Chapter 31: Li Zhi, Don’t Be a Coward!

Chapter 31: Li Zhi, Don’t Be a Coward!

Empress Wu held her head high. She had reached the end of her rope; the arrival of Li Shimin and Li Zhi meant her legitimacy had collapsed entirely. Their ability to appear here proved that they had gained absolute control over the palace. She did not know Li Shimin well, but she knew Li Zhi too perfectly—he would not be standing here unless he was entirely certain of his victory.

Gone was her initial terror. She fixed a ruthless gaze upon Li Shimin, laughing coldly like a night owl: "I only regret that I could not purge every last one of the Li clan."

Li Qing stopped Li Shimin from speaking. He looked at Wu Zetian and said, "Regardless, you were once my niece-in-law. I can offer you a chance to depart with dignity."

"Heh." The Empress merely offered a cold sneer.

"I ask you this on behalf of Li Xian," Li Qing said, taking a deep breath. "When you ordered his execution, did you feel even a moment of hesitation?"

"They are my own kin; what has that to do with you?" Empress Wu replied, using a classic allusion to state her position. The reference was to the *New Account of Tales of the World*, where Shi Chong would have his servants kill the beauties who failed to persuade guests to drink at his banquets. When Wang Dun refused to drink, he remained unmoved even as three women were executed, dismissing the carnage with the same cold indifference. It was a dual message: a warning for Li Qing not to meddle, and a declaration that, in her eyes, Li Xian was as disposable as a servant.

Upon hearing this, Li Xian, who had been playing dead, twitched his fingers. But no one noticed the poor boy.

"The tiger is the lord of all beasts, none dare provoke its wrath. Only in the bond of parent and child, does one look back with every step..." Li Qing leaned on Li Shimin’s shoulder and recited softly.

"Only in the bond of parent and child, does one look back with every step..." Li Shimin, reminded of his own deep affection for his children, looked at the Empress with utter disgust. "Even a tiger does not devour its own cubs, yet you are so vicious!"

He drew a sword and threw it at Li Zhi’s feet. "Go! Cut this poisonous woman down!"

Shangguan Wan'er’s face went pale. She knelt in a rush: "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager has often mourned in private since issuing the decree. If it were not for the stability of the court, she would never have resorted to such a desperate measure..."

"You servant girl, you are certainly loyal," Li Qing said with a cold laugh, nudging her arm with his foot. "Do you know that this Empress you plead for was the mastermind behind framing your father, Shangguan Tingzhi, and your grandfather, Shangguan Yi? Your entire family was destroyed because of her."

"What? That is impossible!" Shangguan Wan'er looked up, her expression one of utter disbelief.

"Believe it or not, go ask your mother, Madam Zheng." Li Qing leaned down, patted her porcelain-like cheek, and smiled. "Loyalty is a fine trait. I like loyal people. I will give you a chance to follow me."

Shangguan Wan'er, being sharp-witted, immediately replied, "Wan'er is willing to follow..."

"This is the Prince of Qin of our Great Tang," Li Shimin reminded her, realizing she did not know Li Qing’s identity.

"Wan'er is willing to follow the Prince of Qin and serve at his side."

"Fine, go ask your mother about the past, then come back to me." Li Qing turned to Li Zhi. "Zhinu, what are you dawdling for? Did you not hear your father?"

Li Zhi picked up the long sword, his hands trembling. In truth, even though he detested the Empress, he had not truly wanted to kill her.

"Bring him in!" Li Qing shouted toward the entrance.

Guards soon dragged in a man with short, cropped hair. "Do you know who this is?" Li Qing asked Li Zhi with a smile.

Li Zhi shook his head.

"This is your wife’s paramour, Xue Huaiyi." Li Qing looked at Xue Huaiyi’s deathly pale face and clicked his tongue at the Empress. "So, you fancy such pretty boys? Your taste leaves much to be desired..."

Xue Huaiyi begged for his life, claiming repeatedly that Empress Wu had forced him.

"Oh, and Zhinu, later on, she will have a pair of brothers named Zhang Changzong and Zhang Yizhi as boy toys, and she even created an agency specifically to scout handsome young men for her."

With every word from Li Qing, Li Zhi’s face grew redder with rage.

"And, your son Li Dan even changed his surname to Wu, becoming Wu Dan..."

"You don't realize what that means, do you? Surely not? Surely not?"

"What?!" Li Zhi finally broke. He could tolerate his wife taking lovers after his death—the Tang was open-minded, and he didn't care much for chastity—but forcing his son to change his surname touched his deepest taboo. Only a man marrying into a family would let his son take his wife's name. For an Emperor, this was the ultimate humiliation. He could already imagine how future generations would nail him to the pillar of shame.

"Aaaaaah!" With a heart-rending roar, Li Zhi swung the sword, plunging it into Empress Wu’s chest. Blood sprayed onto him, and he collapsed to the ground, spent.

The court officials exchanged glances, secretly cheering, save for the Empress’s faction, who looked as though they had lost their parents.

Seeing Li Zhi’s state, Li Shimin made a mental note to deal with him once the officials dispersed. When the eunuchs entered, Li Zhi suddenly stood up and commanded, "Drag her away. Bury her with the rites of a commoner."

Once the eunuchs left, Li Qing glanced at Li Xian, who was still lying on the floor. "They’re gone. Stop pretending."

Li Xian woke with a start and knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Brother, this..." Li Shimin looked shocked. "Was he not dead?"

"He had a breath left, just in time," Li Qing said with a smile. "Before we left, I fed him an antidote and told him to play dead. Look..."

Li Zhi, initially stunned, dropped the sword and let out a sigh of relief. He stepped forward and pulled the weeping Li Xian into an embrace.

"Father, Mother didn't want me anymore..." Li Xian wailed. "For the sake of power, she actually went so far as to kill me..."

"It is over now," Li Zhi said, stroking the back of his son’s head. "You still have your father, your Imperial Grandfather, and your Great-Uncle here."

Li Xian wiped his tears, turned, and knelt. "Grandson Li Xian pays respects to Imperial Grandfather and Great-Uncle. Thank you, Great-Uncle, for saving my life!"

"No need for empty words," Li Shimin said solemnly. "Since your Great-Uncle says you are a capable man and well-regarded in court, you shall take the throne."

"With Imperial Grandfather and Father here, how could I dare?" Li Xian politely refused.

"Silly child!" Li Shimin laughed. "We will return to the sixth year of Yonghui and the eleventh year of Zhenguan sooner or later. What will become of this first year of Chongsheng then?"