Chapter Fifty-Nine: Rumors Run Wild

Under Xue Ne’s guidance and Liu Shenwei’s assistance, Pei Min devoted himself to rigorous training in horsemanship and mounted archery within the manor.

Yet, while Pei Min remained oblivious to the outside world, a scandalous rumor inexplicably spread throughout Chang’an: the current top scholar, Pei Min, had become the favored guest of Princess Taiping’s inner chamber.

Princess Taiping already had a notorious reputation, with frequent whispers of romantic liaisons—from Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Zongchang to the current prime minister Cui Shi, the right secretary Lu Zangyong, and even the monk Huifan—all rumored entanglements that blurred the lines between truth and falsehood. The world was never short of gossipmongers eager to spread sensational tales.

This time, the spotlight fell on Pei Min. His recent achievement as the top scholar was still fresh in Chang’an’s memory, and the news quickly circulated, becoming the talk of the town.

Within a few days, half of Chang’an was abuzz with the story.

The more it spread, the more real it seemed, and many inexplicable details began to leak out.

For instance, the house Princess Taiping supposedly gifted to Pei Min was said to belong to Xue Shao, her first and most beloved husband. Even after she was forced to marry Wu Youji under Empress Wu Zetian’s orders and became part of the Wu family, she would still spend a few days each month at the Xue residence, turning Wu Youji into a laughingstock in Chang’an. Another example was how Pei Min effortlessly passed the Ministry of Personnel’s re-examination, allegedly due to Princess Taiping’s secret intervention. Meanwhile, Lu Zangyong, the right secretary, waited half a day to see her but was outshone by the newcomer Pei Min...

Each detail was presented with such plausibility it felt as if witnessed firsthand.

A completely fabricated story grew in credibility until it became widely accepted as fact.

Yet behind these rumors was one person deeply angered: Lu Zangyong, who had unwittingly become a supporting character in this drama.

“You whelp! How dare you use my name? Outrageous!” he growled.

Lu Zangyong was a man of great talent, skilled in poetry and prose, proficient in various script styles including cursive, clerical, seal, and official scripts. Born into the prestigious Lu family of Fanyang, he was rightly called a refined and accomplished scion of a noble house. However, his path to office was far from honorable. Despite his noble lineage, he gained fame through self-promotion and cleverly secluded himself near the emperor, earning the nickname “Hermit at the Imperial Escort.” This strategy caught Wu Zetian’s attention, who appointed him a lowly eighth-rank official, Left Shiyi. From there, his rise was meteoric; within a few years, he became Vice Minister of Personnel and now served as Right Secretary, a key figure in the Ministry’s administration.

The rumors were crafted with such precision—part truth, part fiction—that they were the hardest to discern and most readily believed.

Yet any discerning eye could tell these stories were deliberately planted and manipulated. It was impossible for such seemingly well-founded tales to emerge without design. The origin, however, was elusive.

Lu Zangyong had long suspected that Pei Min himself orchestrated this spectacle. To him, it mirrored his own cunning shortcut to power—self-promotion leading to rewards and recognition. Pei Min’s boastful claims of a fleeting romance with Princess Taiping were a calculated bid for acceptance and favor from her faction.

Lu Zangyong bore no grudge against such ambition; on the contrary, he admired it deeply. But to borrow his name only to trample him for personal gain was intolerable. Moreover, the fact that Princess Taiping had ignored him to meet Pei Min first had already left him deeply resentful.

“Uncle, please calm yourself!” Pei Yu bowed respectfully, lowering his head. “I have told you before, Pei Min is as cunning as a fox and will stop at nothing to advance. Do not underestimate him... My own downfall today is partly because of him.”

The Pei family stood just below the five great clans in status and maintained close ties with them. One of Pei Yu’s elder sisters was married into the Lu family of Fanyang, making Pei Yu Lu Zangyong's nephew by generation. When Pei Yu came to Chang’an, he stayed at Lu Zangyong’s residence thanks to this connection.

Through their interactions, Lu Zangyong grew to appreciate Pei Yu’s capability and considered bringing him into Princess Taiping’s circle. However, during an attempt to introduce Pei Yu to the princess, she unexpectedly met Pei Min first.

Only then did Lu Zangyong realize the deep enmity between Pei Min and Pei Yu.

Pei Yu had long whispered slander and provoked trouble against Pei Min, which Lu Zangyong had dismissed with a smile at the time, unwilling to take mere rumors seriously. As a seasoned minister, he was cautious about trusting hearsay. But now that the matter involved himself and linked to Pei Yu’s provocations, disbelief was no longer possible.

Lu Zangyong snorted coldly, “Such a reckless brat! Does he really think Lu Zangyong is someone to be trifled with?”

A gleam of satisfaction appeared in Pei Yu’s eyes. The true instigator behind the rumors was not Pei Min but himself. Seeing his uncle’s displeasure at Princess Taiping’s favor toward Pei Min—knowing Lu Zangyong dared not blame the princess directly—he seized the opportunity to fan the flames against Pei Min, successfully stirring his uncle’s wrath.

Lu Zangyong, mindful of Princess Taiping’s favor toward Pei Min, was reluctant to act overtly. Fixing his gaze on Pei Yu, a thought struck him.

“Nephew, that Pei Min boldly claimed he’d trample you underfoot for life, didn’t he? Hmph, I refuse to believe it. You perform well at the Ministry of Rites; within three months, I’ll have you promoted. Let him see what real power looks like. I don’t believe that upstart could rise so swiftly in just three months!”

Pei Yu bowed, “It may not be impossible, Uncle. You are unaware that Pei Min is skilled in both civil and martial arts and is no ordinary man. Besides passing the civil exams, he has qualified for the martial examination, which he will soon take.”

“What?” Lu Zangyong was baffled. “He topped the civil exam, and now he’s going to try the martial one too?”

Pei Yu nodded. “He certainly won’t miss this chance. His swordsmanship is remarkable, and his archery on foot is well-practiced. Though his horsemanship and mounted archery are unconfirmed, from what I know, there’s a seventy percent chance he’ll pass the martial examination, and even a possibility of excelling.”

Frowning, Lu Zangyong looked at Pei Yu with a trace of shock. “Is he really that formidable?”

Pei Yu smiled wryly. “Reluctant as I am to admit it, he is indeed a formidable opponent. Someone favored by the Grand Commander and the Princess cannot be ordinary.”

A sharp glint flashed in Lu Zangyong’s eyes. His voice chilled, “If that’s the case, we can’t just stand by. I recall Dou Chen is the Assistant Director of the Ministry of War, responsible for the martial exams. He is the cousin of Li Ci, the Right Yulin General, who serves under General Chang Yuankai... Perhaps!”

With this in mind, he said to Pei Yu, “Write letters in my name to Chang Yuankai and Li Ci. I want to invite them to my residence for a discussion.”

“Yes, Uncle!” Pei Yu bowed and took his leave, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.