Chapter 46 I Think You Should Just Be the Crown Prince Instead

It is said that only after a person is deprived of freedom can they truly understand themselves.

No matter how many years pass, Wu An would always remember the scene of this day. He did not like his present self, but there were always those who recognized his existence.

Human beings are not animals; they do not look at someone for the very first time and instantly regard them as a mother figure.

Yet, across the thousands of li between Hexi and Chang'an, the only person these soldiers of Hexi origin found genuinely warm and kindred during their long journey was the black-armored young man before them, who shared their exact background.

Within the dozen paces it took to turn and walk out after leaving the Heavenly Empress, Wu An warned Shangguan Wan'er three times in succession: without his command, not a single coin was to be distributed.

Naturally, he had his reasons.

Back then, when the main force of the Tang army was trapped at Chengfeng Ridge and their grain was nearly exhausted, the subordinate general Heichizhangzhi led over five hundred daredevil soldiers from the camp on a night raid against the enemy camp. After a night of bloody combat, they broke through the encirclement.

The successful night raid ripped a massive opening in the entire Tibetan siege network, allowing Tang army units from all directions to break out, ultimately buying Li Jingxuan the opportunity to leisurely lead the main force back to the Shanzhou area to regroup.

The main army suffered heavy casualties, but it was not completely annihilated. Many survived, avoiding a repeat of the disastrous defeat at Dafichuan a few years prior.

More than half of the five hundred soldiers who followed Heichizhangzhi that night were killed or wounded, including all of Wu An’s direct subordinates.

Therefore, no matter who it was, as long as they were among those five hundred, the entire eighteen-strong army of the Tang owed them a debt of life.

Furthermore, the grave crime Wu An committed in the army stemmed fundamentally from Li Jingxuan unlawfully withholding military pay in the first place; Wu An had merely been driven to desperation, seeking justice for his men.

As a fellow military man, Wu An preferred to gamble on whether these Hexi soldiers were willing to repay this debt of loyalty, rather than immediately trying to buy them off with money.

Money was certainly important, too.

However, by paving the way with human sentiment first and following up with ample pay, people would feel that their loyalty had true meaning.

Loyalty to... Wu An.

"All of you, like me, were summoned to Chang'an from Hexi, utterly friendless... Within a hundred li of the capital, there is not an inch of ground for us to stand upon."

Wu An’s left hand pressed against the hilt of the blade at his waist, his right hand clenched into a fist, which he thrust fiercely toward the crowd before him.

"But you all know that under my command, I will never let you be wronged. As long as you follow me and do your jobs well, your treatment will never be anything less than the best!"

The next moment, his voice grew even higher and sharper.

"Your pay in Chang'an this month will be calculated at three times the standard military rate, and it will be distributed today!"

The crowd fell into a profound silence. No one stepped forward to lead the thanks, but every single armored soldier began to bow in silent salute.

One hundred armored and blade-wielding Hexi soldiers—what kind of waves could they possibly stir within these imperial palaces?

Why, they were separated from the Heavenly Empress and the Son of Heaven by merely a few palace gates.

Wu An suppressed the urge to look back. He noticed soldiers wearing a distinct style of armor stationed at the entrances on both sides of the courtyard. Unlike the weathered armor of the Hexi troops, the gear of the latter was noticeably more formidable and pristine, devoid of the sand-blasted wear carried by his men.

Those were the Yulin Guards.

Even clad only in half-armor, their armor and equipment were visibly superior to those of the Hexi army.

Yet, an army that had actually fought battles and seen blood belonged to a completely different tier compared to the so-called "elite central forces" raised in the court.

Heh, a bunch of pampered chickens... Wu An withdrew his gaze.

Inside the hall, the Heavenly Empress had quietly approached the doorway at some point. Watching that solitary black figure standing before a hundred men in iron armor, her brows slowly furrowed.

"Come."

A young eunuch immediately hurried to her side, lowering his head to listen.

"Issue an imperial decree: command the Southern衙 yamen to step forward and confiscate the armor of all soldiers in the Thousand-Rider Camp, order the camp to surrender half of their crossbows, and then issue one hundred horizontal sabers and shields to them from the Southern Yamen's armory."

The young eunuch bowed respectfully and turned to leave.

......

"They hold tightly to what they have and refuse to give it, then toss out a few scraps of leftovers to fool people?"

As soon as Prince Han, Li Yuanjia, sat down behind his desk, he complained impatiently:

"In past years, as the New Year approached, there was always a double salary and holiday gifts. But this year, the court claims the Left Treasury is in deficit, and all provisions and grain for the imperial clan have been halved. What kind of nonsense is this?"

It seemed his resentment over the matter was deep indeed, prompting him to vent to Wu An the moment they met.

Wu An silently noted this information and probed, "The imperial clan is the foundation of the state. How could the court treat you poorly?"

"Hmph, what foundation of the state? Not to mention the things that have happened this year..."

Prince Han, Li Yuanjia, said coldly:

"They say the Shangyang Palace is nearing completion, and when the time comes, the Emperor and Empress will tour the Eastern Capital. I fear many members of the imperial clan will be left behind in Chang'an once again, facing a famine over the New Year."

"The imperial clan of the Great Tang... can experience famine?"

"Ever since your good aunt ascended to power, she constantly babbles about 'opening sources of revenue and cutting expenditure' to save the court money. She wouldn't dare touch those ministers who command thousands of mu of land at every turn, so she takes her knife to us honest members of the imperial clan who are just trying to live our lives."

Prince Han, Li Yuanjia, sneered sarcastically:

"She has always been this way, heh... I hear she even issued an order today confiscating all the armor of the Thousand-Rider Camp. Is that true?"

Oh, so he had been waiting here to mock me.

"With the armor gone, our steps can be all the lighter."

"Armor and crossbows are all gone, leaving only those few hundred blades. Let's see what great deeds you can accomplish."

The old man took a sip of tea, his tone finally softening slightly.

"There is a secret letter from the Eastern Palace."

Wu An inexplicably had the feeling of an underground rendezvous; the other's tone sounded more like "news has come from home."

His expression grew more solemn as he looked at Prince Han, Li Yuanjia, signaling him to continue.

"According to the intelligence, the imperial procession will set out for the Eastern Capital before the first month of next year."

The Eastern Capital referred to Luoyang.

Having said this, Li Yuanjia closed his mouth, his eyes signaling Wu An to ponder deeply.

Riddlers, get out of Chang'an... Wu An thought silently. Connecting this with their earlier conversation, he suddenly asked, "If the imperial procession goes to the Eastern Capital, does that mean the entire court will follow?"

"Not necessarily entirely. There must always be someone left behind to guard this place."

Certain systems of the Tang dynasty bore considerable similarity to the "Two Capitals" of the Ming dynasty, but the early Tang was markedly more casual. The emperors frequently visited the Eastern Capital out of considerations for food supply and pleasure-seeking, unlike the Ming dynasty's purpose of establishing the capital at Yanjing to defend against the northern frontier.

Wu An had originally intended to develop his strength quietly within Chang'an for the long haul. Prompted by Li Yuanjia's reminder, he recalled that historically, the political center of the Great Tang for the next several decades would transition to Luoyang.

However, the message transmitted by the Eastern Palace clearly did not mean to let Wu An prepare early to pack up and run.

This was a urging.

With more than half of the court following the Son of Heaven to Luoyang, the Eastern Palace's situation was practically identical to Wu An's. Although the Crown Prince possessed a minor power base in Luoyang, it certainly lacked the deep-rooted foundation he enjoyed in Chang'an.

He was merely afraid of causing trouble, not stupid.

"Before the New Year, we have only a month. Trying to prepare everything in time is extremely difficult." Wu An shook his head slightly.

"I know, and you alone must bear all the risks."

Li Yuanjia leaned forward slightly, staring straight at Wu An.

"I can make you a guarantee on behalf of the Highness: whether this endeavor succeeds or fails, Li Jingxuan and his entire household will undoubtedly die. Are you satisfied with this guarantee?"

"Such grand ambitions from Your Highness. Li Jingxuan is a prominent figure who commands armies abroad and serves as chancellor at court, yet he can be used to appease a commoner like me?"

Wu An smiled disdainfully, not because he doubted the Crown Prince's ability to achieve it, but simply because...

"Your Highness's words probably cannot be taken at face value, can they?"

"What do you mean?" Li Yuanjia displeasedly retorted, instinctively hating anyone questioning his authority.

"Heh..."

If you truly had the power, would you need to run back and forth between the Eastern Palace and a duke's estate acting as a spokesperson?

Wu An rubbed his brow, glanced at the empty seat beside him, and said calmly:

"I am going to be married."

"If nothing else, when the time comes, please ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to send a wedding gift."

"What do you want?"

Meeting his gaze, Wu An slowly replied: "The Ten Bureaus of the Eastern Palace."

The Prince of Han pondered for a moment and replied tactfully: "No."

"Then find someone who can actually negotiate with me."

Without hesitation, Wu An applied a dose of psychological manipulation: "I had assumed Your Highness held high office and immense power, but to think you wouldn't even dare to listen further. Now I'm starting to doubt whether you people actually have the capability to accomplish anything."

"It's not that..."

Li Yuanjia was angered to the point of wanting to curse, and said coldly:

"Even you should know that the Ten Bureaus of the Eastern Palace are watched by countless eyes. Leaving aside mobilizing thousands of troops, even an abnormal movement of just a dozen men would be immediately reported by the imperial censors the very next day. Any movement startles the snake in the grass."

"What if what I want isn't men?" Wu An asked.

Li Yuanjia froze for a moment, falling into deep thought.

......

"Do you want me, or do you want my intelligence?"

The moment Shangguan Wan'er entered the room, she knelt on the mat, her expression listless and appearing exhausted to the extreme.

Wu An reached out and touched her forehead, finding it burning hot.

"I fell ill these past few days. I thought it was nothing, but it suddenly flared up..."

"You're sick and you still ran over to my place?"

"I felt unwell last night and didn't come to your house. This morning, when the Heavenly Empress didn't receive any reports, she made me kneel in the hall for an hour."

Even though there were warming brazier fires in the hall, she was after all kneeling as a subordinate, not royalty, so it was hardly comfortable.

"Go lie down on my bed for a while. I'll go find a physician for you," Wu An said.

"The imperial physicians already examined me when I came, and they wrote a prescription..."

Shangguan Wan'er rubbed her temples and said:

"Whatever you want to know, you can ask now."

Wu An thought for a moment and asked slowly: "When you fell ill, did the imperial physicians arrive quickly?"

"What do you mean?"

"How long ago did you fall ill?"

"Two or three days ago, I suppose."

"And the imperial physician only came today?"

"Mn."

"You are a female official serving by the Heavenly Empress's side, yet even when you fall ill, you have to wait three days. It seems the imperial physicians in the palace are very busy."

Being an imperial physician was an extremely leisurely official post. Aside from tending to the Emperor, Empress, and palace consorts, they usually either spent their days idly or faced execution if they failed to cure an illness; in any case, they were never truly busy.

"Understood."

Wu An said indifferently, "I'll have someone change the bedding to a clean set. Go lie down on my couch for a bit."

"Wait!"

Shangguan Wan'er's face turned completely red as she awkwardly cried out.

Wu An looked at her delicate face, thinking she must have a fever of at least thirty-eight degrees Celsius.

She was burning up quite badly.

"Why would I sleep on your bed? Don't you have a guest room?"

"If you sleep a while at my place, when you go back, the Heavenly Empress will treat you a bit more courteously."

"How is that possible?"

"Trust me."

With her mind somewhat muddled and dizzy, Shangguan Wan'er glanced at Wu An, her voice hoarse: "You couldn't possibly want to..."

Wu An shook his head.

Shangguan Wan'er's voice changed pitch entirely as she slumped limply over the desk, looking fierce and demanding: "Why wouldn't you?"

"You're sick. I'm afraid you'll pass it to me."

Shangguan Wan'er: "?"

The doctor arrived swiftly, took her pulse, and prescribed a decoction. Wu An summoned the two concubines in the estate, instructing one of them to go brew the medicine.

As for the other...

"Later, help me change the bedding on the couch to a fresh set. It's for sleeping."

"When does milord wish to sleep?" the young matron asked.

"I'll sleep together with her after she finishes her medicine."

Wu An nodded slightly in Shangguan Wan'er's direction.

The young, pretty matron pouted, her eyes reflecting the slender, frail figure of the young female official. Shangguan Wan'er was slumped limply over the table dozing off; a single glance made it clear she wasn't acting shy, but was genuinely terribly ill.

The matron watched for a moment, then suddenly said in a low voice:

"Her Ladyship the Heavenly Empress requires her to return for reports every day; she won't be able to sleep here long. This concubine will go light the stove first, let her drink a few more sips of hot water, and then have her lie down. We can wake her to drink the medicine when it's brewed."

Given her status, she ought not to have spoken these words, but she offered the reminder voluntarily, which effectively exposed their identities.

Wu An gave a soft acknowledgment and didn't answer her directly, instead saying slowly: "Perhaps I simply want to sleep with her, and Her Ladyship the Empress wouldn't object."

The young matron suddenly flashed a sly smile, and then, she seemed unable to suppress her amusement.

"Milord."

"Hmm?"

"A man's expression only looks exactly like that of an unmarried maiden at one particular time."

"What do you mean?" Wu An challenged.

The young matron stopped laughing, though a faint smile still lingered on her face.

"Milord is truly a good person. If Milord hadn't helped that day, this concubine would have had to return to the palace to live that bitter life."

"Did Milord know our identities all along?" she asked after a brief silence.

"Mn."

"How did our identities get exposed?" the young matron asked with some curiosity.

"Only women coming out of the palace can be as pretty as you two and possess such refined grace." During these days, Wu An had grown accustomed to speaking this way.

Though she didn't quite understand the word "grace," the young matron understood what "pretty" meant, especially since it was spoken aloud by the handsome man before her.

Her pretty face flushed slightly, and she instinctively tugged at the collar of her dress, feeling as though she, too, was beginning to run a fever.

"Take good care of her for me."

Wu An prepared to head to the study to read for a while, intending to personally escort Shangguan Wan'er back to the palace once she woke up.

The young matron shook her head slightly, her lips parting: "There are others in the estate watching, you know."

Wu An frowned slightly.

Sighing softly, the young matron took the initiative to loop her arm around Wu An's, acting outwardly affectionate as she pressed her entire body close to his, murmuring softly:

"Acting must be done thoroughly. We can't let anyone see any flaws."

"What are you two doing?"

A low voice came from nearby. Shangguan Wan'er had woken up at some point, resting her chin in her hand as she sat behind the desk, coldly glaring at this pair of scoundrels.

Wu An pushed the young matron away and looked at Shangguan Wan'er.

Without offering any explanation, he said very calmly:

"Sleep together later?"

Shangguan Wan'er froze for a long moment. Running a high fever, even her fair neck began to flush with a faint layer of red.

"Didn't you say you disliked that I'm sick and feared I would pass it to you?" she asked dazedly, feeling as though her brain had turned into a pot of porridge.

"It's fine."

Wu An pointed at the young matron beside him.

"She will come in to take care of you later. The three of us will sleep together. Besides... she isn't sick."

Shangguan Wan'er's eyes widened, and she felt her mind suddenly begin to clear up.

Something felt terribly wrong.