The Seventh Princess possessed extraordinary beauty, radiant as spring flowers.

Young men from Chang’an’s noble families vied to seek her hand in marriage. Even the sons of the Seven Clans and Five Families, who normally looked down upon royal princesses, fought violently over her.

If such a beauty took the initiative to visit, others would surely be overjoyed.

But Du Sinan couldn’t feel happy at all.

Not only was he unhappy, but he also had nowhere to vent his pent-up anger.

Looking at the smiling Seventh Princess Li Yaoying at his door, his eyes turned blood-red with rage.

……

In these times, the distinction between noble and common was strict. Even though warfare had raged for years, it couldn’t shake the status of the great noble families. The line between noble and humble families remained clear.

Though talented commoners had emerged in recent years, once the realm was pacified, noble families would still control the court and the greater trends of the world.

Du Sinan was from Southern Chu. Proud of his talents, he had aspired to great achievements since childhood. Unfortunately, born of humble origins, he heard that the Northern Wei King Li De and his eldest son Li Xuanzhen welcomed worthy men and appointed them based on talent rather than family background. So he specifically packed his bags to seek them out.

He thought that earning Li Xuanzhen’s recognition would launch his career and allow him to realize his ambitions. He never expected Li’s seventh daughter to suddenly appear and completely disrupt his plans.

He had traveled north to find Wei’s army and join Li Xuanzhen. As the heir, Li Xuanzhen already had capable advisors he relied on. Not wanting to be looked down upon, Du Sinan specifically arrived in Guanzhong before the Wei army, befriending local scholars and building his reputation, waiting for Li Xuanzhen to repeatedly seek him out.

He thought he could wait patiently for his fish to bite, but before Li Xuanzhen took the bait, Li Yaoying had yanked his fishing rod into the water.

At that time, the Wei army hadn’t yet entered the Guanzhong plains. Du Sinan spent his days studying behind closed doors, occasionally going out to visit friends. Suddenly he encountered a group of bandits who kidnapped him into the deep mountains. Fortunately, a passing merchant caravan rescued him and he escaped safely.

The caravan leader claimed to be a servant of the Li family from Wei Commandery. He comforted Du Sinan well, sent people to check on him every three days, and dispatched maids and servants to look after his daily needs.

Du Sinan wanted to inquire about the Li family’s affairs, so he associated with the caravan leader for some time.

When he discovered the caravan leader was Li Yaoying’s servant, he immediately cut ties.

At the time, he thought Li Yaoying was just a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl living in seclusion, believing everything was just a coincidence and not taking it seriously.

Who knew Li Yaoying was so scheming? Every time she sent servants to visit him, she had them carry loads covered with red silk through the markets conspicuously. When people curiously inquired, those servants would answer that they were Li Zhongqian’s servants.

Before Du Sinan could react, rumors that he had joined Li Zhongqian’s camp had already spread throughout Guanzhong.

So when the Wei army entered Guanzhong and Li Xuanzhen began seeking out local scholars, Du Sinan was considered Li Zhongqian’s man.

Du Sinan waited and waited but could never get an audience with Li Xuanzhen. He realized Li Xuanzhen must have grown suspicious and didn’t want to recruit such a questionable person as his advisor.

In people’s eyes, Li Zhongqian had saved his life and valued him highly, sending gold and silver to his home like flowing water, caring for his every need.

If he switched allegiance to Li Xuanzhen, before even considering whether Li Xuanzhen would trust his loyalty, he would first bear the label of “ungrateful traitor”!

Du Sinan could bend and adapt. Understanding the cause and effect, he decided to settle for second best and actively sought out Li Xuanzhen to declare his intentions.

He eagerly came to Chang’an.

At this point, Li Yaoying jumped out again, personally visiting Du Sinan.

Even when he avoided seeing her, she would still appear at his door every few days, always making a grand show with dozens of guards and strong servants sweeping through half of Chang’an.

The Li family’s seventh daughter was as beautiful as flowers and the moon, unmatched in the Central Plains. Every time she left the palace, young men from Chang’an’s noble families would ride horses behind her, just to catch another glimpse.

When she specifically went out to visit Du Sinan, within days it became the talk of the town.

Du Sinan was so angry he vomited blood: now Li Xuanzhen would be even more suspicious of him!

What angered Du Sinan, even more, was that after Li Yaoying ruined his path to success, she never showed any intention of actually recruiting him for Li Zhongqian.

She looked down on him, carelessly standing at his door, speaking a few smiling words before leaving, showing no sincere desire to seek talent.

But in others’ eyes, it appeared the noble Seventh Princess had recognized Du Sinan’s talent with her discerning eye, humbling herself to seek his guidance.

Du Sinan couldn’t voice his grievances and had to endure the jealousy, mockery, and ridicule of the capital’s young nobles.

……

Two years of resentment and bitterness surged in his heart, making Du Sinan’s teeth grind audibly.

Li Yaoying smiled and gestured to her strong servants.

The servants carried several loads of firewood, rice, mutton, and vegetables into the courtyard.

Du Sinan laughed coldly: “I won’t accept rewards without merit.”

Yaoying smiled lightly: “Master Du’s great talent deserves this.”

Du Sinan’s chest heaved violently. He desperately wanted to spit blood on the Seventh Princess’s face.

“Master Du looks unwell and still needs bed rest. I won’t disturb you further.”

As always, just after the servants set down their loads, Yaoying took her leave, her soft whip tapping her palm idly, clearly distracted.

Yet her face still held a floating smile, her eyes full of concern.

So young yet so calculating, and with such beauty—she would become his greatest threat in the future.

Du Sinan’s face turned iron-gray.

Yaoying turned and walked down the stone steps.

The commander Xie Qing led her horse forward, asking in a deep voice: “Noble mistress, are you returning to the palace?”

Yaoying mounted her horse and turned its head: “Let’s browse the Western Market. Second Brother is coming back soon, I’ll pick out a new saddle for him.”

Shortly after Li De ascended the throne, he led Crown Prince Li Xuanzhen and his second son Li Zhongqian on the campaign. News of victory had recently arrived. By travel time, the army would return to Chang’an in five or six days.

Xie Qing responded with acknowledgment, glanced back at Du Sinan, and spurred his horse to follow behind Yaoying.

Yaoying knew Xie Qing must be puzzled as to why she treated Du Sinan so strangely—neither using him properly nor simply killing him to eliminate future trouble.

She couldn’t harm Du Sinan.

He was supposed to be Li Xuanzhen’s chief strategist. Making things difficult for him also made her feel awful all over.

She could only think of other ways to prevent him from serving Li Xuanzhen.

Now it seemed this method was working well—Second Brother had successfully avoided Du Sinan’s schemes.

As for recruiting Du Sinan and using him for her purposes…

Yaoying shook her head.

……

Du Sinan had keen insight and was good at judging people. While still in Southern Chu, he had evaluated Li De in four words: “A generation’s great ruler.”

His evaluation of Li Xuanzhen was also four words: “Truly a heroic ruler.”

For Li Zhongqian, it was eight words: “Brave but unwise, cannot achieve greatness.”

His ambitions were lofty, his vision far-reaching. He would use any means to achieve his goals and would never be satisfied serving as Li Zhongqian’s advisor. Even if forced to submit, he wouldn’t sincerely strategize for Li Zhongqian and might secretly collude with Li Xuanzhen.

Keeping such a person close would be like cutting off one’s path forward.

Therefore, Yaoying couldn’t use Du Sinan.

Unable to kill him or use him, keeping him under watch nearby wasn’t bad.

Li Xuanzhen admired Du Sinan’s talent and was unwilling to miss out on such ability, constantly having people monitor him.

Every time Yaoying visited, the Eastern Palace would receive reports.

Now the Eastern Palace’s most valued strategist was Wei Ming from Hedong. This man was narrow-minded, held grudges, and envied capable people. Du Sinan had become famous young, and Wei Ming had long heard of him and was quite wary.

When reports reached Wei Ming’s hands, she believed he would take the opportunity to speak ill of Du Sinan, preventing Li Xuanzhen from using him.

Therefore, every time Yaoying left the palace, she would make a round to Du Sinan’s home.

She had nothing better to do anyway.

Today’s visit was also just because it was on the way to the Western Market.

……

It was the busiest time of day in the market wards, with streams of people flowing shoulder to shoulder.

After ascending the throne, Li De issued policies re-establishing market offices to manage trade in the Eastern and Western Markets. Due to good management and very low taxes, merchants gathered from all directions.

Shops lined the streets, with calls of vendors rising and falling. People from the South, North, Tocharians, Indians, and various foreigners haggled in broken official language.

Li Yaoying put on her veiled hat, dismissed her strong servants, keeping only a few guards, and found the saddle shop to pick out a saddle.

The shop owner boasted that all their saddles came from Beiting, not only light and sturdy but also infused with mutton fat to prevent rotting from rain and horse sweat.

When the Central Plains fell into chaos, the Western Regions were also unstable. Over several decades, dozens of large and small tribes had successively claimed kingship. The southern and northern routes of the Western Regions were divided among various tribes, and the Silk Road had been cut off for decades. When Beiting merchant caravans tried to trade with the Central Plains, they were often robbed by tribes along the way just after setting out. The caravans that once frequently traveled between the Western Regions and Central Plains had almost disappeared.

Rarity makes things precious. The shop owner had fortunately obtained a batch of hard-to-find Beiting horse equipment and was quite pleased with himself.

Yaoying asked a few questions about the Western Regions.

Though she concealed her identity and wore a veiled hat to cover her face, her bearing was refined and her manner distinguished.

The shop owner guessed she must be a noble person traveling in disguise and was eager to show off, freely telling everything he knew.

Walking out of the saddle shop, Yaoying’s brows furrowed slightly.

Northern tribes frequently invaded southward, and large areas of land north of Chang’an had not yet been recovered.

Li De wanted to use barbarians to control barbarians, using submitted foreign tribes to recover the Hexi Corridor. For this, he sent out large amounts of gold and silver. Several Turkic tribes agreed to submit, and their chieftains and princes had already arrived in Chang’an.

Before long, Li De might send Li Zhongqian to lead troops to pacify the Western Regions.

The Western Regions had been separated from Central Plains control for decades. According to the shop owner, though the Central Plains were gradually stabilizing, the Western Regions still suffered from constant warfare. Moreover, several powerful tribes had risen successively, two of which showed signs of sweeping across the Western Regions. How could recovery be easy?

In the book, Li Zhongqian died in the vast windswept sands of the Western Regions.

His rash and impulsive nature led him to be deceived by traitors sent by Li Xuanzhen and Du Sinan. He led his troops deep into enemy territory alone, became surrounded, and fought until exhaustion claimed him.

Li Xuanzhen wouldn’t let soldiers collect his body, leaving vultures to feed on his corpse.

After nearly ten years of campaigns and establishing great merit for the founding of Great Wei, the Second Prince ended with not even bones remaining.

……

The nightmare that had haunted Li Yaoying for years was the scene of Li Zhongqian’s tragic death in the desert.

Yaoying rode her horse out of the Western Market gate.

The one who truly wanted to kill Li Zhongqian was Li Xuanzhen. Without Du Sinan, there could be others to strategize for Li Xuanzhen.

Her elder brother wouldn’t spare their mother and children.

When Second Brother returned, she needed to have a good talk with him.

As her Wusun horse rounded a street corner, sudden loud calls from servants came from ahead.

People on the road scattered to make way.

Yaoying snapped out of her thoughts and looked toward the sound.

Several strong servants riding tall horses broke through the crowded masses, surrounding an ornate canopied carriage heading toward Yining Ward in the northwest corner.

The spring wind blew, lifting the carriage’s soft curtain, revealing a flash of a tense, delicate face.

Xie Qing had keen eyesight. After watching the carriage for a moment, he urged his horse forward half a length and said softly: “Noble mistress, it’s Princess Fukang.”

Yaoying’s brows furrowed slightly.

……

Princess Fukang Zhu Lüyun was the daughter of the previous dynasty’s last emperor, the female lead in “Great Wei’s Li Xuanzhen,” destined to be entangled with Li Xuanzhen for half their lives.

Several years ago, to win people’s hearts, Li De had people find the previous dynasty’s princess Zhu Lüyun, and raise her. After ascending the throne, he immediately titled her Princess Fukang.

Li De treated Zhu Lüyun like his own daughter.

But Zhu Lüyun believed Li De had deliberately delayed rescuing her father the emperor, causing his death. She pretended to submit to Li De while secretly plotting revenge.

The Li family men were ruthless and killed countless enemies on the battlefield. They were fierce and decisive, almost all being brave and skilled generals. Yet they all had one flaw: they were easily tripped up by women.

Li Xuanzhen’s case was especially severe.

His love-hate entanglement with Zhu Lüyun would last decades. Today you stab me, tomorrow I slash you—separating and reuniting, they would torment each other for half their lives. In the end, though they would live peacefully to old age together, their close associates would die or be wounded because of them. Yet every one had to congratulate them on finally resolving the two families’ grudges and joining in marriage.

In short, wherever Zhu Lüyun went, chaos ensued with people and horses tumbling.

The Crown Princess Lady Zheng was often ill, lying in bed every few days—half of it was from being angered by Li Xuanzhen and Zhu Lüyun.

……

Why would Zhu Lüyun, proud of her status, go to Yining Ward?

Yining Ward was where foreigners gathered.

Zhu Lüyun had always looked down on foreigners, disdaining to associate with them.

Something stirred in Yaoying’s mind and she ordered Xie Qing: “Send someone to follow and see.”

Xie Qing acknowledged and signaled to his subordinates.

A strong servant leaped down from horseback, blending into the bustling crowd.