A daughter of a Sui Dynasty imperial prince.
Wei Shufen vaguely recalled that Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, and his son Emperor Yang, Yang Guang, both had brothers who were naturally enfeoffed as princes, though most met unfortunate ends. Chai Yingluo pressed further, "Which prince? There are many descendants of the former Sui imperial family still residing in Chang'an. If the venerable lady could just indicate which branch and lineage, I can handle the rest of the investigation myself."
Ji Nan remained silent in contemplation. Watching from the side, Wei Shufen sensed trouble. She thought to herself that most male members of the Yang family who held princely titles over three or four generations either died young or were condemned to death, leaving their lines extinct. If Empress Xiao casually named an already extinct branch, where would they even begin their inquiries... Chai Yingluo seemed to have the same concern and turned to Yang Min:
"Attendant Yang is the only surviving grandson of the last Sui emperor, as everyone knows. The current dynasty revives fallen states and continues severed lineages, showing favor to the descendants of two dynasties by enfeoffing the Yuwen family as Duke of Jie and the Yang family as Duke of Xie to maintain ancestral sacrifices. Duke Xie, Yang You, was originally the legitimate son of the former Crown Prince Yuande and the biological grandson of the venerable Lady Xiao. Unfortunately, his life was cut short by early illness, leaving no heirs. During the WuDe era, the court had his clansman Yang Xingji inherit the title of Duke Xie to continue the sacrifices. Now that Attendant Yang has returned from beyond the northern frontier, the title of Duke Xie should indeed be reconsidered..."
Emperor Yang of Sui, Yang Guang, had only three surviving sons. Among them, Crown Prince Yuande Yang Zhao and Prince Qi Yang Jian were both born to Empress Xiao, while the youngest, Prince Zhao Yang Gao, was born to Consort Xiao. The eldest, Yang Zhao, died young, leaving three grandsons. Prince Yue Yang Tong was left to guard Luoyang at the end of the Sui Dynasty, installed as a puppet by Wang Shi-chong's faction before being killed; Prince Dai Yang You guarded the western capital and fell into the hands of Li Yuan and his son, who installed him as Emperor Gong of Sui before he "abdicated and died of illness"—naturally, the Tang court recognized his line as legitimate. Another grandson, Prince Yan Yang Tan, was killed in the Jiangdu palace coup along with his two uncles and the two surviving sons of his second uncle, Prince Qi Yang Jian. Every son and grandson Yang Guang had seen in his lifetime perished.
Yang Min was the posthumous child of Yang Jian. From birth, he wandered with his grandmother Empress Xiao, and at a few years old, sought refuge with the Turkic khan and Princess Yicheng, who had married into the Turks. He was established as the "Prince of Sui," leading Central Plains people who had fallen into northern territories, residing in Dingxiang to oppose the Tang until the Turks' downfall. Because of this history, while the Tang court found it inconvenient to punish this orphan and widow, they did not recognize Yang Min's status as "legitimate descendant of the former Sui imperial family." The title and fief of Duke Xie remained with the collateral relative Yang Xingji, while Yang Min was given only the sinecure of "Attendant Gentleman of the Palace" to support him.
By bringing this up, Chai Yingluo seemed to be enticing them with the suggestion that "if you cooperate with me, I can persuade the court to transfer the ducal title to Yang Min." But as a mere Inner Sanctum Female Taoist, she had little influence in such matters. Empress Xiao and her grandson, both worldly-wise, were not easily swayed and remained expressionless. Seeing this, Chai Yingluo continued:
"The Rites of Zhou honor the descendants of two dynasties and three ancient houses, upholding the Mandate of Heaven to ensure noble lineages continue their sacrifices. Attendant Yang must be nearing the age of twenty, no? Has he already chosen a marriage partner? I happen to know of several prominent families among the old Guanlong aristocracy who have discussed taking sons-in-law. Even the Third Prince of Shu and the Sixth Prince of Liang in the palace—none are outsiders, and all are of age to take consorts. Though the venerable Lady Xiao is resolved to renounce the world, surely she cannot entirely disregard her flesh and blood."The third imperial son, Prince of Shu Li Ke, and the sixth imperial son, Prince of Liang Li Yin, were both born to Consort Yang. This Consort Yang was none other than the daughter of Yang Guang and the paternal aunt of Yang Min. Speaking of which, Empress Xiao was also the maternal grandmother of these two princes. Chai Yingluo casually intertwined the marriage matters of Yang Min and the two princes in her speech, her tone leisurely, yet Empress Xiao and her grandson visibly tensed at the mention.
As a favored and relied-upon figure within Empress Zhangsun's inner circle, Chai Yingluo might have little influence over court appointments, but she wielded significant power in arranging marriages among the imperial relatives and noble families. Empress Xiao had only one remaining grandson, and after enduring years of humiliation, she naturally pinned all her hopes on Yang Min marrying and continuing the family line. If Chai Yingluo were to interfere and arrange a destructive, jealous shrew for Yang Min, Empress Xiao's decades of suffering would have been in vain.
The old nun suddenly clutched her chest and coughed, appearing somewhat distressed. Chai Yingluo moved closer to pat her back and soothe her, her tone softening further:
"I’ve spoken too much. An elder like you, madam, should focus on preserving your health and not burden yourself with such heavy worries. Minister Yang is already a grown man, bestowed with official rank by the court, and capable of making his own decisions. There’s no need for you to trouble yourself further. You’ve endured so much... The sole heirs of families like ours, overly pampered, often don’t survive to adulthood. Minister Yang lost his father before he was even born and was raised solely by you, madam. The effort it must have taken to bring him up..."
"Princess Dehua," Ji Nan interrupted the female Taoist’s chilling "reflections," coughing and wheezing as she replied, "was the sixth daughter of the former Sui dynasty’s Prince of Guan, with the childhood name 'Guanniang.' Chosen for her beauty and gentle temperament, she was granted in marriage at the end of the 11th year of the Daye era to Tuyuhun’s Crown Prince Murong Shun, who was concurrently appointed Commandant of the Imperial Guards."
The sixth daughter of the Prince of Guan... Which uncle or brother of Yang Guang had been enfeoffed as the "Prince of Guan"?
Wei Shufen was still pondering this when she noticed Chai Yingluo’s expression darken as she asked sharply, "Is this true? She was the daughter of Yang Xiong, Prince of Guan? The sister of the current fifth imperial son-in-law... Yang Shidao?"
Ji Nan nodded calmly. "Indeed. If the High Truth Master doubts this, you may inquire with your uncle-in-law. After the dynasty changed, he might not willingly bring it up, but he wouldn’t dare outright lie to deny it."
Ah, that "Prince of Guan" wasn’t a nephew or relative of Yang Jian or Yang Guang but Yang Xiong of the main lineage of the Hongnong Yang clan. The Sui imperial family had actively sought to ally with his branch and enfeoffed him as a prince. Yang Xiong was also the father of Yang Shidao and the grandfather of Yang Xinzhi... After days of searching for Princess Dehua, Li Yuangui had ultimately traced her to the family of his own personal guard.
It wasn’t really Yang Xinzhi’s fault—he had been born late and was estranged from his father and stepmother, so he might genuinely not have heard about his aunt’s marriage. Such nominal imperial relatives selected for marriage alliances were often ordered by the court to conceal their true origins. After the upheaval of the dynasty change, the former imperial relatives had to keep their heads down, eager to distance themselves from the old regime. Why would they go around proclaiming, "Our daughter was married off as part of the old dynasty’s peace negotiations"?
"Princess Dehua and the son she bore Murong Shun—did they both perish in the Jiangdu palace coup?" Chai Yingluo pressed Ji Nan intently. "A monastic does not lie. Did you witness this yourself, madam, or confirm their bodies afterward?"
The old nun looked up at the female Taoist, her faint smile carrying a trace of pity and kindness."The young lady is still too inexperienced, having never witnessed such hellish scenes, and asks such... naive questions. The Dehua Princess... alas, if only she could have died so swiftly, it would have been a blessing... She was a beauty among ten thousand, gentle, clever, and charming. During the Jiangdu palace coup, those savage men—who among them didn’t covet her?... Her husband fled alone, abandoning his wife and child. In the chaos of war, with no one to protect her, what could a frail woman with an infant do? She was passed from one brutal general’s tent to another, struggling to survive, her spirit long shattered, her body like a lifeless puppet... Ah..."
"When did the old lady last see the Dehua Princess?"
Ji Nan answered slowly:
"In the autumn of the fourteenth year of the Daye era, the traitor Yuwen Huaji forced the six imperial palaces to accompany him, leading over a hundred thousand elite guards in an attempt to return to Guanzhong from Jiangdu. When they reached Jijun east of Luoyang, they clashed fiercely with the Wagang bandit Li Mi for over a month. After the Battle of Tongshan, Yuwen's followers began to desert him, and Huaji fled in panic, barely managing to take my grandmother and me, along with a few close princesses... That night, all the women of the rear palace huddled trembling in a tent. I caught a glimpse of the princess, disheveled and collapsed by a pillar, barely alive after the torment... Then the tent flap was thrown open, and Yuwen Zhiji, that fiendish brother of Huaji, barged in with his men. They dragged me, my granddaughter, and a few others out, taking us to Hebei... After that, this old nun never saw the Dehua Princess or her child again."
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