My Brother Was the Impostor All Along - Chapter 4

For Mother’s birthday, my imperial uncle held a family banquet at the palace. It was a celebration for his favorite younger sister—and a chance to introduce Zhaozhao formally as the Princess Royal’s eldest legitimate daughter.

After three rounds of wine, the gifts were presented.

Yan Jingyao offered a fine inkstone. I gave Mother a painting of pines and cranes wishing her a long life. She accepted both with a smile.

When Zhaozhao’s turn came, she carried a brocade box to the middle of the hall. Her smile was nervous and hopeful.

This was her first palace banquet, and she had spent a long time preparing her gift. When I’d asked about it a few days earlier, she had hemmed and hawed and refused to tell me.

She opened the box, took out a piece of embroidery, and spread it between her hands.

The hall fell silent.

It was a panorama of the realm: range upon range of mountains, broad expanses of bright yellow silk shining like peaks gilded by the sun.

Mother’s expression changed instantly. The smile faded from my uncle’s face.

Bright yellow was reserved for the emperor.

A panorama of the realm embroidered in imperial yellow, presented to a princess? That wasn’t merely overstepping her station. It suggested ambitions for the throne.

Zhaozhao had never received an education. How could she know those rules?

But the stares stabbed into her like knives. Her smile stiffened, and the hands holding the embroidery began to shake.

Yan Jingyao leisurely sipped his wine, the corner of his mouth raised.

I rose without haste, walked to the center of the hall, and took the embroidery from Zhaozhao. Holding it in both hands, I presented it to the emperor.

“Uncle, my sister stitched this for you.”

“Imperial yellow honors the Son of Heaven; the mountains and rivers belong to their sovereign. Today may be Mother’s birthday, but we are not only her daughters—we are your subjects. How could my sister come to her first audience empty-handed?”

“She poured her heart into every stitch. Her work may not rival that of the palace embroiderers, but it is her sincere offering of loyalty and affection as your subject and niece.”

My uncle accepted the embroidery. Slowly, his smile returned.

“The mountains and rivers offered to their sovereign. Well said. Reward her with a pair of jade ruyi scepters.”

Zhaozhao was still staring blankly. I gave her hand a discreet squeeze. She came to her senses and hastily knelt to thank him.

I knelt beside her.

“Uncle, on the occasion of Mother’s birthday, may your niece make one more request?”

The emperor was in excellent spirits. “Speak.”

“I ask that my title of commandery princess be returned to Yan Zhaozhao.”

The hall erupted.

No one had expected me to give away a title already in my hands.

“Grandfather’s last decree granted the Princess Royal’s legitimate daughter a princess’s title upon coming of age. Now that my elder sister has returned, seniority should be respected. She ought to receive it.”

Zhaozhao started to rise in alarm. “No! Chengxi—”

I held her back and shook my head, telling her silently not to worry.

My uncle smiled.

“Generous of you. But what the late emperor could grant, so can I. If you yield your title to your elder sister, what would you like for yourself? Tell me.”

“I’m deeply grateful for your kindness, Uncle.” I bowed my head to the floor, then looked up. “Grandfather’s decree granted our household one princess’s title and one peerage. The peerage has long stood vacant. I would be so bold as to ask for it.”

The hall went utterly quiet.

Yan Jingyao shot to his feet, overturning his wine cup.

“Yan Chengxi! You’re a woman. What right do you have to ask for the peerage?”

I answered calmly.

“Grandfather granted it to the princess’s offspring. I carry her blood and her surname, Yan. I’ll take a husband into my household and carry on the family line just the same. If I can’t inherit, are we supposed to hand it to someone who stole another child’s place?”

He ground his teeth.

“The decree states clearly that the heir must earn an examination degree! Where’s yours, woman?”

I smiled.

“It’s only because you’re so useless that you’ve failed three times and left the title vacant. If you never pass, must Grandfather’s generosity go unfulfilled forever?”

“The examinations are next month. Let’s both sit them. May the better candidate win. What do you say?”

Father could hold back no longer. “Nonsense! How can a woman take the imperial examinations?”

I bowed to the emperor again.

“Uncle, I beg your permission to sit the examinations. If I pass, I will have lived up to Grandfather’s expectations and proved worthy of the title. If I fail, I’ll accept my fate and never raise the matter again.”

The emperor laughed aloud, his eyes full of approval.

“Good! A child of our Yan family should have precisely that courage and ambition.”

“You have my permission. Compete on your merits. Whoever does better shall receive the title!”

Yan Jingyao went white.

How could that wine-soaked fool possibly outscore me?

Father’s face was livid. But the emperor had spoken. He would have to accept it.