Chapter 44: Talk is cheap, craving the fun yet refusing to play

Wu An had no intelligence channels within the imperial court, and only learned from Di Renjie that over the past few days, the number of memorial documents submitted to the Three Departments, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Justice had multiplied countless times. With the approaching year-end, the workload had surged exponentially.

Meanwhile, within those same few days, three imperial edicts were successively issued from within the palace in the name of the Heavenly Empress.

First, it declared that the recent unceasing unrest in Chang'an was due to the dereliction of duty by the Crown Prince in his regency.

Second, it denounced Hao Chujun, Xue Zhen, and others, stating their crimes were equivalent to treason, while the Crown Prince remained completely oblivious, demonstrating extreme foolishness.

Third, it proclaimed that the health of the reigning Emperor was uneasy, yet the Crown Prince intentionally allowed outside rumors and gossip to be brought into the palace, disturbing the Emperor's tranquility, which constituted... unfilial piety!

In an instant, the court and the country were shaken.

Perhaps this was a certain commonality between ancient and modern workplaces: old slackers muddled along waiting for death, but there would always be someone who, acting like an overconfident fool, thought they could conquer the heavens and the earth.

However, once a genuine earthquake occurred in the ancient officialdom, everyone could bypass the procedures of imprisonment and trial; instead, bringing along all their family members, young and old, they simply needed to march cleanly and neatly to their deaths.

"The Eastern Palace possesses troops and horses. The Ten Elite Guards of the Eastern Palace draw their soldiers from the府兵 system, and among them are a considerable number of sons and secondary sons of various high-ranking ministers."

Li Jingxuan had once been a study companion to the Crown Prince, and his promotions over the subsequent decades had been exceptionally smooth, which showed the importance of such positions.

One either served the Emperor or followed the Crown Prince. The former was secure, but the latter offered a much higher risk-reward ratio.

Although Zhou Xing was only an official of the ninth rank, he had previously served as a county magistrate. Having entered Chang'an to serve as an official over these past years, he possessed a deep understanding of various information within the officialdom. Now, whenever Wu An asked a question, he could almost always provide a detailed answer.

Seeing this young man so eager to seek instruction, Zhou Xing put aside his reservations and began doing his utmost to help him refine his plan.

From the very beginning, Zhou Xing had approached Wu An with the mindset of placing a bet, and Wu An had later provided him with connections—namely, the opportunity to get acquainted with Di Renjie and other officials of the Dali Temple.

Yet, aside from Di Renjie, who remained relatively amiable, in the eyes of everyone else, Zhou Xing was worth less than dirt.

"So, under the most extreme circumstances—meaning, if the Crown Prince intends to mobilize troops—the only forces at his disposal would be the Ten Elite Guards of the Eastern Palace?"

Zhou Xing was momentarily stunned, then immediately shook his head and said:

"From my perspective, whether within the city of Chang'an or in other places, as long as there is a large-scale mobilization of troops—especially in critical areas like the Eastern Palace and the imperial inner palace—the moment troops are moved, others will easily detect it."

These locations were tantamount to the most sensitive areas of the Great Tang; even the slightest touch would provoke the most violent reactions from all factions.

Wu An recalled that in history, there were four Xuanwu Gate Incidents. Although two of them failed, at the very beginning of each attempt, neither the palace nor the court and the country had any opportunity to react and could only respond in haste.

He deduced based on the most extreme hypothesis: if Crown Prince Li Xian truly decided to make a move, what would he do?

From the early Tang Dynasty to its flourishing era, the initial crown princes actually held considerable power. But after all, a crown prince was a son; as long as the aged emperor remained alive, they still operated within the framework of monarchs and subjects.

During the later reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, Crown Prince Li Chongjun led a portion of the imperial guards to storm the imperial palace. Ultimately, Emperor Zhongzong ascended the tower and promised that the soldiers would not be held accountable afterward, whereupon Li Chongjun's subordinates scattered instantly, and some even killed Li Chongjun, presenting his head to the Emperor.

Thinking Wu An was plotting how to frame the Crown Prince, and seeing him remain silent for a long time, Zhou Xing reminded him:

"Actually, what Brother Wu needs to worry about right now is not the completion of the task assigned by the Heavenly Empress and His Majesty."

"Oh?"

"In former times, during the Han Dynasty, Crown Prince Liyi revolted. Emperor Wu of Han first executed those who helped and sheltered the Crown Prince, wiping out the Crown Prince's entire clan; then, regretting his actions, he exterminated the clans of Li Guangli and Liu Qumo, and stripped all those who merited meritorious service in defending against the Crown Prince's rebellion of their rewards, while building the 'Looking-for-Son Terrace' to yearn for the Crown Prince..."

At this point, Zhou Xing mustered his courage and said:

"Older Brother treats me with favor, a fact I am acutely aware of. Since I have allied myself with Older Brother, I naturally ought to plan a retreat for you."

"To say nothing of other matters, simply considering one's afterlife..."

"I understand this."

From the very beginning, Wu An never expected the Emperor or the Heavenly Empress to stand by his side from beginning to end; he already possessed a thorough understanding of the current political landscape of the Great Tang court.

Although the so-called "Guanlong Group" had begun heading downhill very early on, they still occupied a considerable proportion within the court. At the same time, commoner officials and the Shandong gentry were continuously filling the vacancies in the court, causing the power and influence of the former to wane day by day.

However, he could not even be considered a commoner official; the Heavenly Empress was well aware of his background, and to her, he was a chess piece that could be discarded at any time.

Trading the Crown Prince for an unknown nobody—she would likely consider that an extremely profitable deal.

...

"I have always cherished you deeply."

Inside the familiar bedchamber, the Heavenly Empress was dressed in scarlet. Today, she was not reviewing documents; instead, she cradled a cat in her arms, gently stroking it.

That civet cat lay lazily in the crook of her arm, not even glancing at Wu An once as it purred comfortably.

"Yet these past few days, your actions have gone somewhat too far."

She looked at Wu An, lowering her voice as if afraid of startling the cat in her arms, though an intense chill emanated from her tone.

"Who gave you permission to act on your own initiative and set a trap for the Prince of Han?"

"Your nephew merely wished to share worries for my maternal aunt."

"Share worries?"

"Your nephew discovered on several occasions earlier that the Crown Prince's men were secretly obstructing the progress of the investigation. Furthermore, I observed that the Crown Prince's retainers frequently enter and leave the residences of several incumbent prime ministers, highly likely passing on some kind of intelligence.

Additionally, the Ministry of War issued a new batch of armor to the Eastern Palace's troops this year, which has not been registered in the armory over these past few days. Who knows where this batch of armor will ultimately end up?

According to my investigations, such matters emerge endlessly. Regardless of whether it is the Crown Prince or not, the mastermind behind it must be plotting deeply!"

Wu An took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

"Li Yuanguan, the Prince of Han, is an imperial clansman from the era of Emperor Taizong, and has always maintained close ties with other members of the imperial family, holding considerable prestige in the court. But looking at it from another angle: if he is out in the open while the Crown Prince is in the shadows—one hoarding military armor, the other fraternizing with ministers..."

"Wu Zizhen, you are too audacious!"

The Heavenly Empress finally raised her voice.

The petite civet cat in her arms trembled with fright, yet dared not make the slightest disorderly movement, merely shrinking there and shivering.

"You repeatedly claim you are sharing worries for me, but let me ask you: what on earth have you accomplished, and what worries have you shared for me?"

This woman changes her face faster than turning the pages of a book...

"What on earth are you trying to do by doing all this?"

Shangguan Wan'er and several female officials stood to the side, silently watching the scene. Just as she hesitated and was about to speak, Wu An raised his head and replied:

"Because your nephew wishes to repay my maternal aunt."

This counted as a standard answer, yet it was still not enough.

"Your nephew is enamored with the daughter of General of Jinwu Pei Juda, and therefore wishes to win the favor of the Heavenly Empress, so that when the time comes, the Heavenly Empress may help your nephew propose marriage and take her as a wife!"

"Just for a woman?"

"Your nephew also wishes to be an official—a high-ranking official!"

"Hmph..."

The Heavenly Empress tossed the cat in her arms away. The creature landed on the ground, let out a wronged yowl, and was kicked aside by her foot.

"Utterly devoid of ambition," she said coldly.

"Your nephew is a scoundrel; I only care for such things."

"Just for a woman, you dare to put in such great effort, yet you claim it is to curry favor with me. I see your heart has become truly infatuated..."

The Heavenly Empress only scolded him a few times; mindful that others were present, she quickly fell silent.

"What is a mere woman? I shall issue an edict today to act as matchmaker, allowing you to welcome her across the threshold before the year ends."

"Then... what about the Eastern Palace?"

"The Crown Prince's affairs concern the foundation of the state; you must investigate them thoroughly."

"Your nephew will certainly devote himself to my maternal aunt, giving his all until his dying breath!"

The Heavenly Empress waved her hand with an expression of disgust.

"Get out."

...

Night fell.

Li Yuanguan, the Prince of Han, arrived very early. Sitting beside the desk, his expression was solemn.

Wu An looked at him and sighed:

"If I had not adamantly argued against it today, the Heavenly Empress would have already taken action."

Things had actually reached such a pass; no wonder people said the most venomous heart belonged to a woman...

Li Yuanguan was secretly alarmed.

After these past few days, he had come to believe most of what Wu An said. After all, if the Crown Prince fell, he himself would undoubtedly suffer disaster due to the preceding events.

"His Highness says that tomorrow, he wishes to see you."

"Would that be appropriate?"

"At that time, Her Highness Princess Taiping will also be present, and His Highness the Crown Prince will find an opportunity to speak with you privately."

"That will suffice."

Wu An nodded slightly.

The Crown Prince only needed to summon him for a conversation, whereas Wu An had many more matters to consider.

Seeing him remain silent, the Prince of Han, Li Yuanguan, was about to stand up and take his leave when he heard Wu An suddenly say, "Your Highness."

"Hmm?"

"Suppose the Emperor were no longer here, leaving only the Crown Prince and the Heavenly Empress to fight until both are battered and exhausted—tell me, who would be able to step forward and take charge of the overall situation then?"

Wu An said playfully:

"You... don't have any troops under your command, do you?"

Li Yuanguan stood there, his expression momentarily dazed.

Wu An rubbed his fingers and tapped lightly on the table, startling Li Yuanguan out of his reverie.

He saw the young man gesture toward the direction of the door.

"I won't see you out."