In the spring of the sixth year of Manifest Peace, with ambitions toward the Hetao region, the northern Hu people assembled three hundred thousand cavalry and surged southward once more after thirty years.
Pei You'an, the Military Commissioner of Longyou, was appointed as the Great General of Northern Pacification and given jurisdiction over more than ten provinces, including Yan, Yun, and Gan, leading the imperial army north to confront the enemy.
Just as the flames of war reignited along the northern border, in the fourth month, the imperial clansman Prince Changle claimed to have found the Young Emperor Xiao Yu. Using Xiao Lie’s refusal to restore the throne to its rightful heir as justification, he raised a rebellion in his fiefdom of Dongchang Prefecture. Secretly, he dispatched men to launch a surprise attack on Geng Province, breaking through its defenses and freeing the deposed Crown Prince Xiao Yintang, who had been imprisoned for years. Under the banner of upholding the true royal way, he claimed to have gathered a hundred thousand troops, capturing Dongchang and seizing Jinan. Initially, his momentum was formidable, plunging the entire Shandong region into panic.
Half a year later, by autumn of that year, as Prince Changle led his forces out of Shandong, he encountered fierce resistance from Liu Jiushao.
Prince Changle suffered a crushing defeat and hastily retreated to Tangyi in Dongchang Prefecture, where his forces were subsequently besieged.
While Prince Changle was making a desperate last stand, Xiao Yintang took advantage of the chaos to assassinate him. Xiao Yintang also killed several of Prince Changle’s sons and brothers, along with the imposter posing as the Young Emperor Xiao Yu. He then hung more than a dozen heads on the city walls of Tangyi, declaring that he had never intended to rebel. He claimed he had been forcibly taken from his ancestral lands by Prince Changle and brought here against his will. Now, having seized the opportunity to eliminate the rebel leader and the fake Xiao Yu, he pleaded for the emperor’s understanding and begged for clemency.
Liu Jiushao continued the siege while dispatching Xiao Yintang’s petition to the capital with all haste.
When the petition arrived at the Imperial Study, the emperor had just returned from the morning court session and was playing chess with Ci’er.
During the court session, the ministers had discussed two major developments.
The first was the progress of the war beyond the northern frontier. After months of stalemate with the Hu people, more than ten days prior, Pei You'an had led his troops to set up formations outside Sword Gate Pass, where he dealt a crushing blow to the Hu cavalry, forcing them to flee northwest. To prevent the enemy from regrouping, Pei You'an pursued his advantage, aiming to destroy their royal court and eliminate future threats. The war had entered a critical phase.
The second development was Liu Jiushao’s encirclement of Prince Changle, the deposed Crown Prince, and the fake Young Emperor, leaving them trapped like turtles in a jar.
Both were favorable reports, not only delighting the court officials but also lifting the emperor’s spirits. Upon returning to the Imperial Study, he attended to some memorials before summoning Li Yuangui to bring Ci’er.
Ci’er was brought by Cui Yinshui, and the grandfather and grandson resumed their chess game.
Over the past half year, the emperor had neither taken Ci’er to worship at the Imperial Ancestral Temple nor allowed Jiafu and Ci’er to leave the palace. The ministers had initially assumed the emperor intended to designate the child as the imperial heir, but after months of silence, no such move materialized. At first, preoccupied with external threats and internal strife, the court had no mind for such matters. But as the situation gradually stabilized, the ministers grew more at ease and turned their attention back to the issue of succession. Some began submitting memorials, cautiously probing the emperor’s intentions. Yet no matter how they approached the subject, the emperor remained tight-lipped—neither denying nor affirming anything. Accustomed to his stern authority, the ministers dared not overstep, and so the matter remained unresolved.
The West Garden had become Ci’er’s living quarters. It housed the Great Liquid Pond, the Swan House, and the Tiger House, where many exotic animals were kept. Every morning, Ci’er diligently completed the literary and martial tasks assigned by his father, rain or shine. The rest of his time was spent with his mother, at play, or summoned by the emperor to keep him company—often for chess, which the emperor used to relieve fatigue. Soon, Ci’er would be four years old.While playing chess, the emperor mentioned that his father should be able to return by the end of the year. Ci'er's eyes lit up with joy, and the emperor initially stroked his beard and smiled as well. Gradually, however, as if struck by a thought, his gaze grew solemn as he watched his overjoyed grandson. At that moment, Li Yuangui entered, delivering a victory report from Liu Jiushao sent from Dongchang Prefecture.
The emperor skimmed through Liu Jiushao’s report, which detailed how Xiao Yintang had killed Prince Changle and exposed the fake Young Emperor and others. Coldly, he remarked, "Does he think I don’t know? The Zhang family has long been secretly colluding with the rebellious prince. He murdered his own father first, utterly devoid of conscience, and now he conspires with the rebel prince to commit treason. He’s truly desperate."
"Your Majesty, Minister Liu has also sent another report—a plea and confession from the deposed Crown Prince..."
Li Yuangui presented another letter, sealed with wax, watching the emperor cautiously.
The emperor glanced at the letter, his expression darkening. After a long pause, he finally took it, broke the seal, and pulled out the letter inside. With a single glance, his face changed drastically. He stared fixedly at the letter, then suddenly closed his eyes and collapsed from the couch with a thud.
Li Yuangui was horrified, urgently calling for the imperial physician while he and nearby attendants lifted the emperor back onto the couch, pressing his philtrum in desperation. Yet the emperor remained unconscious, eyes tightly shut. Ci'er, who had been holding a chess piece waiting for his grandfather to return to their game, was terrified by the sudden turn and threw himself forward, crying, "Grandfather!" Li Yuangui hastily instructed Cui Yinshui to take Ci'er away first. Noticing the letter still clenched tightly in the emperor’s hand, he pulled it out, glanced at it swiftly, and was equally shocked. He immediately concealed it in his robe.
After her son was taken back by the emperor, Jiafu busied herself with needlework in her room. Not long after, Cui Yinshui unexpectedly brought Ci'er back. The boy, tear-streaked, rushed into her arms, sobbing, "Mother, Grandfather was playing chess with me when he read a letter and suddenly fell ill—he just collapsed..."
Jiafu was startled and questioned Cui Yinshui, only to learn that the emperor had seemingly received some urgent news about the rebellion in Dongchang Prefecture and had fainted. As for the specifics, Cui Yinshui was unaware.
Jiafu carried her son inside, soothing him. Unable to move freely herself and with no further news, she grew increasingly anxious. Late into the night, after Ci'er had fallen asleep, Cui Yinshui returned, saying Li Yuangui had requested her presence.
Jiafu asked Cui Yinshui to watch over Ci'er and hurried to Cheng Guang Hall, where the Imperial Study was located. Inside, she found the emperor lying there, his face as pale as gold paper, still unconscious. The imperial physicians, including Hu, wore grave expressions as they worked tirelessly to revive him. Li Yuangui stood nearby, his eyes filled with deep concern. Spotting Jiafu, he wiped his eyes and motioned for her to follow him. They entered a side chamber, where Li Yuangui dismissed the attendants. Jiafu asked anxiously, "What happened to His Majesty? What exactly is going on?"
Silently, Li Yuangui retrieved a letter from his robe and handed it to her.
Jiafu took it.
The letter was from Xiao Yintang, who had allied with Prince Changle in rebellion. He claimed to have killed Prince Changle and the fake Young Emperor—those who had forced him into rebellion—on the emperor’s behalf. Now, he presented two demands to the emperor.
First, to reinstate him as Crown Prince. Once reinstated, the emperor was to abdicate in his favor, assuming the title of Retired Emperor, while Xiao Yintang ascended the throne.Second, on the day you receive this letter, immediately send Jiafu to Tangyi in Dongchang Prefecture. If he does not see her within ten days, he will announce Pei You'an's true origins to the world, ensuring everyone knows that Pei You'an is the illegitimate son of the current emperor and the late Empress Tianxi.
Xiao Yintang claimed that the secret he knew was irrefutable. Pei Xiuzhi of Duke Wei's Mansion was now in his hands. Pei Xiuzhi had also testified that Pei You'an was not the biological son of the Duke of Wei but an adopted child brought in from outside thirty years ago.
Xiao Yintang concluded that if the emperor agreed to these two conditions, he would treat Pei You'an well and spare his life once he ascended the throne.
However, if even one condition was unmet, he would rather perish together than remain imprisoned for life.
After reading the letter, Jiafu was stunned.
Pei Xiuzhi had mysteriously disappeared two months ago after attending a banquet and never returned. Madam Xin had been frantic with worry, and Pei Quan had reported the matter to the court a few days later. After all, a duke could not simply vanish without a trace. The Five Armies had launched a city-wide search, but no trace of him was found. Eventually, his name was added to the missing list, and the matter was left unresolved.
Never had she imagined that Pei Xiuzhi had fallen into Xiao Yintang's hands.
"General Liu said Tangyi is already under siege, and the city is running out of food. The rebel forces of the deposed Crown Prince can hold out for at most another ten days. His Majesty was unconscious all day and still hasn’t woken up. I feared the court officials would find out and cause chaos, so I’ve been keeping the news tightly guarded..."
Li Yuangui looked at Jiafu, his voice low and his expression grave.
Jiafu understood clearly that Xiao Yintang's demand for her to arrive within half a month was not only to use her as a hostage to halt Liu Jiushao's siege but also, looking further ahead, to guard against Pei You'an in the future.
But the secret of Pei You'an's origins—aside from his late grandmother, the Duke of Wei, the emperor, Pei You'an himself, and her—should have been known to no one else in the world.
How had Xiao Yintang uncovered this secret? Had Empress Zhou guessed it long ago and mentioned it to him?
Jiafu's mind was in turmoil, her hands and feet icy cold.
Xiao Yintang, once the exalted Crown Prince, had been deposed overnight, plummeting from the clouds into the mud. After years of imprisonment in Geng Province, he had barely managed to escape amidst the chaos. Yet less than a year into his rebellion, he faced defeat once more. If truly cornered, he was more than capable of dragging everyone down with him.
Jiafu dared not imagine the consequences if Pei You'an's origins were exposed to the world. How would everything be resolved then?
"My lady, this matter is of utmost importance—there is no room for the slightest mistake. His Majesty remains unconscious, so I had no choice but to take matters into my own hands and summon you for discussion. Please write a letter to inform Lord Pei of the situation. I will have it dispatched tonight!"
Suppressing her chaotic emotions, Jiafu went to the desk and hastily penned a letter using the prepared paper and brush. Li Yuangui sealed it with wax, summoned a trusted subordinate, and gave instructions. The man tucked the letter into his robes and left immediately.
"Eunuch Li, how long will it take for the letter to reach him?"
Li Yuangui frowned slightly. "With an 800 Li Urgent Delivery, it can arrive in five days. But if Lord Pei has pursued the enemy deep into barbarian territory..."
Even if the message reached Pei You'an in time, he was beyond the frontier, entangled in battle. There was simply no way he could return within ten days.Jiafu closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. "Eunuch Li, there's no way he can reach Tangyi within ten days no matter what. Since the deposed Crown Prince demands my presence, I shall go..."
"Madam, how can you venture into danger alone? Absolutely not!"
"I must go—to stabilize him first and wait for my husband's return! You know as well as I do the gravity of this matter. It involves not only my husband and His Majesty but also the late empress. Even if the deposed Crown Prince is merely bluffing, we cannot afford to take the slightest risk!"
Jiafu's face was slightly pale, her voice soft but her tone grave beyond measure.
"Say no more. My decision is made. Prepare for my journey—I leave tonight!"
Li Yuangui stared at her intently before slowly kneeling and kowtowing. "This servant obeys your command!"
...
Jiafu hurried back to the West Garden. From the direction of the Bell and Drum Tower in the northeast corner of the palace, the third watch drum sounded.
Ci'er was still deep in sleep. Jiafu sat by the bed, gazing long at her son's peaceful face. Finally, she leaned down and gently kissed his forehead before turning away.
Cui Yinshui didn't fully understand the situation, only that something momentous had occurred. She was leaving the palace with no certainty of return, entrusting the young imperial grandson to his care. Wiping tears, he said, "Madam, rest assured. This servant will take good care of the young master."
Jiafu nodded, turning for one last look at her sleeping son, imprinting his features in her mind before departing.
...
On the final day stipulated in the letter, late in the tenth month of the sixth year of Manifest Peace, a carriage bearing a mysterious woman passed through a sea of soldiers and halted before the besieged western gate of Tangyi City in Dongchang Prefecture.
Xiao Yintang stood atop the city wall, shouting orders for Liu Jiushao to withdraw his troops beyond arrow range before swiftly descending and commanding the gates opened.
Cloaked from head to toe with only half her face visible, Jiafu stepped from the carriage, her luminous eyes fixed ahead.
As the gates parted, a figure emerged swiftly, striding toward her.
Xiao Yintang—the man who had haunted her nightmares in her past life—stood before her once more after years apart.
Beside the carriage, Xiao Yintang tilted his face slightly upward. The autumn sunlight cast his features in a sinister glow tinged with hysteria. His unblinking gaze burned into her, lips gradually curving into a smile.
He extended a hand to help her descend.
Jiafu avoided his touch, steadying herself against the carriage shaft as she stepped down and walked through the city gates alone.
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