“Where have you been these past six months? How did you get covered in wounds? Fortunately, the city gate official told your eighth uncle, otherwise mother wouldn’t have been able to see you now.” Xiao Shi’s face was full of distress. Yunyi was her legitimate daughter, of noble status. Even if there were some criticisms in the palace, they were merely gossip—no one dared harm Yunyi in the slightest. At most, she had received some injuries during martial arts practice, but they were all minor wounds. Yet this time she returned covered in injuries, especially the scar on her shoulder. Though it had healed, judging from the remaining traces, that wound must have penetrated deep into the shoulder bone.

That day, Yunyi had only left her a simple letter before departing with Moping. She thought Yunyi was bored staying in the palace and wanted to go outside for a walk. She had sent people to search all over Luoyang but never found any trace of Yunyi. For the past six months, she had worried day and night. Now, seeing Yunyi return with her own eyes, she could finally feel at ease.

Yunyi remained silent for a moment, then said to the palace servants: “All of you, go out.”

After all the palace servants had withdrawn, Yunyi sat up slightly, her expression complex: “Mother, do you only have me as a daughter?”

Xiao Shi was startled by her question. “Of course, why are you asking this all of a sudden?”

“Because…” Yunyi bit her lip and said softly: “Your daughter encountered someone in Honghua Commandery who looks exactly like me.”

“Honghua Commandery?” Xiao Shi looked surprised. If she remembered correctly, that should be the territory guarded by Duke of Tang Li Yuan. She hadn’t expected Yunyi to have gone so far away. This meant all her injuries were sustained there?

Yunyi nodded: “That’s right. The strangest thing is, she not only looks like me, but was even born on the same day, even at the same time.”

Hearing this, Xiao Shi’s expression gradually grew grave. In this vast world, people with similar appearances weren’t unheard of, but to be both similar in appearance and born on the same day—this seemed too much of a coincidence. Could it be… that she had been pregnant with twins, and besides Yunyi, there was another daughter?

As soon as this thought arose, she denied it. Although she had fainted from pain during labor, she had awakened when the child was born. She had indeed given birth to only Yunyi, not twins. With this thought, she said: “What is that girl’s name, and who are her parents?”

“She’s called Wu Meixue, found in a tiger’s den by someone named Wu Laosan from Honghua Commandery.” Mentioning Wu Laosan, Yunyi’s eyes dimmed slightly. After a while, she continued: “She doesn’t know who her parents are. When she was found, besides a paper with her birth date and time, there was also a swaddling cloth with…” Yunyi slowly spoke four words: “A golden dragon embroidered on it!”

Xiao Shi gasped. A golden dragon? Only the imperial family had ever been permitted to use dragon motifs. How could an abandoned infant have such a swaddling cloth?

After slightly calming herself, Xiao Shi pressed: “Is that swaddling cloth still there?”

Yunyi shook her head: “The swaddling cloth wasn’t properly preserved and was chewed beyond recognition by mice, so it was thrown away. But Wu Laosan personally said he saw auspicious clouds, cranes, and a golden four-legged snake on it. Wu Laosan had always stayed in Honghua Commandery and had never been to the capital or seen a dragon, so he thought it was a four-legged snake. There’s a dragon, identical appearance, and the same birth date—there are too many similarities. So your daughter was wondering, could it be…”

Xiao Shi interrupted her: “But mother indeed only gave birth to you alone. This is beyond doubt. Mother couldn’t possibly be mistaken about such a thing.”

“Then it must really be a coincidence.” Though Yunyi also felt it was unlikely, she wouldn’t feel at ease without asking Xiao Shi directly.

Xiao Shi concealed the strange look in her eyes and said: “Where in Honghua Commandery did that young lady live?”

Yunyi shook her head: “She doesn’t live there anymore. Last October, she was accidentally killed by someone at the Governor’s residence.”

“October…” Xiao Shi’s eyes flickered: “Do you remember the specific date?” After hearing Yunyi give the exact date, she lowered her head without speaking, lost in thought. Only when Yunyi called her several times did she come back to her senses, shaking her head: “Mother is fine. By the way, you still haven’t told mother why you went to Honghua Commandery, and where is Moping? Didn’t he go with you? Why hasn’t he returned?”

Yunyi said in a low voice: “Moping… he’s dead!”

Xiao Shi frowned her beautiful brows: “Yunyi, tell mother honestly what you really went to Honghua Commandery to do, and why it resulted in one death and one injury. Also, from your words just now, it seems you went to the Governor’s residence?”

“Your daughter…” Yunyi’s eyes flickered: “Your daughter often heard father emperor say Duke of Tang was remarkable, so… out of curiosity, wanted to go see for myself. Who knew we would encounter bandits on the way, resulting in this sorry state.”

Xiao Shi looked at her quietly for a long time, then said sternly: “Yunyi, when did you learn to lie to mother?”

“Your daughter wouldn’t dare.” Yunyi lowered her head, not daring to meet her gaze.

Xiao Shi sighed softly: “You were born from mother’s body. Mother knows your temperament better than anyone. You would never leave for so long out of mere curiosity or playfulness, let alone travel thousands of miles away to Honghua Commandery. Moreover…” A strange look flashed in her eyes, “Mother has never heard your father emperor praise Duke of Tang as remarkable.”

“Mother…” Yunyi called helplessly. Xiao Shi patted her hand: “Tell mother what really happened.”

Yunyi was silent for a moment, then said softly: “Last August, your daughter went to Qianyang Hall to pay respects to father emperor and accidentally overheard father emperor talking with the magician Anjiata. Father emperor had a dream where he saw the Yang flowers wither and Li flowers bloom. Anjiata interpreted the dream, saying it foretold that the Li clan would replace the Yang clan and become rulers of the world. There are also similar folk songs: ‘Peach and plum children, don’t worry, yellow cranes fly around mountains, circling in flower gardens.’ If father emperor wants the Sui Dynasty to remain stable, he should kill all people surnamed Li in the world.”

Xiao Shi was silent for a moment, then said: “Li Hun, Li Min and others died because of this?”

“It should be so. In fact, there really were people surnamed Li who rebelled.” Having said this, Yunyi continued: “Besides the two people mother mentioned, Anjiata specifically mentioned one person—Duke of Tang Li Yuan. He said this person holds military power, and once the dream is fulfilled through him, it will surely endanger the Sui Dynasty’s stability. He advised father emperor to eliminate him before he rebels. But father emperor, considering the stability of the Guanzhong region, has been hesitant to decide.”

“Perhaps Duke of Tang really has no intention of rebellion, or perhaps the Li flower mentioned in the dream doesn’t refer to Li Yuan. But his existence, for father emperor and for the Great Sui Dynasty, is always a danger. Once he rebels, not only Guanzhong but the entire world will be thrown into chaos, with countless casualties and countless common people and soldiers dying in this warfare, piling up countless bones. Since father emperor can’t make this decision, let your daughter make it for him—eliminate this threat to his heart for father emperor.”