Chapter 152: Conclusion of a Major Case, Little Stepmother Huaihao

The handling of Xu Jingzong's case quickly gathered momentum.

It was thanks to Li Wei’s letter that things became manageable; otherwise, it would have been quite difficult. Most officials were simply watching for the emperor’s next move. Yet, even Li Ji could not bring himself to let Xu Jingzong—who had committed such a heinous crime—escape with a mere slap on the wrist. Public indignation was overwhelming. While many emperors might have ignored the public will, Li Ji still factored it into his decisions. In essence, this demonstrated that he was not a bad emperor.

Upon receiving Li Wei's letter, who among them failed to understand that pushing the investigation further would inevitably implicate the Crown Prince? Furthermore, although certain officials sought to seize the opportunity to bring down Wu Zetian, once the Crown Prince had spoken, neither the Emperor, the Empress, nor the Crown Prince could be ignored. What kind of ministers would they be if they disregarded all three? Consequently, they voluntarily backed down. This was precisely why Wu Zetian had arranged for Li Wei to step forward.

Even with a lenient judgment, a considerable number of people were implicated. The associated advisors, assassins, and servants were all executed immediately, without even waiting for the autumn executions. The number of people put to death far exceeded that of Helan Minzhi's major case. Li Wei deduced that executing them immediately was also a measure to silence them permanently. Following that came banishments and demotions, mostly targeting officials close to Xu Jingzong. Many of these officials actually held favorable views of Wu Zetian; though unrelated to the case itself, they were dragged into it simply because of their friendship with Xu Jingzong.

When Wu Zetian heard this inside the imperial palace, she was so furious that several of her teeth ached, yet she had no choice but to consent.

Next came Xu Jingzong's family, including Xu Yanbo, who were all banished to Lingnan. Hao Chujun and others vehemently insisted they be sentenced to death. Putting aside the crime of exterminating nine familial generations, they argued that this case could be judged by the precedent of Shangguan Yi. Shangguan Yi had merely faced a fabricated treason charge, yet both father and son were executed.

With a gloomy expression, Li Ji retorted, "Two major cases in a single year—are we not tormented enough? How does this allow me to perform the Dayu rain-seeking rituals?"

Voices of dissent immediately subsided. This was likely the price paid for Xu Jingzong's suicide.

When all was said and done, Xu Yanbo simply lacked powerful backers who valued him. With Xu Jingzong gone, the imperial court felt instantly purified, and the ministers, feeling much more at ease, ultimately fell silent.

In fact, upon hearing how the case was developing, even Li Wei—who had initially only wanted to secure a graceful exit for his parents—ultimately concluded that the matter required a light sentence for a severe crime. If not halted in time, the case would cease to be a mere legal proceeding and risk degenerating into an intricate political power struggle.

Even Yang Sixuan submitted a memorial stating that since the truth of the case had come to light, and given that the daughter of Yang Sijian had suffered the brunt of Xu Jingzong's slander, the court should grant justice to the Yang family and restore the innocence of Yang Min.

Pei Judao had remained silent throughout, but Pei Yan—another official of the Pei family recently demoted to the post of Palace Diarist—chimed in with advice, suggesting that the Xu Jingzong case should be laid to rest, especially since nearly two hundred officials and scholars had been implicated over the course of the investigation. Inappropriately, he added an extra remark: the Crown Prince was approaching the age of Guan capping, and the Crown Princess needed to be decided upon sooner rather than later. That, he implied, was the matter of utmost importance.

Pei Yan's official rank was not particularly lofty, but his reputation was immense. Not only was he born into a prestigious and influential family, but his father also held an important official position, and in his youth, he had studied at the Hongwen Pavilion. It was not the Imperial Academy, but the Hongwen Pavilion—what kind of youths were even permitted to study there? Only the descendants of meritorious ministers such as Yuchi Jingde, Cheng Zhijie, or Li Ji were admitted. When Xu Jingzong wanted his grandson Xu Yanbo to enter, he even had to pull strings through the Empress's connections. Relying on his distinguished background, Pei Yan could easily have secured an official post, yet possessed of an extraordinary sense of integrity, he insisted on taking the imperial examinations and passed the Mingjing examination before officially entering public service. Many praised him for his solemn reserve and rare moral character.

However, although Pei Yan and Pei Judao both hailed from the Hedong Pei clan, they belonged to different branches. Li Wei found it thoroughly perplexing why a man of such rare integrity was suddenly speaking up on behalf of Pei Judao.

In short, everyone sought to extract some benefit from this case.

Ultimately, Li Wei muttered in frustration, "This is what they call politics!"

The scenery was quite pleasant.

In the distance lay the Luo River. A section of the river embankment had collapsed and remained unrepaired, turning the marshland into flowing water. Further off, a small stream originating from Mount Mang flowed through the swamp and emptied into the Luo River. Consequently, the water lacked any foul odor, instead emitting the fresh scent of river algae. The water was crystalline and clear; standing on the bank, one could see fish swimming beneath the surface.

The reeds were lush and verdant, with birds frequently taking flight from them. Looking further into the distance, numerous boats could be seen navigating the Luo River, their white sails hoisted high and the rhythmic sound of oars echoing across the water...

After spending too much time in the East Palace, one naturally longed to go out and clear one's mind.

The confines of the palace were harsher than a besieged fortress. People on the outside imagined the imperial palace was overflowing with gold, silver, and jade, with even the great pillars of the halls inlaid with gold, and beauties crowding the palace like clouds amidst endless songs and dances. In reality, many who lived confined within the palace yearned deeply for the outside world.

Li Wei's temperament was rather gentle, which made it possible for him to endure life in the East Palace by focusing on exercise and reading. If a hot-headed modern person had transmigrated here, leaving aside the ugliness of politics and backstabbing, the suffocating monotony of palace life alone would have been unbearable.

That did not mean Li Wei enjoyed it, however.

Having just established this imperial estate for experimentation, he seized the excuse to frequently visit the estate to catch a breath of fresh air. From there came a whimsical idea: because alfalfa was to be planted and the hillside lacked water, he could not simply have people carry water manually or rely entirely on the heavens for rain, or the crops would never thrive.

Thus, he proposed a concept: to channel water step by step up to the top of the hillside, much like southern terraced fields, to irrigate the alfalfa. Zhu Jingze was utterly speechless at this, hesitating over whether he should offer remonstrance. This was no longer agriculture; it was beginning to resemble the pursuits of craftsmen.

Zhu Jingze was exceptionally straightforward, yet Li Ji had been immensely pleased, appointing him as the Crown Prince's Palace Supervisor—a role equivalent to an Imperial Censor in the court, charged with the duty of offering admonishments. After all, he was a man sent by the Emperor. Pitifully, Di Renjie and Wei Yuanzhong fought and bled in service, yet remained mere advisors within the heart of the Crown Prince's entourage, holding no official title whatsoever in the East Palace.

Yet Zhu Jingze had guessed correctly this time!

Li Wei openly and boldly invited officials from the Directorate of Agriculture, the Directorate for Palace Buildings, and the Ministry of Works. Was this really farming? Unafraid of anyone submitting memorials against him, he feigned ignorance while discussing how a novel type of waterwheel could lift water step by step to the summit of the hill. Posing as a clueless amateur, he offered step-by-step prompts, exhausting countless brain cells until the ministers finally had an epiphany, giving birth to the multi-axis waterwheel.

How exhausting!

Seeing these officials draw up the blueprints, Li Wei collapsed flat on the ground.

The officials departed in high excitement. Li Wei remained lying down, gazing up at the clouds. August was nearly upon them, and the sky grew vast and high while the clouds turned picturesque. Spring clouds in February were light and low-hanging, whereas autumn clouds in August were pristine, lofty, and ethereal; both were prime times of the year for cloud-gazing.

After losing himself in daydreams for quite a while, noon arrived, and the heat began to creep in. Approaching the reed thicket, the sight of the water tempted him. He stripped off his outer robe and stepped into the water. This time, Zhu Jingze did not stop him. Needless to say, the Crown Prince had previously inspected mud and returned to pore over the *Qimin Yaoshu*. Yet the prince had never engaged in farming before; what insights could he possibly glean from ancient texts? In the end, Zhu Jingze could only conclude that the Crown Prince possessed "heaven-sent talent" beyond ordinary reach.

However, Li Wei suddenly plopped face-down. Elsewhere, the mire was deep; whether it was fertile or not, stepping into it didn't matter much, but it wasn't suitable for swimming. Yet the mud near the reed thicket, anchored by the roots of the reeds, was surprisingly clean. Stepping onto it, he executed several graceful swimming strokes in the water.

This thought had lingered in his mind for a long time, and today he had finally managed to realize it.

Panic struck Zhu Jingze, who felt he must have spoken out of turn earlier. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Quickly, capture His Highness!"

Capture His Highness?

With no guards around to correct his grammatical blunder, several guards shouted "Splash, splash, splash," and leaped directly into the water, genuinely hauling Li Wei back ashore.

Annoyed, Li Wei demanded of Zhu Jingze, "Censor Zhu, within the East Palace, do I engage in cockfighting, cricket-fighting, cuju, or board games?"

"No."

"Then within the East Palace, do I indulge in licentious music that befouls the ears or seek amusement in the company of beauties?"

"No."

"Then in my daily diet, am I immoderate, pursuing utter extravagance, or do I dress in garments of extreme ostentation and luxury?"

"No."

"Then whenever I go out on excursions, do I harass the common people or hunt with unbridled abandon?"

"No."

"Then why, when I simply wish to swim, do you forbid me from doing so?"

"Your Highness, it is not for that reason. Water and fire are merciless; Your Highness possesses a body of ten thousand gold and must not act rashly."

"What merciless water and fire could there be in this tiny marsh? Even the Luo River is nothing to me." Not only the Luo River; he would dare to swim across the Yellow River as well. Perhaps the Yangtze River was somewhat too vast to boast about easily swimming across, or certain sections of the Jinsha River where treacherous undercurrents lurked—those were impossible to navigate no matter how skilled one's swimming was, as a powerful undertow could drag a person straight to the riverbed.

"Your Highness, even if Your Highness possesses exceptional swimming skills, you must not swim. A gentleman does not stand beneath a tottering wall, let alone within boundless waters. For instance, Your Highness, have you forgotten the time in Mount Zhongnan when treacherous ministers sent assassins against you?"

Utterly defeated by Comrade Zhu, Li Wei said helplessly, "I am merely swimming here, what boundless waters are you talking about?"

"Your Highness, it is not that I wish to offer harsh remonstrance, but Your Highness's status is unique! Moreover, when Your Highness ascends the throne in the future, even if your subjects sing and dance in celebration, it is entirely fitting for them to admonish Your Highness to maintain a simple and plain lifestyle."

At this point, even Bier could no longer listen in silence. Displeased, she interjected, "Isn't that unfair to His Highness?"

"Little Jiang, it is not a matter of fairness. His Highness is the Crown Prince and the future sovereign of mankind, and he ought to serve as the exemplar for the entire realm. Of course, if Your Highness wishes to emulate Emperor Yang of Sui, Jie, or Zhou, then pretend I never uttered a word."

What was one to do when confronted with such a minister? Melancholy and crestfallen, Li Wei announced, "Let us return."

Wei Yuanzhong, however, greatly admired Zhu Jingze and whispered in Li Wei's ear, "Faithful words are harsh to the ear, yet beneficial to one's conduct."

Very well, it was not beneficial to his conduct either. They might as well demand that he become a living sage. Even if Confucius were alive today, he surely would not impose demands on himself as strict as those Zhu Jingze placed upon him.

Having had his mood entirely ruined by Zhu Jingze, Li Wei felt thoroughly depressed and, instead of returning directly to the East Palace, wandered over to Di Renjie's residence. He still deeply wished to see Yang Min, but since nothing had been finalized yet, causing a controversy might only prove even more detrimental to her. In the end, he had no choice but to let the matter drop.

After interacting with them several times, Di Hui and Di Hao still provided him with the greatest peace of mind. After all, being in their early twenties, they understood many things and did not demand official titles. When all was said and done, their slightly older age meant he didn't feel the pangs of guilt associated with young maidens. Furthermore, having spent considerable time in such environments, their character was sound, and they had learned how to read expressions—something neither Yang Min nor the three women surnamed Xu could ever hope to master.

Consequently, conversing with Di Hao and Di Hui was a thoroughly comfortable experience.

Not only were Di Hui and Di Hao present, but the palace maid bestowed upon Di Renjie by the emperor was also at the estate. All three came out to welcome him.

They ushered Li Wei into the parlor, where Di Hui and Di Hao poured him tea. After a brief moment, however, Li Wei sensed that the atmosphere was rather strained; Di Hui and Di Hao were uncharacteristically reticent. Gradually, it dawned on him that he had been rather thoughtless: bestowing a palace maid upon Di Renjie was meant to show fairness so that everyone received one each, yet he had completely failed to consider the feelings of the two young women. The palace maid had been given to Di Renjie as a concubine, which made her their "little mother"—a "little mother" even younger than themselves. While such arrangements were normal, the psychological reality inevitably felt rather awkward to the two sisters.