Arrival of Prince Aerion and Princess Zhiyan (King’s Landing, 219 AC)
The Yi Tish Intervention in the Third Blackfyre Rebellion began in 219 AC, when the Golden Empire of Yi Ti dispatched an expeditionary force to aid House Targaryen against the Blackfyre rebels. The force was commanded jointly by Prince Aerion Targaryen and Imperial Prince Bu Yuchen, the Fourth Prince of Yi Ti, and rendezvoused with Prince Maekar Targaryen at Dragonstone before sailing for King’s Landing.
Background
In 219 AC, reports reached the Iron Throne that another Blackfyre uprising was gathering strength across the Narrow Sea. Anticipating a larger conflict than the previous rebellions, Prince Maekar Targaryen, then acting on behalf of the Crown, summoned his second son, Prince Aerion Targaryen, who had been residing in Yin, the imperial capital of Yi Ti, with his wife.
The Emperor of Yi Ti answered by dispatching an expeditionary fleet commanded jointly by Prince Aerion Targaryen and Imperial Prince Yuchen. Prince Yuchen had previously accompanied his sister during her first visit to Westeros for her betrothal and marriage.
Princess Zhiyan had been expected to remain in Yin with the couple’s sons, Prince Maekar Targaryen (formerly Prince Maegor), known in Yi Ti as Haoran, and Prince Vaeron Targaryen, known in Yi Ti as Rui. Instead, she secretly concealed herself aboard one of the fleet’s vessels before its departure. Her presence was discovered during the first week of the voyage by several members of the crew. Fearing Prince Aerion’s notoriously volatile temper and equally unwilling to offend the Emperor’s daughter, the soldiers chose not to report the matter, allowing the princess to remain hidden throughout the remainder of the voyage.
Upon arriving at Dragonstone to rendezvous with Prince Maekar and make final preparations, Zhiyan privately revealed herself to her husband. Aerion was reportedly furious upon discovering her deception.
Later that day, while Aerion and Yuchen were discussing the fleet’s deployment, Zhiyan quietly entered the chamber. Having believed his sister to be safely in Yin, Prince Yuchen reportedly started in alarm, later remarking that he had momentarily thought he had seen the ghost of their late mother. His surprise quickly turned to anger, and contemporary accounts describe the two princes briefly argued over which of them bore responsibility for the incident before redirecting their frustration toward Zhiyan herself.
Princess Zhiyan listened to both men in silence before calmly reminding them that neither had known she was aboard until she had chosen to reveal herself.
The combined Targaryen and Yi Tish fleet subsequently sailed to King’s Landing, marking the first major military intervention by the Golden Empire of Yi Ti in the affairs of Westeros.
