"In the eighth year of WuDe, the cup of poisoned wine that the Son of Heaven drank at the Crown Prince's Palace was offered to him by Yi Niang."
Countless thoughts surged through Li Yuangui's mind in an instant. He turned to look at Yang Xinzhi, and the tall, sturdy guard was equally dumbfounded.
"In the third month of WuDe's eighth year, the Son of Heaven arranged the engagement of Princess Pingyang and Prince Consort Chai's eldest son to the Crown Prince's first daughter. The former Crown Prince held a banquet to celebrate, gathering all the close imperial relatives and noble consorts in the capital at Xiande Hall. The grandeur of that day remains fresh in my memory."
The husband of Guiyang Princess straightened his posture, his gaze drifting over the heads of the two youths as he murmured softly into the distance:
"The halls were adorned with lanterns and decorations, servants bustling with wine and delicacies. Musicians performed in the courtyard, while dancers entertained in the main hall. Male guests gathered in the front hall, ladies in the rear chambers—a glittering assembly of dignitaries filled every seat, their laughter and conversation rising with each step up the stairs... Piled in the corridors were lavish wedding gifts from every noble house: golden censers, silver incense burners, pearls, agate, coral branches—all shimmering under the lanterns hung from the eaves. Prince Qi even presented a troupe of Xiliang performers who danced standing in the courtyard. The Crown Prince's Palace hadn't seen such splendor in years, surpassing even the imperial visit of the previous year. It was also the last time Prince Qin attended a banquet at the Crown Prince's Palace during the WuDe era—arriving in gold and purple robes astride his horse, only to be carried back to Hongyi Palace lying in Prince Huai'an's palanquin..."
"In the eighth year of WuDe, the former Crown Prince attempted to poison his own brother—who had rendered great service to the empire—at a palace banquet. An act that outraged both gods and men. I too have heard of this," Li Yuangui interjected. "But with cups passing endlessly at such a feast, how could Brother-in-law Yang be certain it was Yi Niang who poisoned Prince Qin's wine?"
Yang Shidao smiled gently at him. "You were all too young then to know. By WuDe's eighth year, after the Yang Wen'gan Qingzhou rebellion, the Tujue Mayi uprising, the court's deliberation on relocating the capital, and the cases involving Luo Yi, Li Fucheng, and the Prince of Zhao Commandery—the rift between the Crown Prince and Prince Qin had become starkly clear. Both sides harbored deep suspicions. This engagement banquet was mandated by the Son of Heaven—Prince Qin had to attend. But he took precautions, bringing his own cup and medicinal drinks, claiming his physician had forbidden alcohol and rich foods since his winter illness. He would only drink beverages poured by his own attendants, refusing even a drop of the palace's offerings..."
To attend a banquet yet refuse the host's food and wine was practically declaring "I don't trust you"—such brazen disrespect was something only Second Brother would dare... Li Yuangui smiled bitterly. "The atmosphere must have been unbearably awkward."
"Not exactly," Yang Shidao replied with a smile. "You never witnessed the present Son of Heaven's bearing before his accession. As Prince Qin, he moved with effortless grace and spoke with natural eloquence—his witty banter and sharp repartee were unmatched. Wherever he sat became a place of laughter and warmth. Any awkwardness could easily be smoothed over—throughout that entire banquet, Prince Qin kept the conversation flowing. We attendees followed his lead, and the atmosphere remained harmonious and joyous. Perhaps too joyous—Prince Qi (the Prince of Hailing) started clamoring for the young bride and the princess to come toast their future uncles and aunts with engagement wine..."
Here Yang Shidao paused, lost in thought for a moment, his brows furrowing. Li Yuangui asked:
"Did Brother-in-law notice anything unusual about the wine Yi Niang offered Prince Qin at the time?"“Not at all.” Yang Shidao shook his head. “The attendants dressed Yi Niang in the back hall and brought her out, naturally surrounded by nurses and serving girls. Palace maids and eunuchs carried wine trays, filling several Golden Curved Cups from the same flagon. Following the etiquette freshly taught by her nurse, Yi Niang raised a cup to offer longevity wine to the elders in the hall…”
“Did she present the first cup to Prince Qin?” Given the ranks of the guests at the banquet, this would have been appropriate.
“No. That banquet was held for family matters. Prince Qin modestly insisted on seating by seniority, so the seats of honor were taken by uncles like Prince Huai’an and Prince Changle. However, when Yi Niang came out to offer wine, Prince Qin led the teasing and clamor, urging his eldest niece to first toast her grandfather—that is, Prince Consort Chai, her third uncle-in-law.”
Li Yuangui imagined the lively scene and couldn’t help smiling faintly, then suddenly realized Prince Qin’s insistence on others drinking first wasn’t purely for amusement—having others drink from the same flagon first served as a poison test. If the Crown Prince’s Palace had truly intended to poison the wine, the presence of so many imperial nobles would have given them pause.
The Son of Heaven had ordered the Crown Prince’s Palace to host the banquet to celebrate Yi Niang’s betrothal to Chai Zhewei. Since Prince Qin attended, maintaining superficial cordiality, he couldn’t refuse this particular toast from the bride-to-be without outright snubbing the event—unlike other food and drink, this cup was unavoidable.
“So Prince Consort Chai drank Yi Niang’s toast first? Did Prince Qin drink afterward?” Li Yuangui asked.
Yang Shidao nodded. “Prince Consort Chai first, followed by two or three elder uncles. By the time Prince Qin’s turn came, the tray was nearly empty. Ah, Yi Niang was so delicate and lovely then, a seven- or eight-year-old girl chirping ‘May Second Uncle live ten thousand years!’—I can still hear it. His Majesty took the Golden Cup from her hand with a smile and drained it in one go…”
His narrative suddenly shifted from “Prince Qin” a decade ago to “His Majesty” now, likely recalling the consequences of that cup and the near-cataclysmic upheaval it caused… Li Yuangui paused before asking:
“Fifth Brother-in-law, are you certain Prince Qin drank only that one cup at the banquet and nothing else?”
“Indeed. Not long after drinking, Prince Qin complained of stomach pains and left to relieve himself. Uncle Huai’an, noticing his pallor, followed. What happened next… you know. I sat directly across from Prince Qin and saw clearly—his dining table’s dishes remained untouched, even his chopsticks unused.”
Li Yuangui fell silent. Years earlier, hearing palace ladies discuss this in Great Peace Palace, they’d said: “Prince Qin claimed he was poisoned at the Crown Prince’s Palace, dragged back wretchedly by Prince Huai’an, dosed with elixirs, and nearly died vomiting blood—but it was all his Hongyi Palace faction’s version. The former Crown Prince was so benevolent, and the Supreme Emperor always favored Prince Qin. How would the Crown Prince dare openly murder his brother in his own home, botching the poisoning too? Later, the Supreme Emperor’s investigation found no evidence, ruling it sudden gastric illness. After the sixth month of the ninth year, the court reopened the case with great fanfare—still no poisoner was found, so they blamed the Crown Prince’s catering supervisor Ren Can for negligence and exiled his family.”The case has now been concluded as "the Crown Prince's Palace attempted to poison Prince Qin with tainted wine," but the court has remained vague about who exactly administered the poison, as if it were unimportant. After listening to Yang Shidao's account, Li Yuangui learned that the poisoned wine had actually been presented to Prince Qin by the former Crown Prince's eldest daughter, Li Wanxi. But...
"Yi Niang was only six or seven years old at the time—just a child. What could she possibly have understood?" Li Yuangui frowned. "Even if the wine she offered truly was poisoned, it must have been tampered with by someone else who used her as a tool. No matter how you look at it, she can't be blamed for this."
"She shouldn't be blamed. From the incident until now, neither His Majesty nor those in power have ever held Yi Niang personally accountable or punished her," Yang Shidao said slowly. "However, the spirits and gods are clear-sighted. Even if Yi Niang acted without intent, that cup of poisoned wine ultimately harmed the one destined by Heaven to rule our Tang dynasty. Recently, the court astronomers observed an ominous star intruding upon the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, indicating that this transgression has offended Heaven. Yi Niang's lifetime of blessings and longevity may have been entirely exhausted. Ah... her sudden madness before marriage, leading to her own demise—how could it be without cause?"
So this was how Yang Shidao viewed Yi Niang's death.
This theory of "divine retribution" had many believers, but Li Yuangui was not entirely convinced. Take those around him, for example: his own mother had lived a gentle, kind, and uncontentious life, yet in the end, she was forced to take her own life. Meanwhile, the ruthless and malicious Consort Yin still wielded power and influence in the Great Peace Palace. If Yi Niang had to pay such a terrible price for being exploited as a child, why had Consort Yin's retribution not yet come?
Yang Xinzhi, kneeling beside him, shifted slightly. Li Yuangui turned to look at him and saw the tall, sturdy attendant pressing his lips tightly together, his face also dark with disbelief. His mother had suffered greatly all her life, even becoming a nun to ensure her son's recognition by his father. Yet despite being accepted by his birth father, Yang Xinzhi was still mistreated and bullied at home. Where was the so-called divine justice in this world?
"Thank you, Brother-in-law, for sharing these details," Li Yuangui said, raising his head with determination. "Yi Niang's mysterious death may be closely linked to this poisoned wine incident from ten years ago. I will investigate thoroughly. Now that the Temple of Common Vocation has burned down, the scene of Yi Niang's murder is lost. The only way forward is to question those involved—where exactly did you send Consort Yang, Princess of Hailing? I hope you won't withhold this information."
Trying to intimidate him with talk of "divine punishment" wouldn't work. Li Yuangui watched steadily as Yang Shidao's expression shifted. Finally, the most handsome man in the Tang dynasty sighed, leaned on the table, and stood up.
"Prince Wu, your investigation must be exhausting. It's late now, and my humble home has prepared some wine. Please, Prince Wu and High Truth Master, do us the honor. I have urgent matters to attend to and must beg your pardon for not joining you."
Yang Shidao gave a slight bow and strode toward the door, leaving Li Yuangui—who had been entrusted with an imperial decree to investigate—standing there, utterly disregarded.
It seemed he would rather face charges of defying an imperial order than reveal the truth about secretly taking Consort Yang, Princess of Hailing, away or disclose her current whereabouts.
Furious and frustrated, Li Yuangui gripped the hilt of his sword, considering whether he should leap up and resort to force against his brother-in-law—knocking down the most handsome man in the Tang dynasty to extract the truth. But "assaulting a chancellor" seemed like a rather serious crime... And then there was the brawny Yang Xinzhi beside him. Would he side with his Prince of Wu or join his father in beating Li Yuangui?
Hmm... the odds didn't look promising.In that moment of hesitation, Yang Shidao had already stepped out of the study. By the time Li Yuangui chased after him, he only caught a glimpse of his back disappearing behind the trees in the courtyard. Not long after, when the princess's residence hosted an evening banquet, only Guiyang Princess appeared with a few of her older children to accompany the guests. She explained that the imperial son-in-law was drafting an urgent edict for the Son of Heaven and had no time for dinner, offering deep apologies.
So the imperial son-in-law Yang was hiding in his own home. Li Yuangui had no choice but to endure the forced socializing with a crowd of relatives during the banquet. He only managed to exchange a few private words with Chai Yingluo once, but that too yielded no useful information.
"Fifth Aunt says," the female Taoist whispered quickly into his ear, "she doesn’t know anything about Fifth Uncle taking Consort Yang away, nor has she seen him bring anyone home. She doesn’t seem to be lying. Have Xinzhi ask the servants again."
Yang Xinzhi had, after all, spent over a decade in this household. Though he hadn’t been favored, he still had some close acquaintances. Li Yuangui instructed him to discreetly inquire, and after the banquet ended, Yang Xinzhi reported back: "No one has seen the imperial son-in-law bring any women or strangers home recently."
Well, at least it confirmed that Yang Shidao hadn’t taken the Princess of Hailing and her daughter back to his own home... So where had he sent those four or five people, master and servants alike?
The night curfew had already begun in the city. Exhausted from the long day, Li Yuangui didn’t feel like riding back to the Great Peace Palace and instead stayed overnight at Guiyang Princess’s residence. The next morning, when servants brought breakfast to his chamber, he asked about the hosts’ whereabouts. The servants replied: "The imperial son-in-law left for court before the morning drums even began."
Was Fifth Brother-in-law planning to avoid him forever...? Li Yuangui wondered, feeling somewhat dejected. After hastily finishing his meal, he went to the inner hall to bid farewell to Guiyang Princess, accompanied by Chai Yingluo, who had also stayed overnight in the inner quarters.
They both had pressing matters to attend to, and the fifth princess didn’t insist on keeping them. As they walked out, Li Yuangui told Chai Yingluo about Yang Shidao’s evasion tactics, hoping the resourceful female strategist could help him find a way to force the truth out.
But the cross-dressing Taoist nun could only smile helplessly and shake her head. "Last night, I also tried to subtly ask Fifth Aunt about Fourth Uncle’s wife’s whereabouts. She truly knows nothing. It seems this matter rests solely on Fifth Uncle. Since you’ve already shown him the Son of Heaven’s edict and he still refuses to comply, you should report to His Majesty and let him personally interrogate Fifth Uncle—while also charging him with the grave crime of defying an imperial decree."
Her tone was somewhat joking, but there really seemed no other way. Li Yuangui remained unwilling to give up, feeling the helplessness of a child who could only turn to adults for help.
Spotting Yang Xinzhi waiting for them in the front courtyard with horses and servants, Chai Yingluo chuckled and added:
"I have another idea that might force Fifth Uncle to come out and see you."
"What idea?" Li Yuangui asked eagerly.
The Taoist nun pointed at Yang Xinzhi’s burly frame. "Hold a knife to Yang Da’s neck and shout, giving his father half an hour to appear and truthfully reveal where he took Fourth Uncle’s wife—or else you’ll start slicing his son into pieces..."
"Hey, hey!" Yang Xinzhi yelled, while the nearby servants who overheard couldn’t help but stifle laughter. Li Yuangui merely rolled his eyes skyward. "What a terrible idea! Though if it actually worked..."The problem was, it wouldn’t work at all! If he really took a knife to threaten Yang Xinzhi, his fifth sister, the Princess, would probably be the first to rush out with a crowd to watch, carrying a waist drum to beat and cheer: “Go on, take a swing! One slash earns you a bolt of silk!”
Amid laughter, the group mounted their horses and set off. Chai Yingluo was returning to her family home at the Duke of Qiao’s residence to continue handling the funeral affairs. After some thought, Li Yuangui decided to return to the Seventeenth Prince’s Residence in the Great Peace Palace. He had a plan.
They could still travel together for several blocks within the city. Riding alongside his niece, Li Yuangui asked:
“Yingniang, when you were overseeing Yi Niang’s wedding preparations at the Temple of Common Vocation, did you hear her—or anyone at the temple—mention the incident ten years ago when His Majesty drank poisoned wine in the Eastern Palace?”
The female Taoist turned to him with a startled expression:
“The Eastern Palace Poison Wine Case from ten years ago? No—why are you bringing that up now, Fourteenth Uncle?”
It seemed she was unaware of Yi Niang’s connection to that infamous unsolved case. Li Yuangui carefully recounted Yang Shidao’s description from the previous night, with Yang Xinzhi adding details from behind. Chai Yingluo listened intently, a shadow passing over her delicate features:
“So you suspect Yi Niang’s death is related to that poisoned wine she personally served His Majesty? But surely His Majesty and the Empress aren’t so petty? Besides, it’s been ten years—if they wanted revenge, why wait until now?”
“Of course I don’t suspect His Majesty or the Empress,” Li Yuangui sighed. “Given their status and magnanimity, why would they trouble themselves with an orphaned girl? But Yi Niang’s involvement in that incident provided fodder for malicious rumors. Combined with her private conversation with the Empress before her death… the real murderer harbors deep hatred for both His Majesty and the Empress.”
Chai Yingluo nodded silently. Yang Xinzhi interjected:
“If the killer wanted to use Yi Niang’s death to slander His Majesty, they’d likely spread rumors in secret these past few days. I’ll make inquiries around the Great Peace Palace and the barracks—see if anyone’s whispering about this. Maybe we can uncover something.”
“Good idea,” Li Yuangui approved. “That makes sense. Yang Da, go ahead and investigate.”
The group parted ways at Fanglin Gate Street. Li Yuangui and Yang Xinzhi turned north, galloping through Fragrant Forest Gate into the forbidden garden and entering the Great Peace Palace. Upon arriving at the Seventeenth Prince’s Residence, Li Yuangui didn’t return to his own Prince Wu’s residence but went straight to the residence of his sixth brother, Prince Zhao Li Yuanjing—the eldest among the Supreme Emperor’s younger sons, though only three years older than himself.
“What unfortunate timing. After breakfast this morning, the Sixth Young Master was invited by the Seventh and Tenth Young Masters to play polo,” the Prince Zhao’s Chief Administrator said apologetically. “They’re likely still at the field behind Purple Void Monastery, Fourteenth Young Master—”
Before he could finish, Li Yuangui turned and left, mounting his horse again to ride out of the Great Peace Palace. I should ask Yingniang or another Taoist master to divine for me, he lamented inwardly. Why has nothing gone smoothly lately? Whoever I seek is never there, and no one has answers. How can I rid myself of this relentless streak of bad luck?
#####This chapter’s endnotes briefly discuss the historical “Eastern Palace Poison Wine Incident” from the late WuDe Era, analyzing some unresolved points. For the full content, visit the author’s Weibo. Search for the ID “Tang Dynasty Tour Guide Forest Deer” on Sina Weibo. Comments and discussions are welcome. ????
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