In the second year of Xiantian, during the July coup, Princess Taiping took her own life.
Pei Yanchu, General of the Right Jinwu Guard, was ordered by the emperor to execute the princess's followers.
Li Yuanyi had been proud all her life. The only time she lowered her head before death was to ask Pei Yanchu to petition the emperor not to let her crimes implicate the collection of Shangguan Wan'er's works that she had compiled and edited, and to preserve the literary legacy of this talented woman.
Her feather fan slipped from her hand, and her golden hairpin fell to the ground.
Pei Yanchu watched her drink the poison and face death calmly. Suddenly, he remembered the first time he had surrounded the county princess's residence with the imperial guards.
He lifted her skirt with the tip of his sword and passed it behind the screen.
"County Princess, put some clothes on."
Li Yuanyi reached out and grasped the blade of his sword.
Later, she added that treasured sword to her own scabbard.
Reader's guide:
1. Set in an alternate Tang dynasty, on the eve of Li Longji's Xiantian coup. I wanted to try writing a story against a real historical backdrop.
2. The leads are political enemies and fictional characters. Happy ending.
Theme: The eve of a golden age
