[Romantic Anecdotes of the Tang Dynasty Court] [39] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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Chapter Thirty-Nine: No Smoke from the Cooking Fire, Beauty Dies, Princess Ailing
in Her Chamber Changes Husband. Xu Jingye, grandson of Xu Shi of the previous dynasty, was filled with loyalty and righteousness. He welcomed Emperor Zhongzong to the throne and raised an army to denounce Empress Dowager Wu. However, his officials were mostly Empress Dowager Wu's henchmen; a few were former officials of the previous dynasty, but all feared her power and dared not challenge her. Xu Jingye's more than 100,000 soldiers fled in disarray, some dying, some fleeing. In less than three months, the loyal Xu Jingye was utterly defeated. He was captured by Hei Chi Changzhi, his head cut off, placed in a fragrant wooden box, and sent to the capital. Before Xu Jingye's defeat, two officials in the court, Pei Yan, the Grand Secretary, and Cheng Wuting, the Left Guard General, both submitted memorials advising Empress Dowager Wu to welcome Prince Luling back to the palace. Now that Xu Jingye was dead, Empress Dowager Wu issued an edict to execute Pei and Cheng as well. The court officials were all terrified and fell silent.
The next day, Empress Dowager Wu held court and threw Luo Binwang's proclamation denouncing her to the officials for them to read. She laughed and said, "This boy's writing is not bad, and I like him; it's a pity he has committed a heinous crime and cannot escape death." Then she asked the officials, "I have done nothing wrong to the world, do you all know that?" Upon hearing this, the officials all shouted "Long live the Empress Dowager!" The Empress Dowager continued, “I have assisted the late Emperor for over thirty years. Your titles and wealth are gifts from me; the peace and prosperity of the realm are thanks to me. When the late Emperor passed away, he entrusted the nation to me. I dared not cherish my own life, but only the people. Now, those who willingly become leaders of the army are all seeds of generals and ministers. How have you betrayed me so deeply? Among the old ministers, is there anyone as unruly and difficult to control as Pei Yan? Among the generals of the generation, is there anyone as capable of uniting fugitives as Xu Jingye? Among the veteran generals, is there anyone as brave and skilled in battle as Cheng Wuting? They are all heroes of their time. Now, they plot against me, and I can punish them according to the law. If any of you are capable of surpassing them, you should act now. Otherwise, you can only serve me cautiously and not become a laughingstock to the world!” Upon hearing the Empress Dowager’s words, all the officials prostrated themselves on the ground and kowtowed, not daring to raise their heads. At the same time, he replied, "Your Majesty's command is my command!" Empress Dowager Wu then ordered Wu Chengsi to hold the imperial seal, pretending to return power to Emperor Ruizong. Emperor Ruizong was about to accept the seal when he saw Wu Chengsi glaring at him angrily. Startled, Ruizong quickly withdrew his hand, repeatedly declining and saying he requested his mother to rule the court. Seeing Ruizong's understanding, Empress Dowager Wu withdrew her order. Meanwhile, Wu Sansi secretly instructed the censor Fu Youyi to lead the elders of the Guanzhong region in submitting a petition requesting a revolution and changing the imperial surname to Wu. At the same time, she pressured the officials to submit petitions urging him to ascend the throne, falsely claiming that phoenixes had gathered at Shangyang Palace and red sparrows had appeared in the court, indicating that Heaven's will had turned to the Wu family. Seeing that the people's hearts were with the Empress Dowager, Ruizong was greatly alarmed and also submitted a petition requesting the change of imperial surname to Wu, thus unifying the empire under one ruler. At this point, Empress Dowager Wu knew that her authority had been consolidated, so she granted a general amnesty, changed the dynasty name to Zhou, and proclaimed herself the Holy Empress Zetian. The emperor was given the character "曌" (Zhao), and twelve characters were created: 曌西□□囝○□□□□□□, and all flags were red. Emperor Ruizong was demoted to crown prince; his father, Wu Shi (Lu Huo), was posthumously honored as Emperor Xiaoming Gao, also known as Emperor Taizu; his mother, Lady Yang, was posthumously honored as Empress Xiaoming Gao.
The ancestral temples of the Tang dynasty were abolished, and the entire Tang clan, regardless of age or gender, was exiled to Lingnan. Meanwhile, someone deliberately informed the court that "the exiles in Lingnan are plotting a rebellion." The Empress Dowager then ordered Wan Guojun, the acting Right Censor, to go to Lingnan to investigate. Upon arriving in Lingnan, Wan Guojun forged an imperial edict, summoned the exiles, and ordered them all to be executed. The exiles cried and protested, but Guojun ordered soldiers to pursue them with swords, forcing them to the water's edge, where they could not escape. They were then captured and killed one by one. In one day, more than three hundred people were killed. It's pitiful that most of them were born into royalty, sons of the imperial family; now, even exiled to the southern, pestilent lands, they still couldn't save their lives. At that time, there were three to five thousand prisoners exiled to Lingnan by Wu Zetian. Seeing that Wan Guojun had coerced and killed three hundred people, they harbored resentment and whispered bitter complaints behind their backs. When Wan Guojun found out, he decided to go all the way and submitted a memorial stating that all the exiles were resentful and requesting their removal. Wu Zetian, after reading the memorial, dispatched Liu Guangye, the Right Guard's Military Advisor; Wang Deshou, the Censor; Bao Sigong, the Supervisor of the Imperial Garden; Wang Dazhen, the Chief of the Imperial Carriage; and Qu Zhenyun, the Right Guard's Military Advisor, all with the title of Censor, to investigate the exiles in six circuits including Jiannan, Qianzhong, and Annam. Seeing that Wan Guojun had killed three hundred people and won the favor of Empress Wu Zetian, they all joined in the killing: Censor Guangye killed nine hundred, Censor Deshou killed seven hundred, and Censors Sigong and Dazhen each killed five or six hundred.
In a short time, all the exiles in the six provinces were wiped out, and they returned to the capital triumphantly to report.
Wan Guojun then reported that he had passed through Fangling and met with the Prince of Luling and his wife, Lady Zhao, who showed resentment. He requested the emperor to depose the Prince of Luling and demote him to commoner status, and to order Lady Zhao to commit suicide. It turned out that Emperor Zhongzong, while imprisoned in Fangling, had a wife and a concubine by his side; his wife was Lady Zhao, and his concubine was Lady Wei. Lady Zhao was originally the daughter of Princess Changle. When Emperor Zhongzong was still a prince, he had betrothed Lady Zhao to him as a concubine; Lady Zhao was gentle and virtuous, and Emperor Gaozong was very fond of her. Only Empress Wu Zetian disliked her because of her reserved nature. Now, when Wan Guojun went on an inspection tour to Fangling to visit the Prince of Luling, both the Prince and Lady Wei gave him money and personally urged him to drink. However, Lady Zhao not only did not offer him any money, but also refused to come out and drink with him. The Imperial Censor Wan held a grudge and, upon returning to the capital, submitted a memorial to the emperor, speaking ill of Lady Zhao. Empress Wu Zetian, who had not been on good terms with Lady Zhao, heard of her resentment towards the court and issued an edict to bring Lady Zhao to the capital, imprison her in a cold palace, and confine her to a dark room.
The room had only one hole, and a eunuch was sent to bring firewood and rice into the hole every day, forcing Lady Zhao to cook and eat by herself. Lady Zhao was originally a delicate woman, and how could she endure such humiliation? Imprisoned in this dark room, she sometimes thought of the prince's kindness and sometimes lamented her fate, spending her days in tears. At first, when she cried until she was hungry, she would force herself to cook a bowl of rice to stave off her hunger. While she cooked inside, smoke would rise from the chimney outside; the eunuch guarding her, seeing the smoke, would fetch firewood and rice to take into the chimney for her next meal. However, after three days of observation outside the house, the eunuch noticed no smoke coming from the chimney, and the firewood and rice sent into the chimney had not been received by Lady Yue. He became suspicious and reported this to Empress Wu Zetian. The emperor ordered the chimney to be opened, and they found Lady Zhao lying stiffly on the bed, her body already badly decomposed. Empress Wu Zetian ordered a hasty burial and that the body be buried in a wasteland.
Lady Zhao's father, Zhao Gui, who held the official positions of Prefect of Dingzhou and Imperial Son-in-Law, was demoted to Kuozhou after Lady Zhao's death in the palace; Princess Chang Le was also exiled to Kuozhou and forbidden from attending court. Princess Chang Le was Emperor Gaozong's younger sister. The two siblings were very close, and Gaozong often kept the princess in the palace to play. Princess Chang Le was very upright and would reprimand palace servants for any misbehavior. At this time, Empress Wu had a biological daughter, Princess Taiping, who was favored by Empress Wu because of her beauty and intelligence. Princess Taiping, relying on her mother's favor, was also very unrestrained, and Princess Chang Le would often scold her for it. Princess Taiping, feeling aggrieved, would go to her mother to complain, and Empress Wu, out of consideration for Gaozong, had to endure it. Now that she held power, she banished Princess Chang Le to avenge her daughter's resentment.
Princess Taiping, the daughter of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu Zetian, was plump, beautiful, with a square forehead and broad cheeks. As a young girl in the palace, she was shrewd and resourceful. Empress Wu Zetian doted on her greatly, consulting with the princess on all important court matters. Despite the strict palace security, the princess's ability to keep secrets and prevent leaks further pleased the emperor.
During the Yonglong era, seeing the young and handsome Xue Shao, the emperor decreed that Princess Taiping would marry him, and allocated 200,000 taels of silver from the imperial treasury to build him a magnificent mansion. During Empress Wu Zetian's more than twenty years on the throne, there was only one Princess Taiping in the entire empire. Her father was the emperor, her mother the empress, her husband a prince, and her son a duke—her wealth and status were unparalleled. According to Tang Dynasty regulations, a prince's fief was 800 households, with a maximum of 1,000. A princess's fief upon marriage was 300 households, with an additional 50 households for a senior princess. Only Princess Taiping received a fief of 1,200 households; in the early years of the Shengli era, this increased to 3,000 households; and in the first year of the Shenlong era, it further increased to 5,000 households. The daily gifts of precious jewels and clothing were countless.
During the reign of Emperor Wu Zetian (Chu Gong era), Wu Sansi betrayed her husband, Xue Shao, by saying, "The imperial son-in-law, Xue Shao, is conspiring with other princes to rebel." Empress Wu Zetian was furious! She wanted to kill Xue Shao, but fearing it would hurt Princess Taiping's feelings, she summoned her to the palace beforehand and kept her there. Meanwhile, she ordered the Imperial Guards to arrest Xue Shao and hand him over to the Ministry of Justice for execution. However, Princess Taiping and Xue Shao were deeply devoted to each other. Being confined to the palace by Empress Wu Zetian and unable to see her husband, she was deeply unhappy! Yet, she couldn't say anything. Half a year had passed, and she still hadn't been released. The princess and Xue Shao had two sons and two daughters, now left alone in the palace, unable to see their children. Missing her husband and children, the princess fell ill with melancholy. Empress Wu Zetian, who doted on the princess, regretted killing Xue Shao and forcing her and her husband to separate. But seeing the princess's illness worsening day by day, lying in bed, delirious, Empress Wu Zetian personally went to visit her. The princess repeatedly called for her husband, pleading to be allowed to go home to see her children.
Empress Wu Zetian was deeply saddened and devised a plan. She secretly summoned her nephew, Wu Youji, to the palace. Wu Youji was the grandson of Empress Wu Zetian's uncle, Wu Shirang. Among the Wu family members, he was the most handsome, and only about twenty years old.
Empress Wu Zetian had always favored him, having already enfeoffed Shirang as the Prince of Chu and Youji as the Prince of Qiancheng, each granted a fief of three hundred households. Upon hearing the emperor's summons, he hurriedly entered the palace. Empress Wu Zetian whispered to Wu Youji, "Princess Taiping is desperately looking for a husband. Seeing that her life is in danger, where can I find a husband to replace her? Good boy, only you have a good face, very much like that Prince Consort Xue. Have pity on your sister, why don't you temporarily act as her husband and stay with her for a few days?" Wu Youji already had a wife, Zhen, whose beauty surpassed that of the princess, and the couple were very much in love. Having received Emperor Wu Zetian's decree, he dared not disobey and could only endure it, letting the palace maids escort him into the princess's room, coaxing her, "The Prince Consort has arrived!" The princess, still quite drowsy, upon hearing of his arrival, pulled Wu Youji onto the bed, embracing him tightly, making Wu Youji too ashamed to look up. The palace maids in the room covered their lips, suppressing their laughter.
The princess, however, kept stroking Wu Youji's face and neck, repeatedly calling him "my darling" and "my good man." After more than ten days, the princess... Her illness indeed subsided. Seeing that the man accompanying her was not Prince Consort Xue, but her cousin Wu Youji, she was surprised. Upon inquiring, she learned that Prince Consort Xue had been executed for a crime. Because Wu Youji had been with the princess for over ten days, and although the princess, while ill, wouldn't have done anything improper, their close physical contact had gradually led to feelings of love. Furthermore, Wu Youji had been sent by imperial decree to comfort Princess Taiping; he was gentle and charming, like a woman, and any woman would be moved by his presence. Therefore, Princess Taiping's longing for her grieving husband was somewhat lessened. When Wu Youji saw the princess weeping, he tried his best to comfort her, saying it was all at the behest of Empress Wu Zetian; however, in Wu Youji's heart, he constantly thought of his wife, Zhen Shi, at home. Youji and Zhen Shi had only been married for a year. Because Zhen Shi was very beautiful, the couple were deeply in love. Now, Youji was suddenly summoned to the palace by the emperor to soothe Princess Taiping's sorrow and resentment—a very reluctant task. But due to the emperor's coercion, he had no choice but to comply. He greeted the princess with laughter and joy. The princess, heartbroken, was moved by the presence of this ideal husband, who kept her company and brought her back to her former love. A few days later, Empress Wu Zetian personally visited her daughter. Princess Taiping, spoiled since childhood by her mother, immediately threw herself into the emperor's arms and wept uncontrollably. Empress Wu Zetian stroked the princess's neck and comforted her with kind words, gradually calming her sobs. Smiling, Empress Wu Zetian said to the princess, "Young girl, so young, living alone in an empty house, it's truly pitiful. I'll now give you a husband, how about that?" Princess Taiping turned her head and said, "I don't want to remarry, I can't bear to leave my sons and daughters at home." Hearing this, Empress Wu Zetian patted the princess's shoulder and said, "Silly child, our imperial daughters, bringing their children to find a husband, who dares to say a word against it?" The princess couldn't help but laugh and said, "Mother, what kind of husband will you choose for me? I won't choose one with a bad face." Empress Wu Zetian smiled and said, "What do you think of Wu Youji?" Upon hearing this, the princess shook her head repeatedly and said, "No! No!" Empress Wu Zetian was taken aback by the princess's expression.
It turned out that Princess Taiping and Wu Youji, although not engaging in any intimate acts when no one was around in their room, had gradually become increasingly flirtatious and inseparable. The princess seemed to be deliberately toying with Wu Youji, putting on many pitiful acts to provoke him. A palace maid had been secretly observing this and reported it to Empress Wu Zetian. Empress Wu Zetian assumed that the princess had taken a liking to Wu Youji and had deliberately asked this question to test her reaction. However, the princess's repeated rejections stunned Empress Wu Zetian, who hurriedly pressed her to ask why she was unwilling to marry Wu Youji. Unable to withstand the emperor's questioning, the princess finally said, "Doesn't Wu Youji already have a wife at home?" Empress Wu Zetian then understood her daughter's meaning and said with a smile, "That's easy, that's easy.
" She turned around and issued an edict, bestowing upon Wu Youji the title of Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant, promoting him to Prince Ding, and granting him a fief of one thousand households. Wu Youji was greatly surprised upon receiving the edict and hurriedly went to see Empress Wu Zetian, explaining that he was already married and dared not remarry a princess. Empress Wu Zetian smiled and said to Wu Youji, "Your ex-wife, I have already ordered her to commit suicide." Upon hearing this
, Wu Youji felt as if struck by lightning. He rushed home and saw that his wife, Zhen Shi's, body was already displayed in the main hall, a white silk ribbon still wrapped around her neck. Youji's heart ached at the sight. He leaped forward, embraced the body, and wept bitterly, personally removing the white silk ribbon from her neck. Empress Wu Zetian specially granted ten thousand taels of silver for funeral expenses, and the body was to be buried in the ceremonial robes of a princess. She also ordered Princess Taiping to personally attend the funeral. The Wu family's funeral was extremely grand. A very imposing mansion was built near the Wu family residence, and a troop of imperial guards was stationed at the mansion's gate. The mansion also boasted a vast garden, with pavilions every ten steps and towers every fifty steps, filled with exotic flowers and rare plants, as magnificent as the imperial gardens.
On the day of the princess's wedding, Empress Wu Zetian personally escorted her off. Upon her marriage, officials flocked to the Prince Consort's residence to offer their congratulations, creating a bustling and lively scene. Princess Taiping then brought her two sons and two daughters from the Xue Prince Consort's residence to pay their respects to the Wu Prince Consort, recognizing them as her stepfathers. From then on, the princess lived happily in the Wu Prince Consort's residence, enjoying a harmonious family life and a loving marriage. Empress Wu Zetian frequently visited the Wu Prince Consort's residence to see her daughter, sometimes even staying overnight instead of returning to the palace. Officials flocked to the Prince Consort's residence to pay their respects and present their reports. Princess Taiping, accompanying her mother, also participated in important military and state affairs; her intelligence and insight even surpassed that of the emperor. Empress Wu Zetian often had the princess listen to the ministers' reports, and her power expanded both inside and outside the palace. Civil and military officials alike offered bribes to the princess. The princess's rank was determined by the amount of money she received. Empress Wu Zetian... In the palace, officials gradually grew weary of court affairs, and all matters concerning the ministers and generals were discussed with the princess at the prince consort's residence. The princess, having received money from the crowd, extensively acquired land and gardens. The furnishings in her residence were all adorned with gold and jade. From the Wu, Yue, and Lingnan regions, tributes of brocade curtains, jeweled tents, music, carriages, and horses were sent, two sets prepared—one for the emperor and one for Princess Taiping. Her residence housed hundreds of maids draped in silk and brocade, and around a thousand servants. From outlying prefectures and counties, tributes of dogs, horses, toys, and delicacies were sent. The princess indulged in cockfighting and dog racing, and entertained with various performances. Young officials and men were invited to accompany her, and banquets of rare and exotic foods were held in the garden. Young men surrounded the princess, cheering and drinking. Every move the princess made was accompanied by young men, who supported and laughed on either side of her. The princess had left behind a handkerchief and a loose ribbon, which the young men eagerly collected, much to the princess's amusement.
In a grotto within the garden, there was a secret chamber, furnished with brocade quilts and embroidered carpets. Young officials and men of noble birth were often drawn into this chamber by warriors. They found the bedding warm and fragrant, and someone would come to undress them and help them into the tent, where they would be embraced by a fragrant, oily woman. At this point, the man would succumb to temptation, groping in the shadows until they had consummated their union. Several more women would then serve him, dressing him and helping him out of the chamber, where warriors would lead him out of the garden. This continued in turn, and every young official and man of noble birth in the court had tasted this tenderness. They all knew that the woman in the grotto was the most noble woman in the court, but none dared to speak of it.
At this time, a foreign monk named Huifan suddenly arrived in the capital. He claimed to have visited thousands of mountains and temples, met with true immortals and living Buddhas, and was over two hundred years old, but looked like a young man in his twenties.
He stayed at the Benyuan Temple. This immediately caused a stir among the women of the capital. At first, a few commoners went to pay homage, but later, even the inner quarters of the imperial family prepared incense, candles, and gifts to go and worship. Some women became disciples of Master Huifan, while others became his godfather. Everyone embroidered robes and curtains for the monk, decorating his bedroom in colorful patterns, like a young lady's boudoir. When the monk saw women bringing clothes, he would make them kneel before him, reach out and touch their faces, or stroke their hair, saying it was a blessing. The women who had been touched by the living Buddha would happily return home, boasting to their companions in their boudoirs that they had received a blessing from the living Buddha that day. Those who gave less than generous gifts and did not receive the Living Buddha's blessing returned home dejected.
One day, suddenly, carriages and horses filled the gates of Benyuan Temple, and the guards were heavily armed. Princess Taiping had also personally come to seek the Living Buddha's blessing. All the officials and their wives were blocked at the gate by the soldiers and were not allowed to enter the temple. The princess stayed until sunset before returning to her residence. The next day, she presented Master Huifan with 100,000 taels of gold and a thousand bolts of colorful silk. A few days later, she invited Master Huifan to her residence, where he stayed for more than ten days without being allowed to leave.
Those who sought the Living Buddha's blessing waited outside Benyuan Temple every day, and the crowd grew larger and larger, until the temple was completely surrounded. Finally, Master Huifan returned to the temple. They saw banners and jeweled flags, with swords and spears, the Living Buddha's carriage in front and the princess's embroidered carriage behind, escorting him into the temple gate. Then soldiers went up and drove away all those waiting outside the gate to receive the blessing. From then on, the area in front of Benyuan Temple was heavily guarded, and no wealthy or noble families were allowed to enter. Master Huifan only bestowed blessings upon Princess Taiping; all her former female disciples and goddaughters who came to visit her master and godfather were blocked from entering the temple. A secret inquiry revealed that Princess Taiping came to the temple every day to seek blessings from Huifan, effectively monopolizing the monk and forbidding anyone else from having any. To find out what happens next, please read the next chapter.

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[Romantic Anecdotes of the Tang Dynasty Court] [39] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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