Qianlong had a nightmare: in it, he pushed a girl named Xiao Yanzi onto the executioner's platform.
He woke up in a cold sweat. No, this wouldn’t do. He had to break them up! The Fifth Prince needed to stay away from her!
So he arranged a marriage for Ertai, tried to foist a Mongolian prince on her, and even brought in a Western painter...
But Ertai became a monk overnight, the Mongolian prince ran back to the grasslands, and the Western painter came out in public.
The Fifth Prince finally snapped. “Imperial Father, what exactly are you trying to do?”
Qianlong slammed his hand on the table. “I regret it! No one can protect her better than I can!”
Before long, the story had spread throughout the Forbidden City: the emperor had become the first father in history to compete with his own son to dote on a girl.
