I was once the most notorious bandit in the capital, known for beating up spoiled young nobles.
One day, I accidentally crippled the son of the Minister of Rites and was sentenced to serve as a slave in the Eastern Palace.
The Crown Prince, Xiao Che, was a tyrant in public, but slept with a stuffed tiger in his arms when no one was watching. After I stumbled upon his secret, he threatened me with a cold face: "If you dare tell anyone, I'll make sure you spend the rest of your life as a eunuch!"
I smiled and raised my fist. "Your Highness, that tiger of yours... need some more stuffing?"
Then Crown Princess Song Zhiwei discovered I was a woman. "Do you know that deceiving the emperor is punishable by death?"
As I broke out in a cold sweat, she suddenly took my hand. "Help me uncover the truth behind my brother's wrongful conviction, and I'll keep your secret."
That night, the Crown Prince was ambushed, and I shielded him as we fell off a cliff.
As my consciousness faded, I heard him roar, "Tell me your name!"
"Remember it... I'm Shen A Man."
