In the Two Forces Hall of the Supreme Palace, the weather was sweltering, and water had been sprinkled before the courtyard steps. The rising morning sun pierced through feather-light flowing clouds, casting broad golden beams of light. The uneven decorative tiles gleamed with wet, rippling reflections, appearing from afar like pools of glistening clear water.

The Chief Eunuch entered the hall to announce that the Seventh Princess sought an audience.

Li De looked up from his stack of memorials, surprise showing on his face.

Unless it was a matter of great importance, the siblings Li Zhongqian and Li Yaoying rarely took the initiative to see him.

The eunuch quietly reminded Li De: “Your Majesty, the Seventh Princess has been busy these past days seeking help to rescue the Prince of Qin.”

Li De put down the half-read memorial in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

“Military matters are of grave importance. What business does a sheltered young lady have interfering?”

The eunuch hesitated, then bowed and said: “Your Majesty, the Prince of Qin, and the Seventh Princess share a deep sibling bond. With the Prince ambushed and his fate unknown, the Seventh Princess is naturally sick with worry. Perhaps you should see her.”

Li De raised his eyelids, casting a cool glance at the eunuch.

Though the eunuch kept his head lowered, his heart still trembled in fear, and his manner grew even more respectful as he said: “Forgive this old servant’s presumption, I spoke out of turn.”

Li De looked at him, phoenix eyes gleaming with inner light: “You’ve been by my side for many years, always most prudent and mature. Even when Zheng Yu seeks your audience, you still carefully weigh the matter. Why make an exception for the Seventh Princess today?”

The eunuch was sweating profusely and about to explain when Li De waved his hand.

“Let her enter.”

The eunuch acknowledged and withdrew from the inner hall, standing by the threshold. He closed his eyes and slowly let out a long breath.

Serving the emperor was like serving a tiger – His Majesty was warning him to minimize future contact with the ministers of the Policy Review Bureau.

After taking quite some time to compose himself, the eunuch put on a smiling face and walked to the long corridor, addressing Li Yaoying who stood with her back to him at the bottom of the courtyard steps: “Seventh Princess, His Majesty requests your presence.”

Yaoying turned around, her face in the morning light as pale as fresh snow, making her bright black eyes stand out even more strikingly. Her lightly furrowed brows resembled the misty willow colors of early spring.

Like a rain-laden pear blossom, like jade trees and rare flowers piled with snow, she appeared delicate and pitiful, gentle and graceful, yet possessed an innate noble bearing like the True Person of Mount Gushe.

Like a fairy on a jade terrace under the moonlight, with a pure and noble spirit, her bearing lofty and pristine.

The eunuch thought to himself that anyone who saw the Seventh Princess in such a state would not have the heart to bar her from the hall.

Yaoying raised her eyes, standing in the bright sunlight, studying the flying eaves and dragon-head ornaments among the palace roof’s orderly tiles, then slowly ascended the steps.

Seeing her wan complexion and unsteady footsteps as if she might collapse, the eunuch felt sympathetic and gestured for a junior attendant to help support her.

Yaoying indicated it wasn’t necessary and walked step by step toward the inner hall.

Hearing footsteps, Li De didn’t look up, his gaze remaining on the open memorial as he said: “I’ve already sent people to Huangzhou to search for Er Lang. You don’t understand matters of the battlefield, stop bothering the court officials.”

Yaoying walked to the dragon throne.

“Your Majesty, you owe me something.”

Li De frowned and looked up, his gaze like lightning.

Meeting his scrutinizing look without fear, Yaoying said, “Nine years ago, Your Majesty abandoned me on the battlefield to save the young masters of the Kong and Lin families. I nearly died in the chaos of war.”

Li De’s pupils constricted, his expression darkening slightly.

Yaoying said calmly: “Your Majesty, you owe me a life.”

…

This happened when Yaoying was five years old.

That year, when Li Zhongqian returned to Jingnan to sweep ancestral graves, Noble Consort Xie suddenly fell ill. The Li family worried there would be no one to look after Yaoying, so they sent her to Li De who was in Xiangzhou.

Yaoying finally met her father.

Li De spent years campaigning abroad with uncertain return dates, and when he did return to Wei Commandery he never entered Noble Consort Xie’s quarters. Before age five, Yaoying had never seen Li De.

After arriving at Li De’s temporary residence in Xiangzhou, servants often told her stories about Li De in his youth, saying he was extraordinarily handsome and distinguished, with Wei Commandery ladies constantly fighting over him in jealousy.

That night, Yaoying lay playing by the window when amid the flickering lights, horse neighs came from beyond the courtyard wall.

She copied the maids’ manner of standing on tiptoe to look outside.

A tall, straight-backed man slowly emerged from the darkness into the lamplight, wearing magnificent bright armor, upright and handsome with a bearing like a pine tree.

Yaoying thought the maids hadn’t lied – her father truly was the most handsome man in the world.

No wonder her mother had fallen for him at first sight.

Remembering the Chancellor’s instructions, Yaoying toddled out to the long corridor on her short legs, stood at Li De’s feet, lifted her small face, and softly called: “Father.”

She was extremely well-behaved.

Li De started slightly, looked down at Yaoying, and stroked her little head with his rough large hand: “Seven Sister has grown so big.”

Noble Consort Xie’s maid stood to the side, quietly wiping tears.

That night, as the maid was putting Yaoying to bed, she happily said: “Little Seven, the General does care for you in his heart.”

Half a month later, Xiangzhou fell. Yaoying was awakened from a deep sleep by hurried footsteps as guards rushed in to carry her away, evacuating with the families of Li De’s subordinates.

They encountered Li De’s defeated troops on the road and immediately went to meet them, offering horses to mount. Suddenly pursuers charged out from the hillside, surrounding them.

The situation was dire. Seeing the pursuers closing in, Li De decisively abandoned Yaoying, grabbed his subordinates’ two sons, and broke through the encirclement on horseback.

Yaoying collapsed sitting on the ground.

Around her were fierce and vicious pursuers, forests of swords and rain of blades, flesh and blood flying.

Abandoned by her father in the locust-like rain of arrows, amid the thunderous battle cries, gleaming blade edges swung toward her.

Loyal guards gritted their teeth and blocked for her, blood spraying out, drenching her head to toe.

Covered in blood, Yaoying stared blankly as Li De galloped away without a backward glance.

Yaoying recalled the maid’s words and smiled self-mockingly, slowly closing her eyes.

The guards died one after another.

Yaoying hid under the guards’ bodies, soaking in the stinking blood for a long time.

So long that she thought she too had died.

Until she heard Li Zhongqian’s voice and heard the persistent, hoarse calls of the youth kneeling before the pile of corpses.

“Little Seven, Brother has come for you.”

Li Zhongqian had traveled a thousand li carrying a pair of hammers, crossing the gunpowder-filled battlefield to find her.

Yaoying burst into tears.

That year, Li De abandoned his daughter Yaoying to save his subordinates’ two sons. The fathers Kong and Lin were moved to loud sobbing, and from then on were utterly devoted to him.

After being rescued, Yaoying wandered with Li Zhongqian for half a year, the siblings walking a thousand li to return home.

The Lin and Kong families felt they had wronged her and made their young masters kowtow to her.

Yaoying smiled carelessly and helped the two young masters up.

Why should she hate the young masters of the Lin and Kong families?

They weren’t the ones who abandoned her.

Yaoying’s magnanimity spared the Lin and Kong families from awkwardness, leaving everyone satisfied.

…

Before the gilt lion-shaped incense burner, smoke curled up carrying a faint sweet fragrance of green-threaded turmeric.

Yaoying looked at Li De: “Father, the horse you rode to escape with the young masters Kong and Lin belonged to the Xie family guards.”

Li De was silent for a moment: “Seven Sister, what do you want?”

Yaoying smiled: “Don’t rush, Father. This is just the first account.”

What Li De owed her, owed the Xie family, owed Li Zhongqian – she would settle accounts with him one by one.