Chapter 120: The Crown Prince Sets Forth, Flanked by Beauties (Part Two)

The teahouse was small, but its atmosphere was elegant; pushing open the windows revealed the Luo River.

With the limitations of land transport, water transport had become exceptionally important. Once Luoyang was designated the capital, the Luo River alone could cause the city to prosper rapidly. Thus, the river was filled with competing sails, a truly spectacular sight. Seeing the ships, Li Wei suddenly had an idea: if things truly became impossible, perhaps he could buy a boat, take a few trusted confidants, and flee the Tang Dynasty. With travel permits already prepared, it might just be feasible…

He was exhausted from the infighting.

While he was lost in these idle thoughts, Yang Min arrived.

She wore a *miluo* (a traditional veil covering the head and face). Since the scare involving her, Di Renjie had been pushing his two adopted daughters toward the life of a nun. Even Xu Li had begun to reflect on her own actions, and Yang Min was no exception. Even the daughters of some noble families in Luoyang had begun to restrain themselves. It seemed the currently liberal social atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty was subtly shifting.

She bowed deeply, already choked with sobs. "I never thought I would have the chance to see Your Highness again."

"Rise," he said. The line "The clothes grow loose, yet I do not regret; for your sake, I grow haggard" didn't entirely apply to him, but in the few months they hadn't met, she had grown noticeably thinner. If she grew any thinner, her elegant charm would vanish, leaving only a skeleton. A sense of pity welled up in his heart.

Yang Min sat down. Li Wei said, "I only just learned from Minister Di that you had come to the Eastern Capital. I had, in fact, written a letter to the Western Capital; it has likely reached your family's estate by now."

"But Your Highness, the Emperor and the Empress have made up their minds this time. Even if you argue for it, you will not succeed. Instead, it will only cause friction between you and their Majesties. Actually, when I arrived in the Eastern Capital, I had already met with the young lady of the Pei family."

"You have met?"

"Yes. The Pei young lady’s magnanimity and demeanor made me feel deeply ashamed. I didn't know before, but now I realize how atrocious my previous actions were. The arrangement made by the Emperor and Empress is, in fact, quite reasonable."

Li Wei had summoned her not just to console her, but because she still had many uses. Hearing her words, he was stunned. What exactly had the youngest daughter of Pei Judao done or said to make Yang Min voluntarily withdraw?

Yang Min added, "But I implore Your Highness, for the sake of our acquaintance, to speak well of my parents before the Emperor and Empress. Please, do not make things difficult for them anymore."

Li Wei was slow-tempered, but that didn't mean he was dull. He asked in alarm, "What are you planning to do?"

"Nothing," Yang Min lied, shaking her head. She took out a small bundle and said, "These are a dozen handkerchiefs I embroidered over the past few months, along with two silk robes I stitched for Your Highness."

He didn't open the robes, but the colors were subdued, matching his usual tastes.

As she spoke, she wept. Although she had harbored thoughts of death, she didn't truly want to die. Li Wei gradually guessed her intent and said sternly, "You are planning something foolish."

"Since their Majesties command us to part, it is the will of Heaven and Earth. I am helpless, and so are you. My previous behavior toward you was truly improper, yet you have always been magnanimous. That alone is a blessing I must have cultivated over eight hundred lifetimes. Since the mountains will not crumble and the rivers will not flow backward, I have no choice but to yield."

Li Wei felt dizzy. He sternly repeated, "If you do not die, your family, as relatives by marriage, may yet remain safe. If you die, it will be seen as defiance against the Imperial House. The Emperor and Empress will lose face, and you think your family will be spared? Their charges will only become more severe."

"I... I..."

"Stop these wild thoughts. I didn't call you here for idle chatter; it was precisely for this matter. It was all very manageable. I had intended to take you into the palace and plead with the Empress. Being the Crown Princess is likely out of the question, but with our joint entreaties, becoming a secondary consort is still possible."

He looked at Yang Min, though he could not see her face clearly through the veil. He felt anxious; if she started reciting vows of undying love or insisting on being the Crown Princess, it would be a difficult labor.

"Would the Emperor and Empress agree?" It was not bad—though he couldn't see her expression, her voice sounded pleasantly surprised. But Li Wei asked again to confirm, "A secondary consort—are you willing?"

"I am willing. As long as I can be by Your Highness's side, even if it is like the young lady Jiang, I would be willing."

Like Jiang Bi'er? Although Bi'er's status was a bit lower, she possessed a grace no other woman could replace. He didn't say this, however, and instead replied, "Originally, this plan was not difficult, and its implementation would have been easy. But an accident occurred."

He then recounted what had happened in the palace that morning.

"Why would he harm me? That Ming Chongyan—I don't even know him."

"It’s not about whether you know him; it’s that he is targeting me."

"What courage does he have to target Your Highness?"

"Why wouldn't he? Since ancient times, how many crown princes and princes have been framed by such villains? As for you, you simply provided them with an opening, which is why they are using you as the catalyst for this upheaval. Have you thought about what would happen to your family if you died and were branded with the stigma of black magic?"

"Your Highness, save me." Yang Min shivered. If that charge were to stick, while it might not lead to the execution of nine generations—since her other relatives were related to the Empress—her immediate family would at least be exiled, or worse, executed.

"You need not be afraid; I am here. Also, do not act on your own, or you will disrupt my plans." Although he said this, his mood was poor. Di Renjie had proposed a plan, but it was a crooked, unorthodox path—not much of a plan at all—yet it seemed the only way to save Yang Min's life. In Di Renjie’s words: "Your Highness, saving the young lady of the Yang family will greatly anger the Emperor and Empress; this is self-destructive."

"Understood," Yang Min nodded heavily.

"Therefore, you must not be hasty. Leave it to me to arrange. Just remember one thing: the world is vast, but you don't need it; you only need this home of mine. Although this home is currently precarious due to the many villains, there will always be a place of refuge for you here. As long as you do not change your heart, even if you are at the ends of the earth, I will find you and bring you back to the warmth of this home."

"Yes," Yang Min suddenly burst into tears again.

Li Wei felt dazed. Why was she crying again after he said that? He added, "Yang Min, stop crying. Follow my lead. I like to see you smile. Like Bi'er—she keeps a smile on her face every day. That is my greatest wish."

"Yes," Yang Min stopped sobbing. "But I cannot smile. Hearing your words makes me very happy, but it just makes me want to cry."

So, they were tears of being moved.

Despite his words, Li Wei thought to himself that this home of his might not be a safe place after all.

"If you can't smile, you aren't allowed to cry either. Come, let's hook pinkies," he said, extending his little finger. Yang Min then said, "Your Highness, I think I'm going to cry again."

"Then you aren't allowed to cry either."

"Your Highness, you are like a towering tree."

A towering tree? Perhaps not, but he did possess a degree of chauvinism. Since he regarded her as his woman, he would not let her suffer any grievances.

Yang Min added, "I feel so ashamed when I think of the past."

"Let's not mention that. I told you before: if you can correct your mistakes, you have already done so, and there is no need to bear the burden of those sins."

Just as he was speaking, Xu Li and the others arrived one after another, including Di Hao, Di Hui, and Pei Yuhe. The five women looked at each other, though they couldn't see anything through their veils.

Li Wei said, "Come to think of it, many unfortunate things began with the Mount Zhongnan case. However, it is because of this case that I have a connection with all of you. I called you here to ask you to do something for me. But before that, let me ask you: which of you wishes to be Empress Dugu?"

Empress Dugu was the wife of Emperor Wen of Sui. She wasn't a bad person, and by all accounts, she was a virtuous empress, but she had one major flaw: she was naturally jealous and would not allow Yang Jian to take a second wife. But Li Wei had gathered these five young women together; it was not just a second wife, but a third, fourth, and fifth. Even the East Palace had two maids with equally bright futures.

Even if they had such thoughts, they dared not voice them.

Di Hui and Di Hao were overjoyed; this was the first time they had heard the Crown Prince state his position. Xu Li’s heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled. Only Pei Yuhe remained calm, though no one knew what she was thinking.

Li Wei added, "Many things have happened over these years, leaving me filled with emotion. Some conflicts I have been forced into, but I do not enjoy them. I hope that in the years to come, my consorts will be united and harmonious, rather than engaging in petty schemes and internal strife like the imperial court. If that happens, no matter who it is, I will not be pleased."

This was mostly wishful thinking. Not to mention the inner palace, even in ordinary households with multiple wives, infighting was inevitable. However, if he led by example and disciplined them well, while small squabbles might be unavoidable, he could at least prevent the kind of life-or-death struggles seen between Empress Wang and Consort Xiao.

But as the "Benevolent Crown Prince," his distaste for such scheming was reasonable. None of the young women thought as deeply as he did.

Li Wei continued, "But I am currently facing a crisis. Someone is using the matter of Young Lady Yang to instigate a witchcraft case to target me."

Although these young women couldn't compare to the likes of Shangguan Wan'er, they were all well-read. Comparatively, Yang Min was perhaps the least talented. Who hadn't heard of the witchcraft cases? They had left Emperor Wu of Han depressed in his later years, followed by the regency of Huo Guang. Of course, under the governance of Emperor Xuan of Han, the Western Han Dynasty recovered its vitality, but those decades of political turmoil, where countless officials and nobles were implicated and executed, had all been triggered by a small, poorly executed scheme—something even a middle-school student of later generations would find contemptible.

Xu Li, with her lively and straightforward personality, couldn't help but ask, "Who has such audacity?"

"Ming Chongyan."

"He is just a minor sycophant; how could he?" Pei Yuhe asked immediately, confused. She had heard of him—he had no backing and no seniority; he had merely been lucky enough to help with the Emperor’s illness. Realizing this, she immediately understood: "This is quite difficult."

This little girl wasn't stupid, Li Wei muttered to himself. He shamelessly said, "Yang Min will be your sister in the future. You are not only helping her, but also helping me. Therefore, I must entrust you with a task."

"What is it? Please, Your Highness, command us," Xu Li replied immediately, though she kept glancing at Di Hui and Di Hao. When had the Crown Prince met these two? She had never heard of them.

"It is like this..." He didn't tell them everything, only a part.

Pei Yuhe said, "Your Highness, this is... it lacks propriety."

"I am only asking you. Whether you accompany me or not, that is your own choice." Li Wei finished speaking and checked the sky. It was growing late, the time for officials to finish their shifts, so he stood up. Pei Yuhe hesitated, finally reacting. She feared the Emperor and Empress; the Crown Prince dared not refuse their marriage arrangements, but if she lost his heart, even if she married him and became the Crown Princess, her future life would not be pleasant... She had no choice but to follow. However, she was terrified: if those two in the palace heard that she had accompanied him, would they change their minds and choose another young lady to be the Crown Princess?