After the Emperor Father’s Death, the Grand Princess Goes on a Rampage

In the twelfth year of the Jian Yuan era, Li Quan led an army to break into the imperial palace. That same year, he changed the state name to Qi, bringing twelve years of war and division across the Central Plains to an end. Li Bao’er, the new ruler’s legitimate eldest daughter, was curled up in a carriage, with an army of forty thousand pursuing her. Once the realm was pacified, she and her mother overcame countless hardships to reach Chang’an, only to find her father surrounded by concubines. His favorite concubine even mocked her mother to her face, saying she was old and past her prime. Her father made her mother queen to protect his reputation, but when he heard his younger brother complain, he suspected him of plotting rebellion. In a fit of anger, he exiled him two thousand li away. Li Bao’er knew her father was no longer the man he used to be. He had become a vicious dragon circling above the dynasty. To earn her father’s trust, she willingly married into a powerful noble family. After the wedding, she accompanied her husband on a campaign against Wu and helped her father complete the unification of the Central Plains. When the meritorious officials clashed with the noble clans, she was the one who mediated between them and consolidated her father’s royal authority. That year, her father wanted to proclaim himself emperor, but his health was failing. At his bedside, he held her hand. “You’re my eldest daughter. You must do your best to help your younger brother inherit the throne.” Li Bao’er curled her lips into a smile. “Father, you’re confused. Everyone knows I’m your only princess. What younger brother?” Li Quan stared at his daughter in disbelief. Then he spat out a mouthful of blood and died. That night, Chang’an was drenched in blood. The meritorious officials and great noble clans watched the blood-soaked eldest princess and silently chose to ignore the princes being slaughtered in the inner palace. With knives at their throats, the court historians could only pick up their brushes with trembling hands and write: Taizu and the Empress Yuan were devoted to each other and had one daughter. The harem remained empty. The Central Plains had just been pacified when Taizu died in the year he proclaimed himself emperor. The eldest princess succeeded him, and the realm was unified. Reader’s guide: 1. Plot-driven, with a serious historical-drama tone. Theme: Survival is the foundation of life.