It was a sunny day in early spring, the sky a brilliant blue after a light snowfall. The midday sun poured through the towering eaves and high walls of the imperial palace, so dazzlingly bright that it gilded the silhouette of the Crown Prince standing with his back to the south.
Though Li Chengqian was a generation younger than Li Yuangui, he was two years older in age and slightly taller. Standing this close to glare down at his uncle, he cut an imposing figure—yet his face, hidden in shadow, appeared indistinct and wavering.
"You and Cousin Chai take the Seventeenth Princess back to the Great Peace Hall yourselves and apologize to Lady Yin. Don’t force me to intervene personally!"
Was such an unreasonable command truly motivated by concern for the Supreme Emperor’s health, or was it deliberate retaliation? Li Yuangui couldn’t immediately discern the answer, so he could only argue on principle:
"The Seventeenth Princess is also the Son of Heaven’s sister by blood and Your Highness’s own aunt. After enduring abuse under Yin Shi’s hands, does Your Highness truly feel no pity at all? After the High Truth Master and I brought the Seventeenth Princess to the Hall of Established Governance, the Empress, in her boundless mercy, agreed to raise this motherless child herself. This matter has spread far and wide, with all praising the imperial consort’s great virtue. Now, Your Highness orders me to return the Seventeenth Princess to the Great Peace Hall—might I ask if this is by the Empress’s decree?"
His instincts told him this was Li Chengqian’s own reckless mischief, unknown to the Empress. From what he had seen and heard in the Hall of Established Governance, the Empress’s illness this time was severe—she likely lacked the energy to manage trivial affairs, and Li Chengqian probably wouldn’t dare trouble his mother with such absurd and cruel notions. Sure enough, the Crown Prince coughed lightly, his expression faltering slightly:
"The Empress... has been bedridden these past few days and has no time to attend to palace affairs. Since His Majesty has entrusted me with overseeing the Great Peace Palace, such minor matters need not disturb the imperial consort! Go to the Chai residence and find the High Truth Master. The two of you will return the Seventeenth Princess exactly as you brought her in—no more nonsense!"
As they spoke, the group had already passed through Jiayou Gate. Li Chengqian flung a final sharp remark at his uncle, took the reins from his attendant, and mounted his horse, clearly intent on riding off without another thought. Li Yuangui sprang forward, gripping the bridle and shouting, "Your Highness!"
"What do you think you’re doing?" Li Chengqian glared down at him.
"If this is about the jade ring—if Your Highness is displeased with me—please do not take it out on the Seventeenth Princess!" The words spilled from Li Yuangui’s lips before he could think. "From start to finish, I alone was responsible for that matter. It has nothing to do with anyone else! Your Highness may punish me as you see fit!"
Li Yuangui had trained rigorously in archery since childhood, and his eyesight was keen. For a fleeting moment, he saw Li Chengqian’s pupils dilate violently, his lips trembling spasmodically before he threw his head back and burst into laughter:
"A jade ring? What jade ring? Nonsense! Fourteenth Uncle, have you gotten yourself tangled in some romantic affair or a lover’s quarrel? Are you so addled that you come babbling nonsense before me? Ridiculous! Shameful!"
Well, that was hardly a convincing act of denial.
But bringing up the blood jade ring at this moment wasn’t exactly a brilliant strategy either. The Crown Prince’s dismissive tone shifted from faint panic to smug certainty, a cruel smirk curling at his lips as he turned to his younger brother Li Tai. "Qingque, look at our dear Fourteenth Uncle—so lovesick he’s lost his wits. Shouldn’t we petition Father and Mother to hurry up and find him a Fourteenth Aunt?"Li Tai, with his large belly and short legs, found mounting a horse quite difficult. It took the combined efforts of several servants pushing and lifting to get him onto the saddle, and he was still catching his breath when his elder brother's teasing question reached him. Panting with laughter, he replied:
"Qingque had only heard that Fourteenth Uncle is clever and capable, highly favored by His Majesty these past years—but who knew he was also such a dashing romantic! Though it's no surprise. That heroic stance when he took first prize in last year's Double Ninth grand archery still lingers before Qingque's eyes. No doubt it won the hearts of many beauties..."
Why bring up the Double Ninth archery out of nowhere? Li Yuangui glanced at Li Chengqian and saw the Crown Prince's expression darken further.
Li Chengqian had been lively and active since childhood, particularly fond of hunting excursions, and had always prided himself on his archery and horsemanship. During last year's archery competition at Great Peace Palace, he had been eager to participate but was stopped by his father, denied the chance to compete against his uncles and brothers and prove his skill. Everyone present understood—the Son of Heaven wanted to maintain clear boundaries between ruler and subject, avoiding either the embarrassment of "the heir apparent losing to his subordinates" or the awkwardness of everyone deliberately holding back to avoid outperforming the Crown Prince. Had Li Chengqian been on the archery field that day, Li Yuangui couldn't say for certain whether he would have focused enough to take the top prize.
So in a way, this had worked to Li Yuangui's advantage, but Li Chengqian had been left sullen and displeased, his face clouded with discontent that day—an expression now resurfacing, making Li Yuangui's head throb with pain.
He'd already misspoken and knew he should humble himself before the Crown Prince to quell his anger and the jealousy stirred by his younger brother. But Li Yuangui himself had been proud and headstrong since childhood, and this sudden need to grovel and coax left him at a loss for words. With no time to carefully weigh his phrasing, in his urgency he blurted:
"At last year's Double Ninth archery, Your Highness was unable to display your prowess, allowing Yuangui to undeservedly claim the prize. If Your Highness believes my victory was unearned, I would gladly accompany you to the archery grounds for a rematch—"
He cut himself off mid-sentence, realizing his mistake. He hadn't meant to issue a challenge!
Li Chengqian raised his brows in a cold smile. "Oh? Fourteenth Uncle is quite the arrogant one! A mere ceremonial archery contest, an annual formality—is it truly worth such lingering obsession? Are you resentful that you couldn't publicly humiliate me on the training grounds?"
As Li Yuangui opened his mouth to explain, Li Tai cut in with a laugh: "About that grand archery—there's a rather vivid description circulating privately among our uncles and cousins. I wonder if Elder Brother has heard it?"
"What description?" Li Chengqian asked.
"Don't be angry, Fourteenth Uncle—consider it just for His Highness's amusement," Li Tai first apologized to Li Yuangui with a smile, his plump face nearly obscuring his eyes. "People say of last autumn's Double Ninth that... 'When no true heroes remain in the mountains, the monkey proclaims himself king.'"
Li Chengqian's gaze swept over Li Yuangui's slender frame, and he burst into laughter. Li Tai joined in uproariously, and even many servants in the procession couldn't suppress their mirth, filling the air with laughter. Li Yuangui clenched his teeth, face rigidly composed in silence.
When the Crown Prince had laughed his fill, his expression darkened as he leaned toward Li Yuangui. "Either today or tomorrow—you will personally return Seventeenth Aunt to Great Peace Hall. Fail to deliver her on time, and don't blame me for being merciless! The Supreme Emperor's safety is paramount—I've no time for your nonsense. Release me!"With a shout, Li Yuangui had no choice but to release the bridle of his horse. Li Chengqian spurred his mount, and the steed leaped forward, leading the charge westward. Li Tai and his attendants followed closely behind, leaving Li Yuangui completely ignored.
As the sound of hooves faded and the dust settled, Li Yuangui found himself alone outside Jiayou Gate. Gathering his thoughts, he mounted his horse and rode west toward the forbidden garden—heading to Purple Void Monastery to seek Chai Yingluo's counsel.
But before long, he remembered: he and his niece had just had a fierce argument two days prior, and he had been unceremoniously ejected from the monastery. Chai Yingluo might no longer be willing to help him and his siblings.
A bitter north wind cut through him, chilling him to the bone. For a moment, Li Yuangui felt utterly alone in the world, with only his horse for company.
A bone-deep weariness surged over him like a flood. Dazzled by the bright sunlight, he swayed forward, slumping over to clutch his horse's neck.
All he wanted was to find a warm, dark, unknown place to collapse and sleep—sleep until the end of time, forgetting all worldly matters.
His obedient steed slowed its pace, as if afraid he might fall, and wandered aimlessly. After what felt like an eternity, Li Yuangui finally mustered the strength to straighten up and open his eyes. He found himself near the northern garrison camp, where the banners atop the Corner Tower stood out starkly against the blue sky.
Good. He remembered something he could do—inquire about the investigation into the gang of murderous arsonists they had discovered outside Purple Void Monastery two days prior. What had the Garrison Guards uncovered?
Right Garrison Guard Grand General Zhang Shigui was not in camp, but the officer on duty received Li Yuangui with courtesy and respect. Unfortunately, their findings were far from satisfactory—the Greyhounds had tracked the gang's scent north to the banks of the Wei River. Judging by the traces along the shore, the culprits seemed to have swum across the river and escaped beyond the forbidden garden, making further pursuit impossible.
After asking for more details and confirming no useful clues had been overlooked, Li Yuangui took his leave. The duty officer escorted him out, and as they stood chatting near the gate, a group of men and women carrying boxes and baskets passed by. Among them, several women in Taoist robes caught Li Yuangui's attention.
"These are from Purple Void Monastery, delivering medicine," the duty officer explained. "Many of our soldiers were burned while fighting the fire at Temple of Common Vocation. Our medical supplies ran short, so we sought aid from the monastery. High Truth Master and Jing Xuan were generous, agreeing to prepare and deliver medicine, even sending people to help with treatment..."
Li Yuangui barely heard him, his gaze fixed on the young woman leading the group. She glanced up at him, her eyes flickering, and abruptly halted.
The young woman in the Taoist robe was none other than Wei Shufen.
"Fourteenth Young Master, I have just one question."
"What is it?"
"Yi Niang's case... do you still intend to investigate it?"
After a severe illness, the eldest daughter of Wei Shizhong had grown paler and thinner, her already delicate face now sharply angular, making her eyes appear even larger. Those clear, bright eyes stared directly at Li Yuangui, unsettling the young prince.The two met at the camp gate, staring at each other in surprise for a moment before Wei Shufen blushed and lowered her head, quickening her steps to exit the camp. For some reason, Li Yuangui forgot even to bid farewell to the officer on duty and hurried after the group from Purple Void Monastery who had come to deliver medicine, catching up with them outside the gate.
Yet once he caught up, he found himself at a loss for words. He simply stood there dumbly, watching the group walk away. Just as Wei Shufen's figure was about to disappear into the woods, the young girl paused, seemingly exchanging a few words with the others, and then turned back alone.
Someone in the departing group turned to look at her and laughed—it was the other female Taoists. Wei Shufen walked lightly, head lowered as she swiftly approached Li Yuangui. The young prince hurried forward to meet her, but before he could utter "Wei Niangzi," the girl looked up and said:
"Fourteenth Young Master, I just have one question."
"What is it?" Li Yuangui reflexively replied.
"The case of Yi Niang... do you still intend to investigate it?"
Li Yuangui took a deep breath. Ever since Chai Yingluo had advised him to drop the matter, leading to a heated argument with his niece, he had been avoiding this question in his heart.
Truthfully, he wanted to investigate—he truly wished to bring justice to his wrongfully deceased elder niece. He wasn’t afraid of the toil or trouble, as he didn’t have much else to occupy his time. But he was no immortal detached from worldly affairs; he couldn’t ignore the complex entanglements of reality. For instance, Empress Zhangsun, who was raising his younger half-sister, had explicitly ordered the case closed. Or how Purple Void Monastery, which had strongly supported him, was now wavering and retreating. Or how Wei Zheng, the chief investigator, had likely shirked the responsibility. Or... the hostility and pressure from Crown Prince Li Chengqian.
Even the Son of Heaven himself, who had instructed him to continue the investigation two days prior, hadn’t mentioned a word about it today—perhaps persuaded by his wife to close the case. Counting them all, it seemed there was no one left in the world who still wanted to pursue the case of Princess Linfen’s death to the end.
Except... perhaps the young lady of the Wei family?
Wei Shufen stood gracefully before him, her expression calm, her eyes gentle and clear. For some reason, Li Yuangui felt her demeanor carried a reassuring encouragement, and he nodded involuntarily:
"I want to continue investigating, but all leads have gone cold—there’s nowhere to start. And... it involves the Crown Prince's Palace..."
At this point, he suddenly realized it was improper for a man and woman to discuss such sensitive matters by the roadside. Glancing around, he motioned for Wei Shufen to follow him as they walked along a small stream by the ditch, crossing a stone bridge into the woods.
The sun had already begun to set, its light filtering through the treetops and scattering into beams of radiance in the early spring forest, creating an unreal sense of tranquil serenity. As they walked, Li Yuangui laid out everything he knew about his investigation into Yi Niang’s case, and without hesitation, he shared his conflicts, grievances, and worries regarding Crown Prince Li Chengqian. When he mentioned, "I don’t know if the Crown Prince is just trying to retaliate against me," Wei Shufen comforted him:
"Fourteenth Young Master, you may be overthinking it. The Crown Prince is only anxious because he fears something might happen to the Supreme Emperor. Yesterday, he went to Purple Void Monastery to seek the High Truth Master, likely to discuss returning the Seventeenth Princess to Great Peace Hall. The High Truth Master had already returned home to handle Yi Niang’s funeral and wasn’t at the monastery. It was Jing Xuan who dismissed the Crown Prince.""Has Yingniang been busy with the funeral arrangements at the Chai residence these past two days?" Li Yuangui asked with concern as he studied her. "So you've been staying alone at Purple Void Monastery without anyone accompanying you? Has your illness fully recovered?"
Wei Shufen offered a faint, bitter smile. "I actually asked the High Truth Master if I could go with her to help at the Chai residence, but Elder Sister Ying refused. She meant well—she said my parents had already visited the Chai residence to complain to General Chai, the Third Imperial Son-in-Law, accusing her of harboring me against their wishes..."
"Ah?" Li Yuangui was startled. "What did the Third Imperial Son-in-Law say?"
"The Third Imperial Son-in-Law replied that his daughter had long been ordained and mostly resided in the Inner Sanctuary of the palace, no longer subject to her birth father's authority in worldly matters," Wei Shufen said with a wry smile. "That was how he managed to placate my parents. But since the Chai residence is within the inner city, it's easy for them to visit again. If I were to go there and my parents came to demand my return, neither the Third Imperial Son-in-Law nor his daughter could openly intervene... So it's better for me to stay hidden at Purple Void Monastery for a few more days. Elder Sister Ying even specifically left Jing Xuan to look after me."
Li Yuangui nodded. "Yingniang has thought this through carefully. You should stay at the monastery. If you need anything, send someone to Great Peace Palace to find me."
Wei Shufen glanced at him, her jade-like cheeks flushing slightly. Clearing her throat, she said, "I've digressed. Earlier, I asked the Fourteenth Young Master if he was still investigating Yi Niang's case because... I might have learned an important piece of information."
"What information?" Li Yuangui pressed urgently.
Wei Shufen recounted her story. It turned out that the garrison troops had requested burn medicine from Purple Void Monastery. Jing Xuan, who managed the monastery's affairs, was too busy to attend to it personally, so Wei Shufen volunteered to deliver the medicine and took the opportunity to learn from the garrison's medics how to apply ointments to burn victims. Coincidentally, one of the critically injured patients she personally treated was a guard who had been stationed at the main gate of the Temple of Common Vocation on the noon of the fire. He had been severely burned while fighting the flames and had remained unconscious ever since...
Li Yuangui grew increasingly astonished as he listened. He had seen the garrison guards who were horribly burned in the fire—their flesh so ravaged they were barely recognizable, a sight too ghastly to endure. He himself couldn't bear to look for long, yet this delicate young woman had the courage to tend to the wounded with her own hands... When she mentioned "the guard stationed at the main gate that noon," he pondered for a moment before realization dawned. Just then, Wei Shufen continued:
"I applied a cooling ointment to his charred skin, and the guard suddenly rallied, able to open his eyes and speak. I asked him who had come to the Temple of Common Vocation that noon to fetch Consort Yang, Princess of Hailing, and her daughters. With great difficulty, he uttered three words before drawing his last breath... Alas..."
The young woman's expression darkened. Li Yuangui sighed softly in sympathy and asked, "What were the three words he said?"
On the noon before the fire at the Temple of Common Vocation, who had come to fetch Consort Yang, Princess of Hailing, her two daughters, and their maidservants? To pass through the main gate openly, they must have carried official credentials, and the person themselves would have held a status befitting such authority—the guards would only permit entry after verifying their identity.
From Wei Shufen's lips came three words:
"Imperial Son-in-Law Yang."
#####Chapter 11's appendix briefly discusses Li Chengqian's youth. For details, visit the author's Weibo. Search for the ID "Tang Dynasty Tour Guide Forest Deer" on Sina Weibo. Welcome to engage in discussions. ????
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