The Hall of Eternal Life fell into deathly silence.

Tearing off the heavy demon mask from her head and face, Bao Zhu asked: “Is he completely dead?”

Li Yuanying sat beside the imperial bed, studied him for a moment, then replied: “No, he’s only fainted from fright. However, whether he can regain consciousness again is hard to say.”

Bao Zhu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then slowly stepped forward to carefully examine her biological father who had buried her alive – the supreme ruler of the Great Tang Dynasty.

He looked much more aged than the loving appearance in her memory, with withered skin and white hair, a contorted face, and fingernails grown long like claws. During these final days, his paranoia had reached the point where he wouldn’t allow anyone to approach with sharp objects, not even scissors for trimming nails. His murky breathing produced hissing sounds like a leaking bellows.

All of this made the Emperor look no longer human, but rather some kind of mutated monster. The parts of his facial features that resembled her own made Bao Zhu feel an eerie chill down her spine.

The dying old man emanated a foul odor throughout his body. Despite having the most comprehensive care, it still couldn’t mask the putrid smell of a body and mind gradually approaching death.

The brother and sister hadn’t originally intended to meet with him again. If they could make the Emperor “voluntarily” abdicate and become a harmless retired emperor during his final days, that would be the most dignified outcome after the imperial father-son falling out.

But after returning to Chang’an, they learned from their informants that the imperial seal had been reclaimed by the Emperor and was being carried on his person, forcing them to change their plans and stage this supernatural drama.

Li Yuanying removed his cloud-like false hair, saying coldly: “It would be best if he could hold on a bit longer, otherwise the stain of ‘patricide’ would be hard to wash away. It would violate propriety and make our claim to the throne illegitimate.”

To make this performance have the desired effect, Bao Zhu led people back to Cuiwei Temple, digging up the flower-tree hairpin, demon mask, and other items they had buried in the temple when leaving Chang’an last year. Then the two disguised themselves as women and infiltrated the palace through the connections of Ruan Ziming, the eunuch supervisor of Youzhou. The inside man he had recruited was Wang Wenzhen, the Privy Council Minister – a eunuch responsible for communication between the outer court and inner palace who transmitted the Emperor’s edicts.

Being able to gain support from one of the “Four Nobles” also surprised Ruan Ziming greatly. He wasn’t aware that Wang Wenzhen’s rise from the lowest menial eunuch to this position had involved mysterious noble assistance at several crucial points.

Noble Consort Xue disliked leaving traces in her actions. She had left behind some political legacy within the palace, but unfortunately, when she departed hastily, even her own children weren’t clear about it.

Wang Wenzhen possessed considerable understanding of righteousness and was quite practical. When Li Yuanying was demoted to Youzhou, Wang had assessed the situation and remained silent. Now, hearing of his development in Youzhou, Wang believed the opportunity had come. Since someone surnamed Li would eventually sit on the throne, why couldn’t it be her child?

In recent years, the Emperor’s temper had become violent due to consuming alchemical pills, frequently executing palace servants and maids over trivial matters. Those around him had long harbored resentment but dared not voice it. When they received Wang Wenzhen’s subtle command to temporarily leave the Hall of Eternal Life, everyone complied without a word.

Hearing that the situation inside the hall had been settled, Madam Yu quietly entered, bringing the crown prince’s robes that had been prepared in advance for Li Yuanying to change into.

Bao Zhu removed her mother’s flower-tree hairpin and shed her mourning clothes, revealing the chain mail worn close to her body.

Controlling the old Emperor and obtaining the imperial seal and edicts was just the beginning of the coup. The transition period of power transfer was the most dangerous time.

The brother and sister walked out of the Hall of Eternal Life, where over thirty loyal warriors who had followed them waited outside the hall. Although Wang Wenzhen was a powerful eunuch with enormous influence over both the inner palace and outer court, he had no military authority and could only arrange for these thirty-odd men to enter the inner court through the polo grounds of the Eastern Inner Garden under the pretense of being polo players.

Out of respect for the Privy Council Minister, they weren’t searched, but passing through the palace restrictions meant they couldn’t openly carry swords and spears. They wore only close-fitting leather armor, with copper-wrapped polo mallets as weapons.

Along the way, any palace servants who recognized the brother and sister either fled in terror or, if unable to escape, lowered their heads pretending they had seen nothing.

At the crucial moment of imperial succession, when small people witnessed anything incredible or heard words they shouldn’t, they could very well lose their heads. With storm clouds gathering, the palace servants understood well the life-preserving way of playing deaf and dumb, carefully waiting for the overall situation to stabilize.

“Summon Li Chengyuan and Li Yuanchou to the palace for imperial audience.”

Li Yuanying, having just bestowed upon himself the crown prince title, issued his first edict in the Emperor’s name. The strategy for seizing power was simple: eliminate potential competitors first.

Wang Wenzhen understood and immediately sent people to deliver the summons. Princess Wanshou Li Baozhu dispatched minor eunuchs under Wang Wenzhen’s command to retrieve an ancestral sacrificial artifact from the inner treasury.

Prince Wei Li Yuanchou, residing in the Ten Princes’ Mansion, received the summons and was overjoyed to the point of madness, cheering loudly. His advisors were also overjoyed and offered congratulations. Receiving a palace summons during this tense period meant the Emperor had finally decided on the heir apparent.

Hiring assassins to go to Youzhou to kill Prince Shao had been a masterstroke, and with former Crown Prince Li Chengyuan blind and disfigured, the Emperor now had only one adult and healthy son left, making him the obvious choice.

Prince Wei immediately changed into court robes for the imperial audience and, with over twenty guards, rode swiftly from Yongxing Ward toward Daming Palace. Upon entering the palace walls and stepping onto the imperial avenue, Li Yuanchou saw his brother-in-law Xiahou Jin standing by the roadside. Restraining his ecstatic mood, he reined in his horse to greet him.

On both sides of the imperial avenue were the Left and Right Golden Guards’ barracks, housing over four hundred soldiers responsible for palace ceremonies and security functions. The commanding general of this force was Li Yuanchou’s brother-in-law, Xiahou Jin.

This was the only military force within Daming Palace not controlled by eunuchs, making it especially important to the Emperor. Li Yuanchou had already secretly agreed with Xiahou Jin that if anything unexpected happened, they would seize power by force and claim the throne. Now with an imperial summons, they could ascend legitimately without taking risks.

Xiahou Jin stood to one side of the imperial avenue, apparently waiting for him. Li Yuanchou dismounted to show respect and exchanged pleasantries. Seeing Xiahou Jin’s grave expression, he asked puzzledly: “Joy falls from heaven, why does brother-in-law wear such an expression?”

Xiahou Jin whispered to him: “Just now, two groups went out from the palace to deliver summons – one group went to the western detached palace.”

Li Yuanchou was stunned, and only after a long moment did he realize that former Crown Prince Li Chengyuan, after being deposed and falling out of the Emperor’s favor, lived in the detached palace west of Chang’an city. Not being particularly intelligent, he couldn’t immediately understand why the Emperor would summon both sons simultaneously.

Xiahou Jin said grimly: “This matter is somewhat suspicious. Your Highness had better put on armor, and I’ll accompany you into the palace for the audience.”

Li Yuanchou knew his brother-in-law was much more astute than himself, and if he said this, he must have his reasons. His heart immediately began beating nervously. He followed Xiahou Jin into the inner courtyard, hurriedly donning the Golden Guards’ bright armor, then covering it with brocade robes for concealment.

The Golden Guards bore responsibility for protecting the palace quarters. During duty, they could openly wear swords within the palace. Xiahou Jin called up over a hundred subordinates to escort Prince Wei across the imperial bridge toward the inner court.

When they reached the vicinity of Xianju Hall, Li Yuanchou was completely unprepared. His vision blurred, and with a clang and shower of sparks, an arrow struck his chest and bounced off.

Someone was actually ambushing a prince within the inner palace! Everyone was shocked and dismayed. Xiahou Jin was first to draw his sword, and the Golden Guards prepared to resist the enemy. Looking closely at the arrow on the ground, it was actually a four-feathered great arrow.

Xiahou Jin looked left and right, cold sweat immediately breaking out on his back. This was an open flower garden area where spring buds had just emerged, with branches and leaves barely knee-high – no place for concealment at all. The ambushers must be intimately familiar with the palace roads and terrain.

“Dismount! Dismount quickly!” Xiahou Jin shouted at Li Yuanchou.

But Li Yuanchou was unwilling to obey his command. He thought that since these Golden Guards were all infantry, if strong enemies attacked, riding a horse would make it convenient to escape quickly. Besides, wearing heavy armor, he needn’t fear swords or stray arrows.

A hundred paces away, Bao Zhu, hidden in the shadows of a palace building, clicked her tongue and complained: “When did this fool learn to be clever? He actually put on armor in advance.”

The guards accompanying her in ambushing Prince Wei panicked. They had originally expected Prince Wei to be followed by at most twenty or so plainclothes attendants, which their dozen-plus elite warriors could handle with polo mallets. Who would have thought that the wily Xiahou Jin would bring sword-bearing Golden Guards? Once he sent people to call for reinforcements, the situation would become more than just ten against one.

Bao Zhu wasn’t flustered and once again drew the giant Que bow in her hands, taking aim at her target.

This time the weapon wasn’t a replica of Li Yu’s, but the real thing passed down from the founding emperor. The early monarchs of the Li Tang dynasty were all renowned archers famous throughout the realm. This giant Que bow was preserved in the inner court treasury, brought out for descendants to venerate during annual sacrifices, with specialists maintaining it carefully and keeping the bowstring fresh.

If Prince Wei had any brains, he would have grasped his brother-in-law’s meaning: when under archer attack, hiding among the crowd was the safe course. Riding high on horseback only made him a living target.

Bao Zhu’s specialty was shooting extremely small targets like prey’s eyes. She called out softly: “Try this move – ‘Sparrow Screen Selection’!”

The four-feathered great arrow left the string again, avoiding the armor and striking directly at Li Yuanchou’s left eye. The arrowhead penetrated deep into his brain, and Prince Wei immediately fell from his horse. She followed with another arrow that pierced Xiahou Jin’s throat.

Not a single arrow missed; each was a killing blow.

“His Majesty commands: Prince Wei has rebelled against his superior and has been executed! The rest were deceived by the rebel Xiahou Jin – those who surrender and lay down their weapons shall be pardoned!” Bao Zhu’s clear voice echoed through the palace halls.

Having lost both the imperial heir and their commanding general, Prince Wei’s faction had no other cards to play. They were panic-stricken and in complete disarray.

The Golden Guards had originally been following orders. Upon hearing the words “rebelling against superiors,” their faces turned ashen. Seeing their commander dead, they threw down their swords and immediately scattered like birds and beasts. Hearing that their opponent calling out was a woman, they fled without time to see clearly what she looked like, only feeling that both her archery skills and voice seemed somewhat familiar.

Huang Xiaoning said happily: “The Princess has finally avenged that beating from years ago!”

Bao Zhu hummed in acknowledgment, but her expression didn’t become relaxed.

Four years ago during a polo match, Li Yuanchou had used underhanded tactics causing her to fall from her horse, nearly being trampled to death by the horses, then afterwards hypocritically apologized and begged for mercy. Polo was inherently a dangerous sport, and it wasn’t uncommon for imperial relatives and nobles to be blinded or crippled by it, so there was nothing to be said about the matter. Afterwards, she practiced hard at “hiding in the stirrups” and finally won back her honor.

If this were an ordinary family’s sibling feud, at most they would simply stop associating. But this struggle for the throne had long since ceased being an ordinary grudge – it was a fight to the death. Bao Zhu thought darkly that this was the second member of the Li family she had personally killed.

Having defeated Prince Wei without major incident, Bao Zhu returned to her brother’s side with weapons and spoils of war. Learning from her that Xiahou Jin was dead, Madam Yu immediately mounted a horse and went to the Golden Guards’ barracks in the name of the new Crown Prince Li Yuanying to win over and recruit the other Golden Guards.

Bao Zhu saw that after Li Yuanying removed his disguise, his face was pale and haggard, his clothes hanging loosely on his frame. The high-intensity journey had already placed an enormous burden on his body, and immediately throwing himself into the coup without rest while forcing his sick body to endure had exhausted him both physically and mentally.

She asked with concern: “How do you feel, elder brother?”

Li Yuanying said in a low voice: “The people sent to summon Li Chengyuan from the detached palace have been delayed in returning. I don’t know what accident has occurred there.”

Bao Zhu’s heart sank.

Although their scheming was proceeding smoothly within the palace, what truly determined the success or failure of this Xuanwu Gate incident was only the Northern Command forbidden troops stationed outside Daming Palace. The Left and Right Guard Commanders, the eunuchs Liu Shouqian and Wang Jinliang, controlled the main force of the Divine Strategy Army in Chang’an city – a total of sixty thousand troops.

Even if Madam Yu could win over all the Golden Guards with her peerless eloquence, that was still only four hundred-plus men. If the eunuch commanders refused to support Prince Shao’s succession, then all their scheming would be like fishing for the moon in water. Wang Wenzhen had repeatedly tested the attitudes of Liu Shouqian and Wang Jinliang, but these two cunning old eunuchs always remained evasive and gave no response.

They didn’t want someone as sharp-minded as Li Yuanying to succeed as crown prince, but they also hadn’t decided who should inherit the throne to best serve their own interests.

Since ancient times, disfigured and disabled princes had no hope of succession. If the commanding eunuchs wanted a deaf and blind puppet emperor, then deposed Crown Prince Li Chengyuan would become a suitable candidate.

The brother and sister thought of this possibility simultaneously, its consequences weighing on their hearts like a thousand-pound boulder. Wang Wenzhen’s face was also unpredictable, unable to make up his mind for the moment.

After Li Yuanying controlled the Emperor and obtained the imperial seal, he simultaneously summoned his two brothers while sending edicts commanding Xuanwu Gate’s guard general Xue Gu to close the palace gates. At this moment, urgent reports arrived that while the gates were indeed closed, Left Army Commander Liu Shouqian had brought Divine Strategy troops to position outside Xuanwu Gate, inquiring what exactly had happened within Daming Palace.

Hearing that enemy forces had arrived at the city gates, Bao Zhu immediately led men racing toward Xuanwu Gate. After ascending the gate tower, she saw torches like a sea of stars outside the palace gates, reflecting the night in blood red.

Author’s Notes: Reference material: “The Divine Strategy Army and Eunuch Politics in the Mid-to-Late Tang Dynasty” According to the “New Book of Tang,” Tang dynasty emperors possessed “eight seals” – eight imperial seals each with their own purposes for sacrifices, enfeoffments, military campaigns, etc., but no detailed records exist of which events used which seals. We’ll assume there’s just one. Since ancient times, seizing the official seal has been quite important.