In the Eastern Palace study, the back window overlooked a lotus pond, its banks shrouded in deep green shadows. A cool breeze carried the fragrance of lotus blossoms.

Sudden footsteps emerged from the deep willow shade as Zheng Biyu strode through the courtyard, her face darker than the pond waters.

The guards hesitated briefly but dared not stop her, silently withdrawing.

The advisors were discussing matters inside when they heard a commotion outside and looked up in surprise.

Zheng Biyu walked straight in, her angry gaze fixed directly on Wei Ming.

Everyone was shocked.

The Crown Princess was known for being gentle and virtuous, maintaining proper etiquette. She never came to the outer courtyard study impulsively – even when giving urgent instructions to advisors, she would receive them from behind a screen. Why had she burst in directly today?

Zheng Biyu swept her gaze around, her finger with bright red henna pointing toward Wei Ming.

Guards immediately rushed into the study, forcing Wei Ming to his knees.

Everyone was dumbfounded. When they reacted and rushed forward to intervene, other guards drove them out.

Wei Ming was a scholar who had never suffered such humiliation. His face flushed red with anger as he raised his head, glaring at Zheng Biyu.

Zheng Biyu looked down at him coldly: “You dare use your mistress to carry out such despicable acts.”

Wei Ming laughed coldly: “I am planning for His Highness the Crown Prince. You are His Highness’s wife, sharing his fortunes – why question me on behalf of outsiders?”

A mocking smile flashed across Zheng Biyu’s face: “Precisely because I am His Highness’s wife, I must punish treacherous people like you on his behalf. The Seventh Princess is His Highness’s sister and has never opposed the Eastern Palace, yet you use such methods against an innocent Princess Li!”

And he had used her! She was a daughter of the Zheng family, the Crown Princess of Great Wei – she would never stoop to such schemes to harm others!

Wei Ming laughed heartily: “Indeed, I am despicable! As long as I serve as the Crown Prince’s advisor, I must plan for his long-term future. The Crown Prince can be merciful and tolerant, but I cannot! For His Highness’s great endeavor, I will use any means necessary, be shameless, contemptible, and base. As long as I can remove the Prince of Qin, this grave threat to the Crown Prince, I am willing to be despicable!”

Zheng Biyu gritted her teeth: “This has nothing to do with the Seventh Princess!”

Wei Ming sneered, straightening his back: “Your Highness, I once thought the same – the Seventh Princess is just a member of the inner palace, not worth concerning ourselves with. But this supposedly weak and sickly Seventh Princess has repeatedly helped the Prince of Qin turn danger into safety…”

He paused, lowering his voice, “Moreover, this Seventh Princess can repeatedly influence the Crown Prince’s decisions, making him hesitate and waver!”

Zheng Biyu was stunned for a long moment.

“What connection is there between the Seventh Princess and the Crown Prince?”

Li Xuanzhen hated the Xie mother and children to the bone – how could Li Yaoying influence him?

Wei Ming narrowed his eyes: “I don’t know what happened between the Crown Prince and the Seventh Princess, but I can be certain that it was a concern for the Seventh Princess that made the Crown Prince miss opportunities to eliminate the Prince of Qin. Has Your Highness heard about the assassination attempt on the Prince of Qin in Xiangzhou that year?”

Zheng Biyu’s expression softened slightly as she nodded.

Three years ago when the Wei army took Xiangzhou, local nobles hosted a grand feast to celebrate. During the feast, a dancing girl performing with swords suddenly tried to assassinate Li Zhongqian. Li Zhongqian was drunk and nearly injured, but Li Xuanzhen killed the dancer.

Because of this incident, when the Eastern Palace later made several secret attempts on Li Zhongqian’s life, no one suspected Li Xuanzhen.

Wei Ming broke free from restraint, stood up, and bowed to Zheng Biyu: “Your Highness doesn’t know – that night the Seventh Princess was also at the feast, sitting right beside the Prince of Qin. When the Prince was drunk and the dancer suddenly attacked, the Seventh Princess was the first to react, throwing herself in front of the Prince of Qin. The dancer’s blade struck the Seventh Princess instead.”

Zheng Biyu’s face showed surprise.

Wei Ming continued: “That blade only tore the Seventh Princess’s clothes because the Crown Prince intervened.”

Li Xuanzhen and Li Zhongqian were known to be at odds, the brothers seated at opposite ends, one east and one west.

When the dancer first drew her curved blade, Li Xuanzhen sat motionless, drinking.

Wei Ming was present then, secretly rejoicing, just waiting for Li Zhongqian’s blood to spill. Suddenly a figure flashed past like a hawk striking a rabbit, followed by a cold gleam as the dancer died under Li Xuanzhen’s sword.

Zheng Biyu murmured: “The Crown Prince truly meant to save the Seventh Princess.”

Wei Ming nodded: “Correct.”

Zheng Biyu frowned: “Why has no one mentioned the Seventh Princess was there?”

Wei Ming’s eyes flickered: “Because at the time, no one knew the young servant who took the blade for the Prince of Qin was the Seventh Princess. Women couldn’t attend victory feasts – the Prince of Qin must have let her disguise herself as a servant boy to please her.”

“Only the Crown Prince recognized her.”

Zheng Biyu was stunned.

“As long as the Crown Prince cannot harden his heart against the Seventh Princess, he cannot kill the Prince of Qin.” Wei Ming’s expression was solemn. “My plot to have the Seventh Princess substitute in marriage isn’t just to protect Princess Fukang, but also to remove the threat of the Prince of Qin. If the Crown Prince cannot harden his heart, then I will act on his behalf!”

Zheng Biyu felt cold all over.

Wei Ming viewed Li Yaoying as a political enemy – this involved matters of state, where it was kill or be killed. She could not interfere.

…

At the Taiji Palace.

Yaoying stood on the imperial steps, wearing a lotus pearl crown and a pomegranate-red brocade robe with a phoenix and auspicious grass patterns, her skin like snow, her beauty radiant.

The chronicler stood behind her, saying softly: “Noble Lady, you need not worry. You are His Majesty’s daughter – he surely won’t agree to send you as a peace bride.”

Yaoying’s lips twitched.

That day at the Buddha’s birthday ceremony, she discovered Li Xuanzhen’s intentions and fled back to the prince’s mansion.

She thought since the Yelu chieftain hadn’t seen her face, she had escaped danger. A few days later, trouble still found her.

Big trouble.

The Yelu chieftain had actively proposed marriage. Li De immediately summoned his ministers, ruler, and subjects deliberating in secret all morning, keeping the chieftain’s marriage proposal.

The next day, Li De summoned Yaoying.

Yaoying turned to gaze at the summer palace in the northern city, a sense of absurdity washing over her.

Li Xuanzhen was heaven’s chosen one.

Zhu Lvyun was his beloved.

She knew she couldn’t fight against destiny, carefully protecting her mother and brother, staying away from trouble.

But trouble wouldn’t leave her alone.

“Uncle Hu.” Yaoying’s face was calm. “If His Majesty didn’t have that intention, why would he summon me?”

The chronicler knew he was deceiving himself. His eyes reddened as he said tremulously: “How could His Majesty agree?! How could the court ministers agree? You are a proper princess, benevolent and charitable, concerned with the common people’s suffering. You’ve never done anything willful before His Majesty…”

He grew more distressed as he spoke, secretly wiping his eyes.

“You were frail since childhood, always taking medicine, couldn’t walk before age three, then suffered misfortune at five. All these years following His Majesty’s campaigns north and south, living a wandering life, finally able to enjoy some peace… How could His Majesty bear it! This trouble was caused by Princess Fukang – how can they make you substitute for her?”

Yaoying gazed at the golden palace halls gleaming brilliantly in the bright sun, saying faintly: “Yes, how could Father bear it.”

The chronicler’s eyes glistened with tears as he suddenly raised his head: “Noble Lady, I’ll go beg Grand Secretary Zheng! Beg Commander Pei! And Grand Secretary Xue, General Lu… they all have old ties with the Xie family. I’ll kneel and beg them to persuade His Majesty!”

Could there truly not be a single upright official in the entire court?

Yaoying stopped the chronicler: “Uncle Hu, don’t waste effort. The court ministers won’t oppose my substituting for Princess Fukang in marriage, because…”

The chronicler trembled with anger: “Because the Xie family is gone, so no one cares anymore?”

Yaoying shook her head: “No because I am a woman.”

The chronicler was stunned.

Yaoying raised her hand to smooth her hair: “His Majesty has always wanted to recover Helong, which is why he’s so tolerant of submitted barbarian tribes, willing even to marry off Princess Fukang rather than break faith. Now a single woman can buy his long-desired Liangzhou – what a bargain! The ministers also yearn to retake Liangzhou. The Yelu chieftain asks for no territory, no rewards – they will only strongly approve.”

No matter how delicate, how gentle, how well-behaved she was, or how noble her status was, in the ministers’ eyes, she was ultimately just a woman.

If one woman could buy back the lost territory of Helong, why not?

The chronicler wiped his face: “Don’t be afraid. I’ve already written to His Highness. When he returns, let’s see who dares scheme against you!”

Yaoying said nothing.

But she thought silently: It will be too late!

Since Li De had made up his mind, could news even successfully reach Li Zhongqian?

Shadows moved on the terrace as a eunuch emerged from the inner hall, raising an imperial decree, his gaze full of undisguised pity and sympathy for Yaoying.

“Noble Lady, hear the imperial decree.”

The chronicler’s heart sank, his mind buzzing.

Yaoying stood motionless.

A fresh breeze stirred the colored ribbons on her lotus pearl crown as she stood before the steps, her robes fluttering as if she might float away at any moment.

The eunuch urged again.

The chronicler’s heart ached terribly as he stepped forward: “This old servant will seek an audience with His Majesty. Even if I die here today, I cannot watch the Princess be married off!”

Yaoying grabbed the chronicler’s arm, shaking her head at him.

The chronicler’s face was covered in tears: “Seventh Lady…”

If the Princess truly married far away, when the Second Prince returned to the capital, he would surely fight His Majesty to the death.

Having watched both the Second Prince and Seventh Princess grow up, how could he bear to see the siblings suffer?

Yaoying smiled faintly: “Uncle Hu, don’t be rash. Just because His Majesty orders me to marry, must I marry?”

The chronicler was stunned.