Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 62 Her Identity
When Murong Huan was treating Xiao Muchen for the cold poison, the atmosphere in Ziwei Palace was already stagnant and the cold wind was howling. Several eunuchs and palace maids knelt on the ground, shaking like sieves.

A long scroll was spread out on the ground, and the contents written on it were all the crimes that Guo Hongba confessed to.

The empress sat majestically at the top, dressed in a black robe with dragon patterns. Beneath the nine-pearl crown, her face, which still retained its youthful charm, was filled with anger.

"King Wei, what's your explanation?"

King Wu Chengsi of Wei was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and fell to his knees on the ground.

"Aunt, those two Xie women were indeed killed by my nephew's guards, but I killed them to protect myself and to keep our Wu family's secrets. These two women came to assassinate Qiu Shenji and my nephew, and they also overheard my secret conversation with others, so my nephew..."

"That's not what I'm asking about!" the empress interrupted coldly.

Wu Chengsi changed the subject again, "Guo Hongba's keeping retainers and privately manufacturing weapons were not my instructions. Qiu Shenji's killing of the people of an entire city for the sake of merit was also not my instruction. I admit that I used these two men, but I don't know everything they did!"

"Aunt, I have no second thoughts about you. You should know this. Without you, our Wu family wouldn't be what it is today. How could Chengsi be so foolish as to betray you?"

In fact, not only did he not know how to do it, he also did not dare to do it. He had witnessed the empress's ruthlessness and decisiveness more than 20 years ago. Because she was afraid that her elder sister Lady Han Guo and her daughter Lady Wei Guo were favored by Emperor Gaozong, she used her two brothers of the Wu family to poison her niece Helan Minyue during a tribute. Later, she used Helan Minyue's death to frame Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang for having evil intentions, which led to his father Wu Yuanshuang and cousin Wu Yuanqing being exiled and died on the way to exile.

It was truly a plan that killed two birds with one stone, as with just one move she eliminated all those in the Wu family who were unfaithful to her.

Later, the empress wanted to cultivate her nephew Helan Minzhi to serve her, but Helan Minzhi became suspicious and resentful of her because of the death of his mother and sister. In order to avoid disaster, the empress simply exiled and killed Helan Minzhi.

If she had not been weak and without the support of her relatives in the power struggle, she would not have thought of recalling Helan Minzhi and his cousin Wu Sansi, who were exiled to Lingnan, after his death, to serve as her right-hand men in her ascension to the throne.

In the vortex of this power struggle, feelings have always been the cheapest and illusory things. Only when interests come first can we talk about feelings.

When Wu Chengsi said this, he burst into tears, as if he was deeply wronged.

The Empress seemed to soften her heart again and said, "Alright, stop crying. Putting aside the Ruyi Tower murder case and Guo Hongba's illegal manufacture of weapons, what about his confession in this letter of apology that you sent him to assassinate the orphan of the filial emperor, Li Hong?"

"When did Hong'er have an orphan?"

Wu Chengsi raised his head and said, "Aunt, the death of Emperor Xiaojing was a mystery. Because of his death, those noble families spread rumors that Li Hong was killed by you, aunt, in order to alienate the trust between you and Emperor Gaozong. But I know that this is actually the pain in your heart. Although Emperor Xiaojing died without an heir, I later obtained a notebook from a eunuch in the Eastern Palace. It recorded some secrets about the late Crown Prince Li Hong.

Li Hong once fell in love with a female doctor close to him, and there was suspicion that he was pregnant. Later, Crown Princess Pei even recognized a child as her own before her death.

My nephew suspects that this child is the daughter of that female doctor, and is the daughter of the filial emperor Li Hong!

"Is this really true?" The empress was slightly surprised, then added, "Even so, it's a good thing that Hong'er has a child. Why did you send people to hunt them down?"

"Aunt, you may not know that it was the Hedong Pei family who first stood up to oppose your claim to the throne. And do you still remember the last prophecy that Li Chunfeng left before his death?"

The Empress pondered for a moment and said, "There are rumors that Li Chunfeng has predicted the future of our Great Zhou, even a thousand years from now, but no one knows what the prophecy is.
Li Chunfeng once told Emperor Taizong that one should not reveal the secrets of heaven, nor should one forcibly change fate, otherwise there would be another factor influencing the fate of the world.

"But aunt, what if my nephew knew? Now that I know who this person is who has influenced the fate of our Great Zhou, do I still want to keep her?"

After Wu Chengsi said this, the empress was moved and paused slightly.

"Do you know who it is?"

"Yes, it's a child with a plum blossom birthmark on his body. My nephew speculates that this person is most likely the daughter of the Filial Emperor Li Hong!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud bang of slamming the table.

The empress shouted, "Nonsense!"

Wu Chengsi was also terrified and quickly bowed his head to the ground, crying, "Aunt, every word I said came from the bottom of my heart and was true. I was also thinking about the stability of your kingdom!"

The empress seemed somewhat helpless. She stood up and paced a few steps before sighing, "Alright, to secure my throne, I've already killed some members of the aristocratic families. Many were innocently implicated, and I know that. But in this world, the most talented are those from aristocratic families with a thousand-year cultural heritage. I still need people to employ, and I can't just kill them all!"

After saying this, he looked at Wu Chengsi solemnly:

"I know you're unhappy with Zicheng, but I trust him, and I need him even more now. So, let's end this matter today. Tomorrow, before the officials impeach you, submit your resignation!"

Having said that, he flicked his dragon-patterned sleeves and said, "Let's go back first!"

When Wu Chengsi heard the words "submit resignation", his face changed drastically and he shouted, "Aunt!"

"go back!"

Wu Chengsi burst into tears: "Yes!"...

After Wu Chengsi left the hall, the empress sighed slightly and turned to the female official beside her: "Wan'er, what do you think about this?"

Shangguan Wan'er said, "I believe that rumors cannot be disbelieved, but they cannot be completely trusted. However, to kill innocent people who may have nothing to do with a prophecy based on no actual evidence and nothing more than speculation is ultimately against the will of Heaven."

"Well, Wan'er is trying to persuade me not to kill anymore, right?"

Shangguan Wan'er was horrified and immediately knelt down: "I am terrified and have spoken carelessly. I beg the Saint to forgive me..."

The empress flicked her sleeves and reached out to help her get up.

"No, I think you're right. Chengsi still wants to be the crown prince!"

Shangguan Wan'er remained silent when such a sensitive topic as the Crown Prince was mentioned. At this moment, the Empress gave another order: "Go to the Xiao Mansion and see how Zicheng is doing. Why haven't you come yet?
By the way, bring the young lady who plays the flute with you!"

"Here!"

……

Xiao Muchen was still in a nightmare, but this time he saw his father in his dream.

The father, who had always been a romantic and unrestrained man, did not play the piano and drink as usual. Instead, he stood by the window with his hands behind his back, looking worried.

"Aye—are you still alive?"

He strode towards his father with joy, but found that his father's figure was receding step by step with each step he took, and he could not reach him at all.

"Zicheng, at this time, you should stay in Hongwenguan, stay with the Emperor and Empress, and don't come back!"

Only at this time did he realize that his father still looked the same as when he was young.

"Why, Father?"

"This will soon change. His Majesty's illness is getting worse. He has handed over all power in the court to the Queen Mother, asking her to rule on his behalf. However, those noble families are still petitioning the Crown Prince to be made regent.

In the past, Shangguan Yi and his entire clan were executed for wanting to depose Empress Wu. Prime Minister Hao Chujun strongly advised His Majesty not to hand over the world to the hands of the Empress, and was subsequently exiled. The two princes died first, and Li Xian was even more demoted and exiled to Bazhou. Recently, there have been many rumors that Li Xian is gathering troops in Bazhou and is suspected of rebelling.

If His Majesty were to pass away, I'm afraid there would be another major purge in the court, and our Xiao family..."

The father did not say anything else, but bent down and stroked his face.

"I hope the Queen will spare your life because of your innocence and youth..."

……

The scene changed, and he came to the execution platform again, seeing a group of clansmen kneeling on the ground with their hands tied. His grandfather, who was once so arrogant and proud, was now in a miserable state, and there was a hint of guilt on his face as he looked at him, but his father kept waving at him, persuading him to leave.

He carried a Jiaoyeqin to the execution ground and said to his father, who always had the demeanor of a noble scholar, "Father, why don't I play a song for you? You taught me that the qin is a gentleman's instrument. The first string represents the ruler, the second string represents the minister, and the third string represents the people. The order of order is clear and cannot be confused. So today I will play a slow two-string piece for you!"

The slow erxian music is actually a song about a minister killing his king. Playing this song is really a heinous crime and he is seeking his own death. But when the music sounded, he heard the sounds of amazement from under the execution platform.

Some people even praised that they had no regrets in their life just because they had heard this song, but if the person who played this song was no longer with us, it would be the biggest regret in history.

As a result, many students from the Imperial College pleaded for him, and his talent and fame shocked the emperor and empress for a while.

Later, the imperial court sent someone to deliver an imperial decree, and he was forcibly dragged down from the execution platform. But the next moment, his father's head rolled to the ground...

He saw a relieved smile on his father's face.

"Zicheng, if you can meet your mother in the future, tell her that I will not regret marrying her in this life!"

The words his father once said rang in his ears, and he couldn't help but shout: "Father——"

The dream dissipated like smoke again, and Xiao Muchen woke up again from the sound of a flute, and saw Murong Huan standing in front of her.

When he was about to stand up with joy, he found himself completely naked in the misty bathtub.

(End of this chapter)