Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 60 Empress Wu's Calligraphy
Early in the morning, in Lizheng Hall.

Wu Meiniang slowly opened her eyes, pulled open the gauze curtain, and rang the bell on the bed.

After a while, several palace maids entered the inner room and bowed together, saying, "Your Highness, you are awake."

Wu Meiniang asked, "Where did Your Majesty stay last night?"

"Your Highness, we all stayed in Ganlu Palace last night. The eunuchs in Ganlu Palace said that Your Majesty caught a cold." The leading palace servant replied.

Wu Meiniang was startled and quickly sat up and asked, "Is it serious? Has the imperial physician examined it?"

The palace attendant said, "The imperial physician has examined him and he is fine. Your Highness need not worry."

Wu Meiniang's face was gloomy, and she said coldly: "Let Zhang Duohai get in!"

Since November, she had recommended Sun Simiao to Li Zhi. Although Li Zhi never asked, he might have kept it in mind.

Now that I'm sick, I think of the good doctor even more. I'm afraid I'm blaming her for not doing her job well.

Zhang Da Hai actually rolled in. He was fat to begin with, so it was quite convenient for him to roll in.

Wu Meiniang was originally furious, and he almost made her laugh.

She forced a stern face and said coldly, "That Yang Yuchen you recommended to me is truly a talented person. He made me wait for over two months."

Zhang Duohai hurriedly said, "Your Highness, please calm down. Sun Simiao is too stubborn. He insists on curing all the patients in Shazhou before he comes to Chang'an."

Wu Meiniang asked, "Is Sun Simiao's illness healed?"

Zhang Duohai said, "He has already cured himself before the imperial physicians have even arrived. He has already cured most of the people in Shazhou City. He will definitely be able to enter the capital within a month."

Wu Meiniang snorted and said, "Then I will wait another month. If Sun Simiao doesn't enter the palace, then Yang Yuchen won't have to come back."

Zhang Duohai smiled and said, "Don't worry, he will definitely arrive in Beijing within a month."

After Wu Meiniang got up, she cooked a bowl of medicinal porridge called "Yushanpin". Near noon, she finished cooking the porridge and quickly came to Ganlu Palace.

When he asked the eunuch outside the door, he found out that Li Zhi was still reviewing memorials.

Wu Meiniang frowned, turned around and ordered, "Yuping, go and get the poem I wrote the other day."

Yuping took the order and left.

Wu Meiniang entered the hall carrying the medicinal porridge and saw Li Zhi busy reviewing official documents.

Wu Meiniang walked over slowly and said softly, "Everyone, since you are sick, take a day off."

Li Zhi looked up at her and said, "It's just a cold. I guess it's because you sweated after walking the night before yesterday and didn't change clothes immediately. It's nothing serious." He picked up the porridge and drank a few mouthfuls.

After a while, Yuping brought in a scroll and handed it to Wu Meiniang.

While Li Zhi was drinking his porridge, Wu Meiniang spread the scroll on the table and said with a smile, "Everyone, what do you think of this poem I wrote?"

Li Zhi turned his head and saw that Wu Meiniang was writing a "five-character regulated verse". Not to mention the poem, her calligraphy was excellent, with graceful and fluent brushwork and free-flowing ideas.

This is the "feibai style" created by Cai Yong.

Emperor Gaozong of Tang was very good at this kind of calligraphy, so Wu Meiniang also worked hard to study it, and her level was no less than that of Emperor Gaozong.

Although Li Zhi inherited the writing skills of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, his style was slightly inferior.

Look at the poem again:

"The ninth spring begins, and thousands of doors open at night. Orchid lanterns emit new flames, and the moon shines brightly. When serving wine, it must be full, not watered down. Make sure the wine is invigorating, and then you can sail back to Luoyang."

It seems to be written about early spring and is related to a banquet. It may have been written by Wu Meiniang after the royal family banquet, and she only brought it to read for herself now.

After reading this poem, one can't help but feel like going out for a spring outing.

"Not bad, the poem is good, and the calligraphy is even better." Li Zhi praised with a smile.

Wu Meiniang said, "Jiulang, the plum blossoms in the plum garden are so beautiful. Please accompany me to take a look."

Li Zhi knew that she wanted him to rest for a while, and was about to agree when a eunuch suddenly walked in from outside.

"Your Majesty, the Junior Minister of the Honglu Temple has requested an audience with Your Majesty regarding an urgent matter."

Last year, Silla asked the Tang Dynasty for help, saying that Goguryeo was going to attack them.

Although Li Zhi did not intend to care about them, he was still quite concerned about the situation in Liaodong and patted Wu Meiniang's arm.

"Mei Niang, go by yourself. I have things to do."

Wu Meiniang glared at the eunuch and had to leave reluctantly.

Half an hour later, Dai Zhide, the Shaoqing of the Honglu Temple, came with Jin Renwen.

As soon as Jin Renwen entered the hall, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Jin Renwen greets Your Majesty. I ask Your Majesty to send troops to rescue our Silla!"

Li Zhi asked, "Did Goguryeo reach your capital?"

Jin Renwen was stunned for a moment and said, "Not really." Li Zhi said, "Then what's the situation now? Tell me."

Jin Ren asked, "At the end of last year, Goguryeo invaded our country, but was repelled by General Kim Yu-sin. However, during the counterattack, the siege was not going well, and many soldiers froze to death. As a result, the enemy broke out of the city and defeated our army."

Li Zhi frowned and asked, "What city are we attacking?"

Jin Ren asked, "Danyang City."

Li Zhi was surprised and asked, "Isn't Danyang a city of Goguryeo? How did you get there?"

Jin Renwen blushed slightly and said, "After my king defeated the main force of Goguryeo, he felt an opportunity existed and wanted to use the power of victory to capture several Goguryeo cities and use them as a barrier."

Li Zhi was speechless.

After a long pause, he said, "You and Goguryeo have been at war every year. Goguryeo soldiers certainly don't want to fight, but your Silla soldiers are about the same. They're naturally motivated to defend their country, so why would you go abroad to fight?"

Jin Renwen sighed, "I wonder whose instigation the king followed to send troops to attack Goguryeo."

Li Zhi asked, "What's the situation now? Has Goguryeo invaded your country again?"

Jin Renwen shook his head and said, "It's not Goguryeo, it's Baekje. They saw that we and Goguryeo would both suffer losses, so they wanted to reap the benefits."

Li Zhi frowned and said nothing.

Jin Renwen said anxiously, "As long as Your Majesty sends the navy to attack from Henan Province, as long as they get close to Baekje, they will definitely withdraw their troops to support them."

Li Zhi shook his head and said, "Our army is still on the westward expedition. Military supplies are very difficult to obtain. We are unable to send more troops to fight for the time being. You know this."

Jin Renwen said anxiously, "You don't need to send too many troops, five thousand will be enough."

Li Zhi's eyes flashed: "Five thousand people?"

Jin Ren asked, "I've heard that the Tang defeated Tubo with only 5,000 soldiers. If General Xue Rengui leads 5,000 soldiers and sails to Baekje, he'll surely force the Baekje army to withdraw."

Li Zhi shook his head and said, "You are mistaken. Xue Rengui's victory was due to his surprise attack. Moreover, he also had the Tuyuhun and Dongnu Qiang allies. It was not the power of the Tang Dynasty alone."

Jin Ren asked, "But Baekje is not as good as Tubo, as long as..."

Li Zhi raised his hand to interrupt, "There's no need to talk about this anymore. Please leave."

Dai Zhide bowed to Li Zhi and said to Jin Renwen in a deep voice, "General Jin, let's go and don't disturb His Majesty."

Jin Renwen sighed and had to take his leave.

After leaving the hall, Dai Zhide ignored Jin Renwen and left on his own.

Jin Renwen walked silently across Chengtianmen Street, walked out of Zhuquemen, turned around and looked at this majestic gate, feeling powerless in his heart.

"Hey, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty appreciated me very much in the past. Why did his attitude towards me change so much in less than half a year?" He was puzzled.

Just then, a sinister voice came from the side.

"General Jin, have you been rejected by the Tang Emperor again?"

Jin Renwen turned around and saw that the person who was speaking was short, had a shaved head, and was a Japanese.

He said coldly: "Abianmalu, what does the affairs of Silla and Tang have to do with you?"

Abemaro was originally a deputy envoy to the Tang Dynasty. He stayed in the Tang Dynasty for a long time as an envoy for communication between the two countries.

Abemaro smiled and said, "Don't be so hostile. I'm here to help you."

Jin Renwen sneered, "If you help me, I'm afraid you want to join forces with Baekje to deal with us, right?"

Abe Maro said calmly, "You know the strength of our country, Japan. As long as we help you, we can fight against Baekje. Otherwise, you also know what the result will be."

Jin Renwen's expression changed drastically, and he asked sternly, "Who the hell are you? How dare you threaten me?"

Abianmaro said, "I know you have an official position and connections in the Tang Dynasty, and you can deal with me. However, your Silla will face the disaster of national destruction."

Jin Renwen took a deep breath and asked, "What exactly do you want to do?"

Abianmaro smiled slightly and said, "I told you that if the Tang people won't help you, we in Japan can help. We only need a small reward, a very small one."

He held up two fingers and made a gesture.

Jin Ren asked, "What's the reward? Gold or silver?"

Abianmaro sneered and said, "My great country of Japan is not short of gold and silver. We just want a little land from you so that we can have a foothold on land."

Jin Renwen sneered, "Give you a place to stay, and your Japanese army can come and attack us?"

Abemaro shook his head and said, "No, we Japanese are peace-loving people. Why would we attack you? We simply live on an island surrounded by mountains, and we need a place to raise horses."

Jin Ren asked, "Do you think I will believe you?"

Abianmaro smiled and said, "It's okay, you can take your time to think about it. If you change your mind, you can come to me anytime." He turned and left.

(End of this chapter)