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

Chapter 195 The Waters of Luoyang Are Getting More and More Muddy

Liu Jianjun's words proved prophetic.

The following year, perhaps Wu Zetian also felt that things were not going well, so she changed the year to "Ruyi", which became the first year of Ruyi.

Li Xian didn't know why, even though it was Liu Jianjun who said the change of reign title, Liu Jianjun acted very strangely about it, frowning and calculating for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh.

In the new year, Wu Zetian was not in a hurry to deal with the two concubines who had made voodoo dolls.

……

The first day of the first month of the first year of Ruyi.

In the early morning, while Luoyang was still shrouded in the chill of winter and the faint light of the new year, the Wanxiang Divine Palace already presented a completely different scene.

In the huge square in front of the shrine, banners fluttered and the ceremonial guards were solemn.

Officials, military and civil officials, imperial relatives, and envoys from various countries, dressed in formal attire, stood solemnly in order of rank.

The long imperial road leading to the main hall of the shrine was guarded by soldiers in bright armor, and the solemn and almost stagnant atmosphere weighed on everyone's hearts.

Today marks the second year since the establishment of the Wu Zhou dynasty, and Empress Wu will hold a grand ceremony to worship Heaven and ancestors here.

Li Xian stood at the front of the prince's procession, dressed in an elaborate prince's robe, his gaze complex as he looked up at the lofty palace.

The auspicious hour has arrived; bells and chimes resound, and elegant music begins.

Amidst the clear and melodious chanting of the eunuchs, Wu Zetian, the Golden Wheel Holy God Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, dressed in imperial robes and with dignified bearing, slowly emerged and ascended to the summit of the Myriad Manifestations Divine Palace.

The grand ceremony to worship Heaven officially began.

The initial offering was personally presided over by Emperor Wu Zetian.

With steady steps and a solemn expression, she personally offered the most solemn sacrifices before the ancestral tablet of the Heavenly Emperor, and recited the sacrificial text, her voice carrying far and wide.

All of this was in accordance with etiquette, and no one found it surprising.

The emperor's personal sacrifice demonstrated the highest respect for heaven and earth.

However, when the ceremony ended and the master of ceremonies sang "Second Offering," a subtle change occurred in the atmosphere of the entire square.

All eyes were involuntarily drawn to the spot below the imperial steps, where the "crown prince" should have stood.

Two years ago, in the same Wanxiang Divine Palace, at the same sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, the second offering was made by Emperor Li Dan, and the final offering was made by Crown Prince Li Xian. Although Li Dan was already a puppet, he was still nominally the heir apparent of the empire. His participation in the sacrifice represented the unshakable status of the Li Tang bloodline in the imperial rituals.

But now...

The one who stepped forward and respectfully received the sacrificial offerings from the Master of Ceremonies was no longer the Crown Prince Li Dan, but Prince Wei Wu Chengsi!
Today, Wu Chengsi was in high spirits. He suppressed his excitement and pride and tried his best to make his steps appear solemn.

He carried the offerings and walked step by step toward the altar to complete the sub-offering ceremony.

This process clearly and unmistakably proclaimed to everyone that after Emperor Wu Zetian, he, Wu Chengsi, the leading figure of the Wu family, was second only to the emperor in this national-level sacrificial ceremony!

Li Xian felt his breath catch slightly.

He saw that not far away, some former officials of the Tang Dynasty could not suppress the grief and humiliation on their faces, but they quickly lowered their heads to hide it.

After the first offering, the master of ceremonies sang again: "Final offering!"

This time, it was King Wu Sansi of Liang who stepped forward.

His expression was equally solemn, but his eyes and brows could not hide the sense of glory he shared with Wu Chengsi, a sense of sudden rise to power.

He completed the final sacrificial ceremony.

The first offering was made by Wu Zetian; the second offering by Wu Chengsi; and the final offering by Wu Sansi.

A complete sacrificial ceremony completely excluded the Li Tang imperial family.

Throughout the entire process, Crown Prince Li Dan remained in his position like an insignificant bystander, standing quietly with his head bowed and eyes downcast, as if everything around him was irrelevant.

His sons weren't even allowed to approach the central altar.

Li Xian subconsciously looked in Li Dan's direction.

From a distance, he couldn't see Li Dan's expression clearly, only the figure in the imperial prince's robes, which looked particularly thin and lonely in the biting cold wind.

Li Xian felt very uncomfortable.

If Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi can replace Li Dan and stand here today, who can guarantee that in the future they won't turn their swords against other potential threats to the Li family descendants in order to consolidate their power?
Including him, the Prince of Pei, who has already been "exonerated"?

The ceremony continued, with the subsequent rituals being tedious and lengthy, but Li Xian's mind was no longer on the matter. It wasn't until an even louder chorus of "Long live the Emperor!" rang out that Li Xian snapped back to reality and mechanically followed the flow of people back.

He glanced back at Li Dan, who, accompanied by only a few attendants, silently walked in another direction, his back view desolate.

He wanted to ask Li Dan about Wei Tuan'er, but looking at the crowded people, he felt that it was not appropriate for him, given his status, to approach this former emperor.

……

They returned to the Prince of Pei's residence.

"It seems that His Majesty is determined to support the Wu family."

Li Xian dismissed his attendants and looked at Liu Jianjun, who was lounging on the couch with his legs crossed. His first words were these.

Liu Jianjun seemed to have expected this. He yawned and said slowly, "Don't rush. Sending her two nephews up on such a solemn occasion as the sacrifice to heaven and ancestors only shows that she doesn't know who to appoint as crown prince. Wu Chengsi's petition has only temporarily blinded her."

He paused, then said, "That's a good thing too."

Li Xian was taken aback: "How can this be a good thing?"

Liu Jianjun replied, "Originally, the ministers in the court thought that the old woman was just indecisive, so they tolerated her continuing to slowly consider who to make the crown prince. But now that she has pulled this stunt, how can those who were watching still sit still?"

“You mean…” Li Xian seemed to have caught something.

"What I mean is, the fire is about to start."

Liu Jianjun sat up straight, his eyes no longer showing the previous languor. "Wu Chengsi is in the limelight today, but the more proud he is, the more people will dislike him, especially those old ministers who still remember the Tang Dynasty. The three people on this altar today are like throwing a torch on a pile of dry wood."

"be opposed to?"

Liu Jianjun scoffed, "It's more than just opposition. Don't forget, although Li Dan has been sidelined, he is still nominally the 'Crown Prince.' This title is a banner, and as long as this banner hasn't fallen, there will be people who will use it to their advantage."

"And you, now that your injustice has been cleared, and you are also a legitimate son, in the eyes of many people you are more qualified than Li Dan."

"Just you wait and see, it won't be long before the fire starts."

……

Just as Liu Jianjun had predicted.

The struggle for the crown prince position is intensifying.

Wu Chengsi seemed to feel that he had gotten a good deal from the last petition, so he quickly organized another petition, this time with 26,000 people, and once again bestowed upon Wu Zetian the title of "Emperor of the Golden Wheel of the Ancient World".

The reputation is becoming increasingly frightening.

However, it must be said that Wu Chengsi's behavior of pandering to others' preferences was quite effective.

Wu Zetian seemed to be increasingly determined to make him the crown prince.

Therefore, she decided to deal with Li Dan's two concubines.

Just a few days after Wu Chengsi's second petition, according to etiquette, Li Dan's two concubines, Consort Liu and Consort Dou, were to go to Jiayu Palace to pay New Year's respects to Wu Zetian.

Before they left, Li Dan repeatedly warned them: "The situation is serious, so please be very careful."

The two concubines were also very cautious and knelt down in accordance with proper etiquette.

but,
The two concubines disappeared that very day.

It was as if he had vanished into thin air; he simply disappeared from the face of the earth.

Poor Li Dan waited and waited in the Eastern Palace, from morning till night, but the concubine did not return. He waited from night till late at night, but she still did not return. By the next day, Li Dan finally understood that the concubine would not be coming back.

Li Xian was unaware of this at first; by the time he found out, it was already a secret letter sent by Shangguan Wan'er.
On the day of the incident, the Crown Prince strictly ordered everyone in the Eastern Palace, from his subordinates to the young grandsons and princesses, not to mention their mothers, Consorts Liu and Dou, under penalty of severe punishment. His Highness himself, however, regularly paid his respects to His Majesty morning and evening without fail. His speech and demeanor remained as gentle and reserved as ever, as if Consorts Liu and Dou had never existed in the palace.

Li Xian held the secret letter, which bore the imprint of outstretched wings, his throat tightening slightly.

Although he had little contact with his two sisters-in-law, the fact that these two living people, who were also the principal wives of the imperial heirs, had disappeared so silently still made him feel a pang of fear.

He recalled Li Dan's submissive demeanor, and a sense of sorrow, like that of a rabbit mourning the death of a fox, welled up in his heart.

For more than a year, although he had not met Li Dan privately due to Li Dan's status, he was able to see Li Dan at every court assembly or important ceremony.

Every time he met Li Dan, he was almost always meek and submissive, pretending to be deaf and dumb.

Even so, he still met a tragic end with his wives and concubines dying.

For no apparent reason, Li Xian thought of the embroiderer far away in Chang'an. At this moment, he felt only relief and urgency.

If one day, the embroiderer were to be drawn into the struggle for the imperial heir in the same way, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Liu Jianjun..."

Li Xian looked at Liu Jianjun with eager eyes.

He didn't want to sit idly by and wait to die.

The image of the embroiderer's gentle smile flashed through his mind, and the desire to protect her had never been so strong.

Seeing the determination flashing in his eyes, Liu Jianjun slowly sat up straight, his usual laziness completely gone, replaced by a scrutinizing expression.

"What do you want to do?" he asked.

Li Xian shook his head honestly: "I don't know... but we absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait to die! Wu Chengsi is pressing us relentlessly, the Empress Dowager's attitude is ambiguous... and there are also Xiandi, Dandi, and the others..."

His only hope now is Liu Jianjun; he is afraid of going back to those days of constant anxiety.

Liu Jianjun chuckled softly and said, "So you mean I'll be busy again?"

Li Xian was a little embarrassed.

But Liu Jianjun shook his head and continued, "However, now that the water in this pool is almost murky, it's time for us to take the initiative and try to get something."

Li Xian's eyes lit up: "How do we do it?"

"You stay lying down and watch me do it," Liu Jianjun said confidently.

……

Li Xian waited to see what Liu Jianjun would do.

The first thing that reached Li Xian's ears was news about Wei Tuan'er.

Someone accused her of falsely accusing the Imperial Concubine, claiming that the so-called evidence of witchcraft was planted by Wei Tuan'er.

When this news came out, Wu Zetian killed Wei Tuan'er almost without hesitation that very day.

Liu Jianjun said: "The person who reported Wei Tuan'er was Lai Junchen. Do you remember I told you about using someone else to do the dirty work? Wei Tuan'er is obviously Wu Chengsi's man. The most foolish way to deal with someone like Wu Chengsi is to take matters into your own hands. Let Lai Junchen and him fight like dogs. That is the most appropriate way."

"Let's kill that insignificant Wei Tuan'er first, as revenge for Danzi's side."

Although Li Xian didn't know how Liu Jianjun had managed to get Lai Junchen to do things, it was clear that it was nothing more than mutual exploitation.

He asked, "Then... will the Empress Dowager exonerate Dan Di's two concubines?"

"Hmph!" Liu Jianjun sneered, "You think everyone is you? Do you think you can get your mother's exoneration? Do you even know why your mother killed those two concubines?"

Li Xian was puzzled.

"Wei Tuan'er's false accusation is secondary. Your mother, the Empress, herself rose through the ranks in the deep palace. When it comes to things like voodoo dolls, she's practically an ancestor. How could she not see that Wei Tuan'er's accusation was false?"

Liu Jianjun smiled and continued, "It just so happens that Wei Tuan'er's false accusation gave her a reason to take action. Intimidating Danzi and preventing his restoration is one of her current key tasks. Wei Tuan'er and the so-called voodoo doll incident are just pawns in her game."

"Now that Wei Tuan'er has completed her mission, and someone has just reported her, your mother simply killed her."

He paused, looked at Li Xian, and said, "People like this are always insignificant, so killing her is just something we can do on the side. The real meal is yet to come."

Li Xian looked forward to it.

Sure enough, not long after, another piece of news came from the court.

Wang Qingzhi is dead.

Wang Qingzhi was the first person Wu Chengsi instructed to urge Wu Zetian to make Wu Chengsi the crown prince.

He was beaten to death by Li Zhaode, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Academy.

The charge was that a troublesome commoner was discussing the important matter of establishing an heir.

Empress Wu was naturally furious when Wang Qingzhi was beaten to death. She summoned Li Zhaode to the palace and asked him why he had killed Wang Qingzhi.

At this moment, Li Zhaode also spoke up to advise: "Your Majesty, Emperor Gaozong is your husband and the heir is your son. You possess this vast empire, which should be passed on to your descendants as a family legacy for generations to come. How can you pass it on to your nephew?"

"There has never been a case in history where a nephew became emperor and then built a temple to worship his aunt."

"Furthermore, Your Majesty, you have been entrusted with the throne by the Emperor, who has given you his two sons. Yet now you wish to pass the throne to Wu Chengsi. If you do this, the Emperor will not receive any sacrifices and will become a hungry ghost!"

This statement makes a lot of sense, and there are three layers of reasoning behind it.

The first layer is the principle of inheritance.

Throughout history, the order of inheritance has always been from close relatives to distant relatives. Family property should naturally be passed on to one's own son, so how can it be passed on to one's nephew?

The second layer explains the rationale behind sacrificial rites.

Regardless of whether it is Confucianism, Buddhism, or Taoism, all schools of thought place great importance on what happens after death. If a person does not receive sacrifices after death, he will become a wandering ghost. According to the principles of patriarchal rites, people can only offer sacrifices to their paternal elders and their spouses, namely their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Who would offer sacrifices to their aunt?

The third layer is the principle of emotions.

Li Zhaode said that Wu Zetian's empire was entrusted to her by Emperor Gaozong on his deathbed. Even if we take a step back and assume that Wu Chengsi was grateful to Wu Zetian for passing the empire to him and made an exception to offer sacrifices to his aunt Wu Zetian, he would never offer sacrifices to Emperor Gaozong. Wouldn't that make Emperor Gaozong a hungry ghost?
This was done by using the affection between husband and wife to move Wu Zetian.

Although Wu Zetian had started keeping male concubines, her feelings for Emperor Gaozong remained deep.

In the eyes of the upper class, male concubines are probably no different from keeping a cat or dog, harmless, especially since Wu Zetian is now the emperor of the Wu Zhou dynasty.

Therefore, Li Zhaode's words truly moved Wu Zetian, and for a short period of time, she never mentioned making Wu Chengsi the crown prince again.

But this is not the end of the story.

Not long after, Li Zhaode secretly reported to Wu Zetian: "The power of Prince Wei Chengsi is too great."

This was an accusation that Wu Chengsi wielded too much power. At this time, Wu Chengsi was already the prime minister of the court, and being a member of the Wu family, he was practically second only to the emperor, far surpassing Li Xian, the idle and powerless Prince of Pei.

Wu Zetian didn't take this matter to heart.

She replied, "He is my nephew, so I entrust him with my heart and soul."

In Liu Jianjun's words, she has brought nepotism directly to the forefront, no longer bothering to pretend.

Li Xian thought there was no way to resolve this, but Li Zhaode smiled dismissively.

He said, "Throughout history, sons have killed their fathers for power, let alone the relationship between a nephew and his aunt. Look at Wu Chengsi now, he is both the King of Wei and the prime minister, his power is too great. Doesn't Your Majesty worry that one day the country will fall into his hands?"

That statement is incredibly powerful.

Li Xian could see the sinister nature of Li Zhaode's words.

After all, Wu Zetian seized the throne from her son, so how could she not understand the implications?

really.

Wu Chengsi was dismissed from his post as prime minister.

Now, Wu Chengsi has become a leisurely prince, much like Li Xian.

Li Xian was shocked by Liu Jianjun's ruthless methods. He didn't even know when Liu Jianjun had hooked up with Li Zhaode or how he had gotten under his control.

But Liu Jianjun's methods were far from over.

Although Wu Chengsi was dismissed from his post as prime minister and his power was greatly diminished, he had cultivated his influence in the court for many years and still had his cronies. More importantly, his status as "Wu's eldest nephew" remained unchanged, and he was still one of the strongest contenders for the position of crown prince.

As long as he remains in Luoyang and within Wu Zetian's sights, he could make a comeback at any time.

"If you don't kill the snake, you'll suffer the consequences."

Liu Jianjun analyzed to Li Xian, "Wu Chengsi is only lying low for now. We can all guess how much anger he's holding in. Once he calms down, he will definitely launch a fierce counterattack. Li Zhaode has offended him badly this time, and he will definitely try every means to retaliate."

Li Xian asked, puzzled, "Who is he taking revenge on? Would he dare to take revenge on Li Zhaode?"

Li Zhaode was a Fengge Vice Minister, and he had just fallen out with Wu Chengsi. If anything happened to Li Zhaode, even a pig could guess that Wu Chengsi was behind it.

Li Xian felt that Wu Chengsi couldn't possibly be that stupid.

“It definitely wasn’t Li Zhaode!” Liu Jianjun rolled his eyes and asked, “Who do you think is behind all this lately?”

Li Xian was stunned.

Then his expression changed drastically, and he said, "You mean... Brother Dan?"

Liu Jianjun nodded: "So, we need to find a way to contact Danzi and tell him to be on high alert."

……

(End of this chapter)