Chapter Twelve: Wu Lang, We Cannot Be Together

“Isn’t Princess Taiping coming along as well?”
With a single sentence, Wu Ning revealed the reason why Old Lady Wu was still reluctant to kill Li Xian.
“Uncle, don’t forget why Princess Taiping became a widow, and how her consort, Xue Shao, died!”
How did he die?
He was accused of rebellion and starved to death by Old Lady Wu herself.
And who did he conspire with?
Well, it was none other than those two troublemakers mentioned before—Li Zhen and Li Chong, father and son, who acted under Li Xian’s name.
...
That was the official version. Yet rumor had it that Xue Shao had nothing to do with Li Zhen and Li Chong, nor was he involved in any rebellion.
He met his end simply because Old Lady Wu disapproved of him as a son-in-law and wanted to find Princess Taiping a new husband.
Nevertheless, the conclusion remained that Xue Shao was condemned alongside Li Zhen and Li Chong for rebellion—and they were acting under Li Xian’s banner.
Upon closer thought, even if Princess Taiping wasn’t directly involved, she would still have to avoid suspicion, wouldn’t she?
Now, with the imperial command sending her south to Fangzhou, Old Lady Wu was sending a clear signal: she believed her daughter was innocent, had no need to avoid suspicion, and trusted her son as well.
Under such circumstances, no matter how much the Wu brothers wanted to get rid of Li Xian, they wouldn’t dare act. Besides, Princess Taiping was right there, watching over them.
...
After this explanation, it almost felt as if Wu Ning had issued the edict himself, or come up with the idea.
Wu Ning thought to himself, “Satisfied now? Got your fill? Can us two fugitives finally go inside and sleep?”
Unexpectedly, his ugly uncle was still not content. “I have one last question!”
“Speak!” Wu Ning replied, on the verge of tears—would this never end?
“If Old Lady Wu doesn’t wish to kill Li Xian, and the rebellion of the two princes has been quelled, why go through the trouble of sending these three distinguished people to Fangzhou for a birthday celebration?”
...
Wu Ning’s exaggerated expression gradually became grave, his heart restless, silently wondering, “Should I speak the truth, or a lie?”
The truth was too shocking—his rigid uncle would surely thrash him.
But a lie...
Forget it, better to tell the truth.
Because a lie couldn’t fool his uncle.
“Because...”
“She wants to...”
“Rule the world!”
...
“Ah...” As he finished, Wu Ning let out a long sigh, shutting his eyes in despair.
Come on then, hit me, curse me!
In this era, saying a woman sought to rule as Emperor was not something easily accepted.
He braced himself for his uncle’s scolding or even a beating, but after waiting for a while, all he heard was a calm instruction from the courtyard gate:
“Go ahead and sleep. I’ll be out for a while.”

Wu Ning stared blankly, watching his uncle disappear up the mountain path into the darkness.
He wondered, “What’s he up to, going up the mountain this late?”
Yet Wu Ning was naturally easygoing, and his uncle’s mysterious, unpredictable ways had long ceased to surprise him.
With nothing else to do, he went inside to sleep.
As he entered, he muttered, “Damn it, now I know why everyone, rich or poor, is so eager to have children.”
In these times, when night fell, people went straight to bed—there was no entertainment at all. Other than wrestling with one’s wife in bed, there was nothing else to do, so naturally, children came one after another.
As for him, without a wife, all he could do was stare at the rafters and endure the night.
Taiping...
Wu Ning began to daydream:
Princess Taiping was coming to Fangzhou. He’d heard she was very beautiful, but wondered if she was truly the ruthless, venomous beauty described in the histories.
Perhaps she was.
Perhaps she wasn’t.
Who could say? How much of what’s written in the history books is true, and how much is false?
While lost in these idle thoughts, Wu Ning gradually fell asleep.
...
————————————
That night, Wu Ning dreamed.
In his dream, there appeared a woman of ethereal beauty. In the crowd, they exchanged a fleeting glance, and it seemed as if nothing else existed in the world—only the two of them.
Holding her slender jade hand, Wu Ning wished only to walk with her forever, or perhaps...
Perhaps to keep “wrestling,” and then...
“Wu Lang...”
“We cannot be together, for we are...”
“Blood... siblings!”
...
!!!!!!
“Damn it!” Wu Ning shot upright in fright.
In his daze, he realized it was