Since the founding of the dynasty, the Imperial Guard had only one master: the Emperor. Though the ties between the royal father and son might be close, they were ultimately those of ruler and subject. No emperor in history had ever been foolish enough to entrust their life and legacy entirely to another. As the Vice Commander of the Imperial Guard, he could not easily accept such an order.
The Emperor silently confronted him for a while. Perhaps sensing the impropriety of the situation, he unexpectedly relented and took a step back. “Very well, then. For now, you may stay by his side. I am entrusting his safety to you completely—there must not be any mishap.”
Only then did Ding Wenfu bow his head. “Your subject would gladly die a thousand deaths to fulfill Your Majesty’s trust.”
The Emperor, burdened with state affairs, disappeared again after having his midday meal.
Gao Yuexing saw Li Fuxiang about to lie down for another nap and objected, saying it was not the way to take care of oneself. She playfully prevented him from lying down.
Boys of this age were typically mischievous, spending their days outdoors, chasing cats and teasing dogs, never sitting still. Li Fuxiang, however, was the exact opposite—apart from sleeping, all he wanted to do was dive back into bed.
This would not do.
He was destined to become a young general in the future!
The Emperor had instructed him to follow the training at the Wenhua Hall drill ground tomorrow. But with nothing to do this afternoon, Gao Yuexing dragged him out of his blankets, eager to find some fun for him.
The drill ground in the palace had become much quieter without Li Fuqiu’s arrogance.
Gao Yuexing happened to see the Fifth Prince, whom he had met a few times before. The prince still had his usual slow and lazy demeanor, holding a small wooden sword as he half-practiced and half-played. Barely ten minutes into his practice, he needed to stop for a snack and a rest.
The princess was also present today.
Without her usual companions and having little interest in martial arts, she seemed lonely, sitting on the sidelines, resting her face in her hands as she watched the guards move back and forth, muttering to herself as she counted something.
As she counted, she noticed Gao Yuexing and Li Fuxiang approaching together in the distance. She immediately jumped up and ran over with a small trot. “Ah Xing, Ah Xing, I haven’t seen you in so long!”
It really had been a long time.
Gao Yuexing noticed that the princess seemed to have grown taller, becoming even more elegant and striking—a beauty to rival the city.
She resembled her mother, the imperial consort.
Deep down, Gao Yuexing felt a bit guilty toward the princess.
The princess had once genuinely treated her like a companion, but Gao Yuexing had only ever seen her as a stepping stone to enter the palace. When the purpose was achieved, she had ruthlessly abandoned her without hesitation. What was meant to be a bond between two people had left only the princess heartbroken.
Gao Yuexing held the princess’s hand and asked, “Is everything well?”
The princess’s expression subtly shifted, as if she had a lot to say but decided against complaining. Instead, she shifted her gaze to Li Fuxiang. “This is the second… ahem, my brother, right? Ah Xing, you’re accompanying him now?”
Gao Yuexing replied, “Yes.”
In her heart, she thought: I will never leave again. From now on, she would always stay by his side.
Gao Yuexing pulled Li Fuxiang closer, pointing at the princess. She gestured, “Your younger sister.”
Li Fuxiang’s expression showed that he understood the term.
He gestured, “Younger sister. Good.”
The princess was confused. “What are you two saying?”
Gao Yuexing laughed. “He said he wants to play with you.”
The princess was a little surprised, then she searched through her small pouch and finally found a tiny ping’an kou (a jade amulet symbolizing peace and safety) to give to Li Fuxiang as a gift. In the princess’s understanding, one must give a gift to a new friend to show goodwill.
Li Fuxiang accepted the gift, unsure how to respond.
Gao Yuexing decided for him and removed an accessory from his waist, handing it to the princess in return.
Years and years ago, she had been equally adept at managing interpersonal relationships for the Prince of Xiang. It was second nature to her.
From afar, Zheng Qianye had been observing the scene. Standing behind him was a robust young man who asked, “Father, is that the bloodline left behind by my younger sister?”
The speaker was Zheng Yunji, the eldest son of the Zheng family, who had grown up in the western frontier, hardened by the battlefield.
Zheng Qianye nodded.
Zheng Yunji looked at his father, then at the child in the distance, and said, “I heard that child inherited my sister’s asthma. His health has been poor these years, and he has yet to begin enlightenment. He can’t even speak yet, can he?”
Zheng Qianye nodded again, with difficulty.
Zheng Yunji fell silent, then sighed deeply, lifting his head.
Zheng Qianye finally glanced back at him, frowning. “What are you doing?”
Looking up could not stop the tears from falling. Zheng Yunji, a sturdy man of considerable build, was openly crying on the drill ground. He said, “Father, I miss Yungou.”
As the eldest son of the family, Zheng Yunji had been ten years old when Zheng Yungou was born. In the chaotic western frontier, where their father served as a general guarding the border and rarely returned home, and their mother, a general’s daughter herself, refused to live the leisurely life of a noblewoman and chose to accompany her husband to the frontlines, the children were left in the care of servants. Zheng Yungou, in her early years, had been entirely raised by her elder brother.
The bond between the siblings was extraordinary. However, over the years, that deep bond had been worn thin by the unruly behavior of an impostor child who had replaced her.
Now that those feelings were resurfacing, Zheng Yunji could not conceal the sorrow and indignation in his heart.
Meanwhile, Gao Yuexing had already noticed their presence.
Seven years later, during the chaos in the western frontier, Zheng Qianye would lead troops to suppress the rebellion. Sixteen-year-old Li Fuxiang would accompany him, and in that very battle, he would rise to fame, his sword cutting through all obstacles with unmatched brilliance.
Zheng Qianye strode over.
The moment Li Fuxiang saw his commanding presence, he instinctively realized that this man was formidable. Unable to tell whether he was friend or foe, he shrank back, hesitating to retreat. But then he glanced at Gao Yuexing and changed his mind. Taking a step forward, he positioned himself in front of Gao Yuexing protectively.
Such a childish gesture could not escape the eyes of an experienced adult. Zheng Qianye, whose gaze had witnessed countless battles and bloodshed, was unexpectedly moved by this display of pure mutual care.
His evaluation of the child was simple: inherently kind-hearted.
Yet the overly similar eyebrows and eyes, so reminiscent of the late Imperial Consort, made him unable to look any longer. They stirred his sorrow.
Zheng Qianye led over his prized sweat-blood horse, picked up Li Fuxiang in one swift motion, and mounted the horse with him.
Li Fuxiang was startled, clutching Zheng Qianye’s strong arm for support. He glanced back at Gao Yuexing, who waved at him brightly, her face full of encouragement.
Zheng Qianye took Li Fuxiang’s small hand, placing the reins in his palm, and taught him how to control the horse. With a squeeze of his legs against the horse’s belly, the animal shot forward like an arrow.
Finally, the princess had a chance to speak with Gao Yuexing alone. She asked in confusion, “What have you been through? How did you end up by his side again?”
The princess was entirely bewildered by the events of the past few months.
And this matter was a long story.
Gao Yuexing couldn’t very well say outright that she had gone to Li Fuqiu’s side, used all her wits to bring him down, and then clapped her hands and left without a care.
She could only avoid mentioning the crucial beginnings and details—saying too much might offend the princess’s ears. So, she simplified the account, explaining that Li Fuxiang had been framed, suffered unjustly for many years, and had finally endured until the clouds parted, revealing the moon, and his vindication arrived at last.
The princess sighed with emotion and lamented, “I see, Brother truly suffered greatly. So, it was an old case? No wonder Lord Gao…” The princess clapped her hands together suddenly, connecting the dots. “Ah, Ah Xing, I forgot to tell you earlier! I saw your father in the palace—he went in the direction of Jingmen Palace.”
Gao Yuexing stiffened.
Why would her father be in the palace?
Could it be that this case had been handed to him?
Gao Yuexing bid the princess farewell and hurried in the direction of Jingmen Palace.
She had been careless—this matter was far from over.
—
At Jingmen Palace, Gao Jing first paid his respects to Consort Hui and explained his purpose. Then, led by a palace maid, he was taken to the door of the eastern hall.
The birthday gifts were still piled outside the door, the gilded red paper on the gift boxes already slightly tattered, yet no one had come to tend to them.
Creak—
The door opened a crack, groaning heavily as it swung outward.
Gao Jing’s eyes were immediately drawn to the sight directly across from the doorway: a white silk sash hanging from the beam, swaying gently in the breeze.
The furnishings in Li Fuqiu’s room were still as bleak and grim as ever, and now, with the added desolation of neglect, the scene appeared even more mournful.
Gao Jing didn’t see anyone, so he apologized aloud and stepped inside.
Li Fuqiu, disheveled and wild-looking, was sitting under the window, holding a torn book in his hands. Despite his frenzied appearance, his mind was clear. He sized Gao Jing up from head to toe and asked, “Who are you?”
Gao Jing maintained decorum and performed a courtly bow. “This humble official is Gao Jing, Minister of the Court of Justice, here under orders to investigate an old case in the palace.”
Li Fuqiu leapt up from his chair. “Gao Jing… ah, I know! You’re Gao Yuexing’s father!”
Hearing his daughter’s name from Li Fuqiu’s lips sent a chill through Gao Jing’s entire body.
He hadn’t seen his youngest daughter in several months. She had been sent to the palace at the tender age of six, and he had no idea how she was faring now. Was she living well? Did she miss home? His thoughts wandered uncontrollably for a moment before he forced himself to focus again.
“This humble official has a few questions to ask Your Highness.”
“I thought the Emperor would interrogate me personally,” Li Fuqiu said, barefoot on the cold floor tiles. “He can’t even be bothered to see me anymore, can he?”
He no longer referred to him as Father Emperor.
In truth, long ago, after being forced to learn the truth, he had rarely called him Father Emperor.
Gao Jing said, “Your Highness does not seem to be entirely unaware of the situation.”
Li Fuqiu responded, “What do you want to ask?”
Gao Jing asked, “Who told Your Highness everything you know?”
Li Fuqiu wasn’t surprised at all. He glanced around the room. Most of the servants around him had been dismissed, leaving only a single gugu (a senior maidservant) who had stayed loyally by his side, never abandoning him. At this moment, the maid was standing silently in a corner, head bowed, positioned in the shadow of a duobaoge (a traditional Chinese multi-tiered cabinet). If one didn’t look carefully, she could easily be overlooked.
Li Fuqiu pointed directly at her. “It’s her!”
The maid immediately dropped to her knees with a thud and waved her hands frantically. “No, not me! I’m innocent, innocent, Your Highness… Lord, please investigate clearly!”
Li Fuqiu’s expression carried a mocking smirk, as though he was simply making a random accusation.
The maid, terrified, kowtowed repeatedly until her forehead swelled red and puffy.
Gao Jing, cold and unfeeling, said, “Since His Highness has identified you, come with me. Whether right or wrong, I will make a proper judgment.”