Chang'an.
Li Xuanzhen finished reading the secret report, his face as dark as storm clouds.
Qin Fei and several other subordinates followed him out of the study, watching his retreating figure with uneasy glances. Before they could speak, Li Xuanzhen suddenly began trembling uncontrollably and collapsed to the ground.
"Your Highness!"
Qin Fei rushed forward and helped Li Xuanzhen up.
Li Xuanzhen clutched the letter tightly, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
Everyone was horrified. Not long ago, the Northern Rong had launched a surprise attack. The Crown Prince had defended Liangzhou tenaciously and suffered severe injuries that had yet to fully heal. Vomiting blood was no trivial matter!
A eunuch was startled and immediately dashed off, urgently ordering guards to summon the imperial physician.
Qin Fei assisted Li Xuanzhen back to his room. Soon, footsteps echoed from the front corridor. Advisors and soldiers waiting in the outer courtyard quickly made way as Crown Princess Zheng Biyu arrived with the imperial physician.
Zheng Biyu entered the inner chamber and asked, "Why did His Highness vomit blood? Did he practice martial arts again?"
Qin Fei lowered his gaze and retreated behind the screen, replying, "His Highness just finished reading a letter from the Pei family."
On the bed, Li Xuanzhen lay with his eyes tightly shut, his face as pale as gold paper, still clutching the letter firmly in his hand.
Zheng Biyu sat by the bedside, pried open his fingers, and quickly read the letter. A mix of emotions welled up in her heart, and she let out a soft sigh.
Princess Wenzhao had already passed away. What use was it to uncover her origins now?
That exquisitely beautiful seventh princess, who had captivated the young nobles of the capital—she would never return.
The imperial physician examined Li Xuanzhen's old wounds, reapplied medicine, and prescribed a new formula. He advised, "His Highness's injuries have not yet healed. He must maintain peace of mind and avoid agitation at all costs."
Zheng Biyu gazed at Li Xuanzhen's tightly furrowed brows as he lay unconscious, recalling the events of the past few months with a grave expression.
Getting Li Xuanzhen to remain calm would likely be difficult!
...
Several months earlier, the Northern Rong launched a surprise attack. Li Xuanzhen defended Liangzhou, leading border troops in a bloody battle for several days until reinforcements arrived.
When the news reached Chang'an, the entire court was shaken. Before Li De could issue orders to dispatch more troops, beacon fires were lit simultaneously in Jincheng, Xiao Pass, and Shanzhou in the northwest; Xiazhou and Jinzhou in the northeast; Jiangzhou and Shuzhou in the south; and Langzhou adjacent to Western Shu. Within days, several major outposts fought fierce battles against the Northern Rong, Southern Chu, and Western Shu, resulting in countless casualties.
The whole nation was thrown into turmoil.
Upon hearing that Northern Rong cavalry were advancing south and Southern Chu was taking the opportunity to harass, wealthy families in Chang'an were terrified and hastily packed their valuables to flee south. Court officials were also panic-stricken, with ministers strongly urging Li De to move the capital.
Amid the widespread fear, Li Xuanzhen sent a manifesto to Chang'an, fiercely condemning those who wished to abandon the city and flee. He declared that moving the capital at such a time would destabilize public morale, reducing Great Wei to a laughingstock for generations to come. How could they hope to unify the world thereafter?
At that moment, urgent battle reports from Jincheng, Jinzhou, and other regions arrived in Chang'an. Although the outposts had been caught off guard and lost several cities, the soldiers had fought valiantly, quickly regrouping and retreating to defensible positions. Utilizing terrain that was easy to defend but hard to attack, they held their ground, creating a stalemate with the enemy. Moreover, several areas had received warnings in advance and promptly sent distress signals. Nearby garrison troops rushed to their aid, coordinating from within and without to eliminate the surprise-attacking forces. They now awaited further troops and supplies from the court to recapture the outposts in one decisive move.Immediately after, Jincheng official Du Sinan raced day and night to Jiangzhou and, with his silver tongue, successfully repelled the Southern Chu general. Overnight, both Southern Chu and Western Shu withdrew their troops. Within days, news arrived of political turmoil in Southern Chu’s court and a change in the crown prince, while the Meng family of Western Shu submitted a state letter to Great Wei, claiming it was all a misunderstanding and they had no intention of attacking.
Li De overruled all objections, angrily denouncing the ministers who suggested relocating the capital as bringing disaster to the nation and its people. He dispatched reinforcements to Liangzhou, Jincheng, and other regions, appointing Du Du Pei as the Grand Commander of the expeditionary force to recapture the lost cities.
The withdrawal of Southern Chu and Western Shu allowed Great Wei to focus its military strength on resisting the threat from the north.
The Northern Rong cavalry attacked fiercely but were limited in numbers and short on supplies. Failing to breach the northern defenses within half a month, they could not penetrate deep into the Central Plains. Realizing that Great Wei had begun its counteroffensive, they did not prolong the fight. After plundering the areas around Jincheng, they decisively withdrew.
Great Wei had held its ground.
However, Helong had completely fallen into Northern Rong hands, and the neighboring state of Northern Han was annihilated overnight. Jincheng suffered heavy losses and nearly fell. Had the Northern Rong concentrated their forces for a swift assault, Great Wei would have been forced to continuously deploy troops to defend its passes.
Fortunately, the Northern Rong were currently incapable of launching a full-scale attack, and Li Xuanzhen’s defense of Liangzhou prevented Great Wei from being fully exposed to the Northern Rong’s iron hooves.
Great Wei had narrowly survived the crisis.
During those tumultuous days, when the political climate shifted unpredictably and danger lurked at every turn, even Zheng Biyu, a woman confined deep within the palace, could sense the heart-pounding tension.
Looking back now, she still felt a lingering fear, her entire body turning cold.
Great Wei had come perilously close to being engulfed in war, surrounded by enemies on all sides.
As the Northern Rong withdrew, and Western Shu and Southern Chu temporarily restored diplomatic relations with Great Wei, the entire nation celebrated. The court began to reward those who had contributed to the victory. Li De summoned Du Sinan, who had performed meritorious service in the Battle of Jincheng, and asked him who had alerted him before the Northern Rong’s surprise attack, enabling him to uncover their plot in time—not only defending Jincheng but also persuading Southern Chu to retreat.
Du Sinan did not provide an answer immediately.
Several days later, in Chang’an City, on Zhuque Avenue, crowds of commoners surged out to welcome the triumphant soldiers.
Li De led his civil and military officials to greet them.
At the forefront of the procession, a wounded guardsman from the north limped forward, his body covered in injuries.
“Liangzhou is safe, Jincheng is safe, Xiao Pass is safe. Great Wei remains unharmed, and its people have been spared the ravages of war.”
He knelt beneath the city gate, lifting his head with bloodshot eyes. “Your Majesty, this humble officer was sent by Princess Wenzhao to return and deliver the warning. I have fulfilled my duty!”
For a moment, silence fell over the entire avenue.
His voice echoed for a long time before the palace gates.
The bustling crowd watched the guardsman in silence.
The splendidly dressed civil and military officials stared at him in astonishment.
For a long time, no one spoke. Everyone remained quiet, solemn and still.
Li De was stunned for a while before asking, “Where is Princess Wenzhao? She has served the state with merit. I must reward her.”
The officials echoed his words, heaping praise upon praise.
Tears streamed down the guardsman’s face. “The Yelu Tribe has been destroyed… The Princess… she…”
He choked with sobs, as if he had exhausted all his strength.
Muffled sobs of sorrow rose from the silent crowd—first restrained weeping, then escalating into waves of crying.
Months earlier, they had bid farewell to the Seventh Princess here, watching as she departed to marry far beyond the frontier, hoping she would live a peaceful life.Several months later, the Seventh Princess from beyond the frontier risked her life to warn the border guards, ensuring Great Wei remained safe and sound. Yet the princess herself perished, her fragrant soul fading in a foreign land.
When the Ministry of Rites officials escorted the Seventh Princess to her marriage procession passing beneath the Great Wall, one official asked if she had any final words for Li De.
The princess gazed back at the majestic mountains, rivers, and cities behind her, smiling faintly: "May the rivers run clear and seas lie calm, with waves stilled across the oceans."
A princess went forth in marriage alliance, her person worth a million soldiers.
Men and women, old and young, knelt weeping, their foreheads touching the ground.
That day, Zheng Biyu stood on the walled rampart pathway, listening to the wailing that rose and fell like ocean tides from the long streets, her own eyes growing moist.
She failed to spot Li Xuanzhen among the triumphant returning troops and sent someone to inquire.
Qin Fei reported to her: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince... he took the Flying Cavalry to Helong."
Zheng Biyu was aghast: Helong was now Northern Rong territory! Li Xuanzhen's severe wounds hadn't yet healed—was he trying to get himself killed?
"Why did he go to Helong?"
Qin Fei sighed: "When Northern Rong launched their surprise attack, His Highness dispatched a unit to the Yelu Tribe to retrieve Princess Wenzhao and bring her back to the capital. After Northern Rong retreated, the soldiers returned to report—the Yelu Tribe had been completely destroyed. They searched for several days but found no trace of the princess. When a Northern Rong cavalry unit attacked them, they dared not linger and had to retreat to Liangzhou."
Furious at the failed mission, Li Xuanzhen dealt with military affairs before ordering his senior secretary to defend Liangzhou. Despite his injuries, he personally led the Flying Cavalry back to search the Yelu Tribe lands.
This search lasted over a month. Not only did Li Xuanzhen find nothing, his forces were repeatedly ambushed by Northern Rong troops. Half his personal guards perished, and he barely escaped with his life back to Liangzhou.
With territory north of Liangzhou firmly in Northern Rong control, they were powerless.
His subordinates desperately urged the severely wounded Li Xuanzhen to return to the capital for treatment, but he flatly refused, insisting on finding Princess Wenzhao. Since he couldn't lead troops across Northern Rong lines, he planned to disguise himself as a herdsman and infiltrate their territory!
Local Liangzhou commanders were horrified: Li Xuanzhen was the crown prince of a mighty nation! If he died at Northern Rong hands, they'd be guilty of a thousand deaths!
Trembling with fear, everyone tried every means to dissuade Li Xuanzhen—except Qin Fei, who remained silent.
He understood the Crown Prince: while usually open to advice, once the Prince became frenzied, no one could sway him.
Years earlier, the Crown Prince had single-handedly charged into an enemy camp to rescue Zhu Lvyun who had sneaked away, fighting bloodily through the night.
Now with Princess Wenzhao missing, the Crown Prince wouldn't return to the capital until she was found.
Qin Fei could only leave all personal guards behind and return to report to Zheng Biyu.
Zheng Biyu grew frantic with worry. Had she known Li Xuanzhen would go mad, she never would have sent that letter revealing the Seventh Princess's background. He must have read it, felt guilty toward the Seventh Princess, and descended into this frenzy.
She immediately ordered her maid to grind ink and prepare paper to write urging Li Xuanzhen's return, when a servant suddenly entered carrying a letter.
Zheng Biyu stared at the very letter she'd sent not long ago, speechless for a long moment.
The servant explained: the letter never reached Li Xuanzhen. With battles raging everywhere around Liangzhou, the messenger had met with misfortune en route, and the letter was returned by others.
With a clatter, Zheng Biyu's brush fell to the floor, ink splattering and dripping down her skirts.
Li Xuanzhen never received the letter.
He didn't know the Seventh Princess's background. Even if she was Xie Guifei's daughter, even if he'd been tormented by hatred all these years—he still intended to rescue the Seventh Princess.
Suddenly, Zheng Biyu understood many things.Understanding why Li Xuanzhen harbored such hatred for the Seventh Princess, who lived deep within the women's quarters—hatred so intense that he ordered her watched day and night, hatred that made him grit her name through nightmares—Zheng Biyu sat upright by the window, closed her eyes, and wore an expression caught between tears and laughter.
If only he had known it would come to this, why did he do it in the first place!
He had tacitly allowed Wei Ming to scheme against the Seventh Princess, personally delivering his delicate younger sister into the bed of the crude and savage Yelu Khan. He claimed he would never regret it...
But he had long since regretted it!
No wonder Wei Ming had persistently targeted the Seventh Princess. As Li Xuanzhen’s strategist, he must have sensed the unusual dynamic between Li Xuanzhen and the princess. Substituting her in the marriage was not only to save Zhu Lvyun but also to sever Li Xuanzhen’s lingering attachments completely!
Zheng Biyu crumpled the paper, abandoning the letter meant to persuade Li Xuanzhen to return to the capital.
After years of sharing a bed, she and Li Xuanzhen had maintained mutual respect and courtesy. No one in the world understood Li Xuanzhen better than she did—and she knew she could not sway him.
Zheng Biyu began planning for the future. She sent her son to the Taiji Palace, teaching him how to win Li De’s favor. Within days, Li De issued an edict declaring he would personally oversee the education of the Crown Prince’s son.
The Crown Prince’s position remained secure.
A month later, Li Xuanzhen returned.
He was covered in wounds, unable even to ride a horse, and had to be carried back by his guards.
The guards also brought grim news: the Seventh Princess, Li Yaoying, had perished, her life cut short by the Northern Rong. Witnesses saw the Northern Rong slaughter all her guards, sparing not even the horses.
Li Xuanzhen sank into despondency, remaining silent day after day.
Zheng Biyu held Buddhist rituals in Li Yaoying’s memory.
Everyone knew the Seventh Princess had faced slim odds of survival. She had first secretly bribed a dozen Hu tribesmen to relay messages, then dispatched several dozen personal guards. In the end, most of those who successfully delivered news were Hu tribesmen, with only one guard narrowly surviving—such perilous circumstances, the overnight destruction of the Yelu Tribe—how could the Seventh Princess possibly have escaped?
News of Li Yaoying’s death spread throughout the Central Plains. The people wept incessantly, spontaneously holding memorials for her. In her memory, they built a temple in Jingnan and planted countless flowers and trees. Li De posthumously honored her as the Guardian Princess of the Nation, and Empress Xie received further rewards—though this empress, residing in a detached palace, remained unaware her daughter had died beyond the frontier, while Li Zhongqian, recuperating in Luoyang, was still kept in the dark.
Another half-month passed. Li Xuanzhen’s wounds healed day by day, yet he grew increasingly gaunt.
Zheng Biyu brought Zhu Lvyun to his side.
While Li Xuanzhen was defending Liangzhou, Du Sinan and Zheng Jing, using intelligence sent back by Li Yaoying, interrogated every servant around Zhu Lvyun and thoroughly investigated her collusion with Southern Chu, Western Shu, and the Northern Rong. According to testimonies from the princess’s guards, the loyal servant of Yiqing Grand Princess who died by Li Xuanzhen’s blade was merely one of several trusted aides the Grand Princess had sent back to the Central Plains. Many more of her devoted followers were scattered throughout Western Shu and Southern Chu.
Their true aim was not to plead for the Central Plains dynasty to send troops to rescue Yiqing Grand Princess, but to exploit her status as Lady Zhu to sow discord, gather intelligence for the Northern Rong, incite conflicts among the Central Plains states to weaken their military strength, paving the way for the Northern Rong to invade unimpeded once the Central Plains fell into chaos.
This recent Northern Rong raid was merely a probe by Haidu Aling.
After reading the confessions, Li De and his court officials were left trembling with fear, their backs drenched in cold sweat.
Zheng Jing also incidentally uncovered the answer to another matter that had long puzzled the court: why had Southern Chu ambushed Li Zhongqian?The spy truthfully recounted the sequence of events: Southern Chu was dominated by powerful noble families while imperial authority weakened, with major clans openly and covertly competing for the crown prince position. Taking advantage of this, Haidu Aling's confidants persuaded the ambitious and glory-seeking eldest prince to ambush Li Zhongqian, thereby provoking conflict with Great Wei.
That ambushing force consisted of Southern Chu's elite troops. Had it not been for Li Yaoying striking a deal with Li Xuanzhen to rescue Li Zhongqian, Li Zhongqian would certainly have died.
Du Sinan wrote a sincere yet sharp letter exposing Haidu Aling's schemes to his old friends in Southern Chu. These friends, holding high positions at the Southern Chu court, confirmed the presence of spies around the eldest prince and jointly overthrew him. Though Southern Chu and Great Wei were hostile like fire and water, they shared a common fate—if the Northern Rong conquered the Central Plains, could Southern Chu remain untouched?
The eldest prince and Western Shu were both making pacts with tigers!
Southern Chu soon changed its crown prince.
Zheng Jing submitted a memorial recommending Zhu Lvyun's arrest for treason. Court officials debated fiercely, but since Zhu Lvyun had been completely unaware of Haidu Aling's plans, she was ultimately pardoned while all her servants were executed.
When Zhu Lvyun saw Li Xuanzhen return severely wounded, she felt both guilt and heartache.
This time, Li Xuanzhen didn't comfort her gently as before. Remaining dazed all day, he had a major argument with Zhu Lvyun.
Zhu Lvyun wept and threatened to leave Chang'an.
Exasperated, Zheng Biyu ordered attendants to escort Zhu Lvyun back to her quarters.
Days later, Li Xuanzhen accidentally discovered the letter that should have reached him months earlier.
Trembling uncontrollably, he vomited blood and confronted Zheng Biyu, his phoenix eyes bloodshot and fixed on her like a ferocious ghost: "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why?!"
Zheng Biyu sighed and replied calmly, "Your Highness, by the time I learned of this, you had already sent Princess Wenzhao to the Yelu Tribe."
Li Xuanzhen nearly lost control of his expression, his teeth grinding audibly. Staggering backward, he threw his head back and laughed wildly.
"Yes! I already sent her away!"
"I personally delivered her to her death!"
"Why?! Why did she have to save Li Zhongqian? Why wouldn't she sever ties with Li Zhongqian?"
"If only she had cut relations with Xie and her son... If only she had agreed... I wouldn't have to hate her..."
"Why did she stop calling me Changsheng Brother?"
He suddenly halted, his face contorted: "I must avenge Mother... I must avenge Mother... Li De isn't dead yet, Xie isn't dead... I've failed Mother... I've failed Mother!"
Zheng Biyu watched her deranged husband with pity in her eyes.
He had destroyed himself, and also the Seventh Princess.
...
The day after his frenzy, Li Xuanzhen eerily calmed down and began investigating whether Consort Rong's claims were true.
He sent messengers to inquire at the Xie family in Jingnan and requested Du Du Pei to write a letter dispatched to the Pei ancestral home.
The Pei and Xie families had long severed relations, but Patriarch Pei might know hidden details—hence his earlier journey of thousands of li to Chang'an to stand up for Li Yaoying.
Now, this letter rested in Zheng Biyu's hands.
Patriarch Pei wrote that Li Yaoying was indeed not Xie Guifei's daughter.
That year when Tang Shi died by self-immolation, Li De abandoned his troops to rush back to Wei Commandery. With morale collapsing and the frontline failing, Xie Wuliang and Patriarch Pei led forces to confront the enemy. While clearing the battlefield after the battle, they accidentally discovered an abandoned infant.
The swaddled child was too small and fragile, a tiny bundle making no sound at all.The soldier thought the child was dead and was about to bury her on the spot when Xie Wuliang dismounted, took the swaddled infant, and felt her pulse. "She's still alive," he said.
Lord Pei glanced coldly at the child. "This child is completely blue. Even if we take her back, she won't last more than a few days. Better to let her die quickly so she can be reborn into a better family in her next life."
Xie Wuliang smiled faintly, brushing the dust from the child's face with his fingertips. "It's still a life. When I was born, I was about her size. Since I survived, perhaps she can too."
Lord Pei thought to himself: This young master Wuliang truly has a soft heart. Unfortunately, his efforts are in vain—that abandoned infant won't survive more than a few months.
Later, the child did survive. Though sickly and unable to walk, she lived.
Xie Wuliang wrote a letter to Lord Pei containing a poem:
Mid-pond white lotus blooms,
Three hundred stems of bud unfold.
In daylight their brilliance glows,
In clear breeze their fragrance swirls.
Fragrance spills as silver pouches break,
Dew pours like jade plates overturned.
My eyes, ashamed of worldly dust,
Behold this jade-like Yaoying.
Lord Pei replied with only one sentence: "The name is well chosen."
Zheng Biyu set down the letter and sighed deeply.
Footsteps sounded outside the window as a maid hurried into the room and whispered, "Your Highness, the Fukang Princess has disappeared."
Zheng Biyu frowned slightly, glancing at the drowsy Li Xuanzhen. "Send people to search separately. She's been insisting on leaving these days—just wait at the city gate."
The maid acknowledged and left. Soon after, another maid rushed into the room.
Zheng Biyu asked with a furrowed brow, "Have you found Lady Zhu?"
The maid shook her head, her face pale with fear. "Your Highness, the Second Prince... no, the Duke of Wei has returned!"
Zheng Biyu's heart sank.
Li Zhongqian had learned of Li Yaoying's death.
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