Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 9 Changsun Wuji
Every day around the hour of You in Chang'an City, the evening drum would be struck to remind everyone to leave the city and return to the neighborhood.

After the drum beats reached 600 times, the city gates were closed, the gates of the blocks were shut, and Chang'an City entered a curfew.

During the curfew, if you are caught walking on the street outside the block by the Jinwu Guards, you will be punished with twenty sticks.

Of course, if one is on official business or is seriously ill and seeking medical treatment, he or she can be exempted from criminal liability.

A crescent moon hangs obliquely above the treetops, and it is curfew time.

Chang'an Avenue, which should have been empty, was filled with officials' carriages, with small red lanterns hanging on the eaves.

All these carriages gathered in one direction, the residence of Changsun Wuji in Chongrenfang.

The Jinwu Guards were notified in advance that they were not allowed to question carriages or pedestrians with lanterns. They could only watch as the group of officials gathered towards Chongrenfang like they were going to a market.

Pei Xingjian was also in the team.

He sat on a tall horse, looking at the scene before him, and shook his head secretly: "The Queen has been established, and General Changsun did not retreat at the right time, but instead formed a clique more blatantly. How unwise!"

Although he also went to Changsun Mansion, he was different from these officials from the aristocratic families. He had another important matter to ask Changsun Wuji.

After entering Chongrenfang, all the officials came to the Mansion of Duke Zhao on West Street.

The Duke of Zhao's mansion has held a night banquet. All officials will be invited to take their seats after entering the mansion. Then, every once in a while, several officials will be invited into the inner courtyard to meet Changsun Wuji.

Although Pei Xingjian was from a Hedong aristocratic family, he was very close to Su Dingfang and Li Ji. He was very unpopular in the aristocratic faction and sat alone in the corner.

He had no intention of dealing with these people. He drank alone and waited patiently for more than an hour. When he looked around, he found that most of the officials had left.

Only then did he come to the steward of the mansion and ask to see Changsun Wuji.

"Oh, isn't this Brother Shouyue? We didn't send him an invitation, but I didn't expect him to come uninvited. It's really rare."

A voice came from the corridor, with a hint of sarcasm in the words.

Pei Xingjian turned around and saw that the person coming was a handsome middle-aged man, about the same age as him. He was Changsun Wuji's eldest son, Changsun Chong.

Pei Xingjian bowed and said, "Greetings, Prince Consort."

Chang Sun Chong said coldly, "No need to be so polite. Brother Shouyue, is there anything important that has brought you to my humble abode?"

Pei Xingjian said, "I have something important to discuss. I would like to see the Grand Marshal Changsun."

Chang Sun Chong raised his eyebrows: "Can't you tell me?"

Pei Xingjian bowed and said, "Please forgive me, Prince Consort. This matter is of great importance and I must report it to the Grand Marshal in person."

Chang Sun Chong snorted, turned around and said, "Come with me, but my father is discussing matters with Prime Minister Han and Prime Minister Lai, so he may not see you."

Changsun Wuji had a large study, even bigger than the houses of ordinary people, which contained a large number of ancient books.

He often told people that when he was old, he would stay in this study, writing books and spending his later years.

The lights in the study were bright, and a few figures could be vaguely seen.

Pei Xingjian had been waiting outside the door for more than half an hour. After Chang Sun Chong brought him in, he left on his own and no longer cared about him.

Suddenly, there was a creaky sound, and the door of the study was pushed open, and two middle-aged men in their forties walked out of the room.

Pei Xingjian recognized the two men as the prime ministers Han Ai and Lai Ji, and hurriedly stood aside and bowed.

Both of them just glanced at Pei Xingjian without paying any attention to him, and bowed goodbye to the last old man who walked out of the room.

The old man was about fifty years old, tall and handsome, as if Chang Sun Chong had suddenly aged twenty years.

His eyes were as deep as the sea and as solid as gold, giving people a sense of heaviness that would not be shaken even if the sky fell.

This person is the first person in the Lingyan Pavilion, Duke of Zhao, Zhangsun Wuji. His official positions are Sikong, Grand Commander of Yangzhou, Taiwei, and concurrently Inspector of the Secretariat, Acting Director of the Secretariat, and Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

Any official position is something that an ordinary official cannot reach even if he works hard for his entire life.

Changsun Wuji watched Han and Lai leave, then turned his attention to Pei Xingjian.

He stared at Pei Xingjian for a moment and said calmly, "Isn't this the Hedong Qilinzi admired by Li Ji and Su Dingfang? Why are you looking for me, a dying man?"

Pei Xingjian said, "I have an urgent matter to discuss with the Grand Marshal. This matter concerns the lives of millions of people in Chang'an. Please allow me to come in and report."

Changsun Wuji said, "Tomorrow is the New Moon and Full Moon Festival. If you have something to discuss, why don't you come to the court to discuss it?"

Pei Xingjian whispered, "To be honest with you, Commander, I have offended Her Majesty the Queen. I'm afraid I'll be impeached by the Censor tomorrow and won't have the chance to make a report."

Zhang Sun Wuji narrowed his eyes and said, "I know you were summoned to the palace by Wu today. Why don't you follow the example of Xu Jingzong and Cui Yixuan and kneel at the feet of that woman? Perhaps you can even be granted a title of nobility or a chancellor in the future?"

Pei Xingjian frowned and was about to speak when something strange happened. While Changsun Wuji and Pei Xingjian were talking, a servant from the backyard quietly approached within three feet of Changsun Wuji.

"Knock, knock, knock!" Several crossbow arrows shot out from his sleeves.

In the blink of an eye, the crossbow arrow flew in front of Changsun Wuji, and the people around him found it difficult to react.

Changsun Wuji, however, remained extremely calm. He rolled up his long sleeves and deflected all the crossbow arrows.

However, the assassin took advantage of this gap, ran to Changsun Wuji, and stabbed Changsun Wuji in the neck with a short knife in his hand.

This assassin's speed was so fast that Pei Xingjian had never seen such a speed before. Even he didn't have time to rush to Changsun Wuji's side to rescue him, let alone others.

Changsun Wuji saw the dagger coming at him, but he did not move and looked at the assassin calmly.

Suddenly, there were a few "swish" sounds, and two long ropes flew out from the darkness and wrapped around the assassin's legs.

The assassin stopped three feet away from Changsun Wuji. Without hesitation, he threw the dagger in his hand at Changsun Wuji.

The knife was halfway to its destination when it was grabbed by a hand. That hand was Pei Xingjian's hand. He was holding it so tightly that blood was seeping from his palm.

When Pei Xingjian turned around, he saw that the assassin had been tied up with four ropes on his limbs and was hanging in the air.

The other end of the rope was tied to four men wearing black cloaks and tiger-head masks.

They seemed to appear out of nowhere, and no one knew where they had been hiding before.

Suddenly, a figure flashed by, and Changsun Wuji walked up to the assassin, stretched out a hand, and pinched his jaw to prevent him from taking poison and committing suicide by hiding the antidote in his mouth.

Only then did Chang Sun Chong arrive with his guards and asked anxiously, "Father, are you okay?"

Changsun Wuji said calmly, "What could be the matter?"

Chang Sun Chong angrily said, "That witch Wu must have sent someone to assassinate you." He turned to look at Pei Xingjian and said coldly, "County Magistrate Pei, you've come at a great time."

It is obvious that he suspected that Pei Xingjian was also involved in this matter.

Changsun Wuji glanced at him and said, "If it weren't for Pei Shouyue just now, I would have been dead. Don't make random guesses."

Chang Sun Chong was stunned for a moment and bowed to Pei Xingjian to express his apology.

Changsun Wuji saw that the assassin did not have any poison in his mouth, so he loosened his grip and asked him, "Why did you try to kill me?"

The assassin laughed loudly, looking up to the sky. "Changsun Wuji has usurped power and framed the good. If our ancestors are still here, they will surely destroy his clan!"

Zhang Sun Wuji's face changed drastically, and he said anxiously, "Shut his mouth!"

Two guards quickly stepped forward and tied a rope around his mouth.

Chang Sun Chong said bitterly, "Father, don't be angry. You can bring them to the court tomorrow and confront Wu in front of the sage."

Changsun Wuji waved his hand and said, "Take him away and lock him up. You all should leave. Shouyue, come in with me."

Chang Sun Chong was very confused and didn't understand why his father didn't pursue the matter. However, Pei Xingjian knew very well that the assassin came to avenge King Wu Li Ke.

When Fang Yiai rebelled, Changsun Wuji also implicated Prince Wu Li Ke.

When Li Ke was executed, he looked up to the sky and shouted the words that the assassin had said. Pei Xingjian was present at the execution ground at the time and had a deep memory of it.

After entering the study, Changsun Wuji had returned to normal, standing in front of a row of bookshelves with his back to Pei Xingjian.

"Shou Yue, if you have anything to say, you can tell me now."

"General, please take a look at this." Pei Xingjian took out an official document from his sleeve and handed it to Changsun Wuji.

Changsun Wuji took it and took a look, frowning slightly.

"Why are you showing this to me?"

Pei Xingjian said in a deep voice, "There are already signs of food shortages in Chang'an. I hope the Grand Commandant can report this to His Majesty so that timely action can be taken to avert a disaster."

Changsun Wuji stared at him and said, "I am currently planning something very important. How can I have the time to care about such trivial matters?"

Pei Xingjian said anxiously, "Chang'an's food shortage is no small matter."

Zhang Sun Wuji said coldly, "Your Majesty has been bewitched by the Evil Queen. The court is in turmoil, and the empire is in turmoil. I'm afraid the Tang Dynasty will be in jeopardy. Which is more important, you say?"

Pei Xingjian said, "I have met Empress Wu. Although she may not be very magnanimous, she is a reasonable person. She would not..."

Zhang Sun Wuji shouted angrily, "You bastard! How dare you defend that vixen in front of me? Come on, kick him out!"

(End of this chapter)