Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 183 Good News and Princess Taiping's Awakening

Liu Jianjun's trip took more than half an hour.

Just when Li Xian was still a little worried even with the maid accompanying him, Liu Jianjun finally returned.

Accompanying him was Shangguan Wan'er, who was holding his arm intimately.

Seeing Liu Jianjun's calm expression and then looking at Shangguan Wan'er's affectionate face, Li Xian instantly understood what had happened.

Dog men and women!
I left myself here worrying, while those two went off to have sex on the side!
The soundproofing in this room was so good that Li Xian had no idea what was happening!
Seeing Li Xian's annoyed expression, Liu Jianjun chuckled and said, "Well... Wan'er's secret base is pretty good, isn't it?"

"That's quite impressive. I didn't hear a sound." Li Xian said with a forced smile, but he claimed that he had already explained everything.

Liu Jianjun was still all smiles.

But Shangguan Wan'er blushed when she heard the word "movement".

Seeing this, Liu Jianjun coughed twice, trying to change the subject, and sat down with Shangguan Wan'er in his arms: "Cough cough, my dear, let's get down to business, business is important! It's not easy for Wan'er to come out here on her own, not to mention she brought good news."

Although Li Xian knew Liu Jianjun was trying to change the subject, he still glared at him irritably before reluctantly sitting down.

"What good news?"

"Didn't I say before that it was a bit strange that your mother hadn't summoned you for so long?" Liu Jianjun continued, "Now you know why it was strange. The winds in the palace... have shifted!"

"Oh?" Li Xian perked up.

This time, it was Shangguan Wan'er who explained: "His Majesty the Emperor is indeed extremely angry about the rebellion of the imperial clan. He has been very vigilant against the Li Tang imperial clan recently, which has affected a wide range of people. But precisely because of this, Your Highness's safe return to the capital by imperial decree, without any unusual behavior along the way, has instead made His Majesty... have some different opinions."

She paused briefly, observing Li Xian's expression, before continuing, "The other day, while serving His Majesty with writing materials, I overheard him discussing the aftermath of this rebellion with his attendants. He sighed softly, 'Of all my sons, only Xian'er has remained uninvolved this time, which has saved me some worry.'"

Upon hearing this, Li Xian's heart skipped a beat, and he could hardly believe his ears.

Mother... how could she say such a thing?

In his memory, his mother was always a majestic and unfathomable figure. She was like that when he was young, and she was even more suspicious after he became the crown prince. Now, she actually said that it "saves him some trouble".

Liu Jianjun also stopped joking and sighed, "Tsk, this is a bad thing turned into a good thing. Because the other members of the imperial clan are making a fuss, it makes our virtuous son seem well-behaved and a breath of fresh air."

Shangguan Wan'er nodded and cautiously added, "Although it was just a remark and may not represent complete trust, it at least shows that Your Highness's return to the capital this time, by a twist of fate, allowed His Majesty to see your... stability."

"This contrasts with the rumors circulating in the court that were detrimental to Your Highness. Your Majesty, with your discerning mind, must have noticed them."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jianjun suddenly interjected, "She's a saint my foot, but the meaning is pretty much the same."

Li Xian could tell that he was dissatisfied with Shangguan Wan'er's praise of Empress Wu in her words, so he explained on Shangguan Wan'er's behalf: "Miss Shangguan has been lying in wait by the Empress's side for a long time, and speaking like this has become a habit. Please don't take it to heart."

Shangguan Wan'er glanced at Li Xian gratefully, nodded slightly, and continued to say to Li Xian, "Your Highness is wise. It is precisely because His Majesty has this view that this summons arrangement, which seems to be a delay, may actually have a deeper meaning."

"How so?" Liu Jianjun pressed, his little hand reaching up to Shangguan Wan'er's palm and scratching it, earning him a glare from Shangguan Wan'er.

It seems this is a unique way for the young couple to apologize.

Once Liu Jianjun had calmed down, Shangguan Wan'er continued, "Tomorrow His Majesty will receive auspicious offerings at the Guanlan Hall of Shangyang Palace. The ceremony will be grand, and all officials and members of the imperial family will be present. It will also be the first day of the new Imperial Academy Chancellor's term."

She paused, then gave Li Xian a meaningful look: "According to custom, the first day of the new Chancellor of the Imperial Academy should be spent lecturing on the Five Classics of Confucianism. But His Majesty said that he would no longer lecture on the Confucian classics, but instead changed the verdict on the three auspicious omens case. Bring out the three auspicious omens and explain what these auspicious omens mean."

absurd.

This was the first thought that came to Li Xian's mind.

But then Liu Jianjun said, "Tsk tsk, this old woman, she really has one trick after another."

"This approach is brilliant. By using official means to theoretically interpret auspicious omens, the significance of these omens is suddenly made profound. Without a doubt, the government will issue a major guiding principle to guide everyone in interpreting auspicious omens. Of course, this interpretation will inevitably benefit that old woman's ascension to the throne."

Li Xian nodded knowingly, then asked, "Then... what is the meaning of the Empress Dowager summoning me to an audience tomorrow?"

"What else could it mean? You, the eldest son of Emperor Gaozong, one of the few remaining princes of the Li Tang imperial family, your participation in this debate on auspicious omens only further confirms the official statement, doesn't it?"

Liu Jianjun rolled his eyes and said, "Who knows, we might even see Danzi this time!"

Shangguan Wan'er nodded and said, "That's right, His Majesty the Divine Emperor also invited His Majesty this time."

The "Your Majesty" she referred to was naturally the current nominal emperor, Li Dan. "Almost all members of the royal family will be present at tomorrow's ceremony to show their respect for the 'auspicious omen' and to demonstrate their support for His Majesty the Divine Emperor's decree."

Li Xian frowned slightly; this was indeed a large-scale operation.

But he was more concerned about something else.

"Wan'er, you've been in the palace for so long, do you know who the Empress Dowager sent to investigate this rebellion by the imperial clan, and just how far the rebellion is going?"

This was a question that had been on his mind all the way to Luoyang, after all, he was also a member of the Li Tang imperial family and had many connections with other members of the imperial family.

Upon hearing this question, Shangguan Wan'er's relaxed expression faded somewhat.

She sighed softly and said in a low voice, "What Your Highness is worried about is precisely the most sensitive matter in the palace right now."

"In fact, Empress Wu originally intended to make good use of the Li Zhen and his son's rebellion case to bring all the members of the Li Tang imperial family into the case."

"Initially, the person in charge of handling the case of the royal family's rebellion was the censor Su Xiang, but unexpectedly, Su Xiang was an inflexible person. He actually said that he could not find any evidence that other royal princes were involved with Li Zhen and his son."

"Therefore, Empress Wu said, 'You are a man of great learning, and I have other duties for you. You are not needed in this case.' She replaced him with Zhou Xing..."

Before Shangguan Wan'er could finish speaking, Li Xian exclaimed, "Zhou Xing?"

"Does Your Highness know him?" Shangguan Wan'er asked curiously.

"It's okay, go on."

Li Xian pictured Zhou Xing's fierce face and inexplicably began to worry about the members of the Li Tang imperial family.

although,

The case of Li Zhen and his son's rebellion has been settled, implicating the vast majority of the Li Tang imperial family.

Shangguan Wan'er paused, lowered her voice even further, and said with a hint of reluctance, "This Zhou Xing... is ruthless and cruel. He fabricated charges and implicated many distant relatives of the imperial family, as well as officials who had only a slight connection with the imperial family. They were all imprisoned and tortured."

"After Zhou Xing's interrogation, the case of the Li Tang imperial family's rebellion was quickly resolved. The Prince of Yue and his son were defeated and killed in August or September. Subsequently, key figures of the imperial family, including the Prince of Han, Li Yuanjia, and his son, the father of the informant Li Ai, the Prince of Lu, Li Lingkui, and the passionate Princess Chang Le, were all forced to commit suicide."

"Among them...even Prince Consort Xue Shao was implicated."

"Xue Shao?" Li Xian's heart tightened when he heard this name.

Xue Shao is the son of Princess Chengyang and the husband of Princess Taiping, the most beloved daughter of the Empress Dowager. How did he get involved?

“Taiping, she…” Li Xian asked instinctively.

Shangguan Wan'er nodded, her eyes showing sympathy: "Princess Taiping has been in a very bad mood lately and has entered the palace many times to plead with His Majesty the Emperor, but... the effect has been minimal."

"His Majesty the Emperor has taken an extremely firm stance on this matter, stating that treason is a heinous crime and will not be tolerated. The Princess is constantly in tears in the palace and has lost a lot of weight."

"In the entire case of the royal family's rebellion, only the informant Li Ai was promoted, but not long after, he was also executed on other charges."

Li Xian fell silent for a moment.

Although these things have already happened, hearing rumors and hearing the inside story from Shangguan Wan'er are completely different experiences.

Li Xian, in particular, thought of Taiping. "Then... what about Xue Shao now?"

"Although Princess Taiping was showered with affection, Empress Wu's attitude was even more resolute. She only slightly accommodating Taiping's feelings and did not behead Xue Shao. Instead, she had him flogged a hundred times and left him to starve to death in prison, preserving his body intact..."

Li Xian fell silent again.

My own sister has become a widow.

But just then, something suddenly occurred to him. Like a drowning man grasping at a straw, he looked at Liu Jianjun and asked, "Liu Jianjun, I remember you said that your life before Taiping was smooth sailing, but suddenly, you encountered an insurmountable setback..."

Before Li Xian could finish speaking, Liu Jianjun sighed and nodded, confirming Li Xian's uneasy guess: "Yes, he's turned to the dark side."

When Liu Jianjun uttered this word, Li Xian felt a chilling sense of destiny.

He knew what Liu Jianjun meant by "turning to the dark side," which is why he couldn't imagine that his once innocent and pampered younger sister, Taiping, would go down such a path.

"No...we can't let her do this." Li Xian shouted almost instinctively, his voice filled with urgency.

He looked at Liu Jianjun, his eyes full of pleading, "Liu Jianjun, you have a way, don't you? You can always come up with some strange but effective methods to help Taiping. She... she can't become like that."

For some reason, Li Xian noticed a rare hint of hesitation on Liu Jianjun's face this time.

In the past, when Li Xian asked Liu Jianjun for help, Liu Jianjun would at most show a troubled expression, the kind of trouble that came from the difficulty of the matter itself. But this time, he showed hesitation and doubt.

It seems... there's something to be hesitant about?
Li Xian didn't speak, but continued to look earnestly at Liu Jianjun.

At this moment, Shangguan Wan'er spoke up. She gently took Liu Jianjun's hand and said in a tender tone, "Liu Lang, if there is really a way to help Her Highness the Princess, perhaps... we can give it a try? I... I am like a sister to her, and I really can't bear to see her crying all day long."

Liu Jianjun remained silent for even longer this time, his eyes flickering as if he were weighing a very dangerous idea.

Finally, he raised his head and looked at Shangguan Wan'er, his tone carrying a sense of desperation: "Conventional comfort and guidance are useless in her current situation. If we're going to use drastic measures, we have to use extreme methods."

"Extreme?" Li Xian felt a strange unease.

"Correct."

Liu Jianjun leaned forward and lowered his voice: "Taiping's greatest pain right now, besides her feelings for Xue Shao, is a deeper sense of powerlessness."

"She discovered that even a princess as noble as herself was like a floating duckweed in the face of real power and her mother's will, unable to control her own destiny, and unable to even protect her husband. This despair was the breeding ground for her 'darkening'."

"So what we need to do is not simply comfort her, but find a way to inject her with a new kind of strength."

Liu Jianjun continued, his tone gradually taking on a seductive quality: "Wan'er, you are well-versed in historical classics and have a deep understanding of how to survive in the palace. Could you... find a way to subtly instill some... um... special ideas in Princess Taiping?"

"Special?" This time it was Shangguan Wan'er's turn to be puzzled.

"How should I put it... For example, women can also stand tall and be upright. A woman's value is not limited to being a wife and mother. Women can also have the wisdom and courage to influence the state of affairs... or even, to put it more dramatically."

Shangguan Wan'er looked bewildered, clearly not quite understanding what Liu Jianjun meant.

Liu Jianjun slapped his thigh: "Hey, let me put it this way!"

"Tell Taiping to stop crying and whining about Xue Shao all day long! Think about her grandfather, wasn't he also controlled by her mother when he passed away? Her brothers and uncles are all useless and have even dragged their families down with them!"
"What do you call this? So ordinary, yet thinking they can achieve great things, and what's the result? What a shrimp!"

Li Xian was stunned, and Shangguan Wan'er covered her mouth, the words were too shocking for her.

Liu Jianjun got more and more excited as he spoke: "Let her think about why her mother was able to hold power? It's because she didn't believe in men's ways! The idea that the husband is the head of the household is all bullshit! Princess Taiping is a princess, a golden branch and jade leaf, why should she be implicated in the sins of men? She should stand up for herself!"

"Stand up...?" Shangguan Wan'er repeated subconsciously.

"That's right!" Liu Jianjun slapped his thigh. "We need to stand up for ourselves! Tell her that tears are the most useless thing in the world, only power and means are real!"
"Let her learn from her mother, no, she has to be even more ruthless than her mother! All those members of the imperial family and cruel officials are a bunch of useless trash! Princess Taiping is the real celestial being, living on dew, why should she bother with those mortals? Just get up... oh no, get up!"

Li Xian frowned as he listened and couldn't help but interrupt, "Liu Jianjun... what kind of twisted logic is this? Taiping is already upset, and if you teach her these treasonous words, won't you just be adding fuel to the fire?"

"Nonsense? Xianzi, wake up!"

Liu Jianjun turned his head and looked sharply at Li Xian: "Look at your mother, which sage's principles does she follow? Yet she now holds absolute power!"
"What Taiping lacks right now is this ruthlessness! I'm not harming her, I'm teaching her how to survive in this cannibalistic palace! I'm letting her understand that it's better to become the one wielding the knife than to rely on men's charity and pity!"

At this point, Liu Jianjun paused, his tone somewhat rhetorical: "Besides, do you think that if we don't teach her these things, your mother won't teach her?"

"What's the meaning?"

"What do you mean?" Liu Jianjun looked at Li Xian meaningfully and asked, "Is Taiping favored by your mother?"

"Mm." Li Xian nodded subconsciously.

"Taiping and Xue Shao have a good relationship, right?"

"Hmm." Li Xian nodded subconsciously again.

"So now, has your mother become Taiping's enemy for killing her husband? Taiping has just lost her husband and hasn't sorted out this relationship yet. Your mother hasn't realized this problem either, but your mother is so smart. Sooner or later, she will realize it. What will she do?"

"How do I do it?" Li Xian asked, puzzled.

"Arrange a new consort for Taiping. What's that saying again? The best way to make someone forget a past relationship is to start a new one. That's the point!"

"But simply arranging a new consort for Taiping is not enough. Your mother will also coax her gently, making Taiping subconsciously ignore her hatred for her. Taiping is currently upset and hasn't sorted out her emotions for a while, so she can easily be swayed by your mother and become grateful to her!"

"Don't forget, Taiping knows about our plans. If she turns against us and sides with your mother, it will be a catastrophe for us!"
"Don't look at me like that, it's probably true!"

Li Xian stared at Liu Jianjun in disbelief. Hearing what he said, he looked away and asked suspiciously, "Then... what does this have to do with us persuading Taiping?"

"By doing this in front of your mother first, we can make Taiping the one who is grateful to us!"

At this point, Liu Jianjun looked at Shangguan Wan'er and added, "So, while you're advising Taiping, don't forget to instill in her the concept that her enemy is Empress Wu. As for how to do it, you're a smart person, so I won't teach you the specifics."

Shangguan Wan'er nodded, but a hint of reluctance appeared on her face: "Wouldn't this... be too cruel to Taiping?"

Li Xian also felt a little guilty.

Liu Jianjun was once again confronted with a stark reality.

The choice between letting Princess Taiping grow stronger through greater suffering and watching her gradually "turn evil" and even turn against her mother was not difficult for Li Xian, but when he really had to make up his mind, he still felt a lot of heartache for Princess Taiping.

“It’s cruel, but there’s no other way. Let’s just leave it at that. This is the only way I can think of to help Taiping.” Liu Jianjun spread his hands, gesturing for the two men to make a choice.

Li Xian and Shangguan Wan'er exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.

One was Taiping's close confidante, and the other was Taiping's closest brother; neither of them wanted to make this decision.

After a long while, just as Li Xian was about to give in, Shangguan Wan'er suddenly stood up: "I'm going back to the palace!"

Liu Jianjun was taken aback and asked, "Have you made a decision?"

Shangguan Wan'er ignored him, only letting out a heavy snort: "You're really something!"

Then he walked out of the room.

Li Xian froze on the spot when he saw Liu Jianjun, his eyes widening in surprise.

After the door slammed shut, Liu Jianjun chased after Shangguan Wan'er's departing figure, shouting, "Hey! You can't do that!"

……

(End of this chapter)