The Innocent Heart - Chapter 47

The storm caused by the deposition of the Empress eventually settled quickly under the lightning-fast measures of Zhang Tang, the Imperial Censor.

Over three hundred people were executed in connection with the matter. However, since they were primarily palace servants who had served the deposed Empress, the event did not cause much of a stir among the common people in Chang’an.

Guan Yueyao, naturally insensitive to political matters, had shifted her attention back to military training after reconciling with Huo Qubing.

“Langzhong Guan, you’ve come quite early today,” a military official who didn’t belong to her camp approached her with a beaming smile as soon as she entered the barracks.

The level of diligence in his greeting was something Guan Yueyao had never seen since joining the army.

Confused, Guan Yueyao looked up at the sky. It was already broad daylight. The sound of soldiers drilling was already ringing in her ears.

“Haha… not early at all. I have to get to training, so I’ll be going now,” she gave a forced laugh and managed to brush him off, nearly jogging toward her camp.

She had no idea that because of the Empress Chen incident, the Wei family’s influence in both the harem and the imperial court had been strengthened once again. The Tangyi Marquis Chen family and the Grand Princess, having lost the position of Empress, were like tigers with their claws pulled—they had gone completely silent.

It was easy to imagine that unless the Chen family produced another pillar of the state or a favored concubine, they would be completely driven out of the Han power center once the Grand Princess passed away.

At this moment, any family in Chang’an with even a bit of foresight was instinctively turning their gaze toward the Wei family and their subordinates. Guan Yueyao, by virtue of her relationship with Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, had become a member of the “Wei Clique” in the eyes of the world.

As the person involved, while she was surprised by the sudden warmth and friendliness of people she barely knew, she remained completely unaware of the underlying cause.

Her mind was entirely focused on training. Although it hadn’t been officially announced, based on her observations, it wasn’t hard to notice—the Han Empire was preparing for an imminent war.

This discovery left her heart both expectant and apprehensive. Guan Yueyao had never seen real war and had no clear understanding of its cruelty. Her mind remained simple and direct; she felt that overthinking was useless, so she decided to treat it like an upcoming competition. And to win a competition, sufficient pre-match training was inevitable.

Consequently, she had not only increased her own training volume lately but had also become twice as strict with the four hundred elite soldiers under Wei Qing’s command.

“Quick, quick, quick! Langzhong Guan is here! Get running!” As she reached the edge of the drill grounds, she heard panicked voices rising from the field.

She looked over and saw the soldiers running in formation around the perimeter of the field.

“Everyone, run faster! Did you not eat breakfast?!” she bellowed, jogging to keep pace with the squad.

Meanwhile, far from the noisy military camps, in the quiet Weiyang Palace, Liu Che (Emperor Wu) sat opposite an elderly woman. The atmosphere was heavy.

“I am truly ashamed for failing to discipline my daughter. But Ajiao is, after all, my own flesh and blood. I hope Your Majesty will, for the sake of having grown up together, send more palace servants to look after her. As you know, she has been pampered since childhood… suddenly going to a desolate place like Longmen Palace… I fear she might do something rash in a moment of despair…”

Liu Che sat at the head of the table, looking at the Grand Princess Guantao, who was sobbing uncontrollably. He felt a wave of complex emotions.

“Why must Aunt say such things? The Empress lost her position because she resorted to witchcraft and curses, which is unbecoming of her rank. But I have no intention of punishing the Tangyi Marquis’s manor for this. You can rest easy and live out your years in peace. Moreover, I am not heartless toward Ajiao. Although she has been moved to Longmen Palace, I have ordered that her lifestyle and food remain as they were. I will not allow anyone to neglect her.”

Liu Che spoke words of comfort, but the latter half sounded as if he were feebly trying to convince himself.

He and Ajiao had reached this point, and if he searched his heart, it wasn’t without connection to his powerful aunt. She was, after all, the daughter handpicked and trained by his grandmother, Grand Empress Dowager Dou, who was a master of political maneuvering. From an emperor’s perspective, the Grand Princess was a woman with an intense lust for power.

Now, she inherited the political authority left behind by the late Dowager Dou. This destined her to lead the faction that still believed in the Huang-Lao (Taoist) school of governance. To Liu Che, these stubborn old officials entrenched in the government had become a burdensome weight, an obstacle to his reforms and foreign military campaigns.

To completely uproot this faction, Ajiao—as their representative and the foundation of their influence—became the first sacrifice in this brewing political struggle.

“Your Majesty, is it truly… no longer possible between you and Ajiao?” Liu Piao (Grand Princess) stopped her tears. She looked at her nephew and felt that although he wore his familiar smile, it was chilling.

Out of love for her daughter, she steeled herself to speak her mind: “You and Ajiao were childhood sweethearts. She always saw you as her husband rather than her Emperor…”

But before she could finish, Liu Che interrupted her brusquely.

“Aunt, why ask what you already know? It is late, and I have government affairs to handle. I will not see you out.”

Liu Piao took a deep look at her increasingly formidable nephew. Finally, she said no more. With a soft sigh, led by the eunuch Wang He, she rose and left the Weiyang Palace—a place where she had held sway for decades. She knew that from this day forward, there would be no more room for her voice in these magnificent halls.

After seeing his aunt off, Liu Che leaned heavily back into his chair.

He was unwilling to admit that he didn’t dare listen to what Liu Piao was going to say. He was afraid that if he heard more, he would regret it.

In all fairness, did Ajiao really commit a crime so heinous that she deserved the humiliation of being deposed and moved to a cold palace? Clearly not. Liu Che knew the truth better than anyone. Things like “witchcraft and curses” were just lies used to save face.

Ajiao’s actions were actually because he hadn’t stepped foot in the Jiao-fang Hall for a month. In her desperation, she had tried to use magic to keep his heart.

Thinking of this, Liu Che felt a pang of guilt again. Ajiao didn’t know that his month-long indifference was deliberate. Given her personality, how could she endure seeing him linger in other concubines’ palaces day after day? He had expected her to act. One could even say that Liu Che had dug the hole for Ajiao to fall into with his own hands.

“Ajiao, I no longer need you…” Liu Che murmured to the empty air.

The atmosphere in the Hall of Xuan-shi was solemn. The servants kept their heads low, not daring to make a sound. Finally, Wang He returned after seeing off the Grand Princess. Behind him was a shadow—Huo Qubing.

“Your Majesty, Young Master Qubing is here,” Wang He reported softly.

Hearing this, Liu Che withdrew his thoughts, pushing personal sentiment to the back of his mind. “Quick, let him up.”

Looking at the teenager sitting before him with a sulky expression, for some reason, Liu Che felt his mood lighten. He couldn’t help but laugh and ask, “What’s the matter? Who has upset you? Tell me, and I’ll help you vent your anger.”

With Ajiao deposed, everyone in court was eyeing the Wei family. Liu Che could guess this without needing a report. With the fall of the Chen family, those royal princes who usually dared to give Qubing a hard time should have quieted down. So why did Qubing look so troubled?

“Your Majesty, when can I enter the army for training?” Huo Qubing asked miserably. “I am already ten years old. As a Shitong (Messenger Boy/Junior Official), I can start as a minor clerk in the army, just like A-Yao.”

Liu Che was enlightened; so this was what was bothering Huo Qubing. In the Han dynasty, once a boy passed the age of seven, he was called a Shitong and could work in government offices as a clerk.

“Oh? So now you’re willing to be a minor clerk?” Liu Che was amused and teased him.

He had considered this plan earlier. But thinking of Huo Qubing’s proud and aloof nature—which he himself had pampered—he thought Qubing wouldn’t be happy with such an arrangement. After testing the waters and seeing Qubing’s reluctant expression back then, he had dropped the matter. He figured since Qubing was a piece of unpolished jade, he could keep him by his side to mentor him, and he would still become a great talent even without military experience.

“I was shortsighted before, thinking that being a low-ranking official meant it would be hard to accomplish anything. But lately, watching A-Yao train in the army, I’ve realized that if I want to be an excellent general, military experience is indispensable.” Huo Qubing’s expression became increasingly serious.

Liu Che was delighted. He felt that in these past few months, Huo Qubing’s mind had matured, bringing him one step closer to becoming a great commander.

“Very well. Starting today, you will still come to the palace in the morning to study. In the afternoon, I permit you to join the Northern Army. You will train with the soldiers under your uncle’s command.”

Liu Che agreed without much thought. But before Huo Qubing could celebrate, the Emperor added: “However, I will not grant you an official rank. Like Guan Yueyao, you will not be part of the Northern Army’s official establishment.”

Seeing Huo Qubing about to speak, Liu Che waved his hand. “Don’t be in a hurry. Regarding the two of you, I have my own arrangements.”