Empress Wu Zetian 1 E-Book

bo nangong

• Herausgeber: via tolino media
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

In the great dynasties of China there are many tales of corruption, espionage, and intrigue, but perhaps no tale is more intriguing than the rise of China’s first and only female Emperor, Wu Zetian (624-705) . In the hierarchies of Imperial China, there are many who call themselves empress, and there are many who held sway over their weak-minded emperor husbands, but only Wu Zetian reached the pinnacle when at the age of 65 she usurped her son and became the undisputed Empress of Tang Dynasty China. Empress Wu Zetian was the only female emperor in Chinese history, honored as the Holy and Divine Emperor of Wu Zhou （ 武周圣神皇帝） . Her original name was Wu Mei Niang, and she changed her name to Wu Zhao（ 武瞾） after ascending the throne. She entered the palace as a concubine of Emperor Taizong of Tang, but she had a close relationship with the future Emperor Gaozong, Li Chih. After Emperor Taizong's death, she entered the Gan Ye Temple and became a nun. The power struggle in the harem brought her back to the palace, where she successfully eliminated her rivals and was made Empress in 655. She participated in politics and was known as the "Two Saints" along with Emperor Gaozong. After Emperor Gaozong's death, she controlled the government. In 690, she ascended to the throne and proclaimed herself the Holy Emperor, changing Luoyang to the Divine Capital and the country's name to Zhou. This period is known as the Southern Zhou or Wu Zhou in history. This book starts its plot from the time when Wu Zetian was constrained in Gan Ye Temple after the former Emperor (Taizong) was deceased and how the new Emperor (Gaozong) brought her to the court again. Later, she gradually realized her dream of becoming the most powerful woman in the palace through bloody struggles and bold strategies. She had outstanding abilities in governing the country, but in the power struggle within the palace, she showed an extremely cruelty, being ruthless and killing innocent people. In order to clear obstacles and eliminate political enemies in the struggle for imperial power, she carried out bloody killings time and time again, not even sparing her own descendants.

Leseprobe

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.For permission requests, write to :[email protected]

EMPRESS WU ZETIAN 1

First edition. February 26, 2024.

Copyright © 2024 Nangong Bo.

ISBN: 979-8223749868

Written by Nangong Bo.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Table of Contents

Copyright Page

Empress Wu Zetian | Nangong Bo

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Further Reading: The Death of Yuli

About the Author

Empress Wu Zetian

Nangong Bo

––––––––

Great Wall Publishing

Chapter 1

The white snow covered the capital of the Tang Dynasty.

The peaceful New Year's Eve faded away on the snowy ground, and dawn breaks. The solemn bell chimes of the Zichen Palace announced this extraordinary dawn in the history of the Tang Dynasty.

People who stayed up all night breathed a long sigh and opened the windows to let the cold wind blow away the carbon air in the room. Then, they lit red candles to celebrate the first New Year's Day of the new emperor's reign - however, the people of the Tang Dynasty would never forget their former emperor. Emperor Taizong ruled for twenty-three years, turning turmoil into peace, and the people returned from exile to their homes. Since the Qin and Han dynasties, through the Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties, there has been a series of wars and no real peace and unity. However, Li Shimin (Taizong Emperor)created a grand unified nation. During the 23 years since he ascended the throne, the country flourished, and people thought he would live as long as his father did. Unexpectedly, after returning from the expedition to Goryeo (Koryo) in the 20th year of Zhen Guan era(646AD), Emperor Taizong was entangled by rheumatism and rapidly weakened. By the summer of the 23rd year of Zhen Guan era (649AD),  he fell ill and never recovered. This heroic emperor only lived to the age of fifty-three, which caused everyone to mourn and lament.

However, people still welcomed the first New Year of the new emperor with tearful smiles because Li Chih, the new emperor, was the beloved son of Emperor Taizong. Due to their affection for the late emperor, people hoped for the best for the new emperor.

The morning bell of Zichen Palace rang three times, followed by the bells of all the palaces and temples in Luoyang, the grand sound shaking the city covered in white snow.

Inside the Gan Ye Temple (Royal Consecrated Temple), Wu Mei Niang (Charming lady) stood alone on the corridor, gazing at the dawn sky and sighing in welcome of the New Year.

She was disturbed by the grand bell, and the dawn made her confused. Her heart was depressed, as if it was pressed by a boulder between her chest and abdomen. The north wind was blowing, and the cold air invaded her body from the cuffs and collar, making her feel a little chilly. However, the biting cold could not make her sober.

It had been half a year - since the late emperor's death, she had been living as a nun in this eerie Gan Ye Temple. The lonely and dreary days were difficult to bear. Perhaps if she had not experienced the bustling life outside, or had not experienced the revelry and excitement of the imperial palace, she would have resigned herself to growing old in the Gan Ye Temple. But she was a woman with some experiences. She entered the palace in the 11th year of Zhen Guan era (637AD) and became a lady-in- waiting of the late emperor. It has been thirteen years since then. She remembered that the year she entered the palace, she was only fourteen years old, and now she was twenty-six, and starting today was twenty-seven.

A woman's splendid years are limited, she sighed. The memories of the thirteen years in the palace slowly came back. After the late emperor's empress, Wen De, passed away, she was chosen to enter the Tang dynasty's court, serving an outstanding noble king in Chinese history. In her memory, this was a kind of glory. Although this wise emperor only cared about politics and military affairs and did not understand how to be gentle to women. But she still admired the late emperor, for she had learned a lot from him, both political knowledge and military skills. Sometimes they even talked about literature. She was proud in the palace because more than once the late emperor praised her intelligence and beauty during his lifetime.

She also remembered the day before her emperor's expedition to Goryeo, when he pulled her into his bed during a change of clothes.

"That was the only time in my thirteen years in the palace..." She cried out to the cold wind. "This is my entire life in the imperial palace!"

However, at this moment of resentment and disappointment, another figure appeared in her mind not just once. Indeed, in her past 26 years of life, she had been in contact with another man more than once, and this man was none other than Emperor Li Chih, who was then the Crown Prince.

Today was the first day of Emperor Li Chih's ascension to the throne and the establishment of his reign. However, his ascension has only fueled her hatred and disappointment - for half a year now, she has been expelled from the palace and become a nun at the Gan Ye Temple. According to court customs, this was a kind gesture towards her. If the previous empresses had remained in the palace, their lives would have been even more difficult. Nevertheless, her hatred and disappointment were not unfounded - during the past six months, she had not even seen Li Chih's face. When the late emperor was still alive, Li Chih had made a secret promise to her and they had sworn eternal love...

She and Li Chih first met in the spring of the twenty-first year of the Zhenguan era. Mei Niang was outside the Cuiwei Palace, gazing at the buds of a few flowers. Suddenly, she was embraced by someone. In her panic, she turned around and saw that it was the Crown Prince.

"Wu Cairen[1]," Prince Li Chih hugged her tightly, "I’ve been watching you for a few days. Among all the beauties around my father, you are the most beautiful."

"Please let go of your hand, Your Highness. The Emperor will punish you if he knows.Your Highness, I am serving the Emperor... "She pleaded anxiously."

"My father is ill, and besides, he wouldn't care about these matters. Good lady, let's go inside, follow me." The prince led her into the dressing room of the Cuiwei Palace.

This was the first time, and she was extremely nervous; however, the wise emperor didn't notice at all. Then, the second time came, and they were still in the dressing room of the Cuiwei Palace - the young prince kept speaking gentle words of love and making various vows.

But after Li Chih succeeded to the throne, she was abandoned like a worn-out shoe.

Abhorred, she suddenly whirled around, walked briskly back to the meditation room, and blew out a pair of red candles celebrating the new emperor's accession to the throne.

The candle went out, and the morning light flooded into the meditation abode like a tide. Her body was immersed in the pure white radiance of the snowy morning, and her life appeared strangely dim in this radiance, as if even her soul had turned pale.

Then she flung herself on the meditation bed and finally burst into tears.

After more than ten years in the Tang Palace, she learned perseverance and resilience from Emperor Taizong, never shedding a tear in the face of any difficulties or obstacles.

She remembered the former emperor saying, tears will not win people's sympathy, what tears bring is people's contempt.

However, she couldn't restrain herself at this moment. Living in Gan Ye Temple for a lifetime was not what she was willing to accept. In any case, she wanted to break free. She had no religious beliefs and she couldn't be calm and idle at all.

The bell rang several times and stopped, but when the sunlight shone on the snow, there was another bell ringing, and the sound of horse hooves was chaotic outside the Gan Ye Temple.

A vegetarian nun came in hopping, Mei Niang turned her head and asked what happened.

"The emperor held a banquet for the courtiers in the Zichen Palace, and the newly-selected Empress Wang also attended. Oh, the empress's gift of fasting has arrived and parked in front of the temple gate, how fast!"

The gift of fasting was to be welcomed, but when she thought that it was from the Empress of Li Chih, her heart grew cold; she waved her hand, indicating that she did not want to take.

Then, two vegetarian nuns came in and asked Wu Mei Niang to go and receive the imperial gift. She glanced at them disdainfully, suppressing her dissatisfaction and resentment. She got up from the meditation bed - thirteen years of palace education had taught her that certain superficial etiquette could not be neglected. Although she resented Li Chih's heartlessness and Empress Wang was her hidden rival, she reluctantly accepted the reality when she realized that a small act of impatience could disrupt a bigger plan. She went out and knelt down inside the gate of the Gan Ye Temple.

After a set of formulaic edicts were read out, she stood up in confusion, But at that moment, a hand grabbed her arm, and she looked up in surprise.

"Dokgoo Chi?" "She was pleasantly surprised, "Why are you hear?" She asked anxiously, and smiled naturally - Dokgoo Chi was originally an eunuch in the Eastern Palace. When Li Chih was the Crown Prince, the personal items or gifts exchanged between him and Mei Niang were passed on by Dokgoo Chi."

"Good day, Ms Wu!" Dokgoo smiled and with just these words, he gently pulled her inside until he entered the meditation room, then he took a white jade pendant out of his sleeve, held it with both hands, and handed it to her.

"Who? " she hesitantly took the jade pendant.

"Naturally, it is the Crown Prince, well, the present Emperor, I should say, " Dokgoo Chi said in a low voice, "His Majesty is sentimental about the past, and specially ordered me to supervise the gift of fasting and bring this jade pendant to you today, do you have any message to convey? Wu Cairen..."

"Me? What's the use for me?" she looked at the jade pendant. "A nun," she said, then smiled, "the Emperor's gift would make me sad. Please tell him, Dokgoo Chi, that in this lifetime, I have no more hopes sitting beside an oil lamp before the statue of Buddha. I wish the Emperor a lifetime of happiness..."

"The Emperor is always thinking of you," Dokgoo said softly, "In the past six months, General Changsun and Prime Minister Chu have been keeping such a close watch on the Emperor that His Majesty has no free time at all. Today, he officially ascended the throne. I think things will get better from now on. Wu Cairen, just wait. It won't be long. The Emperor thought of you today, which proves that His Majesty surely misses you more in ordinary days!"

"Well, thank you, I..." She turned around and took out a small bronze Buddha from beside the meditation couch. "This is what I hold when I sleep every day. Please present it to the emperor on my behalf. Dokgoo Chi, I have nothing to thank you for. In the future, if there comes a day..."

"Wu Cairen, I am nothing, take care of yourself, I must leave now."

Wu Mei Niang tightly grasped the jade pendant - this is the first message in half a year! Her dead hope was rekindled, and she saw the red candle that she had blown out.

"Light the candle!" She shouted loudly to the maid, "Long live the new emperor today..."

The Gan Ye Temple under the white snow revived with the flickering candlelight.

She believed that Li Chih would summon her into the palace. An emperor has the power to do so, and if the emperor truly loves a woman, the walls of the nunnery cannot confine his power.

So she smiled, believing that she would not die in the Temple, and she felt that life was meaningful in the palace, and her future would be more glorious than the present. She waited... Waiting for a glorious day to come.

The snow melted, spring arrived, and the willow trees in Luoyang city were lush green. However, the Gan Ye Temple was still isolated from the court, and Dokgoo Chi didn’t come again.

Mei Niang patiently waited, paying attention to all the news from the palace, using this information to analyze the reasons why the emperor no longer sent messengers to inquire. She believed that there must be a reason why the emperor no longer sent Dokgoo Chi.

During every night with gorgeous spring breeze, she wasted her time in worrying. Her life was completely isolated from the lives of the nuns and female Taoists in Luoyang. She knew that many noble nuns and female Taoists enjoyed themselves in the spring, and the princes of Luoyang frequently visited the nunnery and Taoist temples. However, she had no interest in pursuing these young men in Luoyang. She wanted to pursue the emperor, only the supreme power of the emperor could satisfy her. The young maids in the Gan Ye Temple looked at Mei Niang with strange eyes. They were afraid of Mei-niang's unpredictable changes and her stern face like autumn frost. They tried their best to endure, just like their master, not to provoke the frivolous young men in Luoyang.

With time passing, the Gan Ye Temple gradually faded from people's memory.

At the end of April in the first year of the Yonghui reign, spring was waning, and Mei-niang's heart was in a state of desolation. The front and back courtyards of the Gan Ye Temple were filled with fallen flowers. She had hoped to be as splendid as the spring flowers, but now she withered along with them.

On a sunny afternoon, she sat alone on a futon, practicing meditation and desire control. Suddenly, some mysterious sounds came into her ears from outside, making her unable to calm down. She collected herself and walked out of the Zen room.

The long corridor was quiet, and two vegetarian nuns were napping on the corridor. She walked into the backyard, stepping on fallen flowers, searching for the sound that made her tremble, and then she saw a person on the tree outside the backyard wall... ...

The man perching on the tree whistled rhythmically and made various gestures towards Mei-niang, which startled her. She was alone in the backyard, if he jumped in... This thought made her panic - it’s not like she didn’t need a man, however, she understood that as long as she took a wrong step, she would destroy her path back to the palace. Therefore, she felt that this was a dangerous moment. She thought about escaping, but as soon as she turned around, she immediately realized that she would be attacked if she tried to escape. So, she stood still and calmly watched the man on the tree.

The man made a funny face at her and gestured for her to open the door. She nodded slightly and gestured for him to come down. But as soon as the man climbed down the tree, she rushed inside and told the nuns who did rough work to bring a stick and follow her.

Her wit saved her from being attacked. However, the queer whistle of that stranger also disturbed her. From that day on, some fleeting feelings began to wander in her heart. Although spring had passed, she was still filled with springtime emotions.

It was another sunny afternoon, and she was directing the workers in the backyard to cut down the big tree beyond the door. Suddenly, something happened in the front when Mei Niang heard the noise and hurriedly took four maidservants to the scene.

The side door of Gan Ye Temple was open, and the gatekeeper desperately refused two men from entering. Mei Niang could see from a distance that one of the them was Dokgoo Chi.

"Make way, this is a lord from the inner court!" Mei Niang quickly stopped the nuns.

At this moment, another man came out from outside the door. He was wearing a cloak and covering his face, but she recognized him at a glance. He was the current emperor.

She quickly prostrated herself. Dokgoo Chi quickly stepped forward, blocking her, and said in a low voice,

"Don't make a sound, the emperor is on a secret visit..."

She hesitated for a moment, and finally bowed down again. Although the emperor did not want to make a fuss, she also did not want to receive a man with an ambiguous identity in her environment. She was a woman with an undetermined status. She needs to assert herself in order to make clear her relationship with the emperor. So she kneels down and loudly shouts "Long live the emperor".

The emperor gently removed his robe and greedily looked at her. At this moment, she had already stood up, gazing at her former lover with affection and a hint of resentment. Immediately, she lowered her head and softly said,

"I had no idea, I didn't pick you up, it's a capital offense..."

The emperor did not answer, gesturing for the two eunuchs who were accompanying him to close the door. Mei Niang also lightly stepped back and walked into the Zen room.

The paper window was closed, and Mei Niang sprinkled a handful of incense inside the stove. Then she spun around and rushed towards the Emperor of Tang like a raging wind and rain, kneeling at his feet.

"Mei Niang, Mei Niang! " the emperor stroked her back, "I'm finally here! "

She rubbed her whole upper body on his knee and answered him with an intimacy that was almost like a sob. Then the young emperor, who visited the nunnery privately, felt as uncomfortable as if he were on fire, and he roughly picked her up and hugged her tightly. Then she exclaimed in a suffocating tone,

"Don't do this, don't do this, your majesty, you are the emperor now, you can't ..." She struggled at the same time, and in her struggle, she cried out, "Ah Chih, don't ... "

The intimate name Ah Chih represents a past love. Now, no one in the country can call him that anymore, but Wu Mei Niang blurted it out. This is history! This is evidence left over from a secret meeting in history. The past has returned, and he is lost in memories, thinking of the first embrace, the first kiss... ...

"Mei Niang, I cannot come freely, I have been wanting to find you..."

"For such a long time, it makes one old to wait. " She turned her head and leaned her cheek against his jaw. Suddenly, she twisted her body and pressed her head against his chest. "Ah Chih, you shouldn't have come here. If someone finds out, it would be terrible!"

"Now, don't be afraid, I am the emperor..." Li Chih pulled her head hard, "no one can interfere with our actions! "

"I know, but the assistant minister will make trouble, and it's not good, for you, the virtue of an emperor..." Her voice was full of pain, and some grand words were accompanied by hungry actions. Hidden in her heart was a surging ambition. So, in the torment of ambition, she finally trembled and cried out, "Ah Chih, I am willing to die when I see you. I’ve been waiting for you for a year, such a long time..."

The hunger of a woman is like the urgent tune of a pipa. Li Chih's breathing became rapid, and finally, like a hungry beast, he bent down, sniffed her, kissed her, and pulled at her clothes.

"No, no!" She uttered a heavy sound like a muffled thunder, but her body went limp, without any resistance left.

In this moment of raging lust, her hat fell off, revealing her bald head. She tried to cover it up by flipping over, but it was too late. This unexpected incident made her cry sadly - she hated her bald head, it was the most shameful thing!

A woman, with beautiful hair as the main embellishment, is undoubtedly ugly without hair.

"Mei Niang, let your hair grow, you are mine, you will be mine from now on!"

"Ah Chih, Ah Chih..." Mei Niang murmured softly, "Do you still want me? Really? Ah Chih, in this past year, I've had many nightmares. I dreamt that you ignored me, I dreamt that you chased me away, Ah Chih, I..." She started crying again.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and his surging emotions were washed away by her tears, transforming desire into tender affection. He whispered in her ear,

"Mei Niang, don't worry, I will never forget you. At that time, I arranged for you to become a nun so that others wouldn't gossip. Now, if you enter the palace again, you will no longer have any connection with the former emperor!"

"Your Majesty," she nestled against his arm, "I’ll grow out my hair... Um, I'm scared, Ah Chih, I'm scared! "”

"There is nothing to be afraid of. Now, like my late father, I am the supreme power. There is nothing to fear. When you grow your hair long, we can be together day and night in the palace." He said calmly, gently stroking her mouth and nose, and caressing her tear-stained cheeks."

She closed her eyes, as if tired, and her body melted into the emperor's, reigniting the desire that had momentarily waned.

Just at this moment, Dokgoo coughed lightly outside the Zen room, and then made a sound of salutation with the tip of his foot.

"Your Majesty, the time has come..."

Li Chih had not yet answered, but Mei Niang woke up as if from a dream and hugged the emperor with all her strength! Her eyes emitted a strange light, seemingly resentful, seemingly pleading, seemingly in love, and yet seemingly hungry and thirsty. She refused to let go of her hands.

"Mei Niang, I will come back."

She stood up in a slight trembling state, tidying up the emperor's clothes; then, she turned around, facing the bronze mirror, wiping away the tears on her cheeks, and put on a Dharma robe, bowing her head to see the emperor off.

Li Chih remained silent and could not speak his mind in front of the eunuch. She walked to the door and knelt down as usual until the sound of horse hooves faded away before standing up.

The Gan Ye Temple was the same as usual, but in her eyes, the impression completely changed. She stared blankly at the gate, meditating on returning to the magnificent palace - where there was supreme power and all prosperity and glory.

Returning to the Zen room, she gazed at herself in the mirror and appreciated her beauty, even though she had shaved her head. She thought to herself, "In six months, my hair will be back to how it used to be."

However, the wait for hair growth was long, and a month later, although her bald head was covered with black hair, those short hairs were not aesthetically pleasing. She dislikes her short hair and wraps it up with a silk scarf all day, not even wanting to see it herself.

Every seven or eight days, Dokgoo would come and bring some precious gifts as the affectionate emperor always asked him to. Mei Niang secretly worried - she needed money! Since she started growing her hair, the funds of the Gan Ye Temple were no longer enough for her expenses. When the eunuchs from the palace came, she had to give them generous rewards every time. She knew that these eunuchs had no ability to accomplish anything, but a single word from them could ruin a country. She understood this. In just three short months, she had already spent over a hundred thousand taels of silver on rewards. Moreover, her own expenses had increased due to growing her hair.

She pays attention to beauty and takes pearl powder every morning and evening. According to ancient traditions, taking pearl powder can prevent skin aging. Long-term consumption of pearl powder will keep the skin moisturized and smooth like a young girl.

She purchased a small white jade grinder and watched the vegetarian nuns grind the round pearls into powder. Although there were also pearl powders for sale in Luoyang City, they were not made from high-quality pearls and had limited effectiveness. She believed in herself and dismantled all the pearl flowers she had obtained from the palace before.

In addition, she applied a plant oil produced in the Southern China on her body, which would enhance the delicacy of her skin. For the future, she did everything she could to make herself beautiful - Li Chih was younger than her, and women usually age faster than men. She understood that if she couldn't stay young, her future would be bleak, and she never forgot the theory of fading beauty and declining love.

In autumn, Li Chih came secretly again, but the time was short. When they shared some parting feelings, Dokgoo Chi came to urge them again.

However, one day after these two brief encounters, she unexpectedly felt a sense of joy - the distance between her and the emperor was gradually getting closer.

She was lying quietly on the meditation bed, applying oil to her body and gently massaging her thighs to prevent muscle relaxation. Suddenly, she heard the gate of the temple open, and a nun hurriedly came in to report, "The Emperor is here again..."

"Again to-day!" She pulled a scarf and wiped off the oil on her legs. Just as she was about to get dressed, Li Chih came in with a smile. She was startled and quickly covered her exposed body with the coat in her hand.

"Here I am again."Li Chih smiled heartily, but his laughter was suppressed immediately when he saw her feet protruding from the long clothes that covered her." Suddenly, he was like a hungry wolf who had found a rabbit. He tiptoed and quickly walked to the edge of the bed, grabbing her feet with both hands."

She let out a sharp scream, followed by continuous laughter, shouting that it was itchy. He refused to let go, her feet kicked suddenly, finally breaking free from his grasp.

"As soon as you came, you provoked me..." She glared at him, curling her feet into her clothes.

He smiled proudly and leaned close to her ear, "The first time I saw you barefoot, ah, your feet are so beautifully shaped, let me take another look..."

"No!" "She shyly lowered her head, blushing, "The emperor looks at a woman's feet..."

"Why can't the emperor see the feet? My grandfather and father did not establish such a rule!"

"I won't..."she bent down, clasping her hands tightly around her shins, "I won't!"

"I want it!" He held her hand tightly and lifted it up, finally catching her bare feet. He admired her round ankles and the delicate organization of her toes. He leaned closer, resting his cheek against her calf, and slowly and rhythmically rubbed it. She gasped, but she didn't struggle. Then, his hot lips pressed against the top of her foot, and she screamed as her long coat fell off.

Hearing her scream, the emperor happened to look up and saw a wonderful view - the emperor's body seemed to rise like a ball and then fall down...

She was knocked down by a sudden hit, and her underwear turned into pieces of cloth in an instant. The old dream in the dressing room of Cuiwei Palace was revisited, and the autumn of Gan Ye Temple was filled with spring breeze in the Zen room. A pair of former lovers laughed on the meditation bed, and the current desire and the emotions of memories were combined together.

A long time later, the former emperor's woman sighed deeply and held her old lover's head in her hands.

"You're so strange, suddenly, um, just like a bird flying from the sky, I was changing clothes! How did you come here? Did you jump over the wall to come in? "

"I know you're changing clothes, rushing out of the palace walls, here I come!" Li Chih chuckled and said, "You never thought I would come today, did you?"

"I think about it every day, but maybe I think about it too little." Wu Mei Niang sighed softly, "I know that the emperor is busy, so I can only keep my desires in my heart."

"It's really inconvenient to come out even when I'm not busy. Dugu's point is valid. If there are any troubles, it will be even more difficult to come and go in the future. However, I couldn't help it today. Even if there are troubles, let it be."

"This is not good," she frowned slightly, "If we continue like this, if I were to get pregnant, it would only add more problems, don't you think?"

"So what? Go to the palace immediately!" Li Chih pointed at the pale red silk scarf on her head, "How much hair have you grown? Let me have a look too!"

"Look, it only grew a little over two inches in the whole summer. Ah, it will make me wait until I'm old!"

"Take your time, in another seven or eight months, it will be ready, and I will come often." Li Chih said gently, "After the New Year, I believe it will have grown another foot."

"A foot, a woman's hair is only a foot long, how ugly!" She said sternly, "When cutting, it only takes one stroke, but growing it out is so difficult."

"Let me have a look!" He reached out to remove her headscarf.

"No, I don't want to show you - honestly, even I don't want to see it."

"We have long days ahead, what does a year or two matter!" He said leisurely, "I will come to see you as much as I can. "

"Now, you need to go back." Mei Niang held onto him and didn't let go. "Next time when you come, please give me a message first, don't make me too embarrassed."

He chuckled and greedily glanced at the laid-out jade bodies for a few moments before getting up.

"Why didn't Dokgoo come to urge you today?" She grabbed his robe bottom.

"I ordered that whoever dares to rush me again, their heads will be chopped off!" The young emperor said proudly.

The meeting on this day gave her an impression, the Emperor's feelings can be grasped. Now, her thoughts focused on how to fight for time, to delay it, and there might be changes. And to fight for time, she had to make her hair grow quickly. She pondered over this issue day and night, and finally, she thought of a wig - many women in the palace had used wigs to enhance their beauty. Previously, she did not have this need, but now, wigs were crucial to her fate. Obtaining a wig was not difficult for her. In those days, she kept her own black hair, which she had cut off, in a brocade box under her bed. Now, at the thought of it, she took it out immediately, combed it gently with a comb, rubbed some fragrant oil on it, and then took off her headscarf, wanting to use a hairnet to gather up the wig. However, her real hair was too short, so short that it couldn't even connect to the wig.

She angrily threw a bunch of hair on the meditation bed, and then, after a while of distress, she tidied up her wig and started doing her daily fitness exercises.

Chapter 2

Time flies, and it’s the end of the year again - Li Chih has been on the throne for almost a year, but from autumn to winter, the Emperor has not come to the Gan Ye Temple again. The Zen room was once filled with a spring breeze, but afterwards it became silent like still water. Mei Niang was puzzled and worried. Although there were often secret messengers coming from the palace, material rewards and casual greetings could not satisfy her. Her goal was to enter the palace and gain a high position. Gifts meant nothing to her future life! However, in order to maintain her dignity, she never asked about the Emperor through the messengers from the inner court. Perhaps it was because Dokgoo Chi did not come, and the absence of Dokgoo Chi was also the core of her suspicion. A series of "whys" lingered in her mind.

Her hair has grown long enough to wear a wig, but what’s the use if the Emperor doesn't come? She wore a wig and admired herself in the bronze mirror, and sometimes, she also shed a few sour tears of life bitterness in front of the mirror.

She thought she was the most suitable to live inside the palace because she knew everything about the court. When the previous Emperor was alive, she learned a lot and was confident that she could become the best Empress. She was also confident that if she assisted the Emperor, she could smoothly rule the country and govern the world.

However, she did not have the opportunity to enter the palace.

She expected and resented, but she had immense patience and never let anyone see that she was expecting and that she had complaints.

One snowy day, there was suddenly the sound of carriages and horses at Gan Ye Temple.

The Zen room was quiet. When the first horse stopped in front of the Gan Ye Temple, she heard it, and then she heard the sound of the vehicle chewing on the snow.

"It's him, it must be!" Finally, she jumped up, reached out and touched her head with a wig. So, she quickly sprinkled some incense in the stove, instructed the nun to guard the door, and went straight to the dressing room.

The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty walked slowly, his imperial robe swaying. As he entered the Zen room, he was surprised to find it empty. He looked at the two kneeling nuns who greeted him, but did not ask any questions.

The door to the dressing room suddenly pulled open, and a lustily dressed young woman gazed up at him.

"You - aha, it's you!" He exclaimed, "It's you, you’ve changed your clothes!"

"Do you recognize?" She smiled charmingly, "I saw the carriage from afar, so I rushed in to change clothes and wanted to receive you. Alas, I was still a step behind!"

"Did you see me coming?"

"Yes." she continued to weave lies, "I spend several hours every day waiting for you, and I believe that one day I will be able to see your majesty, right?"

Lies can often move people. He believed it to be true and anxiously held her hand, "Are you standing in the snow with such heavy snowfall? Ah, your hand is so cold! "

She nodded and slowly leaned her body towards the Emperor, finally resting her head on his shoulder. So, the Emperor embraced her with one arm.

He was enjoying the embrace and didn't pay attention to her hair; so she deliberately twisted her body and brushed her long hair onto his hand. He noticed it and exclaimed with delight, "Mei Niang, your hair!"

"Ah Chih," she still called the Emperor by his intimate name, then she wrapped her arms around his neck, "I can't wait, Ah Chih. Every time I close my eyes, I see you..." Her voice trembled, "I really hate it. If you weren't the Emperor, we would have been together a long time ago. Ah Chih, on those rainy days and windy days, I stood and looked through the crack in the door, hoping to see you, even if it's just for a moment! But you never come, I can't see you. Ah Chih, think about it, if I can't see you anymore, my heart will break!”

The Emperor's emotions rippled like a fish caught in her net.

"Ah Chih, why? It's been so long, and even Dokgoo Chi is not coming?" She said with a touch of sadness and a hint of complaint, "Are you busy?"

"Mei Niang," he whispered against her cheek, "those assistant ministers have been pestering me too much. They are around me every day and I can't get rid of them. Mei Niang, that Dokgoo Chi, he's dead - I don't even have a trustworthy person to pass on messages. It was only a few days ago that I found a reliable person, Dokgoo Chung, the younger brother of Dokgoo Chi. "

"Is that so? I'm so worried." She breathed a sigh of relief, let go of her hand, and let the Emperor sit down. Then, she saw clearly that the Emperor was wearing a ritual robe. "You came to the temple dressed so neatly, but no one interfered with you?"

"No," said Li Chih with a wry smile, "today I went to worship heaven, and when I came back, I asked to be transferred here."

"What a sin! You worship the heavens but end up coming here!" She pursed her lips and smiled, and this smile, in the eyes of the young Emperor, seemed to be like a trembling flower branch, with a charming demeanor.

"You are my heaven too!" He cupped her cheeks with both hands.

Wu Mei Niang turned her head and rested on the Emperor's shoulder. He stroked her hair gently with passions burning like coals in a furnace, and suddenly he pushed her and jumped, and she looked at him in bewilderment.

"Mei Niang," he cried, waving his hand, "there is a carriage today, you come with me to the palace!"

"Now?" She was so shocked and could hardly believe it was true. She longed to enter the palace, but when the announcement suddenly came, she became at a loss.

"It's true, naturally!" He pointed at her hair and laughed, "No need to wait any longer!"

"Ah Chih," She had a half-smile, was startled for a while, and said nervously, "I don't know what to do, I'll go pack my things..."

The Emperor grabbed her arm, stopping her from doing trivial work, and said with a smile,

"Let them tidy up these things for you. I will leave two chamberlains here to guard. Let's go first!"

"Ah..." Wu Mei Niang was almost dizzy. She leaned against his shoulder and said in a grateful and excited tone, "I have to bring some things of my own!" As she spoke, she turned around and walked away, but at this moment, her mood was like a tight string in a hurry, in chaos, not knowing what to pick up. She walked in circles and only packed a few undergarments and pearl powder.

"Go ahead, choose whatever you like from the palace!" Excitedly, Li Chih pulled her and hurriedly walked out of the Zen room.

The chamberlains lined up, bowing their heads and making way for them. Outside the door, there was a long line of about seventy to eighty horses - under this imposing scene, she suddenly felt weak and struggled to breathe, while the young Emperor smiled proudly.

The golden drum did not sing, the horn did not sound, and the team marched in silence. Wu Mei Niang held the crossbar on the carriage, as if in a dream.

From time to time she peeped at the Emperor beside him, and he sat with great vigor and calm. She recalled the scene when Li Chih was the crown prince, at that time, he was not as quiet as he is now. So she put a hand on his lap, and the Emperor immediately pinched her hand. However, at this moment, the Emperor had concerns. He personally brought in the concubine of the former Emperor. If he were to encounter the assistant ministers at the Meridian Gate, he would undoubtedly be dissuaded. If Mei Niang were to be dragged down, how could he face himself? This worry diminished his joy and gradually furrowed his brow.

The Meridian Gate was getting closer, the golden drum of the front team sounded, and the Emperor saw the people waiting for him, led by the assistant ministers Changsun Wuchi and Chu Suiliang, he said in a low voice,

"We're in trouble, I didn't think of it just now, Mei Niang, but it looks like they'll stop us. "

Wu Mei Niang looked out of the gap between the curtains of the car, secretly frightened, but in an instant, she calmed down. She understood that the Emperor was the highest power, and if he decided to do something, who could stop him? She watched Li Chih, encouraging him with her eyes.

"What should we do?" Li Chih asked feebly.

She had a feeling, the current Emperor is much less capable than the previous one. Emperor Taizong remained calm amidst thousands of troops and the brink of life and death, while this one is troubled by a woman's problem. She sighed inwardly and whispered,

"You can deliver the decree to the chamberlain that the Emperor is getting a cold and the imperial carriage will go straight to the inner court. Everyone is exempt from attending the court."

"Yeah!" He laughed, "Mei Niang, how could I not think of it!"

So, the imperial carriage entered Anfu Gate amidst the sound of cheers.

Entering the palace gate, the young Emperor became lively. He pushed aside the curtain of the carriage, stuck his head out, and cheerfully ordered the coachman to drive the carriage to the Cuiwei Palace.

"Cuiwei Palace..."Mei Niang half-closed her eyes and murmured, "This is our... "

"It's our old place, um, now you're back again, Mei Niang, you can temporarily stay here."

There were about ten chamberlains waiting on the stone steps of the Cuiwei Palace.

---ENDE DER LESEPROBE---