Chapter 104: A Mother's Embrace (Part Two)

“Sister Hui, how many more days until we reach the Eastern Capital?” Di Hao asked. The question made them feel awkward. It had once been so pleasant—Sister Xue, Sister Liu.

But that was uncertain.

Xiang Xue and Hua Liu were merely their stage names, lacking deeper meaning. It was Di Renjie who had chosen those names with profound significance. Yet, having known each other for so long and grown accustomed to these names, suddenly changing how they addressed one another felt inconvenient. They thought about this, but deep down they understood that if they wanted a new future, they had to sever ties completely with the past—including their names.

“About three or four more days,” Hui replied.

They were also hastening toward Luoyang, summoned by Di Renjie’s letter. Since Di Renjie had taken office there, it would be a long time before he could return to Bingzhou. Keeping these two enchanting women at his residence made him uneasy; Bingzhou was the birthplace of the Li Tang royal family, full of high-ranking officials. Di Renjie needed to be cautious. If they were recognized, trouble would surely follow.

“Sister Hui, I’m very grateful to you.”

“What are you thanking me for?”

“If not for your help, how could I have met the Crown Prince and Father Yi?”

That was true. But Di Hao deliberately overlooked one thing: if not for Helan Minzhi’s coercion and the fate of Gui Yan, which gave them the courage to seek aid at the Eastern Palace, this beautiful story would never have come to pass.

Di Hui’s mind was clear as she said, “The road ahead is still long.”

Even with Father Yi’s assistance, even though the Crown Prince now favored him greatly, even though he had been promoted, they must not forget their origins. Changing a name alone would not erase their history.

That remark darkened Di Hao’s expression.

Di Hui comforted her, “Don’t worry, have faith in yourself. The Crown Prince has never despised us.”

Indeed, they were both gifted in beauty and talent, and the Crown Prince treated them well. Still, Li Wei was a slow and gentle personality. If he were an ordinary man, it might be inconsequential, but as a noble, such a temperament could cause some women to misunderstand him—Di Hui and Xu Li included.

The wheels of the carriage clattered softly as Di Renjie’s trusted driver guided them along. The two women seldom appeared in public, as Di Renjie had repeatedly instructed.

The Crown Prince was unaware of this, but the Empress had met with the young lady from the Pei family, and the matter was essentially settled. It was precisely because of their public appearances that trouble had arisen. There was no other way; becoming his daughters was the only path. Unlike Yang Min, no matter how much effort was made, they could not enter the Eastern Palace.

The carriage pressed southward, gradually approaching Luoyang.

The two beautiful young women sat inside, occasionally looking toward the south with a mixture of anticipation and unease.

…

Upon reaching the Dingding Gate and entering Dingding Street—known among the people of Luoyang as the Golden Street or Heavenly Gate Street, leading to Tianjin Bridge and Duan Gate, which was literally the Heavenly Gate—

Someone suddenly called out, “The Crown Prince and the Princess have returned!”

With just that one announcement, everyone paused their tasks and lined the streets to watch, murmuring:

“The benevolent Crown Prince, a blessing for the nation.”

“The little princess is also good; she has done much good at Shaolin Temple and Guangchengze.”

“Indeed, a blessing for the country. After all, they are children of the imperial family, quite different from us common folk.”

…

It caused a greater stir than their last arrival in Luoyang.

---

Li Wei shook his head. A blessing for the nation? It was indeed fortunate. Bringing his sister along meant praise for both of them, which would not trouble their father. But the younger sister’s actions had even stirred Luoyang? That was something else, for Shaolin Temple and Guangchengze weren’t far from Luoyang. Many merchants and townsfolk traveled between them. Due to the distance, the story had been somewhat distorted, though generally in a positive way.

In truth, it was all because of the bamboo paper.

Bamboo paper had already attracted attention, though common folk did not fully understand it. Once explained, everyone realized that with bamboo paper, the cost of paper could drop by five to ten times, making it affordable for most scholars.

After some enthusiastic promotion by interested parties, the news spread far and wide. Poor bamboo paper, just as production was about to begin, caused paper prices to plummet dramatically from Chang’an to Luoyang. Paper shops dared not stockpile inventory. The more this happened, the more commoners believed costs would drop tenfold.

Now ordinary families were thinking: if prices really fell that much, their children could afford to write and copy books...

Cultural refinement was something to aspire to in this era.

The price was sure to drop, though a tenfold reduction was unlikely—production still cost money. However, if Li Wei could advance the idea of movable type printing ahead of time, combined with cheap bamboo paper, books could indeed become affordable immediately. At least he wouldn’t follow Bi Sheng’s method of wooden, clay, or lead movable type; a mature copper type was required for mass printing.

The problem was that Li Wei didn’t have much knowledge stored within him—little history, no magic fingers, scant military knowledge, no factory experience to produce advanced machinery, not even improvements in porcelain. He only had a little skill that, in this era, was still useful. Yet he didn’t know how to express it.

He closed his eyes, pretending not to hear. After all, Heavenly Gate Street was only about seven li long; soon they would reach Tianjin Bridge.

It was a matter of conscience.

Hearing the commoners praise him, he reflected and felt somewhat guilty for not having done much for them.

“Stop!” Li Lingyue called out.

The little princess gave the order, and Xue Ne immediately commanded the carriage to halt.

“Sister, what do you want to do?”

“Brother, look,” Li Lingyue pointed to the roadside where a middle-aged woman stood with four children. The eldest was about ten, the youngest still in her arms. Their family seemed poor; the children wore tattered clothes and looked pale and malnourished. The woman’s garments were also patched in many places.

Li Lingyue had already jumped down, and Li Wei had to follow.

Passersby bowed low, saying, “Greetings, Crown Prince, Princess.”

Li Wei tried to wave them off weakly, “Please stand.”

His eyes stayed on his sister, who approached the woman and looked at the children. The kids, unfamiliar with her, hid behind their mother, afraid to meet her gaze.

Li Lingyue turned back, “Brother, they’re so pitiful.”

She reached out her hand.

Li Wei had no choice but to order some money to be given to the woman. Li Lingyue ran back to the carriage, rummaged in a trunk, and found several clothes she had worn, giving them to the woman.

“Please accept these,” she said.

“Princess, your humble subjects dare not,” the woman replied.

“Just take them,” Li Lingyue insisted.

Tears welled in the woman’s eyes.

This act drew even more praise. Li Wei patted Li Lingyue’s head. His little sister’s fame was growing—good. Would their father also come to respect her? Though he suspected the woman might not let the children wear the clothes due to superstition, he kept silent.

Li Lingyue listened to the praise, pride shining in her eyes. She glanced around and then, amazed, said, “Brother, the cherries are already red.”

---

In ancient times, greenery was highly valued. Along Luoyang’s main streets, many trees were planted. Heavenly Gate Street had the most, including elms, willows, pomegranates, and cherries. At this time, Luoyang’s pomegranates—especially those from White Horse Temple—were considered the most delicious in the country.

The pomegranates were still unripe, but the cherries were beginning to mature, their bright red hues sparkling among verdant leaves, quite tempting. However, only a few remained, with most picked by mischievous children. The rest hung high on the branches.

A burly man volunteered, “Princess, would you like to try some fresh cherries? I’ll pick some for you.”

“Yes, yes!” she clapped happily.

The man tightened his belt and nimbly climbed the tree, picking several large clusters of cherries, which he handed to Li Lingyue.

“Thank you,” Li Wei said.

The man beamed at the Crown Prince’s thanks, shyly replying, “It is my honor to pick cherries for the Princess.”

Li Lingyue looked at the children nearby, left a cluster of cherries in her hand, and gave the rest to them.

“Here, have some.”

No more showing off. If she kept it up, the commoners would soon praise her to the skies. Li Wei took her hand and said, “It’s getting late; we must return to the palace.”

Still, he was pleased. After all, this little sister was very attached to him. Whether or not her actions held real meaning, they were better than having an arrogant princess. Boarding the carriage, Li Lingyue looked at Shangguan Wan’er proudly, hands on hips, clearly saying, “So what if you can write poetry?” B’er watched these two younger girls and laughed; sometimes they were quite amusing.

They arrived at Tianjin Bridge.

Just after crossing, a eunuch met them and said, “Your Highness, His Majesty has commanded that you bring the Princess and Assistant Magistrate Di to the palace immediately.”

Li Wei was not surprised. The Golden Eunuch gave the other eunuch a questioning look. The eunuch whispered, “With the arrival of bamboo paper, the Emperor and Empress are very pleased. Hearing of your return to the Eastern Capital today, they have arranged a grand banquet at the palace—not only for the Crown Prince but also for all the court officials.”

Alas, as long as they were happy.

Turning toward the palace, many ministers had already arrived, seated in order of rank inside the main hall. Li Zhi sat in the center; since it was not a state affair, the curtain was not drawn. His mother, Empress Wu Zetian, sat beside him. Upon seeing them, Wu Zetian waved and said, “Hong’er, Yue’er, come here.”

They stepped forward to pay respects and shared a tender moment with their mother. Wu Zetian looked at Li Wei and said, “Hong’er, you’ve grown taller again.”

At this age, there wasn’t much more to grow, but with regular exercise, his body had become a bit stronger. Still, his ribs remained prominent, and he felt a bit melancholy when he saw his thin frame after bathing.

Wu Zetian continued, “Time flies; in the blink of an eye, you’ve even outgrown me. You deserve much credit for this bamboo paper.”

But standing on the steps, Wu Zetian was still taller than him, for Li Wei only reached her chest. Pleased, he said, “I know little of bamboo paper, but as long as my parents are healthy, I am satisfied.”

Wu Zetian was “moved,” embracing him and stroking his hair. “Hong’er, I heard of your prayers at Shaolin Temple. Your father and I are both comforted.”

Mother and son shared a natural, affectionate moment, and Li Wei once more enjoyed the warmth of her embrace.

Yet many ministers frowned. Li Zhi’s illness lingered, and among the court, some supported Wu Zetian, others favored the Crown Prince. Hao Junchen was strictly a Crown Prince faction member. But seeing such close affection between mother and son made many ministers uneasy about where their loyalties should lie. Di Renjie and Wei Yuanzhong exchanged glances and frowned quietly. This Empress was formidable; even a simple act of affection could cause many dissatisfied ministers to lose heart…