Chapter Eight: Then Let Me Ask You

Wu An pushed the door slightly to the side, signaling for Shangguan Wan'er to enter.

"The Empress Dowager wants me to deliver this to you."

Shangguan Wan'er handed over the object directly: a silver-white fish tally, with the characters "Hundred Riders" engraved in relief. She did not sit down, merely glancing around the room's furnishings before taking her leave.

"Keep the token safe. Stay here and read for the next few days. The Empress Dowager..."

"I wish to enter the palace again tomorrow to speak with the Empress Dowager."

Shangguan Wan'er frowned, eyeing him for a moment before giving a slight nod. "I will ask on your behalf. If Her Majesty grants permission, I will come here to fetch you."

"Hm..."

Di Renjie's hints had given Wu An a lead, and he began to connect the history he knew with what he had seen and heard. He tentatively tried to pry more information from Shangguan Wan'er; while she avoided some topics, she provided much of what he sought. Watching the young female official before him, Wu An suddenly realized that despite her youth, she was already stumbling through the art of intrigue, growing increasingly adept at it. She was likely trying to extract information from him as well.

"You mentioned the current Chancellor, Hao Chujun?"

Shangguan Wan'er, unaware of Wu An's gaze, considered his question carefully. "This matter is of some importance. A few years ago, when the Emperor was ill, he intended to let the Empress take over the government entirely. It was Hao Chujun and others who repeatedly submitted memorials to remonstrate against it; Hao Chujun’s words were the most vehement. However... he is a man of integrity and upright character, with no faults."

Prestige, capability, integrity, and a prominent background—he was effectively armored in steel, leaving no opening for attack. But because he was at odds with the Empress—a political enmity of the highest order—that made him a mortal foe.

As Shangguan Wan'er spoke in her calm, detached tone, Wu An’s understanding of the court’s figures and affairs deepened. Before long, she rose to leave. "The curfew has begun; I must return early."

Wu An’s eyes flickered. Logically, once the curfew began, entry into the palace was strictly forbidden. Yet, for Shangguan Wan'er to claim she was returning, she must possess a special warrant granted by the Empress. Was the Empress’s power already that absolute?

"I will see you out."

Wu An rose and walked her to the door. Shangguan Wan'er boarded her carriage, and as the sound of the wheels faded, the silhouette of the carriage vanished into the darkness. Wu An stood with his hands behind his back, staring toward the mouth of the alley, his eyes reflecting the deep, somber night.

"To personally deliver a fish tally to me..."

***

The next day, inside the palace.

The Empress had risen early, as was her custom. Shangguan Wan'er and several palace attendants stood by, while two women knelt on the floor. Had Wu An been present, he would have immediately recognized them as the two concubines of Wu Chengsi.

"He did not touch you?"

One of the women raised her head, trembling. "The young master merely shut himself in the study to read. Beyond occasionally walking about and asking a few questions, he said nothing else."

It was the norm for a young man to be greedy for beauty, especially when the women belonged to an enemy; taking them into his arms to enjoy them would have been one of life’s great pleasures. Yet he had not. Was he truly just reading?

Shangguan Wan'er watched the Empress’s reflection in the bronze mirror, guessing her thoughts. The Empress said calmly, "I see."

Several eunuchs stopped at the hall entrance, and as they began to announce themselves, the Empress checked her hair and makeup, sighing inwardly.

"Report to the Empress, His Majesty’s migraines have returned. He has ordered the documents from the Three Departments to be transferred here, to be approved within the day."

The Empress gave a hum and waved her hand. "Get out, all of you."

Shangguan Wan'er remained where she was, knowing the order did not apply to her. The attendants and eunuchs fled as if granted a pardon. It was said that serving a monarch was like sleeping with a tiger; though the Empress was not "the monarch" in name, the whole world knew of the "Two Sages" at court, and her feminine authority had long since eclipsed the masculine.

"These are all memorials calling for his execution as a warning to others..."

The Empress skimmed a few, smiling without looking up. "When your grandfather, Shangguan Yi, schemed against the Imperial family, the entire court pressured him just like this, eager to devour his flesh and sleep on his skin."

Shangguan Wan'er said nothing, her hands tightening beneath her sleeves.

"Forget it. No matter how much we test him, we won't uncover the truth. It is better to let him go and see what he does." The Empress set down her brush and asked, "Has he arrived?"

***

"Many people have come."

Outside the palace gates stood several ministers, all elderly and clad in purple robes. In the Tang Dynasty, purple was the color of the highest rank. The ministers were clearly acquainted, exchanging pleasantries while subtly probing for information. Not far from them stood a lone young man, wearing high-quality clothing, appearing like a scion of some noble house. The ministers glanced at him occasionally, guessing he might be a young member of the imperial clan hoping to gain some favor.

Soon, the palace gates opened. Eunuchs emerged, calling out titles and names and letting them in one by one. When the last elderly man reached the gate, the eunuch stopped him.

"Please wait a moment. The Empress has not yet said she would see you."

The old man nodded slightly, his expression neither happy nor sad, and stood there. After a while, he noticed the young man standing nearby, just as lonely as himself. The old man felt a rare spark of sympathy and spoke up.

"Are you also here to enter the palace?"

The young man was startled. Seeing the old man’s purple robes, he bowed respectfully. "Sir, I pay my respects to my elder."

"No need for such formalities," the old man sighed, praising him. "It is rare to see such a sensible youth. Compared to you, that criminal who returned to Chang'an and stirred up such chaos in the court is truly a disgrace."

The young man looked puzzled. "A criminal?"

"You haven't heard?" The old man raised an eyebrow. This counter-question sparked his interest, making him forget to ask the youth’s name or lineage.

"I have been following my elders' orders to study at home these past few days, so I am unaware of outside affairs."

The old man felt even more pleased. "Studying is a good thing... That criminal is a brute who knows nothing of books. It was one thing to be a thug on the frontier, but to attempt to harm a superior and then return to court to lodge a false accusation—that is unforgivable."

"Is that really the case?"

The young man was taken aback, unable to help but ask, "Since this man is such a base brute, I humbly think that unless there is a monumental issue, such a lowly person would never dare offend a noble, would he?"

"He is indeed just a vulgar, lowly brute," the old man mused. "As for the matter, did your elders not tell you? No matter how big the issue, nothing exceeds the order of high and low. To commit an offense against a superior is a great crime."

The young man nodded in understanding. "But what if... what if there really is some injustice?"

The old man froze, confused. "Who is Li Jingxuan, and who is he? What could Li Jingxuan possibly steal from him, or what could he covet? It makes no sense; therefore, it can only be that the brute is trying to use false accusations to seek wealth."

The young man nodded in realization. "I understand now. If I may ask, who are you..."

The old man paused, thinking that if this young man returned home and told his parents his name, the entire room would surely be shocked. A Chancellor of the realm deigning to talk with a youth like this—it showed his magnanimity.

*What? You don't know that these three characters are the name of the current Chancellor!*

At the thought of that scene, the old man couldn't help but straighten his chest.

"I am surnamed Hao, given name Chujun."

He pointed toward the palace. "I heard that yesterday the Empress forced several high officials to leave the palace in an undignified manner. This act is highly inappropriate, so I and my colleagues have come today to remonstrate."

"Remonstrate?" Admiration filled the young man's eyes.

"Yes... to remonstrate for the execution of the scoundrel."

Hao Chujun’s face was filled with determination as he patted the young man on the shoulder. "In the future, you, too, should be like this."

At that moment, the eunuch returned to lead people in. To Hao Chujun’s surprise, the eunuch gestured for the young man to follow as well. Seeing this, Hao Chujun suddenly recalled his initial question.