Princess Agent: Season 1

35

The lady reached out her finger and touched the first golden box. The man's eyebrows had been stained by blood, colored dark red. His eyes were shut, as if he was in slumber. The bridge of his nose was upright and his lips were stiffened, as if he had something to say but could not.

The lady looked at her husband, her finger feeling at where his body was supposed to be. She did not cry, but only looked down, smiling gently. She said, "This is my husband, the hereditary feudal lord of Yan Bei. The 24th generation of Emperor Pei Luo's descendants! The marshal of the northwestern region of the royal empire. The 576th tablet position within Cheng Guang Temple in Sheng Jin Palace! The King of Yan Bei-Yan Shicheng."

The snowflakes landed on the lady's eyelashes but did not melt. Her face appeared pale, but her voice retained its gentleness. She looked at the severed head of her husband, as if he could somehow miraculously open his eyes to smile at her. Her hand caressed his face, locating a small scar by his earlobe. It was aged, and had almost faded away.

"This scar was inflicted by a sword at Sheng Jin Palace's You Wei Gate, in the year when the king of Cang Lan rebelled. That year, the Emperor fell victim to a plot and ingested the Spectral Grass, causing him to lose all his strength. Shicheng and General Meng fought their way inside the palace through the eastern and western gates to rescue him. Shicheng found the Emperor, who was still the Crown Prince then. He carried the unconscious Emperor and escaped the palace, breaking through a cavalry of 300 troops all alone. He suffered over 20 stab wounds all over his body, only managing to walk again after recuperating for half a year on his bed. That year, he had just turned 17.

"Over here. This was left during the battle at White Horse Pass," The lady placed her hand on a distinct, red scar, continuing, "In the year 756 of the Bai Cang calendar, the royal empire conducted a ritual to honor an ancestral temple at Yao Shui. All the nobles, elders and relatives of the royal family were present at the scene. However, the king of Pu Jiang took the chance to create chaos, betraying the empire by opening the Southwestern Pass for the people of Quan Rong. 30 thousand Quan Rong soldiers surrounded Yao Shui. After Shi Cheng heard the news, he gathered his army and departed from Yan Bei, not dismounting from his horse for seven days and seven nights straight. As a result of him taking the initiative, he managed to avert the crisis at Yao Shui. Your Emperor swore at the peak of Yao Shui's White Horse Mountain that the royal empire and Yan Bei would be inseparable allies for generations to come. Most of you were present at that scene."

The officials of the royal empire below the stage were shook. The past issues which had been swept under the carpet had been dug up, and were exposed to everyone in broad daylight. Their aged, blurred eyes also replayed the scenes of that day many years ago. The sunset was pale; the lion flags of Yan Bei flew high in the air, celebrating the annihilation of the Quan Rong barbarians. At that time, they were all young, and excitedly joined in the celebrations by patting the young man on the shoulder and partying with wine.

"Here. This wound, General Meng, was inflicted by you personally on the 16th day of the fourth month at Huo Lei Plains. General, you are in the prime of your life. You are adept at warfare and decisive in killing. Surely, you would be able to recognize your own sword. Would you not know if this wound was inflicted by you, or whether this person is Yan Shicheng?"

Meng Tian was suddenly rendered speechless, his face like stone.

"I can confirm that this person is my husband, the king of Yan Bei, Yan Shicheng, without a doubt." Finishing her sentence, she closed the golden box with a loud thud, turning around and walked towards the next box.

"This is my son, the hereditary prince of Yan Bei. The 25th generation of Emperor Pei Luo's descendants. The envoy of the royal empire's Northwest Township. The 577th tablet position within Cheng Guang Temple in Sheng Jin Palace. The eldest son of Yan Shicheng, the king of Yan Bei-Yan Ting. He was 21 this year. He joined the army at age 13, working his way up from the lower ranks. He was promoted 24 times in eight years, and prevented 67 invasions by the people of Quan Rong. He earned countless credit in battle, receiving seven awards from Sheng Jin Palace and the Elders' Clan. At 18, he was appointed as the envoy of Guan Bai Township, leading an army to protect the northern borders of the royal empire. He did not put a foot wrong. On the 14th day of the fourth month, he was trampled on by tens of thousands of horses and disfigured to the point that it was hard to identify him.