Chapter Eighty-Two: A Mother and Son Perform; Visiting the Xu Residence

Wu Zetian’s intelligence and her circumstances destined her to an extraordinary life. Yet her beauty was legendary as well. Historical records state that even in her seventies, she remained radiant, her lost teeth replaced by new ones. Now, she was even more stunning; aside from a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, her beauty had hardly faded, and her elevated status lent her a captivating aura.

Though Li Wei was her son in flesh, his soul was not, so it was only natural that he sometimes entertained thoughts not entirely pure.

But such thoughts were ultimately unwise.

Wu Zetian, clearly unaware of this, continued, “I have summoned two medical scholars to examine you.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

The eunuch descended and brought up the two medical scholars.

Wu Zetian continued, “Bring that Wan’er here.”

Li Wei was startled. Was his mother so intolerant? His pulse raced, and a medical scholar softly advised, “Your Highness, please calm yourself.”

Soon, Li Wei’s heart settled. His mother did not trouble Shangguan Wan’er, but conversed with her about poetry and literature, even asking her to recite ‘The Three Capitals.’ When Wan’er finished, Wu Zetian smiled with satisfaction. It was no easy feat; ‘The Three Capitals’ was a lengthy and complex piece, famed for its contribution to the high price of paper in Luoyang. An adult reciting it was understandable, but for a child, even Li Xian, the third son, likely could not accomplish this.

“You may go now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Shangguan Wan’er withdrew respectfully.

The elder medical scholar then spoke, “Your Majesty, the Prince’s chronic illness is showing signs of improvement. His body is somewhat weak, but with proper care, he will recover.”

Wu Zetian said, “Indeed, my son is fortunate. Li Shoucheng, bring more bird’s nest and ginseng from the palace to nourish the Prince.”

The old eunuch left. Meanwhile, Li Wei felt a secret joy—his mother seemed not so harsh after all. Could it be that being a dutiful son meant safety and peace? Wasn’t that contrary to the chronicles?

Of course, it wasn’t so simple.

Li Wei did not know where the problem lay, at least not yet. Gaining control would be difficult. Even men of talent like Di Renjie knew Wu Zetian was extraordinary, but could they have foreseen her becoming Emperor? Li Zhi was not weak, yet Wu Zetian molded him at will. Li Wei aspired to command, but he clearly overestimated himself!

Still, he was moved. If not for his knowledge of history, he might have become another Li Zhi, grateful and devoted to Wu Zetian. Yet, he humbled himself and said, “Your son thanks you, Mother. You should not be so kind to me; it only makes me feel more guilty and uneasy.”

“You are flesh of my flesh. There’s no need for unease. Rise quickly.”

The scene was harmonious and touching.

Wu Zetian continued, “I just spoke with Wan’er. She is an excellent little palace maid, and you showed rare discernment in recognizing her. In these past two months, you have not handled many matters well, but that is nothing—you can learn in time. Yet the ability to judge people is innate, not learned. The people you employ are few: Bie’er is loyal, Wan’er is talented. Among the officials, Wei Yuanzhong is particularly capable and greatly admires Di Renjie. He, too, is a talent. Your discernment compensates for many deficiencies. Very good, very good.”

It was an ordinary statement, but the two ‘very good’...

Wu Zetian finished speaking and departed. Li Wei, however, was lost in thought. What did those ‘very good’ mean?

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For ordinary eunuchs and palace maids, the imperial palace was much like a prison. It was somewhat better than a prison, though; they were allowed some amusements: rope jumping, shuttlecock, tag, swings, cuju, backgammon, hide-and-seek. Entertainment was not just for children; even adults played hide-and-seek. There were less wholesome amusements, like gambling.

In spring, they flew kites.

On an evening in early April, a gentle breeze swept away the heat that had begun drifting northward during the day. It was perfect weather for kite flying.

Beautiful kites soared in the evening wind.

As the kites drifted leisurely across the sky, a chorus of laughter, bright as silver bells, rang out below.

Bie’er watched with longing, and Li Wei encouraged her, “Bie’er, go fly a kite yourself.”

“Your Highness, that would not be proper.”

“What’s improper? Don’t always think of pleasing me. Don’t you know that when you are happy, I am happy?”

“Your Highness, since ancient times, only you as Crown Prince think of us servants,” the elderly eunuch Jin was moved to tears, wiping his eyes repeatedly with his sleeve.

He was being theatrical, but old Jin was loyal enough. Li Wei gestured toward the tall palace wall to the west, saying, “Jin, don’t speak carelessly.”

“Yes,” Jin immediately realized his mistake. “I spoke wrongly.”

He brought a large bundle of kites from the storeroom.

Bie’er bit her lip and asked, “May I really fly one?”

“Yes,” Li Wei encouraged her. This adorable Bie’er spent her days caring for the black and white cats, with hardly any amusement of her own.

Bie’er chose a little swallow kite, which gradually soared into the sky. Shangguan Wan’er tugged at Bie’er’s sleeve, saying, “Sister Bie’er, it’s flying so high! Do Big Black and Little Black fly higher?”

“Big Black and Little Black fly even higher. Not only do they soar, but in autumn, they migrate to Lingnan, Jiaozhou.”

“How remarkable! I wonder how they’re faring in the Western Capital?”

“Wan’er, I miss them too. But with Sister Liu Qun and the others caring for them, they’ll do well.”

When the string reached its end, Bie’er, rarely amused, laughed joyously. After all, she was only a teenager.

But seeing the string, Li Wei suddenly reflected: the kite’s string was in Bie’er’s hand, Bie’er’s string was in his hand, but whose hand held his string?

Bathed in the golden evening glow, he felt lost in thought.

……………………………………………

The group crossed Tianjin Bridge, where Wei Yuanzhong, Yao Yuancong, and Ximen Chong awaited.

……………………………………………

As dusk fell, there was no choice—Wei Yuanzhong now held an official post, which demanded attendance.

Upon meeting, Li Wei said, “Congratulations, Censor Wei.”

That outburst in Wu Cheng Hall had, in the end, brought benefits; Li Zhi soon appointed Wei Yuanzhong as Censor, Corrector of the Secretariat, Direct Official of the Central Secretariat, and Inner Attendant—an instant leap over the dragon gate.

It left Li Wei amused and helpless; his father was not a bad emperor, but towards him…

“Your Highness, for the state we are subjects; for you, we remain as always.” Public is public, private is private. In truth, Corrector of the Secretariat was not superior to a scholar of the Imperial Academy, but paired with Censor and Inner Attendant, the rank was not high, but the real power was considerable. Thus, Wei Yuanzhong made his position clear: the emperor had rewarded him, and as an official, he must fulfill his duties. But in private, he remained loyal to Li Wei.

They had no choice; the four of them bore a mark that could not be erased in this lifetime.

“Minister Wei, you are right.”

He was now a high official, and ‘minister’ was appropriate. Li Wei had considered conferring titles on Yao Yuancong and Ximen Chong, but they were still studying, with no scholarly achievements and still young, so he issued a commendation and kept them as his attendants.

“Your Highness, let us go.”

The group walked south.

The finest street in Luoyang stretched from Tianjin Bridge to Dingding Gate, known to the people as the Golden Avenue. The Xiuyefang was separated from this Golden Avenue by Xiuwenfang, but it was still a prime location, only one street from the Luo River, with the Jingshanfang nearby and the Tongji Canal running alongside—a scenic, convenient place for court attendance.

In such an area, the Xu residence occupied a vast expanse.

Other mansions had two or three small towers and a garden—impressive enough, like the Yang residence, or the Xu residence. But Xu Jingzong’s estate boasted seven or eight towers, linked and towering, blocking out the sun, with many pavilions and a stream drawn from the Tongji Canal. The grounds were lush with trees and dazzling flowers.

“What a grand mansion! It’s even more magnificent than my Eastern Palace!”

Wei Yuanzhong and the others smiled; this was overstated. In height, it did not surpass the palace, and Xu Jingzong knew his limits. The area was less, but compared to ordinary officials, it was extravagant.

The Crown Prince had arrived. From afar, the Xu household opened the central gate.

Li Wei did not enter, but stood at the gate, waiting for Xu Yanbo. His waiting was another test of the heart; at which minister’s residence did he need the host’s consent to visit? Of course, it could be said that Xu Jingzong was his tutor, and this was a mark of respect.

The intent behind Xu Jingzong’s memorial had taught him.

Wei Yuanzhong and the others understood and did not object; as Crown Prince, he needed to learn flexibility. If he were too rigid, with the emperor in his prime, how could he endure this era?

Standing at the gate, Li Wei’s mind raced with countless thoughts—troubling thoughts...