Chapter Eighteen: Adopting Shangguan Wan'er

  On the eighteenth day of the twelfth month of Linde, the first year, a report from the prison was made to the emperor, stating that the original supervising secretary Cui Xianzhe had hanged himself and that the slave of the imperial officer Shangguan Yi's household, Shangguan Fu, had died after hitting his head against a wall. The report stated that both men had taken their own lives out of fear of punishment. Emperor Gaozong was enraged by this and ordered General Xue Rengui to seal off the scene and have officials from the Ministry of Justice conduct an investigation to determine the truth. However, after several days of turmoil, no conclusion could be reached, and the officials were outraged, submitting numerous memorials impeaching the Temple of Supreme Justice for dereliction of duty and disregard for human life. The memorials flew into the imperial court like snowflakes, causing the emperor great distress.

  On the twentieth day of December, Li Xian, King of Lu, and Li Xian, King of Zhou, jointly submitted a memorial to the throne. They mentioned that although the Grand Justice Temple had indeed been derelict in its duties, it was not intentional, and punishment should suffice. Now, since the accused had died, there was no opposing evidence in the case of You Guiyi, and many doubts remained. It seemed that the original sentence should not be applied. If they were released and exempted, there might be suspicions of leniency. If they were to be exiled, it would be more appropriate. As soon as this memorial was submitted, the officials debated heatedly, with some in favor and others opposed. For a time, the momentum of the original attack on the Grand Justice Temple dissipated. Gaozong was overjoyed and immediately approved the memorial. A potentially huge storm thus came to an end, and Li Xian's reputation as "Xian Wang" (Wise King) spread throughout the land.

  "Misty veil covers the moon's face, wind startles the cicadas in my hair. I seal the letter awaiting the returning envoy, tears dry up under the white clouds."

  In the snow, on a small hill near the East Five Li Pavilion of Chang'an City, Shangguan Yi stood silently in his gray robes, his eyes gazing back at the misty city. Like a sculpture, he let the drifting snow fall on him without moving, his heart still unsettled. He couldn't help but think of the old poem "Zhaojun's Lament" he had recited last year, and his lips trembled as he whispered it out again, his tone full of bitter sorrow.

  Liuxi Ai State (now Thanh Hoa, Vietnam), this is where Shangguan Yi is about to take office, and it is also the place where the famous prime minister of the previous generation, Zhousu Liang, was exiled ten years ago. At that time, when Zhousu Liang was exiled, Shangguan Yi had secretly ridiculed him for not knowing the times. But now, the one who didn't know the times has become himself. Thinking that Zhousu Liang never returned to Chang'an until his death, Shangguan Yi's heart felt like a mountain pressing down on it.

  "Dad, it's time to go."

  Just as Shangguan Yi's mind was in a mess, Shangguan Tingzhi, with a pale face, carefully approached him from behind and reminded him in a low voice.

  Yes, it's time to go. Despite the countless reluctance and nostalgia, in the end, one has to leave. Xiang Yu shook his head bitterly, took a last look at Chang'an City, turned around stiffly, looked at Xiang Tingzhi silently, and then walked towards the horse carriages at the foot of the small hill without saying a word, his back figure desolate and quiet.

  "Father, look quickly, someone has come!"

  Shangguan Yi had just taken a few steps when he suddenly heard Shangguan Tingzhi's astonished cry behind him.

  "Oh?" Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yi's body first stiffened, then suddenly turned around and hastily walked to a higher location. He covered his forehead with his hand, anxiously staring at a horse carriage speeding towards them from Chang'an City. His face was filled with panic and unease until the carriage approached close enough for him to see the emblem clearly. Only then did Shangguan Yi's expression calm down. Without paying attention to his son's muttering beside him, he hastily rushed down the small hill, stumbling as he went, and ran towards the direction of the approaching horse carriage.

  "The officials and officers respectfully welcomed King Zhou of the palace."

  The horse carriage rushed all the way, and only stopped slowly when it was not far from Shangguan Yi. The curtain moved, and Li Xian, wearing a white fox fur robe, got out of the carriage with the support of Gao Miaomiao. Before he even landed on the ground, Shangguan Yi had already come forward to greet him with utmost respect.

  "Your Excellency needn't be so formal, I had planned to come and see you off early, but unfortunately, I was delayed by mundane matters. Fortunately, I made it in time." Li Xianping calmly raised his hand slightly, indicating that Shangguan Yi didn't have to bow, and then smiled and explained a few words.

  "Your Highness, what virtue and ability does this humble official possess that you would deign to come here in person? This humble official..."

  For so many years, Shangguan Yi had never paid attention to Li Xian, a humble and unknown prince. Even when they met at grand banquets hosted by the emperor, he rarely gave him a proper look. Yet, this unremarkable young man had become his lifesaver, leaving Shangguan Yi with mixed emotions, momentarily speechless. Rumors circulated among the people that Shangguan Yi's narrow escape from death was thanks to Li Xian's desperate rescue, but Shangguan Yi knew the truth - it was actually Li Xian who had saved him, not Li Xian's more seemingly powerful brother, Li Xian. Although Li Xian spoke little, his words were all crucial, and while others might not have noticed, Shangguan Yi, with decades of experience in the imperial court, understood who was truly in control.

  Alas, poor old man! Looking at Shangguan Yi's excited appearance, Li Xian also felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. Of course, it was not because he sympathized with Shangguan Yi's tragic experience, but rather to remind himself to be cautious in his actions. After all, the path of politics has never allowed for even the slightest mistake, and one careless move could lead to an irreparable outcome, especially when facing a formidable enemy like Wu Zetian.

  "His Excellency is going to Aizhou, thousands of miles away, the road is treacherous and difficult, I hope you take care of yourself, I have prepared some travel expenses, maybe it can be of some help." Li Xian couldn't bear to see Shangguan Yi's heartbroken expression, so he smiled and waved his hand, signaling Gao Miao to take out a small box from the carriage and hand it over to Shangguan Tingzhi who was following beside him.

  "Your Highness's great kindness, the officer has no teeth and cannot forget it. If possible one day, the officer will definitely repay with the labor of a dog and horse." Although Officer Shi did not understand why Li Xian wanted to save his family at all costs, he knew that this kindness was as deep as the sea, and he feared that he would never be able to repay it in his lifetime. This simply and unreservedly expressed his intention to surrender.

  Another day? What other day is there, alas, poor old man, don't even mention another day! Even if it's just a trip to Ai Prefecture, I'm afraid you won't make it either! Facing Shangguan Yi's offer of surrender, Li Xian didn't feel the slightest excitement. He had already guessed that Shangguan Yi's fate would not be good, and although he wanted to save him, he couldn't do anything about it, nor did he dare to reveal this again. In fact, Li Xian hadn't come to win over Shangguan Yi's heart, but had other thoughts in mind. Therefore, Li Xian didn't respond to Shangguan Yi's offer of surrender, only smiling faintly and nodding his head: "Shangguan sir is too polite, hmm, I have something to discuss with you, old sir, may I borrow a room to speak?"

  "Very well, Your Highness, please!"

  Shangguan Yi couldn't quite grasp Li Xian's intention, but he didn't hesitate either. He nodded slightly and waved his hand, letting Li Xian step aside to the side of the road.

  "Your Excellency, I heard that your esteemed household welcomed a new addition half a year ago, a girl named Shangguan Wan'er, is that correct?" Li Xian asked with a smile after the two of them walked to a distant path away from the crowd.

  "Indeed, it is true, but I don't know why Your Highness..."

  Shangguan Yi originally thought that Li Xian's move was either to secretly accept himself or to ask him about the secrets of the court, but he never expected that Li Xian would ask about his own granddaughter who was not yet a year old, and he was stunned, standing still for a moment before hesitantly answering half a sentence.

  Why? This story is long, in the previous life, Shangguan Wan'er was a talented woman of her generation, with both talent and beauty. Li Xian had deep feelings for her, but unfortunately, she was obstructed by Empress Wu and could not be taken into the palace as he wished until after Li Xian ascended to the throne for the second time. To put it simply, the reason why Li Xian went all out to clear Shangguan Yi's name in his previous life was because of his love for her. This time, he managed to save Shangguan Yi once, but he absolutely had no power to save him a second time. Li Xian did not want his loved one from his previous life to perish prematurely in the midst of intrigue, so it was only natural that he would lend a helping hand, but the actual reason behind it is not something that can be shared with outsiders.

  "It's like this, Xiaowang thought that Aizhoulou is far away and located in a place with many miasma, and Wanyu was just born, fearing it would be difficult for her to withstand such hardships. If the old master can rest assured, then temporarily fostering her at Xiaowang's residence first, and when the old master returns to court later, she can return home too, isn't that good? I don't know if Master Shangguan can rest assured or not?" Li Xian was really unable to clearly explain the inner secrets to Shangguan Yi, so he could only vaguely mention a reason.

  "This..."

  The more Li Xian explained, the more confused Yuanguan Yi became. He couldn't understand what Li Xian was doing. Although Yuanguan Yi only had one son, he had three grandsons, all of whom were young, with the oldest being only six years old. If Li Xian wanted to show sympathy for the children, it would have been better to leave one grandson behind. Why did he insist on leaving Yuanguan Wan'er, a girl, behind? This made no sense and caused Yuanguan Yi to feel uneasy.

  What's the point of explaining? The more explanations, the more mistakes. Since that's the case, it's better to just say nothing at all. Facing Yu Guan Yi's confusion, Li Xian shut his mouth tight and smiled without speaking, letting Yu Guan Yi make her own decision.

  "Very well, Wan'er is still young and can't bear the hardships of traveling. Since Your Highness has taken a liking to her, how could I dare disobey? This child will be handed over to Your Highness, and in the future, whether she becomes a slave or a servant will depend on your decision." Officer Guan Yi was a straightforward person, although he couldn't understand why Li Xian wanted to take in his own granddaughter, he didn't hesitate much either. After a brief moment of contemplation, he agreed with a smile.

  "Your Honor, rest assured that I, Xiao Wang, will not let Wan'er suffer the slightest grievance. As long as I am here, there will be no day when Wan'er suffers!" Upon hearing Shangguan Yi's words, Li Xian's originally anxious heart finally calmed down, and he smiled, cupped his hands together, and replied in a firm tone.

  "Your Highness, please wait a moment. I will go and bring Wan'er over." Upper Official Yi didn't say another word, cupped his hands in respect, then strode towards his own carriage team.

  "Your Highness, this is the wife of my son Sun and their child in her arms is my granddaughter Wan'er." After a commotion, Officer Yu led back a frail young woman carrying a baby, bowed to Li Xian with a fist, and introduced her briefly.

  "My family has paid respects to Your Highness."

  Shangguan Yi's wife, Sun-shi, was not very old, less than thirty years old, originally a noble and pampered person, but after being imprisoned for several months, she had become worn out, her face pale as paper, almost without blood color, when paying respects to Li Xian, her movements were stiff and unsteady, the whole person swaying as if about to fall.

  "Madam Shangguan was being polite, this must be Wanyu." Li Xian calmly accepted a courtesy from Sun Shi, but his eyes were drawn to the small, rosy-faced child in Sun Shi's arms.

  "It's all thanks to Young Lady, Wan'er was able to be taken in by Your Excellency, our humble household is eternally grateful." Madam Sun was clearly reluctant to part with her beloved daughter, but she didn't dare disobey her father-in-law's orders. She hugged Wan'er tightly and gently rocked her back and forth before hesitantly handing her over to Gao Miao, who had followed him here.

  "Let me hold her." Before Gao Yan could reach out, Li Xian had already stretched out his hand and taken Ouyang Wan'er from Sun's arms. He lowered his head to take a look, and in the dim light, he vaguely recalled the stunning beauty of Wan'er in their past life. His eyes couldn't help but glaze over...