Chapter Fifteen: Uncertain Victory and Defeat

  A brilliant swordsman, at the moment of making a move, is often lightly and casually written, but can always accurately hit the opponent's weakest point, one move is enough to seal the throat. In the dullness, the ability is displayed. Obviously, in terms of political struggle, Wu Zetian was this kind of top master. As soon as the move was made, the result was already determined - persuading and even controlling Gaozong, this was taking the overall situation, turning a possible court storm into a family meeting, this was shaping, as for grasping the scene of the imperial prison and asking questions, that was a sword that saw blood and sealed the throat, only because there was no way to fake it here, nor could it be evaded. However, for Wu Zetian, there were endless uses of borrowing power.

  The subtlety of Empress Wu's wrist was difficult for others to understand, at least Emperor Gaozong and Li Hong and Li Xian, who were known for their wisdom, could not grasp the key points. However, all this did not escape Li Xian, who had memories of three lifetimes. The problem is that seeing clearly is one thing, but finding a way to cope is another matter. Because of Li Xian's clear-headedness, he felt particularly vexed, and unfortunately, even if he was more vexed, he could only force himself to recount the events in the imperial prison one by one.

  "Good, my son can see the subtlety and know the grandeur, and also see justice and be brave to do it, it is a great fortune for the country, a great fortune for the court!" As soon as Li Xian's voice fell, Wu Hou immediately clapped her hands and laughed, praising him for a while. Then she turned to Li Zhe, with a sincere face, saying: "Your Majesty, Xian'er is brave and wise, Heng'er is able to take care of the overall situation, all are good sons. Now that they can solve this important case, it should be used as an example for the officials, and rewarded as a model."

  "Ah, this, this is good, very good, worthy of reward, worthy of great reward. The words of Mei Niang are in harmony with my will. Good, good, haha..."

  Earlier, listening to Li Xian's words, Gaozong's face had long been gloomy as water. Although he never interrupted, his heartstrings were actually very tight, fearing that Wu Zetian would take the three sons as a law, because Gaozong was very clear that Cui Xuan's transmission was Wu Zetian's will. The two brothers Li Xian's actions were clearly pulling out teeth from a tiger's mouth. If Wu Zetian really got angry at this point, Gaozong asked himself if he had the guts to confront her. However, he never thought that Wu Zetian would not get angry, but instead want to reward the three sons for their merits. This sudden change was far beyond Gaozong's expectations, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud with excitement.

  "Your Majesty, I am just doing my duty as a subject, and dare not take credit for it."

  Li Xian was also shocked by Wu Mei's words, and when he saw that his father had already spoken, the hanging heart immediately relaxed, and he hurried forward, bowing humbly, saying "I dare not", but the joy on his face could not be concealed, clearly revealing his surprised thoughts.

  "It's great that you know your place, the hardest thing to get is knowing one's place. A virtuous child who knows his place will surely become a pillar of the country in the future. Xian'er, you should learn from your sixth brother and be more diligent." Wu Zetian smiled and praised Li Xian again, but her words had a hidden meaning of criticizing Crown Prince Li Hong, which immediately made Li Hong's face slightly stiff.

  "The Empress Dowager said that Liu Bei was able to respond to the urgent needs of the imperial court, and I, as a subject, cannot help but admire him. He is truly a wise king."

  Even his own parents praised Li Xian, and Li Hong, no matter how dissatisfied he was, did not dare to show it at this time. Not only that, but also had to hurry up and add a few words of praise, the disgust in his heart can be imagined.

  It's all over, the momentum is gone! A group of fools, after listening to a few nice words, they were stunned and couldn't think straight. It's really true that you can't make plans with foolish people! Right before my eyes, my own father and two elder brothers have all fallen into Wu Zetian's trap without realizing it. Li Xian's face is also smiling stupidly, but his heart has sunk to the bottom - The reason why Li Xian insisted on taking charge this time is not only because he was dissatisfied with Wu Zetian, but more importantly, he wanted to have an opportunity to intervene in court politics openly and fairly. This point is obviously clear to Wu Zetian, who gave him a sweet head start, and Li Xian will inevitably be satisfied and content. When discussing the case later, he will not stick to his original plan, and it's likely that he will compromise. Without Li Xian as the main character, how can this scene of forcing the palace continue? Moreover, Wu Zetian cleverly drove a wedge between Li Hong and Li Xian, creating a rift between the two brothers. The internal struggle that follows is predictable, and in the end, they will both become puppets under Wu Zetian's control.

  "Your Majesty, the case of the imperial prison is related to the dignity of the court and is not ordinary. I think that Cui Xuanwei is just a minor official of the eighth rank, how dare he forge an imperial edict? There must be some ulterior motive behind this, it's necessary to investigate thoroughly." As expected by Li Xian, the family had only just started laughing when Empress Wu suddenly changed the subject and brought up the main topic.

  " Investigate, investigate, Empress Wu said it's not right, there are many doubts about this matter, if we don't investigate how can we convince the people, just... " Emperor Gaozong's mind had just relaxed, but when he suddenly heard Empress Wu mention investigating the case, he immediately became somewhat bewildered and couldn't understand what she meant by these words, for a moment he was at a loss for words.

  "Your Majesty is wise, that Da Li Zheng Hou has always been a good man, honest and kind. As an official, he is diligent and conscientious, but sometimes makes small mistakes. According to what Xian'er said, it can be known that this time he was deceived by petty people. Although there are faults, fortunately, they have not become big mistakes. I think we should give him a chance to redeem himself for his past merits. What does Your Majesty think?"

  "Ah, this...this..." Upon hearing these words, Gaozong's eyebrows furrowed involuntarily. He wanted to speak out in opposition, but didn't have the courage to do so. After stuttering for a while, he couldn't say anything conclusive. Looking at Wu Zetian's face, which had already clouded over, he lost his nerve and helplessly threw up his hands, saying: "Very well, let it be as you wish."

  Let the thief catch the thief, it's really a big joke. Not only was Gaozong blinded, but also Li Hong and Li Xian were all stunned. Li Hong was fine, he didn't know much about the cause and process of this matter, he just came to join in with the mentality of picking peaches. As for whether he could pick them or not, he didn't care too much. In his opinion, as long as Li Xian, who had a strong desire for power, didn't take it away, that was good enough. Therefore, although he disagreed with Wu Zetian's proposal in his heart, he didn't want to speak out against her on the spot. As for Li Xian, first, he had just received a favor from Wu Zetian and couldn't afford to tear his face at this time. Second, he was wary of Wu Zetian's tactics and thought it unnecessary to fight with her to the death at this time. Therefore, after changing his facial expression several times, he still kept silent in the end.

  Damn it, I've actually been stuck with such a stubborn old father. It's really frustrating! Just as the situation was about to escalate into chaos, Li Xian felt extremely uncomfortable in his heart, just like swallowing a fly. The problem is that both his father and brother have already compromised, so even if Li Xian tried to stir up more trouble, it would be hard to change the overall situation. He could only retreat and seek a second-best solution. So he gritted his teeth and stepped forward, saying: "Your Majesty's wisdom is boundless, I think it would be best for Duke Hou to preside over the trial of Qiao Zhuo's case. However, there are special circumstances in the case of Shangguan, and handling them together seems inappropriate. This is just my humble opinion, please let Your Majesty decide."

  "Yes, yes, yes, that's the way it is. Xian'er's words are very much in line with my intentions. Hmm, Ah, does Consort Wu have a clear view on this matter?" After being turned around several times, Gaozong had long been dizzy and completely forgot his original intention to rescue Shangguan Yi. Being reminded by Li Xian, he suddenly came back to his senses and repeatedly expressed his agreement. However, when he caught a glimpse of Consort Wu's face out of the corner of his eye, his expression immediately turned pale. Gaozong immediately retreated and obediently handed over the right to speak to Consort Wu.

  "Hmm." Wu Mei didn't rush to make a decision, but instead responded with a noncommittal murmur, her eyes scanning Li Xian with a complex expression filled with suspicion and astonishment. Although Wu Mei had been letting Li Xian describe the events earlier, seemingly valuing his opinions, in reality, she considered him a weak and incompetent little guy who didn't stand out in any way. Yet, this unremarkable little guy had surprisingly seen through her vague plan, making it impossible for Wu Mei not to harbor doubts.

  Trouble is coming! Li Xian is no longer the useless person he used to be, his mind has long been extremely mature. As soon as he met Wu Zetian's gaze, he immediately guessed what she was thinking, and his scalp couldn't help but feel numb. However, Li Xian did not intend to change his words, because at this point, if he could not gain an advantage from Shangguan Wan'er's life or death, the plan would likely fail completely, and the consequences would be that it would be even harder to stop Wu Zetian from taking control of the government.

  Li Xian's original plan was to take advantage of Li Xian's eagerness to establish himself in the court, and have him launch a surprise attack on the party members while Wu Zetian was sitting out her month of mourning. Although it would not be possible to completely eliminate the party, it might be possible to get rid of a few key members, especially Xu Jingzong, who had impeached Shangguan Yi. Unfortunately, this plan fell through due to Wu Zetian's swift action. In this situation, Li Xian could only manage to temporarily spare Shangguan Yi's life and preserve the morale of the court, preventing all the officials from being cowed by Wu Zetian's tyranny. The real reason for Shangguan Yi's impeachment was that he had drafted an edict abolishing Empress Wu's title, which everyone in the court knew about. If even someone who had offended Empress Wu so gravely could be spared, it would have a profound impact on the senior officials of the court. Therefore, no matter how difficult it might be, Li Xian had to take a stand.

  Pressure, immense pressure! Wu Zetian remained silent for a long time, without even the slightest movement, but the pressure she brought to Li Xian was getting bigger and bigger, pressing him so hard that he could hardly breathe. Not only him, but also Gaozong, who sat beside Wu Zetian, felt uneasy and twisted his body several times. As for Li Hong and Li Xian, the two young brothers, their faces had turned pale, and their breathing became much heavier...