Along the way, Crown Prince Li Zhunze remained puzzled. The Human Race was flourishing, poised to replace the Heavenly Court. Though he had been appointed crown prince, the Tang King had long since shed his mortal body, so unlike crown princes of old, he could not take charge of state affairs early.
Never mind having a hand in affairs of state-even his daily trips outside the palace had to be reported to Internal Affairs, then submitted to the Tang King.
He was clearly the emperor's son, yet he lived like a prisoner, without the slightest freedom.
Li Zhunze was not the only one treated this way. Li Yuande suffered the same.
Li Yuande was the prince chosen by Yuanshi. At his birth, the God-Striking Whip had flown to his side, declaring whom it belonged to. The Tang King was equally wary of him. Over twenty years, the infant had grown into a man, yet his father had never shown him the slightest affection.
They were clearly the ones chosen by Saints, blessed with greater talent, yet they lived such wretched lives within the palace.
"Exactly. Among all our brothers and sisters, Father dotes only on our third sister. Whenever he goes out, he takes only her. Why has he brought us along today?"
The third sister they spoke of was Wu Enniang, chosen by Saint Nuwa.
Though she, too, was the Tang King's child, her mother's disreputable origins had led him to deny her the surname Li, making her take her mother's surname instead.
Fortunately, the Human Sovereign's three swords had accompanied her birth. Otherwise, whether the child could even have survived to adulthood would have been uncertain.
"Alas, I don't know why Father dotes so much on our third sister. We were all chosen by Saints, yet you and