Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 201 The Curtain Falls on the Era of Cruel Officials, Li Xian's Father-in-Law

Wu Zetian said that this would be the end of the day, but the matter of establishing an heir was not mentioned again for a long time.

She shifted the focus of the Wu Zhou court's work to quell the influence created by cruel officials such as Lai Junchen.

After Lai Junchen's death, her simple statement of being "deceived" was clearly not enough to convince the people, so she needed to prove herself further.

On this day, she spoke at the morning court: "In the past, when Zhou Xing and Lai Junchen were interrogated, many ministers were implicated each time. It's not that I didn't have my doubts, but when I sent the ministers around me to investigate, they all came back saying that it was indeed the case. Even those who were interrogated themselves admitted to treason, so I had no choice but to believe them."

"But after Zhou Xing and Lai Junchen died, there were no more treason cases. So it seems that some of those previous cases were wrongful convictions, right?"

She was clearly pretending to be ignorant, and none of the officials in the court dared to reply.

At this moment, an official named Yao Yuanchong spoke up, saying, "Since the Chuigong era, the so-called treason cases have all been fabricated by Zhou Xinglai and Junchen. At that time, His Majesty asked the ministers to investigate, but these ministers were themselves in dire straits, so how could they dare to really investigate?"

"As for those who have been falsely accused, if they want to recant their confessions, they will suffer even more. They might as well confess and die sooner."

"Now His Majesty has finally seen through the true colors of Zhou Xing and Lai Junchen, and has brought them to justice."

"I dare to guarantee you with the lives of my entire family of over a hundred people that from now on no one will ever rebel again. If anyone does rebel, please punish me, Your Majesty!"

After Yao Yuanchong finished speaking, Wu Zetian immediately seized the opportunity to back down, saying, "What you say is right, Yao Qing. In the past, those prime ministers only knew how to obey me, which almost made me a person who abused punishments. Now, what you say is what I really want to hear!"

……

The conversation between Wu Zetian and Yao Yuanchong may seem like it was initiated by Wu Zetian to shirk responsibility, but it also means that something else is about to happen.

The era of cruel officials is coming to an end.

really.

Starting from the reign of Emperor Wu Zetian, many of the cruel officials appointed by her, especially those who were prominent, began to "commit suicide" or go insane because they could not withstand the pressure.

This almost foreshadowed the impending end of the era of cruel officials.

but……

To Li Xian and Liu Jianjun's surprise, the cruel officials made a final, desperate struggle before leaving.

A rumor gradually spread among the people, and the rumor only had four words: Liu, the substitute for a martial artist.

Of course, such rumors spread by word of mouth and did not specify any particular character "Liu". It could be "Liu", "Liu", or even "Niu" due to accent.

But no matter what, this matter is just like the "female lead Wu Wang" incident back then. As someone who has been through it all, Wu Zetian is naturally nervous.

The remaining cruel officials, being well-versed in the art of fabricating stories, immediately grasped Wu Zetian's concerns and advised her, "The one who will replace you may be a man surnamed Liu, or one of those exiled people. They want to restore the monarchy and rebel!"

……

Luoyang, the Prince of Pei's residence.

When Liu Jianjun heard the news, he was so angry that he cursed loudly.

"Damn it, these people are really bored out of their minds. They're going to die anyway, why don't they just die peacefully instead of making such a fuss?"

Because his surname is "Liu".

Li Xian couldn't help but chuckle, and for the first time began to enlighten Liu Jianjun: "You know that these cruel officials are well-versed in the art of false accusation. Right now, in order to protect themselves, they will naturally seize every possible opportunity."

"The Empress Dowager's decision to take action against the cruel officials is, to put it bluntly, a case of 'when the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away.' But what if the birds are not all gone?"

"So whether birds really exist is not important; what is important is that the cruel officials do not want to be hidden away."

After Li Xian finished speaking, Liu Jianjun looked at him with surprise: "Tsk tsk, Xianzi, your brain is visibly bright!"

Liu Jianjun is such a bad person. I tried to comfort him with good intentions, but he just mocked me with his words.

Li Xian turned his head away angrily.

But Liu Jianjun said, "Actually, I'm not worried about what that old woman Wu Zetian might do. There are plenty of people with the surname Liu in the world. Why would she bother with a mere official from a royal palace like me? I'm worried about something else... My dear son, have you considered something?"

Li Xian was taken aback, then turned his head to look at Liu Jianjun.

Liu Jianjun looked very serious, his eyes fixed on Li Xian, and said, "Let's consider a hypothetical scenario: if you were to ascend the throne one day, and similar rumors were circulating among the people or in the court, what would you do?"

Before Li Xian could answer, Liu Jianjun interrupted, "As far as I know, the prophecy of the golden knife has been passed down since the Eastern Han Dynasty, and you are the one who knows the most about me."

"Don't rush to answer. Think about it carefully. Your status back then is completely different from your status now. An emperor can't act on impulse and worry about everything at once."

"Your mother is the most obvious example. Before she ascended the throne, she used many underhanded methods as she pleased."

"But now that she has become the emperor, she has many things to consider: her reputation among the people, her integrity in the court, her prestige among her subjects, and so on."

"If you were to become emperor, and all the ministers and common people in the land told you about the prophecy of the golden knife, regardless of whether it was true or false, or how important it was, what would you do then?"

Li Xian suddenly fell silent.

Liu Jianjun's words make sense.

He knew he wouldn't believe any rumors of a "golden knife prophecy," but he also knew that some things, once you reach a certain point, become unimportant whether you believe them or not.

Just like my own treason case, the truth is not important; what matters is what the world thinks.

……

After saying all this, Liu Jianjun didn't wait for Li Xian's response and went back to his small courtyard on his own.

Although the Prince of Pei's Mansion in Luoyang is not as large as the Hibiscus Garden, its furnishings are much more magnificent. With the care of the servants, it now looks extremely luxurious.

Liu Jianjun usually lived in a separate courtyard in the southeast direction. According to the servants in his mansion, he recently bought a lot of saltpeter and sulfur, dismissed all the servants in the courtyard, and was pondering something in the courtyard. It was also said that there were flames rising everywhere.

Saltpeter and sulfur are materials used by Taoist priests to refine elixirs. No one knows what Liu Jianjun is looking for these things for. Li Xian guesses that he got some recipes from wandering Taoist priests and wants to figure them out himself.

Li Xian didn't know the specific details, as he never inquired too much about Liu Jianjun's affairs.

……

News of "Liu the Martial Artist" soon had a follow-up.

As expected, the cruel officials used this incident to prolong their lives, and Wu Zetian sent a cruel official named Wan Guojun to Lingnan to investigate the matter.

Wan Guojun was also a notorious cruel official and the second author of "The Book of Framing". After Zhou Xing and Lai Junchen were executed, he almost became the leader of the group of cruel officials.

The fact that he took the lead in this matter shows just how tense things were within the ruthless official group.

When Li Xian told Liu Jianjun about this, Liu Jianjun replied, "He's just desperate!"
"There are so many people with the surname Liu in the whole world, they definitely can't catch them all. But if this 'Liu' means 'exile,' then it will be much easier to solve. How long has the Wu Zhou dynasty been established? How many people have been exiled? Not to mention that your mother, that old woman, just said exile to Lingnan..."

At this point, Liu Jianjun seemed to remember something and changed the subject: "Oh right, I heard from my sister-in-law last time that my father-in-law is also in Lingnan?"

Li Xian nodded: "Prefect of Rongzhou."

Liu Jianjun then asked, "This matter shouldn't implicate him, should it?"

Li Xian thought for a moment, then shook his head: "It shouldn't be... There's a difference between refugees and demoted officials. Besides, my case of treason has been overturned, and the old woman should be transferred back soon..."

That's what he said, but Li Xian was actually a little uncertain.

The main reason is that this old woman... has a rather peculiar personality.

……

Wan Guojun rushed off to Lingnan, but affairs in the court continued.

Liu Jianjun seemed to be getting busier and busier. Besides locking himself in that small courtyard to figure out that strange prescription, he spent more time sending people back and forth to Chang'an.

One of the people Liu Jianjun used very well was named Sandezi. Li Xian wasn't sure if this was his real name or a nickname. He only knew that Sandezi used to be in charge of purchasing at the Prince of Pei's mansion in Chang'an. Because of his diligence, he was appreciated by Liu Jianjun and brought to Luoyang.

The more frequently San Dezi went out, the more nervous Li Xian became, always feeling that Liu Jianjun was brewing something big.

But Liu Jianjun comforted him, saying, "It's alright, just stay put. We're officially on your mother's side now, so no one will deliberately provoke us."

Li Xian felt a little relieved. These past few days, the prescription that Liu Jianjun had been working on was finally starting to show results.

Li Xian found it quite amazing that he could actually make ice blocks using those things in the late autumn weather.

Li Xian confirmed that it was real ice; it felt cool to the touch.

It's a pity that the height of summer has already passed. If Liu Jianjun had developed this thing a few months earlier, the sweltering heat wouldn't have been so unbearable.

When Liu Jianjun heard Li Xian say this, he was somewhat moved: "The biggest difference between the rich and the poor is that one likes winter and the other likes summer. The rich have warm fur coats and heaters in winter, but the poor can't even afford a hot bath."

"But summer is different. Rich and poor alike endure it. At most, they take off their clothes. Everyone is the same skin."

Li Xian interjected, saying, "There are cellars in the palace that store ice blocks that are chiseled from the Luo River in winter."

Liu Jianjun glared at him and said, "Wouldn't that be even more outrageous?"

Li Xian was speechless.

……

Unlike the peaceful scene at the Prince of Pei's residence, undercurrents were still surging in the court because of the matter of the crown prince.

Shangguan Wan'er sent another secret letter, which described the daily life of the Empress Dowager. As a female official who served Empress Wu for many years, Shangguan Wan'er was able to learn many of Wu Zetian's secrets that were unknown to others.

For example, the contents of this secret letter:
[Recently, unusual phenomena have occurred in the palace, concerning celestial signs, and I dare not fail to report them to Your Highness immediately. His Majesty the Holy Emperor had a nightmare last night, and upon waking this morning, he appeared dazed. While attending to His Majesty, I overheard him saying that in his dream he saw a golden crow perched on a jade branch, flapping its wings as if to fly but failing, repeatedly falling until it finally crashed down beneath the nine-layered palace.]

The general idea is that Wu Zetian had a dream one night in which she saw a golden crow, but this golden crow had no feet and could not fly no matter what she tried.

The longer Li Xian spent with Liu Jianjun, the more unbelievable this kind of superstitious stuff became. So, he immediately prepared to burn the secret letter.

But Liu Jianjun snatched it away, looked at the contents of the letter, and revealed a thoughtful expression.

……

Not long after, more news came about Wu Zetian's dream.

This message was delivered by Di Renjie.

He said Wu Zetian asked him to interpret her dream.

Di Renjie explained it this way: What is the Golden Crow? It is the sun, symbolizing His Majesty the Emperor of the Wu Zhou Dynasty. And why can't the Golden Crow fly? Because the Golden Crow's three legs represent His Majesty's three beloved sons, that is, his three princes!
If you simply appoint the three princes and complete the Golden Crow's feet, wouldn't the Golden Crow be able to spread its wings and fly high again, reigning supreme over the world?

When Li Xian received this news, he thought Liu Jianjun was too cunning.

He actually misinterpreted a dream like this.

But Liu Jianjun said this: "Your mother is quite superstitious. She's always praying to gods and Buddhas. If she had such a strange dream, she would definitely seek out an expert to interpret it."

"And right now in the entire Luoyang, who else is qualified to interpret your mother's dream, and whose side is not crooked in your mother's eyes, besides Di Renjie?"
"We just need to artistically process this dream, and it will naturally become a weapon of public opinion that is in our favor."

As expected, Liu Jianjun's "public opinion weapon" worked.

Inspired by Di Renjie, Wu Zetian issued an edict to bring Li Xian back from Fangzhou.

Meanwhile, new arrangements were made for Li Dan. He was no longer confined to the deep palace. She bestowed upon him a house in the west of Luoyang, where he and his sons could live. However, she still issued an order forbidding officials from visiting him.

Even so, for Li Dan, it was still a great freedom.

As for Li Xian, Wu Zetian didn't make any special arrangements for him, but only rewarded him with some gold, silver and cloth. Those things were immediately exchanged by Liu Jianjun for saltpeter and sulfur. He said that he was in a critical period of experimentation and these things were too expensive. Fortunately, Li Xian's mother was "aiding the enemy".

Li Xian was puzzled. Hadn't Liu Jianjun already made ice?
But following Liu Jianjun's lead had become a habit for Li Xian; he was determined not to disappoint himself.

As Wu Zetian's handling of her three sons was announced, the atmosphere in the court gradually began to change. Those who had previously curried favor with Wu Chengsi began to intentionally or unintentionally contact Wu Zetian's two sons who were still in Luoyang, including Li Dan, the "former emperor" who had been explicitly forbidden from contacting him.

After all, Li Dan was a living person; he needed to eat, drink, relieve himself, and go out for a walk to clear his head.

But Li Dan seemed to be annoyed by it all, or perhaps he was wary because of the two concubines. After being approached by people in various ways several times when he went out, he simply stopped going out.

As a result, the court officials' enthusiasm turned to Li Xian.

Li Xian also felt that these sycophants were not worth associating with, and apart from a group of officials in "important positions" whom he had previously contacted as instructed by Liu Jianjun, he refused to meet with any of them.

Time passed by day by day.

Because Li Xian and Li Dan closed their doors to visitors, everything in the court gradually returned to its former tranquility. If anything special happened, it was probably that Wu Zetian had a new favorite.

The new favorites are two men surnamed Zhang: Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong.

Because the Zhang brothers were exceptionally handsome, they quickly gained Wu Zetian's favor, even surpassing Feng Xiaobao in this regard.

When Li Xian heard the news, he was just sighing, wondering what Feng Xiaobao, who was far away in the north fighting against the Turks, would do after hearing the news. But Liu Jianjun seemed to care a lot about the two of them, and had Li Xian take him to secretly see the two of them once.

Then he left a comment: "Pretty boy."

Such days continued until early winter.

Li Xian's father-in-law finally returned from Lingnan.

On his first day back, he brought news that shocked the court and the public.

After Wan Guojun went to Lingnan, he summoned all the exiles from Lingnan to Guangzhou, and without any interrogation, he falsely claimed to have an imperial decree and ordered them to commit mass suicide!

The refugees were indignant, and their cries were deafening. Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, Wan Guojun became angry and drove the refugees to the water's edge. With a single command, more than three hundred refugees were immediately beheaded, and their bodies were thrown into the water, turning the river red in an instant.

This is ridiculous.

Li Xian couldn't even understand why Wan Guojun was doing something so high-profile at this time. His mother was clearly going to suppress the cruel officials, and almost all of them were doing their jobs in secret. Could it be that he was no longer afraid of his mother?

Surprisingly, Wu Zetian was not angry upon hearing the news. She simply told Li Xian's father-in-law to rest for a while and discuss it another day.

Since Li Xian's father-in-law didn't have a house in Luoyang, he naturally turned to Li Xian for the time being.

Therefore, Li Xian arrived early that day with many servants from the Prince of Pei's mansion, waiting outside the gate for his father-in-law to arrive.

Early winter in Luoyang already brings a chilly feeling.

In front of the Prince of Pei's mansion, Li Xian, dressed in the prince's everyday clothes, stood quietly on the steps. Behind him, the officials and servants of the mansion all stood respectfully with their hands at their sides.

Li Xian thought about his father-in-law's peculiar personality and felt inexplicably nervous.

Liu Jianjun, however, was quite unserious. He was wrapped in a thick fur coat, standing behind Li Xian with his hands in his pockets. His eyes were filled with curiosity as he muttered under his breath, "I've met your sister-in-law before. She's dignified, poised, and elegant. To raise a daughter like that, your father-in-law must be quite good. Why do you seem so afraid of him, Xianzi?"

Li Xian glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, and then said in a low voice, "This old man... how should I put it... he's a bit strange... you should keep quiet and just watch him."

Li Xian thought for a long time before finding a suitable adjective.

Judging from Liu Jianjun's expression, he was obviously curious about what kind of evil it was, but just as he was about to speak, the shadow of carriages and horses appeared at the end of the long street.

A slightly worn-out carriage, escorted by several dusty servants, slowly drove up and stopped in front of the Prince's mansion.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and an elderly man bowed as he stepped out.

He wore a worn-out blue official robe, was thin, and his face bore the marks of the vicissitudes of Lingnan, with deep wrinkles and completely white temples, but his eyes were still bright and clear, and his back was straight.

As soon as he stepped off the carriage, he went to greet Li Xian and laughed loudly: "This old minister, Fang Xianzhong, pays his respects to Your Highness, Prince Pei. I am unworthy of Your Highness's personal welcome!"

Li Xian breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that the man was speaking normally. He stepped forward, bowed and returned the greeting: "You are too kind, Father-in-law. You must be tired from your journey. Your son-in-law has prepared wine and dishes to welcome you back and wash away the dust of your journey."

Fang Xianzhong seemed to be quite bold and unrestrained. He casually waved his hand, indicating that there was no rush, and instead looked at Liu Jianjun.

Then his eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "This young man has remarkable talent; his appearance alone suggests he is no ordinary person!"

broken.

Li Xian's heart tightened.

……

(End of this chapter)