Chapter 161: Playing the Middleman

Two days later, Li Qing’an visited the Wei family’s residence once again. Sitting in the guest hall, he sipped the exquisite Mengding tea from Sichuan while admiring several paintings hanging on the walls. Unfamiliar with art, he could only tell that the paintings were by renowned masters. One calligraphy piece was written in a bold and magnificent style—upon closer inspection, the signature was Zhang Xu’s; it was indeed an authentic work by him. Another painting, depicting palace maids, was actually by Yan Liben.

These artworks, which would be considered national treasures in later generations, were casually hung on the walls, which made Li Qing’an shake his head in surprise.

“Does General Li like these paintings?”
Wei Huan walked in slowly, hands behind his back, and said with a smile, “If General Li likes them, I’ll give them to you.”

“Really give them to me?”
Li Qing’an turned around and smiled, “Then I won’t be polite.”

Wei Huan was merely being polite. He treasured these artworks just as much and would never give them away. If not for his younger brother’s insistence on displaying them, they would have remained hidden in his chest. Unexpecting Li Qing’an to take it seriously, he felt awkward and chuckled awkwardly before changing the subject. “General Li, did you come today because you were still unsatisfied last night?”

Li Qing’an smiled faintly. “If I’m not mistaken, I’ll be the only one here today!”

Wei Huan was stunned. There was something hidden in Li Qing’an’s words. Considering he was part of the crown prince’s faction, could it be true, as his third brother said, that he came on behalf of the crown prince?

Hope flared in Wei Huan’s heart, and he quickly said, “General Li, please sit!”

After they sat down, Wei Huan ordered new tea to be brought. Then he sighed and said, “Our Wei family has been unfortunate—we’ve faced setbacks for years. A few years ago, with the Wei Jian incident, all our family members were purged. It was only in the past two years that we began to recover, only for this trouble to arise again. It’s true that I promoted some of our family members, but only after obtaining approval from the Ministry of Personnel. I didn’t appoint them privately—what fault is there in that? Besides, this happened over half a year ago. Why bring it up now, especially when the court went to such lengths as holding a triple trial? It’s truly baffling.”

Li Qing’an took a sip of tea and smiled. “Magistrate Wei should know that this is just an excuse. The real purpose is power struggle, not investigation. If Magistrate Wei visits Yang Zhao’s residence, I think this matter will be dropped.”

After saying that, Li Qing’an picked up his teacup again, his gaze smilingly fixed on Wei Huan as he waited for his reaction. Wei Huan’s face suddenly turned purplish-red as he slammed the table in anger and said, “No matter how fallen our Wei family may be, we will not stoop to relying on connections to advance in office. If we survive this crisis, the Wei family will rise again; if not, even in decline, we will not disgrace our ancestors. General Li, please stop bringing this up.”

Li Qing’an quickly put down his teacup and bowed in apology, “I deeply admire the integrity of noble families. It was my carelessness just now. Please forgive me, Lord Wei!”

“I won’t blame General Li!”

Wei Huan sighed and continued, “Actually, the Cui family isn’t all like Cui Qiao and Cui Yuan. I know Cui Yuan well—he and Yang Zhao are just using each other. As for Cui Qiao, he’s always eager to curry favor. First, he married a woman from the imperial family, which brought shame to his family. Now he’s openly sided with the Yang family. There must be internal strife within the Cui family. As a family that has existed for hundreds of years, how can they allow him to ruin their reputation?”

Though he said this, he was still worried. It wouldn’t be easy for the Wei family to revive. If they suffered another blow this time, it might be impossible for them to recover. He glanced at Li Qing’an, who was smiling silently, and tentatively asked, “General Li, did the Crown Prince know you came to visit our Wei family in such a time of crisis?”

“I came for this very reason. If you’re willing, I’d like to help you contact the Crown Prince and ask him to intercede on your behalf. What do you think?”

From his tone, it seemed Li Qing’an hadn’t reported this to the Crown Prince yet. Wei Huan thought to himself, ‘So it wasn’t the Crown Prince’s idea. He’s offering help on his own. Why? I have no prior relationship with him at all!’

He then smiled and said, “Thank you, General Li, for your chivalrous heart. The Wei family is deeply grateful. But this will also offend the Yang family. We really can’t bear it.”

Li Qing’an understood what he meant and smiled slightly. “There are two reasons why I’m willing to help the Wei family. First, I broke one of your family’s tables the night before last and haven’t compensated for it yet. I feel guilty about that!”

Wei Huan laughed heartily and waved his hand. “General Li is truly amusing. So it’s to compensate for our table! Very well! I accept this compensation.”

Li Qing’an nodded and added, “As for the second reason, it’s simple. Yang Zhao hates me deeply, and I’ve openly rejected his marriage proposal. Our relationship with the Yang family is beyond repair. If there’s another person to oppose them, I’m only happy about that.”

……

After leaving Wei’s residence, Li Qing’an went to the East Market. The market was also brightly lit and bustling with activity. In front of each shop, there were various kinds of lanterns, as these were important for the image of the shops. Therefore, every lantern was exquisitely crafted and lifelike. It was daytime, and many workers were repairing the lanterns—replenishing oil or mending damaged parts. Today was the Lantern Festival, and the lantern viewing would reach its peak.

Li Qing’an searched around in the silk and fabric shops until he found one called “Gaoling Dingji.” As soon as he entered, the shop assistant greeted him with a smile. “Sir, we’re doing an inventory check today and not handling any business. I’m sorry!”

“Is the owner here?”

“I am!”

A plump middle-aged man stepped out from behind the counter and bowed. “I am the owner of this shop. What can I do for you, sir?”

Li Qing’an showed him the gold medal from the Eastern Palace. The owner’s expression immediately became serious, and he quickly waved his hand. “Please come inside to talk.”

He then ordered the assistant, “Close the shop door. No one is allowed in.”

This shop was a secret liaison point set up by Crown Prince Li Hen in the East Market. There were some matters that couldn’t be discussed inside the Eastern Palace, so they would first convey the gist of the matter here before arranging a meeting elsewhere. Last time, Li Hen had given Li Qing’an the address of this “Gaoling Dingji” silk shop. Li Qing’an followed the owner into the back room. The owner closed the door and bowed with a smile. “I’m Ma Yingjun, formerly an eunuch in the Eastern Palace. I’ve long heard of General Li’s fame.”

So he was an eunuch. Li Qing’an nodded and took out a sealed letter—loyalty letter written by Wei Huan to the crown prince, along with his own note. He handed the letter to Ma Yingjun and said, “This is it. It’s extremely important. You must deliver it to the crown prince right away—no delay allowed!”

……

In the Eastern Palace, Crown Prince Li Hen had been in high spirits these past few days. On the eve of the Lantern Festival last night, he visited the lanterns with his children and concubines. His grandson Li Shi was lively and adorable, much to his liking. It was funny—though he was only 39 years old, his grandson was already 8. He had had his first son, Li Chu, at the age of 15. Li Chu married Pearl, the daughter of a prominent family from Wuxing. In the first year of the Tianbao era, when Li Chu was 16, he had a son, Li Shi. The family was reunited and lived happily together. Moreover, the historians responsible for recording his daily activities were sick these past few days, and the other two happened to be away from Chang’an. This gave him a rare chance to relax and talk freely with his family.

Early in the morning, Li Heng went to his study. A impeachment petition had been sent to him by the Censorate the previous night, which puzzled him greatly. After pondering for a long time, he realized that it was Yang Zhao trying to eliminate the Wei family’s influence in Bashu. Li Heng had a special affection for the Wei family. After the Wei Jian case, he was forced to divorce his wife, Wei Fei, with whom he had a deep bond. Wei Fei eventually became a nun and spent her life in sorrow—this was the greatest pain in Li Heng’s life. As the crown prince, he was even worse off than an ordinary commoner, unable to protect his own wife.

For this reason, Li Heng had always felt a sense of guilt toward the persecuted Wei family. Now, Yang Zhao was about to take action against them again, which stirred an inexplicable anger in Li Heng. How dare a scoundrel who climbed the ranks through connections slander a high-ranking official?

But having gone through too many hardships, Li Heng was no longer as impulsive as before. He immediately thought that this might be an implicit order from his father, to have Yang Zhao strike down the Wei family, which had just begun to recover. With this thought, he refrained from acting rashly and decided to wait and observe.

At that moment, a trusted eunuch rushed in, placed a letter on Li Heng’s desk, and then slowly left. Li Heng glanced at the envelope—it came from Ma Yingjun’s silk shop. Ma Yingjun had served him since childhood. The previous year, he was released from the palace, and Li Heng gave him some money to open a silk shop in the Eastern Market. That shop later became a secret channel for him to communicate with the outside world. All of his secret orders were sent out through that shop. It was surprising to receive a letter there—who would contact him on the Lantern Festival?

He picked up the letter and habitually glanced at the seat of the historian. It was empty today. He quickly tore open the envelope. Inside were two letters: one from Li Qing’an and the other written by Wei Huan himself. He first read Li Qing’an’s letter. Li Qing’an suggested bringing the Wei family back into the crown prince’s faction and helping him in this Wei Huan case. Whether it succeeded or not, the Wei family would be eternally grateful to the Eastern Palace.

He then read Wei Huan’s letter, which contained reflections on the past. This reminded Li Heng of his poor wife, Wei Fei. His nose tingled slightly with emotion. He sighed and said to the eunuch beside him, Li Jingzhong, “Go and invite Li Mi here. Tell him I have important matters to discuss with him.”

After a moment, Li Bi hurried in. Around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with fair skin and a tall, slender build, his every move exuded grace and elegance. Li Bi gained Emperor Li Longji’s favor in the second year of the Tianbao era after writing a letter on Songshan Mountain, and was appointed as a Hanlin Imperial Secretary to assist the crown prince in the Eastern Palace. He had a close relationship with Li Heng and was one of his most trusted confidants and advisors. It was Li Bi’s idea to recruit Li Qing’an as a key member of the crown prince’s faction. He believed that Beiting was different from the Central Plains and fell within the emperor’s tolerable limits. If the Beiting troops supported the Eastern Palace, it would also help stabilize the realm, so the emperor would surely approve. Indeed, Li Qing’an defected to Li Heng, and Emperor Li Longji said nothing, indicating his approval.

This was a form of power balance. Emperor Li Longji executed Huangfu Weiming and demoted Wang Zhongsì, killing or exiling all the high-ranking officials who supported the crown prince. Yet this was not absolute. Huangfu Weiming was the military governor of Longyou, and Wang Zhongsì was even the military governor of the Four Garrison Commands; their troops could reach Chang’an in two or three days, so Li Longji could not tolerate them. In contrast, Beiting and Anxi were different—Beiting troops would take at least a month to reach Chang’an, with Hexi in between, posing no real threat to Li Longji. Thus, he could tolerate them. He also knew that the crown prince needed troops to support him, which would help stabilize the realm once he ascended the throne. Therefore, Li Longji chose Beiting as a balancing point and did not interfere as Li Qing’an became a key figure in the crown prince’s faction.

Gao Lishi understood Emperor Li Longji well and pushed for Li Qing’an to join the crown prince’s faction. Li Bi saw through this as well and advised Li Heng to recruit Li Qing’an as a core member of the faction—this was Li Bi’s outstanding insight.

Li Bi stepped forward, bowed, and said, “Your humble servant pays respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!”

“Have you heard about Wei Huan’s situation?”

“I have heard something about it.”

Li Heng handed him the letters from Li Qing’an and Wei Huan. “Take a look first!”

After flipping through them, Li Bi asked, “What are Your Highness’s thoughts?”

Li Heng walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and sighed. “To be honest, I’m conflicted. I hope the Wei family will return to my side, but I’m also worried it’s Emperor Father’s doing behind the scenes. If I take action, it might harm me instead.”

Li Bi smiled slightly and asked, “I wonder why Your Highness thinks it’s Emperor Father’s doing?”

“Just read Wei Huan’s letter and you’ll understand. He did promote his own clan nephew, which is fine, but he followed the rules strictly—submitting a request to the Ministry of Personnel before the promotion and only taking on the new position after approval. Moreover, Wei Ming also entered official service through family connections and has been serving as a county magistrate for four years without any issues. Yet, even in this case with no flaws, the Emperor treated it as a serious matter and even held a triple-court trial. I can only think the Emperor is using this as an excuse to strike a blow.”
At this, Li Heng glanced at Li Bi. Seeing his confident expression, he asked, “What’s your opinion?”
Li Bi smiled and said, “Your Highness, my view is largely similar to yours.”
“Then tell me!”
“I also believe there’s nothing wrong with Wei Huan’s promotion. The problem lies in the fact that Yang Zhao has just taken charge as the military governor of Jiannan.”
“Are you saying the Emperor is helping Yang Zhao to suppress Wei Huan?”
“That’s one way to put it, but I think it’s not as simple as just suppressing Wei Huan.”
Li Heng stopped in his tracks and stared at Li Bi, saying, “Go on!”
“I believe the Emperor might want to use this incident to target the prominent families.”
“Target the prominent families?” Li Heng frowned. He hadn’t considered that angle at all.
“How exactly?”
“It’s simple—members of the same clan cannot hold official positions in the same region.”
Li Heng nodded slowly. He understood now. Once this trap was set, not only the Wei family but also the Cui, Pei, Lu, Zheng, Wang, and other major families would all be caught.
“My father is truly ingenious!”
Li Heng inwardly admired him. He quickly said, “In that case, it’s better if I don’t get involved in Wei Huan’s matter.”
“No! You must step in.”
Li Bi shook his head and smiled, “If Your Highness steps in for the Wei family, not only will the Wei family fall into the trap, but you can also gain the loyalty of all the prominent families. Why wouldn’t you do it?”
……
After handing Wei Huan’s letter to the crown prince, Li Qing’an felt relieved. All he needed to do was act as a matchmaker between the Wei family and the crown prince. As for how the crown prince would deal with Yang Zhao, it was none of his concern. He could just sit back and watch the chaos below. He also wanted to see what role Li Linfu would play in all this.
By the time he returned to his residence, it was already afternoon. As he approached the entrance of the Furong Tower courtyard, he saw a woman in white standing there, walking back and forth, looking extremely anxious.
“Yunu!” Li Qing’an suddenly recognized her. Wasn’t this the maid Yu Nu who served Wu Yi? What was she doing here? Could something have happened to Wu Yi?
“General Li!”

Yunu saw Li Qing’an and hurried over, grabbing his arm. With a hint of crying in her voice, she said, “General Li, please go see my young lady!”
Li Qing’an was shocked. “What’s wrong with Miss Wuyi?”
“She suddenly fell ill at noon yesterday. She hasn’t said a word or drunk a drop of water since then. I really don’t know what to do.”
Tears streamed from her eyes as she said sadly, “My poor young lady is all alone. Everyone in General Li’s household ignores her. General Li, I beg you to go see her!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll go with you right now.”
Li Qing’an turned back to give some instructions before immediately following Yunu to Li Linfu’s residence. Although it wasn’t appropriate for him to appear there at that time, he no longer cared.
“Yunu, why did Miss Wuyi suddenly fall ill?”
Curious, Li Qing’an asked Yunu carefully on the way to Li Linfu’s house, “Did something happen?”
Yunu’s eyes grew sad. After a long while, she sighed softly and said in a low voice, “At noon yesterday, a few of Prime Minister Li’s daughters came to tell my young lady some good news.”
“Good news? What good news?” Li Qing’an was confused.
“They told her that General Li was going to marry a daughter from the Du Gu family. Last night, he composed a poem for her and told her everything that had happened at Wei’s residence. As soon as they left, she fell ill. She cried all night last night.”
“Stop talking!”
Li Qing’an’s heart burned with anxiety. He ordered the coachman to speed up, and soon the carriage arrived at the side door of the prime minister’s residence and came to a slow stop.
Yunu went forward and knocked on the door. A doorkeeper opened it, smiling cheekily, “Oh! It’s little Yunu! What, going out to buy medicine for your young lady?”
Yunu ignored him and waved at Li Qing’an, saying, “General, please come with me!”
Only then did the doorkeeper see Li Qing’an. Frightened, he quickly opened the door. “General Li, please come in. Shall I inform the master?”
“No need. I just want to see Miss Wuyi. I don’t want to disturb Prime Minister Li’s rest.”
Jiang Wuyi’s courtyard was close to the side door. After entering, it was just a short turn away. Li Qing’an followed Yunu into the courtyard. Yunu said softly, “General, wait a moment. I’ll let her know first.”
Worried, Yunu went inside. She had gone to find Li Qing’an on her own. If the young lady found out, would she blame her?
Wuyi’s room was simple—a bed with peeling paint, a zither beside it, and an old table by the window with half-written poems on it.

A slightly yellowed white sheer curtain regulated the light in the room, creating a dim glow. On the music stand beside the bed lay a model of an emerald-green six-stringed zither, and in the vase on top of the bed were a bouquet of freshly bloomed pink and white plum blossoms. Though the room was simple, it was filled with a serene and warm atmosphere.

It was very quiet in the room. Wuyi lay motionless on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Her face was pale and haggard, and it seemed as though the mocking expressions of her cousins still echoed in her mind.

“Wuyi, it’s the Lantern Festival tonight. Isn’t General Li coming to invite you out?”

“Doesn’t he like you very much? He even gave you a six-stringed zither! So why did he go after the daughter of the Du Gu family? Oh! I see now—she’s from a wealthy family, while you’re just a widow with no support.”

……

Every word of these words pierced Wuyi’s heart like a knife. She could only let them stab her without any chance to defend herself. Her hopes had been shattered. When she met Li Qing’an, she thought her life would once again be filled with flowers and happiness, but fate mercilessly took away even that little hope. Yes, what did she have? No parents, no family, completely alone, not even free—she was a widow, a widow who had never been married. Her fate had already been decided: she would spend her life in solitude. Perhaps before long, she would be able to see her mother, the only relative in the world who loved her.

“Mother!”

She called out softly. At that moment, her heart was filled with longing for the end of her life.

Then the door opened, and the maid Yunu came in.

……

Li Qing’an stood in the courtyard, peering into the room. His heart was filled with self-reproach and anxiety. He only thought about Li Linfu using Wuyi as a bait and the scheming in the political world, forgetting about Wuyi’s loneliness and suffering, as well as a woman’s hopes and waits for him. Yet he had fallen in love with someone else. Ah! What is hypocrisy and selfishness? He, Li Qing’an, was exactly that.

He heard Yunu going upstairs. Moments later, Yunu’s voice came from inside the room.

“Miss, General Li has come to see you.”

“General Li!” A hoarse cry of surprise came from inside the room, followed by silence. After a while, Wuyi’s voice was heard again: “Tell him I’m very tired and want to rest. Ask him not to disturb me.”

“But, miss…”

“Didn’t you hear me?”

“Miss, he’s right in the courtyard. Please meet him at least once!”

“I don’t want to see anyone now. Tell him to go back. Oh! Give this back to him.”

“Girl, what are you doing… Ah!” A soft sigh came from inside the room from Yunu.
These words reached Li Qing’an’s ears one by one, very clearly. They struck his head like whips, and his face suddenly heated up as he felt ashamed.
After a while, Yunu slowly came out, holding a small, delicate six-stringed guitar—the same model Li Qing’an had given to Jiang Wuyi on New Year’s Eve last year.
She stepped forward and handed the guitar to Li Qing’an, stammering, “My girl is in a bad mood. Please forgive her, General Li.”
Li Qing’an nodded silently, took the guitar. It was spotless; despite a year having passed, it still shone as if new.
He took a deep breath and said loudly to the room, “Miss Wuyi, many things are not as simple as you think. I believe you’ll understand my difficulties soon. Miss Wuyi, I will definitely come to see you again.”
After saying that, he bowed deeply, turned, and left. Behind the window curtains on the second floor, Wuyi, dressed in a white dress, stared blankly at Li Qing’an’s retreating figure as a crystal tear rolled down from her eye.