Crown Prince's Palace, study.
The rear window overlooked a lotus pond, its banks shrouded in a vast expanse of deep green shade where cool breezes whispered and the fragrance of lotus blossoms drifted in waves.
From the depths of the willow grove, footsteps suddenly rang out. Zheng Biyu strode swiftly across the courtyard, her face darker than the pond water.
The guards on duty hesitated for a moment but ultimately dared not stop her, silently stepping aside.
The advisors were in the midst of discussions inside when they heard the commotion outside, looking up in surprise.
Zheng Biyu walked straight in, her furious gaze fixed directly on Wei Ming.
Everyone was astonished.
The Crown Princess was gentle, virtuous, dignified, and always adhered to propriety. She would never rashly come to the outer courtyard study. Even when she had urgent matters to discuss with the advisors, she would receive them from behind a screen. Why had she barged in directly today?
Zheng Biyu swept a glance around, then pointed a finger tipped with bright red nail polish in Wei Ming's direction.
Guards immediately rushed into the study from outside, forcing Wei Ming to his knees.
The onlookers were dumbfounded. As they recovered and rushed forward to intervene, other guards drove them out.
Wei Ming was a scholar who had never suffered such humiliation. His face flushed crimson with rage as he lifted his head and glared furiously at Zheng Biyu.
Zheng Biyu looked down at him coldly. "How dare you use your mistress to carry out such despicable deeds."
Wei Ming sneered. "I am acting in the Crown Prince's interests. The Crown Princess is His Highness's wife, sharing his fortunes and misfortunes. Why are you questioning me on behalf of outsiders?"
A trace of mockery flickered across Zheng Biyu's face. "Precisely because I am His Highness's wife, I must punish vile schemers like you on his behalf. The Seventh Princess is His Highness's sister and has never been an enemy of the Crown Prince's Palace. How could you use such methods against an innocent princess of the Li family!"
And he had used her! She was the legitimate daughter of the Zheng family, the Crown Princess of Great Wei—she disdained employing such tricks to harm others!
Wei Ming laughed heartily. "Indeed, I am a villain! As long as I serve as the Crown Prince's advisor, I will always plan for his long-term interests. The Crown Prince may be benevolent and tolerant, but I cannot afford to be! For the sake of His Highness's great cause, I will stop at nothing—I can be shameless, I can be despicable and base. If it helps eliminate the Crown Prince's mortal enemy, the Prince of Qin, I am willing to be the villain!"
Zheng Biyu gritted her teeth. "This has nothing to do with the Seventh Princess!"
Wei Ming scoffed disdainfully and straightened his back. "Your Highness, I once thought so too—that the Seventh Princess was merely an inner household member, not worth attention. Yet, it is this very Seventh Princess, who has been frail since childhood, who has repeatedly helped the Prince of Qin escape danger..."
He paused, lowering his voice. "Moreover, this Seventh Princess has repeatedly influenced the Crown Prince's decisions, making him hesitant and indecisive!"
Zheng Biyu was stunned for a long moment.
"What connection does the Seventh Princess have with the Crown Prince?"
Li Xuanzhen loathed Lady Xie and her two children to the bone—how could Li Yaoying possibly influence him?
Wei Ming narrowed his eyes. "I do not know what has transpired between the Crown Prince and the Seventh Princess, but I am certain that it is precisely because of his consideration for the Seventh Princess that the Crown Prince missed the opportunity to eliminate the Prince of Qin. Have you heard about the incident years ago when the Prince of Qin was assassinated in Xiangzhou?"
Zheng Biyu's expression softened slightly as she nodded.
Three years ago, when the Wei army captured Xiangzhou, the local gentry held a grand banquet to celebrate the victory. During the feast, a sword-dancing performer suddenly attempted to assassinate Li Zhongqian. Li Zhongqian, heavily intoxicated, nearly suffered injury, but Li Xuanzhen killed the dancer.Because of this incident, when the Crown Prince's Palace later made several covert attempts on Li Zhongqian's life, no one suspected Li Xuanzhen.
Wei Ming broke free from his restraints, stood up, and cupped his hands toward Zheng Biyu: "Your Highness may not know, but the Seventh Princess was also present at the banquet that night, seated right beside the Prince of Qin. When the Prince of Qin was drunk and the dancer suddenly attacked, the Seventh Princess was the first to react—she threw herself in front of the Prince of Qin, and the dancer's blade struck her instead."
Zheng Biyu showed a surprised expression.
Wei Ming continued: "That blade only cut through the Seventh Princess's clothing, because the Crown Prince intervened."
Li Xuanzhen and Li Zhongqian had always been at odds, with their seats placed far apart—one in the west and one in the east.
When the dancer first drew her curved blade, Li Xuanzhen remained motionless, calmly drinking his wine.
Wei Ming, who was also present at the time, secretly rejoiced, waiting for Li Zhongqian to meet his bloody end. Suddenly, a figure swept past like a falcon swooping down on a rabbit, followed by a flash of cold steel—the dancer lay dead by Li Xuanzhen's sword.
Zheng Biyu murmured: "The person the Crown Prince truly wanted to save was the Seventh Princess."
Wei Ming nodded: "Exactly."
Zheng Biyu frowned: "Why has no one mentioned that the Seventh Princess was there at the time?"
Wei Ming's eyes flickered: "Because no one knew then that the young page who took the blow for the Prince of Qin was actually the Seventh Princess. Women were not allowed to attend victory banquets—the Prince of Qin probably dressed her as a page to indulge her."
"Only the Crown Prince recognized her."
Zheng Biyu was stunned.
"As long as the Crown Prince cannot harden his heart against the Seventh Princess, he will never be able to kill the Prince of Qin." Wei Ming's expression turned grave. "My plan to have the Seventh Princess replace the marriage candidate isn't just to protect the Fukang Princess—it's also to eliminate the threat posed by the Prince of Qin. If the Crown Prince cannot bring himself to do it, then I will act in his stead!"
Zheng Biyu felt a chill run through her.
Wei Ming viewed Li Yaoying as a political rival. In matters of court politics, it was kill or be killed. She could not interfere.
...
Taiji Palace.
Yaoying stood on the vermilion steps, wearing a lotus pearl crown and a pomegranate-red brocade robe with a turned-down collar embroidered with phoenixes and auspicious plants. Her skin was as fair as snow, her beauty radiant.
The Chief Steward stood behind her, speaking softly: "Your Highness, you need not worry. You are the Emperor's daughter—he would never agree to send you away for a marriage alliance."
Yaoying's lips twitched slightly.
After learning of Li Xuanzhen's intentions at the Buddha's Birthday Dharma Assembly that day, she had retreated to her princely residence.
She had thought that since Chieftain Ye Lu hadn't seen her face, she had escaped disaster. Yet a few days later, trouble found her anyway.
And it was major trouble.
After Chieftain Ye Lu proactively proposed marriage, Li De immediately summoned his ministers. The ruler and his officials held secret discussions all morning and retained Ye Lu's marriage proposal.
The next day, Li De summoned Yaoying.
Yaoying turned to gaze toward the northern detached palace, a sense of absurdity rising in her heart.
Li Xuanzhen was the Child of Destiny.
Zhu Lvyun was his beloved woman.
She knew she couldn't contend with fate, so she carefully protected her mother and brother, staying far away from trouble.
Yet trouble refused to let her go.
"Hu Bo," Yaoying said calmly, "if the Emperor had no such intentions, why would he summon me?"
The Chief Steward knew he was deceiving himself. The corners of his eyes reddened as he said in a trembling voice, "How could the Emperor agree?! How could the court ministers agree? You are a legitimate princess—you've always been kind to others, charitable and compassionate, concerned with the people's suffering. You've never once acted willfully before the Emperor..."
The more he spoke, the more distressed he became, secretly wiping the corner of his eye."You have been frail since childhood, constantly taking medicine, unable to walk before the age of three, and suffered another calamity at five. All these years, while the Emperor has been campaigning south and north, you've endured constant displacement, finally able to live a somewhat peaceful life... How could the Emperor bear this! It was clearly Fukang Princess who caused the trouble, how can they make you take her place in the marriage alliance?"
Yaoying gazed at the golden palace gleaming brilliantly under the bright sun, and said faintly: "Indeed, how could Father bear it."
Tears shimmered in the Chief Steward's eyes as he suddenly lifted his head: "Your Highness, I will beg Prime Minister Zheng! I'll plead with Du Du Pei! And Chancellor Xue, General Lu... they all have old ties with the Xie family. I'll kneel and beg them to persuade the Emperor!"
Could it be that among all the court officials, there truly isn't a single righteous man left?
Yaoying stopped the Chief Steward: "Hu Bo, don't waste your efforts. The court ministers won't oppose me replacing Fukang Princess in the marriage alliance, because..."
The Chief Steward trembled with anger: "Because the Xie family is gone, and people abandon those who are no longer useful?"
Yaoying shook her head: "No, because I am a woman."
The Chief Steward froze.
Yaoying raised her hand to smooth her hair: "The Emperor has always wanted to recover Helong, which is why he has been so tolerant toward the submissive barbarian tribes, preferring to let Fukang Princess marry rather than break faith. Now, a single woman can exchange for the Liangzhou he has long dreamed of - what a profitable bargain! The ministers also hope to reclaim Liangzhou. Since Chieftain Ye Lu asks for no territory nor rewards, they will only strongly support this."
No matter how delicate, how gentle and kind, how obedient she might be, or how noble her status - in the ministers' eyes, she was ultimately just a woman.
A single woman in exchange for the old lands of Helong - why wouldn't they agree?
The Chief Steward wiped his face: "Don't be afraid, I've already written to His Highness. When the Prince returns, let's see who dares to scheme against Your Highness!"
Yaoying said nothing.
But inwardly she thought: I'm afraid it will be too late!
Since Li De has conceived this idea, would he allow the message to reach Li Zhongqian smoothly?
Figures moved on the platform as a eunuch emerged from the inner palace, holding an imperial edict, his gaze toward Yaoying filled with undisguised pity and sympathy.
"Your Highness, hear the decree."
The Chief Steward's heart sank, his mind buzzing.
Yaoying stood motionless.
A gentle breeze swept by, stirring the colored tassels on her lotus pearl crown. She stood before the steps, her sleeves fluttering, as if she might drift away at any moment.
The eunuch urged again.
The Chief Steward, heartbroken, stepped forward: "This old servant will seek audience with the Emperor! Even if I must die here today, I cannot watch the Princess go to this marriage alliance!"
Yaoying grasped the Chief Steward's arm and shook her head at him.
Tears streamed down the Chief Steward's face: "Seventh Lady..."
If the Princess truly married far away, when the Second Prince returned to the capital, he would inevitably fight the Emperor to the death.
Having watched the Second Young Master and Seventh Lady grow up, how could he bear to see the siblings meet with disaster?
Yaoying smiled faintly: "Hu Bo, don't be impulsive. Just because the Emperor wants me to marry, must I necessarily comply?"
The Chief Steward froze.
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