Chapter 163: The Decision on the Wedding Dress

In the living room of the Cui family’s residence, Lady Cui sat upright and solemn. Several of the Cui family’s relatives stood behind her. Li Linfu did not appear; instead, his widowed sister, Lady Li, sat with her. Similarly, Li Linfu’s sons stood behind her. On the other side sat Jiang Wuyi, the focus of today’s discussion. She was very weak, and her maid, Yunu, supported her. On the table in front of Lady Cui lay the yellowed marriage contract. Lady Cui’s face showed no expression—she had said what she needed to say, now waiting for the Li family to make a statement.

Lady Li was Wuyi’s greatest supporter within the Li family. She had always shown sympathy and care for her, firmly advocating for Wuyi to break off the engagement. However, the Cui family’s stubborn attitude angered her. Suppressing her fury, she said, “Lady Cui, if Wuyi were truly a Cui family wife, we would have nothing to say. But in reality, she hasn’t married into the Cui family yet—there hasn’t even been a wedding ceremony. Since her husband died before marriage, I think it’s acceptable, even normal, to cancel this engagement. Just as the Huang family, the governor of Huazhou, ended their engagement when their son died before marriage to give the woman a chance to remarry—that’s only human. Why should the Cui family be different? Besides, Wuyi has been a widow for five years and has fulfilled her duties to the fullest. Now that she’s 21, if she doesn’t marry soon, she’ll likely spend her life alone. Lady Cui, I always thought the Cui family was a distinguished family that should be more reasonable and compassionate than ordinary families. But what I hear and see is the exact opposite.”

Lady Li’s sharp words had no effect on Lady Cui. She slammed her walking stick on the ground and said coldly, “I can understand Lady Li’s desire to protect her own people, but the reason the Cui family has been a renowned family for centuries is its strict rules. One of those rules is never to cancel engagements. I’ve come today to reiterate two things: first, canceling the engagement is impossible. Since Wuyi has been promised to the Cui family, she will always be a Cui family wife. We originally considered her convenience by allowing her to live with her family, but I heard that she left without the Cui family’s permission to play the zither, even earning the title of ‘Fairy of the Zither.’ Is that true, Wuyi?”

A slight stir arose in the room. Not only were the Cui family’s relatives shocked, but Li Linfu’s sons were also surprised. It turned out that the famous ‘Fairy of the Zither’ in the capital was none other than Wuyi. All eyes turned toward her.

At this moment, Wu Yi’s face turned red with anger. She had always thought she couldn’t break off the engagement because no one spoke up for her, but now she realized that the Cui family had never intended to do so—they simply wanted her to spend her life in solitude. For the sake of their so-called family honor, they were even willing to use her as a sacrifice. Five years of suffering had gone unmet with any sympathy or understanding from the Cui family, and now they were accusing her of playing the piano outside. What did they want? Did they want her to become a living dead person, locked in her room for the rest of her life, just to satisfy their rules?

Anger made her body tremble slightly. She raised her head and said, “That’s right. I played the piano in the Liyuan side courtyard to commemorate my mother. Does playing the piano to remember my mother violate the laws of the kingdom? Or the family rules of your Cui family?”

“Miss Wu Yi, our Cui family has rules. People inside the family must not appear in public without the family’s permission. Since you are part of the Cui family, you should follow its rules. Since the Li family can’t control you, you’d better come with me now!”

“What if I refuse?”

Wu Yi was extremely angry. At this moment, she had completely lost her usual calmness. Five years of pent-up frustration and sorrow erupted. She struggled to stand up and shouted at the old lady Cui, “Damn your Cui family and its rules! I am a daughter of the Jiang family. From now on, I have nothing to do with the Cui family!”

“Yunu, let’s go!”

She supported Yunu, and the two slowly left the hall. The hall fell silent, the atmosphere becoming extremely awkward. After a while, the old lady Cui snorted heavily and said coldly, “With just those few words of hers, it’s fine to take her to court.”

She then said to Lady Li, “I demand that Prime Minister Li send her to the Cui family right away. Is that okay?”

She deliberately emphasized the word “prime minister.” Lady Li sighed secretly. Although she was also extremely dissatisfied, Wu Yi was the daughter-in-law of the Cui family, and the Li family had no reason to refuse. So she said, “As the old lady just saw, Wu Yi is still sick. How about waiting a day or two until she recovers a bit, and then the Cui family comes to pick her up?”

Cui Ping, who had come along, also said to the old lady Cui, “Grandmother, our Cui family is reasonable. Why not let her recover first before bringing her here?”

The old lady Cui glared at Cui Ping, wondering why he was so eager. She pushed the marriage contract forward and said, “The Cui family will absolutely not break off the engagement. Well! Out of respect for Prime Minister Li, let’s wait three more days. The Cui family will come to pick her up in three days.”

Wuyi returned to her room. Within a single day, the pain of heartbreak and the cruelty of fate tormented this young woman’s heart. Her frail health made it nearly impossible for her to sit or stand, but the agonizing sense of humiliation and hatred toward the Cui family kept her going. She stared fixedly out the window, sitting motionless with a deathly pale face.

“Miss, let’s go ask the master again!”
Yunu whispered, “After all, he’s the prime minister! Let him speak to the Cui family and ask them to keep you.”
“Yunu, let’s pack our things.”
“Miss… what did you say?”
“Pack our things; we’re leaving Chang’an!” A determination never seen before flashed in Wuyi’s eyes.
Yunu became panicked. Leave? She had never thought about it—they had no money, no relatives, no one to turn to. Where could two weak women go? They didn’t even have money for dinner that day, let alone a carriage.
She glanced secretly at her master. She actually had an idea of a place to go, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak up.
“Miss, how about… how about we go see General Li?”
Yunu finally mustered up the courage, but Wuyi firmly shook her head, plunging Yunu’s newfound hope back into despair.
Just then, a cough came from the courtyard. Li Linfu’s voice appeared, “Wuyi, I’d like to talk to you. Is that alright?”
“Uncle, please come in!”
Wuyi tidied her clothes slightly and took a sip of water to calm her furious emotions. She went downstairs, where Li Linfu was already standing at the door.
She quickly bowed, “Uncle!”
Li Linfu glanced around Wuyi’s room. It was the first time he had entered this room in ten years. The simple furnishings were even worse than those in the servants’ quarters, showing that Wuyi hadn’t had an easy life over the past decade. As her uncle, he felt somewhat guilty.
“Wuyi, sit down.”
He sat cross-legged, and Wuyi sat down across from him. Yunu brought in a cup of tea. “Master, please have some tea!”
Li Linfu nodded. After a moment of thought, he said, “I’m here to tell you that the Cui family insists on taking you back. There’s nothing I can do about it.”
Wuyi remained silent for a long time. Finally, she smiled sadly and said, “I understand!”
Li Linfu smiled slightly and said, “But before going to the Cui family’s house, you can go visit your parents’ graves first. If I’m not mistaken, your parents’ graves are in Guangzhou. You should be able to get there before Qingming from Chang’an. After visiting your parents’ graves, the Cui family won’t have any objections.”

After saying that, he took out a small package, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Wu Yi, smiling and saying, “This is sixty gold leaves and a jade token of mine. The gold leaves are for your expenses, and the jade token is for showing to the authorities. If you encounter any difficulties, just go to them directly—no one will dare to neglect you. Also, I’ve asked Lao Zhongtou to accompany you. He has served me for thirty years and is utterly loyal to me; he can take care of you on the journey.”

Wu Yi silently stared at the package before her. She understood what her uncle meant—the tomb-sweeping was just an excuse; he actually wanted her to leave far away.

Wu Yi kowtowed deeply to Li Linfu and said through tears, “I will always remember my uncle’s kindness.”

Li Linfu sighed and said, “I, the Right Prime Minister, can only resort to such a measure. It’s truly shameful! Wu Yi, leave tonight. Be careful on your journey!”

He stood up and headed for the door. When he reached it, he stopped, turned back, and smiled, “Li Qing’an, don’t blame him too much. It was I who used you as leverage against him. Since he refused to follow me, he neglected you. Forgive him!”

Li Linfu shook his head with a smile and then left. Wu Yi stood frozen at the door. Her uncle’s last words struck her like a bolt of lightning. She suddenly remembered what Li Qing’an had said to her: “Miss Wu Yi, many things aren’t as simple as you think. I believe you’ll understand my difficulties soon. Miss Wu Yi, I will definitely come back for you.”

She leaned weakly against the door, letting out a low sigh, her heart filled with endless despair.

……

That night, a carriage quietly left the Prime Minister’s residence and departed Chang’an amidst the festivities of the Shangyuan Festival, disappearing into the thick night fog.

Three days later, the Cui family came to pick up Wu Yi. The Prime Minister’s residence replied that Wu Yi had gone to pay respects at her parents’ graves and would return directly to the Jiang family, with no further connection to the Li family.

……

Shortly after the Shangyuan Festival, the struggle between the Eastern Palace and Yang Zhao intensified and became widely known throughout the court. The crown prince insisted that Wei Huan had acted in accordance with court rules. Although he had promoted his nephew, he had not violated any regulations and should not be held guilty. Yang Zhao finally stepped forward from the shadows and reported to Li Longji that Wei Ming was unfit for promotion due to his immoral conduct. Although Wei Huan had followed proper procedures in making promotions, there were many officials more qualified than Wei Ming. If Wei Huan hadn’t promoted them, it was clearly out of favoritism.

Wei Huan himself also defended himself, saying that although Wei Ming’s evaluations over the years had been average, he had been diligent in his duties and had committed no immoral acts.

After several debates, all attention gradually focused on Wei Ming—what kind of person was he? Since he was already on his way to the capital, on the afternoon of the 17th day of the first lunar month, Emperor Li Longji issued an order to summon Wei Ming to the palace for an audience.

In the Central Secretariat, Li Linfu had the imperial edict just delivered from the palace on his desk. Emperor Li Longji wanted Wei Ming summoned immediately for a confrontation. Imperial edicts were not issued by the Hanlin Academy but through the Central Secretariat, and they required the stamping of a large seal from both the Central Secretariat and the Ministry of State Affairs to take effect.

He had just received the latest news: Wei Ming had arrived in Xianyang. At a normal pace, he should be staying at the Sanqiao Post Station that night. The crucial moment was that very night. After pondering for a while, Li Linfu handed the edict to Liu Tongdao, a clerk in the Central Secretariat: “Let everyone discuss this edict again and rewrite it before handing it to me.”

There was little room for discussion regarding an order to summon someone. Liu Tong was Li Linfu’s confidant and understood what the prime minister meant—the document needed to be delayed before being sent.

“I’ll go gather the clerks to discuss this right away.”

Liu Tong left in a hurry. Li Linfu waved his hand, called over a guard, and whispered to him, “Go handle something…”

…

Half an hour later, a dozen men in black escorted a brightly colored carriage as it left Chang’an’s famous brothel, “Yao Hua Fang,” and sped toward the outskirts of the city.

As Li Linfu had predicted, because it was already late, Wei Ming, the key figure in the Wei Huan case, stayed at the Sanqiao Post Station. Wei Ming was around thirty years old, of average height, with an unremarkable appearance. He was the eldest son of Wei Ji, Wei Huan’s cousin. Wei Ji had once served as a court official to the crown prince. According to the Tang Dynasty’s system, his eldest son Wei Ming inherited his status and was appointed as an official in Dongyang County, Yizhou—a minor position in the eighth rank. Due to his limited abilities, he had served for four years with mediocre performance and had not been promoted.

Last half of the year, his uncle, Wei Huan, the governor of Yizhou, promoted him to an assistant military officer in the Yizhou granary department, raising his rank to the seventh rank. Although he had been promoted, Wei Ming did not take it seriously. Since his uncle was the governor, who else would be promoted if not him? Moreover, the promotion was only one rank, which left him somewhat dissatisfied.

Five days ago, Wei Ming was sent to the capital on business by Cui Yuan, the deputy governor of Yizhou. He traveled slowly along the way and arrived at the Sanqiao Post Station after dark. Calculating the distance, there were still thirty li to the capital, and by the time he reached there, the city gates would likely be closed. Plus, the post station master served him exceptionally well, so Wei Ming decided to stay at the post station overnight and head to the capital early the next morning to continue his duties.

The room was brightly lit. The post station master, Zhang Sanhu, prepared a table full of delicious dishes and brought in five or six jin of fine wine, treating Wei Ming warmly.

“Come! Colonel Wei, let me toast you again. You must drink it to show me respect.”
Zhang Sanhu was burly in build, but his tone was extremely humble. He kept referring to Wei as “Colonel Wei” and mentioning the prestigious Wei family, making Wei Ming feel extremely proud. In truth, he despised people like Zhang Sanhu, but since Zhang was good at flattery, Wei couldn’t help but trust him.
After two pots of wine, Wei Ming’s old habit resurfaced. Unable to resist the urge, he asked in a low voice, “Postmaster Zhang, could you help me find a prostitute tonight?”
“Oh! Why didn’t Colonel Wei say so earlier?” Zhang Sanhu slapped his thigh heavily and smiled ambiguously. “What a coincidence! I happen to have a famous prostitute from Chang’an at my post station. Her name is Luomei. She’s here visiting family in Xianyang. If Colonel Wei is willing, I’ll arrange it—guaranteed to give you a wonderful time tonight!”
He hesitated for a moment before adding, “But it’s quite expensive. Ten strings of coins for one night of pleasure.”
Wei Ming was overjoyed and immediately replied, “Money isn’t an issue. If she serves me well, I’ll pay double!”
Driven by lust, he didn’t even think about how a prostitute could be at a post station.
Zhang Sanhu smiled with narrowed eyes. This Wei Ming was indeed a lecher. He poured another cup of wine and said, “Colonel Wei, wait a moment. I’ll go invite Miss Luomei.”
After Colonel Wei left, the door opened after a while. A fragrant breeze blew in as a young woman in a green gauze dress entered. She was beautiful and enchanting, with a captivating charm. She sat down gracefully, extended her red-nailed fingers, and poured herself a cup of wine. Her large, watery peach-colored eyes sparkled with temptation as she glanced at him.
She raised her cup, her long sleeves sliding down to reveal her snow-white arms. She said shyly, “Colonel Wei, let this humble servant toast you.”
Wei Ming swallowed hard, staring at the beautiful woman in front of him, too stunned to hear what she said.
“You two drink. I won’t disturb you!”
Zhang Sanhu chuckled and closed the door, then quietly climbed onto the roof and peeked into the room through a crack. From inside, sounds of laughter and murmurs could be heard from time to time, along with the beautiful woman’s persistent invitations to drink. About half an hour later, the lights went out, and the two went to bed.
…
The next day, when dawn broke, Wei Ming still hadn’t gotten up. The famous prostitute Luomei had used every trick in the book to keep him tied to the bed.
At that moment, several horses rushed in from afar. On them were officials delivering imperial orders. They rushed to the post station, and the lead censor, Han Qing, asked loudly, “Is Wei Ming, the military officer in charge of the granaries in Yizhou, here?”

Zhang Sanhu, the post master, stepped forward angrily and said, “This Wei military officer is utterly outrageous. Last night he brought prostitutes to the post station. I told him it was forbidden, but he claimed he was a member of the Wei family and called me a fool. Now he’s still hanging around with those prostitutes.”

Han Qing, the imperial censor, immediately grew solemn. He gave a signal to his attendants, who rushed inside. Moments later, a woman’s scream came from the room. One of the attendants came out and said, “Wei Ming indeed brought prostitutes here. He’s completely drunk now and unable to receive the imperial decree.”

Han Qing snorted heavily. “How bold and reckless! The emperor is still waiting for him to appear, yet he dares to bring prostitutes to the post station.” He turned his horse around and rushed toward Chang’an City.

…

In the Dadao Hall, more than a dozen high-ranking officials were waiting for Wei Ming to appear before the emperor. At that moment, Han Qing, the imperial censor, rushed in and bowed, saying, “Your Majesty, Wei Ming, the military officer in charge of grain stores in Yizhou, is still drunk from his behavior at the Sanqiao Post Station and cannot come to see you.”

Li Longji flew into a rage. With a loud thud, he slammed his hand on the table and growled, “What a shameless member of the Wei family! What a so-called fair promotion!” He glanced at Crown Prince Li Hen and asked, “What do you have to say now?”

Li Hen’s face turned red as he quickly knelt down and said, “Your son was merely trying to defend Governor Wei. He truly had no idea Wei Ming was such a person.”

Wei Huan also turned pale and knelt down, trembling as he said, “I failed to assess the character of the people I employed. I am guilty! Please punish me, Your Majesty.”

Yang Zhao was overjoyed. He never expected such a turn of events and was thrilled. He stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Your Majesty, having served in Jiannan, I truly know Wei Ming’s character. That’s why I supported Cui Changshi’s accusation. Now that the truth is clear, please punish him!”

Li Longji snorted and said coldly, “Wei Ming engaged in prostitution at the post station while on duty, showing a lack of duty and virtue. He shall be dismissed from his position and never rehired. His family’s privilege to hold official positions shall be suspended for three years. As for Wei Huan, he is no longer suitable to be the governor of Yizhou. He shall be removed from that position and transferred to another province. Cui Yuan shall be promoted to governor of Yizhou.”

Li Hen sighed secretly. The Wei family had suffered another blow. He had lost heavily and had been defeated by Yang Zhao. He glanced at Yang Zhao, who was looking at him triumphantly. He gritted his teeth and thought, ‘Yang, just wait!’

At that moment, Li Linfu stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Your Majesty, please allow me to speak.”

“Prime Minister, go ahead!”

Li Linfu glanced at Wei Huan and smiled slightly. “In my opinion, Governor Wei hasn’t committed any serious negligence in this case.”

One sentence caused astonishment throughout the hall. Even Li Heng looked at Li Linfu in surprise, wondering why he would speak up for him. Li Longji remained calm and said, “Prime Minister, please continue.”

“Your Majesty, I carefully reviewed Wei Ming’s performance evaluation yesterday. He has done neither good nor bad in Dongyang County, with his evaluations consistently rated as average. Even Governor Wei gave him an average rating, showing no bias. I also examined the situation in Dongyang County over the past few years—it has been peaceful, with no disasters, and taxes have been paid in full every year. This shows that the people of Dongyang County live in peace and contentment, and it also indicates that Wei Ming governed by doing nothing unnecessary and without disturbing the people. Therefore, I approve of Governor Wei’s decision to promote him. Yizhou is not like the border regions; what’s needed here is stability. From this perspective, Governor Wei is innocent. As for Wei Ming himself, hiring prostitutes at the post station shows a lack of moral integrity; he can be dismissed from office, but it has nothing to do with Governor Wei.”

Li Longji nodded. Li Linfu’s reasoning was sound and hard to refute. He then said, “So, according to the Prime Minister’s opinion, how should Wei Huan be dealt with?”

“Your Majesty, since Wei Huan is not suitable to serve as an official in Yizhou, I recommend that he be appointed as the governor of Shanzhou. I beg Your Majesty to grant this request!”

Li Longji glanced at Yang Zhao before slowly saying, “Good! I approve the Prime Minister’s proposal. Wei Huan shall be transferred to be the governor of Shanzhou.”

He stood up and declared loudly, “Pass my decree further: to prevent similar incidents from happening again, no members of the same family shall serve as officials in the same province.”