Chapter 95
The news that the Crown Prince had found briefly dispersed the dark clouds hanging over the court.
The officials of the Eastern Palace reported that Li Wenjian's face had been injured in the collapse of the Hejiang Mansion, but his life was not in danger. However, his facial injuries required time to heal, and he would not be seeing court officials for the time being.
Although there were still doubts among the people, the memorials sent into the Eastern Palace daily were all personally corrected and sent back by him, and no matter how they looked at it, the handwriting matched Li Wenjian's perfectly.
Gradually, they began to let go of their suspicions, believing that he was truly just ill.
Several peaceful days passed.
Until one day, a rumor spread, claiming that there were still Yulin Guards searching for someone in secret near the Hejiang Riverside. As the rumors grew louder, some even said that the Crown Prince had not been found at all, and the daily endorsements from the Eastern Palace were written by the officials in the Crown Prince's handwriting.
Various forces were stirred by the rumors, some feeling anxious, some eagerly waiting for a spectacle, and some fearing for the stability of the realm, all coming up with various excuses to seek an audience. However, Zhao Heng ordered them all to be kept outside the court.
At first, things seemed to calm down, but after more than ten days, the officials of the Eastern Palace manipulated the news to spread rapidly, leading to a public condemnation of the Crown Prince's faction led by Liu Yi, and they erupted in heated arguments in the court. Liu Yi, enraged, fainted on the spot, just after leaving the court.
With Liu Yi bedridden, the people were convinced of his guilt, believing that the Crown Prince was not currently in the Eastern Palace.
Jiang He and others were former officials of the previous dynasty, adept at adapting to the changing winds of the court after years of experience. Wang Zhao had recently secretly met with him, asking him to act as an insider in the court, colluding with him to support a minor prince from the previous dynasty to ascend the throne.
At that time, with Li Wenjian alive and well, the Eastern Palace's foundation was rock-solid, and he naturally had no foolish thoughts of betraying the Li family. But now, with the rumors of Li Wenjian's death circulating widely, he had to reconsider the situation.
Before making a decision, it was crucial to confirm whether the Crown Prince had truly returned. So, he instigated the court officials, inciting them to visit the Eastern Palace under the guise of calling on Li Wenjian.
However, the Eastern Palace was tightly guarded by the Yulin Guards, like an impenetrable fortress, making it impossible for even a mosquito to come out unscathed.
As a result, the crowd outside the Eastern Palace grew, boldly demanding to see Li Wenjian, their words sharp and aggressive.
Rebuking, Jian Ning and Physician Zheng visited the palace front repeatedly, explaining that Li Wenjian's facial injuries were severe, and he could not meet with anyone for the time being.
But they persisted, questioning Jian Ning, as the Emperor and Empress were far away in Qingzhou, about whether they were harboring the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace, hiding him from view for rebelling?
Jian Ning, being a military man, was not skilled in words, and was so enraged that he couldn't speak.
The wind rustled, the spring rain fell steadily, hitting the window panes.
In the empty room, Zhao Heng sat up straight, stopped writing, and her hands shook with nerves as she heard the commotion outside, feeling as if she were being dragged into an suffocating atmosphere.
"Master, it's not good. General Jiang has drawn his sword," Lian Zhou rushed in, the half-opened door letting in a chilly breeze that made the candle on the desk flicker.
After a brief moment of silence, Zhao Heng stood up, her hands on the desk, saying, "I will go out and have a look."
Outside, Jiang He and the officials, led by Grand Secretary Wang Bi, were in a confrontation. Wang Bi, feeling self-important, pushed and shoved Jiang He. As they headed towards the Eastern Palace, the guards at the gate shouted and drove them away.
Wang Bi's face was disgraced, and a scuffle broke out between them.
Just as the situation heated up, a graceful figure holding an umbrella emerged from the rain, stepping out of the Eastern Palace gate and walking towards the crowd.
She had a graceful figure, her shoulders light and elegant, her hair as dark as clouds. Despite carrying six months of pregnancy, she couldn't hide her captivating charm. Her skin was as radiant as pearls, glowing with a luster.
Everyone knew Zhao Heng, a laundry maid who had somehow enchanted the Crown Prince and was now carrying the only bloodline of the Crown Prince.
But a palace maid was still a palace maid, even if she rose to become the Emperor's favored concubine, she could not change her humble origins.
Zhao Heng's eyes darkened, suppressing the turmoil in her gaze as she watched the tumultuous crowd. Her hands trembled beneath her cloak, hidden from view.
The scene was absurd. These people, usually adorned with elegance and authority, now resembled commoners in the streets.
Finally, she spoke, commanding, "Stop."
Her voice was not loud, yet it resonated clearly with everyone present. But no one paid attention to her; they continued to brawl.
Mu Gui, seeing the chaos, was filled with anguish and fury. He drew his sword with a resounding clash against the scabbard, shocking everyone, "Are you all deaf?"
With this statement, a bystander sneered from behind, "The Emperor and Empress are in Qingzhou, the Crown Prince has not spoken. We don't know whose commands to follow."
Mu Gui widened his eyes in disbelief, "How dare you?!"
Zhao Heng raised her hand, silencing him, a cold smile devoid of warmth at her lips, "The Crown Prince has ordered the Grand Secretary to come and see him."
The scuffle ceased, and Wang Bi finally separated from Jiang He. Wang Bi pushed Jiang He away, disdainfully huffed, and reorganized his disheveled hair, preparing to walk inside.
Zhao Heng commanded, "Jian Ning, close the gates."
Wang Bi turned back in astonishment, "What is the meaning of this, Liangyuan?"
Zhaoheng smiled gently at him, "The Crown Prince has been injured and cannot meet with people. It is difficult for Grand Secretary Wang, who shows sincerity, to enter and visit. Therefore, stay in the Eastern Palace with him, play chess, chat, and pass the time."
"Are you threatening me?" Wang Bi's chest rose and fell, pointing a finger at Zhao Heng.
In the next moment, with a clang, a cold blade flashed, and a Yulin Guard's sword was now in Zhao Heng's hand. The blade pointed directly at Wang Bi, inches away from his neck.
After the chilling blade, Zhao Heng's eyes sparkled with determination, her voice icy, "I am the Crown Prince's consort, the mother of the heir. Today, I act for the Crown Prince and pass on the message. You accuse me of threatening you, perhaps trying to throw me into the fire, bearing an unwarranted reputation."
Every time they met, she would sit gently beside the Crown Prince, always displaying a gentle demeanor. So much so that everyone assumed she was always gentle and mild, never expecting her to have such a fierce side.
Zhao Heng pressed the blade against Wang Bi's neck, a fierce glint in her eyes, the heavy sword in her hand surprisingly stable. If she pressed the blade just a bit more, she could easily cut his throat.
And he had no doubt that if he took one more step forward, she wouldn't hesitate to close the gates and kill him.
Zhao Heng sheathed the sword, handing it back to the Yulin Guard. She turned to the crowd below the steps, asking, "Does anyone else want to go inside and accompany the Crown Prince? I will go in now to consult with him."
Seeing the blood stains on the blade, most of the people's faces turned pale, and they dared not say anything further.
"If no one seeks an audience, let's disperse from here," Zhao Heng said coldly, turning around with an umbrella.
The rain fell heavier, the curtains of rain glowed white. Zhao Heng felt a sense of exhaustion, but she forced herself to walk steadily, maintaining her composure and not showing any weakness.
After returning to her room, An Xuzhi soon returned. Zhao Heng casually discussed the progress of affairs with him as if nothing had happened.
It had been over half a month since Li Wenjian disappeared, and countless searches along the Hejiang Riverside had yielded no results. The longer time dragged on, the more hopeless the chances of finding him became...
Zhao Heng didn't want to hear about it. As long as she hadn't seen his corpse, there was still hope he was alive. As long as he was alive, she couldn't allow herself to sink into despair and grief.
If even she couldn't believe he was alive, then he truly would be gone.
Suppressing the overwhelming wave of grief, Zhao Heng sat at His Highness' desk like nothing had happened, listening to His Highness' officials' opinions, penning rapidly beneath the towering stack of memorials.
Seeing her work tirelessly at her desk day and night, Liu Yi, out of concern, advised her, "Lady Liangyuan, take a rest."
"Lord Liu, I know what I'm doing," Zhao Heng looked up at him with a faint smile.
Liu Yi sighed deeply, "You're still pregnant..."
"Lord Liu, I can't stop," Zhao Heng covered her face with her hands, turned away, not wanting him to see the streaks of tears on her face, "If I stop, I won't be able to control the thought that the Crown Prince has been missing for over half a month, his fate unknown, his whereabouts unclear."
Looking at Zhao Heng, Liu Yi's eyes also shimmered with tears.
During these days, Zhao Heng had persevered in handling paperwork and dealing with people calmly, even as they whispered behind her back. Some said she was cold-hearted, shedding no tears even when the fate of the Crown Prince was unknown.
Others even suspected her intentions, fearing she might be controlling them in the Eastern Palace with an unborn heir, hinting at the crimes of Empress Wu.
But she was a woman who carried the unborn child of a husband with a missing status.
How could she not feel heartbroken?
After crying for a while, feeling embarrassed, Zhao Heng forcefully held back her tears, turned her face away, with a voice still slightly trembling from crying, "I apologize if I've caused you any concern, Lord Liu."
Liu Yi felt a strong sense of bitterness in his heart, comforting her, "It will be alright when the Second Prince returns."
Zhao Heng, feeling a bit uneasy after her emotional outburst, nodded in agreement, "I hope so."
Li Yicheng had not yet returned when Wang Bi unexpectedly arrived with the old scholar Chu Shi.
Chu Shi was over eighty years old and had once served as the tutor to the Crown Prince, Li Wenjian. Now, he was so frail that he could barely stand.
Wang Bi had personally traveled to the countryside in Jingji to inform Chu Shi of Li Wenjian's illness. The old man was so distraught that he nearly fainted on the spot.
Wang Bi's intentions were wicked indeed. In order to force the false Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace to reveal himself, he had even carried the old Grand Tutor in a palanquin into the imperial city to visit Li Wenjian.
Chu Shi stood anxiously at the foot of the white jade steps of the Eastern Palace, wiping away his tears. He said that he had heard of Li Wenjian's injuries and illness, and he was unsure of his current condition. He requested an audience with Li Wenjian.
Zhao Heng stood at the entrance to the vermilion gate. Seeing Wang Bi's smug expression, she clenched her fists involuntarily, her hands hidden in her sleeves. She could intimidate Wang Bi, but she dared not intimidate Chu Shi.
Her heart sank as she realized the maliciousness of Wang Bi's intentions. She took a deep breath and was about to speak when Mu Gui came running up to her and whispered in her ear, "The Crown Prince has returned."
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TNote:
Empress Wu Zetian (624-705 CE) ascended to power during the Tang dynasty, becoming the only female emperor in Chinese history.
It serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked power and the corrosive effects of suspicion and fear.