Chapter 30: Moving into the Court of Judicial Review

"Father, that old man is pointing his finger at me." Li Kuan looked toward Li Er, who had already reached Linghu Defen, his tone dry and flat.

Li Er, as a father, had always regretted one thing above all else: why he hadn't been able to give Li Kuan a happy childhood. When the boy was young and critically ill, Li Er and his wife, Empress Zhangsun, had not been by his side. Later, when his grandmother passed away and the boy was brought to Chang'an, he hadn't worn a smile for a single day. Back then, Li Er was still the Prince of Qin, living on thin ice, constantly pressured by the Retired Emperor and his own two brothers, even implicating his children in the bullying he endured. Later, the boy took it upon himself to return the insults he and his siblings had suffered, doubling the repayment.

Li Er had always felt a sense of indebtedness toward Li Kuan, even now. Yet, this did not stop him from realizing that what the boy needed most right now, more than a happy childhood, was a complete one.

"You brat! You are truly lawless!" Li Er said with a darkened face, looking at Li Kuan, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

"Did you hear that, old man? You are the one who is too lawless!" The quick-witted Li Kuan immediately shouted at Linghu Defen. Well, the advantage of having a loud voice was never having to worry that the other party might be hard of hearing.

"Your Majesty!" Linghu Defen, provoked time and again, slammed his head against the ground in frustration. "I implore Your Majesty to grant me justice!"

"Guards!" Li Er shot a glare at his unruly son. Once the guards arrived, he ordered, "Throw this brat into the Imperial Clan Court! Without my orders, no one is to let him out!"

"That's it?" Li Kuan was stunned for a moment. Father, did you really have to be so blatantly biased? But then, he caught the expression of indignation on Linghu Defen's face. Li Kuan immediately felt amused. This was enough to make you angry?

"That's it? That's really it?" As the guards helped him up and began to drag him away, Li Kuan didn't resist. He even took the time to wave at Linghu Defen. "Old man, when I get out of the Imperial Clan Court, let's have a proper chat!"

As Li Kuan was dragged out of the grand hall, the expression on Linghu Defen's face softened slightly. But immediately after, he remained prostrate before Li Er. "Your Majesty, your humble servant is old—"

"Minister Linghu should let the imperial physician look at those injuries first!" Li Er was in a foul mood. Although he wanted this wily old fox—who used retreat as a means of advancement—to pack his bags and get lost, the court was currently in dire need of experienced hands. Even if he wanted to replace the old officials left behind by Li Yuan, he had to do it slowly. If he forced Linghu Defen into retirement now, his desk would be flooded with resignation letters from the other old officials by tomorrow, which would bring the machinery of the court to a grinding halt.

A troubled time, indeed. Li Er sighed inwardly, then forced himself to put on a gentle expression. "Rest assured, Minister Linghu. This brat is so ignorant of the rules; I will teach him a lesson and ensure you receive the justice you deserve!"

"Your Majesty! I..." Linghu Defen stopped referring to himself as "old," his tone softening.

Li Er's gaze sharpened slightly, and he made a concession. "Tomorrow, I will send the Crown Prince to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to pray for the prosperity of the Great Tang. I understand your good intentions, Minister, and I hope you understand mine as well."

In simpler terms, Li Er was saying: *Old man, that’s quite enough.*

Linghu Defen was clearly sensible. "Your Majesty is wise!"

***

"Tyrant! A total tyrant!" Li Kuan was carried horizontally by the guards all the way to the Imperial Clan Court, and the entire time, he pointed toward the direction of the Daming Palace, cursing the "tyrant."

But once he arrived at the Imperial Clan Court and was tossed into a small courtyard, Li Kuan stopped making a scene. The official in charge of the Imperial Clan Court was an elder of the Longyou Li clan, now holding the title of a Prince of the Commandery. When the old man heard a new arrival had been sent in, he was actually quite happy and planned to go out and meet him. But when his subordinates told him it was the Prince of Chu, Li Kuan, the old man immediately extinguished his curiosity.

"Provide him with the best food and drink. As long as the boy doesn't leave the courtyard, let him do whatever he wants!" The reason for the old man's caution was simple: he had had a run-in with this kid years ago. That was the little devil who, at only eight years old, had single-handedly beaten the seven children of the Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and the Prince of Qi, Li Yuanji, until they were on their knees begging for mercy.

Back then, under pressure from Li Jiancheng, the old man had said a few harsh words when the boy was sent to the Imperial Clan Court for a three-day reflection. Secretly, however, he had stayed on high alert, ensuring nothing went wrong under his watch. Who would have thought this little rascal...

*Fellow family members, who can understand the trauma of "manual hair removal"...*

The old man shuddered, seemingly recalling something, and subconsciously reached up to stroke the beard he had only recently grown back over the past two years. This was a master who would never let a slight go unavenged.

***

Li Kuan began his happy confinement in the Imperial Clan Court. With the Shadow Assassin Corps at his beck and call, freedom was something he could obtain with ease. When bored, he would lie on his bed and command the assassins outside the palace to wander about, scouting for information while enjoying the scenery.

His eldest brother, Li Chengqian, left the palace the next day to pray at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Li Kuan planned to install a lightning rod on his brother's palace once he got out—after all, he couldn't keep visiting the Imperial Clan Court, could he? Besides, he was worried that if the heavens were feeling blind one day and struck his unlucky brother, he would be the next "unlucky" one to become Crown Prince.

Absolutely not.

His father would surely live for at least another twenty years. Who ever heard of a twenty-year Crown Prince? When your father is Li Shimin, is there any difference between being a Crown Prince and being a court mascot? Li Kuan, who saw himself as a man who lived for freedom, refused to be a mascot.

Besides, Li Kuan vaguely remembered that this "tyrant" of a father was supposedly killed by some evil monk. If he kept an eye out and took care of that person beforehand, he could continue to enjoy the cool shade of the royal tree and live a carefree life for decades to come...

"Hehe... hehe..." For some reason, thinking of his eldest brother with his hair turned white from the stress of being Crown Prince made Li Kuan want to laugh.

The plot felt so familiar; he felt like he had seen it somewhere in a past life. Where was it?

At twilight, Li Kuan lay on a lounge chair in the small courtyard, watching the sun slowly sink in the west. He scratched his head, yawned, turned over, and closed his eyes.