The king’s expression was furious as he strode forward and slapped Yiwei so hard that it sent him tumbling to his knees.

“You bastard!” The king snarled, “I heard everything you said! You dare to sell out your country and plot against your own father? The throne would eventually be yours anyway! Why are you in such a rush?” Yiwei glared up at his father.

“Who knows if the throne would be mine?” He asked, “Everyone has always favored Yixing over me! Perhaps tomorrow, you will decide that he is a better choice to be Crown Prince!” The king shook a finger at him furiously.

“You are my son, not Yixing!” He snapped, “You decided to commit a grievous crime out of petty jealousy of your cousin?” Yiwei laughed bitterly.

“Petty jealousy?” He repeated, “Father, you certainly make it sound simple! Ever since I was young, Yixing has always been threatening my position! Everything he says and does is good, while nothing I do is right! He was given the best union, the best army, and the respect of the entire court! What right does he have to all that?”

“You fool!” The king snapped, “I never thought once about dethroning you!” Yixing sighed.

“Yiwei, instead of being jealous of me, you should have used my accomplishments to push yourself to do better.” He reasoned, “Wouldn’t that have made life far easier for you?”

“Don’t talk like you know how I’ve suffered!” Yiwei shot back angrily, “You have had everything well controlled in the palm of your hand without barely even trying!” Yixing sighed deeply.

“Stop making yourself out to be the victim!” He growled, “There is nothing you can blame for this result but your own foolishness!” Zhiruo sighed as well as she looked at the crown prince. In many ways, Yiwei and Rinchen were very similar. Both desired what couldn’t be theirs, and had let extreme jealousy cloud all their logical reasoning. Instead of working hard to prove themselves, they had tried to plot their way to victory and as a result had lost everything instead. The king’s burning gaze glared down at Yiwei for a long moment.

“I did not raise you to be a jealous coward who tries to achieve his goals through extreme underhanded tactics.” He said coldly, “Zhang Yiwei, you are not fit to rule this country.” His voice rose as he looked at the men around him.

“As of today, my son, the Crown Prince Zhang Yiwei has died of a sudden illness.” The king declared, “The man you see in front of me now is nothing but a mere commoner who has no connection whatsoever to the royal family. For plotting against the royal family, this bastard will rot in the royal prison for the rest of his life, never to see the light of day again.” Silence fell over the room as the news sank in.

“Father!” Yiwei finally cried in shock, “I am the only son who is eligible for the throne! You promised my mother that you would take good care of me! You cannot dethrone me now!” THe king turned his back to Yiwei.

“There are many princes in the palace.” The king replied coldly, “Northern Qi law allows for exceptions to the line of succession in certain circumstances. My only son borne by the deceased queen is now dead, and so a new choice will be made as to who will become the crown prince.” Yiwei sagged against the ground in shock, and the king flicked his hand towards some soldiers.

“Take him away.” He ordered. Still in shock, Yiwei was limp as a doll as the soldiers heaved him to his feet and dragged him out of the room. The king turned to Yixing and Zhiruo, a small smile on his lips.

“You two have suffered.” He said softly, “Thank you for showing me the truth.” Zhiruo shook her head as she and Yixing bowed politely.

“It is our duty as citizens of this country and Your Majesty’s subjects.” They replied. The king smiled faintly and turned to leave, the soldiers exiting after him with Yiwei’s soldiers under arrest as well. Yixing sighed as he squeezed Zhiruo lightly on the shoulder.

“It’s finally over.” He murmured softly.

“I hope so.” Zhiruo replied, resting her head against his shoulder, “I’m glad your plan worked.” The plan had been for Yifan to tell the king about Yiwei’s invitation and Zhiruo’s presence at the manor that day, and lie that the king had been asked to join them. Because Yiwei’s ownership of the manor had been a secret, the king would clearly be interested enough to at least visit the manor. Yiwei was as suspicious man, and so he likely had spies near Rinchen, who would have told him what Rinchen had told Yixing and Zhiruo. When he tried to get rid of them both, that would be the time when Yixing carefully coaxed him to spill all of his secret plans, just in time for the king to hear everything. The timing needed to be perfect, and Yixing and Zhiruo had taken a gamble on how much Yiwei knew and what he would try to do. In the end though, everything had worked out perfectly. It seemed that even the heavens had found it suitable to pull Yiwei down from his position at last.

“Let’s go home.” Yixing said, and Zhiruo nodded in agreement.

Perhaps everything will be over now.

____________________________________________________________________________

A few days later, Yixing and Zhiruo were summoned into the palace to see the king. While seeing the king was nothing out of the ordinary, the news that the king delivered to them was shocking to the core.

“Yixing.” The king said as he gazed down at the prince and princess consort, “I have decided to name you my crown prince.” Yixing and Zhiruo exchanged shocked looks.

“Uncle!” Yixing protested, “I do not think I am suitable! You have many sons, and it would not be proper for me to jump over all of them to take the throne!” The king shook his head.

“I have thought about it long and hard before coming to this decision.” He replied, “While my sons would be a natural choice, you have proven yourself to be the most loyal out of all the princes. Your military achievements are well known, and few people will doubt your leadership ability. You are levelheaded and logical, and have an intelligent wife by your side who will be a good queen. I am not afraid to leave the country in your hands.” Zhiruo swallowed hard, and she squeezed Yixing’s hand lightly. He gazed down at her for a moment, then knew what she was thinking about. Before the king made any final decisions, there was still one secret that had to be revealed. Yixing took her hand, and they knelt together in front of the king.

“Your Majesty.” Zhiruo said softly, “Please forgive this subject for lying to you all this time.” The king stared down at them in confusion.

“Lady Shangguan, what are you talking about?” He asked. Zhiruo took a deep breath before answering.

“To be honest...I am not really the daughter of the Shangguan family.” She said, “I was only adopted into the family after I happened to do them a great favor. My real family name is...Gongsun.” Zhiruo bit her lip and raised her gaze to look at the king.

“My real name is Gongsun Rong’er.” She said. The king stared at her in shock.

“I remember Gongsun Jing had a daughter skilled in the medicinal arts, but...how…I thought... He stammered.

“I happened to escape my family’s massacre because I was outside of the manor then.” Zhiruo replied, “In order to find out why my family was killed, I changed my name and seized the chance to enter a nobleman’s family so I could enter the palace to find answers. I am sorry I never told Your Majesty. My adoptive parents knew nothing about this matter.”

“Uncle!” Yixing said quickly, “Please forgive Zhiruo! She only did what she did because of the tragedy that befell her family!” The king rose from his seat and stepped down to gaze at Zhiruo for a long moment. Then, he reached down and pulled both Yixing and Zhiruo up from their knelt position. A soft smile graced his lips.

“You are a filial child.” The king said kindly, “I cannot fault a child for wanting to know why her family was destroyed within one day.” He studied Zhiruo’s face carefully.

“I wonder why I never noticed?” He mused, “Your eyes are just like your father’s, warm and passionate about everything you do.” Zhiruo met his gaze hesitantly.

“Then...Your Majesty is…?” She ventured hesitantly. The king patted Zhiruo lightly on the hand.

“Shangguan Zhiruo, your punishment is to be a kind and virtuous queen who will assist her husband to become a strong and legendary king.” He said, “That is a task you must pursue for the rest of your life. Do you understand?” Zhiruo stared at him for a moment as the words sunk in, then she let a relieved smile cross her face at last.

“Yes Your Majesty, I understand!” She replied. The king smiled and turned to Yixing.

“Yixing, will you accept the duty of protecting and leading our country for the rest of your life?” He asked. Yixing was silent for a few long moments before he looked over at Zhiruo. His gaze was uncertain and searching, and Zhiruo realized he was looking for her thoughts on the matter. Becoming queen was no small matter, and while Zhiruo knew Yixing would allow her more freedom than most queens were allowed, the new role cake with an entirely different lifestyle and responsibilities. And while Yixing was a talented warrior, that was entirely different from becoming the leader of a country. Still though, the king was right. Yixing commanded respect in both politics and the military, and so there was little to fear about his leadership ability. He already had connections to multiple foreign countries due to his battles, and he had a strong head on his shoulders. A reign lead by him would be a period of stability that Northern Qi truly needed. Taking a deep breath, Zhiruo smiled faintly and nodded every so slightly. If there was anyone right now who could rule well, it was her husband, and Zhiruo was willing to stand by his side every step of the way. Yixing took a deep breath, then lowered himself into a formal bow in front of the king.

“It would be my honor, Uncle.” He replied.

____________________________________________________________________________

The news that the king’s direct sons had been skipped over in favor for his nephew in choosing the new crown prince did not sit entirely well with the royal court, and the announcement sent court officials clamoring in front of the king with protests. The king sat firm with his choice however, and logical reasoning slowly convinced the court officials that the king was right. If the son that the king had raised and cultivated to be the next king couldn’t be trusted to be a wise leader, who knew about the others who hadn’t been viewed as candidates from the beginning? It was far safer to go with a man who had proven his loyalty and steadiness in leadership. Orders were given to build a new part of the palace for Yixing and Zhiruo’s new quarters, and a month later, the two were officially crowned as the new crown prince and princess. Zhiruo stood up on a path overlooking the palace the day after the coronation, her expression thoughtful as she gazed down at the expansive palace. The royal palace was a city in itself, with mazes of crisscrossing roads leading to various palaces and rooms that kept the palace running properly. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she lifted her head to the sky.

“Father, Mother, are you watching over me from up there?” She asked, “I’ve finally found out who was behind your deaths, and now those people have fallen from their powerful ranks. You can both rest in peace knowing that those murderers will never be able to harm anyone ever again.” Still, as she spoke, Zhiruo felt a little uneasy. The past month had been relatively peaceful; Yiwei was locked away in prison, the revolt quashed before it had even begun. Still, Zhiruo couldn’t help but wonder about the army he had been allegedly planning to bring from Northern Zhou. Without an actual battle breaking out, there was no good reason for even Yixing to send soldiers to investigate the matter, and it wasn’t like they could just go and ask Northern Zhou directly about a possible collaboration to revolt. As long as those soldiers and possible attack plans existed, Zhiruo couldn’t help but worry about whether Northern Zhou would soon become eager to begin an attack on their own, even without Yiwei to place as a puppet king on the throne. She heard the soft shuffle of footsteps behind her, and gentle hands carefully wrapped a cloak around her shoulders.

“You should go inside, it’s getting cold.” Yixing’s voice murmured softly in her ear. Zhiruo turned and smiled lovingly up at her husband. His handsome face was lit up by the sunlight, and his new crown prince’s robes made him look even more majestic than he had ever looked before.

“Highness.” She said softly, dipping into a curtsey as she had been taught before her coronation. Yixing chuckled and pulled her up quickly.

“Silly girl, you don’t need to do that.” He said, “Save that for the ministers and my uncle. When there’s only us around, I am only your husband, and nothing more.” Zhiruo smiled and nodded in agreement. Yixing smiled and cupped a hand to her cheek.

“What were you thinking about?” He asked, “You were so out of it you didn’t even hear me coming.” Zhiruo smiled ruefully and shook her head.

“I was just...wondering.” She replied, “It’s been so peaceful lately, but who knows? I can’t help but wonder about the army that Yiwei was allegedly trying to bring over from Northern Zhou.” Yixing sighed and pulled her into a hug.

“Silly girl, don’t worry about that now.” He murmured, “I have already been keeping an eye on our border with Northern Zhou. As of now, everything is still peaceful. But if they do try and attack, I surely will not let them even get close to overtaking our country.” Zhiruo smiled and rested her head against his chest.

“I know you won’t.” She agreed softly. Zhiruo closed her eyes briefly as Yixing pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“How is my princess feeling today?” He asked softly, one hand resting on her growing stomach, “Is the little one being good?” Zhiruo huffed and laid her hand on top of his.

“Hardly.” She grumbled, “He’s been kicking up a storm since this morning. As for me, I’m feeling as large as one of your uncle’s ships!” Yixing chuckled in amusement as he rubbed a hand soothingly on the small of her back, eliciting a soft sigh of comfort from Zhiruo as the warmth of his hand relieved a little of the aches she had been feeling from the weight of her growing child.

“How do you know it’s a boy?” He asked curiously. Zhiruo grinned up at him.

“Call it a mother’s instinct.” She replied cheekily. Yixing laughed and gently ran a hand over Zhiruo’s swollen stomach.

“My son, you must be filial to your mother when you are born.” He said softly, “She’s working so hard to keep you safe and healthy.” A soft nudge from inside answered him, making Yixing laugh again. He gazed at Zhiruo for a moment before kissing her briefly on the lips.

“You’ve worked hard, Ruo’er.” He said, “I’ll take you on a trip once our baby is born so you can finally relax.” Zhiruo smiled and reached up to return the kiss.

“You’ll have to find a way out of your duties first, Crown Prince.” She teased, “You’re no longer as free as you were as a simple prince anymore.” Yixing groaned.

“I think if I hear one more petition from the court officials today, I will simply go crazy.” He grumbled. Zhiruo laughed softly and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“I can give you a massage when we go back to our rooms.” She offered. Yixing grinned and looped his arm around her waist.

“That sounds perfect.” He agreed.

____________________________________________________________________________

A few months later

Zhiruo could feel Yixing’s gaze fixated on her as she carefully helped him dress in an elaborate silver robe and slipped a fur lined cloak around his shoulders. Yixing took her hands as her nimble fingers tied a small knot at the base of his neck to keep the cloak in place.

“Ruo’er, are you sure it’s okay for you to come with me?” He asked. Zhiruo smiled ruefully and ran a hand over her swollen stomach. The baby’s due date had come and gone the week before, but her child seemed to be quite content to keep itself inside its mother’s womb, despite the increasingly lack of space inside. Usually, Zhiruo would have avoided wandering far from her rooms at this point, due to safety concerns and for convenience’s sake. But tonight was New Year’s Eve, and the king had arranged for a lavish banquet where guests from foreign countries would be present. It was Yixing and Zhiruo’s first New Year’s banquet as Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and Zhiruo knew that she had to make an appearance to show everyone that the country would be left in capable hands in the future.

“I’ll be okay.” She assured Yixing, “I haven’t felt anything. Your son doesn’t seem to want to leave his current home.”

Well, almost nothing.

Zhiruo had been feeling slight cramps and an increasingly uncomfortable backache since early that morning, but that was not anything unusual given how far along she was in this pregnancy. It would likely be another few days at least before the baby arrived. Yixing gazed at her for a long moment before cupping a hand to her cheek.

“Well...make sure you sit for as much as you can today.” He said, “If you feel tired, don’t force yourself to socialize. And if you start to feel anything, let me know immediately, alright?” Zhiruo laughed softly and kissed him gently.

“Yes, yes, and yes, Lord Husband.” She murmured teasingly, “I hear you. Stop worrying so much!” Yixing sighed and squeezed her hands lightly.

“I cannot help it!” He said, “This is our first child, and there are so many uncertainties…” Zhiruo reached up and kissed him again to silence his worries.

“Just focus on the banquet tonight.” She urged softly. Yixing kissed her briefly back before nodding.

“I will.” He agreed. He stepped away to the door, and Zhiruo watched as he whispered orders to one of her maids, no doubt about keeping an eye on Zhiruo throughout the night. Zhiruo smiled faintly, her heart swelling with warmth. While he was a warrior, Yixing really did think of everything when it came to taking care of her. While she had her freedom to act, there was no denying how devoted a husband Yixing was. As she watched him speak, Zhiruo flinched as she felt a cramp run down her stomach. It tightened around her stomach slightly more than the previous ones had for a few seconds before disappearing. Zhiruo blew out her breath slowly as the tightness eased. She bit her lip as she patted her stomach gently.

Just stay in there for one more day, okay baby? You’ve been in there for so long already, surely you can wait for one more day.

____________________________________________________________________________

As expected, the banquet was filled with guests from multiple surrounding countries as well as nobles, and Zhiruo quickly found herself and Yixing the center of attention. Multiple noblewomen and their daughters flocked to converse with her, and Yixing was soon swept away by noblemen and foreign diplomats. The royal couple exchanged sheepish glances from above the heads of their guests, both knowing they could not escape this duty for the night. For the most part, Zhiruo made sure she stayed the epitome of grace and intelligence as she spoke with the noblewomen. Just for tonight, she had to make sure she left an image of a demure and gentle woman in their eyes, intelligent but not too much for her own good. On the other hand, Yixing was clearly well liked by their guests;on more than one occasion, Zhiruo spotted pleased smiles on the foreign nobles’ faces as they nodded in agreement to what Yixing was saying. On a few occasions though, Zhiruo spotted noblemen taking their daughters to greet Yixing, no doubt hoping that one would catch his eye and become the next Crown Prince’s concubine. To Zhiruo’s pleasure though, Yixing only spoke with them politely while making sure to keep his distance. It was clear that no one but Zhiruo would be the one who stood by his side. As the night drew on however, Zhiruo was feeling increasingly uncomfortable. Whether it was from standing or carrying on lengthy conversations with the women, she wasn’t sure, but her cramps from earlier that day had begun to increase in length and frequency over the course of the night. When the performances began after small flower lamps were lit and set afloat in the palace pond, Zhiruo was more than grateful for the chance to sit down and soothe her aching back and feet. She looked down at her stomach ruefully as she sat down.

Even the most intelligent physician in the country can’t entirely the aches and pains of pregnancy, Zhiruo thought with a soft sigh.

“What are you doing in there?” She murmured softly to her child. As if responding to her, the baby gave Zhiruo a swift kick, which was followed immediately by another cramp. This one was stronger than even the ones she had been feeling all night, and a soft gasp of surprise escaped from Zhiruo’s lips before she could stop it. Yixing’s gaze switched sharply over to her, and his hand quickly came to rest on top of hers.

“What’s wrong?” He asked urgently, his eyes wide. Zhiruo blew out her breath slowly as the cramp eased, and then smiled as she shook her head.

“Just a strong kick.” She lied, not wanting him to worry. At an event as large as this, it would not be good to make a scene over one cramp. Yixing’s brow furrowed as he gazed at her, but before he could protest, the performances began, and he was forced to look away from Zhiruo to the performer instead to avoid being rude. As she watched the performances, Zhiruo couldn’t help but notice that her cramps were still becoming increasingly painful and hard to hide. At some point, it hurt to the point that she had to grip the edge of her chair and swallow down a moan of pain. Thankfully, the loud noises and bright colors of the performances drew people’s attention away from her. At this point, Zhiruo knew she had to face the truth.

I’m having contractions.

The thought of it was enough to send her heart leaping into . Of all nights, her child had to choose this one to arrive? There was no doubt it was Yixing’s child; the baby had a plan of its own, and nothing was going to change it, just like when Yixing decided on a military plan of attack.

“Ruo’er.” Zhiruo turned as Yixing called her name softly, and she caught a glimpse of concern in her husband’s eyes.

“You look pale.” He observed, “What’s wrong?” Zhiruo swallowed hard and was about to respond when a soldier rushed in and said something to Yifan under his breath. Yifan then leaned down and whispered the message to Yixing. The crown prince’s eyes widened, and he immediately went to the king’s side to relay the message. The king’s expression grew grim, and he waved his hand in permission with a slight nod. Yixing returned to Zhiruo’s side as she gazed up at him  in confusion, her discomfort momentarily forgotten.

“What happened?” She asked. Yixing hesitated before responding.

“Yiwei has escaped from prison with the help of some allies in the palace.” He said, “And the Northern Zhou army has just crossed our border and are on their way to Jinyong.” Zhiruo’s eyes widened.

“What did you just say?” She exclaimed.

____________________________________________________________________________

Yixing

Without drawing too much attention, Yixing excused himself from the banquet and went to his study with Zhiruo and Yifan by his side. Many of his most high ranking soldiers were waiting for him, and he quickly spread out a map of the Northern Qi territory to plan the next course of action. Typically, the king would have likely preferred to send a different general instead of the crown prince, but given Yixing’s previous experiences and the urgency of the matter, the matter was best left to Yixing’s hands. Besides, it was time he settled this old score with Yiwei.

“Jinyong is on the edge of our territory, so to travel there it would take at least two weeks if we minimize our rest.” Yixing described, his finger drawing an invisible line from the capital city towards the soon to be besieged city.

“If we can catch up with Yiwei before then, that would be even better.” Yifan commented. Yixing bit his lip worriedly.

“If he dares to escape directly from the palace and make a run for it, he’s probably aiming to get to Jinyong.” He agreed, “But he cannot possibly be alone. Even Yiwei wouldn’t be foolish enough to do this alone. It is likely that he has an army waiting for him in one of the cities along the way. Which means...we have two armies to deal with.” Yixing sighed deeply and looked around at his top soldiers.

“Whether it is one army or two, we will get rid of them both.” He swore, “Northern Zhou seems to have forgotten it is difficult to attack us, and it is time we make them remember. Prepare the men to move out as soon as possible!”

“Yes, Your Highness!” The men chorused, and Yixing rolled up the map as they hurried off to carry out his order. Suddenly, he heard a soft groan from behind him, and he turned to look at Zhiruo, who had been sitting behind him. His heart leapt into his throat as he saw his wife. Zhiruo’s face was drawn tight in obvious pain, her lips pursed tightly together in an attempt to stay quiet. One hand gripped the edge of her chair tightly, the other tightening over her stomach.

She’s in pain.

“Ruo’er!” Yixing quickly knelt by her side, “What’s wrong?” Zhiruo’s eyes were liquid pools of fear as she gazed up at him.

“It hurts!” She gasped softly as the pain finally seemed to ease slightly, “My stomach hurts!” Yixing cautiously laid a hand on her swollen stomach, and his eyes widened as he felt the surface constrict under his fingers. Yixing’s heart hammered in his chest as he carefully gripped Zhiruo’s arm.

“How long have you been in labor?” He asked, forcing himself to stay calm. Zhiruo bit her lip as she thought for a moment.

“Likely since this morning.” She admitted, “I didn’t realize I was having contractions until the middle of the banquet though.” Yixing sighed as he gazed at his wife.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” He demanded. Zhiruo looked at him apologetically.

“It didn’t hurt that much until now.” She protested feebly, “And I didn’t want to make a fuss in front of so many people.”

“That should be the least of your worries when you’re in labor!” Yixing protested. Zhiruo shook her head.

“Not when my husband is the newly named crown prince at his first large royal event.” She replied firmly. Yixing sighed, tampering down his exasperation. Zhiruo was certainly very stubborn; it was something he admired in his wife, but sometimes she really didn’t know where to stop. But what had happened had already happened, and there was no use turning back to scold Zhiruo now.

“That’s not the important part now.” He said, “Can you stand? I’ll help you back to our rooms.” Zhiruo nodded, and Yixing carefully eased his princess to her feet. A few steps later though, Zhiruo doubled over in pain, a pained cry escaping her lips. Then, her voice cut off as she froze in Yixing’s arms.

“Ruo’er?” Yixing looked at her in concern, “What’s wrong? What happened?” Zhiruo swallowed hard, her voice ragged as she pointed a finger downward. Yixing followed the direction she pointed in, then his eyes widened as he saw the pool of fluid beginning to spread outwards from under Zhiruo’s dress.

“Ruo’er...is that…?” The words didn’t seem to want to come to his lips, but Yixing’s heart pounded even faster in his chest as it slowly dawned on him what was happening. Zhiruo bit her lip and looked up at him.

“My waters just broke.” She declared weakly.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Author's note: Last set of dramatic events coming up! Please look forward to seeing Yixing and Zhiruo's power couple skills come into play again! I did decide to go with the happier ending and avoid the angst of the other possible ending, so please bear with me as I change history XD