Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 18 Helan Mother and Daughter

Lady Helan was named Wu Shun, Wu Meiniang's elder sister. She married Helan Yueshi and had a son and a daughter.

It's a pity that Helan Yueshi died early, so she had to live as a widow in Luoyang with her children, and had to endure the cold and harsh treatment of the Helan clan.

Later, Wu Meiniang entered the palace again and was appointed Zhaoyi. Someone was sent to bring her back to Chang'an, and she bid farewell to her hard days.

Wu Shun was only one year older than Wu Meiniang, and looked very similar to Wu Meiniang, except that she was a little plumper and fuller than her.

Wu Meiniang was lonely in the palace. As soon as she became the queen, she opened a back door for her family members, allowing them to come to the palace to see her at any time.

Wu Meiniang's mother's surname was Yang. She married Wu Shihuo when she was in her forties. Now she is over seventy and has difficulty walking.

So whenever there was anything, Wu Shun would be asked to enter the palace.

After a while, Wu Shun, led by Zhang Duohai, came to the side hall, holding the hand of a cute girl about ten years old with double buns.

"Helan greets Her Majesty the Queen!"

"Minrou pays homage to the Queen."

Wu Shun took his daughter to kowtow and pay his respects together.

Wu Meiniang tilted her head and smiled, "Good sister, why should we be so polite when we are family? I am busy right now, please help Rou'er up quickly."

Wu Shun thanked him and pulled his daughter up.

There is a small hall next to the Lizheng Hall, which is the residence of Wu Meiniang's eldest son Li Hong.

Wu Meiniang ordered Zhang Duohai to take Helan Minrou to play with Li Hong, and dismissed some irrelevant attendants, leaving only a few confidants.

"Sister, there is no outsider here. Why do you come to the palace to find me now? Is there something wrong?" Wu Meiniang asked while fanning the fire with a small round fan.

Seeing that there were no outsiders around, Wu Shun felt less restrained. He walked over to his sister and said with a smile, "If I open my mouth, I'm afraid you'll dislike me again."

Wu Meiniang glanced at her and said, "If I disliked you, why would I bring you to Chang'an? Tell me!"

Wu Shun hugged her and said with a smile: "My dear sister, I have to ask you to give me some money. I can hardly afford rouge."

Wu Meiniang asked, "Didn't I just send three thousand strings of cash to the mansion a month ago? How could it be used up so quickly?"

Wu Shun blushed slightly. "It's not that we're wasting money. It's just that our mansion just expanded into a new courtyard. It's the house next door. I bought it and plan to incorporate it into our mansion."

"There are not many people in the family. Isn't the house big enough for them to live in? Why are they expanding it for no reason?" Wu Meiniang complained.

Wu Shun glanced at her and sighed, "Look, you said you weren't angry, but you're still angry!"

Wu Meiniang held her temper and said, "I'm not angry, but I have to get everything clear."

Wu Shun pursed his lips and said, "There's nothing I can do. Minzhi and Minrou are so young. I'm afraid they'll be bullied by those two bad guys, Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi. Don't we have to keep them apart?"

Seeing that Wu Meiniang had a gloomy face and didn't say anything, she hurriedly added.

"That's what my mother meant. She doesn't want to live with those two heartless people, so she wants to expand the courtyard so we can live separately from them."

The two people she mentioned who were heartless were the brothers Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang, who were the sons of Wu Shihuo's first wife.

Wu Shigui died early, so the two brothers were disrespectful to their stepmother. Fortunately, Wu Meiniang entered the palace and served Emperor Taizong, so the two brothers did not dare to act rashly.

Later, Taizong died. Wu Meiniang had no children, so she was driven into Ganye Temple to become a nun.

The two brothers turned against each other and drove Yang and the youngest sister of the Wu family out of the mansion.

Yang's mother and daughter were worried about their daughter in Ganye Temple and were unwilling to return to their hometown in Luoyang. They lived in an inn and tried every possible means to ask people to help them, hoping that Wu Meiniang would have a better life in the temple.

Later, Wu Meiniang broke out of Ganye Temple and was favored by the new emperor.

The two brothers quickly sent someone to bring Yang's mother and daughter back to their mansion.

Wu Meiniang knew her mother disliked the two, so after hearing what they had said, she didn't pursue the matter any further. She only asked, "Have they been behaving themselves lately?"

Wu Shun snorted and said, "You know what kind of people they are. You are the queen, and their future depends on you, so they come here to say nice things to us in such a disgusting way. If you were not the queen, who knows how they would treat us, mother and daughter!"

Wu Meiniang glanced at her and said, "You don't have to pick on me. I remember everything that happened before. The situation is unstable now, so don't rush to settle accounts with them. It won't be long before I deal with them myself."

Wu Shun smiled and said, "It's good that you have an idea in mind. And more importantly, don't let them inherit your father's title of Duke."

Wu Meiniang said with a half-smile, "You want me to keep it for your son, right? His last name is not Wu."

Wu Shun chuckled and said, "That's not that difficult. You just change his last name, right?"

Wu Meiniang didn't respond and changed the subject, "How much does it cost to expand the house?"

Wu Shun thought for a moment and said, "It must be around two thousand strings of cash." Wu Meiniang asked, "Then is there another thousand strings of cash?"

Wu Shun said, "Hey, my dear sister, we are royal relatives after all, and living at home also requires expenses. I found three teachers for Minzhi, and Minrou has also started learning the qin. Also, Da Ci'en Temple is planning to build a new temple, and they sent people to find us. Mother couldn't bear to do it, so she donated 500 coins."

Wu Meiniang remained silent.

Wu Shun said with a wry smile, "If you're short of money, I can use Minzhi's betrothal gift to support you for another ten days or half a month."

Wu Meiniang said calmly, "Mother's birthday is coming soon. How can your little money be enough? Tomorrow, I will have someone send back another two thousand coins."

Wu Shunxi said, "I knew you were filial. Mother was afraid you would be embarrassed, so she specifically told me not to mention this matter."

Wu Meiniang stared at her and said, "This money is for mother's birthday celebration. If you dare to use it to support those white-collar workers, don't blame me for not giving you face."

Wu Shun's face flushed red, he lowered his head, and stammered, "How do you know this..."

Wu Meiniang said, "Sister, I know it's nothing. If Mother knew about this and got mad at her, I wouldn't forgive you."

Wu Shun whispered, "I see. I was just playing the piano and singing opera with them to relieve their boredom. There was no other intention."

Wu Meiniang sighed and said, "I don't want to interfere in your affairs. Just remember to take good care of your mother."

Wu Shun hummed, and said, "I've remembered it all. When Minzhi grows up, he will be filial to his grandmother."

Wu Meiniang nodded and said no more.

Wu Shun stood there for a while, and seeing that Wu Meiniang didn't say anything, he smiled and said, "My dear sister, have you secured the imperial edicts for my mother and me for the grand court meeting next year?"

Wu Meiniang glanced at her and said, "I promised you something, how could I have ever lied to you?"

Wu Shun was overjoyed and hugged his sister, saying, "After my mother and I become the Queen Mother, we will each have our own salaries and will never bother you again!"

At this time, the eunuch from the Shangshi Bureau brought the food over.

Wu Meiniang's medicinal meal was almost done. She waved to Wu Shun and said, "Go check on Hong'er. I'm going to deliver food to His Majesty."

Wu Shun leaned over and took a whiff, then smiled and said, "It smells so good, my dear sister. I must try these palace dishes someday."

Wu Meiniang nodded in agreement, and when she reached the door, she suddenly stopped.

"Has anything big happened in Chang'an recently?" she turned around and asked.

"The biggest event was the assassination of Zhangsun Wuji. Smaller ones included a minor official named Lu Cai who, overestimating his own abilities, discussed Zen with the eminent monks of Da Ci'en Temple..."

Wu Meiniang interrupted, "I don't like to hear this. Has there been any injustice or famine?"

Wu Shun said, "No, it's just that the price of rice in Chang'an has gone up again, and there seem to be more beggars on the streets."

Wu Meiniang nodded and led her people towards Ganlu Palace.

When I arrived at the study in Ganlu Palace, I saw eunuchs coming in and out, carrying books into the study.

Wu Meiniang called a eunuch and asked what was being moved.

The eunuch replied, "Your Highness, we have been ordered to fetch the history books of various dynasties and related notes from the Hongwenguan."

Wu Meiniang was secretly surprised and thought to herself, "Why is Jiulang suddenly interested in history books?"

She stepped into the study and saw Li Zhi sitting on a chair reading a book.

When I got closer, I saw that it was the "Book of Sui" compiled by Wei Zheng.

Wu Meiniang is even stranger.

She knew that every prince had to study the history of various dynasties since childhood, but they were usually forced to study, and few people would take the initiative to read boring history books.

She had heard Xu Jingzong say that the Book of Sui was still being compiled and had not been completed. Currently, there were only five volumes of "Emperor's Records" and fifty volumes of "Biographies", and it lacked the "Records" that recorded the rules and regulations.

Li Zhi was obviously reading a handwritten copy, and he was so absorbed in it that he didn't even notice his arrival.

Wu Meiniang quietly walked behind him and looked down. It turned out that Li Zhi was looking at the administrative system reform of the Sui Dynasty.

During the Sui Dynasty, the traditional system of imperial examinations by prefectures and counties and the nine-rank system were abolished, and a new imperial examination system was implemented.

Li Zhi also took a pen and circled "Imperial Examination System" to show his affirmation of the imperial examination system.

Seeing that he had not noticed her, Empress Wu did not disturb him. She walked outside and waved to the maids standing at the door.

The maids came in with delicious food in their hands.

(End of this chapter)