Chapter Two: Entering the Palace
The morning sunlight seemed to pierce through the cold palace doors, swirling directly in the center of the sleeping chamber. When the woman opened her eyes, she realized that the palace maids had silently arranged everything inside the room today.
As she sat up and prepared to dress and get out of bed, perhaps hearing the movement, the voice of a female attendant immediately came from outside the canopy.
“Your Majesty, breakfast is ready.”
“I know.”
The woman responded faintly. A brazier had long been lit inside the hall, so even wearing only a thin garment and with bare feet on the floor, she did not feel cold.
She got out of bed and saw a female attendant, excessively young, kneeling outside in wait. When the latter looked up, the woman softly uttered a sound of surprise.
“What are you doing here?”
“Wan’er benefited greatly from Your Majesty’s teachings earlier and has voluntarily come to serve Empress Dowager with morning greetings.”
“Heh... Your grandfather, Shangguan Yi, is quite disobedient, yet you, his granddaughter, seem much more well-behaved than he ever was.”
The young attendant’s thin body trembled, but she knelt even lower.
“My ancestor was ignorant; this servant is willing to atone for him.”
The granddaughter of an enemy bowed low before her.
From the moment she woke that morning, the woman’s mood had already lifted.
Yesterday, she had quarreled with her husband. He despised the nephews she had recalled, calling them useless troublemakers who stirred chaos at court and took bribes in secret, finally being exposed before him.
He had held office for four years with no achievements, and now this scandal.
Shameful.
The woman was angry but helpless.
Her nephews, aside from a few capable ones who could barely support her in court by attacking certain ministers, were all limited in ability.
Sigh...
Being an empress was difficult; being the empress of Tang Dynasty even more so.
The Han empress Wei Zifu had a brother named Wei Qing and a nephew named Huo Qubing, but her own relatives were nothing but useless.
She sat on the couch, waiting for the palace attendants to bring hot water for washing, idly watching the kneeling attendant to pass the time.
Beautiful people kept close at hand were pleasing to the eye.
Appearance was the easiest yet hardest advantage to obtain. The young attendant was clearly a budding beauty, now just beginning to blossom.
Even just kneeling there, showing only a side profile, paired with her slender, delicate figure, she exuded an aura that invited pity.
“What news today?”
“Last night, someone sent a message into the palace saying that Left Military Guard General Blacktooth Changzhi brought a criminal soldier into the capital, claiming to request Your Majesty’s judgment.”
The woman paused, not out of interest but curiosity.
She knew Blacktooth Changzhi was a fierce warrior who charged into battle, but he surely wasn’t a fool. Since he dared bring this matter to the palace, there had to be a reason.
So the real issue was not him, but the other person.
“Who is this soldier?”
“Reportedly his surname is Wu, from Hebei, nineteen years old. Early this year he answered the conscription call, joined the army, and marched west, fighting alongside Blacktooth Changzhi in an enemy camp assault. He earned military merits but was reportedly bullied by his commanding officer Li Jingxuan. Later, he attempted to assassinate Li Jingxuan but failed.”
The young attendant spoke in great detail, but the woman frowned, only catching the words “military merit.”
“His surname is Wu?”
“Yes. I heard his name is Wu An. Would you like to see the letter Blacktooth Changzhi wrote?”
“Private transmission of correspondence from outsiders within the palace is inappropriate.”
The young attendant knelt silently, listening to the woman’s musing. Being young, she felt a flicker of pity for the soldier.
A single life might be lost just like that.
“Although an outsider, he is after all my nephew whom I’ve watched grow.”
“Eh?” The young attendant looked up.
The woman sighed, massaging her temples.
“He is more promising and considerate than the others. Previously he was stranded in Hebei, unwilling to seek wealth and power. This year, unexpectedly, he enlisted and went to war for the court—a good boy.”
“The Empress Dowager is merciful.”
“Sigh, he is family after all. I will deal with this matter. I must go see His Majesty.”
“Wan’er obeys.”
...
“You’re saved. The palace just sent a eunuch to summon you in.”
Blacktooth Changzhi pushed open the door. Wu An had long since woken and was sitting there. Seeing Changzhi approach to unlock his shackles, he instinctively reminded, “Keep them on.”
After all, it was a little prop.
If you showed up before the emperor looking like a proper prisoner, the emperor might just dislike you at first sight.
“We’ll unlock you first so you can wash up and dress properly; otherwise, if you bring yesterday’s stench into the palace and offend His Majesty and the Empress Dowager, you’ll be cut to pieces before you die.”
The two men washed quickly, then dressed.
Blacktooth Changzhi seemed adept at such matters. He dressed Wu An in two layers of warm undergarments, topped with a tattered fur coat still faintly stained with blood—fortunately, without odor.
“Appearing before the emperor is no small matter; you must be careful with your attire.”
“Thank you, brother.”
“Don’t call me brother. I’m just repaying the favor of your life. Shut up.”
“There’s one more thing.”
Wu An spoke slowly.
Looking at the seemingly rough and burly man before him, he finally asked, “If this fails, what will happen to us?”
“You? You’re a worthless low-ranking soldier. First you attempted to assassinate Shangguan, now you stand accused of treason. You’ll be sentenced to death by a thousand cuts.”
Blacktooth Changzhi said slowly:
“I can make up for it with merit. At worst, I’ll be sent back west to continue military service.”
“What about Li Jingxuan?”
“Don’t worry. His family has influence at court. He is favored by the emperor. At worst, he’ll be lightly demoted for a time, then restored to his position after a few years and carry on as usual.”
Changzhi looked at Wu An’s expression and immediately knew what he was thinking, frowning.
“I know you think it’s unfair, but when has there ever been fairness for people like us?
You can be dissatisfied, but do you have connections at court?
Li Jingxuan comes from a line of high officials. What’s your background?”
Wu An was silent.
If he could rise to a certain position, then all the history and knowledge he remembered from his past life would truly be useful. But as a lowly soldier, he was powerless.
In ancient times, it was either you eat others or get eaten.
A simple truth.
Wu An clenched his fists silently. Though he felt his body growing stronger, an overwhelming sense of helplessness spread in his heart.
In the past half year, no day had made him long for power as much as this one.
In his past life, he only needed to do his duty and live in peace and happiness.
But in this life, if he did not climb higher, he would remain beneath, waiting to be trampled.
Why should that be?
Outside, the eunuch was waiting. Blacktooth Changzhi held official status and could receive orders, whereas Wu An was a prisoner. The eunuch, annoyed by the cold, was unwilling to wait longer for a prisoner and simply relayed the order to Changzhi.
“Don’t mess around,” Changzhi warned, then easily lifted Wu An up and turned to open the door.
With a creak, the door opened.
The morning light flooded in, causing Wu An to squint. After adjusting, he saw the courtyard outside.
A heavy snow had fallen overnight, covering the world in a pristine, cold white.
Beside several obvious eunuchs stood a portly man in an embroidered robe, his face stern and forbidding.
When he saw Wu An, his eyes flickered strangely. Then he walked over and, in front of the others, slowly said:
“I am Wu Chengsi.”
Wu An was about to bow but saw the man lean close.
Wu Chengsi whispered in his ear, “How come I never heard we Wu family had such a bastard?”
Wu An was startled, as if intimidated by this show of force.
Then he stretched his neck and leaned toward Wu Chengsi’s ear.
Wu An: “Didn’t your mother say where your grandfather went?”