After her brother revealed the truth about their mother’s death, Bao Zhu buried her face in her arms and wept bitterly. These years’ memories surged in her mind like tidal waves: Mother’s smiling face, the infant’s cries, and deliberately suppressed memories from deep in her heart about her birth father. Regardless of the cause of death, she would never disturb Mother’s tomb and remains for the sake of getting to the bottom of things.
She cried for a long time. Previously, releasing emotions always made her feel relieved, but this time there was a discordant note, like sand in a shoe, a hangnail, or a worm in a date – seemingly trivial yet extremely uncomfortable.
Bury it, bury it deep underground, never let it surface again – Bao Zhu constantly urged herself in her heart.
She instinctively felt an unprecedented terror – something terrible enough to overturn principles and tear apart trust.
However, no matter how deliberately she ignored it, that small sense of wrongness grew larger and more twisted as her thoughts progressed, interrupting her mourning pain and grinding her heart to bloody pulp. This possibility was even more heartbreaking than the truth of Mother’s death.
After an unknown time, Bao Zhu could no longer endure it. She raised her head, staring directly at the brother she had depended on for life, tears mixing doubt and anger.
“Everything makes sense except for one flaw.”
She pushed away the square table, removing the only obstacle between Li Yuanying and herself.
“Yiwu Circuit is ten thousand li from Chang’an – letters would take nearly two months round trip. Returning to Chang’an to stabilize the situation, searching archives to find suspicious points, sending letters to inquire, bringing people for verification – no matter what, this couldn’t be completed within five months. Chang Lanfang is over seventy. You couldn’t risk the only surviving witness dying en route by forcing an elderly woman to travel day and night on horseback.
But Yiwu Circuit borders Youzhou. If you located Chang Lanfang in that distant place and sent people to bring her to Youzhou for questioning, the journey would be short – only then would the timeline match. Moreover, your constant summoning of civilian midwives in the palace couldn’t have been hidden from me.”
Bao Zhu’s gaze was ice-cold, her words like knives: “You already uncovered the truth in Youzhou, not after returning to the palace. Death by murder versus natural death are worlds apart, yet you deliberately fabricated the tragic scene of Mother’s wronged spirit wandering the palace, deceiving me into joining you in killing our way back to Chang’an for revenge. Only after the dust settled and the throne was in hand did you reveal the facts.”
Refute it, quickly refute it! Provide a reasonable explanation to convince me! Bao Zhu screamed and prayed in her heart, but the brother who shared her blood and had faced life and death with her fell silent.
Li Yuanying looked at his sister expressionlessly without a word, his long lashes casting shadows on his gaunt face. His silence confirmed Bao Zhu’s suspicions.
She was utterly desperate, tears in her eyes, angrily roaring: “You actually lied about Mother’s cause of death, making me bear the stain of killing brothers and imprisoning father, all just to ascend the throne!”
“Not only for me, but for yourself too,” Li Yuanying’s tone was terrifyingly calm. “You had deep father-daughter affection with him. Without pushing you, you couldn’t make the decision to sever all ties and join me in rebellion and patricide.”
Bao Zhu felt the world spinning. She thought sadly: Power is poisonous. The closer to the center of power, the easier to be devoured by undefeatable desire, finally becoming mutated monsters clinging to life. Even the purest emotions in the world, once caught in power’s whirlpool, become polluted beyond recognition. Father-son cannibalism, husband-wife estrangement, sibling rivalry – one after another.
Rage instantly overwhelmed her mind, as if molten lava flowed in her blood. She lunged straight at Li Yuanying, wrestling with him.
Two beautiful children wrestling in Penglai Hall.
Palace servants smiled and gathered around, cheering for each sibling. The little Princess was aggressive, meticulously using moves taught by horn-wrestling instructors. Prince Shao was seven years older and could easily subdue his sister with one hand, but deliberately showed weakness, pretending to be evenly matched. They rolled together on the carpet – at first glance, the battle seemed fierce.
“Princess! Use the leg sweep!” someone reminded.
Bao Zhu did as advised, grabbing her brother’s belt and trying to hook his ankle. Li Yuanying fell down cooperatively. Bao Zhu immediately pounced on him like a swallow returning to nest, using her lotus-root arms to apply a submission hold.
“Surrender?!” she called excitedly.
“Alright, I give up.” The youth laughed, supporting his little sister’s armpits and lifting her high. “Bao Zhu is amazing – the world’s strongest warrior!”
The little girl was surrounded by everyone, triumphant and beaming, bright and clear inside and out without a trace of gloom.
Over ten years later, the same two beautiful children wrestling in the empty Penglai Hall.
No one cheered or celebrated. The two completely abandoned wrestling rules, using all their strength, gritting their teeth, staking their lives to subdue the other.
Li Yuanying used his tall build and weight advantage to temporarily gain the upper hand, locking his sister to the ground with joint techniques.
Bao Zhu couldn’t turn over momentarily, nearly seeing stars from the chokehold. She raised her knee to strike hard at his leg’s old injury. Li Yuanying grunted but didn’t release his grip.
So she moved upward, adjusting position to drive her knee viciously into his soft ribs where no bones protected the organs. The strike worked – Li Yuanying’s arm locking her neck loosened. Weakened by prolonged illness, he was no longer as robust as before and couldn’t maintain his advantage.
New stars rise as old ones fade.
Bao Zhu seized the chance to embrace his waist and roll, instantly reversing the situation. Riding on her brother’s body, she clenched her fists and struck his face.
One punch, two punches… Li Yuanying’s skin split and flesh tore, his face covered in blood, shoulders and limbs going limp as he lost the strength to resist.
Bao Zhu’s fist hung in mid-air. Just as she hesitated about what to do next, her peripheral vision caught wavering spear shadows on the rear hall’s window paper. Looking closely, about a dozen warriors had quietly gathered outside Penglai Hall – Golden Guards on duty always worked in pairs with fixed ceremonial formations, never clustering like this.
Her heart immediately went cold. Trembling with rage while straddling him, she grabbed his lapels and shouted: “You stationed troops to ambush me?! The bow discarded when birds are gone – planning to have people come eliminate me if negotiations broke down?!”
Li Yuanying had been stunned by her heavy blows and couldn’t speak momentarily. Bao Zhu looked down from above, roaring angrily: “Speak up! Why aren’t you making a sound?!”
“We haven’t completely fallen out…” He turned his head, spat out bloody saliva, and said softly: “Our interests remain aligned. I need you as regent supervising the state. You must have me pass the throne to you for legal legitimacy. You share the realm with me – our agreement still stands.”
Scalding tears fell drop by drop on the brownish-yellow robe, creating dark water stains. Though not luxurious, this was the imperial color no one dared usurp. For this position, they had fought through thorns and blood together to reach here, yet ultimately everything had changed.
Bao Zhu questioned through tears: “Was it all fake then? We grew up together day and night, loving each other…”
Li Yuanying breathed weakly, saying quietly: “It was all real. This is imperial love – it can sour at any time. Even a child you personally raised might backstab you for power someday. Many will support him simply because he’s a boy. All Li family males will covet your position. You can’t trust anyone and must always keep backup plans – like I do.”
“Oh, so it was all for this. You hate Yuan Yi and want me to guard against him.”
The person wrapped in yellow robes was skeletal thin. During their struggle, Bao Zhu could clearly feel his weakness. She couldn’t help but recall the sibling pair playing and fighting in this hall, studying and sleeping together… countless warm memories flooded her mind. The brother she had admired and loved since childhood was intelligent and wise, caring for her meticulously. But now siblings turned against each other – she had beaten him bloody and immobile.
Bao Zhu glanced again at the spear shadows wavering between the rear hall’s window frames. The overturned table, scattered teacups – the sounds of their fight must have been heard outside, yet he never ordered action. What else could she do? Perish together with him in fury? When starting this rebellion, she knew clearly: whether successful or failed, this path had no return.
Finally, she released her grip, stood up, and quickly left through the main hall entrance.
Moments later, the rear hall door quietly cracked open with someone surveying inside. Seeing the Princess had left and Li Yuanying lay motionless on the carpet, Yuan Shaobo immediately stuffed the several spears he held into Huang Xiaoning’s arms and rushed into the hall in three quick steps.
Huang Xiaoning held seven or eight long spears in both hands, whispering urgently to another companion: “Give me a hand!”
Gongsun Ming leaned his spears against the wall and helped Huang Xiaoning share the burden. The three men used over a dozen spears to cast overlapping shadows between window frames, creating the illusion of warriors waiting in formation outside.
“What should we call this performance? The ancients had ‘dagger revealed when map unrolled’ and ‘smashing cups as signal’ – should ours be ‘hidden spear shadows in windows’?” Gongsun Ming racked his brains trying to create a new idiom.
Huang Xiaoning was already sweating profusely with fear, saying urgently: “What are you thinking? If the Princess knew we were involved in this, she could tear us apart and throw us in the latrines.”
“We never intended to actually fight,” Gongsun Ming muttered. “Just the three of us aren’t the Princess’s match. Military Commissioner Yuan is leaving for Youzhou soon – who knows what His Majesty planned with this charade.”
Huang Xiaoning was already calculating early retirement to his hometown. Previous dynasties had examples of imperial relatives conspiring in rebellion then turning against each other after success – who knew what grudges these siblings harbored? In all the realm, only this living ancestor dared pin down the Emperor and beat him senseless.
After Yuan Shaobo entered the hall and saw Li Yuanying bloodied from nose and mouth in a pitiful state, he gasped: “The Princess was too harsh.”
“When she’s serious, she never holds back – that’s her strength.” Li Yuanying struggled to sit up but fell back due to the knee strike to his ribs.
Yuan Shaobo had to lift him horizontally and place him on the wall-side couch, then hurriedly went to the front hall to summon attendants, quietly asking them to find an imperial physician skilled in treating external injuries.
Soon news spread that His Majesty had accidentally fallen in Penglai Hall, landing face-first. The hall immediately became chaotic with people fetching ice, bringing silk cloths, carefully wiping blood traces and changing the bloodstained yellow robe.
Li Yuanying lay with ice on his forehead, breathing weakly, asking Yuan Shaobo who guarded his couch: “Zhongfu, what do you think she’ll do next?”
Yuan Shaobo pondered briefly and answered: “The Princess will likely transfer the Jade Comb Army from Youzhou to Chang’an – that’s her direct unit. Then station them at the north gate as the new Xuanwu Gate imperial guards.”
Li Yuanying nodded slightly: “That’s correct.”
Yuan Shaobo couldn’t help saying: “Why must Your Majesty do this? The Princess has always trusted you wholeheartedly without doubt.”
Li Yuanying sighed: “That’s precisely her greatest weakness. As long as she harbors illusions about relatives, she’ll stumble sooner or later.”
“Given the Princess’s wisdom and alertness, she’ll eventually see through today’s events. Your Majesty shouldn’t risk your health.”
“It doesn’t matter. I did calculate against her, and the seed of suspicion is planted. She’ll be much more careful from now on – that makes it worthwhile.” Li Yuanying closed his eyes, murmuring: “Though suspicion is detestable, it’s a quality emperors must possess.”
Perhaps from the head trauma, he gradually became drowsy. After an unknown time, Li Yuanying suddenly opened his eyes, scanning around bewildered, calling softly: “Zhongfu? Zhongfu?” as if unable to see the person right beside him.
Seeing his unfocused gaze, Yuan Shaobo’s heart tightened. He remembered Madam Li privately mentioning that His Majesty occasionally experienced brief blindness that could recover on its own, but wasn’t a good sign.
He quickly grasped Li Yuanying’s cold hand, responding: “Your subject is here.”
Li Yuanying seemed unsure, quietly asking for confirmation again: “After I’m gone, whom will you be loyal to?”
Yuan Shaobo’s throat choked with emotion. Suppressing surging feelings, he answered seriously: “Your subject is only loyal to the Princess.”
“Good, good…” Li Yuanying relaxed, finally entering peaceful sleep.
Yuan Shaobo thought sadly that though he constantly spoke of emperors being inevitably suspicious, he still believed the verbal promises of those holding military power. This so-called “weakness” – was the Princess the only one who possessed it?