In the Moonlight

Falcon Gold General delivered Li Zhongqian's letters every two days.

The letters were hastily written, brief and to the point, mentioning his current location and planned route.

One day, after finishing her tasks, Yaoying compared the letters with a map and let out a surprised sound before turning to ask Tanmoroqie.

They sat back-to-back, his desk also piled high with documents. With a glance at the map, he could name the local tribes and describe their customs wherever she pointed.

Yaoying leaned back over her own desk, picked up a brush, and wrote a letter saying she had recently fallen ill and missed Li Zhongqian dearly.

The letter was sent out. Within days, Li Zhongqian replied, but his letter remained terse and made no mention of her illness.

Yaoying rolled up the parchment, her brow slightly furrowed.

...

Two months later.

Chang'an.

The vast sky was adorned with a brilliant Milky Way, while the city streets glittered with countless lanterns. The night market shone with thousands of lights, fiery trees and silver blossoms resembling reflections of scattered stars upon the earth.

Li De, Emperor of the Wei Dynasty, stood before the palace hall dressed in a reddish-yellow round-collared casual robe. His temples were frosted with age, his face deeply lined, yet his eyes remained profound and clear as he gazed westward.

The night was tranquil, but a storm was brewing.

He coughed several times.

A nervous eunuch urged, "Your Majesty, you've just taken medicine and shouldn't be exposed to the wind. The night dew is heavy—please return to the hall early."

Li De waved him off.

The eunuch respectfully withdrew.

An imperial guard wearing soft headwear hurried forward and saluted with clasped fists: "Your Majesty, the edicts have been delivered to Hexi, Gaochang, and other regions. Gaochang has yet to respond. The Lin, Chen, Yu, and Wang families have submitted memorials expressing their profound anxiety and stating they will send their sons to the capital in due time for the princess's selection."

Li De's expression remained unchanged.

Losing Hexi meant the Central Plains dynasty would be strangled, doomed to be controlled by others. The recovery of Hexi and the Western Regions was a monumental achievement for the state, benefiting future generations. No one was happier than he, but for the Wei Dynasty to achieve lasting stability, they must reclaim the horse pastures and strengthen military preparedness.

However, the Western Army now being under Li Yaoying's control had become another hidden worry.

Li Yaoying, a mere delicate woman who had been stranded in the war-torn Western Regions, not only survived but continuously grew stronger—all of this defied his expectations. One cannot tolerate others snoring beside their bed. Since Li Yaoying and Li Zhongqian harbored deep hatred for him, they would inevitably rebel. He could not afford to leave these two children alive.

He must cultivate another faction before their foundation solidifies, letting them fight among themselves so the court could seize control of the situation.

"Who is guarding the detached palace?"

"Your Majesty, everything has been arranged. The detached palace is guarded by General Sun Qin of the Left Xiaowei. Empress Xie cannot escape even if she grows wings. General Pei Yanzhi of the Right Xiaowei guards the Chongxuan Gate north of the palace city. The southern and eastern sides are protected by two Great Generals of the Martial Guards respectively. All wards have been cleared and are manned entirely by the Imperial Guard."

"What about the Crown Prince's troops?"

"As per Your Majesty's orders, the Crown Prince's troops have been transferred to Luoyang. The Crown Prince's Palace is now guarded by the Golden Guard. Crown Princess Zheng remains dutiful, focusing solely on educating the Crown Grandson daily and avoiding all affairs. On the Old Madam's birthday, Her Highness did not return to the Zheng family, only sending some ordinary birthday gifts."

Li De nodded.

Zheng lived up to being the clan niece of the Prime Minister—she knew how to assess situations and when to maintain a low profile. As the mother of the Crown Grandson, wealth and power were within easy reach as long as she remained obedient.

A Golden Guard swiftly ascended the stone steps: "Your Majesty, victory dispatches have arrived! The Flying Cavalry has galloped back from Southern Chu and has reached the Jingzhao Prefecture borders!"

The eunuchs' faces lit up with joy.Previously, Crown Prince Li Xuanzhen had been leading troops abroad and delayed his return, even traveling thousands of miles to the Western Regions. The emperor sent several envoys to persuade him before he finally returned to Chang'an. Months ago, the Crown Prince led his army south to attack Southern Chu, unexpectedly flooding the Chu capital and decisively defeating the Chu army. The Chu sovereign and his ministers surrendered outside the city walls, and all Southern Chu territory was incorporated into the Wei dynasty.

With the empire unified and the Crown Prince returning to the capital, who wouldn't be beaming with joy?

The eunuchs exchanged glances and vied to flatter Li De, recounting how storytellers in the city praised the Crown Prince's bravery and prowess. Just as the conversation grew lively, hurried footsteps approached as two Imperial Guards rushed up the stone steps.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has returned to the capital without summons and is already at the palace gates!"

Silence fell before the steps. The eunuchs stood dumbfounded.

The Flying Cavalry had just entered the capital prefecture—how could the Crown Prince, as their commander, already be at the palace gates? As Crown Prince, was he forcibly entering the forbidden palace with ill intentions?

A breeze swept through, sending chills down everyone's spines.

Li De remained expressionless, as if he had anticipated this all along. "How many men did he bring?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, His Highness returned to the capital with only a few attendants. The rest have returned to the Crown Prince's Palace. The Crown Prince entered the palace alone."

Li De's face darkened. "Let him in."

The Imperial Guards acknowledged the order and went to relay the message at the palace gates. The eunuchs glanced at each other, sweating profusely, not daring to make a sound.

Soon, distant lanterns flickered, and heavy footsteps echoed from below the steps.

A tall figure swiftly ascended through the night. Before he drew near, eunuchs already spotted the cold glint of his blade reflecting light, trembling in fear.

Li De watched the approaching figure without a word.

Under the starlight, before the eunuchs could devise a response, Li Xuanzhen stormed into the corridor. Still clad in armor, covered in dust and fatigue, his face bearded and his white robe stained gray with blood and grime, his narrow phoenix eyes blazed with fury.

"Where are the Chen family?"

He strode up to the emperor and demanded directly.

Li De waved his hand, signaling the eunuchs to withdraw, and said calmly, "You abandoned the Flying Cavalry and entered the palace alone—just for a few members of the Chen family?"

Li Xuanzhen sneered, "I just sent men to rescue the Chen family, and you seized them. Where are they held? I'm taking them with me today."

Li De remained impassive. "What does the Southern Chu Chen family have to do with you?"

After a pause, his tone sharpened abruptly. "Is this for Seventh Lady? Have you actually developed romantic feelings for her?"

Li Xuanzhen stayed silent.

Li De laughed in extreme anger, a fierce light shooting from his eyes. "Utter foolishness! Who is she? Do you think saving the Chen family will earn her gratitude? Since you know her background, you should have captured the Chen family as leverage to keep her in check! Not rescue them and send them to Gaochang—she won't appreciate your favor!"

Li Xuanzhen looked at him with detached coldness. "Release the Chen family."

Li De chuckled. "Today, without Li Yaoying even speaking, you rush into the palace alone for her blood relatives to demand them from me. Tomorrow, if she merely asks you, will you hand over the throne and the empire to her?"

The icy question reverberated through the night.

Li Xuanzhen stood motionless before the steps, his face frozen stern. A cool breeze swept past, carrying with it the scent of blood that clung to him.Li De's expression grew increasingly somber. "You are the Crown Prince, soon to be Emperor. Obtaining any woman you desire is as easy as turning your hand. Regardless of Seventh Lady's surname, a single word from you would compel her to enter the palace and serve you. Why allow yourself to be made a clownish spectacle here?"

"She doesn't see me as a clown."

Li Xuanzhen's voice was icy.

At least a clown could earn her laughter—she didn't even regard him as worthy of notice.

"I love her, no matter how shameless others may deem it. I will no longer conceal it..."

Li Xuanzhen's eyes reflected the profound night sky. "This matter has nothing to do with her. She would never exploit me!"

"After years of my tutelage, how can you remain so naive!" Li De erupted in fury, his sleeve sweeping through the air with a cold, pungent gust. "Li Zhongqian and Li Yaoying have become thorns in my side. You and the Crown Prince's heir will inevitably fall by their hands. My decision is final."

"Even without personal grievances, for the stability of the realm, I must eradicate them root and branch!"

Li Xuanzhen clenched his fists, veins bulging, and drew the dagger at his waist.

The Golden Guard surged forward.

With eyes wide in fury, Li Xuanzhen plunged the dagger into his own chest. Blood gushed forth.

A collective cry of alarm rose from the onlookers.

"Seventh Lady cares deeply for the people and will restrain Li Zhongqian," Li Xuanzhen declared, each word measured. "If you dare harm her, you must kill me first!"

Watching the blood stream from his son's chest, Li De trembled with rage, his eyes tinged with green. "You are utterly unreasonable! For a woman who treats you as nothing, you would throw away your life! Between Seventh Lady and your empire, which holds greater weight?"

Li Xuanzhen responded with a scornful laugh.

"Father, compared to your past self, I fall far short."

Catching the sarcasm in his tone, Li De's eyes widened in fury. He trembled violently, his face contorted with rage.

A nearby eunuch, startled, rushed to support him.

Li De waved him off, sending the eunuch stumbling to the ground. The servant scrambled up and retreated.

"Indeed, I acknowledge no kinship. I am harsh, ungrateful, and devoid of sentiment."

"As Emperor, I cannot tolerate any threat within the court!" He glared at Li Xuanzhen. "I tell you now—you are too late. Once I act, no one can stop me!"

A chill shot up from Li Xuanzhen's feet. "What have you done?"

Li De reined in his anger, speaking calmly. "I sent a letter to Li Zhongqian, informing him that Li Yaoying must either relinquish command of the Western Army or choose a husband from among the Crown Prince's officials. Empress Xie is at the detached palace, and I have uncovered Li Yaoying's true origins. Given Li Zhongqian's nature, do you think he will return to the capital? He has long sought to assassinate me. If I capture him, will Li Yaoying stand by and watch him die? I will not kill her—doing so would destabilize the Western Army and complicate matters with the Tantuo King of the Royal Court. I have a way to lure her into my trap!"

Li Xuanzhen's eyes blazed with sudden fury, a cold dread seizing him from head to toe.

Li De gestured, and a Golden Guard stepped forward, kneeling. "Your Majesty, Duke Li Zhongqian of Wei abandoned the Western Army days ago and is racing through the night. He will reach the capital in two days."

Li Xuanzhen's pupils contracted sharply, and he whirled around.

The Golden Guard swiftly surrounded him, blades and swords pointed at his throat.

"Do you think I arrested the Chen family merely to force your return?" Li De fixed his gaze on his son. "With Li Zhongqian returning, Li Yaoying will surely follow. When she pleads with you softly, you will inevitably aid her in rescuing him. Until I resolve this threat, you will reflect on your actions behind closed doors!""Take the Crown Prince away! Keep him under strict guard. Without my written order, he is not to be released!"

Li Xuanzhen was taken away and imprisoned in an underground cell.

In the dimly lit cell, a woman in hemp robes with disheveled hair crouched in the corner, shackles around her ankles. Hearing the noise, she looked up in terror and shrank further into the corner. When her gaze fell upon Li Xuanzhen, her eyes slowly widened. She opened her mouth, emitting excited grunts from her throat, and suddenly lunged forward.

The shackles clanked loudly as she was dragged back, falling into the hay. She crawled forward, reaching for the hem of Li Xuanzhen's robe.

"Changsheng... save me..."

Li Xuanzhen recognized her and froze. He whirled around abruptly.

"Why is she here?"

The guard trembled under his gaze and replied cautiously, "Your Highness, this was ordered by His Majesty. Lady Zhu married a Northern Rong noble. When the remaining Northern Rong forces surrendered, she was presented to the court by them. She leaked court secrets and colluded with the Northern Rong. His Majesty knew you were fond of her before, so he spared her life. Lady Zhu didn't fare well among the Northern Rong—she's been like this since she returned. See how obedient she is now? From now on, if you point east, she wouldn't dare go west."

"His Majesty said that if you truly like the Seventh Lady, he has ways to make her as docile and obedient as Lady Zhu, gentle and submissive, treating you as her master. With your noble status, obtaining anything is as easy as turning your hand. Why lower yourself and suffer?"

As they spoke, Zhu Lvyun's eyes were vacant as she hunched over and crawled forward, tears streaming down her face. "I'll obey, Crown Prince... I'll obey more than anyone... I won't cause trouble anymore... Save me... I'll serve you well... I'll bear your children... Don't send me back to the Northern Rong... They're savages... I'd rather die than return to that place..."

Prostrate at his feet, she appeared wretched, humiliated, and begging for his mercy—utterly devoid of dignity, yet without a trace of shame on her face.

Li Xuanzhen's fists clenched until his knuckles cracked. He turned away from her. "Release her!"

After a pause, he added in a low voice, "Don't make things difficult for her."

The guard acknowledged the order and dragged Zhu Lvyun out by her shackles. She trembled and wept, crying out his name, begging him to take her in.

Li Xuanzhen didn't look back. Only when her cries faded did he collapse to the ground, lost in a daze.

Suddenly, the clank of chains echoed from deep within the dungeon. He snapped out of his trance, wiped his face, and quickly scanned his surroundings.

He needed to find a way to send a message to Li Yaoying.

...

Before the palace hall, moonlight cast a frosty glow over the ground.

A eunuch returned to report: "Your Majesty, all city gates have been questioned. The Crown Prince indeed returned alone. The Flying Cavalry remains in the suburbs."

Li De remained silent, his face dark. Suddenly, he was seized by a violent coughing fit, staggering backward as if about to collapse.

The eunuchs rushed forward simultaneously to support him, half-carrying and half-lifting him back to his bed in the inner chamber with practiced ease. He slumped down, coughing and wheezing, his face pale and lips bluish. Accepting a pill from a eunuch, he placed it under his tongue and took a sip of tea. In moments, his clothes were soaked with cold sweat.

A full half-hour later, after Li De's complexion had slightly improved, he ordered the eunuchs: "Have the Crown Princess visit the Crown Prince. He has injured himself—send two imperial physicians with her."

The message was delivered. Two hours later, a young eunuch who was a trusted aide of Crown Princess Zheng Biyu arrived with a letter requesting an audience."Your Majesty, the Crown Prince's wound has been bandaged and the bleeding has stopped. His Highness asked the Crown Princess to send a letter to Gaochang for him, but she did not dare to transmit the message without authorization. She requests your review."

Li De took the letter, opened and read it, then recalled the scene of Li Xuanzhen stabbing himself without hesitation. His complexion, which had just regained color, turned pale again.

Li Xuanzhen was indeed sending word to Li Yaoying, warning her not to return to Chang'an, and promising to do everything in his power to save Li Zhongqian.

His affection for Li Yaoying had actually reached such an extent.

Yingniang's son—when he loves someone, he wishes them life; when he hates someone, he wishes them death.

Li De smiled wryly at himself.

...

Crown Princess Zheng Biyu emerged from the dungeon and went to the rear hall. Through a pond full of blooming lotuses, she watched her son in imperial grandson's ceremonial robes sitting by the corridor, studying with the Sutra lecture academician from the Hongwen Institute.

Footsteps sounded behind her as an attendant bowed and said: "Your Highness, the letter has been delivered to His Majesty."

She acknowledged with a faint response.

Intermittent sobbing could be heard nearby. The attendant pointed at the disheveled Zhu Lvyun in the distance and said: "Your Highness, the master instructed us to look after Lady Zhu and find her a place to stay. I've inquired—Lady Zhu was presented as a captive from Northern Rong. She was originally supposed to be settled in Hexi, but His Majesty specifically sent someone to retrieve her. She's registered as a slave and does menial work in the palace. I heard her situation is quite pitiful. Where do you think would be appropriate to send her?"

"Settle her? And wait for her to repay kindness with enmity after she turns things around?" Zheng Biyu didn't even glance at Zhu Lvyun as she plucked a lotus leaf. "Make some arrangements within the palace—that counts as looking after her. There's no need to do more. She brought this upon herself. If the Crown Prince asks, just say His Majesty has already given instructions and there's nothing you could do."

The attendant acknowledged the order and waved toward the distance.

Zhu Lvyun, who had thought she was saved from desperate circumstances and about to leave the palace with Zheng Biyu, was dragged back instead. After such dramatic ups and downs, her face was full of panic as she opened her mouth to call out. The palace servants acted quickly, covering her mouth and dragging her away.

Zheng Biyu lowered her head and inhaled the slightly astringent, bitter fragrance of the lotus leaf.

Li Zhongqian must have infiltrated the city. His Majesty has set an inescapable net, planning to use Li Zhongqian to lure Li Yaoying back. Li Xuanzhen won't stand by idly. The father and sons are locked in a fight to the death—who knows who will emerge victorious in the end.

Remaining detached is the wisest course of action.

She had people inquire whether the Golden Guard had recently captured any suspicious individuals, but the palace remained calm with no news emerging.

Li De, aware that Li Zhongqian was seeking an opportunity to assassinate him, issued an edict announcing he would attend the grand banquet at Qujiang on the sixth day of the month.

Zheng Biyu warned her son to stay away from Li De on the sixth.

She counted the days, waiting for the three men to determine the outcome.

When the sixth day arrived, Qujiang was bustling with crowds and unusually lively. With the Golden Guard clearing the way and civil and military officials gathered around, Li De appeared on the Qujiang pavilion wearing a yellow round-collared casual robe, a headscarf, and black leather boots. Thunderous cheers erupted as massive crowds surged toward the Qujiang pond shore, creating a small breach in the defending Golden Guard formation.

Zheng Biyu held her son, distracted, occasionally scanning her surroundings with sweaty palms.

Suddenly, flames shot skyward as the adjacent villa next to the pavilion was instantly engulfed in a raging inferno. The crowd fell silent for a moment before turning to flee, immediately creating chaos with overturned people and horses amid rising screams.

Zheng Biyu withdrew from the curtained area with her son. From the corner of her eye, she saw a tall figure brandishing a sword lunging toward where Li De stood, and she sighed.This is a trap.

...

The terrain of Qujiang Pond was open and unfavorable for encirclement, but the Golden Guard was well-prepared and quickly quelled the disturbances that day.

As for who attempted to assassinate Li De, the court kept it secret, only announcing that the ringleader had been captured. Among the common people, theories abounded—some speculated it was remnants of the Southern Chu, others guessed it was a Martial Assassin from the previous dynasty, and some even claimed it was the Northern Rong. Only court officials knew that the familiar figure was unmistakably Li Zhongqian, who had left the capital years ago.

As soon as Li De captured the man, he immediately issued an edict summoning Li Yaoying to the capital.

Just as the edict was dispatched, news arrived in Chang’an, shocking the entire court.

Li Yaoying had returned and requested permission to enter the capital.

Li De thought he had misheard: How dare Li Yaoying return to Chang’an so openly without an edict? If she wanted to save Li Zhongqian, shouldn’t she have returned in secret? And how had she returned so quickly? Where was the ruler of the Royal Court?

He questioned the Ministry of Rites officials, who, after reviewing the documents, discovered that Li De had issued an edict the previous year ordering Western Army generals to return to the capital. At the time, she had ignored it. This time, she claimed that due to the distance of the Western Regions, she had only just received the edict, so her return was not unauthorized. She must have concealed her identity along the way, and the courier stations, unaware that she was among the generals, had not noticed. As for the ruler of the Royal Court, he likely had not accompanied her; otherwise, it would have been an unauthorized entry.

Li De was secretly alarmed. He had sent people to intercept messages and block checkpoints, yet Li Yaoying had still passed through unimpeded and returned so swiftly!

Fortunately, all of this was part of his plan.

Li Yaoying, as expected, was desperate to save her elder brother and could not wait for the King of Tanmo to accompany her back to court.