Empress Zhangsun turned her head abruptly and glared at Prince Han. Prince Han was startled as he hurried to kneel. “I have spoken too much. Imperial Mother, please calm down.”
Empress Zhangsun asked sternly, “Is it true that there is a joint appeal to impeach the Crown Prince?”
Prince Han stammered, “...Yes.”
Empress Zhangsun continued asking, “Did you sign it?”
“I…” Prince Han felt extremely wronged. “I had no choice. The Crown Prince forced me and I had to protect the Literature School…”
Empress Zhangsun swiped her sleeve and the pot of alcohol fell to the ground. Sun Lingshu and Consort Han ran up and kneeled in fear.
Empress Zhangsun opened her mouth, “You...you all have really done well--” She suddenly spat out blood!
Both couples simultaneously shouted, “Imperial Mother.”
Fu Rou supported Empress Zhangsun and ordered for the palace maids to bring her medicine. She took out one pill from the medicine bottle and gave it to Empress Zhangsun to take.
Empress Zhangsun shook her head and pushed it away. Her eyes were moist. “The Xuanwu Gate Coup is still vivid in everyone’s mind. Crown Prince Li Jiancheng, Prince Zhao Li Yuanji and our Emperor were all biological sons of Empress Dowager Dou. They were biological brothers but in the end they could not coexist and fought against one another. Even after so many years, this is still a wound that His Majesty cannot get rid off. Do you all want that to happen to both of you as well? If you want me to watch as the both of you become enemies and cut off ties, then why don’t I just give up now? Why should I take this medicine and struggle to stay alive!” She snatched the bottle of medicine from Fu Rou’s hands and threw it far away.
The bottle was uncapped and the pills rolled out onto the ground.
The Crown Prince ushered forward on his knees. “I am unfilial. Imperial Mother, please do not be angry. You can scold and hit me but don’t take it out on your own health!”
Prince Han moved forward on his knees as well. He picked up the pills and placed them back in the medicine bottle. Using both hands to hold the bottle, he presented it to Empress Zhangsun.
Empress Zhangsun was pale as fury burned in her eyes. “You can attack even your biological brother, why do you care about your mother? You might as well bring me poison and end my life!”
Prince Han was heartbroken. “Imperial Mother, I deserve to die! I must have been possessed! I…” He started to slap himself with both his hands.
The Crown Prince stopped Prince Han. “Imperial Mother is already not well, she cannot be agitated further. If you hit yourself to death, won’t you be even more unfilial?”
Prince Han nodded. “Yes yes! The Crown Prince is right. I will listen to the Crown Prince.”
Empress Zhangsun sighed at Prince Han. “If you said this earlier and respected your brother more, would things have ended up like this?”
“That’s right. If you said this earlier, why would things become like this?” The Crown Prince recalled the past. “We are brothers after all. We can discuss anything, there is no need to conspire against each other and bring things to court. It will upset both Imperial Father and Imperial Mother.”
Prince Han stared. “But that is because you…”
The Crown Prince was no longer looking at Prince Han. He turned to apologise sincerely to Empress Zhangsun. “Imperial Mother, I am also at fault. It is no wonder Prince Han wants to impeach me in a fit of anger. I was too harsh on the Literature School. I will change it as soon as I get back. Imperial Mother, please take care of yourself. Don’t ruin your health because of things like this. If something happens to you, how will I...be able to respect and be filial to you?”
Prince Han cried as well. “Imperial Mother, I will tear the appeal as soon as I return!”
Empress Zhangsun stretched out her hand, allowing each of her sons to hold a hand. She then held them together and said with tears in her eyes. “Good, good! Crown Prince, Prince Han, you are both my flesh and blood. You have to be united as brothers in the future.”
After a few days, Empress Zhangsun’s health improved. She was wondering about Consort Han’s pregnancy. She invited a priest and asked if Consort Han was going to have a son.
The Taoist Priest did some planchette writing on a sand table. His expression slowly turned bad. In the beginning, he was slightly hesitant and did not want to speak. However, as Empress Zhangsun pressed him, he finally said that not only would Consort Han not have an heir, she would also overthrow her husband.
Empress Zhangsun believed that the priest was talking nonsense and sent him away. However, after he left, she was frowning and felt suffocated. She lifted her hand to press on her chest.
Fu Rou, who was standing by the side, spoke up. “Your Majesty, there is no need to pay attention to him. This priest clearly has not finished practicing austerity and cannot read the signs from heaven. People who are undeserving can only use their words to make a living. Their tactic is to use false words to intimidate people. First they will make you scared, then they will tell you the solution. They will then take the chance to make money from you. If Your Majesty did not chase him away then, he would have told you that if you donated a certain amount of money to the Taoist temple, it will be able to change the inauspicious sign that Consort Han has to a huge auspicious sign.”
Empress Zhangsun laughed, “With a few sentences, you cleared the uncomfortable feeling that I was feeling. Go to the Imperial Physician and ask him to take Consort Han’s pulse. I am feeling anxious.”
Fu Rou agreed and walked out of Lizheng Palace. She looked coldly as the Taoist Priest and his disciples talked as they walked out. They looked excited. What could make them so happy even after they were chased out by Empress Zhangsun? Who would stand to gain by devaluing Consort Han? She had someone in mind but did not want to think of it as a conspiracy.
Empress Zhangsun thought that the family banquet had been useful and very soon, she organised a second family banquet.
Prince Han was friendly towards the Crown Prince again. The Ministry of Revenue sent news that the salary for the Literature School will be given out as per normal. They even gave an additional sum of money for the Literature School to collect the books that were amongst the commoners. The Crown Prince must be backing them.
The Crown Prince was also in a good mood. He told Prince Han to not stand on courtesy; their previous animosity had been resolved.
However, Consort Han and Sun Lingshu were still not friendly towards each other. The smiles plastered on their faces were frozen. Consort Han had heard what the priest told Empress Zhangsun. She believed that Sun Lingshu was the one that instigated that and bought over the priest, making him say those things in front of Imperial Mother to create trouble. To say that she would overthrow her husband and be childless was not a small lesson. She was downright evil!
“Crown Princess, I heard that you have a younger sister that is gentle and educated.” Empress Zhangsun did not notice anything wrong with the expressions of her two daughter-in-laws and suddenly asked the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess focused on her. “My second sister is called Lingwei. She is truly obedient.”
Empress Zhangsun looked at Consort Han. “Consort Han, has any of your three younger brothers married?”
Consort Han’s hands trembled as the meat that she had picked up with her chopsticks fell to the table. Sun Lingshu, who was drinking water, choked. They both looked at each other and immediately averted their gazes. They both understood Empress Zhangsun’s intention, but they would never let that happen!