TAIPING DYNASTY: YEAR OF THE WOOD RAT

The Birth of Crown Prince Huatian

EMPEROR XUANZONG'S REIGN

It was during the winter. However, it was an abnormally busy night in the palace. The crown princess and one of the primary concubines went into labor on the same night! I know what you are thinking. If it were just the crown princess and the primary concubine, only the crown's prince's palace would be in an uproar. But emperor's Noble Consort Yunhwa goes into labor on the same day! And not just that, her labor was quite the hard one! None of Emperor Xuanzong's other concubines have born him a child since the first son, now late. The son was born of the empress. So, of course, the entire palace would be in an uproar!

Eunuchs and maidservants were seen running in and out of Yu Hua Tang Palace, each carrying a basin of warm water or soft cotton clothes. Those coming out had their water and clothes stained with blood and sweat, the sight of it sending electric waves to the middle-aged heart of Emperor Xuanzong (Li Xun), who was still pacing up and down outside of Yu Hua Tang, his Head Eunurch Dong right beside him.

Li Xun suddenly stopped, and Eunuch Dong crashed into him. "Say, what if Yunhwa gives birth to a girl and one of Shuai's girls gives birth to a boy? Won't that be a lot of trouble?"

*Shuai is the crown prince; he is Emperor Xuanzong's grandson.

Eunuch Dong adjusted his headwear. "If a girl then becomes a Princess Royal and you grant her husband the throne, don't tell me you are not shameless enough."

Li Xun looks at Eunuch Dong's weathered face, feeling the urge to slap him to the moon, but before he acted on it, the personal attendant of Noble Consort Yunhwa ran out and fell on her face at his feet. Seized with fear, he and Eunuch Dong helped her up at once. Had something happened to Yunhwa? Then he had to order them to save her; if she died and left a child, then what about him? He didn't care too much for another child; he already had a grandson, a great-grandson, and more on the way, but if he lost her, then he would have no one.

The person looked at them with tears in her eyes, but she was smiling. The important thing was that she was smiling! "Congratulations, your royal majesty! Noble Consort Yunhwa has been blessed with a son! Both she and the baby are fine."

Li Xun rushed into Yu Hua Tang and found Yunhwa already cleaned up and leaning against the bedrest with the boy in her arms. The child already looked exquisite, with excellent features that were twisted in tears. Yunhwa beckoned to him with a weary smile: "Xun'er, come and hold him."

He gingerly took the boy in his arms, and the child calmed down and curled up in his arms. "Dong gonggong, draft up a decree conferring upon this boy the position of the crown prince; he shall be called Huatian."

Eunuch Dong hesitated a bit, and Li Xun noticed, "Go ahead and do it; I am telling you I am shameless enough. Shuai'er has always been subpar; he will be granted another position as a settlement."

With that, Eunuch Dong rushed out of Yu Hua Tang to carry out the Emperor's order. Li Xun handed over Huatian to a maidservant and went to sit by Yunhwa's side. "You need to rest; I will handle everything else."

Yunhwa did not answer that; instead, she looked at the baby who was being rocked to sleep in the maidservant's arms and said, "You know… The imperial physician said our son has a great set of bones; he will grow up to be tall and handsome."

"That is a given; he takes after me after all." Li Xun said it dotingly with a bit of pride, and she looked at his face closely. Xun'er was really handsome, but she was convinced the beauty came from her.

"Your decision will cause a lot of conflict in court; his life will be in danger."

"I'll weather the storm.'

"Xun'er, at least wait till he's a few years older!"

"Nothing you say will change my mind." And with a swish of his sleeve, Li Xun returned to his palace, where Eunuch Dong had the decree ready. He stamped the decree and prepared to meet the ministers.

But things were not so easy on Crown Prince Shuai's side. His wife gave birth to a girl and his concubine a boy, but he was in no mood to celebrate. Since time immemorial, his grandfather has always been dissatisfied with him. His maternal grandfather, Loulan Xuan, told him it was because he was more like them than his father's side of the family. News of his granduncle's birth left him uneasy and uncomfortable, like the sword of Damacles was hanging over his head.

In a panic, Li Shuai left the palace right away on horseback to the Loulan Residence. His grandfather was outside to receive him, and before he spoke, Loulan Xuan confirmed he had heard of the matter. Li Shuai wiped sweat off his brow. Words in the palace surely traveled fast.

"His Royal Majesty has already prepared a decree to depose you; surely you can't be accepting of such a decision, right?"

Li Shuai clenched his fist tightly and said, "Of course not."

Loulan Xuan nodded in approval. 'Does this mean you are ready to do whatever it takes?"

"Yes, grandfather."

The older man beckoned to a guard and whispered something to the guard, who quickly rushed out. Then he turned to his grandson and said, "Shuai'er, it's time to enter the palace."

After sending the summons to the various ministers, Eunuch Dong returned to find Emperor Xuanzong slumped in the seat as he had left him. Thinking the man had just taken a nap, Eunuch Dong tried to wake him and realized the man was dead. Without sparing the time to check the cause of death, he grabbed the decree, managed to sneak past a group of armed men that appeared out of nowhere, and made his way to Yu Hua Tang Palace.

Noble Consort Yunhwa, hearing Emperor Xuanzong had passed on, didn't even blink. She handed her son to him and took the decree for safekeeping, then had someone lead Eunuch Dong out of the palace. By the time Loulan Xuan sent people to surround Yu Hua Tang and Eunuch Dong, the boy was long gone.

Head Eunuch Dong, with a swaddling cloth covering the baby on his back, followed the alleys and dark areas to avoid the guards enforcing the curfew; but he couldn't escape the royal capital. Being at his wits end, he left the baby in a haystack and hurried back to the palace. When Eunuch Dong got back, Li Shuai had been hurriedly crowned Emperor, while an arrest warrant had been issued against him for the murder of Emperor Xuanzong. Noble Consort Yunhwa was being praised for her 'virtue' and 'love' in wanting to accompany the emperor in death.

Eunuch Dong took a detour and almost intercepted the people leading Noble Consort Yunhwa to the Royal Mausoleum, but she noticed him before the others and signaled at him to leave, saying that she would handle things. Eunuch Dong returned to where he had left the young prince; but both the haystack and the prince were gone.