Hongxi Crown Prince was the nominal heir apparent, but his position was far from secure. Not to mention his eight ambitious brothers, even among the court officials, few supported him. The late Emperor had left a mess for Empress Dowager Yide to handle, yet it fell upon Hongxi Crown Prince to restore order to this chaotic realm.
The eight brothers had each carved out their own territories and were now pressing for the throne. Empress Dowager Yide was at her wits' end, with no choice but to seek external aid. It was then that a certain figure emerged—Qi Man, the princess of the Eastern Barbarian Country. Hongxi Crown Prince was not only genuinely virtuous and talented, with a heart for the realm, but also exceptionally handsome and graceful. At that time, the Eastern Barbarian Country had not yet been conquered and was a force to be reckoned with. The princess had once caught a glimpse of Hongxi Crown Prince during her visit to the Da Jin Dynasty and had secretly set her heart on him. Unfortunately, Hongxi Crown Prince politely declined her affections.
Hongxi Crown Prince's consort was none other than Xiang Xiaoyuan, the foremost female physician of the Da Jin Dynasty. Though not as stunningly beautiful as Qi Man, Xiang Xiaoyuan possessed remarkable medical skills and a mind full of strange and novel ideas. She was not from an official family but had emerged from the wilderness. Once, she had saved the life of a high-ranking minister on the brink of death—reportedly by performing some kind of "surgery"—and was subsequently granted the position of court physician. The path to their marriage had been fraught with difficulties, but in the end, Hongxi Crown Prince had won her heart. He had always been chaste in matters of romance and truly loved Xiang Xiaoyuan. Apart from her as his consort, he did not even have a single bedroom maid in his household. How could he possibly agree to the absurd proposal of divorcing Xiang Xiaoyuan to marry the princess?
To Empress Dowager Yide, however, this was irrational. Admittedly, she too admired Xiang Xiaoyuan's intelligence and her extraordinary perspective, unlike any other woman's. But to forsake the great cause of the realm for the sake of a woman was not the act of a wise ruler. Perhaps Hongxi Crown Prince was indeed not a suitable emperor—his heart was not ruthless enough. Yet he was undoubtedly a good husband and father.
Qi Man made it clear: if Hongxi Crown Prince agreed, the Eastern Barbarian Country would lend 100,000 troops to help the Da Jin Dynasty quell the rebellion of the eight princes. Hongxi Crown Prince refused, but the current Emperor would not stand for it. The Emperor and Hongxi Crown Prince had always been close, sharing the same thoughts since childhood—even their taste in women aligned. Xiang Xiaoyuan, with her intelligence unlike any other woman, had captured the hearts of both. But in Xiang Xiaoyuan's eyes, the Emperor was merely a younger brother. He could only watch as she married his elder brother.
Perhaps out of jealousy and resentment, or perhaps because his heart was better suited to being an emperor than Hongxi Crown Prince's, he agreed to Qi Man's terms. He would find a way to let Qi Man have Hongxi Crown Prince first, then send troops to aid the Da Jin Dynasty. The Emperor's true intention was merely a temporary expedient. He believed it was just a matter of fleeting passion—Hongxi Crown Prince would ultimately lose nothing. As long as Qi Man was placated for the time being, once the rebellion was suppressed, they could find an excuse to cast her aside. That would suffice.The only variable was Xiang Xiaoyuan. Emotionally, she was unlike any other woman in this world, insisting that a man should have only one woman in his lifetime and that having multiple wives or concubines was a sin. Such a notion was considered treasonous in the Da Jin Dynasty, yet the Hongxi Crown Prince had agreed to it. No matter how much pressure others exerted on them, the Crown Prince remained resolute. The Emperor, knowing he could never match such devotion, secretly mocked and waited to see Xiang Xiaoyuan's disappointment. To everyone's astonishment, however, Xiang Xiaoyuan's radiant smile spoke of pure happiness—the Crown Prince had kept his word.
If Xiang Xiaoyuan were to learn of this matter, the consequences would be unpredictable. Yet for the sake of the Da Jin Dynasty—or perhaps due to the Emperor's own hidden malice—he ultimately made a decision he would regret for the rest of his life.
At that time, Xiang Xiaoyuan had just given birth to Xiao Shao, who had just turned one month old. On the day of the full-month celebration, countless guests came and went, making the occasion extraordinarily lively.
Exactly how Qi Man and the Hongxi Crown Prince ended up in bed together undoubtedly involved the Emperor's own machinations. Yet when Xiang Xiaoyuan witnessed the scene before her, she did not erupt in anger as everyone expected. Instead, she remained composed and gracious, preserving the Crown Prince's dignity and leaving Qi Man, who had intended to provoke and gloat, speechless.
Xiang Xiaoyuan personally arranged for the Crown Prince to marry Qi Man.
Though fiery and passionate by nature, with an almost possessive desire in matters of the heart, Xiang Xiaoyuan was ultimately a woman who understood the greater good. She swallowed her bitterness silently, prioritizing the peace and stability of the dynasty.
The Hongxi Crown Prince, having been schemed against by his own younger brother, loathed Qi Man deeply. Xiang Xiaoyuan's self-sacrifice only deepened his affection for his wife. Far from driving them apart, the incident brought them even closer. As for Qi Man, now residing in the palace, the couple acted as though she did not exist.
Everyone had underestimated the Eastern Barbarian Country's princess—or perhaps they assumed a mere woman could not stir much trouble. Little did they know the terrifying power of a woman's jealousy. Unable to endure the man she loved treating her with indifference while showering another woman with tenderness, Qi Man resorted to extreme measures. Skilled in the sorcerer's secret arts, she controlled Xiang Xiaoyuan by inflicting her with a horrifying Gu poison. Her plan was to use Xiang Xiaoyuan to manipulate the Crown Prince, but Xiang Xiaoyuan was too strong-willed. Knowing that the future ruler of a nation must never be controlled by a woman, she chose to leave on her own. A master of medicine, she sought to cure herself in seclusion—preferring death to becoming a pawn.
Fate often strikes without warning. Xiang Xiaoyuan's departure became her final farewell to the Hongxi Crown Prince. She never succeeded in curing the poison. Not long after, someone arrived bearing her ashes—it was Yaqi Xiansheng (Mr. Yaqi). Though older than Xiang Xiaoyuan, he was considered her disciple. Before coming to the capital, Xiang Xiaoyuan had lived with him deep in the mountains. She had imparted all her medical knowledge to him, and he, in turn, had acknowledged her as his young master.Hongxi Crown Prince suffered a devastating blow and was about to kill Qi Man when Empress Dowager Yide intervened. Qi Man offered that if the Crown Prince treated her well, the Eastern Barbarian Country’s hundred thousand troops could still be lent. However, Hongxi Crown Prince refused. In a solitary act of courage, he personally led a campaign to quell the rebellion, taking the infant Xiao Shao with him and leaving only a letter behind. He stated that the imperial throne was ultimately not meant for him, but before stepping down, since Xiang Xiaoyuan had already sacrificed herself for the greater good, he would ensure the empire was handed over safely to the Emperor.
Historical records document how the Crown Prince, skilled in governance and warfare, charged ahead fearlessly during the Eight Princes' Rebellion, achieving sweeping victories. Yet, the true brutality of war could never be fully captured in books. Hongxi Crown Prince paid a heavy price—during the final battle, after capturing enemy forces, he was suddenly surrounded by a hundred thousand Eastern Barbarian soldiers who had ambushed him. These troops had come specifically for him. Refusing to surrender, the Crown Prince fought to the bitter end and ultimately perished beneath the trampling hooves of the enemy army. The young prince also perished in that battle.
In truth, however, Xiao Shao did not die. Long before the battle, Hongxi Crown Prince had foreseen the Eastern Barbarian Country’s potential betrayal. He had secretly switched Xiao Shao with the son of a loyal guard, using the infant as a decoy. The real Xiao Shao was raised in the Brocade Hero King Manor.
Though Hongxi Crown Prince died, his relentless tactics ultimately crushed the Eight Princes' Rebellion in a brutal and decisive manner. The Emperor ascended the throne, marking the end of the chaotic struggle for power. In the early days of his reign, the Emperor’s position was unstable, and most of Hongxi Crown Prince’s already dwindling loyalists had perished in the rebellion. Left with no choice, Empress Dowager Yide arranged for Princess Yuan Rong to marry into an allied nation to secure support.
Once the Emperor consolidated his power, his first act was to annihilate the Eastern Barbarian Country, the root of all suffering. Though weakened, the Eastern Barbarian Country had overstepped its bounds, and its princess’s arrogance demanded retribution in blood and land. The country was destroyed, but the princess’s whereabouts remained unknown. The dead, however, could never return.
As time passed, the Da Jin Dynasty gradually stabilized. Old ministers passed away, new officials took their places, and few remained who remembered the horrors of the rebellion. It seemed as though everyone tacitly agreed that the empire had been peacefully handed down from the late Emperor to the current ruler—as if there had never been a Hongxi Crown Prince or a Princess Yuan Rong. History remembers only the victors, while the sacrifices of the fallen are reduced to mere footnotes.
But some still remembered. Jinying Wang was one of them. He and his wife, the Princess of Brocade Glory, had been Hongxi Crown Prince’s loyal followers—or rather, his closest friends. The Crown Prince, known for his generosity and righteousness, had once done Jinying Wang an immense favor. The Brocade Hero King Manor had always been part of the Crown Prince’s faction. Before disaster struck, Hongxi Crown Prince had entrusted Xiao Shao to Jinying Wang’s care, instructing him to keep the child’s true identity a secret. Perhaps he wished to spare his son the same fate—the gilded cage of royalty, its unseen burdens and sorrows. Maybe an ordinary life among the common folk would bring greater happiness.The Prince and Princess of Brocade Glory indeed kept their word, publicly declaring Xiao Shao as their own flesh and blood. The couple never had another child and genuinely cherished Xiao Shao as their own.
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Shao grew from a babbling toddler into a tall and upright youth. However, his true identity was eventually exposed. People from the Eastern Barbarian Country seemed to have infiltrated the capital, likely aware of the events from years past, and assassins began appearing around Xiao Shao. Just as the Eastern Barbarians discovered his origins, the Emperor also finally found him.
Had the Hongxi Crown Prince not died back then, the throne would have rightfully been his. The Emperor had long carried guilt over his unintended actions that led to the deaths of Xiang Xiaoyuan and his elder brother. For years, he believed Xiao Shao had perished as well, never imagining the supposedly dead child had been living right under his nose. Naturally, he sought to groom Xiao Shao as the future heir.
Yet the Prince of Brocade Glory stood firmly against the Emperor. He remained steadfast in his promise to the Hongxi Crown Prince—never to reveal Xiao Shao’s true identity or allow him to return to the palace. Furious but powerless, the Emperor found Xiao Shao still unaware of his lineage.
At this time, remnants of the former rebellion stirred chaos in the capital, daring to defy the throne. Seizing the opportunity, the Emperor presented the Prince of Brocade Glory with an impossible task—suppressing the revolt without granting him the military seal. The Emperor intended to use this as leverage, but that very night, the Prince left the capital to quell the rebellion. Believing a true man should die for a worthy cause, he embraced his fate. In this doomed campaign, the Prince outmaneuvered the Emperor one last time—issuing secret orders to the Brocade-clad Guards, making it appear as though they were staging a revolt.
The Prince died on the battlefield, but rumors of the Brocade-clad Guards’ rebellion spread like wildfire. With his life, he had shielded Xiao Shao’s secret. From then on, Xiao Shao was branded a traitorous subject, facing immense obstacles should he ever seek to enter court. Even the Emperor’s plans for him became far more complicated. Most importantly, Xiao Shao himself would no longer be willing.
As for the Eastern Barbarians who had caught wind of the truth, this turn of events sowed enough confusion to buy Xiao Shao precious time to grow stronger.
The Princess of Brocade Glory revealed Xiao Shao’s true origins in full, then hanged herself the next day to follow her husband in death. Overnight, Xiao Shao faced earth-shattering upheaval—the illustrious Brocade Hero King Manor was now a den of traitors, and his own origins were more tangled than ever. The Prince and Princess had treated him with genuine love, forging a bond no different from that of true parents and child. To suddenly learn his birth parents were others—this was nothing short of staggering.
The Brocade-clad Guards had always answered to the Brocade Hero King Manor, yet the Prince himself had been loyal to the Hongxi Crown Prince. These hundred thousand guards were less a legacy from the Prince and more a force the Hongxi Crown Prince had left for Xiao Shao years ago. Before this, Xiao Shao had never commanded them, nor would they blindly obey a young master.
In those few short years, Xiao Shao trained in assassination arts at Mount Canaan, rapidly maturing until he finally earned the Brocade-clad Guards’ recognition and the authority to wield the military token.
And the first thing he intended to do was seek vengeance.Although the Eastern Barbarian Country had long been destroyed, its remnants repeatedly attempted to make a comeback. Qi Man's former subordinates were particularly restless, waiting for an opportunity to strike against the Da Jin Dynasty. Over the years, Xiao Shao had ventured deep into the Eastern Barbarian Country multiple times, uncovering what seemed to be an extremely mysterious force uniting the scattered remnants of the Eastern Barbarian people. Though it appeared insignificant on the surface, one day their conspiracy would inevitably confront the Da Jin Dynasty.
After Xiao Shao finished speaking, Jiang Ruan quietly gazed at him. From beginning to end, his expression remained calm, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as ink, making it impossible to discern his emotions. It seemed he had always been this way—never revealing his thoughts—or perhaps it was because he had experienced enough in the past that nothing could easily stir his pain now.
Jiang Ruan slowly walked to his side and wrapped her arms around his waist. Whoever it might be, feeling some warmth at such a time was always comforting. Xiao Shao stiffened slightly, as if trembling for a moment, before slowly covering her delicate hands encircling his waist with his own.
"If you refuse to enter the palace and become Emperor, and he treats you this way, why bother with the affairs of the Eastern Barbarian Country?" Jiang Ruan said softly. "You want revenge, don’t you? You can’t let it go, can you?"
The "he" naturally referred to the Emperor. In this entire matter, the Emperor was an unpleasant presence—like the saying, 'The son did not kill Bo Ren, yet Bo Ren died because of him.' Perhaps it was due to his position, but in Jiang Ruan’s eyes, among Empress Dowager Yide’s children, neither the Hongxi Crown Prince nor the Emperor were truly suited for the throne. Princess Yuan Rong, on the other hand, was dignified and composed—unfortunately, she was born a woman. The Hongxi Crown Prince was too soft-hearted and emotional, better suited to be a carefree nobleman. The current Emperor, meanwhile, was like a spoiled child. Though his high position had forced him to change over the years, at his core, he remained the same—selfish and willful.
(End of Chapter)
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