Chapter 150: Two Little Lollies
“Seventh brother, take care. Go early and return soon. Your elder brother here in the capital will be eagerly awaiting your return.”
Parting was always bittersweet, especially when Li Xian thought of the immense pressure he would face from the Crown Prince’s faction after Li Xian’s departure. Deep down, Li Xian was reluctant to see Li Xian leave. He accompanied him step by step, sending him all the way to Lantian County. Just as they were about to leave the capital’s territory, Li Xian finally stopped, grasped Li Xian’s hand tightly by the roadside, his eyes slightly reddened as he spoke softly.
“Sixth brother, as the ancients said, we must endure for the sake of the country. This is truly not a lie. Take care, and do not stubbornly cling to fleeting pride. If you can yield even a little, then please do.”
Since receiving the imperial edict to go to Luoyang, Li Xian had spent the entire night in earnest discussion with Li Xian, analyzing in detail the overarching political situation. He had already said what needed to be said, but he still worried about Li Xian’s straightforward nature, so he gave a heartfelt reminder once more.
“Your elder brother understands well. Rest assured, seventh brother.”
Though Li Xian spoke delicately, Li Xian clearly did not sincerely accept his advice, merely responding vaguely.
Enough. This fellow just won’t give up until the very end. There was no point in saying more! Seeing Li Xian’s ambiguous reply, Li Xian knew that his words hadn’t truly been taken to heart. Though slightly displeased, it was inappropriate to press further at such a farewell moment. Helplessly, he shook his head slightly, stepped back, bowed deeply to Li Xian, and excused himself.
“Sixth brother, take care. I’m off now.”
With that, he gave no room for further words, turned around, and strode to the grand, luxurious carriage. Without looking back, he bent down and climbed inside.
“Departure!”
As soon as Li Xian was on the carriage, Gao Miao, who had been standing guard beside the carriage, didn’t dare delay. He shouted loudly, and the large procession of over a dozen carriages slowly set off down the avenue.
This journey—who knew when he would return to the capital! Li Xian couldn’t help but lift a corner of the carriage curtain and look back toward the capital, his heart filled with melancholy. He knew full well that the wedding edict was merely a pretense, a ruse to lure him away. Over the past three years, thanks to Li Xian’s balancing role, the three brothers had avoided major conflicts and largely developed peacefully. Li Xian’s reforms in the imperial examinations had been exceptionally successful, holding a large-scale competition that selected many outstanding talents for the nation. Meanwhile, Crown Prince Li Hong was in charge of the grand canal projects, with frequent successes—the dredging of the Guangtong and Bian canals had been completed, and the reopening of the Sanmen canal was nearing completion. If all went well, within half a year, the entire canal system would be operational, greatly enhancing the Crown Prince’s authority.
With the fall of Goguryeo, the empire’s prestige was unmatched, and the court flourished. Yet this was not the outcome Empress Wu desired. Especially after Xu Jingzong, the Empress’s strongest ally in court, retired earlier this year, she lost her last means to control the capital’s politics. There was no doubt she would not sit idly by as she was sidelined politically. Disrupting the current balance in the capital had become her only option. Clearly, removing Li Xian—the key lubricating piece—from court to ignite fierce conflict between the Crown Prince and Li Xian was a masterstroke. Under such circumstances, Li Xian would find it difficult to return to the capital anytime soon.
Though he knew this trip to Luoyang would greatly destabilize the political situation, Li Xian could not avoid it, not simply to reunite with his former love Zhao Qiong, but because he realized any delay would only be temporary. Royal marriages were major affairs that brooked no half-measures. Rather than being randomly paired off by Empress Wu, it was better to remain single a while longer and arrive in Luoyang early to carefully plan a grand reversal. He was confident in this. After all, over the years, much of the money Li Xian had earned from his trading company had been invested in Luoyang, laying the foundation for a decisive battle there.
Still, the prospect of upcoming troubles and disputes weighed heavily on his heart. Clutching the curtain, he lingered in thought, appearing somewhat distracted. Only when he felt someone tug at his sleeve did he snap out of it. Turning around, he saw a pair of clear black eyes blinking up at him. Instinctively, he smiled.
“Your Highness, is Wan’er pretty?”
“Pretty. My Wan’er is both smart and beautiful.”
“Then who is prettier, Wan’er or Sister Yan Hong?”
“They are both beautiful.”
“Then why do you look at Sister Yan Hong longer than Wan’er?”
“...”
Inside the spacious carriage, the delicate Shangguan Wan’er nestled on Li Xian’s lap, her bright eyes sparkling like a little magpie, incessantly asking tricky questions one after another, leaving Li Xian utterly at a loss. His embarrassed expression caused Yan Hong, sitting nearby, to laugh until she shook all over.
“Ah, Wan’er knows! It must be because Sister Yan Hong is bigger, so Your Highness needs to look at her longer, but Wan’er is small, so just one glance is enough.”
Before Li Xian could come up with a suitable answer, Wan’er clapped her hands and answered herself with the air of a little grown-up.
“...”
Look? What’s that supposed to mean? Li Xian was speechless again. He looked at the little girl on his lap, who truly had no temper. Despite his reputation as a silver-tongued orator, he’d been thoroughly tormented by this clever little girl for over half a month, losing count of how many times he’d been left speechless. He wondered whether she was a prodigy or a problem child.
“Your Highness, isn’t Wan’er right?”
Seeing Li Xian silent for a moment, Wan’er twisted her small body like a pretzel, pouting and acting spoiled.
“Yes, yes, yes. My Wan’er is truly clever.”
Li Xian could only smile wryly. He had no choice but to indulge the girl. He had insisted on bringing her along in his carriage instead of leaving her with the servants, so he had no one to blame but himself for being tormented by her.
“Giggling...”
Unable to contain herself, Yan Hong laughed so hard she almost collapsed, her ample figure rising and falling spectacularly, drawing Li Xian’s gaze.
“Hey, Your Highness, you’re daydreaming again!”
Li Xian’s distraction meant he had forgotten about Wan’er on his lap, but she was quick to comment on his state.
“...”
What does ‘daydreaming again’ mean? Li Xian felt awkward and shook his head, smiling wryly, unsure what to say next.
“Report, Your Highness! Prince Yin and Princess Taiping have led the courtiers to greet Your Highness at the Five Li Pavilion.”
Just as Li Xian felt embarrassed, Gao Miao’s timely report startled him out of his speechless state.
“Order the troops to quicken their pace. Hurry to the Five Li Pavilion.”
Hearing that Princess Taiping was also there to greet them, Li Xian furrowed his brows, puzzled. Prince Yin, Li Xulun, was the only prince in Luoyang. Though young, his status was noble. It was natural for him to lead the welcoming party; after all, a younger brother greeting an elder brother was proper etiquette. But Princess Taiping’s presence was unusual and out of place. According to court protocol, princesses did not partake in such formal ceremonies, especially one as young as five years old. There must be some hidden reason, but Li Xian couldn’t figure it out and didn’t bother to ponder further. Calmly, he gave the order again, and the once slow procession now raced swiftly down the avenue.
---
“Little brother pays respects to seventh brother.”
As soon as Li Xian stepped down from the carriage, Li Xulun, who had been waiting with the officials, hurried forward, bowed deeply, and loudly paid his respects.
“Thank you, eighth brother, for coming to greet me. I am humbled.”
In his previous life, Li Xian and Li Xulun had bonded over their shared suffering under Empress Wu’s cruelty and had been close. But this time, Li Xian had taken a different path, and their relationship was distant. Plus, with a seven-year age gap, they had little common ground. Still, in such a formal setting, Li Xian did not hesitate to show brotherly affection. He smiled warmly and responded with heartfelt emotion.
“Wow, you’re seventh brother? Little sister Taiping.”
Before Li Xulun could respond properly, a little girl in a bright red ruffled dress bounced forward excitedly, looking at Li Xian with wonder and introducing herself in a clear voice.
“Yes, I am your seventh brother. Little Taiping, you didn’t run away to see your seventh brother, did you?”
Li Xian had doted on this clever little sister in his previous life. This time, their paths had diverged, and he barely paid attention to Princess Taiping. It had been over three years since they last met. Seeing her adorable, mischievous face now, his inner child stirred. Laughing heartily, he crouched down and pinched her rosy cheek, mimicking her tone teasingly.
“Not at all! I asked Mother for a long time before she allowed me. Little sister just wanted to see the seventh brother who is always on eighth brother’s lips.”
Princess Taiping frowned her small nose, pouting with obvious admiration in her voice.
“Really?”
Li Xian hadn’t expected Li Xulun to think of him so often. His heart stirred but he said nothing, only smiling as he ruffled Taiping’s hair and casually asked.
“Well then... huh, who’s that?”
Just as Taiping was about to chatter on, she suddenly spotted Shangguan Wan’er stepping down from Li Xian’s carriage. Her expression sharpened, and she blurted out a question laced with challenge.