THE YOUNG WOMAN wore a long skirt of vivid scarlet. She swept into the room, graceful and poised, a slight smile curving her lips. Everyone in the princess's residence knew this young woman: Duchess Yuwen Eying.
But Princess Leping displayed no hint of familiarity upon seeing her daughter. In fact, her demeanor was exceedingly odd. She reacted as though she was looking at a complete stranger rather than the girl with whom she'd shared countless days and nights. On her face was a mixture of fear, regret, and indescribable sorrow, yet the young lady's smile only brightened. It was a sharp smile, and held more anger than joy.
"Are you so unhappy to see me, Mother?"
"No… It's not that…" Princess Leping stammered. In a bid to ease the tension, she swiftly continued, "Huan-niang, you were separated from your mother for over ten years. Think how fortunate we are to be reunited. So please, can you stop with this treachery?"
Tears welled in the princess's eyes. She grabbed the girl's hands, her gaze shimmering as she begged, "I will plead with your grandparents to grant you a title! A princess's daughter wouldn't normally have one, but your grandparents cherish me. If you wish to be a duchess, they'll make you one, of an even higher rank than your sister. Won't that do?"
"Can I be a princess?" asked the girl softly.
Princess Leping froze.
The girl smiled. "Even if the daughter of a princess receives a title, she can never be a princess herself. Only the emperor's daughter can be a princess. Mother, I was born a princess, so why should I lower myself to be a mere county duchess—a title I'd have to beg for?"
Princess Leping's face went pale. She found herself unable to speak.
"Mother, do you know? When I was young, I didn't even know I had a mother. A-xiong said I was hanging onto life by a single breath. The palace servants placed me in a freshly dug grave—they even started filling it. If he'd come a moment later, I'd have departed this world. But I was tough even then; I insisted on living. I survived and grew up, and now I can stand before you and speak to you.
"When A-xiong adopted me, I was very small. I cried every day, and because his family had fallen on hard times, he couldn't afford a wet nurse. He had no idea how to raise me, so he found a female wolf who'd just given birth to a litter of pups. I was raised on wolf's milk. And my sister? She was a legitimate princess, my father's only daughter. You must have showered her with love and attention."
The girl crouched down and looked up at Princess Leping. Her smile had faded; a pure innocence surfaced in its place. She looked completely sincere, like a child seeking answers from her parents.
Tears streamed down Princess Leping's face. Her lips trembled. "I'm sorry. Back then…"
Back then, her father-in-law, Emperor Wu, had deep suspicions about her father and had been on guard against the whole Yang family. Even as princess consort, fear followed Princess Leping throughout the palace. When she learned of the death of one of her infants, she'd cried for a while but hadn't dwelled on it. She'd never considered the possibility that the child might still be alive.
All these years, Princess Leping had only one blood daughter: Yuwen Eying. She cherished the girl as her dearest treasure and was determined to give her the very best of everything. How was she to know she had another daughter wandering lost in the outside world?
When Yuwen Yihuan first came to her, Princess Leping could scarcely believe her eyes. She looked exactly like Yuwen Eying. There was no need to test her; her looks were proof enough of their relationship. Yuwen Yihuan's voice, comportment, her every smile and frown—they all mirrored those of Yuwen Eying. If the two of them stood together and didn't smile or speak, even Princess Leping was unable to tell them apart.
Yuwen Yihuan told her mother about the hardships she'd endured over the years. She expressed her desire to remain discreet about her identity lest her grandfather become suspicious.
Princess Leping knew her parents were exceedingly careful. If they learned Yuwen Yihuan had been living in the outside world all these years, it'd be quite the scandal. She agreed to her daughter's request, thinking she'd come clean to Empress Dugu when the opportunity presented itself. Surely, Empress Dugu would come to love Yuwen Yihuan too.
As for Yuwen Eying, she was a simple child. Upon hearing she had a twin sister, she was ecstatic and readily agreed to keep her secret. The princess and her daughters came up with a plan, and Yuwen Yihuan and Yuwen Eying began to take turns showing up at the princess's residence, each playing the role of the duchess. They continued this way until the day of the thousand-lantern banquet, when Yuwen Yihuan's overly clever performance aroused Cui Buqu's suspicions.
Cui Buqu wasn't the type to dismiss his own doubts. He thought carefully about the peculiar behavior of Duchess Yuwen that night, and by sifting through the scattering of clues, had already guessed most of Yuwen Yihuan's story. But he could never have predicted that Xiao Lü's infiltration of the princess's residence had begun so long ago.
Princess Leping gradually discovered that her long-lost eldest daughter was not as naive or gentle as Yuwen Eying. The girl harbored a burning ambition. It was she who encouraged the princess to invest in Linlang Pavilion and collect dividends from them each year.
The princess's residence received a stipend from the court, and Princess Leping owned several properties gifted to her by the emperor. But when Sui supplanted Zhou, much of what had originally belonged to the royal treasury was absorbed by the new regime. While Princess Leping had kept her exalted status after her demotion from empress dowager to imperial princess, her assets had diminished considerably. As the emperor's firstborn daughter, she was expected to host banquets every few days, yet she occasionally found herself short of funds. Yuwen Yihuan's suggestions and astute management ushered in a significant influx of money. It didn't take long for Princess Leping to grow used to her daughter handling household finances.
Observing that her mother was in low spirits, Yuwen Yihuan had even arranged a lover for her. Princess Leping was a woman with a woman's desires. Her status made remarrying difficult, but there was nothing wrong with taking a paramour. The emperor and empress turned a blind eye to the situation, while Princess Leping's reliance on her eldest daughter only increased.
Yuwen Yihuan never spoke ill of the emperor and empress in front of Princess Leping, but she dropped subtle reminders that Princess Leping's status was no longer what it had been.
A princess was a proud daughter of the heavens, yet this one was unable to control her own fate. Yuwen Yihuan knew her mother had always felt resentment toward the empress. It had originated when she was offered in marriage to the Yuwen family and became the princess consort, and continued right up to the moment her father had personally exterminated the Yuwen clan, destroying her family. The bitterness of many years simmered deep within her heart.
Yuwen Yihuan saw this resentment for what it was. She nurtured it bit by bit, ensuring it burgeoned in strength.
For the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai, there was no collaborator more suitable than Princess Leping. She was a woman and the emperor's eldest daughter, so she wouldn't raise his suspicions or alert him. But she was also a member of the Yuwen family—she'd borne them two daughters that still carried their name. She had a lifelong connection to them, one that could never be severed. The princess served as a bridge, and also as cover. Through her, they created opportunities to attack and advance, but also defend and retreat.
Unbeknownst to Princess Leping, she'd become a pawn in Yuwen Yihuan's hand, at the mercy of her daughter and Xiao Lü. By the time she sensed something amiss and wished to turn back, she was horrified to find the path cut off behind her—it was too late.
"Huan-niang, let's stop this!" Princess Leping grasped Yuwen Yihuan's hands. "I'm terrified. I can't go on. Since Mother fell ill, every time I enter the palace, I'm deathly afraid of exposing our secrets! Huan-niang, I don't want to be the empress dowager again. Can't the three of us simply live together in peace?"
"Mother, once the bow is drawn, the arrow must fly." Yuwen Yihuan shook her head. "What's done cannot be undone. Everything's ready. Tomorrow is the Buddhist ceremony. A-xiong will arrange everything; there's nothing you need to do. Just remain quietly in the princess's residence and await good news."
"The Yuwen family's power is gone!" Princess Leping's voice trembled. "They cannot regain the throne!"
Yuwen Yihuan smiled. "Mother worries too much. Grandfather has already exterminated the Yuwen family; there's no son to take the throne. Once Third Uncle becomes emperor, I'll be granted the title of princess and marry A-xiong. He will direct court politics as prince consort. There's no need for you to fret like this. I assure you, the splendor and wealth you've enjoyed will only increase."
On hearing the words Third Uncle, what little color remained in Princess Leping's face drained away, and her hands and feet turned cold. There was truly no turning back. "Then…what about Ying-niang? When will you bring her back? She's your own little sister!"
"Once this matter is finalized, of course Ying-niang will return," Yuwen Yihuan said gently. But her words froze Princess Leping's heart in her chest.
"You… Are you using Ying-niang as a hostage to threaten me?" she asked hoarsely.
"Mother, you're doing it again. You're always like this, favoring my little sister over me. Is it because I didn't grow up at your side? Or is it because I'm more capable, and you feel the need to protect her?" Yuwen Yihuan's lips were still curved in a smile, but her eyes had grown frigid. "She's my little sister, so how could I harm her? But the crucial moment is upon us. What's wrong with keeping her away from the strife?"
Her patience had been exhausted. Stepping swiftly forward, she tapped several acupoints on Princess Leping's body, and the princess closed her eyes and slumped onto the bed.
Yuwen Yihuan drew the blankets up over her mother. "Sleep now," she whispered. "When you wake up tomorrow, this will all be over."
She raised her hand, ready to seal a few more acupoints to ensure Princess Leping didn't awaken too early and spoil their plans. But Princess Leping wasn't a martial artist, and she was growing old. Locking more of her acupoints might harm her. Yuwen Yihuan hesitated, her face pulled into a tight grimace, as if disgusted at her own indecision. Finally, she turned and left.
Outside, the snow continued to fall. How many in the capital passed a sleepless night in their beds, tossing and turning?
The seventeenth day of the first month dawned, washing the city with pale light from the east.
***
"Get up! Hurry and get up already!"
"Quick! Today is the day!"
"Change and wash up; the emperor will be arriving at five!"
The monk Congjing was first to rise in Daxingshan Temple. He went around rousing his peers, leaving the monks on the communal mattresses rubbing sleep out of their eyes as they stirred.
Outside, the sky had not yet brightened. It was even earlier than the time they usually rose for morning prayers, but no one complained. Everyone knew what day it was. Very soon now, His Majesty the emperor would come to the national temple for prayers and blessings while Master Lingzang presided over the ceremony.
One young monk in the center of the room slept at a distance from his peers, a cotton blanket crumpled between him and the others as a barrier. Congjing shook his head. How fussy this junior was! How was the young man supposed to achieve enlightenment like that? Yet before he could give him a tap, Congyun sat up on his own.
Congjing was delighted. "You're finally not sleeping in today? So you can do it when it matters! Hurry up and get ready!"
Congyun nodded and silently pulled on his clothes.
Despite his nagging, Congjing wasn't truly angry. Congyun had recently come down with a cold, leaving his throat sore and his voice hoarse. If not for the fact that they needed everyone they had today, his monastic siblings would have urged him to get more rest.
Fortunately Congyun didn't need to speak while serving at the ceremony. If he could get through today, he'd have plenty of time to recuperate. More importantly, Congyun was extraordinarily handsome. Whenever he stood near Master Lingzang, he looked exactly like one of those jade-faced youths who served the bodhisattvas.
The monks all dressed and trickled out of the room, one by one.
When Congyun saw that everyone had gone, he surreptitiously pulled out a jar of moisturizing ointment and applied it to his face.
It couldn't be helped—the weather was very dry.