Chapter 1: Dark Waves Surge

  In the twenty-fifth year of Dazhong Wudi, during the yihai year, after the incident in the Ministry of Revenue, the court and the people were silent, calmly waiting for the storm to pass. Emperor Taizong feigned illness and avoided attending court, not emerging from his chambers all day.

  Book of Tang · Emperor Taizong's Annals

  In the second year of Tongtai in Southern Chu, during the cyclical year yihai, Zhe gradually recovered from his illness. At that time, although the court and the countryside were at peace, the matter of usurping the throne was secretly building momentum for its outbreak. As the person in charge of the affairs of the Prince of Yong, Zhe considered endurance to be essential.

  The Book of Southern Chu · Biography of Jiang Suiyun

  Spring light is warm and gentle, the breeze is soft and quiet. In the cold garden, green trees have already formed a canopy. Since the sudden assassination of Shangshu Liang Jian after last year's Ministry of Revenue turmoil, the situation has mysteriously stabilized. Emperor Yong of Li issued an edict, dismissing all officials from the Ministry of Revenue, demoting some and reducing their salaries. After the purge, the new Minister of Revenue is Han De from Sanyuan. He was a long-time official in the ministry but had no imperial examination credentials or background, so he had been unsuccessful for many years. This time, during the investigation, only his accounts were clear, so Emperor Li promoted him exceptionally. Han De is impartial and has only one thing in mind: serving the emperor. Even the crown prince does not dare to underestimate him. Although the crown prince has inserted many people into the ministry, it is no longer as easily controlled as before.

  Last May, the news of a Mo Sect disciple appearing in Xianyang caused a huge stir. In the end, that licentious thief was caught by Fengyi Gate. The person claimed to be dissatisfied with the sect leader being expelled back then and came to the Central Plains to cause trouble. After Fengyi Gate killed him, they personally sent someone to deliver his ashes to Northern Han. Mo Sect's sect leader Jing Wuji was very indifferent, neither making things difficult nor apologizing, and the matter was thus settled.

  Afterwards, the political situation in Dayong suddenly became unprecedentedly calm. The crown prince was just handling government affairs as usual every day, and King Yong, except for not letting go of military power, usually just stayed in the palace to study quietly, neither socializing with court officials nor recruiting talented scholars. The only action he took was to frequently send some failed scholars and poor scholars to Youzhou to take office. Li Yuan allowed Youzhou to select officials on its own, so he did not interfere. These people were not extraordinary talents, so the crown prince's side also did not want to turn against them because of this. Both sides were hiding their strengths and biding their time, so the situation in Dayong appeared unusually peaceful and calm. However, those with discerning eyes knew that this was just the repression before a storm. The crown prince and King Yong had already reached an irreconcilable point.

  Let's not mention the wind and rain outside, but inside the garden, a strange scene is unfolding. In the pavilion, Prince Yong is leisurely watching the chessboard, while Xiao Shunzi sits opposite him, calmly putting down his piece to indicate it's Prince Yong's turn. Meanwhile, outside the pavilion, a young scholar in white robes is on all fours on the lawn, pretending to be a horse, and on his back, a little girl in red clothes is shouting "Giddyup, giddyup, Daddy hurry up!"

  This year's rest has fully recovered me, although I still look weak and thin, but I'm radiant and no longer pale as if I'd collapse at any moment. However, after being a "horse" for a while, I'm already panting, so I had to beg: "Lanlan, Daddy can't take it anymore, you don't want to exhaust Daddy either, who will read Juege's letters to you?"

  Her bright blue eyes rolled around for a while, finally nodded, slid down from me and said in a milky voice: "Daddy, I want to go see Princess."

  I smiled and said: "Not today, in a few days if the princess goes to see the princess, I'll ask her to take you along, okay?"

  Qing Lan pouted and said: "Didn't Princess say that Lan can visit her often?"

  I smiled wryly, this wasn't something we could decide on our own. Ever since the princess had been in seclusion at Wuchan Temple, her marriage to Wei Yi had also been put off. The emperor hadn't cancelled the imperial decree, but he also hadn't forced the princess to go through with the wedding, so it was only Wei Yi who suffered, not daring to take a wife, yet not daring to ask for a grand wedding either. The rumors about me and the princess had spread for several days, but since neither of us appeared in public, under the suppression of Prince Yong, without the crown prince's instigation, the rumors quickly dissipated. After all, no one wanted to force out Princess Chang Le, who didn't participate in palace struggles, and also didn't want to provoke Li Yuan, so these rumors were soon forgotten by everyone.

  Actually, I think Emperor Yong might have also heard some rumors, but since Long Le and I didn't have any private relationship or meet in secret, he couldn't possibly punish me just because Long Le might have feelings for me. So, this past year has been quite smooth sailing for me. However, I often find myself thinking about Princess Long Le, reminiscing about our two brief encounters. Later on, Empress Yong often visited the princess, and Ruo Lan was frequently taken along by the empress. This didn't raise any eyebrows, as everyone knew that Empress Yong treated Ruo Lan like her own child. Who didn't know that Crown Prince Li Jun, stationed in Youzhou, would send an envoy to report to Emperor Yong every month, bringing with him some small toys and a letter? So, Ruo Lan's appearances in the imperial court of Da Yong had become a normal occurrence. Princess Long Le liked Ruo Lan, and everyone thought it was just because she was fond of children due to her own childlessness. Although some people suspected that there might be more to it, no one dared to bring up this "baseless" matter. Moreover, in order to see Ruo Lan, Princess Long Le spent half the year living in the palace. After all, it was a common occurrence for Empress Yong to enter the palace to pay respects to the empress and the noble consorts. If she were to constantly visit the princess at the Wucheng Nunnery, people might start worrying that the princess was getting too close to Emperor Yong. As a result, even Crown Princess Longsun treated Ruo Lan with great affection, sometimes keeping her in the palace for several days. Ruo Lan had also met Emperor Li Yuan of Yong, who was very fond of this lively and mischievous little girl. This way, no one dared to gossip or spread rumors anymore.

  Although I haven't met the princess this year, and I didn't even try to ask if she really has feelings for me, I couldn't help but send my new poems through Empress Yong. She didn't respond, but often gave Ruanlan some jade pendants and protective charms as gifts. According to Empress Yong, the princess's complexion was great this year, not only did she smile frequently, but also in front of Emperor Yong and Noble Consort Changsun, her expression was bright and cheerful. The two thought that since she was like this, there was no need to rush her into marriage, and let her be unhappy. If there was anything that made her unhappy, it would probably be Wei Ying's gentle offensive. Speaking of which, Wei Ying was sincere in his pursuit of the princess, although he was disappointed when she refused him, but every time he sent some small gifts, or rare books, or high-quality brushes and inkstones to win her over. This kind of gentle and persistent pursuit moved Emperor Yong and Noble Consort Changsun, who supported their marriage, even though Princess Changle didn't have any feelings for Wei Ying. Wei Ying was polite and courteous, never forcing the issue, always being respectful and considerate. The princess was also a gentle person, not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings with harsh words, so she could only be cold and distant towards him. However, Emperor Yong and Noble Consort Changsun were both pleased with the idea of Wei Ying and Princess Changle getting married, so Princess Changle couldn't avoid "accidentally" running into Wei Ying from time to time. A few days ago, I thought that since Wei Ying was pursuing her so sincerely, I might as well be a bit cold towards him, if the princess could find a good match, then I could also put my mind at ease. So for over a month, I didn't let Ruanlan enter the palace, but Empress Yong soon told me that during this time, the princess's mood was not good, and she had gone to live in the Wuchan Temple for a while. In this situation, if I still didn't understand the princess's intentions, then I would be the biggest fool in the world. So I no longer forbade Ruanlan from entering the palace, although they never met, but strangely, I could always feel a warmth in my heart, even though we were separated by a great distance, it felt like there was no separation at all.

  No matter what, I finally got Roulan to calm down. It's funny that she can't even recognize characters yet. The young master Li Jun sent letter after letter, and when the little girl held them in her hands, she couldn't recognize a single character. She was so anxious that she pulled me to teach her how to read, but I could only laugh out loud. Even if I wanted to teach her to write and read books, it would take two years for her to understand this letter. Under duress, I had no choice but to read the letter to her. The content wasn't anything special, just about where he went today and what fun things he saw. But Li Jun was indeed very eloquent, and every time Roulan listened, she would get excited and want to go have fun in Youzhou. Fortunately, she wouldn't throw a tantrum for too long. Although Roulan is still young, she already has a shy heart and absolutely refuses to let others see the content of the letter, only letting me read it on her behalf. That's why I can threaten her to spare my life, and I've decided to teach her how to read later; otherwise, without this trump card, what would I do?

  Look at me finally getting up, leading Ruo Lan to the pavilion, Li Zai smiled and said: "Su Yun, you're here, let's just call it a draw for this round."

  I took a look at the chessboard, and Li Zuo's pieces were scattered all over. I couldn't help but laugh: "People say that those who are good at Go are also good at war. If it were a battle on the sandy plains, Xiao Shunzi would surely lose without a doubt. But when it comes to playing chess, Your Highness can only admit defeat."

  Xiao Shunzi expressionlessly put away the chessboard and pieces, completely without any intention of agreeing with me, but instead sneered at me with a glance. I couldn't help but touch my nose, to be honest, when we play chess now, this kid can let me win by three pieces.

  Sit down and pick up the teacup, Xiao Shunzi has already sent Ruo Lan back to the princess's maid, feeling a bit sore all over, a cup of hot tea went down my throat, I felt invigorated, and couldn't help but let out a comfortable sigh.

  Li Zai smiled and said: "Yesterday, Qin Qing rebuked the commander of the Northern Garrison of the Imperial Guard, Pei Yun, saying that his tent was not well-maintained."

  I smiled slightly and said: "This must be Li Han's idea, now Qin Qing is obedient to his wife."

  This year, the most glorious ones are probably Qin Qing and Li Han Yu. Half a year ago, she had already married Qin Qing. Soon after their marriage, Qin Qing was promoted to the position of Grand Marshal of the Imperial Guard. Although the position of Grand Marshal has always been an empty one, with the actual control of the Imperial Guard being in the hands of General Qin Yi, Qin Qing is still the eldest son of Qin Yi and therefore holds a special status. Even though Qin Yi has not delegated his power, Qin Qing can now mobilize part of the Imperial Guard. Now, Qin Qing is already a renowned young general with great wealth and fame, while Princess Li Han Yu is a princess by birth and also a disciple of the Phoenix Seal Gate. Although her marriage means she is no longer an inner disciple of the Phoenix Seal Gate, her high status within the gate is still evident. This couple is naturally the focus of everyone's attention, and what's more, they are deeply in love with each other, making them the envy of the entire capital.

  Li Zai sneered, "Pei Yun recently formally welcomed his concubine into the house, but his legitimate wife received a divorce letter. No wonder Li Han You was furious. Phei's wife, Xue Qiu Xue, is a disciple of Feng Yi Men and is said to be as close as sisters with Li Han You."

  I picked up my teacup and said calmly, "This can only be blamed on the foolishness of that woman. Pei Yun had made it clear that he didn't want to marry her. On the day Pei Yun went to the Xue family to apologize, he said very clearly that he already had a concubine who was pregnant. If the Xue family was willing to call off the engagement, he would be willing to pay the price. But Miss Xue insisted on marrying into the Pei family. That's one thing, but if this woman had been content with her lot, Pei Yun is actually a kind person, and over time, he might have come to accept her. However, her methods were not subtle enough, and she was too hasty, which only made Pei Yun keep his distance from her. Now, she's even gone so far as to harm my concubine and newborn child. If we hadn't discovered it in time, that would have been two lives lost. If not for the fact that I'm a member of the Fengyi Sect, I'm afraid Pei Yun would have killed her with one sword long ago. However, Qin Qing's rebuke of Pei Yun is also justified. In any case, this really can be considered a case of 'a woman who doesn't know how to behave herself'."

  Li Zai said, "In that case, the Fengyi Gate will not give up. Although they are constrained by human relationships and cannot directly intervene, they have already accused Pei Yun of neglecting his wife and have quarreled with Shaolin several times."

  I smiled and said, "Although they say it's not bad, but Shaolin actually condones Pei Yun's behavior. Pei Yun is their carefully selected disciple, and they absolutely do not want Pei Yun to have any connection with Fengyi Gate."

  Li Zai nodded and said, "Although that's the case, Shaolin Temple won't turn against Fengyi Sect after all. Although Fengyi Sect can't openly trouble Pei Yun either, Li Han You can still make things difficult for Pei Yun through Qin Qing. What do you think we should do? Pei Yun is a thorn in your side that you've finally managed to plant in the Imperial Guard, you can't just give up on him."

  "I shook my head and said, 'Your Highness is overpraising me. I merely showed him a way to let Pei Yun wholeheartedly serve Your Highness. It's all due to Your Highness' own abilities. Since ancient times, good ministers choose their masters. If it weren't for Your Highness' benevolence and wisdom, how could Pei Yun be willing to serve? This time, Your Highness also lent a hand to help. It must be possible to make Shaolin Temple truly support Your Highness. Although Shaolin had intended to cooperate with Your Highness against Fengyi Sect in the past, they were constrained by the Emperor and the Crown Prince, so they could only provide secret support. This time, Fengyi Sect is too arrogant, I'm afraid it will provoke Shaolin. This is precisely an opportunity for Your Highness.'"

  Li Zuo sighed and said: "Cui Yun, I admire you greatly. A year ago, your actions allowed the wise men of the court to see some of the true nature of the Crown Prince. Now, even if they haven't decided to support me, they have all become neutral. In the past, many people thought the Crown Prince was the rightful heir and had no flaws, so even if they thought I was wise, they would still keep their distance. But now, although I've followed your advice and haven't recruited talent recklessly, I can feel that they are more willing to approach the Yong Wang Fu. In just over a year, you have helped me turn the situation around. I don't know how to thank you enough."

  I calmly said: "This is also the prince's willingness to accept my opinion, I let the prince not act, hide his light and nurture his spirit, the prince gladly accepted, this year has come, the prince has no unusual movements, so the crown prince cannot attack the prince with the reason of 'the prince's achievements are too high', his various difficulties, on the contrary, make people sympathize with the prince more, and Shi Tuo in Youzhou selects officials under the prince's orders, everyone thinks that the prince is thinking about the fiefdom, now the prince has a complete team of civil and military officials, can start to show great ambitions, I can guarantee that within this year, the crown prince will lose his position as heir."

  Li Zuo said doubtfully, "Although the Crown Prince has lost some people's hearts, after all, he hasn't been abolished yet. This year he has also been very cautious, how can you be sure that you can abolish his position as heir?"

  I smiled mysteriously and said, "Your Highness has been trying to infiltrate the Crown Prince's camp for years. In the past, due to the Crown Prince's caution and the strength of Lu Jingzhong and Feng Yimen, it was difficult to succeed. However, this year, the Crown Prince lost the hearts of the people because of the Ministry of Revenue affair and lost the trust of his subordinates due to his murderous actions. Meanwhile, Lu Jingzhong and Feng Yimen are also at odds with each other. Haven't you already successfully infiltrated the core of the Crown Prince's camp? Although you haven't reached the core yet, some of the Crown Prince's actions still can't escape your notice. Don't you really know what the Crown Prince is up to?"

  Li Zai smiled awkwardly and said, "I do know a bit about this. I heard that the Crown Prince didn't know what he was doing, got infatuated with courtesans, and several times secretly kept famous beauties from the Great Yong in his mansion. It wasn't until later when the Emperor found out about the rumors that he restrained himself. Recently, he hasn't been up to such antics anymore, instead often going to the rear palace to accompany the Emperor and Empress, being filial to them."

  "I smiled coldly and said: 'That's because he changed his way of spending leisure time, he became infatuated with one of the Emperor's newly appointed concubines.'"

  Li Zai was shocked and said, "How is this possible? This is a matter of great importance. If the Emperor finds out, won't he be severely punished? It's even possible that his position as Crown Prince will be abolished." Li Zai paused here, then continued after a while, "To abolish the Crown Prince due to palace affairs, it's not that easy. After all, the harem cannot interfere with state matters."

  "I said with a profound meaning: 'If the Crown Prince has some ability, the Emperor may not abolish his position as heir. However, the Emperor has already lost trust in the Crown Prince. Now, for the Emperor, the Crown Prince's greater role is to suppress you, Your Highness. If this matter were to happen, even if the Emperor had no intention of abolishing the Crown Prince's position, he would still have to show a stern attitude. This way, the Crown Prince will naturally be filled with worry and doubt, suspecting his father's intentions. This is the result I desire. Even if the Crown Prince has some guilt in his heart, even if he manages to keep his position as heir, he will still be worried day and night about whether the Emperor will settle accounts later. At that time, he will inevitably become flustered and confused. The more he tries to make amends, the more likely he is to incur the Emperor's displeasure. Not to mention palace affairs are unimportant, but since ancient times, the relationship between the ruler and his son has never been close, and father-son conflicts have been common. At that time, I'm afraid the Crown Prince will be even more suspicious of the Emperor than he is of Your Highness."

  Li Zai said: "But even if Concubine Ji and others help in every way, I'm afraid it will still be of no use."

  "I said calmly: 'If they were just trying to protect themselves, I would be worried. The more they do, the more flaws they reveal. Does Your Highness not want them to show their true colors?'"

  Li Zai fell into deep thought, a hint of joy on his face, and said: "Zui Yun's plan is really good, its evil is not apparent, how can I, the king, punish him without cause?"