Chapter Seventy-Four: The Night Banquet (Part Three)

Although Li Xian’s conviction that Empress Wu would make her move during the night banquet was merely a conjecture without concrete evidence, it was by no means an unfounded guess. The reasoning was simple enough: it was certain that Empress Wu wished to eliminate Helan Minyue, her rival in the imperial harem; the only question was when and how she would act. Given the current circumstances, the palace was hardly the ideal place to strike. Helan Minyue was often at the emperor’s side, and the slightest misstep could betray the plot. With Empress Wu’s shrewdness, she would never risk such exposure. However, the upcoming night banquet offered her a golden opportunity to act—she wouldn’t even need to find a scapegoat, for Wu Weiliang and Wu Huaiyun, those two brothers, were convenient candidates. As for the method, there was only one—poison.

Though poisoning was a common tactic, it was highly effective. This night banquet was a family affair; by tradition, attendees would be seated according to their rank. No matter how the seats were arranged, Helan Minyue could not share a table with Gaozong and would instead sit with her mother, Lady of Korea. Thus, if something were done to a single dish, both mother and daughter could be eliminated at once, leaving the others unharmed. Clearly, this was far more efficient—and less conspicuous—than sending an assassin. If Empress Wu were to act at all, poisoning was undoubtedly her method of choice.

It was a well-worn strategy, nothing novel about it. With Li Xian’s intelligence, he could deduce this with little effort. Yet, benefiting from it was another matter altogether. For Li Xian, the best outcome would be Lady of Korea’s death and Helan Minyue’s survival, using the ensuing chaos to eradicate both the elder and younger Wu brothers, thereby cutting off Empress Wu’s future plans to promote her clan and leaving her with a vengeful rival in the harem. The idea was tempting, but the possibility of realizing it was slim. The crux of the matter was that Li Xian had no way of knowing which dish Empress Wu would target, nor which agent she would employ. Without this intelligence, any plan was precarious. However much Li Xian calculated and pondered, he still could not devise a satisfactory solution.

“Seventh brother, just what is your plan? Do tell us plainly!” Seeing that Li Xian had been silent for quite some time without offering a clear answer, Li Xian’s elder brother Li Xian grew impatient, waving his hand angrily and pressing him for a response.

“Sixth brother, this is a grave matter. I have no firm plan, and can only adapt as things unfold.” Realizing his brother’s agitation, Li Xian could only reply with a wry smile, feeling helpless.

“Adapt as things unfold? That’s it?” Li Xian was taken aback to find that after all this time, Li Xian had not come up with a definite plan. His eyes widened, as if he would explode, but in the end he restrained himself, flinging his sleeves and pacing back and forth in agitation before sitting down, sullen and silent. It was no wonder Li Xian was angry. Li Xian had earlier described matters so vividly, as if he had everything in hand, so Li Xian had expected his brother to offer some clever strategy. Instead, after all this time, he produced only such a tepid response, leaving Li Xian’s hopes dashed—how could he not be furious?

“Sixth brother, this is a matter of utmost importance. When we attend the banquet tomorrow, we must be on our guard. We should be wary of any scheming, and it would be wise not to forget silver needles and such tools.” Though Li Xian himself was as frustrated as his brother at failing to find a way to profit from the situation, safety had to take precedence. Forcing himself to be composed, he offered this reminder.

“Very well, I understand.” Li Xian responded gloomily, though whether he truly took it to heart was unclear.

“Sixth brother, should things unfold as I have predicted, we must be cautious. Yet there is one thing we can do without hesitation.” Li Xian, after further thought, could still not find a way to turn the situation to his advantage, and so he resigned himself to going with the flow.

“Oh? What is it?” Li Xian’s curiosity was piqued by his brother’s words.

“If the Helan mother and daughter perish, the two Wu brothers will surely follow. If their line is to be cut off, it must be done swiftly!” Li Xian said coldly, gritting his teeth.

“Why is that?” Li Xian stared at him, baffled, unable to fathom why his brother would advocate such ruthless completeness.

Why? Naturally, it was to prevent Empress Wu from one day bringing the Wu clan into power. But this reason could not be spoken aloud, for Li Xian would never believe it. After all, the Wu brothers’ demise would be Empress Wu’s doing—surely, by all reason, their kin would never serve the woman who murdered their fathers. Yet in Empress Wu’s hands, reason meant nothing. In his previous life, the Wu clan had fought tooth and nail to serve their father’s killer with unwavering loyalty. For those faithless men, so long as the rewards were great enough, there was nothing they would not betray.

“If you save a man, save him completely; if you strike a snake, strike it dead. Do not raise a tiger to become a threat.” Unable to explain his true reasoning, Li Xian could only reply in these terse terms.

“Hm.” Li Xian clearly did not agree. To his mind, the Wu clan were nothing but ants, unworthy of such attention; this seemed to him a case of making a mountain out of a molehill. But for his brother’s sake, he refrained from arguing, merely grunting noncommittally.

“There’s no need to worry, brother. I will handle everything, but should I need help, I hope you will lend a hand.” Li Xian could not afford to be complacent, having suffered so much in his past life. Seeing Li Xian’s lack of interest, he did not press the point, but simply explained calmly.

“Very well. Since you insist, I will assist you as needed.” Though reluctant, Li Xian could do nothing but agree.

“Good, it’s settled then. Brother, come—our game is not yet finished; let us see it through to the end. It’s your move.” With his brother’s support, Li Xian felt much more confident about eradicating the Wu clan. He laughed heartily, steering the conversation back to their game of chess.

“Ah, you are relentless, brother. Very well, I shall accompany you to the end.” Li Xian smiled, his words carrying a double meaning, as he picked up a piece and placed it on the board.

On the nineteenth day of the first month of the first year of Qianfeng, the snow had just cleared. Though the wind was not strong, the cold was biting. The New Year’s celebrations had faded, leaving the city of Tai’an with a trace of desolation. Yet three li south of the city, the Gong family estate was bustling with activity—cries and shouts filled the air, lanterns and silk flowers adorned every corner, and the atmosphere was one of festivity. In the front hall, a middle-aged official in the attire of a fourth-rank civil servant stood directing the servants as they arranged the lanterns and decorations, busily overseeing every detail. This was none other than Wu Weiliang, the governor of Shizhou and Empress Wu’s cousin.

Wu Weiliang was the eldest son of Wu Shiran, Empress Wu’s uncle, and four years her senior. Though closely related, their relationship was far from harmonious. Since Empress Wu had become empress, she had rewarded the Wu brothers with official posts and the governorship of Zhongzhou, but had never allowed them into the capital or shown them particular favor—coldness would not be an exaggeration. Wu Weiliang, knowing he had previously offended Empress Wu, was constantly anxious, fearing retribution. Suddenly, for the great Fengshan ceremony, he received an imperial summons from Empress Wu inviting him to participate. She had even arranged for him to rent an estate and sent several rewards. Overwhelmed by such favor, Wu Weiliang resolved to win her approval, which led him to host a family banquet inviting the emperor and others. His true intent was to test the waters, not truly expecting the emperor and empress to attend. Yet to his astonishment, his memorial was approved and word came from the palace that the imperial entourage would indeed arrive. This news left Wu Weiliang ecstatic; he roused his entire household to action, working day and night for two days until everything was ready. Yet, at the last moment, one of the lanterns in the banquet hall broke, leaving Wu Weiliang seething with frustration. But with dusk approaching, he could only hasten the servants to replace it.

“Father, Father, they’re here, they’re here!”

Just as Wu Weiliang was embroiled in his frantic preparations, Wu Youning came running, breathless, calling out at the top of his voice.

“What? Heavens, they’re so early! Quick, fetch your uncle and prepare to receive the imperial entourage!” Wu Weiliang, seeing his son in such a state, was flustered, stamping his foot in agitation and rushing outside.

“Father, not the emperor—it’s Prince Lu and Prince Zhou who have arrived first.” Wu Youning, realizing his father had misunderstood, hastily corrected him.

“You little rascal, can you not say everything in one breath? Damn it, go, fetch your uncle at once!” Relieved it was not the emperor, Wu Weiliang gave Wu Youning a slap, scolding him in irritation.

“Yes, at once, Father!” Rubbing his stinging face, Wu Youning dared not complain and hurried off to the rear courtyard...