Chapter 73: The State (5)

Chen Xiliye snorted lightly and said, “If he wants to kill us, he first has to prove he has the ability. Now that Prime Minister Li is ill, His Majesty relies on him a bit, and he thinks he represents something important. But if he wants to turn the situation around, he still has to get past me first.”
Chen Rui, however, clearly lacked Chen Xiliye’s cunning and patience. He said anxiously, “That wretch is so vicious. Father has already been patient with him time and again, yet he still wants to kill you. We can’t just sit idly by—let’s fight back! Prime Minister Li and your former students are everywhere in the court. As long as you speak up, we can surely impeach him for many crimes!”
After a brief pause, Chen Rui continued, “I heard that the Yang family members rely on their power to bully the weak and oppress the innocent. The head steward in Yang Zhao’s household even took over the wives of their tenants. If we report such things to the emperor, I’m sure the Yang family will be dealt a harsh punishment!”
Chen Xiliye laughed bitterly in anger and pointed at Chen Rui’s nose, scolding, “Superficial! At most, this is just proof that Yang Zhao fails to discipline his subordinates. Even if punished by law, it would only result in a deduction from his salary. Besides, that wretch is currently in high favor, and His Majesty wants to use him in his plans—so he certainly won’t be punished. Can’t you see that?”
Chen Rui, filled with resentment, raised his head defiantly, “Let’s put that aside for now. But that Lady of Guo State isn’t any better either. I heard she has connections with many high-ranking officials. How can such a promiscuous woman be called a lady of the state? Father, don’t worry about it. In a few days, I’ll join forces with some of my old classmates to submit a petition accusing her of immorality.”
“Nonsense!”
Chen Xiliye was so angry that his beard trembled. “Do you really think you can confront Lady of Guo State? That woman is no ordinary person! She moves freely among the court officials yet manages to handle countless shady matters for the Yang family without getting hurt. As for her moral conduct—does our Tang law actually forbid a lady of the state from having affairs?”
“Well…”
Chen Rui was speechless. The Tang Dynasty indeed had no law prohibiting women from seducing officials. But since it involved chastity and morality, how could Lady of Guo State treat it as nothing?
“Besides, do you really think His Majesty doesn’t know about Lady of Guo State’s affairs? That woman has already slept with the emperor—what more could there be to discuss?”
Chen Xiliye exhaled sharply and decided to tell his son the truth.
Since they were in a secret room in the temple, where nothing could leak out, he dared to say such disrespectful things.
“Father means… Lady of Guo State shares her husband with the Imperial Concubine?”

Chen Rui was after all young and had seen too little of the world. Hearing his grandfather’s astonishing words, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
“What’s so strange about that? Royal affairs are never clear or explainable.”
Chen Xilié didn’t find such things strange at all. During the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Cheng enjoyed the company of Zhao Hede on his left and Zhao Feiyan on his right, savoring all the pleasures of the world, yet the historians didn’t write anything critical about him. Didn’t Emperor Gaozong of their dynasty also become involved with Lady Han Guo, the sister of Empress Wu Zetian?
Of course, when it came to outstanding figures, one had to look at the present era. The emperor simply moved his wrist, and his daughter-in-law was elevated to concubine. There was also Lady Guo, who served as a sort of shadow, allowing him to vary his pleasures from time to time.
“Could it be… could it be that the emperor isn’t afraid of people’s gossip?”
Chen Rui looked at his grandfather in disbelief, unable to believe that the wise and mighty emperor he saw in his eyes could be so reckless in matters of love.
“This kid has gone mad from studying too much!” Chen Xilié thought.
“Gossip? Who dares to gossip? What can they say? To speak disrespectfully, if the emperor were afraid of gossip, he wouldn’t be sitting here on this imperial throne now.”
Chen Xilié needed to make this child fully understand the situation. What was taught in books was one thing, but the reality in the court was another. Ironically, these two perspectives were so different that even those who studied the classics diligently rarely achieved anything in their careers.
“Then… does that mean we have no chance of overthrowing the Yang family?”
Chen Rui was nearly desperate. If the emperor trusted the Yang family so much, what chance did they have to defeat them?
“Not necessarily. Think about why the Yang family has enjoyed such favor.”
Chen Xilié sighed and guided him step by step. Rui was the most talented among his children, but he had been blinded by too much study of Confucian texts. With proper guidance, he could still help the Chen family achieve greatness.
“Is it Concubine Yang?”
Chen Rui wasn’t ordinary either; he immediately grasped the key to the problem. “Father means, create some…?”
Chen Rui felt his heart pounding rapidly, as if a hungry wolf had smelled blood. He saw an opportunity to defeat the Yang family. Concubine Yang was their backbone, their foundation. If they could strike at the root, no matter how lush the branches and leaves grew, it would be nothing but superficial glory.
Chen Xilié waved his hand. “Isn’t the opportunity right in front of you now?”
“What does father mean?”
Chen Rui didn’t dare to be negligent and asked respectfully.

“Recently, there have been rumors that Li Kuo is quite close to the Imperial Concubine.” Chen Xilié stroked his beard and smiled triumphantly. “But he’s the Concubine’s mentor. I heard the Emperor even granted him a pass to enter the palace at will— isn’t that normal?” Chen Rui looked at his grandfather in confusion, not understanding what he meant. “There’s always a reason behind the rumors!” Chen Xilié shook his head. “It’s not about whether they’ve done anything or not, but what others say and whether the Emperor believes it. Flies don’t land on unbroken eggs. If they were truly innocent, why would such vivid rumors spread among the people? Words can be powerful— even false ones can become true if repeated enough. Do you understand?” So that’s how it is! Chen Rui, like a monk practicing Buddhism, suddenly had an epiphany, feeling a mix of emotions. “I’ll leave this task to you. Remember, you don’t need to get involved directly. Once the rumors spread among the people, the Emperor will naturally know.” But is this fair to Li Kuo? Although he felt relieved, Chen Rui still felt somewhat guilty toward the young man. They were targeting the Yang family, and although the young man was related to them, he wasn’t part of their clan. Wasn’t this a case of harming others for personal gain? “And as for those two newly hired guards, you should know what to tell them to do.” Chen Xilié shook his head. “People like us never need knives to kill! Hiring a few guards can protect us from overt attacks, but not from deceitful hearts. What’s the use?”