As the eldest daughter of the current prime minister, Wei Shufen had seen Empress Zhangsun before, but only from a distance during formal ceremonies where she followed her mother in paying respects amidst the crowd. The noble lady, heavily adorned in her ceremonial crown and pheasant robes, had been barely visible.
That morning, she was escorted by a palace attendant into the northern chamber of the Hall of Established Governance for her first private audience with the Empress. Naturally, she was terrified. Turning past a large screen, she dared not lift her head, kneeling in fearful reverence, her entire body trembling as she prostrated herself on the ground, holding her breath while awaiting the Empress's words.
The first thing she heard was a soft chuckle.
"Yingniang, look how frightened this child is," a gentle voice said. "Go and help her over."
Chai Yingluo responded with an affirmative and gracefully approached, extending a hand to lift Wei Shufen, half-supporting and half-carrying her to the large heated bed by the room's brazier.
The Empress's living quarters were warm, with fragrant air brushing against her face. A pot of orchids bloomed vibrantly on the bedside table. Empress Zhangsun wore no extravagant jewelry or heavy makeup, her hair neatly pinned up, dressed in a simple lined jacket and long skirt as she sat cross-legged on the bed. Despite the warmth of the room, a thick silk scarf draped over her shoulders. Her elegant face bore traces of fatigue, making her appear no different from an ordinary woman in her thirties.
From the time Wei Shufen could remember, her father had been a key minister to the Son of Heaven, moving among the imperial relatives and nobility in Chang'an all these years. Yet she had never heard anyone discuss Empress Zhangsun's appearance—as if judging the nation's mother by worldly standards of beauty would itself be a sacrilege.
She sat serenely, leaning slightly, naturally commanding the space around her. Tilting her face slightly, she watched Wei Shufen approach the bedside, a quiet smile playing at the corners of her lips:
"The treasured daughter of Lord Wei Xuancheng ought to be a little braver. Your looks certainly take after your father—Yingniang, look at her slender little face, that stubborn little mouth... such a pitiable young girl."
Leaning against Chai Yingluo's warm arm, Wei Shufen steadied herself, her nerves easing slightly, though her voice still trembled as she replied:
"This humble girl is young and ignorant of proper etiquette. May the Empress... forgive my offense..."
"Forgive you for what?" Empress Zhangsun shook her head with a smile. "The real challenge is getting your parents to forgive your reckless defiance—Yingniang has already told me everything. Ah, what are we to do about this?"
So Chai Yingluo had reported everything—her fleeing the marriage, mistakenly entering the Temple of Common Vocation, and even falsely confessing to murder to defy her parents. Wei Shufen's knees weakened, and she dropped to the floor with a thud, kneeling once more before the heated bed.
"Yingluo would never deceive the Empress or the Son of Heaven. But this matter with Miss Wei is truly pitiable," Chai Yingluo said in a coaxing tone. "In my humble opinion... Auntie, why not pretend you know nothing? Let Feniang stay with me at the Purple Void Monastery for a few days, and we can find a way to gently persuade Lord Wei later."
"You're suggesting I play the fool," the Empress laughed. "If it were that simple, fine—but do you not know Lord Wei's temper? From any angle, he is entirely in the right here. Do you think he’ll quietly endure and listen to your persuasion?"
"If this escalates, it won’t reflect well on Lord Wei either," Chai Yingluo countered."It doesn't look good. If this doesn't escalate, I suspect Duke Wei would go to Princess Pingyang's residence to seek an explanation from your father, my third son-in-law," the Empress sighed. "But if his anger doesn't subside, Lord Xuancheng might very well raise his tablet to admonish your second uncle in court..."
"Could this really escalate into a matter of the Son of Heaven losing virtue?" Chai Yingluo asked in shock.
"Of course. They could demand he better control the women, petty men, close ministers, and relatives around him, to honor the Zhou rites and rectify the five relationships..." The Empress spoke with what seemed like a hint of amusement in her voice. "But let's set that aside for now. Feniang, let me ask you—do you still wish to confess that you killed Princess Linfen?"
Wei Shufen raised her head, speechless and unable to respond, her eyes darting helplessly toward Chai Yingluo.
Before the Empress, if she said "yes," wouldn't she truly have to bear the blame and pay with her life? If she said "no," judging by the Empress's tone, she might immediately summon her mother to take her home?
"Before the imperial presence, deception is impermissible," Chai Yingluo reminded her. "Speak your true thoughts to the Empress, and let Her Majesty decide everything."
Wei Shufen took a deep breath:
"Your Majesty, forgive this lowly one... Princess Linfen was truly not killed by me... Last night, in my desperation to avoid returning home to marry, I spoke rash lies in my panic. I deserve ten thousand deaths..."
After saying this, she prostrated herself again, kowtowing deeply without rising.
"I suspected as much," the Empress murmured softly. "You're a delicate young maiden with no prior connection to Yi Niang—how could you have intended to kill her? The true culprit behind this crime is clearly targeting me."
For a moment, silence filled the hall.
Empress Zhangsun's mind was exceedingly meticulous, and Chai Yingluo had already clarified the circumstances surrounding Yi Niang's death the previous night. Between their discussions, it was easy to deduce that the murderer had staged the scene as a suicide to spread the rumor that "the former Crown Prince's orphaned daughter was driven to death by the current Empress," tarnishing Her Majesty's virtuous reputation.
Many high-ranking officials and their families had attended the wedding last night, so news of the bride's sudden death must have already spread throughout the court—and the content of those rumors was easy to guess. To dispel them, the best method would naturally be... to insist Yi Niang was killed by a violent criminal for unrelated reasons, to find a murderer wholly unconnected to the Empress, and to publicly execute them to satisfy the realm.
Wei Shufen shuddered. In that case, her accidental confession of murder had essentially delivered her straight into their hands, hadn't it? Yet the Empress's tone suggested she had no intention of using this runaway bride as a scapegoat?
Was it out of respect for her father? Or because naming her as the murderer would be too unconvincing?
After a brief silence, Empress Zhangsun asked again:
"Yingniang mentioned that before entering the palace, she instructed you to examine Yi Niang's chambers once more for any evidence or traces related to the crime. Did you discover anything?"
"I did." Wei Shufen hesitated slightly but then recounted how she, Prince Wu Yuan-gui, and the others had found what appeared to be a man's jade ring in Yi Niang's dressing case.
"Where is the ring now?" Chai Yingluo asked.
There was no hiding it now. Wei Shufen continued, explaining how the nursemaid HeBa had desperately denied the ring belonged to Yi Niang, even going so far as to swallow it, after which Prince Wu ordered her bound and detained. The three of them had then been summoned to the palace—Prince Wu and Yang Xinzhi turned toward the Hall of Two Principles in the outer court to see the Emperor, while Wei Shufen alone followed the attendant into the inner palace's Hall of Established Governance.As the conversation continued, Wei Shufen's emotions gradually calmed, allowing her to look directly at the Empress. She suddenly found the Empress's composed, serene, and all-knowing demeanor somewhat familiar... Who did it remind her of?
Beside the Empress on the bed lay the complex strangling cord used to hang Yi Niang, with written papers beneath it—apparently Yi Niang's suicide note left in the room. Both were the most crucial pieces of evidence in this case, which Chai Yingluo had directly presented to the Empress.
These two pieces of evidence contradicted each other: the cord suggested Yi Niang was murdered rather than having taken her own life, while the note hinted at her prior suicidal intentions. The man's ring discovered this morning vaguely pointed to Yi Niang's involvement in a romantic affair... but this could lead to either "murder to silence" or "suicide out of shame."
"Yingniang," the Empress called to her niece, "as I mentioned earlier, Yi Niang's death likely involves serious palace matters. Miss Wei's mention of the man's ring could easily tarnish Yi Niang's reputation and should not be spread further. It would be best for you to investigate this case thoroughly."
"Yes," Chai Yingluo replied, then added with a smile, "It's not that I'm shirking responsibility, but as I mentioned to Your Majesty earlier, first, if the investigation leads to men outside the palace—especially civil or military officials—I, as a mere female Taoist priest, lack the authority to interrogate them and would struggle even to request an audience. Second, Yi Niang was supposed to be my sister-in-law. Her unfortunate death is too closely tied to my Chai family, making it difficult to remain impartial. Any findings I present might not be trusted by the public..."
Wei Shufen vaguely recalled hearing that if a married person died under mysterious circumstances, the first suspects were often their spouse, given the significant stakes involved. As Yi Niang's husband's elder sister, Chai Yingluo indeed lacked the authority and credibility to lead the investigation.
"Your points are valid," the Empress responded. "I've also considered this and have a solution to these difficulties—has there been any word from the Hall of Two Principles?"
The Empress raised her voice for the last question, directed beyond the screen, and a palace maid promptly answered:
"Reporting to my lady, someone has been sent to summon His Majesty. Word has just returned that His Majesty is already on his way."
The Empress had summoned the Emperor to the Hall of Established Governance. The Hall of Two Principles was not far away, so the Emperor would likely arrive soon. Wei Shufen tensed, but the Empress smiled and gestured for her to stand up and move behind Chai Yingluo, adding, "You need not speak; just listen."
Within moments, announcements echoed outside the hall, followed by the sound of boots clacking against the floor as several men entered.
Separated by a large yellow gauze screen covered in written notes, Wei Shufen could barely see the scene in the outer chamber. She only heard the Emperor and Empress exchange a few words before a tall figure took a seat behind the desk in front of the screen. Li Yuangui, Yang Xinzhi, Chai Zhewei, and a middle-aged man—addressed as the father of the Chai siblings, Consort Chai Shao, Duke of Qiao—also greeted the Empress from behind the screen.
The imperial couple had gathered everyone to discuss the case of Princess Linfen's death. The Chai father and sons, along with Li Yuangui and his attendant, had already reported the details to the Emperor. After cross-referencing, the accounts largely matched. When the Empress mentioned assigning Chai Yingluo to lead the investigation, the Emperor clapped his hands in approval before she could finish.
"Your servant is deeply uneasy!" The somber voice of Consort Chai Shao interjected almost simultaneously. "My daughter is merely a Taoist nun, young and inexperienced, with no background in such matters. How could she possibly shoulder such a heavy responsibility...""Brother-in-law, don't refuse," the Emperor cut him off. "Yingniang is intelligent and capable, always handling matters properly. Both the Empress and I have full confidence in her. What concerns could you possibly have? Are you afraid your precious daughter might be overworked?"
Standing behind the screen, Chai Yingluo couldn't help but chuckle and spoke up to rescue her father:
"Your Majesty flatters me—it's not about being overworked. As the lead investigator of this case, there are indeed some inconveniences..."
She repeated the two concerns she had previously mentioned to the Empress. Silence fell beyond the screen, as if the men were pondering her reasoning, and no one objected.
"I believe that for the inconvenience of interrogating external officials, Fourteenth Brother could serve as deputy investigator," Empress Zhangsun said calmly. "Fourteenth Young Master witnessed the murder firsthand and is fully aware of the circumstances. Moreover, he is both cultured and martial, naturally intelligent, and fair in handling matters. With his assistance to Yingniang in external investigations, he could compensate for the limitations of a woman."
So this was the Empress's plan.
Beyond the screen, the Fourteenth Young Master, Prince Wu Yuan-gui, murmured something indistinct—whether it was gratitude or refusal remained unclear—before the Emperor clapped his hands in approval. "Excellent! The Empress is always so thoughtful!"
...Your Majesty, you are the ruler of a nation. Is it really appropriate to openly display such deference and obedience to your virtuous wife...?
Empress Zhangsun's lips twitched slightly as she suppressed a smile and added, "However, regarding the second inconvenience Yingniang mentioned—that the public might not trust her conclusions—I'm unsure how to resolve that. Fourteenth Brother is also young, not a minister of long-standing prestige whom the people would readily accept. Nor does he have any special connection to the late palace's women. His findings might also..."
"A minister of long-standing prestige whom the people would readily accept," the Emperor mused. "And one with a special connection to the late palace's women... Then, only Wei Xuancheng would suffice."
!?
Wei Shufen was startled, her mouth opening as she nearly cried out. Chai Yingluo, anticipating this, quickly covered her mouth.
"Your Majesty's divine wisdom has illuminated the path!" Empress Zhangsun said joyfully. "Lord Wei is the foremost upright minister of the court and once served the former Crown Prince. He must also feel some kinship toward Princess Linfen and would spare no effort to apprehend her true murderer."
"If Lord Wei joins the investigation, I dare not remain the lead," Chai Yingluo added. "Given his esteemed reputation, he should naturally be the chief investigator, with Fourteenth Uncle and myself assisting."
As they all echoed the suitability of Wei Zheng's involvement, the Emperor ordered someone to summon Wei Zheng, the Palace Attendant, to the Hall of Established Governance for discussions. Wei Shufen stood behind the screen, her head spinning—just when she thought this murder case was becoming irrelevant to her, why had her father suddenly been dragged into it?
Given her current status as a "self-confessed murderer," her own father was clearly unsuitable for participating in the investigation! The suspicion of favoritism was too glaring... Even if the Empress had explicitly stated she didn't believe Wei Shufen was the murderer, shouldn't there at least be some pretense of recusal?
Beyond the screen, the men had never once mentioned Wei Shufen's existence. She didn't know whether Li Yuangui and the others had failed to report her involvement to the Emperor or if there was another reason. In any case, amid unanimous agreement, her father, Wei Zheng, was summoned to the Hall of Established Governance.
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