Chapter 80 Harmonious Union—End of Main Text—
On the first day of the second month of the tenth year of Zhenming, Princess Yong'an knelt before Chengtian Gate, holding the blood-stained robe of Prince Jin and the gold fish tally, and wept, saying, "My late father has been dead for more than ten years. He was loyal, brave and filial in life, but after his death he was taken advantage of by treacherous people, and I cannot rest in peace in the afterlife. I humbly beseech Your Majesty to see clearly and not be misled by treacherous officials or evil towards your relatives."
When the emperor heard of this, he personally went out of the side gate to help him up, took his blood-stained clothes and wept bitterly, tears streaming down his face, unable to speak for a long time.
On the second day of the second month of the tenth year of Zhenming, Consorts Feng and Zheng were both demoted to commoners. On the same day, the two commoners died suddenly in the palace.
In the spring of the tenth year of Zhenming, Zheng Zhai was executed by being cut in half at the waist in the marketplace for plotting rebellion, and his father, brothers, sons, and nephews were implicated. Liu Xiaoke, Chen Qi, and four others colluded with the rebels, accepted bribes, and perverted the law; they were sentenced to hanging. Qi Fang was beheaded, and Princess Gaoyang committed suicide. Among those involved in the rebellion within the Six Ministries and the Imperial Guard, a total of 121 were executed, 54 were exiled, and 18 were demoted.
Wang Bochang, Wang Boxing, and Wang Chengqi were convicted of treason and ordered to commit suicide, and their five clans were exiled. Wang Zhan, Wang Hui, Wang Huaixuan, Guo Zhichong, and thirty-seven others were flogged one hundred times and exiled to their respective posts.
A woman of the Wang clan who has a father's official seal of rank five or above and whose three elders jointly guarantee her can be stripped of her official status and return home. A woman of the Wang clan who is already married can be exempted from exile if her husband's three elders jointly guarantee her.
Ma Ping, Feng Man, and Feng Xianyi were beheaded and their heads displayed in public for their crimes of extortion, oppression of the common people, coercion of good families, and murder of servants. Their male relatives were exiled, their female relatives were forced into the inner palace, their family property was confiscated, and their entire clan was exterminated.
Tian Ganyou used his connections in the military to find a family in Xincheng County. The family was relatively well-off, and upon hearing that Ms. Feng was beautiful, they were willing to marry Feng Xiang'er.
The emperor turned a blind eye to this. Late the night before Feng Man's execution, Tian Ganyou took Feng Xiang'er out of prison and sent her to the new city in a small lacquered cart overnight.
Several months later, Xue Guangting was finally exonerated. A jailer, entrusted by someone, brought Xue Guangting a new set of clothes so that he would not be exposed to others while dressed in tattered clothes and barefoot.
The skin on his ankles, chafed raw by the shackles, rubbed against his shoes and socks, each step causing excruciating pain. He hadn't seen the sun in far too long; the light outside was so blinding that he had to raise his hand to shield his eyes.
Outside the Ministry of Justice prison, an unmarked carriage was parked. The curtain on one side of the carriage was lifted, and an elderly man with gray hair sat inside.
"Lord Qiao." Although he didn't know why Lord Qiao was here, Xue Guangting still took the initiative to step forward and pay his respects.
Prime Minister Qiao looked Xue Guangting up and down. His clothes were still relatively neat, and there were no marks on his exposed face. However, he had become increasingly thin after being imprisoned for a long time.
When Prime Minister Qiao told him to get in the carriage, Xue Guangting looked up in confusion. The curtain of the carriage had already been drawn, giving him an air of unquestionable authority.
The coachman urged the horses on, and the carriage started moving, heading out of the imperial city and along Zhuque Avenue.
"The Censorate was originally an overstaffed position, but it has long been abolished."
Xue Guangting hadn't expected Prime Minister Qiao to bring up his former official position so directly. Since the matter had been dismissed, Xue Guangting had no chance of being reinstated. He had been prepared for this; he had never dared to hope for a return to his former position.
"Many positions in the Ministry of Justice are vacant, and there is a shortage of manpower, so some official business can only be postponed again and again."
The Ministry of Justice is now leaderless, and the former Minister of Justice has been dismissed. It is barely being maintained by a few principal officials and a vice minister who has only recently taken office.
"The Ministry of Justice is not bad either, but some cases have been pending for a long time, and sorting them out takes a lot of effort." Prime Minister Qiao's gaze fell on Xue Guangting's hands.
Xue Guangting's fingernails were all bald, with some showing signs of breakage, and his knuckles were covered with scabs and scars.
"But there's no rush. Let's focus on getting better first."
Qiao Xiang's carriage was moving slowly. Hearing the sound of wheels behind the carriage, the driver pulled on the reins to move the horse to the side to make way for the carriage behind.
A sturdy oxcart caught up from behind, passing Qiao Xiang's carriage and moving forward. Several other oxcarts carrying goods followed behind, their wheels scraping against the bluestone slabs with a heavy screech.
The oxcarts creaked and groaned as they drove out of the city gate. Suddenly, the curtain was lifted from the front cart, revealing the face of a young girl.
This is Tao Yunzhong's carriage. The emperor did not pursue his relationship with the Wang family, but he was too ashamed to remain in the capital, so he planned to set off for Yunnan to devote himself to compiling books and educating people.
Wang Lingshu stared intently as the majestic city gate receded into the distance, until the words on it were no longer visible.
Her pride, her literary fame, her grudges, and her untold emotions were all buried in this city. She eventually left the bustling city where she grew up and would never return for the rest of her life.
Wang Lingshu stubbornly leaned forward to look back at the capital, and a tear finally rolled down her cheek.
Sunlight streamed through the windowpane, and the mimosa tree outside shook its pink blossoms, scattering downy fluff. Fu Sui reached out and caught a pink feather that drifted in through the window, twirling it in his hand.
The palace coup in February brought no change to the city. After witnessing the spectacle of the beheadings, the people returned to their daily lives. Even though the execution grounds were filled with heads rolling, for ordinary people it was nothing more than a topic of conversation after they had solved their basic needs, far less important than the harvest from the fields and the price of rice.
The seventh prince displayed great bravery that night, earning a reward that finally persuaded the emperor to grant the marriage. The Grand Princess of Linhai intervened on Yanshan's behalf, managing to convince the emperor that Prince Peng and his wife could attend the wedding ceremony in the capital.
Only the Prince of Xiping was greatly depressed.
When he first heard that the emperor had bestowed a marriage upon him, he immediately wanted to rush into the palace to beg the emperor to rescind the decree. But when he saw Yanshan hesitatingly blocking him, he finally understood Yanshan's intentions.
The Prince of Xiping was furious at the thought that the vulgar and rude steppe barbarian had seduced Yanshan right under his nose, so he simply beat up the seventh prince.
The Seventh Prince dared not fight back and simply let the Prince of Xiping beat him. After the beating, he even had the audacity to "send" the Prince of Xiping back to his residence.
Unexpectedly, the Prince of Xiping invoked ancient customs, claiming that the couple should not meet before the marriage, and shut the gates, refusing to let the seventh prince out.
Yanshan was, after all, a county princess, and her marriage was officiated by the Imperial Household Agency, which had its own set of complicated procedures. Even though the Seventh Prince went to the Imperial Observatory every day to plead, the wedding date was only set for late autumn, which was still more than half a year away. The Seventh Prince wanted to see Yanshan but was afraid of breaking the ancient customs, so he could only stand in front of the Prince's Mansion every day like a waiting stone for his wife.
Fu Sui stretched his hand out the window, and the mimosa petals fluttered and twirled as they fell. It seems the outsider is always the better one; who would have thought that after all the twists and turns, Yanshan still couldn't escape the name "Kule"?
Someone pushed open the door and came in, sitting opposite Fu Sui.
The capital city is a captivating place, and the mountains and valleys have finally become more relaxed and leisurely compared to a year ago.
Fu Sui glanced at the empty belt around Yue Shanling's waist, realizing that at least he had changed his habit of carrying military equipment, so that he wouldn't be mistaken for a conscript at first glance.
Yue Shanling spoke first: "I wonder what business Your Highness has with me, Princess Zhenguo Changzhu?"
The title "Princess Zhenguo" made Fu Sui feel like she was about to become arrogant and extravagant, as if she would be letting down the new title the emperor had given her if she didn't do something to bully others.
For example, the Eight Treasures Armlet. As the Princess of the State, it's not like it's a waste of money and resources for her to want to see men wearing armlets, nor is it a rebellious thing for her to want to see the Left Guard General play polo. He's been in arrears for a year already.
Fu Sui glanced sideways at Yue Shanling, somewhat dissatisfied. He was dressed thinly when it was cold, but dressed warmly when it was warm.
She cleared her throat, straightened her posture, and solemnly said, "I have heard that the Left Guard has been exploited by villains, and that the General, as a superior, has been reprimanded by the Emperor. I wonder if the General will be punished?"
Although the ones who stormed the palace were people left behind by Yuan Shenquan, Yue Shanling and Li Tan were also guilty of inadequate discipline. He said nonchalantly, "The Emperor is merciful and will only punish them with a year's salary."
“A year…” Fu Sui drew out his words thoughtfully, then earnestly offered Yue Shanling some advice: “Life in the capital is not easy, and money is needed everywhere. General, you have not received a salary for a whole year. What should we do? I have a job here that is neither too big nor too small. I wonder if General would be willing to earn this money?”
Fu Sui leaned forward slightly, his eyes smiling mischievously.
Yue Shanling had no idea what Fu Sui was up to, but he still curled his lips into a smile. He was happy to play mind games with Fu Sui: "Please speak, Princess."
Fu Sui then observed Yue Shanling's expression as he spoke: "I obtained an imperial decree from the Emperor to grant us this marriage, and the Secretariat and Chancellery stamped it a few days ago..."
The smile on Yue Shanling's face faded. If the edict had already been signed and confirmed by the officials of the Secretariat and the Chancellery, it should have been read aloud. Yet he knew nothing about it.
“However…” Fu Sui changed the subject, “This position is currently vacant; we can announce it once a name is added.”
Yue Shanling's heart, which had just been raised, plummeted instantly, then stopped abruptly. He was caught in a trap by Fu Sui, dangling and falling, stretched between them, no more than half a toe's distance from the ground, yet he just couldn't reach it.
Fu Sui spoke slowly, breaking down a perfectly good sentence into fragments, and only after building up enough suspense did he say meaningfully, "Why don't you help me find someone, General? If you choose well, I will definitely thank you properly."
Hearing that he was to recommend someone, Yue Shanling's Adam's apple bobbed, a hint of helpless bitterness rising in her voice. She knew his intentions perfectly well, yet she insisted he recommend someone, certain that he would betray her.
But Yue Shanling couldn't name any young men, and he feared Fu Sui might actually agree. He thought seriously for a long time before speaking: "I don't know many people, so I really have no choice. If the princess doesn't mind, may I recommend myself?"
Fu Sui stared at Yue Shanling in surprise. She was used to Yue Shanling's reserved nature and thought she would have to argue with him to get the answer she wanted. But she didn't expect him to be so straightforward as to say "I recommend myself".
The slightly embarrassed look on the other person's face amused Fu Sui, and her eyes involuntarily narrowed, her lips unable to suppress a smile.
The shimmering light on her cheeks and in her hair couldn't steal the brilliance of her smile from Yue Shanling's eyes. Her clear voice clung to Yue Shanling's soul: "Imperial edicts are rare. I wonder how well the general writes his name? Is he able to write it properly?"
The girl's laughter slid down from the layers of pink acacia leaves on the wind, and the pink smoke swayed wildly, mixed with the man's murmurs.
"Don't worry, even if I write everything wrong, the name I write for you will definitely be correct."
—End of text—
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Author's note: The citations in this article include:
Cao Zhi [Wei-Jin Dynasty], "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River"
Yu Jianwu [Southern and Northern Dynasties], "Ode to the Mountain"
Sima Qian [Western Han Dynasty], *Records of the Grand Historian*
Other references:
Sun Lili, *A Study of the Lives of Tang Dynasty Princesses*
Chen Yang, "A Study on the Layout of the Tang Taiji Palace and Daming Palace"
Zhang Guankai, "A Study of the Relationship between the Central Plains Dynasties and the Turks Through the Granting of Surnames in the Tongdian"
Ma Yunlong, "An Exploration of the Granting of Official Titles to Members of the Tang Dynasty Imperial Family"
Huang Nong, "Controlling Destiny and Utilizing Astrology, Divination, and Ancient Chinese Society"
Yu Gengzhe, "Burning Tail: Yu Gengzhe on Tang Dynasty Talented Men and Women"
Rong Xinjiang, "The Top-Tier Residences in Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty"
Shang Wenting, "A Study on the Official Structure and Information Communication of Remonstrance Officials in the Tang Dynasty"
Lin Wenjuan, "A Study of New Year's Eve Customs and Poetry in the Tang Dynasty"
Zhu Hong, "A Study of Festival Customs and Literature in the Tang Dynasty"
Complete Tang Prose
Commentary on the Tang Code
New Book of Tang
Chinese Historical Food Culture: A Food Guide
Some customs, functions, and lifestyle habits may be adjusted as needed based on the content of the article.
Because it didn't meet the word count requirement for the serialized series, there was one paid bonus chapter. Subsequent bonus chapters will be free bonus chapters.
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