Chapter 172 Shangyang
After the return banquet, there were no more social events worth going out for the two of them, so Li Huazhang and Ming Huashang closed the door to thank the guests and lived their lives in peace.
As usual, Li Huazhang got up earlier than Ming Huashang. Often, he had finished his morning exercises before Ming Huashang woke up in a daze. He would go back to have breakfast with Ming Huashang, and then the two would go to the study together.
Guanglu Temple was quiet, and Li Huazhang rarely showed up except during major festivals. Everything followed the old rules. He also stayed at home with peace of mind, sometimes reading and discussing with his new wife. Sometimes Ming Huashang was in the mood and asked Li Huazhang to teach her how to play the piano and martial arts, and she would paint for him as a reward. More often, the two of them did their own things and might not say a word to each other for an entire afternoon.
Just like when he was a child in school, Li Huazhang sat upright while Ming Huashang lay on the table, sleeping soundly under his cover.
Ming Huashang was firmly against involution. After dark, she would not allow Li Huazhang to study hard. They would go back to the house to eat together. If the sunset was beautiful that day, they would take a walk around Prince Yong's Mansion after dinner and chat about something casually.
The Prince of Yong, who was well-known in Chang'an for his kindness and power, seemed to have lost his fighting spirit and no longer cared about government and military power. He devoted himself to a life of indulgence and gentleness. When Ming Huashang was almost accustomed to this kind of life, news suddenly came from Shangyang Palace that the emperor was ill.
In fact, this is not surprising. The retired emperor was already 80 years old, which is a very impressive number even for a long-lived old man. The Shenlong coup was successful because the retired emperor could not attend court for several months and his control over the court was weakened. After the coup, the retired emperor was forced to give up the throne to the crown prince and move to Shangyang Palace. This was a huge blow to a woman who regarded the throne as her lifelong pursuit.
People often age in an instant. Once the spirit is gone, the strong woman who once looked energetic even after reading memorials all night long will quickly wither into an octogenarian.
Li Huazhang went to the palace immediately after receiving the news. Ming Huashang did not want to play along with the princesses and concubines, so she stayed in the palace to wait for him. When the golden crow fell to the west and a thin moon could be seen in the sky, Ming Huashang almost thought something had happened in the palace and could not help but go to the palace to look for him, Li Huazhang finally came back.
Ming Huashang heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Li Huazhang return safely. She did not ask him why he came back late, but asked as usual: "Have you eaten? I asked the kitchen to make crucian carp. The fish is very fresh and was still alive when it was delivered to your house. Do you want some?"
Li Huazhang suppressed the troubled thoughts in his heart and said with a smile: "Okay, Lao Shangshang is here."
Ming Huashang asked the maid to set up the table. There were only two of them in the house, so there was no need to worry about eating separately. Ming Huashang sat beside the table and prepared the dipping sauce for Li Huazhang. "This is my unique recipe. It does not affect the freshness of the fish, and you won't feel sick even if you eat too much. No one else knows how to mix it except me. Why don't you try it?"
Li Huazhang couldn't refuse the hospitality, so he took a bite from Ming Huachang's hand. The sauce really set off the shredded fish perfectly, and the two complemented each other. Li Huazhang nodded and said sincerely, "It's delicious."
Ming Huashang immediately took another piece. Li Huazhang thought he had no appetite, but with her company, he ate some without realizing it.
Ming Huashang knew that he was worried, so she didn't force him. After he had eaten his fill, she asked the maid to remove the food tray. The servants left skillfully, and they were the only two left in the room. Ming Huashang sat down next to Li Huazhang, held his hand, and asked, "What happened in the palace?"
Li Huazhang sighed softly, closed his eyes and leaned on her shoulder, his voice full of fatigue: "The emperor is seriously ill, and the palace has been arguing for a whole day about who will take care of him."
Li Huazhang thought of the situation during the day, and even with his eyes closed, he still felt it was unbearable to watch. Saying that they were arguing was just to give them face. The emperor kept saying that he was very worried about his mother's illness and wanted to take her place, but the country could not be without a ruler for a day, and he could not leave Taiji Palace. Taiji Palace was gloomy and it was not suitable to move the emperor to recuperate.
These were all excuses, of course. Although Empress Wu's regime had been destroyed, she was still the emperor's mother. It was unacceptable to abandon an 80-year-old mother in a separate palace and ignore her; but the emperor did not dare to bring her back to Taiji Palace to take care of her.
Including the time she was the empress, Empress Wu ruled the harem for forty years. She had spies everywhere in and outside the palace. Who would dare to let her return to the center of power? When Empress Wang exiled Concubine Wu to Ganye Temple, she was fully convinced that she would never be able to make a comeback.
The emperor didn't want to be dragged off the throne for the second time like he had done fifteen years ago.
The emperor was not able to serve his mother, so the empress and the princes and princesses should have done it. However, Empress Wei had to take care of the harem and was unable to do so. Princess Anle caught a cold last night and was afraid that if she went to Shangyang Palace, she would let the emperor recover from the illness. If the crown prince, the emperor's third son Li Chongjun, was asked to serve, Empress Wei would not agree.
The empress and empress cannot leave their post without permission, so it should be okay to let the Prince of Xiang and Princess Taiping go, right? However, the emperor knew that he had been imprisoned in the Luling Mausoleum for many years, and could not be as happy as his brothers and sisters. The emperor only abdicated, not died, and she might have many more cards in her hand. If the Prince of Xiang and Princess Taiping were allowed to contact the emperor, who knew if they would follow suit and launch another coup?
The emperor was jealous of his younger siblings, and Prince Xiang and Princess Taiping were also unwilling to face the Empress Wu. The royal family's affection was mixed with too many interests. They hated her, feared her, and imitated her. They learned her methods and defeated their mother for the first time, and if nothing unexpected happened, this would be the only time. After tasting the taste of victory, who would be willing to return to the old enemy and relive the humbleness and weakness of the past?
There was a big quarrel in the palace over this. Everyone spoke nice words and everyone had their own reasons, but in the final analysis, it was none of my business.
Li Huazhang couldn't help feeling sad as he watched those people shirking responsibility.
For Emperor Gaozong, for Emperor Wu, and for the Tang Dynasty.
Li Huazhang tightened his arms, put his arms around Ming Huashang's waist from behind, and said, "She was just a discarded talent at first, and later became the concubine of the new emperor. She was not satisfied with being the most favored concubine in the harem, and she took every step carefully to become the empress of the two emperors. She was still not satisfied with having power, and she insisted on lifting the pearl curtain and becoming the empress from the empress dowager. But now, she is old and frail, seriously ill in bed, and her children are shirking responsibility and are unwilling to see her."
"Such a king should not have ended like this."
Ming Huashang already understood Li Huazhang's idea. She quietly let Li Huazhang lean on her, like a pool of gentle and tolerant water: "What do you want to do?"
Li Huazhang clenched his fingers, unable to utter the words. He wanted to go to Shangyang Palace to serve his mother, which was what he should do, no matter as a minister or a grandson. He believed that if Prince Zhang Huai were still alive, he would definitely put aside everything and serve his mother at her bedside.
But Li Huazhang is not only himself now, but also someone else's husband. Ming Huashang is free and undisciplined and hates being bound. If he goes to Shangyang Palace, how will she cope?
Ming Huashang sensed his entanglement and guilt, and took the initiative to say, "Have you forgotten that we are connected? We must be together no matter what we do. Just do whatever you want, I will accompany you."
Li Huazhang was filled with mixed feelings. He was so lucky to meet her after losing all his family members. Words could no longer express his feelings. Li Huazhang could only hold Ming Huashang tighter and said in a hoarse voice, "Okay."
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The illness of the retired emperor was like a thorn in his side, and he was afraid of it but could not speak of it. When the palace was worried about it, Prince Yong took the initiative to ask to go to Shangyang Palace to serve the retired emperor, and Princess Yong accompanied him.
The false and hypocritical voices in the palace suddenly subsided. Prince Yong was the only son of Prince Zhang Huai and the grandson of the retired emperor in the true sense. At the same time, Prince Yong grew up in a minister's family and had only met the retired emperor a few times. The first time the two spoke face to face was probably on the night of the Shenlong coup. The two sides were more enemies than relatives, so there was no need to worry that the retired emperor would use Prince Yong to cause trouble; at the same time, Prince Yong had the most orthodox identity, so he didn't have to worry about people in the world using filial piety to point fingers at him when he went to serve the sick.
The emperor seemed to have solved a worry, and he felt relieved, and even had more interest in going to the harem. The Prince of Xiang's Mansion and the Princess Taiping's Mansion also breathed a sigh of relief. Both sides felt that Li Huazhang was one of their own, and it was better for him to guard Emperor Wu than to be with Empress Wei's party.
Amidst the praises from various people with ulterior motives, Ming Huashang packed her luggage and moved into Shangyang Palace before even the Dragon Boat Festival.
After entering the Shangyang Palace, life was no longer as leisurely as in Prince Yong's Mansion. Ming Huashang had to go to the retired emperor at dawn every day to pay respects. Unsurprisingly, the retired emperor did not treat them well. Ming Huashang stood outside the palace for an hour and could not even see the retired emperor. If she was lucky, the palace maids in the palace would come out before the sun rose and say indifferently: "The retired emperor is not feeling well and does not want to see guests. Prince Yong and Princess Yong, please go back."
Ming Huachang had always been a spoiled child. She felt like she was going to pass out when a needle pierced her fingertips. She had never been treated so coldly. Fortunately, Li Huazhang was with her. No matter how long they stood outside the palace, he never left her side.
After a long period of frustration, one night, the emperor suddenly fell ill. Li Huazhang and Ming Huashang dressed hastily and rushed over to see the doctor and prepare medicine. They spent the whole night there. At daybreak, the emperor's condition finally stabilized. After taking the medicine, he fell into a deep sleep.
Ming Huashang had been tense all night and dared not slack off for a moment. Now she was able to relax a little and suddenly felt dizzy and light-headed. Li Huazhang felt very distressed when he saw her face. He ordered the palace maids to take good care of the emperor and inform him immediately once he woke up, and then send Ming Huashang back to rest.
Li Huazhang left all the palace people in the emperor's bedroom, and the two of them walked quietly towards their residence without any attendants.
In the early morning, the Shangyang Palace was filled with mist, just like a palace in heaven. Li Huazhang was silent all the way. Ming Huashang knew that he was upset, so she took his hand and comforted him, "Don't worry, the emperor is a lucky man, and he will definitely be safe."
Li Huazhang nodded, as if he wanted to say something, but gave up when the words came to his lips.
What could he say now? When he first met the retired emperor, she was old but had black hair and beard, sharp eyes, and a bright look. She was full of confidence in her every move. But after the Shenlong coup, she aged in just a few months. Her temples were covered with white frost, the skin on her face suddenly collapsed, and she had the peculiar smell of an old man. Most importantly, the light in her eyes was extinguished.
If not, how could she be so easily defeated by the disease?
But he planned all of this himself. He pushed her off the throne, but now he cares about her illness, which even he himself feels is hypocritical.
Ming Huashang knew that Li Huazhang was getting stuck in a dilemma. She was about to continue to explain it to him, but suddenly her eyes fixed: "What is that?"
Li Huazhang was alerted by Ming Huashang's words and noticed that there was a person in the bushes ahead, tiptoeing towards the window. He immediately protected Ming Huashang behind him. The person in the mist heard the movement here and ran away quickly.
Ming Huashang looked around calmly and asked in a low voice: "Do you want to chase her?"
Li Huazhang looked at the mist ahead and said after a long while, "No need."
He knew who had sent him.
After the two returned to the palace, they tacitly stopped talking about what had just happened and went to wash and change clothes. After Ming Huashang finished her bath, Li Huazhang had already changed his clothes and sat in front of the couch reading a book. When he saw her come out, he put down the book and walked over to take the cotton cloth.
He pulled her to sit down in front of the bed and wiped her hair skillfully: "If you are sleepy, take a nap. I will help you dry your hair."
Ming Huashang yawned and leaned against him with a clear conscience: "Okay, call me when you're done."
Li Huazhang worked tirelessly to take care of her hair, and his technique was more patient than Ming Huashang's own. Ming Huashang was content to exploit her brother, and after a while, she whispered, "Is it worth it?"
The hand behind him paused for a moment, then continued to gently shuttle through her hair, as if he hadn't heard her. Ming Huashang continued to ask: "You tried your best, but you were sidelined, ignored, and guarded, and now you are being monitored by them. If that's the case, why did you spend so much energy to protect Li Xian's throne, and even risked your life to move to the side of the retired emperor, just to lure out Han Jie?"
Since the Shenlong coup, Han Jie and the remaining Xuan Xiaowei disappeared, and everything returned to peace as if they had never existed. But they all knew that the undercurrent would not disappear, but would only hide underwater, brewing a bigger storm.
Even though Li Huazhang and Ming Huashang were lucky enough to have made several contributions and got a high position in Xuanxiaowei, in fact, only the people on their line knew about them, and they knew nothing about the rest. Now that they have become the light, Han Jie and others have turned dark, both sides know that a duel is inevitable, but except for the moment, no one knows when the knife will fall.
This group of people are hiding among the people, and it is impossible to find them. We can only prevent them from the source. Li Huazhang simply moved to under the nose of the emperor, so that no one could ignore his existence.
It was both a declaration of war and a diversion of fire. If they wanted revenge, they would have to find him first. Only in this way could others be safe.
This time Li Huazhang could no longer ignore it. He paused for a moment, his movements still methodical, gentle and calm: "This is what I should do, I shouldn't expect any reward."
"Even if no one thanks you, or even knows your efforts?"
Li Huazhang spoke in a calm and gentle voice, "Many things are not done just because they are useful, but they are useful only after they are done. The legacy of the Tang and Zhou dynasties must be solved. My last name happens to be Li, and I am the son of Prince Zhang Huai, your elder brother, and their captain. Some things have to be done by someone, so I'll do it."