Chapter 5: The Children of Li Er

When Li Kuan returned to the Ganlu Palace, the sky was already growing dim. No sooner had he crossed the threshold than a small figure crashed into his arms.

"Second Brother!" A delicate, doll-like little girl, looking no more than seven or eight years old, saw her brother return and hurried forward to wrap her arms around him. Pressing her small head against his chest, Princess Changle hastily swallowed the piece of pastry still in her mouth, not forgetting to act spoiled toward him: "I missed you so much!"

"Good girl," Li Kuan smiled as he reached out to ruffle his sister's hair. Compared to his other siblings, his bond with Changle was notably deeper.

"You brat, so you know how to come back?" Just as Li Kuan was about to present the gift he had coaxed from his grandfather—a fine piece of Hetian jade—the voice of Li Er, the Emperor, rang out through the hall.

Li Kuan’s body stiffened instantly. His intuition told him that his father’s foul mood was likely not just about his earlier incident with Li Ke. Sure enough, Li Er’s next words made his heart race: "What exactly were you whispering to your grandfather about me just now?"

"Uh..." Li Kuan opened his mouth. He realized he had let his tongue slip and called his father a "tyrant" in front of the old man.

"Well..." Seeing the increasingly menacing look on his father's face, Li Kuan broke into a cold sweat. "Um, Dad, are you hungry? Would you like me to cook you some noodles?"

"Hmph!" Li Er glared at his insolent son. Just as he was about to erupt, he felt a tug at his robes. He looked down to see Princess Changle staring at him with puffed-up, angry cheeks.

"Father, are you trying to bully Second Brother?" The little girl’s crisp voice echoed through the hall, leaving everyone present stunned.

"Changle..." Li Er sighed slightly, reaching out to pat her head. "Father is merely disciplining your brother. The brat has had no manners since he was small..."

"Second Brother wasn't with Father and Mother when he was young. Grandmother cherished him and spoiled him, which led to his carefree nature. Changle thinks there is nothing wrong with that. On the contrary, Father, you really shouldn't be so harsh toward him over such trifles."

Li Er was completely dumbfounded by her words. "Changle, who taught you to say these things?" he asked, deep in thought.

"I... I thought of them myself." The little girl sounded a bit lacking in confidence. When she inadvertently cast a stealthy glance at Empress Zhangsun standing behind Li Er, the truth became clear.

Of course, only Li Er noticed this small gesture. As for the deeply moved "Second Brother," he had already embraced his darling sister: "Changle, Second Brother truly didn't spoil you in vain. Don't worry, in the future, if anyone dares to bully you, Second Brother will break their head!"

"Giggle... Okay!" The initially flustered little girl was delighted by her brother’s promise.

"Sigh..." Seeing this, Li Er looked at Empress Zhangsun with a lingering gaze. "A doting mother spoils her son."

"What did Your Majesty say?" Empress Zhangsun’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Your concubine does not understand..."

"That's right, that's right! Dad, what are you saying? I don't understand either." Having recovered his wits, Li Kuan, seeing his father attacking his mother, immediately began to clown around. He also winked at his mother to show his gratitude.

Empress Zhangsun could only shake her head helplessly. Although she wished to be strict with Kuan'er, the boy had been raised by his grandmother since he was young. As a mother, she naturally felt guilty toward this son—especially since he had nearly died in his infancy while she was not by his side. This had made her consistently more tolerant and patient with him, as she felt she owed him.

"Guanyin-bi, don't indulge this brat. You don't know what he did earlier..." Li Er wanted to continue listing his son's crimes, but a little chubby boy suddenly charged into the hall like a bull, stomping straight toward Li Kuan.

"Second Brother!" Little chubby Li Tai had just woken up in the side hall. Upon hearing that Li Kuan had returned, he had rushed over, eager to find his brother and play in the Imperial Garden. They had previously broken one of Li Er's favorite Xiangfei bamboo stalks to make a small fishing rod and hidden it behind a rockery; they wanted to see if it was still there.

"Qingque?" Li Kuan’s mood brightened instantly upon seeing his chubby younger brother. "After we finish eating, we're going to do something big!" The two brothers had decided to personally test the story of Jiang Taigong fishing—where the willing take the bait—which they had heard from their tutor.

"You little devils, stand still!" Li Er scolded, then looked at Li Tai, who was two years younger than Li Kuan. "Qingque, stop fooling around with your second brother. This kid is as mischievous as a monkey; he’ll lead you into trouble sooner or later."

"Oh..." Li Tai looked at Li Er with a submissive expression and replied softly, but then he winked at Li Kuan as if to say he hadn't taken his father’s words to heart at all. The two brothers would do whatever they pleased as soon as the coast was clear.

Observing all of this, Li Er and Empress Zhangsun exchanged glances—the former with a bitter smile, the latter with a soft chuckle. There was simply nothing to be done.

Emperor Li Er was often stern and huffy toward his "little Li Er," but due to that lingering sense of guilt, no matter how mischievous Li Kuan was, he rarely truly punished him. After all, before Empress Tai-mu passed away, she had specifically left word that this grandson, who had kept her company since childhood, was incredibly sweet, and she made her husband and sons promise that they would never allow anyone to bully him.

This promise had been extracted not only from Li Yuan and Li Shimin, but also from Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji. Perhaps Empress Tai-mu had already sensed the gathering storm among the Li men, and the only thing she could do was use her final wishes to ensure that whoever sat on the throne would let her young grandson live in peace.

As a grandmother, her deep, hidden, and heavy love for young Li Kuan was well-understood by the men of the Li family. Perhaps that was why, even after Li Er had wiped out the descendants of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, Li Yuan had welcomed the boy back and treated him as his favorite grandson after the child had tearfully recited the "Memorial on Expressing My Feelings" outside the palace gates. Who could resist a child who was both affectionate and loyal?

Li Er clearly saw this as well. Whether out of gratitude to his mother or guilt toward the son who had nearly died young and grown up away from him, Li Er was exceptionally tolerant toward Li Kuan—perhaps even more so than with his other children, including Li Chengqian. Of course, his favorite son remained the chubby Li Tai; after all, who could resist a little boy who would send letters and fret over his father’s health if they didn't see each other for a single day?

Just as Li Er was lost in thought, a servant’s voice came from outside. "Your Majesty... the Crown Prince is kneeling outside, saying he has come to plead guilty on behalf of the Second Prince..."

"Hm?" Li Er looked toward the door in surprise, then glared at Li Kuan, who had been looking smug. The Emperor let out a cold, mocking laugh. "You little brat, you’ve got quite the talent—tricking your big brother into taking the blame for you again, eh?"

"No... that’s not..." Li Kuan suddenly wondered why on earth he had gone to his older brother. He had meant for him to intercede on his behalf, so how had it turned into his brother taking the punishment for him?

Li Kuan looked at his younger brother and sister, who were blinking their wide eyes at him, then turned to his mother, who looked at him with gentle, understanding eyes. Li Kuan rubbed his head in agony: "I swear, I will never ask Big Brother for help again..."