The power of life and death over Prince Wu Li Yuangui... actually lay in the hands of her father, Wei Zheng?
Wei Shufen was half-convinced, half-doubting, vaguely sensing this might be Empress Zhangsun's excuse to avoid responsibility. Yet she had no other recourse—she couldn't very well hold a knife to the Empress's throat to force her to save her lover, could she? Moreover, according to the news Chai Yingluo had gathered, recent court discussions between the Emperor and his ministers had indeed turned heated over certain matters, including issues concerning the conduct and regulations of the imperial princes. Her father, Wei Zheng, had always been the leading voice among the court officials, and his stance would undoubtedly play a decisive role in Li Yuangui's fate.
Thus, on the day the Cheng family arrived at the Wei residence to perform the betrothal rites, Wei Shufen had no choice but to return home. First, it was customary for the bride to be inspected and adorned by the groom's female relatives—a social convention she couldn't evade. Second, she had steeled herself to confront her father directly... Ever since her failed elopement in Guangde Ward, father and daughter hadn't had a proper conversation.
How fitting. The esteemed Chancellor Wei, who prided himself on the upright and virtuous traditions of the Wei clan of Julu, now had his eldest daughter begging him to rescue the very man she had scandalously pursued in secret...
Beyond the curtains, the men had concluded their formalities and were feasting in the eastern wing, while Madam Pei led the Cheng women into the western wing for celebratory drinks. The entire household buzzed with joyous clamor, though none of it concerned the bride-to-be, Wei Shufen. Decked in gaudy bridal finery, she was escorted back to her chamber by her maids. After ordering someone to summon her father for "an urgent matter," she seated herself on the dressing bed and began roughly yanking hairpins and ornaments from her coiffure.
She wanted to cry, but no tears came. Impatient with the intricate clasps, she resorted to brute force, heedless of the delicate craftsmanship or precious stones adorning the hairpieces. Each ornament she tore free was flung into the jewelry box with a clatter, several gemstones already dislodged by the rough treatment. Only her childhood maid, understanding her mistress's mood, dared to gently remove the remaining pins with practiced hands, though she ventured no words of comfort.
The violent dismantling left her once-elegant updo in disarray. Wei Shufen grabbed a wooden comb to untangle the mess, then twisted her hair back into the twin loops of an unmarried maiden. Staring at her reflection, she almost convinced herself that her unchanged face could erase the nightmare that had become her reality.
A cough sounded outside the door.
The maid announced, "The Chancellor has arrived." Her father stood waiting beyond the threshold—protocol forbade him from entering his betrothed daughter's chambers. Hands clasped behind his back, he waited beneath the corridor eaves. Wei Shufen drew a deep breath, secured her hair, and rose to meet him, still unable to meet his eyes as she prostrated herself in greeting.
"What did you wish to say?"
Her father's tone was calmer and more somber than she'd anticipated, though no trace of paternal tenderness colored his words. Servants brought sitting mats for both. After settling cross-legged, he gestured for his daughter to sit properly for their discussion.
Wei Shufen shifted onto the corridor mat, summoning courage to first offer stammering apologies. The Chancellor listened impassively before prompting: "And then?"
"The fourteenth son of the Supreme Emperor, Prince Wu, has saved my life on multiple occasions..." She proceeded to recount the events surrounding the Great Peace Palace night disturbance, carefully selecting details she could voice aloud. Naturally, she embellished liberally, emphasizing Li Yuangui's "innocence," "helplessness," "sense of duty," and "chivalry," along with his "unfortunate origins yet fundamentally noble character."
The lengthy account continued until the shifting shadows beneath the eaves marked the passage of hours. Finally concluding her plea, Wei Shufen pressed her forehead to the ground in desperate entreaty:"All the previous incidents were entirely due to my youthful willfulness and ignorance, failing to live up to my parents' nurturing kindness. I have now sincerely repented. Once married into the Cheng family, I will thoroughly reform myself, adhere to the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, devote myself to serving my husband, uphold the Wei family's traditions, and make amends for my past mistakes... I only beg Father, for the sake of saving his daughter, to advise His Majesty to show leniency towards Prince Wu, in accordance with the Son of Heaven's duty to cherish his kin..."
As she spoke, she repeatedly knocked her forehead against the floor with such force that, had she still been wearing her elaborate hairpins and combs from earlier, they would have clattered noisily to the ground. Such a grand gesture from a woman was rare indeed—she truly didn't know what else she could do to move her father.
The Prime Minister Wei sitting opposite her let out a long sigh. He neither stopped her kowtowing nor agreed to her plea. Instead, he spoke slowly, addressing something entirely unrelated:
"A few days ago, His Majesty summoned Fang Xuanling, Yang Shidao, and the other Grand Chancellors of the Administrative Hall into the private chamber and inexplicably flew into a rage, accusing us of disrespecting Prince Yue and the other imperial princes by not dismounting and yielding the way when encountering them at court. This was clearly the work of petty men whispering slander to the Emperor, exploiting His Majesty's paternal love to sow discord and lead the Son of Heaven astray from the righteous path, indulging in favoritism. His Majesty's doting on Prince Yue, Prince Jin, and the other children born to the Empress has already exceeded proper bounds. Prince Yue, under the pretext of compiling geographical texts, has openly established a Literary Academy, recruiting renowned scholars from across the land, with materials supplied from the imperial treasury—soon to rival the Crown Prince's Palace! Even the likes of Prince Shu, Prince Lu, and Prince Jing, those illegitimate younger brothers, when they were appointed to offices in previous years, committed frivolous and disgraceful acts, yet all were pardoned by decree. The Emperor, being of martial origins, indulges his personal affections and acts capriciously, lacking steadfastness in governance. Despite our daily remonstrations, we cannot curb these myriad breaches of propriety and law. As the ancient saying goes, 'When the prince violates the law, he shall be punished as the common people!' The illustrious statutes of the Zhenguan Code have long been promulgated and enforced throughout the land. Even if we erected a hundred gold-plated pillars, we might still struggle to earn the people's trust. And now you urge me to encourage the Emperor to bend the law for personal feelings—such moral blindness! Is this truly the daughter Wei Zheng raised?"
His resolute refusal chilled Wei Shufen to the bone. Yet she refused to retreat to her room in tears. Gritting her teeth, she thought for a moment, then raised her face and said:
"Father's admonishment is just. Your daughter has disgraced the family and failed in virtue—my life is already forfeit. I submit to Father's judgment without complaint. But Prince Wu is the beloved son of the Supreme Emperor. Even Confucius said that the Son of Heaven should govern the realm with filial piety. The Supreme Emperor now lies at death's door, his life hanging by a thread. If Father advises the Emperor to punish Prince Wu strictly according to the law—with rebellion punishable only by death—His Majesty will not only bear again the infamy of harming kin but may also hasten the Supreme Emperor's demise from grief, for father and son share one heart... When this news spreads through the court and the land, the reigning Emperor will be branded an unfilial, unbrotherly tyrant who murdered his father and slaughtered his brothers. Father has always taken it as his duty to guide the Emperor toward the virtues of Yao and Shun. If your actions lead to such an outcome, would Father be satisfied? How will future histories judge the Emperor and his minister?"
Her reasoning was rather tenuous, yet not entirely baseless. Her father frowned deeply upon hearing it and rebuked her:
"Where did you hear such twisted sophistry? Truly, I should never have allowed you to remain at the Purple Void Monastery, mixing with those women... It is precisely out of consideration for the Supreme Emperor that the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple have temporarily delayed summoning the prince for trial, leaving him under the custody of the Northern Military Camp. Even in judicial proceedings, the law provides for the 'Eight Considerations.' As a royal kinsman and noble, Prince Wu may receive leniency. His Majesty is even inclined to grant him the opportunity to plead merit..."
"Plead merit?"What merits has Li Yuangui achieved? Not a single task assigned by the Son of Heaven and the Empress was accomplished, yet he stirred up no small amount of trouble involving killing and arson. Even his most urgent and devoted mission—rescuing his half-sister, the Seventeenth Princess—wasn't ultimately achieved by his efforts. The credit still goes to the imperial court's benevolence, good fortune, and loyal servants protecting their master.
"Hmm..." Wei Zheng stroked his goatee and said slowly, "As for that reckless young Prince Wu, A Fen, you should stop thinking about him. His Majesty's intention is likely to exile him to... Gaochang."
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