Chapter 24: The Pitiful Crown Prince and the Awkward Li Ke

In a sense, the appearance of Empress Zhangsun served as a timely intervention at a critical moment.

Although Li Kuan and Li Tai had been dragged out of the Taiji Palace by their ears by the Empress, Emperor Li Er, for the sake of appearances, had at least managed to retie his belt.

As for Crown Prince Li Chengqian being confined to the Eastern Palace to reflect on his mistakes, there was little to say. A crown prince, before ascending the throne, is like a battered drum—everyone takes a turn beating it. It did not matter if he had actually done something wrong; he was vulnerable regardless.

If a great star fell from the sky, if lightning struck the palace roof, or if a woodcutter outside Chang'an heard a fox cry, or if the Yellow River turned muddy—none of which had anything to do with him—the officials could always attribute these omens to the Crown Prince’s lack of decorum or his flagging ambition. Li Chengqian had long since become accustomed to this.

The one in a truly awkward position was Li Ke. As the grandson of Emperor Yang of Sui, to the court officials, he was, in a sense, the descendant of a traitor. His noble bloodline was, for him, far from a blessing.

"Father, I..." Li Ke was about to explain himself to Li Shimin when his neck tightened. Li Kuan, having returned at some point, had hooked him into his arms.

"Why are you standing there like a fool? Let’s go!" Li Kuan’s lazy voice carried a hint of lawlessness. At that moment, even the civil and military officials outside the Taiji Palace, and perhaps even Li Er himself, felt a measure of admiration for the impudent boy who dared to come back to rescue his brother.

After the two brothers had walked away, Li Er, standing on the steps, exhaled a breath smelling of wine and laughed, cursing, "That brat, he truly grows more outrageous by the day..."

The officials, hearing the Emperor’s assessment of his son, wore smiles of amusement. Even the notoriously rigid Wei Zheng did not speak a word to rebuke Li Kuan for his recent display of insolence. Yet, for reasons unknown, the Emperor, who had just been in high spirits, suddenly looked forlorn as he watched the backs of the two brothers receding into the distance. Had Zhangsun Wuji, who was away in Shandong, been present, he might have guessed the Emperor’s thoughts.

*That rascal acts with such unbridled spirit; he is so much like I was in my youth...*

After returning to the Ganlu Palace, the "good brother" Li Kuan, having saved Li Ke, was predictably met with a stern lecture from Empress Zhangsun. Of course, the reprimand was not because the heroic Prince of Chu had rescued his brother, but because of the son’s naturally wild and unrestrained demeanor.

"Mother..." Li Kuan tried to muster his energy to listen for half an hour, but he was so exhausted that he had to soften his tone to plead for mercy. "I know I was wrong. Please, put down the ruler! Next time, I will definitely... ah... give you a heads-up." He yawned mid-sentence.

Empress Zhangsun sighed heavily, tossing the ruler aside in frustration. She truly had no way to deal with this lazy son of hers.

"Kuan-er, I know you naturally dislike constraints, which is why your father and I often turn a blind eye when you deviate from the rules. But you must learn to observe propriety on formal occasions, so as not to embarrass your father. Do you understand?" Sitting on the daybed, the Empress reached out to stroke her son’s drooping head.

"Ah..." Exhausted, Li Kuan was about to yawn again, but meeting his mother’s expectant gaze, his heart softened.

"Mother," Li Kuan said, taking her hand, "rest assured, I promise to be more careful in the future." *Try to be careful, anyway. Yes, try.*

"Hmm." Misinterpreting his meaning, the Empress nodded with satisfaction, signaling the end of the conversation. However, she suddenly remembered something and added, "And don't you dare bully your sister. It was only because she was afraid you’d get a beating that she asked me to go to the Taiji Palace."

"What?" It took Li Kuan a long moment to realize what his mother meant.

"You mean Chang-le?" Li Kuan scratched his head and said to the Empress, "Mother, I am Chang-le’s second brother—her own flesh and blood. How could I not know how much that girl cares for me?" His expression seemed to say, *I am very aggrieved, but I won't speak of it.*

"Enough, stop playing the fool," the Empress said, pinching his cheek and pointing toward the hall. "Your sister is waiting for you outside. Go talk to her yourself."

Li Kuan followed her gaze and finally spotted his sister, Chang-le, peeking around the doorframe. The young girl’s face was full of trepidation.

"Hmph, hmph, hmph!" Li Kuan feigned a stern face, let out a series of cold hums, and began walking toward her.

"Second Brother!" Knowing her brother's temperament, the young girl immediately understood that her efforts had been recognized. She called out and then buried herself in his arms, wrapping her small hands around his waist. Her voice grew quiet. "Chang-le only meant well..."

"Second Brother knows," Li Kuan said, rubbing her fluffy little head. "If you hadn't called Mother today, I would likely have been bedridden for the next few days. So, Second Brother must thank Chang-le."

"Hehe." The girl, who had been crying silently in her brother's arms, broke into a smile and shook her head, seizing the opportunity to wipe the tears from her eyes. After a long while, she looked up, her eyes sparkling. "I knew it! Second Brother understands me!"

"And Chang-le understands Second Brother, too," Li Kuan laughed. He didn't point out that she had soaked his shirt front with her tears. He put an arm around her shoulder, and the two walked out of the palace together. "The mung bean cakes that Sister Xiangcheng sent over are delicious. I must thank Chang-le for those, too..."

"It’s nothing, it’s nothing! Since you like them, Second Brother, I’ll have the nanny make more next time..."

"Yes, that’s my good Chang-le! By the way, where is little Tai..."

Empress Zhangsun sat in the hall, listening to the voices of the siblings as they drifted further away, and a gentle smile touched her lips. She stood up, took an account book from the bookshelf behind her, and began to flip through it. As the Empress in charge of the six palaces, reading accounts in her spare time had become a habit.

But at this moment, the book remained on the same page for a long time. Her gaze drifted toward the nearby candle, which was about to burn out. She sat lost in thought with a smile on her face, her heart filled with a profound and tender peace.