Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Ruthless Old Lady

Page (1/3)

Wu Ningxin said, “This won’t do. Every time there’s a problem, you come running to me. Keep it up and you’ll end up becoming mine, won’t you?”

Logically, I’m the protagonist, right? Shouldn’t it be that when I shake my mighty frame, you all rush to solve my problems? How did it turn around like this? I’ve become the firefighter, running errands for you every day?

I decided right then and there that no matter what Taiping asks for help with, I won’t be so invested anymore.

If this woman gets used to relying on me, makes a habit of coming to Wu Ning for every little thing, even if I don’t want to get involved, I won’t be able to escape.

...

Meanwhile, Taiping, seeing Wu Ning silent, leaned against the corridor lazily and spoke.

“The Empress Dowager sent word through Zhou Xing, saying that I, as her daughter, should pay more attention to the Li and Wu families, to mediate between them. But my nature has always been indifferent; I have no close ties with anyone. Suddenly being made to step forward, I have no clue how to mediate.”

Wu Ning, determined as ever, frowned at Taiping’s words. “Hmm?”

Muttering reflexively, “Why the princess?”

Well, that determination was for nothing.

Pondering, “This doesn’t make sense at all!”

To be frank, if it were an ordinary matter, Wu Ning would avoid it. One more or less wouldn’t matter.

But hearing Taiping speak, Wu Ning immediately realized this was a challenge.

A challenge that posed a serious threat to Princess Taiping.

It was Wu Ning who had suggested to Taiping the idea of reconciling the rift between the Li and Wu families.

But how to reconcile them—whether in terms of ability, method, or pros and cons—was beyond Taiping’s capacity.

One must understand, the Li and Wu families represented more than just two surnames.

On one side, the Li family represented the interests of the Li imperial power.

This involved numerous royal relatives, the legitimate Tang lineage, the Guanlong faction’s support, and the interests of noble clans.

On the other side, the Wu family was the absolute backing of the Empress Dowager, representing the court’s rising powers and the majority of commoner scholars selected through the imperial examination.

This was no longer a dispute between the Li and Wu families—it was a major political battle affecting the entire court and the fate of the Tang dynasty.

If Li and Wu divided, history would revert to its original trajectory, where the Wu Zhou era’s theme was the struggle between the two clans for over a decade.

Conversely, if Li and Wu united, even if only superficially harmonious, the old Lady Wu would have no more worries and could devote herself fully to governing the country rather than internal strife.

This would be a tremendous blessing for the Tang dynasty, potentially altering its downward trajectory.

...

Therefore, in Taiping’s eyes, the peace between Li and Wu meant she wouldn’t have to marry Wu Chengsi anymore.

But for Empress Wu, this was a matter of utmost importance—arguably a turning point in her political career.

Page (2/3)

Such a significant matter—how could the Empress Dowager entrust it to Taiping? To have her mediate?

Never mind whether Taiping had the ability, she lacked the standing!

Moreover, from Wu Ning’s perspective, Taiping had barely escaped the feud; not having to marry into the Wu family meant she was spared from fighting among men.

She could live as a princess in the flourishing era, clad in Daoist robes, enjoying the mountains and rivers, without repeating the fate of dying in power struggles.

So why drag Taiping into this? Didn’t she have enough trouble already?

Shaking his head with a wry smile, Wu Ning thought, “The Empress Dowager this time...”

He left the rest unsaid, implying, “Your mother would give up anything for power.”

“...”

But Taiping didn’t know what Wu Ning was thinking. To her, this was simply about connecting threads, building bridges. It seemed like a straightforward matter.

As for why Empress Wu chose her to mediate, or what dangers lurked within, she didn’t give it a second thought.

The difficulty was merely due to her personality—she couldn’t grasp the crux of the matter.

“Ninth Lord, help me come up with a plan. How can I bring together Emperor Xian, and those two Wu brothers, to reconcile?”

“...” Wu Ning almost burst out laughing. “Your Highness, it’s not that simple. There are many people to persuade besides Wu Chengsi and the Prince of Luling.”

“Ha!”

Taiping laughed outright.

A trace of feminine pride showed. “I thought of that already, so I wrote to the wise Emperor, advising him to seize this chance to petition the Empress Dowager to ascend the throne.”

After speaking, Taiping seemed triumphant, showing off to Wu Ning. “See? I’ve thought it through thoroughly even without you.”

Wu Ning: “...”

His only thought: The world truly is the cruelest teacher.

One can hardly imagine how such a spoiled royal lady, a completely naive woman ignorant of worldly affairs, was gradually forced into becoming the infamous she-serpent of history.

Sighing inwardly, he decided to help her one more time—better than letting her die without understanding how.

“Has the letter been sent?”

“Ah?” Taiping was still basking in her pride and momentarily distracted.

“I mean, has the letter to Li Xian been sent?”

“Yes!”

“When was it sent?”

Page (3/3)

“Yesterday.”

“Send someone to retrieve it—there’s still time.”

“Ah?” Taiping was dumbfounded. “Why retrieve it?”

Wu Ning had no choice but to explain patiently, breaking it down for her.

“The Empress Dowager tasked you with mediating between the Li and Wu families, and the various factions at court—not the conflict between the Empress Dowager and her son. The one you should not mediate with, and must not meddle in, is your wise Emperor brother.”

Li Xian was entirely different from Li Xian and Li Dan.

Among Wu Zetian’s four sons, he was the most talented and the most favored by court ministers. He was also the only one stripped of his status and demoted to commoner as punishment for rebellion—a fate most tragic.

Later generations say that Empress Wu feared Li Xian’s talent and prestige, hence his downfall.

True or not, one thing is certain: whether regarding his personal ability or his rebellion, Li Xian was the one whom Empress Wu could neither forgive nor tolerate.

How could Taiping’s mediation involve Li Xian and win the Empress Dowager’s favor?

Furthermore, the Empress Dowager’s current concern was whether she could ascend the throne smoothly and create harmony at court.

At this time, why stir up trouble by bringing Li Xian into the spotlight?

“However...” Taiping, upon hearing this, was not overly afraid but somewhat regretful.

“But my wise Emperor brother has been gone for many years. As a commoner, his life must be hard. I thought, if he could establish merit now, perhaps Mother would have mercy and restore his title.”

“My Highness!” Wu Ning earnestly advised, “Even if you still care for your elder brother Li Xian and want to help, now is not the time. That letter won’t save him; it will bring him harm.”

“Oh.” Taiping nodded in disappointment. “Then I will send someone to retrieve it immediately.”

Composing herself, she asked, “What about elsewhere? How should I mediate elsewhere?”

At this moment, innocent Taiping still did not realize the consequences of her misstep; nor did she grasp how this so-called mediation would shape her destiny.

Wu Ning thought to himself, elsewhere?

If you could handle ‘elsewhere’ well, the scheming Princess Taiping would be long gone from this world.

...