Extra Chapter 3: Zhao Yue
【1】
In the late autumn of the seventh year of Chunxi, a torrential downpour fell.
It was on that night that Zhao Yue entered the palace. Before going in, he had already taken a feigned death drug. When he awoke, he was already outside the palace. Gu Chusheng stood outside the coffin, looking at him with a hoarse voice: "Your Highness, the Eldest Princess has arranged everything. The body double has died. From now on, you will reside in the Eldest Princess’s residence and follow her arrangements."
Zhao Yue said nothing. He quietly watched Gu Chusheng, whose hands trembled slightly as he gripped the coffin. Though only fifteen years old, Gu Chusheng already appeared remarkably composed. Zhao Yue sat up in the coffin, clearing his dry throat, and asked instead: "What about your father?"
"Father... has passed away."
Zhao Yue wasn’t surprised by this. Gu Chusheng had handed over both him and Minister Gu to Emperor Chunyuan to gain his trust, then had him executed under torture in front of the emperor to completely dispel Emperor Chunyuan’s suspicions. Gu Chusheng’s father had long been exposed; regardless, he was destined to die.
Zhao Yue remained silent. Gu Chusheng took a step back and bowed. "Your Highness, please hurry."
Zhao Yue nodded. Supported by guards beside him, he stood up and looked around. The area was filled with corpses—this was a mass burial ground. Among the dead were some he recognized. His expression shifted slightly. After a moment, he turned to Gu Chusheng and said calmly, "From now on, who am I?"
"You are the Eldest Princess’s male concubine."
"What is my name?"
"You must wait for the Eldest Princess to bestow a name."
"Where are you going?"
"I will soon depart for Kunyang."
"Gu Chusheng," he said calmly, glancing back at the corpses on the hill, "I want to ask you a question."
"Please speak."
"Was this entire matter arranged by the Eldest Princess?"
Gu Chusheng paused, then nodded after a moment. "Yes."
Zhao Yue said nothing. After a while, he let out a low laugh.
"Good." He nodded, laughing as he spoke. "Then I give my life to her."
Even with Gu Chusheng’s clever mind, at fifteen he still didn’t understand what Zhao Yue meant at that time.
It was only in the end that he realized—when Zhao Yue said he would give his life to her, he truly meant it.
【2】
Zhao Yue was originally the Qin Prince Heir.
When the Great Chu was first established, its founding emperor Zhao Hui and Li Rong were sworn brothers. Together, they pacified the realm—the Zhao clan became emperors, while the Li clan served as their supporters. However, all military power belonged to the Li clan.
Zhao Yue’s mother was an adopted daughter of the Li family. Gentle and humble by nature, from the time Zhao Yue could remember, his mother had always told him that every wicked person in this world had their reasons—one must learn to forgive evil and protect goodness.
In his youth, he didn’t understand her words, only knowing to follow behind his mother and emulate everything she did.
At that time, the Qin Prince’s residence was rife with disputes and complications. His mother only knew how to yield. With the Li family’s immense influence, his father seemed to bear grievances and vented them all on him and his mother. Not wanting to worsen the relationship between her family and the Qin Prince, his mother never complained to anyone.
He remembered one time when his younger brother pushed him into the water.
He flailed in the water, hearing everyone laughing around him.He felt the despair of lake water flooding his mouth and nose, the terror of impending death consuming his entire being. At the final moment, his mother pulled him from the lake. Clutching her hand, coughing and trembling, he raised his hand and pointed at his brother whose name he couldn't even remember: "He tried to kill me..."
His mother froze momentarily. He gripped the corner of her garment, his voice hoarse: "Mother, he tried to kill me! Order his punishment!"
His mother remained silent. The mother and son stood surrounded by onlookers, like two wretched yet docile dogs—clearly possessing fangs yet utterly powerless.
Never before had he felt such grief and indignation, such overwhelming injustice. He tightened his grip on his mother's sleeve, raising his voice in anger: "Mother! He tried to kill me! Do you understand?! He wanted me dead!"
His mother still didn't comprehend. He pushed her away, struggling to attack the youth who had pushed him into the water. But his mother caught him in a tight embrace, her voice rasping: "Yue'er, let it go. He's still young, doesn't know better."
Zhao Yue stiffened, turning back with disbelief.
He wanted to ask—what did "doesn't know better" mean?
He was only seven years old himself. Why wasn't he considered "young"? Why must he be the one who "knows better"?
The injustice washed over him in waves, though at that time he couldn't understand where it came from. He simply cried and struggled while his mother desperately held him. Until finally, a clear young girl's voice rang out: "My, my, what's all this about?"
Everyone froze. The quicker-witted maids immediately knelt, calling out loudly: "Greetings to the County Princess. May the County Princess enjoy golden peace."
Then Zhao Yue saw a girl adorned with hairpins, dressed in luxurious attire and holding a horsewhip, emerge gracefully from behind the garden.
Her beauty was bold and radiant. Though merely twelve or thirteen, one could already see the stunning elegance she would possess in the future.
Her phoenix eyes swept the surroundings before settling on Zhao Yue with a smile.
"What happened here?"
As she inquired, the maids began to speak but the girl pointed her whip at Zhao Yue: "I want him to tell me."
"Chunhua..." his mother called helplessly from behind, "don't cause trouble."
"Sister Rui, don't say more. Your temperament gives me earache after a few sentences."
With that, her gaze fixed on Zhao Yue as she smiled: "Come now, tell me what happened."
"He pushed me into the water just now," Zhao Yue shook off his restraining mother and approached the girl, furious. "I heard them laughing at me. None of them came to save me. I'm the Qin Prince Heir, my mother is the Princess Consort, yet none of them came to rescue me. Only my mother..."
Though his words were fragmented and disjointed, they sufficiently conveyed his ordeal. The girl's expression grew increasingly cold. When he finished speaking, she suddenly charged forward and, catching everyone off guard, kicked his perpetually smug brother into the lake.
"Since when can people from my Li family be treated like this?!"
The girl shouted angrily amid the crowd's gasps, directing people to kick all the servants who had been present into the water one by one.
"Bunch of servants daring not to rescue their master? You're all fucking asking for death!"
Cursing and beating them simultaneously, the girl left Zhao Yue utterly stunned. Finally, she turned to Zhao Yue and his mother with a smiling face.
"Sister," she said with underlying anger though maintaining her smile, "Father sent me to see how you're doing. He said if life here isn't good, you might as well come home with us.""I..." Zhao Yue's mother said slowly, "I've been doing well..."
Zhao Yue didn't speak, tightening his grip on his mother's sleeve. Li Chunhua smiled: "Really?"
"Really."
"Good." Li Chunhua nodded, then turned to Zhao Yue with a smile: "What about you? Have you been doing well too?"
Zhao Yue pressed his lips together. Li Chunhua crouched down: "Yue'er," she said gently, "I'm your aunt. If you're not doing well, I'll take you with me."
"I..."
"He's doing fine too. The prince treats us..."
His mother quickly interjected, but as Zhao Yue looked into Li Chunhua's eyes, he saw light and hope, so he couldn't help but speak up: "I'll go with you."
These words stunned everyone, yet once spoken, he never regretted them. He stepped forward, firmly grabbing her sleeve, looking up at her with clenched teeth: "Aunt, take me with you."
【3】
So she took him away.
By then, the Li family had reached the peak of their influence at court. Though he was a prince's heir coming to the capital to live with the Lis, no one dared say anything about it.
He was somewhat timid back then, unfamiliar with everyone, and simply followed Li Chunhua around, obeying whatever she said.
Thus he learned that his mother was an adopted daughter of the Li family, learned that this young woman called Li Chunhua was his aunt, and learned that he actually had a family where no one could bully him.
He was afraid of the dark back then, so Li Chunhua would come to his room every day, telling him stories until he fell asleep before leaving.
Once he asked: "Aunt, when I grow up, will you stop staying with me at night?"
Li Chunhua nodded: "Yes."
"If you're not with me, what should I do?"
Hearing this, Li Chunhua laughed: "If I'm not with you, you'll have a wife."
"If I have a wife, will you stop being with me?"
"That's right."
"Then I don't want a wife," he said seriously. "I only want you."
Hearing this, Li Chunhua was amused by him. Her expression softened as she said slowly: "Go to sleep. As long as you remain this well-behaved, I'll always be with you."
"What counts as well-behaved?"
Li Chunhua thought carefully: "Being a kind person?"
Then she smiled: "Cherish all living beings as a human, protect the country and family as a man, and stay true to your heart as yourself—that's probably what being well-behaved means."
The words were too profound—she thought Zhao Yue wouldn't understand, but he already comprehended.
He engraved Li Chunhua's words in his heart, obeying her and learning to become the person she would like.
She was but a faint glimmer of light, yet enough to illuminate his entire life.
【4】
He stayed with the Li family for six years, growing from a child into an elegant young man.
With his gentle temperament, he gained quite a reputation in the capital. By then, the emperor had finally grown dissatisfied with the Li family and began suppressing them everywhere. Though only fourteen, he was sensitive enough to these matters and began worrying for the Li family.
Yet Li Chunhua still appeared completely unaware. Seeing Zhao Yue troubled, she would tap her golden fingernails and tell him: "What are you afraid of? If the sky falls, your aunt will hold it up for you."
He smiled shyly but said nothing.However, the situation took a drastic turn for the worse. That year at the palace banquet, he accompanied Li Chunhua to attend. Throughout the entire banquet, the Zhao family repeatedly humiliated the Li family in their conversations. He remained composed, and Li Chunhua didn't say much either. It wasn't until the emperor left his seat and everyone dispersed that a drunken man staggered over to him.
The man, clearly intoxicated, immediately kicked him. Everyone present was stunned. Zhao Yue looked up and recognized him—it was his younger brother Zhao Shu, the same one who had pushed him into the lake years ago. Now, with his mother enjoying the emperor's favor, Zhao Shu was throwing his weight around in the Qin Prince's residence. If not for Zhao Yue's refuge with the Li family, and the fact that the Li family hadn't completely collapsed, perhaps he would already be the Qin Prince Heir.
He didn't dare fight back, knowing full well he couldn't cause trouble for the Li family at this time. Zhao Shu, however, had clearly recognized him and, accompanied by a few friends, used his drunkenness as an excuse to punch and kick him relentlessly. Those present tried to pull them apart and mediate, but no one could stop them. It was at this moment that he heard a furious roar and saw Li Chunhua rush out from the crowd, smashing a wine bottle over Zhao Shu's head. She stood in front of him, like a little leopard, reeking of alcohol, and angrily shouted, "What are you doing? Who do you think you're hitting? The Qin Prince Heir—how dare you scum lay a hand on him?!"
"Who do you think you are?" Zhao Shu roared back. "How dare you speak to me like that? Beat them! Beat them both!"
The scene quickly descended into chaos. She was pushed to the ground, and for the first time in his life, he felt such overwhelming rage. He struggled to get up, but she abruptly pulled him down and shielded him with her body.
"Don't move," she whispered through gritted teeth. "You can't move."
He froze for a moment, feeling the blows land on her. He thought of how fragile she usually was—a delicate girl who would whimper "ouch" for the slightest bump or scrape. How much must it be hurting her now?
But he understood her reasoning.
She had smashed Zhao Shu with the bottle. If the emperor investigated, he would surely use this incident to his advantage. But if Zhao Shu beat her, the emperor would have no grounds to pursue the matter.
He clenched his fists, suddenly hating himself with a burning intensity—for lacking power, for being incapable of protecting her.
His eyes reddened, his jaw tight.
The commotion ended quickly. On their way back, as he applied medicine to her wounds, she boasted, "Did you see how I smashed him? Wasn't that incredibly cool and impressive?"
He didn't respond.
A long time later, he suddenly said, "Let's rebel."
Li Chunhua was taken aback. Zhao Yue looked up, his entire body trembling. Staring at her, his voice shaking, he said, "Auntie, I can't take it anymore. I..."
"Don't say it." Li Chunhua raised her hand to cover his mouth, gazing at him gently, her voice soft. "Yue'er, don't speak. This isn't something a child should think about."
"I'm not a child anymore," he insisted, staring at her. "I'm thirteen."
Li Chunhua paused.
After a moment, she smiled.
"Yue'er, in the eyes of your elders, you'll never truly grow up."
Zhao Yue said nothing. For the rest of his life, he would come to despise those words.
【5】
As expected, the emperor did not pursue the matter. But when someone is determined to find fault, they will always find a way.
Not long after, under the pretext of "violating regulations," the emperor sent him back to the Qin Prince's residence.The Qin Prince's residence was a thousand miles from Huajing. When he received the news, he was completely stunned. He went to find Li Chunhua, but she refused to see him. He desperately pounded on her door, anxiously pleading, "Auntie, think of a way. I can’t leave, I don’t want to go..."
"Yue'er," her voice came from behind the door, weary, "Go back. You are the Qin Prince Heir, after all, you must return."
He stood frozen in place. After a long while, he slowly said, "After I go back, when will you come for me, Auntie?"
Li Chunhua remained silent.
Zhao Yue then muttered to himself, "I know, these are difficult times. Auntie, I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait for you to come for me."
Forcing a smile, he added, "Auntie, I’ll set off now. I won’t make things difficult for you. I’ll go back right away."
Li Chunhua said nothing. Only after Zhao Yue’s footsteps faded into the distance did she break down, sobbing uncontrollably, unsure why she had reacted so intensely.
Zhao Yue returned to the Qin Prince’s residence that very day. Upon his arrival, he was led to a dilapidated side room. As he entered, he was struck by the strong smell of medicine. His mother lay in bed, having been ill for a long time.
He sat beside her, gazing at her frail form on the sickbed.
She smiled weakly and struggled to speak, "You’re back?"
"Yes," he replied calmly, "Auntie told me to come back. She said she’d come for us in a while."
His mother could barely make out his words. Lying in bed, she simply nodded repeatedly, murmuring, "It’s good that you’re back. It’s good that you’re back."
From that day on, he devoted himself to caring for his mother. Each day, he would mark a line on the bedframe, counting the days as he waited for Li Chunhua.
The Qin Prince despised both him and his mother. Their status in the residence was lower than that of servants. He planted vegetables in the courtyard to scrape by, but they were often trampled and ruined.
Being beaten was a common occurrence. Fortunately, a few of his half-brothers would occasionally "take pity" on him after the beatings, tossing him some silver coins when he groveled and flattered them, allowing him to buy a little food.
He understood their tactics—it was the classic "stick and carrot" approach, designed to break him not physically, but spiritually.
They sought to cripple the Qin Prince Heir, to turn him into a laughingstock in the future. They took pleasure in humiliating him, shattering his spirit, forcing him to kneel and serve them, or repeatedly admit his own worthlessness. Such treatment was routine, and even worse abuses were common.
He tried his best to gather news about Li Chunhua, but information was scarce.
Then one day, Zhao Shu returned from the capital. Seemingly enraged, he stormed into Zhao Yue’s room, wrecking everything in sight. He dragged Zhao Yue’s mother from her bed and beat her right in front of him.
"None of you Li family members are any good! You think climbing the social ladder makes you special? How dare you cause trouble for me?!"
"Bitch!" Zhao Shu roared as he struck her, "That bitch Li Chunhua!"
This was the first time since returning to the Qin Prince’s residence that Zhao Yue had heard Li Chunhua’s name mentioned.
Amid the searing pain of the beating, he desperately wanted to ask Zhao Shu how she was, whether she was doing well.
But there was no time. He could only shield his mother until Zhao Shu had vented his rage and left with his men.
Covered in bruises and agony, he looked at his mother, who had fallen unconscious, and for the first time, he felt true fear.
He rushed out, shouting for help. He needed a physician—he had to find one, no matter what.But there was no one, absolutely no one.
Everyone turned him away, some even laughing as they said, "Young Master, Lady Jade has made it clear—Her Ladyship isn't ill and doesn't need a physician."
Finally, despair set in. He returned to the room and looked at his mother, gasping on the bed. He knew with certainty that if he didn't find a doctor, she would die right there.
Gritting his teeth, he finally hoisted his mother onto his back and, under the cover of night, crawled out of the Qin Manor through a dog hole he had scouted earlier.
It was winter. He had only a few copper coins on him, wore thin clothing, and shivered uncontrollably from the cold.
He went to medical clinics, but everyone demanded payment upfront.
He had none. No matter how he pleaded, he was driven out time and again.
That day was bitterly cold. He felt his mother's body growing icy.
He begged and pleaded until, just before dawn, he heard his mother murmur, "Yue'er... I want to go home."
As she spoke, she opened her eyes. Snow was falling heavily outside, and her gaze was filled with nostalgia.
She said, "Yue'er, take me back to Huajing. I want to go home."
【6】
So he carried her home.
A fourteen-year-old boy, he lost track of how long he walked.
He only remembered begging along the streets. Few gave him money, so he scavenged for scraps of leftover food. He didn't steal, didn't rob, didn't do anything wrong—because he remembered Li Chunhua's words: she liked him when he was well-behaved.
He had to be a good person.
The winter cold kept his mother's body from rotting and stinking too quickly.
He carried that stiff corpse for what felt like an eternity, finally arriving in Huajing.
Then he went to the Li residence and knocked on the gate.
The Li household was decorated with lanterns and colored banners. He didn't know what the celebration was until he saw Li Chunhua trying on a wedding gown.
By then, he was filthy and reeked, a pitiful sight. Li Chunhua stood before a bronze mirror, dressed in bridal red, looking weary as she said, "I'll arrange a proper burial for your mother. Go wash up thoroughly. Tomorrow, I'll have someone take you back."
He didn't speak, just stared quietly at Li Chunhua.
His mind was in turmoil. After a long silence, he finally asked, "You're getting married?"
"Yes."
"To whom?"
"Xue Hanmei."
"Why?"
Zhao Yue's question was urgent. Li Chunhua remained silent, so he pressed on anxiously, "Is it to form an alliance with the Xue family? Are you planning something? There must be other ways—the Xues will surely side with the Lis now, even if you don't marry him..."
"I love him."
Li Chunhua's sudden declaration stunned Zhao Yue. She forced a difficult smile. "Yue'er, don't overthink it. I'm marrying him because I love him. I'll be happy."
"But..." Zhao Yue was dazed, his words spilling out unconsciously, "What about me?"
"You?" Li Chunhua seemed puzzled. Zhao Yue murmured, "You said... if I behaved, you'd stay with me forever..."
"Childish talk." Li Chunhua laughed softly. "I was always going to marry someday. How could I really stay with you forever?"
Zhao Yue fell silent. His world spun.
He wanted to stop her, to make her halt. As he looked at her vibrant red wedding dress, the realization struck—she was marrying, leaving him, belonging to another man. Jealousy tore through him, driving him to the brink of madness.
His entire body trembled. Something within him suddenly became clear."If..." his voice trembled, "if... I married you?"
"Yue'er," Li Chunhua frowned, "don't speak like a child."
"If I marry you, then you wouldn't have to marry someone else, wouldn't leave me, could stay with me forever, caring only for me, loving only me, accompanying only me?!"
"Zhao Yue!"
Li Chunhua shouted angrily, "What nonsense are you saying?!"
"I'm speaking nonsense?" Zhao Yue laughed, "How is this nonsense? You're marrying Xue Hanmei today only because you value his family's power and influence, aren't you? If I also had power and influence, if I could also give you the whole world, would you marry me too?"
"Zhao Yue!"
"You're like this... you're like this..." Tears fell from Zhao Yue's eyes, "How are you any different from a prostitute?!"
"So what?!" Li Chunhua finally couldn't hold back, bursting out in fury: "What can I do? Or what can you do?! You're right, I'm no different from a prostitute—I'll sell myself to anyone who can pay the price, and that includes you. But can you afford it?"
Li Chunhua walked over. Her words stunned Zhao Yue, who stared blankly at her as she spoke through tears: "I've already chosen the best option available to me. I've taken the best path I could take. Zhao Yue, if you can't give me power, don't block my way. You have nothing—you're just a child who never grew up, needing someone to protect and accompany you. Why did you want to marry me? Because I'm leaving soon, because I'm going to become someone else's wife and won't be able to protect you anymore. So you're afraid. But why should I protect you forever?!"
Li Chunhua suddenly raised her voice, clutching the clothes at her chest, and screamed: "I get scared too! I feel pain! I panic! I despair! Why should I have to take care of you forever?!"
"I didn't..."
"Didn't what? What do you know? You're just a boy who couldn't even protect his own mother—how dare you talk to me about marriage?"
Li Chunhua laughed mockingly. She lifted her head, forcing back her tears: "Go back. Don't say such things anymore."
Zhao Yue stood frozen in place, staring at the young woman before him. He felt something was deeply wrong.
After a long time, he finally said: "If I could give you power... would that make you stay?"
Li Chunhua stood with her back to him, pausing in her steps. Zhao Yue murmured: "If I had power... would my mother still be alive?"
As he spoke, Zhao Yue leaned against the wall, supporting himself as he straightened up: "I have nothing left now. In this life, I only had you and my mother. My mother is dead, and now I'm losing you too... Auntie, what am I supposed to do?"
"Go back."
Li Chunhua's voice choked with sobs: "Go back and wait. I'll find a way."
She closed her eyes: "If the sky falls, it won't be up to you youngsters to hold it up."
Zhao Yue didn't respond. After a long while, he laughed.
"You won't come back for me, will you?"
Li Chunhua didn't answer. Zhao Yue closed his eyes: "I know. I know."
"Auntie," he said hoarsely, "in this life, I won't wait for you to come for me anymore."
"I know I'll never see you again, and you won't return."
"I'll walk my own path. I'll keep the people I want to keep. Auntie," he opened his eyes and smiled faintly, "goodbye."
With that, he turned and left.
That night, he cleaned himself up. The next day, he found a burial site for his mother, then returned to the Prince of Qin's residence.
Upon returning to the palace, he went straight to the Prince of Qin. Kneeling on the ground, before the other could kick him, his first words were—
"Father, the Li family is planning a rebellion. The Prince of Qin's residence must prepare early."
【7】
When a single hole appears in a window, soon the entire window will be shattered.
Starting from that statement "the Li family is planning a rebellion," he schemed and helped the Prince of Qin completely avoid the disaster of the Li family's treasonous plot, becoming the Zhao family's sole survivor who relocated far away to Dezhou.
While maintaining connections with old ministers loyal to the Zhao family in the court and bribing important officials to balance the relationship between the imperial court and the Prince of Qin's residence, he simultaneously developed his power in secret—recruiting soldiers, purchasing horses, and planting spies throughout the land...
He caused Xue Hanmei's death and established contact with the Northern Di...In the end, he raised troops in rebellion, but due to the Prince of Qin's ambition for grandiose achievements, they fell into the Wei family's ambush and were completely annihilated.
He thought he would surely die.
Yet unexpectedly, he survived.
Kneeling in the Princess's residence, he watched as a woman clad in golden robes gracefully emerged from behind the hall.
Then she sat on the floor, lifting her gaze to meet his.
Her expression was weary and hollow, no longer carrying the brightness of youth. His smile remained gentle and composed, yet it had lost its innocence.
She glanced at him and said indifferently, "From now on, you will stay here. Your name shall be Mei Hanxue."
Zhao Yue smiled as he looked at her. "After all these years, does Aunt still remember Xue Hanmei?"
The Princess remained silent.
How could she tell him that among the four candidates originally considered for the political marriage, she had chosen Xue Hanmei precisely because she had glimpsed a familiar shadow in him.
She had always wondered where that shadow came from, until she saw the present Zhao Yue.
The grown Zhao Yue now bore an almost identical resemblance to the shadow she had once seen in Xue Hanmei.
Yet at that time, she didn't understand what this meant. Many years later, when she finally realized, it was already too late.
As she didn't respond, Zhao Yue smiled, spread his sleeves, and bowed deeply, saying softly, "This servant Mei Hanxue pays respects to the Princess."
His forehead touched the ground where the hem of her garment lay. The cold sensation spread from his forehead to the crown of his head, and he thought—
Whether he was Mei Hanxue or Zhao Yue, whether she loved Xue Hanmei or Zhao Yue, he would ultimately attain power, possess the realm, and have her.
This time, he would definitely walk with her to the very end.
Regardless of life or death.
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