Li Zhao's mother Li Rong was the fourth concubine of the Li family. Madam Li never liked Li Rong and also didn't like that her son Li Chu couldn't match up to Li Zhao in anyway. While Li Zhao was top of class in martial arts and academics, Li Chu was at the bottom of the class usually using his martial arts to bully others with a reputation for visiting gambling dens and brothels regularly. At an upcoming martial arts ranking event, it was scheduled that Li Zhao would fight Li Chu. This was a great concern for Madam Li who didn't want to get embarrassed. Li Zhao's mother was used to getting bullied from Madam Li but never showed her bruises or talk about it with Li Zhao. She didn't want him to worry or do anything dumb that would ruin his reputation such as taking revenge for her. She wanted to spare him of the family's internal politics. But this time Madam Li was brutal beating her punching her and threatened that she would do this every day if she didn't give this poison soup to Li Zhao before the match tomorrow. Madam grabbing Li Rong's neck, "This will not kill him just make him weak enough to lose the match and he will be fine in a few days". Li Rong terrified unwillingly agreed.
The next day just before the match, Li Zhao went over to his mothers room, and saw a pot of soup, this is where he would normally spend breakfast with his mom. As he poured a bowl for himself, his mom looked at him warily. "What's wrong?" Li Zhou asked.
Li Rong looked at him and said "Don't drink too much of that! It's part medicine"
Li Zhao confused, only drank half a bowl and left.
When he reached the arena, he could feel a tiredness overtaking his body, before long it would be his match. An Jian noticing Li Zhao didn't seem himself asked if anything was wrong? Li Zhao nodded "I'm fine"
As he got up on the arena, Li Chu a chubby muscular teen, stood before him smirking. As one of the judges yelled "Begin!" Li Chu ran across the arena and started attacking fiercely. It seemed every time Li Zhao tried to use his internal power, he would feel weaker and weaker. After blocking a couple attacks, many of the attacks started landing knocking Li Zhao to the floor. Li Chu seeing his opponent in a vulnerable position with killing intent jumped into the air ready to smash his knee into Li Zhao head. An Jian using her lightness kung fu jumped onto the arena and with one palm strike sent Li Chu crashing to the ground, causing him to spit out blood. An Jian stood over Li Zhao "My only equal is you, how are you losing to Li Chu, is something wrong brother Li?"
Li Zhao got up in a dazed, wondering if his mother had poisoned him. He ignored An Jian, and left the arena heading back home, when he opened his mothers room, she was hanging by her neck on a makeshift rope, he jumped up and cut the rope using his internal energy through his hands, causing him severe pain. He looked over to the soup in a daze not fully processing what was happening, saying to himself, "My mother didn't poison me" picked up the pot and drank all the soup, stubborn to prove that his mother was innocent. Upon finishing the pot he collapsed on the table.
Li Zhao's mother was full of guilt from poisoning her own son, she knew she would be Li Zhao's greatest weakness and decided to end herself. The poison wasn't originally supposed to kill Li Zhao with just one bowl, however Li Zhao drank the entire pot and was on the brink of death.
As word got out of what happened, An Jian rushed to alert An Hao, who was the top student of medicine, quickly headed over to help.
An Hao stayed with him every day slowly nursing him back to health, using all her medical knowledge.
Li Zhao had always treated her well and would come often to get his bruises treated from fighting An Jian or get scolded by her when An Jian was bruised by him.