Chapter 10: Origins
Bold Favoritism
Origins
At the Sima Family’s suburban villa, moss crept over the rooftops, and the flowers by the steps had mostly withered. Only a pale green vine remained, dotted with sparse blossoms that evoked pity.
The plaque reading “Xiefang Court” hung above the entrance, though the name no longer matched the reality.
Zhenbei Wang Lu Zhan was over fifty, yet his stature remained imposing, with sharp, dignified features that made him appear no older than forty. Seated alone at the square stone table in the courtyard, he toyed with a jade ring, his entire demeanor radiating an indescribable loneliness.
Eighteen years ago, he and Shu’er had lived here.
Back then, he was merely an obscure junior officer, accidentally assigned by the old duke to guard the villa. Despite the vast difference in their status, they shared similar interests, conversing endlessly each day until admiration blossomed between them.
A withered yellow leaf drifted down, landing on his head unnoticed. Lu Zhan’s thumb slowly traced the inner surface of the jade ring, where raised carvings formed a tiny character “Shu.”
He blamed only his humble status at the time for being unable to prevent the woman he loved from entering the palace. Even now, enfeoffed as a prince and general, he could not mend the regrets of his youth.
·
Five years earlier, after achieving illustrious military merits in the northwest, Lu Zhan returned to the capital for his commendation. At the victory banquet, he unexpectedly reunited with her, and his long-dormant heart began to stir anew.
Years apart had left no trace on her; she remained as radiant as ever, even more enchanting than before.
Their reunion, like the meeting of autumn wind and jade dew, surpassed countless worldly encounters.
It began with secret messages, then evolved into him sending rare trinkets to Shu Yun Palace every few days. Finally, unable to restrain himself, he seized the opportunity when Shu’er returned to the Sima Family for a visit to meet her privately outside the palace.
Like dry tinder meeting flames, their passion ignited instantly.
On one hand, he reveled in the tenderness of his former lover, unable to part from her. On the other, the ethics of ruler and subject tormented him with inner struggle.
Until that day, when Shu’er introduced him to the two young masters of the Sima Family.
The banquet flowed with toasts and cheerful conversation, but afterward, the young Sima master sent an entire chest of gold to his residence. It was then that Lu Zhan finally saw the Sima Family’s wolfish ambition clearly.
He immediately confronted Shu’er, demanding if everything since his return to the capital had been her elaborate scheme to recruit him for the Sima Family’s purposes.
Their argument escalated, and in the heat of it, Sima Shu slapped him fiercely.
She rebuked him for ingratitude, for neglecting his own flesh and blood, calling him worse than a beast.
Lu Zhan was stunned by her words. He had never married—how could he have a child?
After uttering this, Shu Fei left resolutely. Despite his subsequent explanations, she remained cold and unwilling to speak of it again.
In desperation, he ordered an investigation into the past, unexpectedly uncovering a secret the Sima Family had desperately concealed.
Back when Shu Fei entered the palace, she had almost immediately gained the emperor’s favor.
Eight months later, she gave birth prematurely to a daughter.
As the child was born during a victory report from the north, Emperor Jian doted on her exceptionally, naming her Youqing.
Reading the medical records submitted by his spies, Lu Zhan trembled so intensely that all ten fingers shook.
The rice paper had yellowed with age, carrying the astringent scent of dust. Faded ink strokes recorded that the little princess was born after Shu Fei’s full ten-month pregnancy—not a premature birth.
The only reason no one suspected anything was that the little princess was indeed underweight at birth.
Moreover, the rice paper documented how the imperial physician attending to Shu Fei during her pregnancy had prescribed a medicine to suppress appetite and cause gradual weight loss, ensuring the infant would be as small as possible at birth.
If this were true, then the Third Princess was a thread of his own flesh and blood—a child Shu’er had risked her life to preserve for him, Lu Zhan.
Memories surged in his mind—of that time in the Xie Fang Garden, before Shu’er entered the palace.
He vividly recalled how, after narrowly escaping death on the battlefield and returning to the capital with the triumphant army, he felt a tumult of emotions upon hearing that the imperial palace had welcomed another little princess.
Emperor Jian had even carried her up to the city walls to celebrate the victory with the common people. That heartwarming scene had tasted bitterly ironic to him then.
Never had he imagined she might be his own daughter.
His only flesh and blood in this world.
From then on, he began frequently inquiring about every detail of the little princess’s daily life.
Learning that she had been raised under the Empress’s care since the age of five, Lu Zhan felt deeply distressed and yearned to see her.
But each time he tried to approach Liu Chang Hall, the elderly matrons there turned him away.
Though disappointed, he also felt a sliver of relief.
It was said that the current Empress was benevolent and righteous, and indeed, she seemed to be protecting the little princess well.
With his departure from the capital imminent, he again asked Shu Fei to bring the little princess out of the palace once, only to be coldly refused.
Just as he was at his wit’s end, news arrived that the Spring Banquet would be held in the South Garden three days later.
This grand annual event would be attended not only by the palace consorts but also by the princes and palace maids.
Surely, the little princess would be there as well.
To catch a glimpse of his daughter, Lu Zhan disguised himself in advance as a gardener and slipped into the South Garden. He altered his appearance to that of an inconspicuous old man and waited quietly in a small garden.
The day finally arrived. Crouching beside a blooming crabapple shrub, he pretended to be de-worming the flowers.
Under the spring sun, he waited with hopeful anticipation—if only to see his daughter from afar.
Before long, light laughter from noble ladies drifted overhead: “Did you see the Third Princess’s face earlier? She looked absolutely furious.”
“Well, who wouldn’t be upset? Did you see that Purple Dawn Dress? It was custom-made for the Third Princess by the Crown Prince himself. That shows how much importance they placed on this event.”
“If you ask me, Shu Fei Niangniang wasn’t being fair by having Li Yuan and the Third Princess co-host the first and second halves of the banquet. That’s unprecedented.”
“Ugh, how dare a mere common-born girl from the barbarian borderlands stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Daliang Princess!”
Lu Zhan remained crouched by the flowers, watching the noble ladies stroll out of the garden, his heart heavy with complexity.
He had once asked Shu Fei why she had sent their daughter to the Empress. She had only said it was the Emperor’s arrangement and that she was powerless to change it.
But from the clues he had recently uncovered, it seemed the little princess and Shu Fei had never been on good terms.
Why would Shu’er treat their daughter so dismissively?
A faint suspicion stirred in his heart—perhaps simply because she was his, Lu Zhan’s, child, and not the Emperor’s own.
And after the little princess, Shu Fei had borne no other children for Emperor Jian.
Why—
He rose to his feet, imitating the stooped posture of an old man, and made his way deeper into the garden.
Amidst the profusion of flowers, by the banks of the Willow River, stood two young girls—one in red, the other in purple.
Having heard earlier that the young princess was wearing a violet dress today, Lu Zhan carefully concealed himself behind a large locust tree, his gaze intently fixed on the girl in purple.
The twelve-year-old princess had blossomed into a graceful figure. Under the brilliant spring sunlight, her cheeks glowed with a healthy, delicate pink hue.
It seemed she had been exceptionally well cared for by the Empress.
Yet, on that youthful, pure, and beautiful face, there was a coolness and detachment that seemed incongruent with her age.
Only someone older like Lu Zhan could see through it at a glance—the aloofness and detachment were merely a facade she wore at this moment.
Beneath that indifferent exterior lay an intensely sensitive and wounded heart.
At twelve, she should have been at an age where a mother’s affection was most needed, yet, unloved by her birth mother, she had been living as a guest in Changxin Palace.
A sudden pang of pain gripped his heart. Lu Zhan restrained the impulse to step out and reveal himself, choosing instead to remain hidden.
Aware that he was the one responsible for all this, he felt an even deeper sense of guilt.
A bright, cheerful voice drew his attention to the other girl in red.
Compared to the noble young ladies he had passed earlier, this girl’s attire was excessively ornate. She was likely the one they referred to as Li Yuan.
“Her Highness reminded me not to wander too far. I still have to host the latter half of the banquet later. Why did the Third Princess summon me here?” The girl in red appeared a few years older than the young princess, with strikingly vibrant and captivating features and a taller, more slender frame.
Watching the young princess subtly rise onto her toes, he couldn’t help but feel both amused and a pang of sorrow.
Girls from the Central Plains were naturally more petite than those from the western tribes, but they could grow taller if they drank goat’s milk like them.
“The Spring Banquet is an annual grand event of the imperial family. Do you think it’s appropriate for an outsider like you to host it?” The young princess spoke softly, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she turned her gaze toward the lakeshore.
Li Yuan straightened her posture and declared, “The Spring Banquet was organized by Shu Fei Niangniang, and she appointed me as the host. There’s no question of appropriateness.”
Hearing this, a trace of mockery flickered in the young princess’s eyes. She replied dismissively, “True, how would you know what’s appropriate or not?”
Feeling insulted, Li Yuan was about to retort when the young princess clapped her hands.
Almost instantly, two maids emerged from the nearby willow grove and advanced toward Li Yuan with an intimidating air.
Lu Zhan, still hidden in the shadows, frowned. If they resorted to such direct action, it would be difficult to avoid reprimand from the Emperor later.
Seeing the situation unfold, Li Yuan turned to flee but was swiftly seized and restrained by the two maids, one on each side.
Only then did the young princess truly smile, a faint dimple appearing at the corner of her lips as she declared arrogantly, “Throw her into the river.”
As the two maids began pushing and dragging Li Yuan toward the river, a young man’s sharp cry suddenly rang out from behind: “Stop!”
Lu Zhan’s expression darkened. He hesitated, wondering if he should intervene and knock the newcomer unconscious, when he saw the young princess’s previously mischievous expression vanish instantly, replaced by an innocent and guileless demeanor as she turned toward the voice.
“Imperial Brother!” The young girl, light as a lark, flew directly into the arms of the youth, who had instinctively opened them to receive her.
“Imperial Brother, Li Yuan said the dress you made for me is ugly—she’s bullying me!” The little princess switched expressions with lightning speed, turning the tables with an aggrieved lift of her head, casting a face full of accusation toward Li Yuan.
Lu Zhan remained inwardly worried. Even her excuse was so clumsily fabricated, and with the two maids having laid hands on her, the situation was glaringly obvious. The Crown Prince was unlikely to readily believe her claims.
Yet the youth merely gently pinched her nose, his warm eyes reflecting tolerance. “Understood. Younger sister, go ahead and preside over the banquet first. Leave this matter to me.”
The little princess glanced at him with some guilt, bit her lip in agreement, and quickly scampered away.
Under the golden willows by the river, her Violet Dawn dress appeared so fluffy and lustrous, shimmering like rippling water with each running step—a breathtaking sight.
The young man’s gaze followed her all the way, fearful she might trip over her hem.
Then, his eyes turned cold as they settled on Li Yuan.
The girl in red, shoved to her knees, wore a stubborn expression of defiance. Her tone was rigid as she declared, “It was clearly the Third Princess who resented me for stealing her spotlight and sent people to push me into the river. Your Highness has always been just and strict—I beg you to uphold fairness for your subject.”
A flicker of disgust passed through the Crown Prince’s eyes as he replied indifferently, “I care not what means you used to beguile Shu Fei or what advantages you seek in Shu Yun Palace. Remember this: if you ever covet my imperial sister’s possessions again, I will not spare you.”
Li Yuan, still unyielding, retorted, “The Spring Banquet is open for anyone to host. How can you claim it belongs solely to the Third Princess?”
What Li Jing chose not to explain was that, according to palace regulations, each princess would host one Spring Banquet upon turning twelve.
This year happened to be the little princess’s turn, yet Shu Fei’s favoritism had nearly turned it into a farce.
Though Lu Zhan didn’t understand what significance lay in hosting such a banquet, he wholly agreed with the Crown Prince’s earlier words.
The Crown Prince waved his hand, instructing the two palace maids, “Take her away and keep her under close watch. Inform Shu Fei Niangniang that the princess of the Li Zhen Tribe has offended me and must be punished.”
“No—!Why, why!” Li Yuan shouted loudly, trying to summon her own attendants.
But the area had already been cleared by the Crown Prince—no one would come to her rescue.
This encounter was precisely why Li Jing had sought her out.
Soon, the small garden stood empty, devoid of any human presence.
Lu Zhan walked along the riverbank, reflecting on the little princess’s dual faces and the Crown Prince’s blatant partiality. For a moment, he was at a loss for what to think.