Chapter 523: Family Rules and State Laws

Madam Pei was stunned. She gradually understood what her daughter meant. “Second in the Yang family,” she murmured to herself. “How is that possible? How could she become second in the Yang family?”

By then, Mingyue had also calmed down. Sitting beside her mother, she said in a low voice, “Mother, if the Dugu family could produce as many talented people as the Pei and Cui families, perhaps it wouldn’t matter. But look at our Dugu family—except for my eldest brother, who has some talent, everyone else is mediocre, including Father. He is far inferior to my uncle. Our family hasn’t produced a scholar-official in fifty years. Each generation is worse than the last. Most of the younger generation are dissolute youths. Yesterday, I heard that Huaiyuan and Huaiqing from my second uncle’s family went to a tavern to drink wine. They were upset because the service wasn’t good enough and beat the staff and the owner. In front of the imperial guards and thousands of onlookers, they boasted that they were the uncles of the King of Zhao and that they themselves were the law. Mother, I’m worried! If my eldest brother truly inherits the throne, why should the Dugu family become the most powerful imperial clan in the Tang Dynasty? If my sister follows him as well, he will surely treat the Dugu family well, granting them titles and honors. The whole family will be honored. But can they truly bear such glory? Without talented people to support them, I’m afraid it will harm the family instead. Mother, I’m really worried!”

Only then did Madam Pei understand her daughter’s thoughts. She was thinking about the long-term future of the Dugu family. Feeling guilty, she realized she had misunderstood her daughter. She took her daughter’s hand and smiled reassuringly. “I understand. It was mother who wronged you. Ah! My child, why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I was afraid Father would know. He wouldn’t understand me.”

Madam Pei nodded. She knew very well what kind of man her husband was. He seemed shrewd and capable, but he wasn’t. Especially when it came to important matters, he lacked vision. If it hadn’t been for her insistence, he would have sent her daughter to the palace to please the aging emperor, which would have harmed not only her daughter but also the entire Dugu family. Her daughter’s worries weren’t unfounded. If her husband found out, he would surely explode in anger, scolding her daughter for not thinking about the future of the Dugu family. Men! Often, they focus too much on immediate gains, while women think more comprehensively and long-term.

She smiled and said, “I understand what you’re thinking, but don’t be too absolute. Leave some room for your sister—perhaps things aren’t as serious as you think. The Yang family’s disgrace was due to Li Longji’s incompetence; Li Qingan isn’t that kind of person. Besides, the Dugu family is also a prominent family with hundreds of years of history, not like the Yang family, who are new rich. As long as there are strict rules, the Dugu family will still produce talented people—like your grandfather and your brother, who are both excellent. I know you’re very careful, but after all, you’re involved in this situation and don’t see things as clearly as you should. Don’t push yourself too hard. Let your sister take things as they come, okay?”
Mingyue nodded silently, agreeing to her mother’s request. At that moment, a maid reported from outside, “Princess, there’s a distinguished guest visiting the estate.”
“Who is it?” Mingyue asked.
“It’s Queen Zhang!”
“Ah!” Mingyue was shocked and quickly stood up, saying to her mother, “Mother, I’ll go meet her. You drink the medicine first.”
Lady Pei was worried and warned her daughter again, “That Queen Zhang isn’t a good person. Be careful—she comes with ill intentions!”
“I know. I’ll be careful.”
Mingyue hurried out. Lady Pei shook her head gently. She felt that her eldest daughter was living too hard, caring too much about what others thought of her. Why bother? But her second daughter’s two sons were also too excessive. She must talk to her husband about this and not allow them to put Mingyue in a difficult situation. With this in mind, she struggled to sit up and said to her personal maid, “Help me go find my husband!”
……
Generally speaking, it was extremely rare for a queen to visit a minister’s family. Usually, the minister’s family was summoned to the palace. Even if they occasionally visited the minister’s residence, it was done with great pomp and ceremony. It was very uncommon for a queen like Queen Zhang to visit in such a low-key manner. There was nothing she could do—Li Heng’s power was weak, and Chang’an County was not under his control. So Queen Zhang had no choice but to lower her status and visit Dugu Mingyue as an ordinary guest.
Not only that, but before coming, she had to apply to the Qianniu Guard first and get permission before entering Chang’an County. Additionally, her guards were not allowed to enter Chang’an County and had to wait on Zhuque Street. Instead, over a thousand soldiers from the Qianniu Guard escorted her to the Dugu residence. While it was called escorting, it was actually surveillance. It was probably unprecedented for a queen of such status to be treated in this way.

Queen Zhang was truly an extraordinary woman. She not only left her guards on Zhuque Street but also brought only two palace maids, refusing to take eunuchs or other maids. Even the coachman was arranged by the Qianniu Guard. She remained calm, acting as if nothing had happened.

The carriage stopped in front of the heavily guarded Dugu Mansion. With the help of two palace maids, Queen Zhang stepped out of the carriage. By then, Dugu Mingyue was already waiting at the door.

Although Queen Zhang was a queen, Mingyue knew that her husband had not recognized Li Hen as the new emperor of Tang, so she could not treat her as a queen or pay her with imperial respect. Otherwise, it might give the impression that Li Qingan also recognized Li Hen. Every word and action of hers represented Li Qingan’s stance, so she couldn’t afford to be careless.

Mingyue treated Queen Zhang merely as a distinguished guest and stepped forward with a graceful bow, saying, “Your humble servant Mingyue pays respects to Princess Zhang.”

Hearing herself called a princess, Queen Zhang couldn’t help but smile bitterly. She indeed refused to acknowledge her status as a queen. If she were a princess, she would be of the same rank as Mingyue—she was the Princess of Yong, while Mingyue was the Princess of Zhao. Mingyue’s address was not impolite at all.

Without any sign of displeasure, Queen Zhang stepped forward and affectionately took Mingyue’s arm, saying, “I heard your mother is ill, so the emperor specially sent me to visit her.”

Mingyue naturally knew that visiting her mother was just an excuse; she came for her. She smiled and said, “My mother only has a minor illness. I’m sorry to have caused you concern. Please, come inside!”

Mingyue led Queen Zhang into the guest room and ordered the maids to serve tea. The two sat down, with Queen Zhang giving a subtle signal to the maids. The maids immediately handed over a box. When Queen Zhang opened it, she found an extremely rare thousand-year-old wild ginseng. She pushed the box toward Mingyue and said with a smile, “This is a small gift from the emperor to help your mother recover.”

Mingyue was very principled. If Queen Zhang had said it was from the prince or simply said nothing, she might have accepted it—it would have been proper hospitality. But since Queen Zhang insisted it was from the emperor, how could Mingyue accept it?

She smiled and pushed the ginseng back, saying, “My mother has a fever, and the doctor has strictly warned against giving her hot-natured herbs like ginseng and astragalus. We appreciate the princess’s kindness, but we cannot accept the gift.”

“Well…”

Zhang Liangdi was speechless. She hadn’t expected Mingyue to be so firm, refusing even to accept her gifts. Feeling annoyed, she realized what the problem was and then said with a smile, “Actually, this isn’t a gift from the emperor either; it’s just a small token from me. It may not be needed now, but there will be other opportunities. Please accept it for now, sister!”
Mingyue smiled but neither agreed nor refused. She picked up her teacup and took a sip, waiting for Zhang Liangdi’s next words. Zhang Liangdi felt as if she had punched into air. She realized then that Mingyue wasn’t as naive and young as she had thought. Discarding her contempt for Mingyue, she slowly explained the purpose of her visit.
“Princess of Zhao, I’ve come to your residence first to inquire about the health of your mother. Second, I’m here at the emperor’s request to discuss the title for your son. The emperor plans to confer the title of King of Cheng on him, along with three thousand households under his rule. If you don’t prefer this title, you may propose your own choice, and the emperor will surely consider it.”
Generally, the legitimate son of a prince would be made a duke, not a prince again—only the eldest son of the crown prince had the chance to become a prince. Li Heng’s decision to make Li Qingan’s son a prince was clearly a special effort to win him over, part of a series of concessions aimed at getting Li Qingan to acknowledge his imperial title. The first step was to gain Mingyue’s approval. Once she agreed, he would immediately issue an edict to make Li Qingan’s son a prince, thus taking control of public opinion.
Of course, Li Heng knew Li Qingan wouldn’t agree easily, but the Princess of Zhao might not understand this. Perhaps out of deep love for her son, she would agree right away.
Mingyue smiled without saying a word. Thinking she had persuaded her, Zhang Liangdi tried again, “Actually, the emperor also remembers the old kindnesses owed to the Du Gu family. He has said more than once that the Du Gu family has contributed greatly to the state and deserves special treatment. Not only will the emperor make your son a prince, but he will also confer the title of Duke on your father and Lady of the State on your mother, allowing the Du Gu family to enjoy great wealth and honor. These are the emperor’s exact words. Please consider it, Princess!”
At that moment, Mingyue smiled faintly, pushed the ginseng back at her, stood up, and said, “See to my guest!”
Zhang Liangdi was stunned. Du Gu Mingyue was actually sending her away! She had visited dozens of high-ranking officials, and none had ever dared to be so rude to her. Unable to contain her anger any longer, she snatched the ginseng and said resentfully, “Fine! If you refuse this opportunity now, don’t regret it later!”
With that, she hurried out. Mingyue didn’t see her off and turned back to her own room.

As Mingyue approached the entrance to her courtyard, her sister Mingzhu ran over, “Sis, wait for me a moment.” Mingyue turned around suddenly. She recognized that her sister’s tone was the same as before—no longer forced at all—and felt a surge of joy. “Mingzhu, what’s wrong?” “Dad asked me to invite you to come with me!” There was no more gloom in Mingzhu’s expression, as if the sunlight had broken through the clouds. Her mother had told her that her sister would no longer pressure her to get married, which delighted her greatly, as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart. Mingzhu stepped forward and whispered in her sister’s ear, “It’s about Second Uncle’s family. Auntie and Second Uncle are here.” Mingyue frowned. She knew it must be related to her two cousins, Huaiyuan and Huaiqing, who had injured people while drinking. Both of them were currently detained by the Qianniu Guard, and now Second Uncle and Auntie had come to ask her to intercede. “What’s Dad’s attitude?” Mingzhu curled her lips and said, “What attitude could Dad have? He definitely wants you to intercede. Sis, my advice is that you’d better not go. Those two brats need to be taught a lesson; otherwise, they’ll cause even bigger trouble in the future.” Mingyue pondered for a moment. It wouldn’t be right not to go either—after all, they were her own second uncle and aunt. She needed to save face for her father. With that in mind, she nodded and said, “I’ll go take a look first!” Mingyue hurried to the small guest hall in the back courtyard. As soon as she entered, her second uncle, Dugu Haojun, and aunt, Lady Qu, stood up and greeted her with smiles, “Mingyue! We’ve come to cause you trouble.” Mingyue smiled and said, “Second Uncle and Auntie, please don’t be formal. We’re family. Please sit down!” Dugu Haoran beside her sighed in relief. He knew his eldest daughter’s temperament—she might not save face for him if things went wrong. But as long as she came, things would be easier to handle. The incident happened last evening when Dugu Haojun’s two sons, Huaiyuan and Huaiqing, went to a Huji tavern in the Western Market to drink. After drinking too much, they lost control and tried to assault the Huji women serving them. The tavern staff intervened, and the two brothers, enraged, fought back along with their attendants, destroying the tavern and injuring the staff and the owner with chairs. They also shouted at the thousands of onlookers, claiming they were Li Qing’an’s brothers-in-law and that they were above the law—who dared defy them? Happily, Nan Jiyun was leading a group of Qianniu Guard soldiers through the area. Hearing about the two brothers ruining the great general’s reputation, he immediately ordered them to be captured and taken to the military camp, while also sending someone to inform the queen.

The two brothers have not been released yet, leaving their parents extremely worried. They rushed to Mingyue to plead for them. Du Gu Haojun sighed, “My two wayward sons have been spoiled by me since they were young, and they can barely tolerate alcohol—after just a little, they lose all awareness. I’m afraid they don’t even know what they did or said yesterday. Mingyue, after all, they are your cousins and members of the Du Gu clan. Please help them this time!”
Du Gu Haoran beside him added, “Yes! Mingyue, please help your uncle and aunt! Their health isn’t good either. If anything happens to Huaiyuan and Huaiqing, it would be a disaster.”
Mingyue smiled faintly and said, “Father is overreacting. Nothing bad will happen to my cousins. In fact, I think giving them a lesson would be good—to prevent them from causing bigger problems in the future. I think in a few days, we can settle the financial matters and make the necessary apologies. Once that’s done, they’ll be released. Father and uncle need not worry.”
Du Gu Haojun and his wife exchanged a look, both showing dissatisfaction. What kind of solution was this? Wasn’t this just humiliating their family’s reputation? What was the difference from ordinary commoners?
Aunt Qu couldn’t hold back and said, “Huaiyuan and Huaiqing have always been mischievous since childhood, and this isn’t the first time they’ve caused trouble. But when the authorities hear they’re from the Du Gu family, they release them right away without question, not even bothering to investigate. How come now that Mingyue has become the queen, the status of the Du Gu family has declined? I really don’t understand.”
Aunt Qu’s words were harsh, and the blame was directly directed at Mingyue. Mingyue grew slightly angry, but she suppressed her displeasure and remained calm. “Prince Zhao is always strict in governing his troops. When have you ever heard of the Anxi army disturbing the people? The stricter he is with his own people, the better. The Du Gu family can’t act arrogantly just because they’re relatives of Prince Zhao. On the contrary, they should lead by example in abiding by the law and treating the weak kindly. That’s what makes a noble family respected for generations. Otherwise, what’s the difference between the Du Gu family and the Yang family?”
“Mingyue, that’s not right what you’re saying.”

Dugu Haojun was extremely dissatisfied and said, “Since ancient times, nobles have not been subject to punishment. The Dugu family are imperial relatives and should naturally receive preferential treatment. Huaiyuan and Huaiqing didn’t go around killing or setting fires; they merely smashed a Hu person’s tavern and injured two servants. What’s the big deal? The Qianniu Guard shouldn’t have arrested them at all. This has severely damaged our Dugu family’s reputation. I won’t pursue them, but they still refuse to release them. Does Nan Jiyun not understand basic human decency? I think he does. He’s deliberately trying to humiliate the Dugu family—and you as well. By the way, I heard his wife’s surname is Cui. Could she be from the Cui family? Mingyue, you need to be careful! It’s likely the Cui family is also thinking of giving their daughter to Li Qing’an.”

“Uncle, stop talking nonsense. General Nan’s wife has nothing to do with the Cui family.”

Mingyue finally got angry. With a cold expression, she said, “I can compensate for the damaged tavern, and I can go apologize for the injuries, but Huaiyuan and Huaiqing must be punished accordingly. That’s my principle, and I won’t compromise on it.”

Silence filled the small reception hall. Suddenly, Dugu Haoran and his wife stood up together, their faces dark. “This is our family’s matter. We don’t dare trouble Princess Zhao. I’ll act as if I have no sons and let the Anxi Army kill them. It’s their own fault. Goodbye!”

The couple left in a fury. After a while, Dugu Haoran also said solemnly, “Mingyue, you’ve really disappointed me.” With a wave of his sleeve, he turned and left as well. Mingyue sat in the main hall, lost in deep thought. After what seemed like a long time, she sighed softly and got up to return to her own courtyard.

Back in her room, Mingzhu was playing with her nephew, who was giggling from the tickles. Seeing her sister return, Mingzhu quickly stood up and asked, “How did it go?”

Mingyue shook her head. Mingzhu sneered and said, “I knew it would end like this. Uncle and Auntie are known for protecting their own people, just like the Third Master’s family. How could they listen to your advice? Huaiyuan and Huaiqing will eventually be killed by them.”

“Stop talking.”

Mingyue picked up her son, kissed his little face, and said to Mingzhu, “I’ve made up my mind. I’ll move out of the Dugu residence tomorrow and go to my own home in Huaiyuan Fang. Do you want to come with me?”

“As long as you don’t force me to marry, I’ll go with you.”

“Don’t worry! Since I’ve promised Mother, I won’t go back on it. Go pack your things. Also, tell Ruhua to pack hers as well.”

Mingzhu lived with Ruhua. She happily agreed and rushed off.

At this moment, Mingyue’s expression turned cold. She handed her son to the wet nurse, walked over to the desk, picked up a pen, and wrote four characters on the paper: “Punish strictly according to the law!”
She folded the note and handed it to her personal maid, saying, “Take this to General Nan Jiyun immediately. Tell her that the general’s reputation is as weighty as Mount Tai.”