Chapter 47: Lai Junchen, Deployment

Since the Empress ascended the throne, the divine capital of Luoyang has never lacked fresh and startling events, especially with cruel officials knocking on doors, making the ransacking of houses and the extermination of entire clans an everyday occurrence.

Though the day started bright and fair, the sound of thundering hooves shattered the morning peace along the streets of Luoyang. Swift riders galloped past, kicking up a flurry of dust and instantly charging the atmosphere with tension and stern severity.

Even Xiao Muchen's carriage was forced to halt at the roadside.

Spotting a familiar figure on horseback—none other than the attendant imperial censor, Lai Junchen—Xiao Muchen could not help but ask a young scholar nearby, "What has happened?"

"I heard that Palace Attendant Qiao offended the Prince of Wei because of a maidservant, so Censor Lai is heading to his residence to hold him accountable."

To hold someone accountable was, in truth, merely a euphemism for ransacking a home and wiping out a bloodline.

Hearing the name Palace Attendant Qiao, Xiao Muchen furrowed his brows tightly.

"That Censor Lai is quite prominent these days! I hear he enjoys the deep favor of the Prince of Wei and might be promoted very soon!"

Another scholar lowered his voice and said, "Moreover, rumor has it that back when he was in Hanzhou, he loved to chase shadows and frame the innocent. Prince Dongping, Li Xu, upheld the law impartially and had him beaten with a hundred staves. Later, in revenge, Lai Junchen accused the Prince of Dongping of treason. Originally a condemned prisoner awaiting death, he successfully exposed a supposed conspiracy, which not only spared him the death penalty but also earned him a promotion to the Censorate."

"Ah, there is simply no comparing person to person. Some study by the frosty window for a lifetime, only to be cast into prison and have their entire official career ruined because a single poem displeased someone. Yet others merely rely on a glib tongue to turn white into black, climbing to official rank even as scoundrels and vagrants!"

"What does it matter if he was a vagrant? As long as he knows how to speak, whether it is black or white, gaining the favor of the Sacred One and securing wealth and glory is the true skill! Have you not heard his favorite saying: 'Even closest kin I can bear to sever; even utmost evil I will not yield; as long as it is for the Sacred One, even closest kin may be slain.' There is nothing he will not stoop to do."

"Is this perhaps yet another ruthless executioner following in the footsteps of Zhou Xing?"

Amidst the whispers buzzing around him, Xiao Muchen felt a foreboding premonition rise within his chest. Just as he was about to lead Xuanhui toward the Dali Temple at a brisk pace, a stern shout echoed from behind: "Make way! Make way! Who dares here to murmur against Censor Lai?"

"You! And you! Take them all away!"

A man with a visible scar across his face shouted loudly. The crowd on the street scattered instantly like birds and beasts, though a few who failed to run fast enough were immediately seized by two imperial guards.

Xiao Muchen frowned deeply and signaled Xuanhui to step forward with a sharp reprimand: "In broad daylight, by whose authority do you arrest people at random?"

The scarred man flew into a rage, raising his whip to strike, but Lai Junchen galloped over just in time. Seeing Xiao Muchen, Lai Junchen hastily lashed his whip across the scarred man's back, cursing furiously, "You blind fool! This is Vice Minister Xiao!"

The scarred man's expression changed abruptly, and he began offering profuse apologies.

Lai Junchen dismounted and hurried forward to bow contritely. "Forgive me, Vice Minister Xiao. This subordinate of mine has just entered the Inspectorate and does not yet understand the rules, thereby offending you! I shall thoroughly discipline him upon our return!"

Xiao Muchen glanced at Lai Junchen. With a swift, sideways look, he soon noticed a carriage draped in red gauze behind the censor. The faint silhouette of a woman sat within the hazy curtains, her graceful form outlined against the fabric. She appeared to be weeping, and the muffled sound of sobs drifted out.

"Who is inside the carriage?" Xiao Muchen asked.

"Ah, she is a lovely maidservant named Biyu, presented to the Prince of Wei by Palace Attendant Qiao. The Prince of Wei commanded me to escort Lady Biyu respectfully to his estate, so she may instruct the palace maids in the arts of makeup and adornment."

"Could it be that Biyu, famed throughout the capital as 'the peerless beauty of the Qiao household'?"

"Yes, yes, exactly her! So Vice Minister Xiao has also heard of her renown. The Prince of Wei heard that she is not only accomplished in both appearance and talent, but can even compose essays, and he yearns for her presence. Therefore, he wishes to grant this maiden a brighter future."

"Yet she appears quite unwilling, to my eyes!"

At these words, Lai Junchen's ingratiating smile stiffened slightly. He hurried over to the carriage and muttered something under his breath, whereupon the weeping within ceased instantly.

"To win the favor of the Prince of Wei is a blessing cultivated over many lifetimes; how could she possibly be unwilling? Vice Minister Xiao jests. Look, is she not entirely willing now?"

With that, he ordered the curtains opened and said to the woman inside, "Step down and offer your apologies to Vice Minister Xiao, lest he harbor any misunderstandings!"

"Understood!"

At Lai Junchen's bantering summons, the woman named Biyu indeed stepped down from the carriage. Upon seeing Xiao Muchen, a flicker of surprise crossed her features, followed quickly by a graceful, smiling bow. Only after receiving a subtle glance of warning from Lai Junchen did she re-enter the carriage and depart.

Watching the grand procession rumble into the distance, leaving a trail of dust in its wake, Xiao Muchen felt the weight of his anxieties grow heavier.

"My lord, this Lai Junchen..."

"He has already defected to the Prince of Wei."

"Has he no sense of integrity whatsoever? Why, just recently, he was bowing and scraping before you!"

"Can you expect integrity from a petty villain who rose to power through denunciations? I fear the court is about to endure yet another storm of blood and terror."

Sighing inwardly, he brushed the thoughts aside and commanded, "Let us move! To the Dali Temple!"

By then, Murong Huan had been waiting within the Dali Temple for quite some time. Upon his arrival, she asked eagerly whether Guo Hongba had confessed to his crimes.

Xiao Muchen nodded, gesturing for Lu Ling and the others to follow him into a secluded inner chamber within the Dali Temple.

He produced the written confession signed by Guo Hongba, and Lu Ling, Lu Shiyilang, and Xie Zie gathered around to read it.

Murong Huan read through every single word on the page with utmost care, yet she failed to find any mention relating to her parents, leaving her somewhat disappointed.

In contrast, Xie Zie and Lady Xie were already bathed in tears. Although expected, every character on the paper felt like a sharp blade dragging across their hearts, filling them with grief, indignation, and soundless weeping.

"The Prince of Wei, the Left Chancellor... Such towering officials!" Xie Zie lowered her head and let out a bitter, low sigh.

"Zie!" Lady Xie called out softly, consumed by sorrow.

Xie Zie cast a cold gaze at Lady Xie. "Had you not been weak and cowardly, caring only for preserving your husband and your household, how could A'ying and A'qing have died? They came seeking you because they viewed you as their refuge, yet you, their own aunt, allowed them to fall into the hands of villains and meet such a wretched end!"

Lady Xie was left speechless. Knowing that no amount of repentance could restore the young lives of her two nieces, she could only cover her face with her hands and weep, repeating over and over, "I am sorry, Zie! I am sorry, I am sorry..."

Murong Huan interrupted sternly, "Xie Zie, this matter cannot be blamed upon Lady Xie. She failed to protect your two sisters, but the powerless are blameless. Rather than venting your anger upon the innocent, you should gather your strength and ensure your enemies receive the punishment they deserve."

Lady Xie had been driven to the brink of madness by her own guilt and remorse; any further provocation might plunge her once more into the abyss of endless, frantic darkness.

"Indeed. Since Vice Minister Xiao has secured the confession, I beg him to present it to the Sacred One to charge these corrupt officials who treat human lives as mere grass. Our Dali Temple will also submit this case to the Sacred One!" Lu Shiyilang added.

Before he could finish, Xiao Muchen replied with unshakeable resolve, "I am sorry, but I have no intention of presenting this confession to the Sacred One immediately!"

"Why?" the others demanded angrily.

Xiao Muchen explained, "Guo Hongba is merely one of them. Making Guo Hongba pay for his crimes is easy, but do you think it will be easy to bring Qiu Shenji and the Prince of Wei to justice?"

At this question, the secret chamber fell into a profound silence.

Wu Chengsi, the Prince of Wei, was not only the Left Chancellor of the Wenchangtai, but also the most trusted paternal cousin of the Empress. Had Wu Chengsi not paved the way for the Empress by unearthing the jade stone symbolizing auspicious omens and the Mandate of Heaven, swaying public opinion, and using it as a pretext to summon all Li family relatives to Luoyang—thus wiping out the core political and military strength of the Li-Tang royal lineage in a single stroke—Wu Zhao would never have ascended the throne so smoothly.

No sooner had Wu Zhao taken the throne than Wu Chengsi was immediately rewarded with the title of Prince of Wei and the seat of Left Chancellor, wielding an authority that overshadowed the entire court.

Presently, the Sacred One remained hesitant regarding the succession—whether to pass the throne to her own son, Li Dan, the Prince of Xiang, or to her nephew, Wu Chengsi, thereby transferring the realm of the Li family entirely into the hands of the Wu clan.

This demonstrated the unshakeable position Wu Chengsi held in the Empress's heart, one that even her own son could not challenge.

The group sank into a helpless, contemplative silence.

Xie Zie asked directly, "Then what do you propose we do?"

Xiao Muchen then outlined his deployment strategy step by step.

Once he finished, Xie Zie remained uneasy and asked, "Princess Taiping? Can she be trusted? After all, she is a daughter-in-law of the Wu family."

"She is both a daughter-in-law of the Wu family and a daughter of the Li family. Furthermore, as far as she is concerned, the Prince of Wei, Wu Chengsi, bears the blood debt of her husband's murder."

At the mention of Princess Taiping, a wave of inexpressible sorrow and complex emotion stirred within Murong Huan's heart. She knew these were the lingering emotions of Li Linghuan influencing her.

Under Xiao Muchen's repeated explanations and elaborations, no one offered any further objections. Half an hour later, Xiao Muchen and Murong Huan emerged from the Dali Temple.

Once inside their carriage, Murong Huan could not restrain her curiosity. "Why did you say that the Prince of Wei, Wu Chengsi, murdered Princess Taiping's husband? Wasn't it the reigning Empress who truly killed her husband?"

Xiao Muchen smiled faintly and replied, "You are quite right. Whatever Wu Chengsi did was merely paving the way for the Empress's ascension. Back then, he used a jade stone as an excuse to make the Empress summon all Li family kinsmen to Luoyang, terrifying the princes—led by the Prince of Yue—into launching a rebellion out of self-preservation. That rebellion provided the Empress with the justification to exterminate the Li-Tang royal clan while sweeping away all princely factions disloyal to the Wu family.

"Princess Taiping's first husband, Xue Shao, was merely a sacrificial pawn framed and discarded by Wu Chengsi during this massive purge. Although Princess Taiping pleaded desperately with the Empress for Xue Shao's life, she could not save him. That event made Princess Taiping realize that the Empress was not only her mother, but also a sovereign.

"When forced to choose between power and familial affection, the Empress chose the former. For Taiping, her status meant she could no longer enjoy simple human warmth; she was destined to be a mere counter in a political struggle, and her marriages could only ever represent her political stance.

"Yet, whether out of dread for the Empress or lingering filial affection, she dared not direct her hatred toward her mother. She could only direct it entirely at Wu Chengsi."

Hearing Xiao Muchen's explanation, Murong Huan felt a deeper resonance, giving birth to an inexplicable, complicated sentiment: This, too, was Li Linghuan's ambivalent feeling toward her own mother—a simultaneous yearning for maternal affection and hatred for her cold ruthlessness.

"Indeed, what you say makes complete sense." After saying this, Murong Huan suddenly asked, "Are you very familiar with Princess Taiping?"

Xiao Muchen paused, gave a slight smile, and replied, "We studied together in the Hongwen Guan when we were children. I suppose you could say we are somewhat acquainted."

As one of the six schools and two institutes of the Great Tang, the Hongwen Guan educated many children of the imperial clan and nobility. Stocked with a vast collection of texts, it was a vital repository of literature in the Tang realm, a place yearned for by scholars even more than the Imperial Academy.

To enter the Hongwen Guan was the supreme honor for any scholar of the Great Tang.

So Xiao Muchen had studied at the Hongwen Guan in his youth; his family background back then must have been extraordinary indeed!

"Right, I promised you that I would help you enter the Imperial Academy. How about I take you to meet a Doctor of the Four Gates School within the Imperial Academy today?"

"There is no need for such haste. Let us resolve the matter concerning Guo Hongba first."

Murong Huan spoke, then suddenly leaned in close. She reached up to touch the top of her head, feeling her silver-white hair, and gazed intently into the bridge of his nose and his eyes.

Close enough that she could hear his faint, subtle breathing and feel the rise and fall of his chest.

Xiao Muchen's face flushed slightly, and his heart began to beat like a drum.

Then she spoke: "Your skin is overly pale, your pupils possess a bluish hue, and your hair is completely white—not only due to the shock of extreme emotional fluctuations, but also because you were once poisoned by the venom of the ice silkworm, is that not so?"