Wei Shufen pondered silently. If the investigation couldn't proceed, it meant Consort Yang and her daughter had the protection of the father of her unborn child, making it impossible to pressure them too much—like hesitating to smash a rat for fear of breaking the vase. As for no longer needing to investigate... did that mean conclusions had been reached regarding the Eastern Palace Poison Wine Case from ten years ago, the hanging death of Princess Linfen, and the search for the Tuyuhun royal grandson?
The Eastern Palace Poison Wine Case was masterminded by Prince Qi Li Yuan-ji at the time, which seemed beyond dispute. Li Yuan-ji took advantage of the chaos during a grand banquet at the Crown Prince's Palace, ordering his own men disguised as eunuchs from the Catering Directorate to carry a double-heart poison wine pot. Through Yi Niang's hands, they poisoned Prince Qin Li Shimin's cup, then threw the double-heart pot into a well near the banquet hall to destroy evidence. He and his wife shared a harmonious relationship, and Consort Yang knew about this. A year later, when the case was reinvestigated, she secretly provided clues that led investigators to the wine pot, ultimately pinning the blame on the mastermind from the Eastern Palace.
The death of Princess Linfen, Li Wanxi, was also Consort Yang's doing. The two had been close in private, and Yi Niang might have learned which uncle's wife had become pregnant through an illicit affair. Fearing Yi Niang might reveal her secrets after marriage, Consort Yang seized the final opportunity to personally strangle her or send someone to do so. She deliberately used a waistband and jade ring to implicate Empress Zhangsun and her son, aiming to prevent a thorough investigation.
As for the Tuyuhun royal grandson... according to what the former Sui Empress Xiao revealed, that mother and son had indeed perished during the Sui chaos. There was nothing to be done; the investigation couldn't proceed further. The next step might only involve persuading the envoy sent by Murong Shun to agree to fabricate a suitable candidate, falsely claiming to be the young prince from back then, and sending him to Qinghai to be established as his father's heir...
Wei Shufen's heart inexplicably skipped a beat, and the words "redeem oneself by performing meritorious service" flashed before her eyes.
This fabricated candidate couldn't just be someone of the right age with a vaguely similar appearance. He would be venturing into enemy territory to incite his "father," Murong Shun, to rally forces within Tuyuhun to rebel, coordinating with Tang military offensives to overthrow the current khan, Murong Fu-yun, and bring Tuyuhun under Tang's vassalage. The mission was arduous and perilous, requiring a capable individual utterly loyal to the Tang—someone who would still identify as a Tang subject even after ascending to the khan's throne.
Which young man not yet of age could possess such courage and capability? And who would willingly forsake their ancestors, change their name, and venture beyond the frontier into desolation?
Lost in thought, she paused several times in the Xing Sheng Monastery until Jing Xuan urged her forward from behind. Dazed, she followed the procession into the main hall to pay respects to the Buddha, then offered incense before the portrait of Empress Dou, the late empress consort, enshrined in a side chamber.
Gazing up at the portrait of the Supreme Emperor's first wife and the Son of Heaven's birth mother, that round, kindly face was naturally far less vivid and lifelike than the jade statue of Princess Pingyang enshrined in the Chai family's courtyard. Yet upon closer inspection, one could discern the inherited features across three generations of grandmother, mother, and granddaughter—Empress Dowager Dou, Princess Pingyang, and Chai Yingluo. And... beneath the overlapping collar on the portrait, on her chest, there should still be a red birthmark...
Perhaps more than physical traits, it was their fiery temperament and spirit that had been passed down through these three generations of women. Wei Shufen thought of Empress Dowager Dou—her mother was Princess Xiangyang, the full sister of Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou. At birth, her hair already reached her neck, and by age three, it matched her height. Her uncle, Emperor Wu Yuwen Yong, adored this extraordinary niece, raising her in the palace from childhood as his own daughter. He often heeded her admonitions, and Empress Dou revered her uncle as a father. When Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, overthrew the Zhou and ascended the throne, the young Dou girl—already returned home—heard the news, threw herself on the bed, and wailed: "How I hate that I wasn't born a man to save my uncle's house from calamity!" Her parents, terrified, hastily covered her mouth to prevent the words from spreading.That deep-seated hatred for the Yang and Sui families might have remained hidden in her heart ever since, passed down through her words and actions to her husband and children. Perhaps she secretly saw herself as the fallen princess of Northern Zhou throughout her life—proud, perfectionist, and unyielding—to the point that when she gave birth to a son with a facial defect, she immediately ordered him abandoned, heedless of accusations of cruelty and lack of maternal love...
The Longxi Li family she married into—or rather, the entire Guanzhong aristocratic circle she hailed from—seemed to embody such a temperament: unrestrained, bold, and unconstrained by trivialities, valuing martial prowess above all else. This stood in stark contrast to the Confucian ideals of benevolence, introspection, and moral integrity revered by scholars east of the pass. Yet in times of chaos, it was people like them who could halt war with war, turn the tide, unify the land, and usher in peace.
So should Li Chengqian be blamed for his cruelty and debauchery? Or Consort Yang for her frivolity and infidelity? Or the Son of Heaven and Empress for failing to raise their son into a virtuous and cautious gentleman?
Even Prince Wu Yuan-gui, the emperor's half-brother who was nearly flawless in morality, once acted on impulse to collude with enemies, plot rebellion, and storm the palace to kill...
Wei Shufen could only smile bitterly, wandering aimlessly, unaware of where she was. After walking for who knows how long, a hand reached out to tug at her silk scarf. Turning around, she recognized a familiar face—A Huo, her mother’s personal serving girl.
This was also one of the old family servants who had helped raise her since childhood. Seeing Wei Shufen turn, A Huo’s eyes reddened first. She knelt in a deep bow before delivering her message: "First Young Miss, please follow this servant."
Madam Pei had secured a side room in the Xing Sheng Nunnery and sat waiting by the window for her daughter. Jing Xuan and the other two serving girls who had accompanied Wei Shufen stopped outside the door, allowing the daughter of Chancellor Wei to enter alone. Wei Shufen knelt and kowtowed to her mother in apology.
Beyond greetings, she said little—there was no use in saying more. When she looked up, she saw her mother’s belly even more swollen, her face more exhausted and haggard, with noticeable white strands at her temples. Her nose stung, and tears welled up instantly.
Madam Pei’s eyes also reddened as she gazed at her daughter. She didn’t offer any formalities either, merely sighing softly before speaking: "My daughter has grown thinner..."
Wei Shufen sobbed, collapsing to the ground in overwhelming grief. Above her, her mother’s gentle voice continued:
"...Your father doesn’t know I’m meeting you today. It’s just us mother and daughter talking... Get up, A Fen, don’t cry... Listen to A Niang carefully... You were innocently dragged into so many incidents in the forbidden garden and Great Peace Palace. At first, we were angry, but later, all that remained was worry... Fortunately, the Son of Heaven and Empress are wise. A few days ago, when A Niang entered the palace to apologize, the Empress said plainly that she didn’t intend to hold you accountable. She only urged A Niang to bring you home quickly and not let you meddle further..."
"Me... go home?" Wei Shufen looked up in surprise.
That Empress Zhangsun had promised to pardon her and Chai Yingluo was expected—but what about her suspected involvement in the murder at the Temple of Common Vocation, or her voluntary plea for a political marriage? Were those messy accounts also being brushed aside? And... the matter of her parents selling her into marriage still loomed. If she simply returned home now, wouldn’t all her recent hardships and dangers have been for nothing?
"I know what you’re thinking," her mother sighed. "We also know about your request to be enfeoffed as a princess and sent to a foreign land for marriage. The Sovereign mentioned it to your father as a joke... Your father, in a fit of anger, replied that he would sacrifice his daughter for the state. But the Sovereign, in turn, comforted him, saying he wouldn’t consider a marriage alliance for now and would wait until after this war to discuss it.""Is... is that so?" Wei Shufen murmured in a daze, her mother nodding in response.
"Your father relayed the Emperor's exact words to me, but I couldn't remember all those principles. I only recall His Majesty saying there's a world of difference between arranging a marriage alliance after victory and sending women to appease enemies after defeat. The former is some kind of... binding succession strategy for long-term stability, while the latter is just shameful surrender. When the Tang was first establishing its righteous army, the Supreme Emperor and his sons sent too many women and treasures to foreign tribes to secure Turkic support—a bitter taste His Majesty never wishes to experience again..."
So it's "not considering" marriage alliances for now, pending the outcome of the Tuyuhun campaign. But who knows how long this war will last or whether we'll win? From what we've heard so far, the prospects seem grim...
"Our family will soon have a celebration," Madam Pei sighed again. "With my health like this, I fear I won't manage everything. Having you home to help would give me some respite..."
"A celebration?" Wei Shufen asked. Had her parents somehow scraped together the thirty thousand bolts of silk to purchase that Cui bride for her elder brother Shuyu?
Madam Pei nodded, yet her face showed no joy—only sorrow and resignation:
"You know about your elder brother's betrothal, thanks to Aunt Cui's mediation... The Cui family has agreed. Once we deliver the full betrothal gifts next month, they'll accept the marriage contract and permit the formal engagement."
"But how will we gather the gifts?" Wei Shufen suddenly felt her heart pound with dread.
Madam Pei averted her gaze from her daughter's face, looking toward the window lattice with glistening eyes:
"Aunt Cui says General Cheng's household has agreed to provide thirty thousand silk bolts as your... your younger sister Shuyao's bride price."
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