this personally, he would naturally not need to worry about these relationships and could resolve the mess quickly. But what if it were Crown Prince Li Hong who handled it?
One is the maternal clan of the mother, one is the maternal clan of the imperial uncle, and the other is the maternal clan of the brother.

Amidst these complex family ties, will Li Hong be able to handle this matter well?

Li Hong is almost fifteen years old. As the crown prince and the future emperor, he will have to face these things sooner or later.

Besides, he was the one who first discovered this matter.

Therefore, Li Zhi decided to take advantage of this incident to test his son's abilities and see if he could handle a situation where family and state affairs were intertwined.

However, there's another problem if we entrust this to Li Hong.

Li Zhi is now free from illness and pain, and his headache has long been stabilized. What reason can he give to entrust this matter to Li Hong?
As long as he remains in the palace, the three major families and other aristocratic clans involved in this matter, as well as Li Hong, Empress Wu, and the two little princesses, will surely come looking for him.

How can I extricate myself from this?

And what about Wu Meiniang? Should we take her with us, or leave her behind and observe whether she will hinder Li Hong from handling this matter because of Madam Yang?

If Li Zhi were in charge, Wu Zetian certainly wouldn't dare to stop him. But if her son were in charge, would she exert any influence?

Faced with pressure from his mother, will Li Hong be able to show decisiveness and fight back?

Various thoughts swirled in Li Zhi's mind, and only after he had considered everything did he realize that his buttocks had gone numb from sitting.

"Fusheng, what time is it?" Li Zhi asked, looking up.

Wang Fusheng said softly, "Your Majesty, it is past midnight."

Li Zhi hummed in agreement and asked, "Has any news come from Luoyang?"

Wang Fusheng said, "News has just come that His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness Prince Yong are preparing to return to the capital."

Li Zhi's eyes flashed: "They've already found out?"

Wang Fusheng smiled and said, "Yes, it was originally very difficult to find evidence, but by chance, a key piece of evidence was discovered by the two princes."

Li Zhi understood the implied meaning and asked, "What exactly happened?"

Wang Fusheng said, "That evidence was deliberately discovered by His Highness the Crown Prince and the others by Yang Miao, so that His Highness could return to the capital as soon as possible and he could take action on the way."

"However, His Highness the Crown Prince seems to have noticed this as well, and has sent a team of guards from the Zhechong Prefecture to accompany and protect him on the way back to the capital."

Li Zhi asked, "Is that detachment from the military governor's office reliable?"

Wang Fusheng said, "That Commandant Zhechong is a former subordinate of General Xue, who participated in the war against Goguryeo. He was personally recommended by Young Master Xue Ne, so he is absolutely reliable!"

Li Zhi nodded and said, "Alright, it seems I don't need to worry about it. Send someone to tell Wang Jishan that his men don't need to deal with those assassins anymore, but should continue to protect the Crown Prince secretly."

Wang Fusheng cautiously said, "Your Majesty, wouldn't it be safer to deal with those assassins?"

Li Zhi waved his hand and said, "Since Hong'er can handle it himself, I will try not to interfere and let's see how well he can handle this matter." Wang Fusheng nodded in agreement.

Li Zhi stood up and said, "Regarding the matter of setting up the imperial carriage at the Lizheng Hall, I still need to consult with the Empress."

Wu Zetian usually didn't go to bed too early, especially when Li Zhi was in Ganlu Palace, she would wait for him in her bedchamber.

She would only remove her makeup and rest if Li Zhi went to another palace.

When Li Zhi arrived at the Lizheng Hall, Wu Meiniang had already received the news and was waiting for him outside the hall with her people.

After the formalities were completed, they entered the inner hall and took their seats. Li Zhi waved his hand, ordering everyone to leave, before looking at Wu Meiniang, who was pouring mead.

"Meiniang, you don't need to be busy. Sit down, I have something to say to you."

Seeing his serious expression, Wu Meiniang put down the wine pot, sat down to the side, and leaned forward slightly.

What does Your Majesty wish to discuss?

Li Zhi asked, "Are you aware of Hong'er's investigation in Luoyang?"

"I know," Wu Meiniang said calmly.

"He's investigating the Yang family of Hongnong. Aren't you worried at all?"

Wu Meiniang frowned slightly and said, "Does Your Majesty think that I would protect my maternal clan?"

Li Zhi smiled and said, "I was just asking a question, you don't need to overthink it."

Wu Meiniang was silent for a while, then said, "Although I am a woman, I have read through history books and understand a principle."

"What's the point?"

"As the empress, if she protects and shields her father's and mother's families, she will only harm them, causing them to commit serious mistakes that will spiral out of control."

Seeing how reasonable she was, Li Zhi nodded secretly.

His purpose in coming here was actually to confess everything to Wu Zetian.

As for the idea of ​​observing her struggle with Li Hong and his mother, it was ultimately abandoned.

Wu Zetian was so clever!
She will definitely realize her purpose afterward, which will only make her feel distrusted and she may very well try to interfere in politics again.

Moreover, while inciting her to oppose Li Hong might demonstrate Li Hong's capabilities, it could also cause discord between mother and son, resulting in more harm than good.

“Meiniang, if you think this way, I have nothing to worry about. Hong’er is indeed investigating the Yang family and has uncovered something outrageous.”

He then recounted the story of Wei Shen and his companion establishing the Jade Manor.

After hearing this, Wu Meiniang raised an eyebrow and said, "No wonder Hong'er investigated them; he actually did such a heinous thing!"

Li Zhi said calmly, "Not only that, Li Ji just came to the palace to tell me that Yang Miao of the Yang family and Wei Shen of the Wei family are planning to murder Hong'er!"

"Wei Shen even came to Chang'an, where he colluded with scions of powerful families, preparing to commit treason!"

He recounted Wei Shen's encounters with Li Jingye and the Xiao family's sons.

When Wu Meiniang heard that Xiao Shi was also involved, her phoenix eyebrows lit up, and she said coldly, "They have some nerve!"

Li Zhi said, "If they can do something like that, what else can't they do?"

Wu Meiniang took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty need not worry about me and my mother. As for the Yang clan members who are involved in this matter, Your Majesty may deal with them as you see fit. I will not protect them!"

Li Zhi said slowly, "Meiniang, I want Hong'er to handle this matter. What do you think?"

Wu Meiniang was slightly taken aback, but then she realized that Li Zhi wanted to toughen up his son.

Although she was a woman, she was always decisive when it came to matters concerning her children and grandchildren, and immediately expressed her agreement.

“Hong’er is not young anymore; it’s time for him to share His Majesty’s burdens.”

Li Zhi said, "What reason do you think I should find to legitimately let Hong'er handle this matter?"

After a moment's thought, Wu Meiniang had an idea.

"Your Majesty, where are Xue Rengui and Pei Xingjian now?"

"We should have arrived in Suyab by now," Li Zhi replied after a moment's thought.

Wu Zetian suggested, "This battle was a difficult one for them, having marched a long way, and greatly enhanced the prestige of our Great Tang in the Western Regions. Why doesn't Your Majesty go to Shanzhou to personally welcome the triumphant army back?"

Li Zhi was taken aback for a moment, then his eyes flashed, and he said with delight, "This is something that has been bothering me for so long, but you, Meiniang, were able to come up with a solution for me right away. You are truly my wise and capable wife!"

Shanzhou is neither too far nor too close to Chang'an. It allows one to remain detached from the situation while still keeping an eye on everything happening in Chang'an, preventing the situation from spiraling out of control. It is indeed the best place to go.

Wu Meiniang added, "Your Majesty may also bring the two princesses along."

Li Zhi's heart moved.

Wu Zetian had Princess Gao'an and Princess Yiyang brought along because she was afraid that the two princesses would plead for Li Hong when he dealt with the Xiao family's problems.

He pondered for a moment and said, "Meiniang, it is still uncertain whether Xiao Shi was involved in this matter."

Wu Meiniang glanced at Li Zhi and asked, "Does Your Majesty still harbor feelings for the past?"

Whenever Consort Xiao is involved, Wu Meiniang's magnanimity disappears, and she becomes particularly sensitive and easily jealous, even though Consort Xiao is now a commoner.

Li Zhi shook his head and said, "I am just stating the facts. Let Hong'er investigate this matter. If it is indeed related to the Xiao family, it may not necessarily be related to Xiao Shuren."

Wu Meiniang was silent for a while, then suddenly said, "By the way, a while ago, Consort Zheng suddenly mentioned something to me."

"What's the matter?"

Wu Meiniang said, "The Imperial Concubine said that Consort Xiao wants Hua'er to marry a member of the Xiao clan."

Li Zhi's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Does Hua'er agree?"

Wu Meiniang glanced at Li Zhi and said, "Your Majesty, don't you know Hua'er's temperament? She is extremely filial. Even if she is unwilling, she will agree."

"And then what happened?" Li Zhi knew there was more to the story than met the eye; otherwise, he should have known.

Wu Meiniang said, "I wrote a letter to Consort Xiao, telling her in a roundabout way that His Majesty hopes that the princes and princesses can decide their own marriages and does not like others interfering. So she did not insist anymore."

Actually, it started with Consort Zheng writing a letter to Consort Xiao, but unfortunately, Consort Xiao didn't give her face and rejected her in his reply.

Consort Zheng was already quite angry with Consort Xiao because of what happened back then, and seeing how ungrateful she was, she decided to teach her a lesson.

If she were to send someone directly to teach Princess Gao'an a lesson, she feared it would put Princess Gao'an in a difficult position, so she told Wu Meiniang about it.

Wu Meiniang and Xiao Shuren were mortal enemies, so naturally she had to stop it.

Just as she expected, Wu Meiniang immediately wrote a letter to Xiao Shuren after learning about it.

Xiao Shuren was much more afraid of Wu Meiniang. Knowing that if he refused, she would definitely retaliate, so he had no choice but to give up the idea.

Li Zhi nodded and said, "You handled it very well."

“Your Majesty, this matter shows that Consort Xiao still cares a lot about the Xiao clan. If any member of the Xiao clan is really involved in this matter, she will definitely intervene and ask Hua’er for help. Given Hua’er’s personality, she will definitely ask Hong’er to plead for her, which will probably put Hong’er in a difficult position.”

Li Zhi thought for a moment and said, "Meiniang, Hong'er has more than one problem to deal with this time. Let him handle it himself this time, and we'll just watch."

Seeing that she could not persuade Li Zhi, Wu Meiniang stopped trying to convince him and nodded, saying, "Alright then."

(End of this chapter)