Liu Shouqian sat on his horse, gazing at the tightly closed Xuanwu Gate, feeling quite annoyed.
These days, he and Right Army Commander Wang Jinliang had been competing and arguing, never able to agree on who would be more suitable to support for succession.
Wang Jinliang believed Prince Wei was a good choice – stupid without knowing it, easy to manipulate.
But Liu Shouqian had other calculations. He thought that while Li Yuanchou was indeed stupid, his bones were full of reckless and violent spirit, and he might not be as obedient as imagined. Like the current old Emperor, who had been quite unremarkable among the princes in his youth, appearing weak and easily bullied, but after ascending the throne had played the pig to eat the tiger, possessing his own sinister methods. If not for the sudden death of his beloved pearl last year, which left him heartbroken and bedridden with illness, how could others easily manipulate him?
According to Liu Shouqian’s thinking, it would be better to follow the example of Han and Jin dynasties by selecting a young child, which would be more convenient for seizing power. Eight-year-old Prince Huai Li Yuanyi would be a good choice. His noble consort mother had died early, so he had no maternal relatives for support, and unlike his brother Li Yuanying, whose bloodline was questionable, court officials could find no objections.
But Wang Jinliang stubbornly insisted that since the founding of Tang, there had been no precedent for installing a young emperor, especially when several older princes had no obvious faults, making it impossible to find legitimate reasons for deposing the elder to establish the younger.
Both men coveted the merit of enthronement, each holding to their own views, and had delayed until this very night, actually reaching the front of Xuanwu Gate – truly a passive situation.
Liu Shouqian had just received a secret report that His Majesty had summoned Prince Wei Li Yuanchou to the palace. Thinking Wang Jinliang had acted first, he furiously led the Divine Strategy Army rushing over in full force, only to find the palace gates already closed.
The Left and Right Guard Commanders were equally powerful. With two thousand troops behind him, storming in would be easily accomplished. The problem was that Xuanwu Gate was too special – since the founding of the dynasty, it had been the Li family’s contested ground.
They could kill each other among family members, but for outsiders to do so would be open rebellion and usurpation. Without a Li-surnamed prince in hand, brazenly attacking the city would violate righteousness. Now several young princes were all kept in the deep palace, beyond reach. He couldn’t be picky about the perfect candidate – the urgent matter was to quickly grab a Li family member to push onto the stage.
Liu Shouqian positioned his troops before Xuanwu Gate, conversing with the sweating guard general Xue Gu, while dispatching trusted subordinates to race to the western detached palace to fetch the deposed Crown Prince Li Chengyuan. An emperor with his face torn apart by a bear wasn’t very dignified, but the advantage was that he was both stupid and blind – the eldest son’s succession could be justified.
Who would have expected that after an incense stick’s time, his trusted subordinate hurriedly returned, leaning to Liu Shouqian’s ear and saying: “When we reached the detached palace, His Highness was already headless! The guards were at a loss, searching for assassins.”
Liu Shouqian was greatly shocked: “How is that possible?! After being attacked by the bear, wasn’t he constantly frightened, requiring guards to stay by his side even while sleeping?”
His subordinate replied with a bitter face: “Strange indeed! The night watch guards all said that in just the blink of an eye, His Highness’s head disappeared, with hot air still rising from the neck cavity, yet no one in the room noticed. Later they found the head in the outdoor latrine.”
Liu Shouqian understood – his opponent was a move ahead, having hired assassins to eliminate competitors in advance. Although Li Chengyuan’s crown prince position had been revoked, he was still the eldest son with numerous guards around him. For an assassin to take his head as easily as reaching into a pocket – such methods couldn’t help but send chills down one’s spine. From now on, he feared he wouldn’t sleep peacefully night after night.
Just as he was filled with alarm and uncertainty, another commotion of horse hooves came from the distance. He saw Right Army Commander Wang Jinliang arriving hastily with disheveled hair and disordered clothes, followed by three battalions – clearly also rushing over after receiving urgent reports in the middle of the night.
The area between Xuanwu Gate and Chongxuan Gate was suddenly crowded. The two commanding eunuchs looked at each other, both thinking the other had acted first, never expecting they were both locked outside the palace gates while someone else had struck first.
Just then, several figures suddenly appeared on the arrow tower of the city wall. Leading them was a young woman in armor holding a bow, heroic and valiant, looking quite familiar. A pair of twin warriors with identical faces held square shields, guarding her left and right against stray arrows.
“Commander Liu, Commander Wang, have you been well?” Bao Zhu called out from her high position, greeting them cheerfully.
Hearing this familiar voice, Liu and Wang both stiffened, cold shivers immediately running down their backs.
Princess Wanshou, who had died suddenly of illness last May and had long been interred and buried, was now vivaciously appearing on the arrow tower, greeting them. At the same time, many remembered the twin bodyguards who followed Prince Shao like shadows, who were also prominently present.
Liu Shouqian and Wang Jinliang exchanged glances, their minds racing in that instant, their first thought being: Prince Shao Li Yuanying had silently killed his way back to Chang’an!
Looking at this situation, the old Emperor and succession edict were probably already in his grasp. The deposed Crown Prince Li Chengyuan was separated from his head, Prince Wei had entered the palace and seemed to be in grave danger. Those who should be killed had been killed, with his father and brothers all under control – Li Yuanying was indeed the most outstanding and ruthless figure of this generation, even bringing along a substitute for his sister to create chaos.
These two had commanded troops for years and were no ordinary people. Unwilling to follow her rhythm, Liu Shouqian steadied himself and called out: “Who are you to be clamoring here?”
Bao Zhu replied calmly: “You two commanders have such poor memories. I am Princess Wanshou Li Baozhu. You both held me when I was small – how have you become so distant now?”
Liu Shouqian sneered: “In this dark night, Liu is old with failing eyesight and cannot see so far. The Princess died last year. The dead cannot return to life – don’t play supernatural tricks.”
Wang Jinliang immediately echoed: “Impersonating imperial family is a grave offense of disrespect. Little girl, don’t spout nonsense – quickly open the palace gates!”
Court officials still cared somewhat about face, but eunuchs had no descendants and didn’t much care about leaving a bad name for millennia. The two men’s thoughts turned – if Prince Shao refused to surrender, they would steel themselves to storm Xuanwu Gate and massacre Daming Palace.
Wang Jinliang sent people back to the Divine Strategy Army camp to fetch siege ladders and other military equipment. Even if this bloodline was completely extinct, they could still grab a clan member from the Ten Princes’ Mansion or Hundred Grandsons’ Court to fill the position. An imperial uncle or imperial brother would still be surnamed Li.
Bao Zhu saw that archers below the city had already drawn their arrows. If these two powerful eunuchs disregarded their reputation and forcibly attacked the city under the banner of “rescuing the king,” even if her side fought to the death, they couldn’t hold Xuanwu Gate. Though she and her brother had backup plans, they didn’t know how long it would take for reinforcements to reach Chang’an. At this moment, they could only delay for time.
Having reached this point, retreating even half a step would mean falling off a cliff. Bao Zhu decided to stake everything on one throw, waving away the Xu Lai and Xu Xing brothers who were guarding her left and right.
Seeing archers and crossbow men positioned below the city, the brothers were anxiously sweating profusely. Even if the Princess wore chain mail, under a volley of arrows she would certainly be severely wounded. They refused to retreat no matter what.
“Princess! This cannot…”
Bao Zhu said solemnly in a stern voice: “If Heaven’s mandate is with me, I shall naturally turn danger into safety. If I lack such fortune and die at the hands of common soldiers, it means we siblings are unworthy of our positions and deserve such fate. You need not say more.”
The brothers had no choice but to step aside. Bao Zhu removed her helmet and slowly walked to the edge of the city wall, completely exposing herself to arrow range while displaying her face and figure in the torchlight. At this moment, crowds surged before Xuanwu Gate with forests of spears and swords, countless points of light illuminating the night sky bright as day.
As the Emperor’s beloved daughter, Princess Wanshou had been present at every sacrifice and hunt, banquet and excursion. Many of the soldiers present recognized her appearance and had even hunted with her. Seeing the Princess as dignified and noble as in life, the archers involuntarily lowered their arms, not daring to point their arrow tips at her.
Bao Zhu raised the giant Que bow, displaying the bow body for all below the city to see, then slowly drew out a feathered arrow, unhurriedly nocking it on the string.
Seeing this situation, Liu and Wang’s personal guards immediately advanced with shields, covering the two eunuchs completely.
However, Bao Zhu’s target was not human. Under the gaze of countless eyes, she squared her shoulders and stretched her arms, forcefully drawing this historically significant and legendary divine bow, aiming at the Divine Strategy Army’s command banner. String like a full moon, spirit penetrating the rainbow – with only a “humming” sound, the great arrow broke through the air and precisely hit the top of the flagpole.
Giant Que Heavenly Bow, four-feathered great arrow, archery skills like a god’s.
Silence fell below the city. Emperor Taizong’s imperial artifact and miraculous archery had completely awed the thousands of Divine Strategy troops present. This scene before Xuanwu Gate seemed like a recreation of that bloody battle from two hundred years ago.
“All soldiers listen!”
Bao Zhu gathered her breath, her voice echoing through the night sky: “I, Princess Wanshou Li Baozhu, have achieved spirit liberation and ascended to immortality, returning to the mortal world in celestial form, carrying the Heavenly Emperor’s mandate to correct rebellion and restore order, receiving ancestral commands to reorganize the realm! You are Li Tang soldiers, supporting the Li Tang kingdom – why do you follow eunuch orders like defeated dogs barking at the sun? My brother Li Yuanying has already been invested as Crown Prince, the rightful heir apparent of Li Tang. You array troops before Xuanwu Gate in rebellion – do you wish to openly change dynasties and usurp power? Valiant men, do you know what propriety, righteousness, integrity, shame, loyalty, trustworthiness, discipline, and martyrdom mean?!”
Bao Zhu’s vocal techniques had been guided by Zhou Qingyang. Now standing on the city wall delivering this lofty discourse, every word rang out clearly and every sentence resounded loudly, entering each person’s ears crystal clear.
In the hearts of every Tang person, especially military officers and soldiers, Emperor Taizong was a brilliant and sublime existence like a deity. Princess Wanshou held ancestral artifacts, occupied the moral high ground of bloodline righteousness, standing atop Xuanwu Gate proclaiming legitimacy – no one dared voice opposition.
Awed by her imposing presence, the area before Xuanwu Gate fell into unusual silence.
Everyone in the world knew this was where the Li Tang imperial family fought for supremacy. According to ancestral precedent, when the Li family engaged in internal power struggles, most imperial troops would observe from afar, waiting for the victor to emerge from Xuanwu Gate as the new emperor. Although Liu Shouqian and Wang Jinliang were army commanders, as rootless eunuchs they had absolutely no moral authority to attack this place.
The bearing and archery this young woman displayed made it hard to believe she was a substitute. Seeing military morale wavering, if Liu and Wang retreated now, they would never again have authority in the army.
Wang Jinliang was unwilling to be defeated by a tongue-lashing and loudly questioned: “Hundreds of thousands in Chang’an personally witnessed the Princess’s funeral. Without proof, how do you prove you are Princess Wanshou herself? What spirit liberation and immortality – absolutely ridiculous!”
As a eunuch, his voice was sharp and piercing. He also lacked the Princess’s literary eloquence. To call out in battle, he stretched his throat shouting, losing badly in both volume and momentum.
Bao Zhu had long anticipated this day. For a deceased person to return to the mortal world, without ironclad evidence to convince the world, her identity would be like building a tower on sand, a castle in the air. Even if she resolved today’s crisis, she would always be questioned. Several months ago, she had consulted Wei Xun about various matters regarding this.
Bao Zhu carefully observed the expressions of the Left and Right Guard Commanders. Seeing Wang Jinliang indignant while Liu Shouqian appeared hesitant with signs of wavering, she immediately seized the opening:
“Commander Liu, I have three important matters requiring you to lead your subordinates to handle.”
Liu Shouqian was startled, not knowing what she intended with this sudden change of topic.
Bao Zhu, facing thousands of Divine Strategy troops, spoke unhurriedly and clearly: “Having returned to the mortal world, my tomb beneath Zhongnan Mountain stands empty and needs capable people to manage it. First: My mausoleum contains forty-two human sacrifices, all people close to me in life. The burial sacrifices were not my intention. Please, Commander Liu, lead people to open the underground palace, remove the bodies, and bury them properly.
Second: My tomb was built hastily, and the murals in the underground palace were not completed – this is unseemly. Please have the Changzhou craftsmen who built the mausoleum complete them for me, then let them return to their homeland without further troubling the people.
Third: Father Emperor provided me with millions in gold and jade for burial, countless rare treasures. To celebrate my brother’s accession to Crown Prince, I hereby vow and pledge to take out all burial goods from the mausoleum and reward the three armies!”
Her first two statements detailed various specifics of the underground palace, making listeners feel both chilled and amazed. The third statement nearly caused the Divine Strategy troops present to boil over.
Princess Wanshou had received deep imperial favor. The grandeur of her funeral and extravagance of her burial goods had shocked the world. The Emperor had emptied the inner treasury for her, becoming a topic of conversation among Chang’an people that remained unforgettable to this day.
Now this princess claiming resurrection announced she would distribute all burial goods to the army. Human nature loves wealth – how could they not be tempted? The soldiers momentarily forgot military discipline, chattering like a swarm of bees with countless words and discussions.
After hearing these three statements combining grace and authority, Liu Shouqian knew the situation was lost with no chance of recovery.
The Princess’s mausoleum was part of the imperial tombs – without her personal consent, no one could touch it. Now all the Divine Strategy troops present had heard about this enormous sum. To obtain it, they had to acknowledge that the woman on the city wall was Princess Wanshou herself and recognize Li Yuanying’s legitimate Crown Prince status.
If he insisted on refusing to acknowledge her, who would afterward dare openly rob imperial tombs? Unable to obtain this reward would plant seeds of discontent in the hearts of proud soldiers and fierce generals, creating endless future troubles. Just three sentences had made the arrogant commanding eunuch owe a debt impossible to repay in this lifetime.
Liu Shouqian assessed the situation and no longer heeded Wang Jinliang’s ideas. He dismounted and respectfully bowed: “This old slave was blind! Just now I failed to recognize Your Highness’s countenance – truly shameful. Since the Crown Prince commands and Your Highness bestows grace, this old slave will immediately handle affairs according to the edict and manage Your Highness’s tomb. All soldiers, express gratitude!”
The Spring Equinox was originally a day when the Son of Heaven sacrificed to the sun and common people honored their ancestors.
However, as dawn broke, Chang’an’s common people witnessed an incredible and eerie spectacle.
They saw banners covering the sky and an endless procession of vehicles and escorts. Like that supremely grand funeral in May last year, over ten thousand imperial guards marched magnificently toward the foot of Zhongnan Mountain, but for the completely opposite purpose. In broad daylight, they brazenly excavated Princess Wanshou’s mausoleum that had been sealed with earth last year.
Even more jaw-dropping was that the leader of this lawless act of leading imperial guards to rob the imperial tomb was Princess Wanshou herself, who should have been buried in the mausoleum! Not only did she not avoid public attention, she actually extended grand invitations to imperial relatives and nobles, civil and military officials, and nearby common people to personally witness the tomb-opening process.
Under the Princess’s supervision and the lure of treasure, the soldiers worked as one, sweating profusely as they dug through the sealed earth, using siege equipment to smash the stone doors of the tomb passage, revealing the grim and magnificent underground palace.
“Distinguished guests, please enter. Welcome to visit my humble abode.” Princess Wanshou spoke with smiles and warmth, fulfilling her duties as host, inviting important court ministers and the Four Noble Eunuchs to tour the underground palace as if it were her imperial garden.
With human sacrifice corpses inside, the tomb reeked terribly. The dignitaries showed difficulty on their faces, really unwilling to enter. But the Princess gave guests no chance to politely decline, herding them like sheep, half-pushing and half-coaxing them inside.
Everyone covered their noses, holding torches and looking around. They saw the underground palace murals stopped at the outline sketching stage, not yet colored; forty-two burial sacrifice corpses matched exactly, not differing by a hair from what the Princess had said. Most shocking was that in the main burial chamber, the Princess’s coffin stood wide open, with gold, jade, pearls, and precious burial goods intact and complete – only the corpse was missing.
The underground palace walls were seamlessly joined without traces of robber tunnels. Moreover, what tomb robber in the world would be willing to enter a golden mountain and leave empty-handed, stealing only a corpse?
Hearing is believing, but seeing is truth. Everyone had to believe: in this iron-walled and complete underground palace, Princess Wanshou had returned from death, pushed open the coffin lid, and achieved spirit liberation to ascend to immortality.
Author’s Notes: Everyone has been concerned about the burial goods issue – they weren’t wasted. Money must be spent on the blade’s edge. The Canyang Institute’s new chief makes a move – the level must be a spectacular official robbery.