Chapter 159: The Battle of the Lolis

A storm had finally passed without kicking up any waves. Li Xian was naturally more than happy to let the matter rest there. However, in order to feign the appearance of having suffered a grievance, he had no choice but to stay cooped up in his own mansion to "lick his wounds." Of course, Li Xian had never intended to stir up trouble in Luoyang in the first place; using such an excuse to avoid unnecessary social engagements was actually a blessing in disguise. Unfortunately, while his wish was a pleasant one, troubles always seemed to arrive uninvited. Just like now, as Li Xian was buried in his study engrossed in military treatises, Gao Miao rushed breathlessly in from outside.

"R-Reporting to Your Highness, the Prince of Yin and Princess Taiping have already entered the estate. The servants did not dare to stop them, and they are already approaching the inner courtyard."

Seeing Li Xian sweep a displeased gaze in his direction, Gao Miao could not even catch his breath as he hurriedly made his report.

Taiping? Hah, wherever this little girl goes, peace is never to be found! Upon hearing that Princess Taiping was charging in, Li Xian could not help but furrow his brows and mutter to himself inwardly, yet there was nothing he could do. After all, Princess Taiping was a spoiled girl; there was truly no place in the entire realm that she dared not barge into.

"Seventh Brother! Seventh Brother! Where are you?"

Just as Li Xian stood up and before he even had time to take a step, Princess Taiping’s crisp, shrill shouts echoed from outside.

"Why does little sister have the time to visit my humble estate today?"

The study was a restricted area within the Prince's Manor, containing quite a few confidential items. Li Xian naturally could not allow Princess Taiping to storm in so recklessly. Hearing the shouting draw closer, Li Xian had no choice but to flash out of the study in a hurry. The moment he stood firmly outside, his eyes caught Princess Taiping skipping and bounding from behind the screen wall. Li Xian secretly let out a long breath, smoothed his expression into a soft smile, and greeted her warmly.

"Seventh Brother!"

The moment Princess Taiping caught sight of Li Xian, she let out an excited shriek, threw herself forward, and latched onto Li Xian's arm like a little monkey.

"Seventh Brother."

Before Li Xian could make a response, he saw the Prince of Yin, Li Xulun, sheepishly emerge from behind the screen wall as well. Stopping far away, he bowed and awkwardly called out.

"Eighth Brother, no need for formalities. Come, let us go sit inside my room."

Li Xian was exceptionally shrewd and naturally knew the source of Li Xulun's awkwardness. It was nothing more than being unable to withstand Princess Taiping's domineering attitude and thus being dragged along to break into the Prince of Zhou's Manor. Fearing that Li Xian might take offense, he felt uneasy because of it. Of course, knowing was knowing, but Li Xian had no intention of exposing the matter, let alone making Li Xulun uncomfortable. Thus, he feigned ignorance and offered a smiling greeting.

"Wonderful, wonderful! Little sister has long wanted to see the decorations in Seventh Brother's room. Hurry up, Eighth Brother, don't just stand there, let's go!"

Before Li Xulun had a chance to reply, Princess Taiping chimed in with excitement. Stamping her feet, she grabbed Li Xian's arm and clamored noisily.

"Seventh Brother, little brother, little brother..."

Flustered by Princess Taiping's commotion, Li Xulun became even more awkward, stuttering without knowing what to say.

"Eighth Brother, please."

Knowing that Li Xulun was a cautious and prudent person, Li Xian understood that the more he spoke with him, the more it would cause the youth's mind to run wild with anxious associations. He simply didn't bother saying much, merely smiling and waving his hand to make a "please" gesture. Then, regardless of whether Li Xulun was following or not, Li Xian reached out with a chuckle, scooped up Princess Taiping's small body, and strode deeply into the inner courtyard.

"Oh, here we go! Tee-hee-hee..."

Because of her age, among all the brothers, Princess Taiping only had Li Xulun as a playmate. She often heard Li Xulun talk about how remarkable his Seventh Brother Li Xian was, and deep down in her little heart, she was naturally quite curious. Initially, she had harbored some doubts, but ever since she had seen Li Xian face-to-face at the Five-Mile Pavilion a few days ago, she had been thoroughly captivated by his masculine and heroic image. In her heart, she only wished to grow closer to Li Xian. Now, being swept up into his arms and feeling the warmth radiating from his body, little Taiping was utterly thrilled. Giggling triumphantly, she waved her arms and wriggled around continuously as if riding a horse. Seeing this, Li Xulun could not help but wryly smile, shaking his head. Without wasting any more breath, he shortened his stride and followed closely behind Li Xian.

The Prince of Zhou's Manor in Luoyang was merely a secondary residence; in terms of scale and decor, it naturally could not compare to the Prince of Zhou's Manor in the capital. Although Li Xian was not short on money, he had no intention of being overly extravagant with it, making the entire estate appear somewhat aged. However, the main courtyard where Li Xian resided had been newly renovated. Though not exceptionally luxurious, it excelled in neatness. Naturally, it also featured various novel decorations unheard of in this era. To name just a few, the rattan reclining chairs and the large bronze standing mirrors alone were rare treasures, not to mention various copper windchimes, root-carved sculptures, and other fresh little trinkets. They dazzled the eyes of Princess Taiping, who was snuggled affectionately in Li Xian's arms, her dark, glossy eyes darting all around, filled with an undisguised sense of wonder.

"Your Highness."

Just as Li Xian stepped into the main courtyard and before he even had time to put down the clingy little Taiping in his arms, he immediately saw Shangguan Wan'er dart out from the side chamber, dressed in a pink skirt. She cast a pitiful glance at the triumphant little Taiping and called out with a grievance-laden trace of wronged affection.

Damn it, I forgot all about this! What an astute person Li Xian was; the moment he saw Shangguan Wan'er's expression, he instantly knew the little girl was feeling jealous. His heart skipped a beat with guilt, yet at this moment, it was not appropriate to offer verbal comfort. With no other choice, he could only smile and nod, asking, "Wan'er, have you finished today's lessons?"

"Mn, Wan'er even recited ten extra chapters of the *Analects* today. Does Your Highness wish to test me?"

Li Xian had merely been making idle chatter to pass the time, but Shangguan Wan'er clearly had no intention of letting the matter drop so easily. Straightening her delicate face, she asked back earnestly.

"Hmph, is that supposed to be impressive? Who cares! Seventh Brother, let's hurry. Little sister is still waiting to see the decorations in Seventh Brother's room."

Though young, Princess Taiping possessed a naturally sensitive disposition. She could naturally tell that Shangguan Wan'er was showing off to her, which made her feel somewhat displeased in her heart. Wrinkling her dainty nose with a disdainful expression, she let out a cold snort, wriggled in Li Xian's arms, and spoke in a spoiled tone.

Good grief, why are they at it again? These two little tykes really are冤家 (foes) from a past life—is there no end to this? Oh, my word! Watching the two little lollipops start sparring the moment they met, Li Xian felt his head swell to the size of a bucket, a bitter taste filling his heart. The problem was that this kind of bickering was truly difficult to mediate; offending either side would spell trouble. Yet letting the two youngsters continue to make a fuss was clearly not a solution either. After all, while pride might not have much practical use, one still needed to maintain some face in the end. With no other option, Li Xian could only let out a hearty laugh, casually set little Taiping down on the ground, and narrowed his eyes as he said, "Little sister, the decorations in Wan'er's room have many more tricks than your big brother's place. I guarantee you've never seen them before. Come, Wan'er, take Taiping along to have a look." As his voice trailed off, paying no heed to whatever expression Princess Taiping was wearing, he turned back to wave at Li Xulun. "Eighth Brother, come with me. I have something I wish to ask you."

"No, no! Little sister wants to see big brother's room!"

Princess Taiping possessed an unruly temperament; how could she easily comply? She tugged on Li Xian's arm and refused to let go, twisting her little body like a twisted dough-twist while whining coquettishly.

"Little sister, big brother truly has serious business to discuss with Eighth Brother. How about big brother takes you horse riding later, alright?"

Li Xian was utterly helpless against this little piece of adhesive plaster clinging to him, so he had no choice but to make a heavy promise.

"Really?"

Princess Taiping was lively by nature and had long wished to ride horses. It was just that Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu feared she might get injured and never gave her the chance. Hearing now that Li Xian was going to take her horse riding, her large eyes instantly lit up as she asked in a mix of surprise and delight.

"Of course it's true. Am I, your Seventh Brother, someone who doesn't keep his word?"

Seeing Princess Taiping take the bait, Li Xian inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, yet purposely put on an unhappy, sullen expression on his face and retorted.

"Oh, yay! That's wonderful! Seventh Brother is still the best."

Little Taiping only had horses on her mind; she didn't care whether Li Xian was truly angry or not. Leaping up with boundless joy, she clapped her hands and scurried over to Shangguan Wan'er's side, grabbed Shangguan Wan'er's small hand, and eagerly dashed toward the side chamber Shangguan Wan'er had just emerged from.

Shangguan Wan'er had her hand yanked painfully by Princess Taiping, causing her to pout unhappily. She turned her head and shot Li Xian a fierce, disdainful eye-roll. That petulant yet adorable little expression landed in Li Xian's heart, causing it to skip a beat as he momentarily seemed to catch a glimpse of the peerless and talented Consort Shangguan from his past life once more.

This dead girl, she's barely the size of a bean and already starting to cast bewitching glances—what will she be like in the future? Li Xian's gaze was dazed for a second, but he quickly snapped out of it. Shaking his head with a bitter smile, he said, "Be a good girl, Wan'er. Later, I will definitely listen to you recite your books, alright?"

"Mn."

Shangguan Wan'er simply did not want to lose to Princess Taiping. Having regained her equilibrium, she no longer stood on ceremony, blooming into a smile as she took Princess Taiping's hand and ran into the side chamber.

"Eighth Brother, please."

Having finally managed to send the two little ones away, Li Xian turned around and immediately saw Li Xulun secretly and endlessly beaming with amusement. Knowing full well that this fellow had thoroughly enjoyed watching the show, Li Xian felt a wave of helpless annoyance rise in his chest. Yet with no other recourse, he could only roll his eyes and gesture with a "please."

"After you, Seventh Brother."

Seeing Li Xian act in such a manner, Li Xulun almost failed to hold back his laughter. Fortunately, his reflexes were quick, and he managed to forcefully suppress it, returning a respectful bow.

"Eighth Brother, since you came today, is there something you need your big brother's help with?"

After the young brothers entered the main room and took their respective seats as host and guest, maidservants like Yanhong served newly brewed fragrant tea before quietly withdrawing from the room, leaving only the two brothers sitting opposite each other. Too lazy for excessive formalities, Li Xian directly and straightforwardly inquired about Li Xulun's purpose for visiting.

"N-No, nothing like that. It's just that the Double Ninth Festival is the day after tomorrow, and there is a chrysanthemum-viewing banquet in the imperial garden. Little brother simply wanted to invite Seventh Brother along to relax and clear his mind."

Clearly not expecting Li Xian to bypass all pleasantries and question him so directly, Li Xulun grew slightly flustered, shook his head, and replied with a blushing face.

A chrysanthemum-viewing banquet? Li Xian was initially stunned. Following that, a vivid scene abruptly surfaced from the depths of his memory, leaving him utterly transfixed...