Chapter 13 (Wei Mingsu, you drove my father to his death)
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The governor of Xizhou was actually in a camp outside the city. The chief secretary's claim that he was too busy with military affairs to welcome Wu Yanxing was just an excuse.
The camp was built on a high, flat, and wide hillside. A barricade was set up in front of the camp. From the watchtower in front of the camp gate, you could see several small tribes of nomadic peoples surrounding the main camp and stationed on the low grassland.
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The curtain was lifted, and the chief clerk strode in, his face filled with alarm. "Commander, let's return to the city!"
"Chief Secretary, there's no need to persuade me anymore." The governor frowned, his tone revealing resentment. "I will not go to Dayun Temple to listen to those monks chanting sutras. Let Wu Yanxing impeach me for disrespect."
Many years ago, the Tuyuhun, which occupied the Hexi Corridor and was sandwiched between the Tang Empire and the Western Liang Kingdom, was destroyed. In the struggle for control of Tuyuhun, the Tang Dynasty and the Western Liang Kingdom engaged in fierce battles. Twenty years ago, the Western Liang Kingdom launched a major invasion of the Western Regions, capturing more than ten Tang Dynasty tributary states in the Western Regions. The Tang Dynasty was forced to abandon the Four Garrisons of Anxi and shrink its defenses, while the Western Liang Kingdom continued to press forward step by step.
Meanwhile, after the death of Pei Xingjian, who had once dominated the Western Regions, various Turkic tribes rebelled, harassing border prefectures and causing great suffering to the people.
The four garrisons established by the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions were rendered ineffective, and the Protectorate General was moved to Xizhou, the former capital of Gaochang. The Governor of Xizhou was ordered to pacify Anxi.
In his youth, the governor followed the famous generals who had made outstanding military achievements in the early Tang Dynasty. After becoming governor, he actively planned to reclaim the lost territories in the Western Regions, rebuild the Four Garrisons, and fight against the Turks. He wrote countless memorials to the court to explain his plans and request support, but they were not taken seriously.
When asked for provisions and weapons, the Ministry of Revenue said the treasury was empty and there was no money.
When asked about the need for troops, the Ministry of War stated that the local militia had been drawn up to suppress rebellions in recent years, and suggested that the governor-general recruit civilian laborers and volunteers in Xizhou, or gather troops from the Turkic tribes that had submitted to the Tang Dynasty.
Since Emperor Gaozong's death, Empress Wu Zetian has been in charge of the government. She deposed Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian, installed Emperor Ruizong Li Dan, hunted down the deposed crown prince, appointed cruel officials, purged the Li Tang imperial family, and quelled rebellions. In recent years, this empress, who was destined to shine for thousands of years, has been busy clearing obstacles for her ascension to the throne and preventing and deterring forces in the court that could overthrow her. She has no time to care about Xizhou, which is 5,000 miles away.
As for the high-ranking civil officials in the court, they were all from prestigious families, of noble birth, and pampered. They grew up in the prosperous capital and had never experienced the hardships of war or the battles of the battlefield. In their eyes, Xizhou was just a desolate border town in the vast desert. If it was lost, so be it. The war on the distant border would not affect the peaceful and prosperous life in Chang'an and Luoyang. They were indifferent to the war in Xizhou.
The political situation at court was constantly changing, and neither the emperor nor his ministers cared about Xizhou.
After his repeated petitions were ignored by the court, the governor of Xizhou's burning desire to achieve great deeds and recover lost territory had frozen into ice, like the snow on the Tianshan Mountains.
"Even if it were the King of Wei or the King of Liang, I wouldn't want to see him, let alone the young Wu Yanxing. Anyway, nobody takes this old scoundrel seriously."
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“Governor, now is not the time for angry words.” The chief secretary took out a letter from his sleeve. “This letter was just delivered to my home.”
The governor of Xizhou chuckled, put down the official document, and took the letter.
"Whose letter is this? The Chief Clerk is so frightened he can't even speak."
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"Wei Mingsu is coming to Xizhou? Is this letter true?"
The governor read the letter three times to make sure he hadn't misread it. His expression turned serious, and he asked a question.
The chief secretary also nodded solemnly and said, "This is a private letter from Wei Mingsu to me. I met him in Luoyang three years ago. He is skilled in both literature and calligraphy, and his calligraphy is very profound. He writes extremely well, with strong and neat strokes. I dare say that no one can forge his handwritten letter. Moreover, he mentioned our meeting in Luoyang in the letter."
The governor's face flashed with disdain as he sneered, "A penniless scholar, so poor he can only work as a scribe in a temple. He writes well, but isn't it just to sell his calligraphy for money?"
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The governor crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it aside, his face darkening: "I remember he was demoted to Raozhou, wasn't he? Xizhou is in the northwest, Raozhou is in the east, and his hometown is in the south. Why would he take a detour to Xizhou?"
The chief secretary said, "This is not the first time he has been demoted. Back then, he went to Bazhou with Qiu Shenji and forced the prince to commit suicide. He was demoted, but was soon reinstated. This time it may be the same as that time, a demotion in name only, just to cover up the truth."
Upon hearing the words "Bazhou" and "Prince," the Governor of Xizhou's face grew even more gloomy, and he sneered.
"A son of a poor family, a shameless scoundrel!"
Several years ago, Crown Prince Li Xian was demoted to a commoner and exiled to Bazhou for confinement.
After Emperor Gaozong's death, Empress Wu Zetian sent Qiu Shenji to Bazhou to search Li Xian's residence. Upon arriving in Bazhou, Qiu Shenji forced Li Xian to commit suicide. Wei Mingsu, Qiu Shenji's deputy, was the one who drafted the report of Li Xian's death. Upon hearing the news, Empress Wu Zetian held a mourning ceremony for her son at Xianfu Gate in Luoyang, demoting Qiu Shenji and Wei Mingsu. However, she quickly recalled them to Luoyang and entrusted them with important responsibilities.
When the governor heard about this in Xizhou, he secretly held a memorial service for Li Xian and cursed Qiu Shenji and Wei Mingsu as treacherous villains.
The chief secretary reminded the governor of Xizhou: "Governor, Wei Mingsu is deeply trusted and relied upon by the Emperor."
The implication is that without the Empress's hint, would Qiu Shenji and Wei Mingsu, as subjects, dare to force the prince born to Emperor Gaozong and the Empress to his death?
The governor remained silent for a moment, then unfolded the letter and read it again, saying, "Wei Mingsu said in his letter that he wants to come to Xizhou to visit the grottoes and Buddha statues. What do you think?"
The chief clerk only said four words: "The visitor is not friendly."
There are so many Buddhist grottoes outside Luoyang, why did Wei Mingsu go to such lengths, traveling thousands of miles round trip, just to visit a few grottoes? Did they think he was a fool?
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They used to disdain mentioning the name Wei Mingsu.
This man came from a humble background and lived in poverty. As a child, he collapsed from hunger by the roadside. When a monk came to collect his body, he found that the man was still breathing and saved him, naming him "Mingsu". Later, he herded cattle and farmed for the temple. When he grew up, he made a living by copying scriptures for the temple because he had beautiful handwriting. He was an extremely poor and unknown person.
Given his background, no matter how talented he is, he can only live a mediocre life and will never amount to anything.
No one expected that this unknown scribe would gain the Empress Dowager's favor, be promoted and employed exceptionally, and be relied upon as a confidant.
From that time on, copying scriptures became a sharp weapon in the hands of the Empress Dowager, specifically used to deal with the Li clan and aristocratic families. Wherever the sword went, it destroyed the withered and rotten, and heads rolled.
When serving as an official in local areas, Wei Mingsu led troops to suppress rebellions and ruthlessly massacred members of the imperial clan.
In Luoyang, he was ordered to handle cases with Lai Junchen, Suo Yuanli, Zhou Xing and others. He colluded with those cruel officials to eliminate officials who opposed the Empress Dowager's ascension to the throne, showing no mercy or ruthlessness.
Wherever he went, he would behead a group of people, his hands stained with blood.
Upon hearing his name, the officials fell silent in fear. When they heard that he had arrived at their doorstep with his entourage, they immediately prepared pen and ink to write their final letters, bidding tearful farewells to their families.
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To everyone's surprise, Wei Mingsu, a major contributor, did not appear at the ceremony.
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The governor of Xizhou saw the news of Wei Mingsu's demotion in the official records a few days ago. He was gloating and laughed loudly, saying to his chief secretary, "Wei Mingsu forced the prince to his death, he deserves this retribution!"
The guests looked at each other and whispered among themselves.
"The carriage has already left."
The boy immediately suppressed his anger.
The prince stood up shakily, abandoned all his distinguished guests, and turned to leave.
Upon seeing the handwriting on the letter, the chief clerk hurriedly asked, "Where is he? Quickly open the gate and let him in!"
Thousands of miles away.
A red sun peeked out from between the majestic mountains and ridges, casting its light on the empty forest.
A series of cheerful and festive music filled the courtyard. King Wei was enjoying the song and dance with his guests, chatting and laughing. After receiving the letter and reading it, his face turned deathly pale.
When the crown prince disregarded his advisors' objections, drew his sword, and led his entourage out of the city, the carriage had already left, heading northwest.
Upon hearing this, the boy's eyes widened, and he turned around, ready to curse.
There were so many carriages and horses of the distinguished guests that the whole street was packed. The carriage finally stopped under a high wall, and the boy jumped down and lifted a corner of the curtain.
The person inside the curtain glanced at the spectacular scene of crowds thronging in front of the Prince's Mansion and handed over a letter.
"Father! Father!"
Soon, news that shocked everyone spread like wildfire: King Wei had committed suicide out of fear of punishment.
On this day, from dawn to dusk, on the road in front of the Prince's Mansion in the east of the city, the lavishly decorated processions of various mansions came in a grand procession, with carriages and horses filling the gates and dust billowing everywhere.
The prince looked bewildered, gestured for his younger brothers to stay and drink with the guests, and then left the table.
...
The governor sneered: "Did the people he's killed in the past few years all have a grudge against him? This kind of lowly, treacherous villain has no sense of morality or righteousness. He'll stop at nothing for power and has no shame. He doesn't need a reason to kill. You can write a letter and ask him. Maybe he's already started a massacre."
The governor of Xizhou stepped out of his tent, climbed onto his horse, and surveyed the camp. Suddenly, he gave a self-deprecating laugh, his expression somber: "Back in the day, our Tang Dynasty had countless fierce generals and valiant warriors, and our iron cavalry was invincible. Now, the court's renowned generals have dwindled, the Western Liang has risen, and the Turks have rebelled again. I aspire to recover lost territories, but I am powerless to do so, and have accomplished nothing. Now, I even have to worry about a cruel official from a humble background! I am past my prime!"
The carriage stopped, and the driver was a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old.
"Wei Mingsu, you drove my father to his death. I will not rest in peace until I avenge this!"
The steward glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and rolled his eyes: "Who is your master?"
The young man sneered, "Last year, King Wei asked my master for a calligraphy piece to be engraved on a plaque, but my master refused."
The boy respectfully accepted the letter and ran to a steward standing in front of the street to greet the guests: "My master has a letter for Prince Wei."
Several commoners walked along the street in front of the Prince's Mansion, looking at the brightly dressed servants in front of the mansion's ornately decorated gates and smelling the aroma of food wafting through the air, filled with envy.
Wei Mingsu came from a humble background and willingly served as a woman's lackey. He forced a prince to his death and was despised by the world. The governor disdained to associate with such a person, but his own head was more important.
The steward's expression changed. He took the letter, ran quickly into the main hall, and handed it to the chief clerk.
Three nights later, a heart-wrenching cry rang out from the main room of the Prince's mansion.
The chief clerk's expression changed drastically: "Commander, be careful what you say!"
The guard glanced at the simple carriage behind the boy, then at the boy's dusty clothes and muddy boots, sneered, and made way for him. He then laughed at the man beside him, "Another penniless wretch trying to freeload!"
When Wu Zhou replaced the Tang Dynasty, the surviving descendants of the Li family should have been walking on thin ice. However, this Li prince was different. He was shrewd, intelligent, and resourceful. Not only did he manage to protect himself from several rebellions by the imperial clan without being affected, but he also maintained his high status, and no one dared to underestimate him.
The chief clerk sighed and said, “Governor, I’ve heard that Wei Mingsu is a gloomy and mean-spirited man who is unyielding to both soft and hard approaches. Moreover, when he was down on his luck in Chang’an, he copied scriptures for high-ranking officials and was ridiculed and bullied by the gentry. He is extremely vengeful. Governor, you cannot avoid him. When he arrives, we should treat him with courtesy and find out his purpose before making any plans.”
The west wind lifted the curtain and blew into the carriage.
"Idiot! Go after them! All of you go after them! Bring them back!"
The governor cracked his whip: "What's there to be afraid of? That Wei fellow hasn't even reached Xizhou yet, has he? He's not like he can hear me complaining from a thousand miles away!"
The open scroll trembled slightly in the wind, and a clear, cold voice said, "Go to Xizhou."
The boy snorted coldly and shouted, "My master is an official!"
The person in charge didn't want to talk to the boy.
The chief clerk shook his head and denied it, saying, "The governor is far away in Xizhou and has not been involved in the affairs of the court. He also has no grudge against Wei Mingsu."
The chief clerk wiped away his cold sweat and took the letter to see King Wei.
"Father!"
The person inside the carriage gently knocked on the window.
On this day, Prince Wei suddenly felt unwell, and the birthday banquet at the palace was hastily ended.
The chief clerk immediately ordered his personal guards to go into the tent and pack their clothes.
The boy said, "My master's surname is Wei, and he comes from the capital. King Wei will know this after reading the letter."
...
Unexpectedly, this ruthless sutra copyist didn't go to Raozhou, but instead headed for Xizhou!
On the main road, the boy cracked his whip and asked, "Young master, where are we going next?"
As evening fell, a carriage entered from outside the city. When it reached Wangfu Street, it tried to go further but was stopped by the guards: "The Prince's Mansion is just ahead. Today is the Prince's birthday. Only the carriages of nobles are allowed to enter. Commoners are not allowed to enter without permission!"
Today is the Prince's birthday. The Prince's mansion is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and there is a festive atmosphere. Governors, chief secretaries, military commanders, county magistrates, and powerful families from near and far have all come to congratulate the Prince. Even officials from as far away as Chang'an and Luoyang have sent birthday gifts.
The governor was puzzled. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Could he be after my head?"
The governor of Xizhou nodded.
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