Chapter 23: Obstruction by the Aristocratic Clans
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Li Shen was dazed by the sudden and lavish rewards. Fertile farmland, money, and five hundred households granted as his personal fief. Inside, he could not stop shouting, “I’m rich! I’m rich!”
He was still lost in his rapture when a voice interrupted him.
“Your Majesty, the Prince of Shen is a second-generation member of the imperial family. He has not yet left the capital for his fief, and he has not even reached adulthood. To confer upon him the title of prince is contrary to ritual law. I respectfully ask Your Majesty to withdraw the decree.”
The speaker was Censor Cui Renzhi.
At his words, the assembled ministers fell silent. Everyone knew that the great clans were targeting Li Shen. Some merely waited to see how matters would unfold; others took secret delight in his misfortune.
A whole group of censors began echoing Cui Renzhi’s objection. Li Shimin watched them in silence, furious inside. The Empress’s recovery should have been a cause for universal joy, yet Cui Renzhi had ruined the mood entirely.
According to ritual law, Li Shen indeed could not yet be made a prince. He belonged to the second generation. Only after Li Shimin’s death, when a new emperor ascended the throne and Li Shen became a first-generation prince, could he be granted the title.
But Li Shen had cured Empress Changsun, a feat of extraordinary merit. Moreover, this was an affair of the imperial family. Under ordinary circumstances, most ministers would not have dared to oppose it.
At present, however, Li Shimin could not intervene personally. He therefore turned to the two chief ministers, Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling, and asked, “What do you think, Minister Fang?”
Fang Xuanling was an old and calculating statesman. He naturally understood what Li Shimin meant. After choosing his words carefully, he said:
“Your Majesty, I believe Censor Cui’s statement is mistaken. There are always exceptions. His Highness the Prince of Shen saved the Empress, a deed greater than any merit under Heaven. In addition, Your Majesty has yet to reward him for his proposals concerning reform of the imperial examinations. These achievements are sufficient grounds for granting him the title of prince.
“Furthermore, His Highness already holds the rank of commandery prince. His fief is Xiangzhou, and sooner or later he must leave the capital and be formally invested as a prince. This merely advances the matter by a few days; it cannot be considered a violation of ritual law.”
“Though His Highness rendered service by treating the Empress, he is her son. To honor her as his mother and treat her illness was only natural. As for reforming the imperial examinations, that is a matter of government. Since His Highness is already a commandery prince, taking part in affairs of state and easing Your Majesty’s burdens are simply his duties as a subject. Where is the merit in that?
“Your Majesty has already fulfilled the imperial decree. The grant of land and money does not constitute a broken promise. The rites of antiquity must never be discarded.”
As soon as Cui Renzhi declared that curing the Empress was not a great achievement, Changsun Wuji could bear it no longer. In every sense, saving Empress Changsun had to be recognized as an immense merit.
On a personal level, she was his younger sister. On a political level, he relied on her to strengthen his bond and trust with Li Shimin. If saving the Empress was deemed insignificant, would that not imply that his sister held little standing?
That was unacceptable. Everyone had to understand how exalted his sister’s position was; only then could he continue to rely on her influence. Thus Changsun Wuji stepped forward without hesitation.
“Utterly absurd! The Empress is the mother of the entire empire and the model of virtue for all under Heaven. When she fell gravely ill, the imperial physicians were helpless—including, I believe, the physicians from your Cui family.
“Yet His Highness the Prince of Shen restored her to health through his miraculous skill, and you dismiss his achievement with a single phrase about what is merely ‘natural.’ If so, why could the physicians of your Cui family not have performed the same miracle and done what was only natural? Could it be that your family’s physicians deliberately withheld treatment?”
His words instantly made the atmosphere tense. The Duke of Zhao’s accusation was vicious indeed. Deliberately delaying treatment for the Empress was tantamount to plotting her murder—a crime that could bring extermination upon nine generations of a family.
“Duke of Zhao, do not speak nonsense! How could my Cui family dare do such a thing? Many imperial physicians treated Her Majesty at the time. You—you…”
Cui Renzhi was so enraged that his hands trembled. The Duke of Zhao clearly intended to drag the entire Cui family into ruin. The accusation was far too grave.
“That is enough, Auxiliary Ji,” Li Shimin said, seeing that the moment had reached its proper intensity. “I believe the Cui family would never commit such a heinous crime.”
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“Thank you for Your Majesty’s trust,” Cui Renzhi said, bowing in gratitude.
“However, saving the Empress was indeed a great achievement. Besides, this concerns the imperial family. There is no need to debate it further in court.”
With that, Li Shimin gave his final judgment.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Li Shen hurried forward to offer his thanks. He accepted the imperial decree with excitement. The title of prince held little attraction for him; sooner or later, it would be his anyway. As a modern man, he understood all too well the importance of money. Li Shen was therefore particularly attached to it.
Seeing that nothing more required his attention, Li Shimin announced the end of the court session.
After leaving the main hall, Li Shen saw Cui Renzhi walking out with several officials from the Cui family. He could not help feeling displeased. He made up his mind to teach the man a lesson.
“Your Highness, Prince Ji.”
Li Shen heard someone calling him. Turning around, he saw Changsun Wuji and politely bowed.
“Greetings, Uncle.”
Changsun Wuji was the Empress’s elder brother and therefore the emperor’s brother-in-law. All of Li Shimin’s children were also the Empress’s children, so they naturally addressed Changsun Wuji as their uncle. Given his current position and influence, however, any imperial prince or princess who called him uncle was also benefiting from the connection.
“You flatter me. I should have thanked you long ago for saving the Empress, but you were residing in the inner palace and I had no opportunity to do so. I hope Your Highness will not take offense.”
Li Shen noticed that novels often portrayed Changsun Wuji as a villain. In his own view, however, if Changsun Wuji had truly been ruthless and cruel, Li Shimin would never have entrusted him with such power. Changsun Wuji was merely somewhat greedy for authority. He was smooth and adaptable, yet highly capable, gifted in both civil and military affairs, and utterly loyal to the imperial family.
“Uncle, please do not say that. Saving my mother was only what I ought to have done as her son. I should also thank you for speaking up on my behalf in the court just now.”
“Your Highness, I merely stated the truth today. But you must be cautious from now on. The great clans possess tremendous influence. Cui Renzhi was sent by them merely to make trouble for you. More than half the officials in the court are sons of those clans.”
“Thank you for the warning, Uncle. Rest assured, I will be careful. I will not forget the help you offered today. One day, I will repay you.”
The two exchanged a few more polite words before going their separate ways. Li Shen did not return to the Imperial Academy. Instead, he carried the imperial decree straight back to the Palace of Great Auspiciousness.
In truth, he attended the Imperial Academy merely to pass the time. He had no interest in all that abstruse classical learning. When he returned to the palace, Noble Consort Wei was already waiting for him.
Knowing that her son had received a reward that day, she was extremely excited. Li Shen handed her the imperial decree, and after reading it, Noble Consort Wei was overjoyed.
She turned to her female attendants and said, “Today is a day of great celebration. Everyone shall receive a reward. Three hundred coins for the servants, five hundred for the stewards, and one string of coins for each of you.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you, Prince Ji.”
The palace maids and eunuchs were naturally delighted to receive their rewards.
Noble Consort Wei pulled Li Shen down beside her, and he told her everything that had happened at court.
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When he mentioned that the Cui family had tried to prevent him from being made a prince, Noble Consort Wei was furious.
“How dare they obstruct my son’s elevation! Shen’er, do not worry. Tomorrow I shall write a letter to your maternal grand-uncle. I will ask him whether he knew about this—or whether the Cui family alone has chosen to target my son.”
The maternal grand-uncle she referred to was the head of the Wei family, a cousin of her maternal grandfather.
“Mother, forget it. I will deal with it myself. I am still young. We can wait a few years before acting. A gentleman may wait ten years to avenge himself. Please do not be angry.”
Seeing how furious Noble Consort Wei was, Li Shen hurried to comfort her.
“Very well. You are still young, so do not clash with the great clans directly. Be cautious above all else.”
News traveled quickly. Before long, the entire inner palace knew that Li Shen had been granted the title of prince, though as he was still young, he received the allowances and privileges of a commandery prince.
Only after reaching adulthood and leaving the capital for his fief could he formally receive the full privileges of a prince—except for the sons born to Empress Changsun.
Princes such as Li Tai, Prince of Wei, and Li Zhi, Prince of Jin, already enjoyed the privileges of princes. This clearly showed that Li Shimin regarded Li Shen with unusual favor.
Thus, the various consorts of the inner palace came one after another to the Palace of Great Auspiciousness to offer their congratulations. Noble Consort Wei personally received each of them and expressed her thanks.
Li Shen did not take part in such social formalities. He remained in his study, pondering how he might strike back at the Cui family.
“Stone, go out and find out what businesses the Cui family owns and what they mainly rely on for profit. Blue Jade, give Stone two strings of coins. Let him spend whatever is necessary. The accuracy of the information is the priority.”
Li Shen issued his instructions.
If he wanted revenge, he certainly had no opportunity to act through the court. His only advantage was the advanced knowledge and ideas of a modern man, while the Cui family was one of the great aristocratic clans.
Their businesses were no secret and should be easy enough to investigate. After that, he could decide what to do next. For now, Li Shen had no opportunity to establish a separate residence outside the palace.
Many things were inconvenient within the palace, and he was also severely lacking in influence and manpower. Li Shen felt that he ought to seek out several allies. Most of the court officials belonged to the great clans.
Only a small number of veteran retainers from the Prince of Qin’s former household had little connection with those clans and remained loyal to Li Shimin. His potential allies were therefore easy to identify: a handful of military dukes, along with the Chancellor and the Chief Ministers.
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