But now that everyone is dead, Zhao Changyu failed to persuade the Emperor, and the country, as the former Shangcai Marquis predicted, began to slide into the abyss. Zhao Changyu ultimately did not achieve his youthful ambition of leading the nation to stability.
The new emperor ascended the throne, and Empress Jia took over the administration of the court on behalf of the new emperor.
The Empress was very smart but overly obsessed with power, narrow-minded, and suspicious, harboring equal hatred for everyone who obstructed her and those who once advised the abolition of the Crown Prince.
Wei Guan was the first to be purged by her.
Wei Guan was very powerful. Although he always suggested abolishing the Crown Prince and once attempted to manually remove the Crown Prince, before Emperor Wu died, he still entrusted the orphaned prince to him, granting him the honor of “entering the court with his sword, and not needing to hasten his steps.”
Zhao Hanzhang later earned this honor herself, but Wei Guan was granted it by the late emperor, showing how favored he was.
And he was indeed upright, despite not liking the foolish emperor, he still managed the country diligently and sincerely on his behalf.
This consistently restricted Empress Jia, who loved indulgence and extravagance, so she directly replaced the emperor’s decree, using the crime of “plotting to abolish and establish” to kill his entire family.
In the end, only Wei Jie and his mother, who happened to be out, survived.
This inevitably brings up the matter of Wei Jie’s health.
He was frail and often sick from a young age. That day he felt unwell, so his mother took him out to seek medical treatment, and his brother escorted them out, narrowly avoiding disaster.
By the time they received the news, the family was dead.
Zhao Changyu and the other courtiers also received the news and reacted, blocking further killings by Empress Jia while demanding a strict investigation into the origin of the decree.
Because it was a falsified decree, Empress Jia knew it couldn’t withstand scrutiny, so she had no choice but to spare Wei Jie and his mother. Zhao Changyu and the others also realized justice could not be achieved at the moment, so they sent Wei Jie and his family away to avoid the storm.
After this incident, Zhao Changyu felt that sooner or later it would be his turn because he was one of the main proponents of the Crown Prince’s abolition.
Aside from Wei Guan, he was the second person.
So, he began to prepare an escape route.
He purchased large tracts of land in Luoyang, and after connecting them into a contiguous area, he quietly settled his retainers there.
Meanwhile, he started to arrange a marriage for his son.
Zhao Changyu had difficulty with childbearing, but after many years of effort, he finally had a son and named him Zhi.
Zhao Zhi’s health was not good. Zhao Changyu originally intended to arrange a marriage after he turned sixteen, and by settling the marriage later, it would be past eighteen.
The court advocated early marriage and childbirth, but every sensible scholar was a devoted physician, knowing that, regardless of gender, the best age for marriage is after maturity.
Marrying too early not only poses a high risk of child mortality but also affects one’s own lifespan.
Due to Zhao Zhi’s poor health, Zhao Changyu always wanted to delay his marriage, but now, with the turbulent situation, his marriage could no longer be postponed.
Zhao Changyu began to arrange a marriage for his son.
To be honest, many families wanted to form an alliance with Zhao Changyu, but they were afraid.
Zhao Changyu had a good official demeanor, was talented, foresighted, and came from a good family. How could someone praised as a “thousand-foot pine” by Yu Kai be lacking?
But... he had offended Empress Jia.
Looking at Wei Guan’s fate, it was uncertain if he would survive till the end of the year. Despite their admiration and desire to align their families, they dared not marry into it.
Thus, Zhao Zhi’s marriage was delayed.
It wasn’t that finding a daughter-in-law was impossible, but if the candidate was too poor, neither Zhao Zhi nor Zhao Changyu would accept it.
He was a person who preferred no compromise, let alone to wrong his son.
In the end, Lady Wang took action, writing to her family in Taiyuan and inviting several nieces for a visit to the Capital City.
The Taiyuan Wang Family was also afraid but couldn’t directly refuse, so they sent several girls from collateral lines. Wang Lihua was an exception.
She was from the main line, but her mother died early, and her father was not close. Comparatively, she was more familiar with her aunt, Lady Wang.
When her grandmother was alive, she would take her to stay in the Capital City each year, fostering a close relationship with Lady Wang.
She didn’t have any feelings for her cousin Zhao Zhi, but when she heard her brothers talking about how if her uncle were accused, Zhao Zhi might end up like the Wei family children.
“Even if he survives, he’ll have to hide back in the countryside. Why bother marrying girls from our family? Might as well marry a village girl.” Her brothers were gloating.
Wang Lihua was furious, emerging from behind the rockery, saying, “When relatives are in trouble, it’s one thing not to help, but it’s disgraceful to add insult to injury and lose basic decency.”
The gloating brothers immediately blushed, their faces turning iron blue, retorting, “Where’s your decency in eavesdropping?”
“What eavesdropping? I was resting here in the rockery. It’s you who, without eyes, chose to gossip about my uncle’s family here. I might hear it even if I didn’t want to. Can I stop you?”
“You, a girl, being so sharp-tongued, what do you know about outsiders’ affairs?”
“Oh, turning to gender differences when you can’t argue logic. I see, slandering relatives and adding insult to injury must be your male expertise, something we girls fall short of.”
The Wang brothers were fuming and caused quite a commotion. In the end, Wang Lihua was sent out, with her uncle saying, “Since you are so just, go to the Capital City this time too.”
Wang Lihua wanted to go on her own terms, but being forced was another matter.
She cried the entire journey from Taiyuan to the Capital City, telling Qing Gu, who accompanied her, “I knew it, everyone at home bullies me for having no parents to rely on.”
Qing Gu wiped her tears and said, “Did you not think of this when speaking up for justice?”
Wang Lihua defied, “Aunt treats me so well, how can I watch them add insult to injury?”
She murmured, “Father doesn’t care for me. Only Aunt remembers my birthday, sending gifts every year. During festivals, I get the same as my brothers and sisters. While staying with Grandmother in the Capital City, I received much care from Aunt. Now, even though they are not in trouble yet, they humiliate Aunt’s family like this. What happens if they truly fall into hard times?”
“They are foolish too; when relatives are in trouble, it’s one thing not to help, but adding insult to injury is too much. Otherwise, who would dare associate with us Wang in the future?”
Qing Gu: “Miss understands reasoning, but your temper is too quick, you can’t hold back words. Otherwise, with your understanding, how could they push you out? You need to change this temper, luckily you’re going to Aunt’s house this time. Who knows what other places would be like.”
Wang Lihua pouted, unwilling to admit defeat.
Although Lady Wang had married for many years, she still had ears in her maternal home, and she knew about the family quarrel before the girls even arrived.
She was rather annoyed, worsening her already poor health.
Zhao Zhi and Zhao Changyu both advised her to relax, “Self-interest and self-preservation are human nature. It’s not necessary to be too hard on them. But Lihua is a child of loyalty and righteousness, not making your care over the years in vain.”

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