Chapter 6 The Unending Chess Player
Wu Zetian never considered herself a pawn on the chessboard. From the very beginning, she was keenly aware that she had to become the player, or at least stand closely beside the player and understand this game of chess called "the court" and "the world".
When she entered the Eastern Palace, it was already a game of chess with the endgame largely settled and hidden pieces lurking. The Crown Princess, Lady Su, was the rightful "general," but her position was largely nominal; the other concubines, backed by different powerful families, were like "chariots, horses, and cannons," some overt, some covert, mutually restraining each other; and the Crown Prince, Li Chengqian, the young heir apparent, was the "general" facing the greatest pressure and needing to tread carefully. He not only had to contend with attacks from Prince Wei, Li Tai (then a powerful rival on the other side of the game), but also balance the various factions within the Eastern Palace, and pursue his own path that contradicted the interests of the families behind many of the "pieces."
Wu Zetian had neither a powerful maternal family to rely on, nor unparalleled beauty to secure the emperor's favor (at least she never considered these as fundamental). What she possessed was a calmness and keen observation far beyond her years, as well as an almost instinctive, sharp sense of the rules governing power. She quickly saw the key to the game: the crown prince himself, and his inevitably difficult but clearly directional path.
Thus, she made her first and most important choice—to imitate Wang Zhenren. Not merely to resemble him in appearance, but to strive to grasp his calm, rational, analytical, and problem-solving approach—his detached yet powerful influence. Wang Zhenren was unique; she seemed independent of the chessboard, yet was highly relied upon by those who held the pieces (the Emperor and the Crown Prince). Wu Zetian couldn't learn that complete "detachment," but she learned how, at appropriate times, to provide the Crown Prince with valuable analysis and advice in a similar manner, or even simply to act as a safe listener. She made herself "useful," and this "usefulness" was based on understanding and supporting the Crown Prince's core strategy.
This move was the right one. She gradually stood out from the many concubines and gained the Crown Prince's trust and reliance, especially after Li Xiang's birth, which further solidified her position. She was not only the Crown Prince's woman, but also his "ally," one of the few people in the cold and calculating court with whom he could discuss thorny issues and share some of his true thoughts.
However, the tide of the game turned dramatically. Li Xiang's untimely death, like a poisoned arrow, not only pierced her heart but also nearly threw the Crown Prince off balance, making the game suddenly treacherous. In her grief, Wu Meiniang forced herself to remain calm with astonishing willpower. She knew that if she collapsed first, or wallowed in sorrow, it would not only be futile but might also bring pain to her loved ones and joy to her enemies. She had to stay composed, for the sake of her dead child, for the sake of the living, and even more so… to prevent those who had committed such a heinous act from succeeding.
She assisted the Crown Prince in dealing with the chaos caused by the loss of his son, secretly observing the subtle clues within the Eastern Palace. When she sensed that the Crown Prince might act irrationally out of grief and anger, she remembered the calm and meticulous analysis of Master Wang. So, she went to Qixia Garden. It was a risky undertaking, but she believed that even without direct intervention, Master Wang could guide her. Sure enough, Master Wang's guidance enlightened her. Upon returning, she used those words to awaken the Crown Prince from his near-madness, stabilizing the most crucial element of the Eastern Palace's power structure.
Having survived this ordeal, her bond with the Crown Prince deepened, becoming not merely romantic love, but an alliance forged through life and death, fighting side-by-side against common enemies. She also realized more profoundly that in this deep palace, favor alone was not enough, nor were offspring alone (Li Xiang was a bloody lesson). One must possess sufficient strength, wisdom, and a clear mind to protect oneself, to protect those one loves, and even… to influence the course of events.
The Crown Prince ascended the throne, and she became Empress. The game had moved to a larger board, and the opponents were more powerful and insidious. In the imperial court, the Emperor and the Prince of Jin joined forces to wage a final struggle against the remaining aristocratic forces led by Changsun Wuji; in the harem, she needed to manage all sides, balance relationships, and prevent any internal strife that might threaten the stability of the imperial court.
Wu Zetian clearly defined her role: the emperor's most secure rear guard, the most reliable educator of the princes and princesses, and the most impartial maintainer of order in the harem. In managing the harem, she employed the management principles (institutionalization and efficiency) learned from Wang Zhenren, while also incorporating traditional court politics and the art of balance. She was fair and impartial in rewards and punishments, establishing her authority while also earning the superficial respect of most of the concubines (at least they dared not easily act recklessly). She strictly controlled communication between the harem and the outer court, especially preventing powerful families from influencing the emperor or gathering intelligence through the concubines, thus becoming a solid backing for the emperor to implement policies in the outer court.
But her most far-reaching plans lay with her children. Having witnessed firsthand the complex web of conflict between her brothers Li Chengqian, Li Tai, and Li Zhi, she knew all too well the brutality of internal royal struggles and their devastating impact on the empire. She was determined not to allow her children to repeat the same mistakes. She showered her children with love, but never spoiled them; she provided them with the best education, emphasizing the cultivation of their practical skills, broadened their horizons, and strengthened their sibling bonds. She constantly instilled in them the idea that they were a unified whole, the Crown Prince the future monarch, and the others wise advisors; only through brotherly unity could the foundation laid by their father be solidified, and the Tang Dynasty made even stronger.
She skillfully took advantage of the emperor's continued suppression of aristocratic families and the unprecedented concentration of imperial power to eliminate the conditions for external forces to incite infighting among the princes. At the same time, she set an example by demonstrating loyalty and support for the emperor and maintaining appropriate and respectful interactions with Prince Li Zhi (this special and sensitive imperial uncle), thus setting a good example for the children.
Her efforts were not in vain. Crown Prince Li Hong was kind and wise, and the other princes each had their own strengths and got along well, all sincerely admiring their elder brother. When the emperor gradually entrusted state affairs in his later years, the court and the public were delighted to see a harmonious situation of brotherly love and mutual respect between the emperor and his subjects. Wu Zetian knew that her game regarding the "next generation" had been incredibly successful. She had not only secured the home front for her husband, but also laid the most solid foundation for the future of the empire.
On his deathbed, the emperor entrusted her with the secret of the hidden prison. At that moment, Wu Zetian felt not much surprise, but only a profound sigh. She had long ago glimpsed the complex and unspoken emotions deep within his heart from the emperor's occasional absent-mindedness and his gaze towards Qixia Garden. It was an admiration for the transcendent wisdom of Wang Zhenren, a reliance on someone who could share his burdens and guide him through his confusion, and perhaps also a feeling that even the emperor himself might not have clearly defined, transcending the boundaries between ruler and subject, or between ordinary men and women.
The emperor ultimately chose to bury this secret, along with that twisted obsession. Wu Zetian understood and respected this decision. She carefully disposed of the never-used cage, burying its contents with the emperor. She knew that what the emperor took away was not only a hidden secret, but also the last echo of an old era. And she and her children belonged to a completely new era, one free from the shadows of aristocratic families, where the imperial family itself was renewed.
Now, she stands atop the Daming Palace, overlooking Chang'an bathed in the setting sun. In the imperial court, her sons are growing up and gradually taking over this vast empire; in the harem, everything is well-ordered under her rule. She is no longer the concubine of the Eastern Palace who had to carefully imitate and cautiously survive, nor is she merely an empress dependent on the emperor's favor.
She is Wu Zetian. In the deep palace of Weiyang, she relied on her wisdom, perseverance and vision to gradually move from the edge of the chessboard to the center, not only winning the most stable position for herself, but also personally participating in and profoundly influencing the power transition between two generations of the empire and its future direction—the one who wields the chessboard.
The night breeze ruffled her hair, carrying the scent of distant lands. The game of chess continued, but she knew she had already made the most crucial moves. All that remained was to watch her children and grandchildren place their own hopeful pieces on this unprecedentedly stable chessboard, one she and the late emperor had laid together.
Her gaze was calm and profound, like the most solid foundation that Weiyang Palace had accumulated after countless storms.
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