It was right at midnight that I infiltrated West Yang Country's imperial palace. Moonless with high winds, it was the best time to commit a crime.
And the person I'm going to assassinate was West Yang Country's young Crown Prince, Wu Min Jun.
When I was young, I was taught martial arts from a Master. At that time, they told me: Little Princess, you are learning all this to strengthen your body, and also so you can protect yourself. With the constant wars during these years, West Yang Country's Emperor was eyeing East Yuan Country covetously, and the Emperor's also... In short, if something were to happen, even you would not have the power to resist it.
Back when I was studying the and the Three Character Classic and the Analytical Dictionary of Characters, I learned really slowly. As a result, my royal father firmly believed that I was a girl who was a bit mentally retarded so he wasn't really interested in my entire learning process. Who could've imagined that my talent wasn't in books and was instead in martial arts. From when I began doing the first crouching stance, I could wield all kinds of weapons. It only took a short ten years for me to do that.
In the past, I've read a folktale. The swordsman there said: "I started learning the sword at the age of seven, and it took seven years to master it. To this day, I have not yet come across a worthy opponent." At that time, I felt that it was really cool, and would never have thought that there would be a day I would reach that sort of realm. I started learning martial arts at the age of six, and it took me ten years to master it. Inside the huge imperial palace, I have also not been defeated before.
In regards to my great martial arts, my royal father was at first ecstatic, but after he started learning how to cultivate immortality with a Taoist priest, he gradually became suspicious. The Taoist priest was one of the Empress's people and had always been unhappy about my, this lady's birth so much that he'll intentionally or otherwise bring up me having good martial arts as a sort of reincarnation of a calamity, and said that every wrong disaster over the past couple of years were all linked to me.
Just because of this "calamity reincarnation", my royal father had an idea. It just so happened that I was already accustomed to his many ideas that I didn't feel like I suffered much. I only could not use martial arts, especially inside the imperial palace.
Thus, West Yang Country was always greatly ambitious, and this had not changed in the slightest even when I, the calamity reincarnation was here. The emperor was addicted to practicing the technique to immortality, the empress was playing with politics, the chancellors were drowning in carnal and luxurious pleasures, and the common people who complained about it were not West Yang Country's match. Millions of troops had always arrived each winter season along with the northwest wind and mightily plundered into East Yuan Country.
They were about to quickly break into Willow City. Willow City was in East Yuan Country's southwest, with verdant hills and clear water. The soil there was fertile, and the best food that we eat every day had always been continuously transported to here from Willow City. The clothes and jewelry that we wore, were also mostly made by the materials there and were crafted by Willow City's women.
Willow City was outside of East Yuan Country's walls ββ Cloud City was not too far away. Seeing that they were being loud with their behavior, in at most a month, and at least half a month, they would come over attacking.
Due to the various medications he took all year round, the emperor's health had long since been no good. After he heard about the news of West Yang Country's invasion into Willow City, he momentarily could not gather his spirit to react, as if he had given up already. The empress, who wanted my younger royal brother to hastily succeed the throne β actually, she ought to be called the Empress Dowager who ruled from behind the scenes, even she had no good method to hold back West Yang Country's army.
The one who leads West Yang Country's troops is Crown Prince, Wu Min Jun. This name was horribly thought up, because it led to him being devoid of humanity and having no mercy at all for his opponents.
***(TL: That's exactly what his name meant.)***
After breaking through Willow City, the news about Wu Min Jun leading the troops had begun to spread. The palace eunuchs were always flustered and nervous when they talk about him, saying that he stood at the top, considered himself to be unmatched in the world, and had indistinct facial features when he said this in a calm voice: "People of East Yuan Country, those who surrender won't be killed. Those who don't, no matter if it's woman or child, death on the spot."
Later, when he received news of my royal father being short-lived due to his practicing of immortality, he actually jokingly recited poetry: "Having an unrequited love for immortality does not make one have a long life."
With just these two, short sentences, members of East Yuan Country's imperial household could not raise their heads. In regards to this, I was somewhat helpless, but I was not hurt about it. As for East Yuan Country, I didn't really have any particular feelings for it, nor did I feel anything for my royal father. The only impression I had of him was only when he casually ordered my mother to commit suicide when I was a child, and then tossed me at an unfavored concubine to foster. After that concubine died from an illness, he never bothered with me anymore.
But East Yuan Country's common people needed saving. Even those who surrendered would be killed β Even though East Yuan Country's imperial family was cowardly and incompetent, its people were courageous. Back when West Yang Country's army first attacked, they were attacked by the people's own spontaneously made volunteer protection squads. As such, West Yang Country's soldiers hated our unarmed and defenseless commoners to the core and recklessly killed at will.
West Yang Country's soldiers were close at hand, but since East Yuan Country's imperial family still existed and had not surrendered nor been wiped out, it wouldn't be regarded as defeating the country. But this situation would also not last long.
Up until a few days ago, the aged Empress Dowager called for me, and asked: "Princess Changyi. Do you hate me and your royal father?"
"My royal father and mother brought me up, so I have no hatred" I replied honestly.
"But you have no affection for us, right?" She laughed helplessly, "I never thought that this day would come..."
She kneeled in front of me.
I didn't really panic or anything, because I knew why she had knelt down. When comparing the price, her kneeling down wasn't much.
She said: "Princess Changyi, there are few whose martial arts could match yours within East Yuan. I hope you could use that strength to kill Wu Min Jun and avenge your royal father, as well as this country..."
I promised her. Even though I don't feel anything for them, I am still East Yuan Country's princess. In my sixteen years of existence, I wasn't actually brought up by my royal father but was instead nurtured by East Yuan Country's common people. The rice I ate, came from the country's farmers. The silk I wore, came from the weaving girls in the clothing stores. The palace I lived in, came from countless people's blood, sweat, and tears.
Aside from my martial skills, I didn't really have any other abilities. If tossed into the common folk, I fear that my life would be extremely miserable. That being the case, although I was neither pampered nor favored, I lived pretty well. All of that came from East Yuan Country people's taxes.
So I will use the only thing I'm good at β martial arts, to repay the people of East Yuan Country.
And I knew that this time, I would not come out alive.
***
Wu Min Jun had already returned to West Yang Country at this time, because West Yang Country's emperor was terminally ill. As the Crown prince, and a young general who had great accomplishments, Wu Min Jun would naturally replace the emperor with no second candidate. Besides, with East Yuan Country's internal turmoil, there was already no need for him to personally lead his troops.
To him, standing by and waiting for the Western Emperor to breathe his last, was the most important thing to do.
After going through so many days of preparation, I knew that Wu Min Jun lived in Heaven Palming Palace. Just seeing the name, one could know how insufferably arrogant this person was. Heaven Palming Palace, he actually wanted to grasp the boundless heavens in the palm of his hands.
I carefully pried open a roof tile. The sound was really light, and no one had detected it. Within the huge Heaven Palming Palace's field of darkness, I listened attentively and heard the subtle yet orderly sounds of breathing. It ought to be Wu Min Jun, who had already fallen asleep. If he were awake, his breathing would be a bit more lively.
I quickly flew down and knocked the few imperial bodyguards unconscious before they had time to react. The situation had advanced smoothly without a hitch, as per my expectations. I opened the door and rapidly entered, taking light, noiseless, measured steps. Then, I approached Wu Min Jun's bed.
In the darkness, it was impossible to see anything with sight. I could only vaguely sense that a tall, male figure was laying on the bed. Taking out a dagger, I stabbed downwards, and the person who ought to have been asleep flipped over during this situation of life and death. I used too much strength, and the dagger was also extremely sharp, so when he escaped, the dagger had already been thrust straight into the bed, and was temporarily immobilized.
In the time that I'd tried to pull out the dagger, that person had already nimbly risen and was already ruthlessly swinging his hands at me, as if they were a blade. I bent my body to evade it and sensed a large amount of wind pass by my ear. Wu Min Jun's fast moves were outside of my expectations.
I was unable to pull out the dagger and was forced to abandon it. In the darkness, the two people began to fight. Although I had never met someone my match, Wu Min Jun was the first person worthy of being my opponent.
He was flexible and nimble, without any of the slow and sluggish manners that a person who had just woken up ought to have. Moreover, he was powerful but not stupid. In the darkness, just by relying on sound, unexpectedly, he could still accurately attack my vital points. Ever since I infiltrated the palace, my physical endurance was already diminished. Little by little, I was gradually falling into a disadvantage.
Whatever, if I couldn't avenge my country, then I'll just sacrifice my life for it.
I felt somewhat helpless.
That was what I thought, but survival instincts still made me struggle to fight him until at last, I saw an opening. At once, I extended a leg to hinder him, and Wu Min Jun immediately fell, but he clutched at the ends of my clothes while doing so. We fell on the floor together, but what's even more unfortunate was that we both hit the ground head-first.
***
When I awakened, the sky was already slightly bright. I suffered an extreme headache and was puzzled. Why would I still feel such a feeling like "pain" when I had already died?
Rather, when I opened my eyes, I stared blankly, because I actually saw "myself", still wearing the night robes, staring at me with an extremely ugly expression. "My" head also had a tiny trail of blood coming from "my" head, probably from banging onto the floor last night.
This...
I slightly lowered my head, and discovered that I was actually wearing West Yang Country Crown Prince's clothes. A dark black robe with wide sleeves, cuffs and collar both had a rolling cloud design. It was low-key and dignified.
I looked at my hands and feet. They were white, long, and thin, with calluses that were made from long periods of weapon-wielding all year round. They were a man's limbs.
I stared blankly at "myself", and could not say anything aloud for a long period of time.
I, East Yuan Country's Princess Changyi, had actually exchanged bodies with my enemy country's crown prince...