Chapter 104
Chapter 104
[Li Erfeng Becomes Wanyan Gou – 24]
*We’re family. Why be so polite?*
Their emperor certainly had two faces!
The Prince Consorts had watched Wang Bian beaten half dead, a bloody mass on the ground. After hearing His Majesty’s words, they feared that the slightest delay in nodding would see them dragged out as the next example. How could they object?
Even the hardest head was not that hard!
All emperors had filthy hearts, and the Prince Consorts understood. His Majesty could say, *We’re family; don’t be polite.* If they believed him, however, their heads would likely find new places to live.
When an ordinary couple fought, the wife’s brother could only visit to defend his sister. When an imperial princess fought with her Prince Consort and her imperial brother came to the door…
One look at Wang Bian told them everything.
His Majesty wished to display warmth and generosity, so they could only obey. They forced smiles onto their faces and rose. “Your Majesty is right.”
Li Shimin laughed and stood in the wind, exchanging pleasantries with them.
Wang Bian had first been whipped into a bloody pulp, drenched in cold water, and then deprived of his right hand. No ordinary person could withstand such cruelty. His chest barely moved now; death seemed near.
As Li Shimin chatted smilingly, the Imperial Guard watching Wang Bian approached cautiously. “Your Majesty, Wang Bian is nearly finished. Should we summon an imperial physician to stabilize him, or let nature take its course?”
Every Prince Consort’s expression trembled.
Li Shimin seemed not to notice. He frowned. “He can’t endure even this?”
His gaze was puzzled. “I hardly did anything. Didn’t we only hit him a few times?”
The Prince Consorts: “…”
Ah, a textbook example of minimizing the important details.
The Imperial Guard nodded in agreement. “Your Majesty is right. That wretch is simply useless!”
The Prince Consorts: “…”
Ah, a textbook lackey.
The cutting wind left everyone’s thoughts in disarray.
Li Shimin rubbed his brow. “Summon an imperial physician. He is my brother-in-law and Zhuzhu’s husband, after all. The old saying tells us that one day as husband and wife creates a hundred days of affection. If he dies like this, Zhuzhu will surely grieve, and I will feel terrible too.”
The Prince Consorts’ wildly pounding hearts immediately settled-not because they rejoiced for Wang Bian, but because they held the same title. If he died horribly today, they could hardly help wondering whether they would be next.
It made sense. Wang Bian was still a Prince Consort, and the Wang Family was a great clan. However angry His Majesty became, surely he would not truly take his life.
The First Prince Consort inhaled and flattered him. “Your Majesty’s generosity is a blessing to the realm.”
The others echoed him.
“Mm.” Li Shimin clasped his hands behind his back and accepted the praise. “Wouldn’t letting him die so quickly be too easy? Have the physician stabilize him. In three days he will be publicly executed-torn apart by five horses!”
The Prince Consorts: “…”
The smiles they had just put on instantly froze.
Li Shimin asked his attendants, “How many imperial princesses are married?”
After thinking, one answered respectfully, “Eleven, Your Majesty.”
“Perfect.” Li Shimin’s smile was relaxed, though winter wind had frozen in his eyes. “Cut off Wang Bian’s ten fingers and bestow one upon each Prince Consort. They came all this way in the cold; they should take home a souvenir.”
He smiled warmly at them.
The Prince Consorts: “…”
Their smiles seemed mixed with ten pounds of bitter melon. They forced themselves to bow. “We thank Your Majesty for the reward.”
Li Shimin had not spoken loudly, but neither had he whispered. The wailing Wang Family heard him. Wang Bian’s parents, who had been weeping together, changed color. His mother cried, “Your Majesty, you cannot!”
Li Shimin looked at her indifferently.
Her legs trembled beneath his authority, but concern for her son kept her from retreating. She shuffled forward on her knees. “Your Majesty, my son was wrong, but you have beaten and punished him. Please spare his life!”
Knowing His Majesty cared for Princess Huifu, she pleaded, “Whatever his faults, he remains the princess’s husband! If you kill him, what will become of her? Please give him a chance to reform!”
Li Shimin looked surprised. “What is so remarkable about a husband? If I kill him, I can choose another for Zhuzhu. Three-legged toads are hard to find; two-legged men cover the earth! As for Zhuzhu’s future…”
Mockery entered his face. “Madam Wang, I hardly know what to say. If you were truly narrow-minded, you would have killed yourself after the Jin repeatedly raped you in the north. Instead, you returned, calmly resumed life with your husband, and still found time to criticize another family’s daughter. Yet if you’re broad-minded, why imagine Zhuzhu’s life ends without your son? Is he a chamber pot she cannot live without?!”
Wang Bian’s mother choked. She wanted to cite the maxim that a chaste woman served no second husband, but her own history offered no support. Her face crimson, she stammered without producing a word.
She retreated in defeat, but Wang Bian’s father crawled forward. “Your Majesty…”
“If you have leisure to plead for your son, save some tears for yourself! Wang Bian is a beast, and the Wang Family contains nothing good!”
The family went gray with terror. Wang Bian’s father tried to defend them, but Li Shimin kicked him over. “Save your words for the two emperors in the underworld!”
“By my command: Prince Consort Wang Bian and the Wang Family oppressed an imperial princess and slandered the Imperial House, committing the crime of disrespect. Wang Bian shall be torn apart by five horses. Members of the main Wang line shall be beheaded, relatives exiled three thousand *li*, and married daughters exempted. No descendant of the clan may serve as an official for three generations!”
The Prince Consorts had expected Wang Bian to be punished, not his entire family. Their hearts chilled. They exchanged silent looks and humbly bowed their heads.
If even outsiders shuddered at the thought of sharing their fate, what of the Wang Family?
Their barely stilled wailing erupted anew. Wang Bian’s father crawled forward begging, but Li Shimin did not look at him. He ordered the Wang Family removed and the innocent sent home, then told the Prince Consorts, “I will visit Zhuzhu. Her injury is severe, and a young woman’s appearance is important, so I will not have you accompany me.”
Sweating profusely, they reacted quickly. They took their leave, promising to inform their wives and send them to visit their younger sister.
Li Shimin smilingly had them escorted out, then returned to Princess Huifu.
The hurriedly summoned physician had been shocked by her wound. He carefully cleaned it, applied medicine, and prescribed a separate remedy for the injured eye. By the time Li Shimin arrived, everything was settled. The physician watched a maid decoct medicine in the kitchen while Lady Zhang remained with the princess.
The principal and side chambers were separated, but not by ten thousand miles. The north wind inevitably carried over the screams of Wang Bian and his concubines and the Wang Family’s howls.
Princess Huifu felt uneasy at first. Then she remembered how Wang Bian, his family, and his concubines had abused her, and satisfaction rose in her heart. Imagining the carefree life of a Taoist priestess after his death, she began to look delighted.
When Li Shimin entered, she and Lady Zhang rose. He nodded and sat, then said gently, “Neither Wang Bian nor his family will ever trouble you again. I will issue an edict dissolving your marriage. Whether you remarry or enter religious life, you have my approval. Our family has vast estates; we can certainly feed you.”
Remembering her nightmarish marriage, Princess Huifu wanted nothing similar again. She immediately knelt. “This younger sister has no wish to remarry. I desire only to become a Taoist priestess and live freely. Ninth Brother, please grant my request!”
“Get up. Why do you always kneel?”
Li Shimin made a gesture of support and smiled. “If you wish to become a priestess, Ninth Brother will bestow a religious name. If you later want to marry, you can always return to secular life.”
Princess Huifu had rarely interacted with Ninth Brother and Ninth Sister-in-Law and had not dared seek help. Now, seeing this unfamiliar brother care for her so wholeheartedly, tears soaked her clothes. “Ninth Brother treats me so well. Zhuzhu has no way to repay you…”
“Why are you crying again?” Li Shimin asked helplessly. “If you call me Ninth Brother, you are my sister. How could an elder brother ignore you? Even if you were an ordinary woman, not my sister, I would still draw my saber when I saw injustice.”
“Without Ninth Brother, I do not know what my life would have become. To call this a second birth is no exaggeration.” Princess Huifu wiped away her tears and smiled. “After entering religious life, Zhuzhu will pray daily for Ninth Brother and Ninth Sister-in-Law, hoping to repay one ten-thousandth of your grace.”
Li Shimin spoke with her a while longer. The physician brought the medicine, and after watching her drink it, he urged her to rest and returned to the palace.
Princess Huifu thanked him endlessly and escorted him out.
The neighbors had heard something of the couple’s relationship, though not how vile Wang Bian truly was.
That day, they first saw His Majesty enter the Princess Manor with Imperial Guards, followed by the Prince Consorts and Wang Family. Knowing something grave had happened, they watched secretly from atop their walls. At last, the Prince Consorts staggered out pale-faced. Several married Wang women were supported away; everyone else left under guard toward prison rather than home.
What had happened inside?
Everyone wondered, but no one dared inquire. Soon, every married imperial princess arrived hand in hand.
The neighbor on the left said, “Wang Bian is sick in the head, and so is his family! Perhaps they could behave that way under the Retired Emperor, but do they not know what sort of man reigns now? They dared offend him. They were courting death!”
The neighbor on the right sighed. “I always said Wang Bian wouldn’t prance long, nor would his family prosper. Forget ruler and subject-without His Majesty, would they have been ransomed from the Supreme Capital? He saved their lives! They accepted an elder brother’s grace, then abused his sister. Is that human? They deserve it!”
Wang Bian and his family were the chicken killed; the Prince Consorts were the monkeys frightened by it.
Upon returning home, the First Prince Consort collapsed into a chair and drank three bowls of hot water before his insides felt warm and his hands stopped shaking so violently.
Princess Jiade asked in confusion, “What happened? Did Zhuzhu not even give her brother-in-law a bowl of water?”
She immediately realized something was wrong and lowered her voice. “Why did His Majesty summon you? Did something happen to Zhuzhu? Is she well?”
“I wasn’t the only one. Every Prince Consort went.”
The courtyard of bloody bodies rose before his eyes, together with Wang Bian’s severed right hand. His heart raced. He swallowed with difficulty. “Something did happen…”
After composing himself, he told her everything.
Anger appeared between Princess Jiade’s brows when she heard how Wang Bian abused Princess Huifu. The Wang Family’s words shocked and enraged her, then filled her with sorrow. But when her husband repeated His Majesty’s response, she stared blankly as though her soul had left her body.
The First Prince Consort panicked, afraid His Majesty would come skin him tomorrow if something happened to his wife. “Yupan? Yupan! Are you well? Shall I summon an imperial physician?”
Princess Jiade slowly returned to herself, gave a sudden cry, and began to weep.
He had spoken so well.
He had said everything she wanted, but could not say.
Were they guilty because the Jin carried them north?
Were they guilty because the Jin abused and humiliated them?
Did they deserve death? Should they kill themselves to preserve chastity and the Imperial House’s reputation?
But the two emperors had not killed themselves. Neither had court officials, princes, clansmen, or Prince Consorts. What right did anyone have to force the women to die?!
Men failed to defend the country, women to preserve chastity. Neither fulfilled the demand. Why must women die while men lived openly without shame?
Was a woman’s so-called chastity more important than country and ancestral temples?!
Men shamelessly clung to life yet demanded women die for chastity. Were women born with thinner faces than men?!
They would not kill themselves!
Why should they?!
Princess Jiade’s quiet sobs grew into loud weeping. Finally unable to support herself, she collapsed over the table and wailed.
The First Prince Consort meant to comfort her but stopped before speaking. He only held her hand and silently remained beside her.
The same scene unfolded in every Princess Manor.
With Wang Bian as precedent, the Prince Consorts had to pretend to be the most devoted husbands beneath heaven, watching their wives with worried faces.
Back at the palace, Li Shimin told Empress Wei how he had handled matters, then asked, “Was my punishment too severe?”
Empress Wei came from a military family and had watched civil officials suppress her father. She disliked pedantic Confucian rules, and she had a daughter herself. How could she object?
If Yongning had suffered today, what dignity of the Mother of the Nation, what gentle virtue? She would have wanted to tear Wang Bian and his family apart with her own hands!
She shook her head. “This concubine believes Your Majesty handled it properly. Only this can warn court and countryside and truly change the tragic fate imperial princesses might face.”
She rose and performed a solemn rite. “Countless women were humiliated during the Jingkang Incident. At court and among the people, some demand that imperial princesses die for chastity; the families of officials and merchants treat their women even worse. Ransoming captives reunited families, a great act of benevolence. Yet extreme clans refuse women returning south, and some have even caused deaths. As Mother of the Nation, this concubine believes the practice cannot grow. Jingkang was a national humiliation suffered by all beneath heaven. How can women alone be blamed?”
Li Shimin helped her up. “The Empress speaks rightly.”
Zhu Yuanzhang had mentioned this before. During the Northern Song, customs from the Five Dynasties remained, and chastity was not heavily emphasized. Remarried women could become empresses; two chief ministers had even fought over marrying one widow. If imperial and great houses behaved so, commoners cared still less.
After Southern Song, however, the Humiliation of Jingkang sharply increased restrictions on women. The earlier spirit of bold progress suffered too, giving way to conservatism. In the long term, it was no good thing.
After reflection, Li Shimin and Empress Wei visited the two empress dowagers. They explained the day’s events and asked them to issue a joint edict settling debate and clarifying the matter for the people.
Kindhearted Empress Dowager Meng readily agreed. Empress Dowager Zheng had several daughters and would never let them suffer both injustice and condemnation.
She agreed as well.
Empress Dowager Meng, however, considered more. Worried, she warned, “We approve, and Wang Bian and his family deserve punishment. But the officials, especially the civil officials, will dispute it. Your Majesty should prepare.”
Li Shimin smiled calmly. “I fought the Jin and won. The court cannot raise any waves.”
At court the next day, remonstrating officials predictably attacked the punishments imposed upon Prince Consort Wang Bian and his family.
“After the dynasty’s founding, families marrying princesses lowered their generational order by one rank as a gesture of respect. Emperor Renzong opposed this, saying wealth and honor should not distort the human order of senior and junior. Later, Emperor Shenzong declared that destroying human order could not become law and required princesses to perform rites before their parents-in-law. All beneath heaven marveled that if even princesses behaved thus, others must do more.”
After this long speech without a point, Li Shimin frowned. “And?”
The official said, “Since an imperial princess serves her parents-in-law under ordinary rites, disputes are family affairs. How can national law punish them? The Prince Consort acted improperly, but ordering him torn apart by five horses and condemning his family is excessive slaughter unworthy of a sage ruler. This minister begs Your Majesty to withdraw the edict!”
Others stepped forward. “We beg Your Majesty to withdraw the edict!”
Li Shimin laughed in anger but asked pleasantly, “How should I handle it, then?”
The official kowtowed. “Have the Prince Consort apologize, reconcile the couple, and renew their pledge to grow old together.”
Li Shimin nodded. “You gentlemen all maintain homes in Dongjing (Kaifeng)?”
Their expressions changed, but they dared not deceive him. “Yes.”
“Then compassionate men like you surely will not mind donating your property to the court? The Prince Consort took the princess’s dowry to please a brothel woman for personal gain. You will donate your wealth for the realm and its people. Surely you cannot object?”
The remonstrating officials: “…”
Li Shimin continued, “Broad-minded men like you surely will not mind receiving a court caning from me? The Prince Consort beat the princess under the bond making the husband guide to the wife. As Son of Heaven, I punish subjects under the bond making the ruler guide to the minister. This perfectly accords with your Three Fundamental Bonds and Five Constant Virtues. Surely you cannot object?”
The officials: “…”
“Why are you waiting? Confiscate their family property immediately!”
Li Shimin’s face chilled. He waved. “Take them out and beat them!”
The officials had never expected the young emperor to ignore convention. As they stared, Imperial Guards seized them, stripped off their official robes, and dragged them outside for court caning.
Their faces lost all color. “Your Majesty! We offered loyal remonstrance. How can you treat affairs of court like a game?!”
Li Shimin folded his arms and sneered. “It’s fine. After your beating, perhaps I’ll apologize. With an enlightened ruler and forthright ministers, we can remain companions for many years!”
So they liked making glib remarks?
The needle had never pierced their own flesh!
Have the Prince Consort apologize, then reconcile?
Let them try remaining calm about enlightened rulers and honest ministers after their property was emptied and they were beaten half dead!
The military officials knew this emperor and had no intention of intervening. Many civil officials had also learned his temper and stood aloof.
The sound of canes and screams came from outside. Li Shimin watched the court coldly without speaking.
Such was the relationship between emperor and ministers: either the east wind overwhelmed the west, or the west overwhelmed the east. Did they want to imitate the civil officials of earlier dynasties, spit in his face, and force him to take it lying down?
Dream on!
After thirty strokes, most could not crawl. Their underclothes stained with blood, they were dragged inside to thank the emperor for his grace.
Li Shimin sat high above them, solemn and composed. “You are loyal men devoted to ruler and state. I have a mission for you.”
The officials’ faces changed. The remonstrators knew it was unlikely to be good, and their pallor filled with panic.
Li Shimin instead looked anxious. “Last night, the court astrologer saw a comet in the southeast. Clearly the Jin in the north have lost virtue. Uncle and nephew contend, so Heaven sent a warning.”
He straightened proudly. “Song and Jin are brother states. I cannot watch Jin suffer. Tomorrow, carry my handwritten letter north and tell Zongbi and Zongpan that I feel fatherly concern for them. Great Song bears Heaven’s mandate. If they cede half their territory to us, I will memorialize the Lord of Heaven and lift Jin’s punishment!”
The half-dead officials: “…”
*You’re deliberately making things difficult for me, Gian!*
Li Shimin looked down and smiled. “The state has nurtured scholars for two hundred years. Now is the time to repay the Great Song! Go. If negotiations fail, do not return. I have no need of incompetent ministers!”