Chapter 54: Traitor in the Court
Wu Zetian looked at Wu Sansi's embarrassed escape with a bad look on her face and shook her head in dissatisfaction.

Her expression suddenly turned serious, and she said to Shangguan Wan'er, "Wan'er, quickly summon Xiao Qingfang to the Purple Palace!"

Shangguan Wan'er immediately accepted the order and left the hall to convey the imperial decree.

It is no wonder that Wu Zetian was so angry. The governor of Youzhou had been replaced for three years, and the inner guards knew nothing about it. This was undoubtedly a huge challenge to her authority.

Not long after, a woman in her thirties with sharp eyes was led to the Zichen Palace by palace servants.

She bowed respectfully to Wu Zetian and said, "I am Xiao Qingfang from the Inner Guards, and I am here to see Your Majesty. I wonder what important matter Your Majesty has summoned me to handle?"

"What's the matter? Take a look for yourself!" Wu Zetian threw Di Renjie's memorial in front of Xiao Qingfang.

Xiao Qingfang was shocked when she saw Wu Zetian's behavior.

But Xiao Qingfang did not panic. She calmly picked up the memorial and read through it at a glance.

But the more she read the memorial, the more frightened she became, and beads of sweat gradually appeared on her forehead.

Wu Zetian was also furious, and cursed: "The governor of Youzhou, a third-rank official of the court, was replaced without anyone noticing, and the inner guards didn't notice it for three years."

"What's worse, the fake governor openly organized a rebellious party in Youzhou, undermined the law, stole treasury silver, and even reached out to the army! If Di Renjie hadn't exposed this matter, I would still be kept in the dark! I ask you, what's the point of me raising your inner guards!"

Seeing Wu Zetian's rage, Xiao Qingfang immediately knelt down and pleaded guilty: "Your Majesty, please calm down. I accept the blame. Please give me some time. I will get to the bottom of this matter."

Wu Zetian sneered: "Give you more time? I'm afraid that by the time you find out the truth, the rebels in Youzhou will have already arrived at Chang'an!"

Xiao Qingfang lowered her head, her mind working quickly, and she put the blame on Sun Dianchen.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. It's not that I intentionally delayed, but the Youzhou area has always been under the charge of Sun Dianchen, the head of the Internal Guards. He is not under my command, and I really have no other choice."

Wu Zetian was silent for a moment after hearing this. She knew very well that the various leaders of the Inner Guard were not subordinate to each other, which was a check and balance strategy she had carefully set up.

Xiao Qingfang was promoted to be the Grand Chamber Leader because, on the one hand, she had made great contributions in "annihilating" the Snake Spirit. On the other hand, because she was a woman with little experience, other Chamber Leaders did not obey her, which could prevent the Internal Guard from becoming too powerful.

The Internal Guard knows too many secrets and holds too much power. They are like a monster that chooses its prey. If they were handed over to one person to control, the result can be imagined.

In the first few years after Wu Zetian ascended the throne, she promoted cruel officials and unjust imprisonment, encouraged informing on others, and with the help of the internal guards, eliminated countless members of the Li royal family and ministers who were loyal to the Li Tang Dynasty.

However, Wu Zetian's rule had been consolidated in recent years, and the cruel officials and the internal guards acted recklessly, causing complaints from all walks of life in the court and the country, which brought her trouble.

As the tide of prosperity and decline continued, Wu Zetian discarded the cruel officials of the past, killing some and exiling some. She transformed herself into a saintly emperor who followed the will of the people and eradicated cruel officials.

Under this background, the power of the Inner Guard was relatively neglected by Wu Zetian. This also gave opportunities to Qianniu Guards such as Hu Jinghui and Zhao Ji, who assumed some of the power and responsibilities of the Inner Guard.

A typical example is that Liu Jin was captured by the inner guards in Youzhou, but Wu Zetian handed him over to Hu Jinghui, a Qianniu guard, for trial.

Wu Zetian withdrew her thoughts, stared at Xiao Qingfang coldly, and asked: "Are you shirking your responsibility?"

Xiao Qingfang lowered his head even lower: "I dare not, I am guilty, please punish me, Your Majesty."

Wu Zetian's tone slowed down slightly, and she turned to ask, "How are you investigating the traitor in the court?"

When Wu Zetian asked Xiao Qingfang about the traitor, she could be traced back to the conversation between Di Renjie and her when they met again. The matter was handed over to Xiao Qingfang to handle.

When Xiao Qingfang heard Wu Zetian asking about the traitor, she felt horrified.

The Yuan Cong faction of the Snake Spirit and Xiao Qingfang's direct lineage have always kept to themselves. Xiao Qingfang was not very good at commanding the Yuan Cong of the Snake Spirit, so she did not forcefully command them. The Yuan Cong also gave Xiao Qingfang a false reputation and regarded her as their leader.

However, in this incident in Youzhou, Jin Mulan and Yuan Cong have joined forces to pose a threat to Xiao Qingfang.

Xiao Qingfang would rather die than let his friend die. He raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, according to my investigation, among all the people who handled the Turkic envoys and Liu Jin's case, the one with the greatest suspicion is Hu Jinghui, the Lieutenant General of the Right Thousand Bull Guards."

"How bold!" Wu Zetian scolded.

Xiao Qingfang quickly lowered her head again.

"How dare you sow discord between me and the general? Do you think I can be bullied?"

Wu Zetian had seen many cases where the inner guards dared to make false accusations without any evidence.

She thought Xiao Qingfang was jealous of Hu Jinghui for diverting her power and wanted to take the opportunity to frame Hu Jinghui.

Xiao Qingfang remained calm and presented evidence without panic: "Your Majesty, allow me to report that Hu Jinghui suddenly fell ill for a few days a month ago and asked for leave without going to work in the Guard House. Then for a few days, he stayed in the earthen kiln in Chang'an City, saying that he was interrogating Liu Jin. However, all the Qianniu Guards in the earthen kiln have been killed, so this can no longer be verified."

"From this point of view, Hu Jinghui had plenty of time to go to Gannan to rob and kill the envoys. Moreover, he interrogated Liu Jin for more than two years without any results, which is itself very suspicious. He is the only Qianniu Guard who has had contact with Liu Jin in the earthen kiln, which is really suspicious."

"This is all your conjecture. Where is the evidence?" Wu Zetian said coldly.

"Hu Jinghui is in Youzhou, and I really can't produce any evidence. But Di Gong is known for his 'divine judgment', and he might be able to find out something." Xiao Qingfang said meaningfully.

When Wu Zetian heard Xiao Qingfang mention Di Renjie, her expression suddenly changed slightly, and it was unclear whether she was worried or suspicious.

After a moment of silence, Wu Zetian rubbed her brows and said, "You have been guilty of negligence in the affairs of Youzhou. You will be fined one year's salary. You must immediately send capable people to Youzhou. I want to know the situation there as soon as possible."

"Okay, I'm tired, you can leave!" Wu Zetian waved her hand and sent Xiao Qingfang away.

"Yes, I obey your command." Xiao Qingfang replied respectfully and then withdrew.

After Xiao Qingfang left, Wu Zetian turned to Shangguan Wan'er and said, "Wan'er, do you think what Xiao Qingfang said is credible?"

Shangguan Wan'er frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and said slowly: "I think that although what Xiao Dage said has no concrete evidence, it is not without reason."

"Hmph, Wan'er is still too young. I have seen a lot of things like this. They seem to be making sense, but no matter whether it is true or false, their real purpose is to use me to eliminate dissidents." Wu Zetian sneered.

"I am shallow." Shangguan Wan'er said with her head down.

Wu Zetian sighed and said, "Hu Jinghui was promoted by me personally and has been guarding the palace. If something happens to him, the consequences will be disastrous."

Shangguan Wan'er comforted him, "Hu Jinghui is now under the command of Lord Di of Youzhou. Lord Di will surely be able to tell whether he is loyal or treacherous."

"Yes." Wu Zetian nodded, and suddenly thought of a name in Di Renjie's memorial that seemed familiar, "Wan'er, have you heard of a Zhao Ji in the Qianniu Guard?"

When Shangguan Wan'er heard the name "Zhao Ji", the face of a young and handsome man from the Qianniu Guards flashed to her mind.

"Your Majesty, Zhao Ji is the Qianniu Guard who saved Di Gong before. Your Majesty has just promoted him to a higher level." Shangguan Wan'er reminded.

Wu Zetian nodded slightly: "This person is indeed a talent, but he is too young."

　Thanks to Lingxiquenanchangjiu and Pinganchicheng for their rewards.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)