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

Chapter 193: The Cruel Officials' Rampant Rebellion; The Wu Zhou Rebellion Case Overturned; Taiping's Wedding Comes to an End

"What else could it mean? Be close to virtuous ministers and keep away from sycophants. That old woman is pointing fingers at me!"

Liu Jianjun sneered.

Back at the Prince of Pei's residence, Li Xian, as usual, recounted the entire process of his meeting with Empress Wu to Liu Jianjun.

"You?"

"This is the downside you have to bear for throwing mud at me. She wants my playboy side to influence you, but she doesn't want me to bring my lust for power to you, so she just vaguely mentioned it like this."

Liu Jianjun looked completely unconcerned and said, "But compared to the benefits of this matter, this little drawback has little impact."

"income?"

"You need to understand the 'reasons' for doing this from your mother's perspective. Think about it, even an official in the royal palace knows that you, a prince, are preoccupied with clearing your name of the injustice you suffered for treason. What does that mean? It means that you really value what happened back then."

"This is equivalent to reinforcing the stereotype of you in your mother's mind."

"Now that Wu Youji has caused such a stir, your mother is simply going with the flow and thinking of overturning your original treason case to mend the relationship between you and Wu Youji, thus achieving the result we wanted most."

Li Xian suddenly realized.

"Then... wouldn't that be equivalent to handing over the position of crown prince to the emperor..."

Li Xian was too embarrassed to say, "Just deliver it directly to me."

Liu Jianjun replied, "You still need to look at this issue from your mother's perspective. She has just ascended the throne and hasn't even figured out the matter of the crown prince yet. Otherwise, why would she be so fickle whenever someone mentions it?"
"From your mother's perspective, there are many candidates to be crown prince: Wu Chengsi, Wu Sansi, you, Xianzi... even Li Dan would be within her consideration."

"Among these people, your status is actually very small. Not to mention your two nephews, Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi, Xianzi and Danzi, they were at least emperors and had supporters in the court. Especially Danzi, he is now the heir apparent, which is almost the same as the crown prince."

"As for you... you only have the advantage of being the eldest son, so while we think it's very important to clear your name, your mother doesn't really see it as a big deal."

Li Xian suddenly realized.

"So what do we do now?"

"Didn't your mother say, 'Wait patiently, cultivate your character, and be careful with your words and actions'? Just listen to her."

……

Li Xian readily accepted good advice.

A brief silence fell over the Prince of Pei's residence.

But in Luoyang, a storm was brewing.

Empress Wu relied on a group of informers to eliminate the opposition and secure her throne, but this also gave rise to a peculiar group.

People called him a "cruel official".

The most notorious official among them was Zhou Xing, who handled the "Royal Clan Rebellion Case".

Zhou Xingyuan was originally from Chang'an in Yongzhou. He studied law from a young age and eventually became a minor judicial official.

However, the distinction between officials and clerks in the Tang Dynasty was very strict. Clerks had a very low status and were just errand runners in the government offices. It was common for officials to punish clerks. If an official did not punish a clerk, it would be considered a rare act of kindness and would be recorded in the history books.

Therefore, although Zhou Xingming was well-versed in the legal system and was appreciated during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, he was never promoted due to his humble origins and had to endure humiliation in the government office.

Now, because he handled the "Clan Rebellion Case," he became a major contributor to the founding of the Wu Zhou Dynasty. After Empress Wu ascended the throne, Zhou Xing, catering to her preferences, suggested abolishing the imperial clan's official register and stripping them of their status as members of the royal family.

Zhou Xing was skilled in handling cases and understood the will of Heaven, so he was highly appreciated by the Empress Wu. He quickly rose from a lowly judicial officer to a fourth-rank official, serving as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice and the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. His promotion was incredibly fast.

Rapidly expanding power requires a sufficiently broad framework to stabilize it, but Zhou Xing clearly lacked one.

When he handled the "Clan Rebellion Case," many people privately discussed that Zhou Xing had fabricated numerous wrongful convictions. He dismissed these rumors, instead laughing it off and posting two large characters at the entrance of the yamen:

The defendants all claimed innocence when questioned.

After the execution, everyone was speechless.

Secondly, there is Hou Sizhi.

This person's original identity was that of a pancake seller, a small business owner.

This kind of business usually requires working from dawn till dusk, being honest and hardworking, just to barely make a living. But Hou Sizhi was a lazy person who would not get up until late in the morning. Naturally, he couldn't sell the pancakes. In the end, he couldn't continue his business, so he changed careers and went to work as a servant for a general.

Having found a place to stay, this man's mind began to stir. Although illiterate, he was incredibly bold.

At this time, Empress Wu encouraged large-scale denunciations, so upon hearing the news, he immediately went to report the prefect of his prefecture and members of the Li Tang imperial family for plotting a rebellion.

By the time he arrived in Luoyang, the case of the imperial clan's rebellion had already ended, and Emperor Wu was carrying out a large-scale purge of the imperial clan. Therefore, he greatly appreciated his informant and immediately promoted him to the rank of fifth-grade guerrilla general.

This was a minor official position with benefits but no responsibilities; for a servant, it was a meteoric rise.

However, Hou Sizhi was not satisfied. He went to see the Empress Wu and specifically asked to be appointed as a censor in the Censorate.

Even the Empress was surprised this time.

The Censorate was responsible for supervising all officials and was a crucial department. Hou Sizhi was illiterate; how could he possibly handle the job?

So the Empress asked him, "You are illiterate and cannot even read official documents. How can you be an imperial censor?"

Hou Sizhi was naturally prepared. He replied, "Does Your Majesty know of a mythical beast called Xie Zhi? The Xie Zhi's ability is to use its special horn to attack evil people. Can the Xie Zhi read? It can't read, but it can distinguish between good and evil by instinct. I can't read, but does that mean I can't distinguish between good and bad people by instinct?"

What's most baffling is that Empress Wu actually found some truth in what this person said:

"Why do I need ruthless officials? Isn't it because they are not bound by any traditions and can serve me? If a person is knowledgeable, reasonable, and has rich administrative experience, he should not be put to work in the supervisory department. On the contrary, he should become the object of supervision!"

Thus, the illiterate Hou Sizhi rose to the top and became a censor.

There were many other cruel officials like this.

Liu Jianjun said that Empress Wu's criteria for promoting talents were "four no's and three yes's". The "four no's" are no status, no morality, no chance of advancement, and more importantly, no one to rely on in the court and only to acknowledge Empress Wu as their master.

The "three haves" are ambition, courage, and destructive power.

These cruel officials even compiled a book called "The Book of Deception" based on their understanding of the prisoners' psychology and the Empress's thoughts.

Li Xian once took the time to read this book, "The Book of Deception".

The contents of just the first page shocked him.

[If the matter is not significant enough to attract attention, the merit will not be apparent; if the case does not involve many people, the achievement will not be evident. Those who seek peace above and favor below will inevitably suffer injustice, which cannot be avoided.]

The idea is to investigate major cases, as this is the only way to deter others and gain recognition and rewards. As for the possibility of wrongly accusing innocent people by deliberately investigating major cases, that is unavoidable and there is no need to worry about it.

This is already a heretical passage.

The subsequent "six steps of case handling" are even more appalling.

First, identify the target. Once you've determined who is a threat to the emperor, pinpoint them and immediately inform on them.

Second, they attacked him en masse, sending letters of denunciation from all directions. The cruel officials bribed hundreds of scoundrels throughout the country. Whenever they wanted to frame someone, they would instruct these scoundrels to report him at roughly the same time. When the court saw that these people with completely different backgrounds and identities were all denouncing the same person, they would definitely open a case for investigation.

3. Arrest criminals and detain those who have been falsely accused.

Fourth, torture to extract confessions.

This even gave rise to the famous saying: "Man can accept death, but he cannot endure suffering."

As for how cruel the methods of the cruel officials were, Li Xian felt a chill run down his spine just from hearing about a few of the tortures.

For example, the prisoner's waist is first fixed to the stake, and then several people pull hard on the shackles around his neck until the prisoner finally uses the strength of his neck and waist to pull the stake out. This is called "donkey pulling out the stake".

Another custom is to have prisoners hold their cangues above their heads and then stack bricks on top of them; this is called "the immortal offering fruit."

These are some of the named punishments, but there are many unnamed ones as well. For example, pouring vinegar up the nose, putting iron hoops on a prisoner, and then adding wedges into the hoops, and so on...

It's absolutely terrifying.

Fifth, follow the clues to implicate the criminal's relatives and friends, thus convicting more people.

6. Fabricate confessions, compile and edit all confessions to make them consistent with each other without any flaws.

After these six steps, a shocking case of treason was thus completed.

Even if some people refused to confess even at the cost of their lives, the cruel officials would simply hack them to death, fabricate confessions, and close the case anyway.

It was inhumane and horrific.

However, it must be said that because of the existence of these ruthless officials, Empress Wu governed Luoyang like an ironclad fortress. Those who directly opposed or threatened her rule were eliminated, and those who harbored resentment in secret were silenced, which allowed the Wu Zhou dynasty to stabilize in a very short time after its establishment.

The Lijing Gate, where court officials were tried and imprisoned, is now known by the common people as "Lijing Gate," meaning that once you go in, you can never come out alive.

Every morning before going to court, officials would bid farewell to their wives and children, saying that they were leaving now and did not know if they would be able to return that night. If they did not return, this would be the last time they would see each other, and it would be goodbye forever.

The palace maids who were responsible for guiding officials to see the emperor at the palace gates gave these officials a nickname, "Ghost Pu." When they saw an official entering the palace, they would say, "Ghost Pu is here," which meant, "Another one is coming to die."

In this tense atmosphere, Empress Wu sat upright in the Mingtang Hall and began her first reform after ascending the throne: reforming the written language.

Empress Wu issued the first batch of new characters, a total of twelve, all of which were commonly used characters.

The characters for heaven, earth, sun, moon, stars, ruler, minister, year, beginning, year, and illumination were later added, along with characters such as "certificate," "grant," "saint," "country," and "person."

According to Liu Jianjun, these characters are all very meaningful. For example, the character "君" (jun) is composed of the four characters "天下大吉" (tianxia daji), which means that the person who is the monarch is the most auspicious, and all auspicious things revolve around her.

The counterpart to the ruler is the subject, whose character is composed of "一" (one) and "忠" (loyalty), requiring the subject to be wholeheartedly loyal to the ruler.

Liu Jianjun said that all these changes were nonsense, impossible to remember and difficult to write.

But he also said that there is one word that will surely be passed down through the ages, and that is the word "照" (zhào).

Or you could say "曌".

Because Empress Wu also changed her own name to "Wu Zhao", which means the sun and moon in the sky.

From this moment on, the emperor of Wu Zhou had her own name: Wu Zhao.

……

In this atmosphere, the Empress Wu... no, Wu Zetian's promise to Li Xian regarding the investigation into the treason case came to a conclusion.

Not only was the case closed quickly, but the conclusion was also clear and concise: the case of Prince Pei Li Xian's rebellion was purely a case of Zhang Da'an and others, officials of the Eastern Palace, colluding with palace servants to deceive their superiors and frame the prince. The evidence was conclusive and the guilt was clear. As for whether there were any deeper forces behind the scenes, the case file was vague and only mentioned "no evidence found".

At the same time, the case file also highly praised Prince Pei, Li Xian, for remaining steadfast in his duties as a subject and enduring humiliation even after being framed, demonstrating a heart as clear as the sun and moon.

"Hehe," Liu Jianjun chuckled coldly, flipping through the copies of the case file that Li Xian had brought back. "Look how well this case was handled. Those who should have been killed have already been executed, those who should have been punished have already been held accountable, and those who should have been commended, you, Lao Liu, and Lao Wang, are all still alive and well. The whole case is well-organized and without any mess."

"Most importantly, they didn't say anything more than what should be left ambiguous, and they didn't say anything at all that should be said. Those people who can fabricate the 'Rumors' are not only good at creating wrongful convictions, but they are also good at overturning them."

Li Xian smiled indifferently.

Back when he was still in Bazhou, Li Xian valued clearing his name of the treason case more than anything else, but now that the day has actually come, Li Xian's heart is as calm as still water.

Liu Jianjun is right. Whether the treason case was true or false, apart from himself at the time, no one really cared.

Because the person who wronged you knows far better than you how wronged you are.

"That's settled then," Liu Jianjun said lazily, propping his feet up on the table. "Now, it's time to see how your good sister Taiping performs. With Wu Youji gone, your mother, the Empress, has to find her another one."

Li Xian also thought of this, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Taiping's marriage was always on my mind.

But within two days, news began to circulate faintly from within the palace.

It is said that Princess Taiping, dressed in her old Taoist robe, entered the palace to pay homage to His Majesty. What exactly she said is unknown to outsiders. All that is known is that the princess came out with a calm expression. Afterwards, news spread that the princess had requested to return to Taiping Temple to spend her days with the green lamp and pray for the blessings of her mother and the Great Zhou Dynasty.

When the news reached the Prince of Pei's residence, Li Xian was stunned for a long time after hearing the eunuch's report.

Liu Jianjun was cracking sunflower seeds when he heard this and scoffed, "Well, she's figured things out herself. By becoming a nun, she's effectively shut down anyone who might try to take advantage of her."

"High! It's really high!"

He spat out the melon seed shells, crossed his legs, and concluded, "Your sister is a ruthless person."

Li Xian nodded silently, unable to describe the feeling in his heart.

Taiping's marriage ended completely in a way that no one could have predicted.

A few days later, a gatekeeper from the Prince of Pei's residence reported that a man in plain clothes was requesting an audience outside the residence, and that he identified himself as Wu Youji.

Upon hearing this, Li Xian paused in his reading.

He and Liu Jianjun exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of surprise in each other's eyes.

"Let him in." Li Xian put down his book and straightened his robes.

Before long, a man dressed in coarse linen clothes and without any ornaments walked in with his head down, following behind the gatekeeper. He was still tall and straight, but the noble demeanor of the royal family he once had was gone, leaving only a sense of desolation and silence as if his spine had been removed.

Upon entering the hall, Wu Youji stopped and slowly raised his head.

When Li Xian saw his face, he was also shocked.

In just a short time, he became so haggard, with sunken eyes and an unshaven beard. Only his eyes held a stagnant calm, or rather, an emptiness born of utter despair.

He faced Li Xian, lifted his robe, and performed a proper kowtow, his forehead touching the ground, his voice hoarse: "This humble subject, Wu Youji, pays his respects to Your Highness, Prince Pei."

This address of "this humble subject" and this bow made Li Xian's throat tighten. He hurriedly stepped forward to help Wu Youji up and said, "Youji, you... there's no need for this!"

Wu Youji got up as instructed, but still hunched over slightly, lowered his eyes, and avoided meeting Li Xian's gaze.

Li Xian felt a pang of sadness for no reason.

"This humble subject... will be leaving the capital tomorrow to return to my old residence in Chang'an." Wu Youji's voice was soft and even. "Before leaving, I have come to bid farewell to Your Highness."

After he finished speaking, before Li Xian could react, he turned to look at Liu Jianjun, who was looking away.

Li Xian's heart skipped a beat.

Although Liu Jianjun did not appear in Wu Youji's case, the contract in his possession eventually became the contract of the Prince of Pei's prison. Wu Youji could not help but associate it with Liu Jianjun.

"Liu Jianjun." Wu Youji's tone remained calm.

Liu Jianjun felt a little embarrassed. He looked around for a while before finally meeting Wu Youji's eyes and saying, "I'm sorry."

Wu Youji stared at Liu Jianjun for a long time, seemingly lost in thought, before finally asking, "When did you change that contract?"

Liu Jianjun answered honestly, "We haven't known each other for long, it was when we went to Yufeng Tower."

Wu Youji frowned and thought for a while.

Liu Jianjun reminded him: "You ordered two girls from the Western Regions, saying you were curious about why Aisha made me so infatuated."

Wu Youji suddenly realized, and then said bitterly, "So... you've always approached me with an ulterior motive?"

Li Xian's expression shifted slightly.

Wu Youji looked over and said with a wry smile, "Although I am stupid, I am not so ignorant as to still be so clueless. Liu Jianjun is a smart man. How could he really be like a good-for-nothing like me, spending his days indulging in brothels?"

Li Xian thought he was right.

But seeing Wu Youji's bitter smile, he swallowed his words.

"Indeed," Liu Jianjun admitted frankly.

Li Xian noticed that after Liu Jianjun finished speaking, the light in Wu Youji's eyes dimmed instantly. It seemed that Wu Youji had long regarded Liu Jianjun as a true friend, but now that his dream had been shattered, the blow he suffered was unimaginable.

Li Xian wanted to tell Liu Jianjun that there was no need to be so direct.

But then Liu Jianjun suddenly asked, "What are your plans after you go back to Chang'an?"

Wu Youji was also taken aback by Liu Jianjun's sudden question, and instinctively replied, "What other plans could I have? I'm a commoner now, but ultimately..."

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Jianjun interrupted him, saying, "Want to come to my place?"

Wu Youji was taken aback.

Liu Jianjun added, "At the cotton mill, you don't have to do any work, and you'll receive your full salary. When I return to Chang'an, I can visit the brothel three times every ten days."

Wu Youji was taken aback again.

Then the light in his eyes returned, and he asked, "Then... can I not wait for you to return to Chang'an?"

……

(End of this chapter)