Chapter 200: The Crown Prince’s Crisis

Outside Mingyue’s room, Lady Pei leaned weakly against the wall, her face soaked with tears of remorse. If her daughter died now, she would never forgive herself in this lifetime.

Beside her, Du Gu Hao Ran gently placed his arm around his wife’s shoulders and whispered soothing words, “It should be fine. Thanks to Mingzhu discovering it in time…”

“Sir, if anything happens to Mingyue, I don’t want to live either!”

With that, Lady Pei turned and leaned her head on her husband’s shoulder, crying silently. Du Gu Hao Ran held her hand and sighed inwardly. He hadn’t expected his usually gentle daughter to show such determination at a critical moment, preferring death to submission. If only he had been more resolute, this wouldn’t have happened.

Zhang Yun had merely offered him an intangible temptation, yet he had lost his head and endangered his daughter as well. Hmph! How could he deserve to be a prime minister? His father, on the other hand, remained clear-headed. The Du family had always been pro-crown prince—how foolish to betray them for a position that wasn’t even real! He finally made up his mind. For his daughter’s sake and to preserve the Du family’s reputation, he would never agree to this marriage.

The door opened, and Imperial Physician Lu Wensheng stepped out carrying a medicine box. Du Gu Hao Ran hurried over to greet him. Lady Pei asked anxiously, “Doctor Lu, how is my daughter?”

Lu Wensheng nodded and said, “She’s fine. It was discovered early, so there’s no serious issue. With proper rest for a few days, she should be okay.” He sighed. Mingyue had been under his care since childhood. Such a beautiful and gentle woman forced into such a situation—those parents…

“Doctor Lu, let’s talk in the next room.”

Du Gu Hao Ran quickly invited Lu Wensheng to discuss things privately. Lady Pei wanted to go see her daughter, but when she reached the door, she hesitated and lacked the courage to enter.

At that moment, a maid rushed over and said, “Madam, that Zhao Xuming is here and wants to see you.”

Hmph! He almost killed his own daughter and still had the nerve to show up. Lady Pei’s expression darkened. She was about to say she didn’t want to see him, but then changed her mind and said, “Ask him to wait a moment.”

She looked around again. “Where is Mingzhu?”

“Mother, I’m here.”

Mingzhu rushed in like the wind, furious. “Is that Zhao guy here again?”

“Shh!”

Lady Pei silenced her gently. “Don’t disturb your sister.”

“Oh!”

Mingzhu tiptoed forward anxiously and asked, “Mother, is sister okay?”

“She’s fine! Thanks to you.”

Madam Pei stroked her younger daughter’s head, tears rolling down again. Mingzhu quickly used a handkerchief to wipe away her mother’s tears and said, “Mother, go and send that Zhao away! I’ll take care of my sister.”
“Alright!”
Madam Pei never mustered the courage to see her daughter, so she sighed and said, “Tell your sister on my behalf that since she and Zhao Xuming aren’t fated to be together, I won’t force her anymore.”
“Mm!” Mingzhu pushed open the door and quietly stepped inside. The room was very quiet. Mingyue was lying asleep under the covers on the bed, with the curtain drawn. Her personal maid, Qiulü, was arranging the curtain. When she saw Mingzhu enter, she quickly bowed and said, “Second young lady!”
“Qiulü, how is my sister?”
Qiulü nodded gently and whispered in her ear, “The imperial physician says she’s fine.”
Mingzhu stepped forward, lifted the curtain, and saw her sister’s eyes slightly closed, her face pale, with marks still on her neck. Feeling pity, she sat down, took her sister’s hand, and smiled, “Sister, I have good news.”
Mingyue’s long eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly opened her eyes and said in a weak voice, “Mingzhu!”
Mingzhu quickly leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Mother won’t force you to marry that Zhao Xuming anymore. She asked me to tell you.”
“And Mother?”
“She’s afraid you’ll hate her, so she doesn’t dare come to see you.”
Mingyue sighed softly. How could she hate her own mother? She pointed to a sachet on the bedside and said in a low voice, “Give it to me.”
Mingzhu, not understanding, took down the sachet and handed it to her sister. Mingyue slowly took out a piece of fine jade from it. She remembered what Li Qing’an had said to her before leaving: “The bright moon rises over the snow-capped mountains; we share this moment across the world.”
Mingyue gently stroked the jade and murmured, “You be the rock, and I’ll be the reed. The reed is as tender as silk, but the rock remains unshaken.”
……
Madam Pei hurried toward the front yard. She really couldn’t understand why Mingyue would reject Zhao Xuming, who had such excellent qualifications—a top scholar, a son from a prestigious family, a student of a prime minister, and handsome as well—just by choosing death instead?
Madam Pei had heard a little about Zhao Xuming’s poor character, but his many advantages made her ignore it. But today, she began to doubt. She needed to observe carefully—what was wrong with this Zhao Xuming?
Zhao Xuming sat anxiously in the guest room. Just now, Minister Zhang had called him specifically and told him that his marriage proposal was likely to succeed, urging him to prepare to marry his beloved.

Zhao Xuming was overjoyed. He had already lost hope, but luck turned in his favor once again. Unable to contain his excitement, he rushed to see Lady Pei, hoping to get a clear answer from her.

The reason Zhao Xuming hadn’t married in nearly a year wasn’t because he was infatuated with Mingyue, but because he had a huge secret: he had been married three years earlier to his cousin, who grew up with him in their hometown. Yet ever since he met Mingyue, he was utterly captivated by her beauty. Moreover, Minister Zhang was willing to help him make this marriage happen.

In comparison, his uncle, who was also his father-in-law, was merely a minor county clerk—how could he compare to the power of the Du Gu family? If he could marry the eldest daughter of the Du Gu family, it would be immensely beneficial for his career.

As for his wife, she still hadn’t given him a son; only a daughter. This was the perfect excuse to divorce her. Zhao Xuming had even hidden this secret from Zhang Yun. To keep it secret, he had been an official for almost two years without bringing his wife to the capital.

When Zhao Xuming entered the house, he sensed that the servants were unfriendly toward him—there wasn’t even a cup of tea offered. He knew it must be because Mingyue didn’t want it. He had long known that Mingyue favored Li Qing’an, and this filled him with anger toward her.

A sound of jewelry came from the entrance, and Lady Pei entered, surrounded by several maids. Zhao Xuming quickly stood up and bowed deeply. “Your humble servant greets you, madam!”

In the past, Lady Pei would have liked Zhao Xuming, but now she felt uncomfortable whenever she saw him. Minister Zhang had just arrived this afternoon, and yet here he was already, showing no sense of propriety.

She glanced around and asked coldly, “Why isn’t any tea served to our guest?”

Zhao Xuming forced a laugh and hurriedly said, “Thank you, madam.”

Lady Pei didn’t say much more and simply nodded, “Sit down.”

Zhao Xuming quickly offered her a piece of fine silk he had bought, saying with a smile, “This is a small token from your humble servant. Please accept it.”

Lady Pei took the silk and set it aside. Her expression improved slightly—this young man was at least polite. At that moment, a maid brought in two cups of tea. Lady Pei pointed to the tea and said, “Young Master Zhao, please have some tea.”

“Thank you!” Zhao Xuming picked up the cup, his hands trembling with nervousness. He wanted to ask something but lacked the courage. He took a sip, and the hot tea almost burned his tongue. He almost spat it out but held back, cursing inwardly. Unable to show it on his face, he endured for a while before slowly swallowing the tea.

Madam Pei was puzzled. She took a sip of tea and found it delicious, then asked in surprise, “Does Young Master Zhao not like tea?”
“No! I’m just a bit nervous.”
Zhao Xuming set down his teacup. He could no longer hold back and asked, “Madam, has there been any conclusion regarding what Minister Zhang said this afternoon?”
Madam Pei remained silent. She was thinking about a strange matter that had just occurred to her. Logically, with such excellent prospects, if Zhao Xuming’s proposal to the Du Gu family at the beginning of the year had failed, he could have married another woman. Yet nearly a year later, he came back to propose again. If it were said he was infatuated, it seemed unlikely, as he hadn’t visited them at all during that time.
Why hadn’t he gotten married? This question lingered in Madam Pei’s mind. Could it be that he had taken a wife or concubine elsewhere and was not satisfied with her?
After pondering for a moment, she asked tentatively with a smile, “Of course, I’m very willing. But my husband heard that you’re already engaged, so he’s very troubled by this.”
Zhao Xuming felt as if he had stepped into empty air, his heart plunging into an abyss. He had kept it so secret—how could they know? Suspicious, he failed to realize that Madam Pei was merely probing and assumed they had uncovered his secret. Stammering, he said, “Madam… please be assured. According to one of the seven grounds for divorce, I can divorce her without any problems.”
Madam Pei’s expression changed sharply. So he had already married! She was so enraged she couldn’t speak. She had truly been blind. She stood up and angrily flung her sleeve aside, “Send him away!”
Without looking back, she strode quickly toward the inner chambers.
“Madam!”
“Take your things and go!”
…
Early in the morning, Li Chu rushed into the Eastern Palace like a gust of wind. He was extremely anxious. Last night, he had learned that Du Gu Mingyue, pressured by her mother, had attempted suicide by hanging to refuse Zhao Xuming’s proposal. Although she was saved in the end, Li Chu was heartbroken. How could a man of Zhao Mingxu’s low character deserve Mingyue? Only he could save her from this predicament.
He rushed to his father’s study. Crown Prince Li Heng was reading a memorial submitted by Li Qingan, requesting an official attack on Suiye. The decision to recapture Suiye had been made by the emperor at the beginning of the year, so Li Qingan didn’t need to seek further approval—only to inform the court before the attack.
By now, the Beiting army should have set out. The outcome worried Li Heng greatly. If Suiye was recaptured, Li Qingan would gain great glory, comparable to or even surpassing Yang Guozhong’s campaign in Nanzhao.

Li Heng was well aware of the pressure Shuiye posed on his father. Thirty years ago, it had been his father’s impulsive decision to hand Shuiye over to the Western Turks. Over the years, Shuiye had remained a source of concern for his father. As his father grew older and the day of meeting his ancestors neared, how could he face them?

He also had to stop Yang Guozhong from becoming prime minister at all costs. His father doted on the Yang family, and the government had fallen into chaos. Now, even commoners had become ministers. If things continued like this, the Tang Dynasty would be doomed.

Li Heng realized that his father wanted to replace Li Linfu with Yang Guozhong. He and Yang Guozhong were enemies at heart. Once Yang Guozhong seized power, with the Empress Consort’s influence behind him, could his position as crown prince even be preserved? Determined, Li Heng resolved to persuade his father no matter what.

Just as he was thinking about how to talk to his father, his son Li Chu rushed in, out of breath. “Father, I have a request.”

Seeing his son sweating profusely, Li Heng frowned. “Why are you so disheveled, my son?”

“Father, I was anxious, that’s why I lost my composure. Please forgive me.”

“What is it?”

“It’s this!” Li Chu hesitated. “I wish to marry Du Gu family’s eldest daughter, Mingyue, as my concubine. I would like to ask you to bring this up with our imperial ancestor.”

Li Heng smiled gently. “You’ve taken a liking to Du Gu Mingyue?”

“Yes, Father. Yesterday, Minister Zhang went to the Du Gu family to propose marriage for his student Zhao Xuming. Mingyue refused and even threatened to die. I can’t bear to see her suffer, so I want to marry her.”

“Zhang Yun!” Li Heng was shocked. The Du Gu family was his own people. He quickly understood Zhang Yun’s true intentions—Zhang Yun probably wanted to turn the Du Gu family into his own faction.

Seeing his son’s hopeful expression, Li Heng nodded and smiled. “Very well! I was going to see your imperial ancestor anyway. I’ll bring up your request then.”

Li Chu was overjoyed and bowed deeply. “Thank you, Father!”

Li Heng stood up and ordered his attendants, “Prepare a carriage. I’m going to Xingqing Palace.”

……

At Xingqing Palace, Li Longji had been quite busy these days, constantly considering the idea of expanding the cabinet. Expanding the cabinet was undoubtedly the best way to weaken Li Linfu’s power—like adding water to fine wine, turning even the strongest wine bland.

With the expansion from six to nine phases, Yang Guozhong had already taken one seat, leaving two more to be considered. As emperor, he had to focus more on power balance. Among the six members of the Prime Minister’s faction, Li Linfu and Chen Xilie formed one group, seizing most of the power. Zhang Yun and Yang Shenjin were close allies and could also be considered a group. Pei Kuan belonged to the Crown Prince’s faction, and then there was Yang Guozhong. In comparison, Yang Guozhong seemed somewhat isolated. Finding a political partner for Yang Guozhong to help him quickly form his own faction was an urgent issue for Li Longji. The first person he thought of was Cui Qiao, the Deputy Minister of Revenue, who was recommended by Chen Xilie. Cui Qiao was part of Li Longji’s own faction and had no connection to the Prime Minister’s group, but Chen Xilie had recommended him—Li Longji knew this was Li Linfu’s doing. By promoting Cui Qiao, Li Linfu aimed to gain a seat in the Prime Minister’s faction. What about An Sishun? Li Longji shook his head—having An Sishun become prime minister was worse than having An Lushan do so. He put down his pen, deciding he needed to think this through carefully. At that moment, a eunuch reported at the door, “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince requests an audience.” Li Longji smiled and said, “Let him in!” Moments later, Li Heng rushed into the imperial study, knelt down, and said, “Your son pays his respects to His Majesty, wishing him a long life.” “Stand up, my son!” “Thank you, Your Majesty!” Li Heng stood up, hands hanging down in respect, and said, “Your son has two matters to discuss with you.” Seeing that his son was in good health, Li Longji smiled and said, “Go ahead.” “One is that Changsun Chu requests to take a concubine. Your son believes he has few descendants—only one son so far—and thus asks for Your Majesty’s approval.” Li Longji himself had over forty thousand concubines in his harem, so he was usually not stingy when it came to his descendants marrying. Changsun Chu indeed had few descendants, which was detrimental to the continuation of his line. So Li Longji nodded and smiled, saying, “I approve. He may choose a woman from among the officials’ daughters, and after approval by the Imperial Clan Registry, it can be done.” Taking a concubine was not as complicated as taking a principal wife; once chosen, she could be married within a few days, without the elaborate rituals associated with a principal wife. Since he was the emperor’s eldest grandson, at most a position like “Zhaoxun” could be granted to her. Li Longji didn’t take this seriously and agreed casually, knowing officials would handle it. Crown Prince Li Heng had also mentioned it casually—he hadn’t come to see his father for this reason. Li Heng continued, “Your Majesty, I heard that the position of Deputy Minister of War is vacant, and I would like to recommend an official.”

Yang Guozhong was appointed Minister of War, in charge of military affairs in the Tang Dynasty. Li Hen was most worried that he would use his power to create difficulties for the Northern Regions. Just then, Yao Xuan, the Left Vice Minister of War, retired due to illness, so Li Hen wanted to appoint his own people to check Yang Guozhong’s excessive power.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Li Longji waved his hand and said, “Yang Guozhong, the Left Vice Minister of War, has recommended Linghu Fei, and I have already approved it.”

Li Hen was stunned. Linghu Fei was merely Yang Guozhong’s subordinate and a military judge in Jiannan—without any solid background—and yet he had suddenly become a Vice Minister of War of the fourth rank. How could this be possible?

Li Longji glanced at Li Hen. Knowing what the crown prince wanted to say, he replied, “I know it’s not in accordance with the usual rules, but as an exception, it’s feasible. I’ve already made up my mind.”

“Father, this must not happen under any circumstances!”

Li Hen could no longer hold back his concerns and earnestly pleaded with his father, “All officials’ promotions are based on evaluations and established procedures. For a hundred years, by following these rules, our Tang Dynasty has produced many talented people and outstanding ministers and generals. Since Father has favored the Yang family, high positions and generous rewards have been given to mediocre members of their family. Even someone like Yang Guozhong, a commoner, has become a prime minister. How disappointing this is for the whole country! I dare not criticize Father rashly, but the Yang family is truly a cancer in our Tang Dynasty. Public resentment is boiling over. If Father doesn’t take action soon…”

“Enough!”

Li Longji slammed the inkstone on the table in anger and said, “You are bold enough to slander me!”

Li Hen knelt down and wept, “I wouldn’t dare. But these words have been pent up in my heart for too long. If I don’t speak up, our Tang Dynasty will be in danger!”

“I’ll kill you, you traitor!”

Fueled by rage, Li Longji drew the sword above and swung at his son. Gao Lishi, who was standing nearby, turned pale with fear. He grabbed Li Longji’s arm and pleaded, “Your Majesty, calm down! Please calm down!”

Li Longji, weakened by wine and lust, was far weaker than Gao Lishi. Held by him, he couldn’t move and could only curse, “Get out! Get out of here!”

Seeing that his father remained stubborn, Li Hen was filled with indignation. “I shall retire then!”

He turned and left the imperial study. After his son left, Li Longji sat down heavily, breathing heavily, and gritted his teeth, “I no longer want this son.”

Gao Lishi quickly brought over a bowl of ginseng tea. “Your Majesty, calm down. The crown prince was just confused for a moment. I’ll talk to him again when I have time.”

“Hmph! If I die, who knows what kind of torment my concubine will suffer at his hands!”

Li Heng stormed out of the Datong Hall, filled with anger. He had heard too many stories about the Yang family’s tyranny over men and women. No one in the court dared to provoke them, and Yang Guifei’s three concubine sisters were even more arrogant and extravagant—each outing costing tens of thousands of taels, nearly emptying the Tang Dynasty’s treasury.

As he crossed a white jade footbridge, he suddenly saw a gorgeous woman approaching from the other side. Li Heng recognized her at once—it was Yang Huahua, the Concubine of the Guo State. He also detested her deeply.

The Yang family was known for their extravagance and debauchery, with this woman being the epitome. They built a new mansion at the expense of millions of taels from the Tang treasury, seized five hundred households’ homes to turn them into palatial residences. Not only that, but she interfered in the imperial family’s marriages, misidentifying people and ruining the traditions and dignity of the Li clan. Recently, there were rumors that she had sneaked into the emperor’s study, severely damaging his reputation.

At first, Li Heng hadn’t believed these rumors, but now that he had seen Yang Huahua enter a restricted area of Xingqing Palace with his own eyes, he believed them.

Yang Huahua also stepped onto the white jade footbridge. Upon seeing Li Heng, she snorted and didn’t even lift her eyelids, which instantly ignited Li Heng’s fury.

“Stop!”

Yang Huahua stopped, glanced back at Li Heng, and said with a seductive smile, “Is the crown prince interested in this humble woman?”

“You!” Li Heng exploded in anger, pointing at her and scolding, “You are a high-ranking concubine, yet you dare speak such vulgar words here! What kind of behavior is that?”

Yang Huahua’s expression darkened as she replied coldly, “Crown prince, be more polite. What do you mean by vulgar words?”

Li Heng held back his anger and said hatefully, “This is where the emperor handles state affairs. How dare you, a woman from an imperial relative family, enter here at will? Get out!”

Yang Huahua rolled her eyes at him and crossed her arms, saying, “So what if I come and go as I please? It’s none of your business. Just manage your own palace properly. This is Xingqing Palace—none of your business to boss around!”

With that, she swayed her waist and strode away toward Li Longji’s study. Li Heng trembled with rage, gritting his teeth and muttering, “If I become emperor, I will exterminate the Yang family!”

He spoke softly, but Yang Huahua heard him. Her body trembled, and she quickened her pace toward Li Longji’s study.

…

When she entered Li Longji’s study, Gao Lishi had just gone to prepare medicine. There were only a few eunuchs in the room. Seeing Yang Huahua enter, they wisely left.

Li Longji’s fury had subsided, but his heart ached, and his temples throbbed violently. The relationship between the crown prince and Yang Guozhong was poor, and he knew that using Yang Guozhong to check the crown prince had indeed been one of his plans. But today, Li Longji suddenly realized he was truly getting old. Gao Lishi, who was a few years older than him, grabbed his arm, yet he didn’t even have the strength to struggle.

Thinking of the crown prince’s aggressive attitude, Li Longji felt a bit scared. Could it be that he really wouldn’t live much longer?

At that moment, Yang Huahua entered the room and immediately knelt down, crying, “Your Majesty, please stand up for me!”

Li Longji, flustered, quickly helped her up. “Third sister, who dared to bully you?”

“Your Majesty, I just encountered the crown prince, and he insulted me severely.”

Li Longji grunted heavily. “What did he say to you?”

“He called me a promiscuous woman, shameless, and said I wandered around the palace freely. I was so angry that I said this was Xingqing Palace, not the Eastern Palace, but he just… just…”

Li Longji’s expression darkened as he asked coldly, “What did he say?”

“He said he wished he could ascend the throne the very next day and exterminate the entire Yang family!”