bayedsolid Chapter 110 An Ding Si's Seclusion in Bed and Zi An's Transmigration Inspection
Chapter 110 An Ding Si's Seclusion in Bed and Zi An's Transmigration Inspection
Wu Zhaoyi's decisions were never made out of mindless impulse, but rather as seemingly helpless political choices, a "fist-fighting" approach she made after discussing with Li Zhi.
"This is the best option," she murmured to herself, her eyes filled with determination and shrewdness.
On the surface, Princess Anding's death was caused by her own strangulation, but behind it all was a political whitewashing orchestrated by Emperor Gaozong and her.
Empress Wang's power had long been corrupted, and the influence of her maternal relatives was like a venomous snake entrenched in the court. If they were not eradicated in time, everything would likely fall into an uncontrollable situation.
She knew that Princess An Ding's feigned death was both a blow to the court and a remedy to temporarily quell outside doubts about the imperial power.
Her calm and decisiveness in dealing with all of this stemmed not only from Li Zhi's trust, but also from her own profound understanding of the future of the Tang Dynasty.
She did not want to repeat the failures of her previous life, nor did she want to see the Tang Dynasty fall into the abyss of internal strife and turmoil again.
"Your Majesty, we must act quickly. Empress Wang has already begun to notice," Consort Wu said in a deep voice.
Li Zhi nodded slightly; he knew time was of the essence. "Consort Wu, are you ready?"
"Anytime." Her eyes were as sharp as a knife.
Then, she began this dramatic setup.
Her schemes with Li Zhi were like a dense net, gradually forcing back the power of Empress Wang's relatives.
Princess Anding's feigned death became their first move in this game of power.
Wu Xiaosi knew all too well that this move would change the entire landscape of the Tang Dynasty and would inevitably leave her with an untrue infamy, because Princess Anding was alive and well, and had never been strangled to death by her own mother.
Although this path was filled with disguised bloodshed and well-intentioned lies, Wu Zhaoyi understood that this was the only path she could take.
She was not afraid of being remembered by history as a sinner who "strangled the princess with her own hands," because she knew that responsibility would never fall on her shoulders.
Moreover, this choice was not only for himself, but also for the future of the Tang Dynasty, and for his daughter An Ding's smiling face...
Consort Wu's palace—a garden of splendor, yet concealing hidden secrets.
The early winter sunlight shone on the screens in the palace, and the magnificent golden decorations swayed gently in the breeze.
Unlike the residences of ordinary concubines, which were deliberately lavish, Consort Wu's palace exuded a noble yet oppressive aura.
The vermilion palace gates were half-closed, and wisps of smoke rising from the sandalwood incense burner filled the air, bringing a delicate fragrance.
On the couch in the center of the main hall, Princess Anding was wrapped tightly in layers of brocade quilts embroidered with gold dragons and silver phoenixes, curled up like a sculpted little jade dumpling.
A circle of palace maids and eunuchs stood guard cautiously around her, two of them whispering to each other, seemingly trying to figure out what Consort Zhaoyi was thinking.
Palace maid Xiao Cui: (in a low voice) "Don't you think our little princess will be extraordinary in the future? Look at her, with a red mole between her eyebrows, just like a star in the sky."
Xiao Si: (Suddenly sits up, rubs her face, and stares at her pink little hands) "Huh? Where is this? Something's not right! Didn't I just become the Empress of the Tang Dynasty? That charming Consort Zhao, that smiling Emperor Li Zhi... how did I turn into a princess in the blink of an eye?!"
Just as Xiao Si was about to take a closer look at her surroundings, she found herself wrapped in a pile of small floral blankets, surrounded by jade ornaments, and the air smelled of fruit—no, it smelled of milk! It turned out that she had become a "baby" less than a year old again!
Xiao Si: (Looking at the little cloth tiger in her hand) "This is so unethical! I, a transmigrator, have only experienced the pinnacle of power for a few days, and I've already been demoted? Forget about being called Zhaoyi sister-in-law, I'd have to learn to speak properly before I can even call Li Shimin 'Father'!"
Xiao Cui: (Runs in carrying a diaper) "Princess, you're awake! Come, come, let me change your diaper first. The Emperor will be coming to see you later, so you'd better look your best!"
Little Si: (hugging the blanket, struggling) "Hey hey hey! Keep diapers away from me! Your princess is a mature adult now! Ah... no, which princess am I now?? I have the right to change diapers, right?"
Xiao Cui: (with a serious expression) "Princess, you struggled like this last time too, and with a whoosh, all my clothes were ruined. The Emperor said that although you are young, you have the temper of an empress and can't be coaxed!"
Xiao Si: (Speechless) "That's right, since I am Wu Zetian! But... I need to figure out the historical progression first. Which part of the script am I in right now?"
(At this moment, a clear voice rang out from outside the door, and Zi'an's figure flashed by.)
Zi'an: (Peeking in) "Oh dear, where did the Yonghui Rhinoceros go in Consort Zhao's body? Oh no, it should be called the Anding Rhinoceros now. What's wrong? I heard your 'past life' didn't have a very good reputation? Did you resort to the 'bedside seclusion method' again? Oh dear, little rhinoceros, I'm embarrassed for you! At least I, a fake eunuch, am quite stable. Did you secretly eat wild ginseng again without following the dosage?"
Xiao Si knew something was wrong when she saw this guy arrive, but he seemed to be deaf to everyone around him: (She rolled her eyes at Zi An) "What seclusion? I'm just 'recharging' in my own universe, it's fate's arrangement! As for you, Zi An, you didn't just transmigrate here to lie around and watch the show, did you?!"
Zi'an: (Holding the doll in front of the baby An Ding) "What? Is it not okay? I'm the royal 'unofficial historian,' specifically in charge of supervising time-travel operations! By the way, your current role is quite challenging—history records say you didn't die very gracefully, 'suffocated in bed' or something, really..."
An Ding Si, with her legs bent: (flaring up, slapping the edge of the crib, her face flushed with anger) "Stop, stop, stop! The history books are all made up! They say I 'suffocated in bed,' and that's fine, but they even pinned the blame on Consort Zhao! How can I accept that?!"
Zi'an: (Nods, giving an "I understand" look) "Indeed, even the two works that criticize Wu Zetian—'A Proclamation Against Wu Zetian' and 'New Tales of the Tang Dynasty,' which focus on her swords, spears, cannons, and rockets—don't mention this. It seems someone really did embellish your story in history! Back then, the historians used you as material to write a blockbuster script. It definitely proves that someone made it up. Why don't you rewrite the script and become a main character who survives to the end?"
An Ding Si: (Clapping her hands) "Great idea! I have to let Brother Zhi Nu and Consort Zhao know that I am not an ordinary 'An Ding'. I have to let Father who traveled through time this time know that I, An Ding Si, will live to the fullest!"
Zi'an: (Looking surprised) "Now Wu Zetian is your biological mother! Emperor Gaozong is your biological father! Stop calling her sister-in-law, okay?"
An Ding Si: (Staring wide-eyed at Zi An, her face full of suspicion) "This guy is something else! It's one thing to understand my baby babbling, but he can even talk to me? He might actually be a member of some kind of 'transmigration inspection team,' a professional at stalking transmigrators! Could it be that I entered the country illegally and am being secretly observed?!"
Zi An: (Lazily swinging the cloth tiger, raising an eyebrow at her) "Oh, little Sisi, don't overthink it. What? With your babyish appearance, how could you be wanted? I'm just a dedicated bystander, and I'm also giving some guidance to a beginner like you so you don't crash and burn as soon as you enter the game."
An Ding Si: (Squinting, clicking his tongue in amazement) "Wow! Goodness, it seems you, the 'observer,' are programmed with quantum entanglement, right? Specializing in this kind of surveillance work?! Tell me, do you also carry a 'time travel guide' with you, specifically teaching marginalized people like me how to turn the tables?"
Zi An: (Pretending to be serious) "You know what, I really did bring a copy of 'What Transmigrators Should Know'!"
Article 1: It is strictly forbidden to spread nonsense and distort historical records beyond recognition.
Article 2: Modern thinking must not be exposed, lest it frighten the ancients.
The third one...
An Ding Si: (Quickly interrupting) "Alright, alright! If you keep going with these rules, what's the point of playing?! I just want to ask, can the 'baby cheat' be exempted? I need someone to carry me even when I'm walking!"
Zi An: (Approaching her with a wicked smile) "Don't worry, Xiao Si, we have a 'Time Travel Beginner's Pack' to help you get started easily, and we even provide after-sales service. But let me make this clear beforehand: if you mess around, don't blame me, the 'unofficial historian,' for reporting you directly to the 'space-time cosmic court' and getting your account 'locked'."
An Ding Si: (Taking a big gulp of milk, tilting her head back and glaring angrily at him while biting the nipple) "Locked account?! You really think I'm a gamer? You wait, once I learn to stand and walk properly, I'll show you how to slap your 'professionalism' in the face!"
Xiao Cui started busy changing her diaper, and Zi An interjected again: "Princess An Ding, since your peak of life starts now, then you should drink your milk obediently first, so you don't get hungry!"
Xiao Si: (Helplessly) "Alright, alright, let's fill our stomachs first. Our plan to seize the opportunity and make a comeback in the Tang Dynasty needs to be done step by step!"
And so, Princess Anding of history has carved out a humorous and dramatic path from a mere "legend of her bedside." Will she be able to turn the tables and achieve her goal? We shall wait and see!