The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 70 Family Matters
Li Yuan felt a little tired, so he lay down on his side and said, "If it weren't for you and Guanyinbi, this family would have broken up long ago."

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Grandpa, you take a rest first."

"Yes." Li Yuan closed his eyes and nodded, "You all can leave."

Li Lizhi followed her brother out of Chongwen Hall and whispered, "Brother, is grandpa's condition really serious?"

"Don't let him drink in the future. Take your brothers and sisters to accompany grandpa more."

"Yes." Li Lizhi nodded heavily.

Li Shimin walked to the Lizheng Hall in a sullen mood.

The queen already knew what happened in Wude Hall.

This family is neither good nor bad, but at least there are a few sensible children.

Empress Changsun comforted him, "It's good that Father has gone to the Eastern Palace."

Li Shimin still had one hand clenched into a fist and was breathing heavily.

The evening sunlight just happened to shine in through the window, onto the emperor's face.

The palace maids all stood with their heads down, trembling with fear.

"You all get out."

After hearing the Queen's words, the palace maids walked out of the palace as if they had been pardoned.

Inside the palace, Empress Changsun looked at her husband's expression and sighed, "Father has always loved drinking."

Li Shimin said with a painful expression: "I really hope that my father can spend his later years in peace and stability, but..."

"Your Majesty, Father was just angry for a moment."

"I know." Li Shimin nodded, "I shouldn't have smashed the wine jar in public to embarrass him, and I wouldn't have said those words to me in such a rage."

Fortunately, the husband was able to listen to advice, and it seemed that this family could still be saved.

Empress Changsun patted His Majesty's back and said, "Since you are thinking about taking a rest, why don't you go to the old site of Taiye Lake and take a boat trip to relax?"

Li Shimin shook his head and said, "No, there are still some things to do in the court. I am waiting for Xuanling's report."

After taking a sip of tea, he continued, "When my father's anger subsides, I will invite him back to Wude Hall."

Empress Changsun looked solemn, and thought that it was easy to get angry and leave, but difficult to invite him back.

This father and son have quarreled more than once or twice.

At least Cheng Qian would not quarrel with his father. As a queen and the mistress of the royal family, she felt relieved when she thought about Cheng Qian's understanding.

Li Yuan's first day in the Eastern Palace was relatively smooth. His children accompanied him for meals, and he enjoyed the meal even without any alcohol.

On the other hand, the delicious food at the East Palace made up for his dependence on alcohol.

While they were eating, Li Xiaogong strode over and said, "The old fox Changsun said that I dared not come to the East Palace, humph! Here I come!"

Li Chengqian was surprised and said, "You came at the right time. It's time for dinner."

Li Xiaogong sat down with big strides, looked at the old man beside him suspiciously, and asked, "Why are you here too?"

Li Yuan whispered, "Recuperate."

"Yeah." Li Yuan took the bowl and chopsticks and started eating.

While eating, Li Chengqian asked, "Grandpa, do you know why General Cheng's cow fell to its death?"

Li Yuan asked: "Why?"

Li Xiaogong also looked over with wide eyes.

"At first, my grandson didn't know either." Li Chengqian whispered, "Then my grandson asked Chu Mo, and he said he saw the cow fall into the ditch with his own eyes."

Li Xiaogong nodded, "Yes, I heard that the villagers of Chengjia Village saw it. They saw the cow fall into the ditch with their own eyes."

Li Yuan glared at him and signaled him not to interrupt.

Li Xiaogong had no choice but to lower his head and continue eating.

Li Chengqian whispered, "Cows have the most endurance and walk the most steadily, so how could they fall into the ditch so easily? Later, my grandson figured it out. The cow drank too much."

"Hmm?" Li Yuan stroked his beard and pondered.

"They don't feed cows alcohol, but they can feed them fermented glutinous rice. Cows eat too much fermented glutinous rice and get drunk. Even the strongest cows can't walk steadily and fall into the ditch. In this way, the villagers can see that the cows fell into the ditch by themselves and that no one pushed the cows."

Li Xiaogong slammed the table and said, "What a good move!"

Li Chengqian continued, "Of course, the cow has been killed. Even if we want to ask for evidence, it will be impossible for the government to find it."

Li Xiaogong suddenly realized: "Although Cheng Yaojin is usually rough, he is very smart. He shouted the loudest during the battles and always had some unexpected tricks to catch the enemy off guard."

The court would usually rest until after the first month of the new year before getting busy with serious business.

In this midwinter season, there is plenty of time to do your own things.

Li Chengqian made two rocking chairs.

Li Xiaogong and Li Yuan each held a fist and sat in the Chongwen Hall.

Li Yuan enjoyed the rocking again and again, with the two children, Li Zhi and Li Shen, pushing him from behind. He said, "Look at your father. He has long forgotten that I am still in the East Palace. He didn't even come to ask me to go back, and he didn't even come to apologize to me."

Li Chengqian sat on a stool nearby, continuing to fiddle with the mortise and tenon joints in his hands, and said, "I heard that the emperor summoned Fang Xiang again these days. Most likely he has other things to do and cannot come."

Li Yuan looked at his grandson. He was indeed much stronger than before. He said, "I heard that when you were supervising government affairs, the civil and military officials in the court praised you highly?"

"Well, that's what they said."

"Is there no one saying bad things about you behind your back?"

Li Chengqian fastened the four mortise and tenon joints together, looked at them carefully, and replied, "Maybe, but I won't let my grandson know."

Li Yuan whispered, "Don't pay too much attention to some people and some things."

Li Xiaogong nodded in agreement and said, "People who are useful to you may not be really useful. People who are loyal to you are more important at critical moments."

A eunuch came quickly and said, "King of Hanzhong, come to see me."

Li Yuan was surprised and asked, "I haven't seen this guy for a long time. Has he returned to Chang'an?"

The eunuch whispered, "They also sent two fighting cocks to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, saying that they were for His Royal Highness's entertainment."

Hearing this, Li Xiaogong stood up and walked quickly to the outside of the East Palace.

Li Chengqian was still fiddling with another set of mortise and tenon joints. No one knew what his uncle was doing. When he came back, he was carrying two dead fighting cocks.

Li Xiaogong threw it aside and said, "Pull out the hair and stew it."

The eunuch hurriedly bowed and said, "Yes."

After chatting with the emperor's uncle and grandfather for a while, Li Chengqian returned to the East Palace. He then learned that the emperor's uncle had gone out to meet Hanzhong King Li Yuanchang, and in front of Li Yuanchang, the emperor's uncle personally broke the necks of the two fighting cocks.

Li Yuanchang was so frightened that he fled in panic.

After all, the emperor's uncle was a general who fought in battles with General Li Jing. It would be no problem to scare people if he showed a little murderous aura.

The emperor's uncle was the Minister of the Imperial Clan Affairs Bureau, in charge of all matters major and minor of the Li Tang royal family. It was natural for him to scold his father's brothers.

Li Yuanchang didn't even dare to fart, and never dared to come to the Eastern Palace again.

Li Chengqian didn't want to get involved in the feud between their cousins. He thought that if the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace was too involved, people would gossip about him.

It was December in the dead of winter, and my grandfather hadn't drunk alcohol for more than half a month.

It snowed again today.

In fact, grandpa is not a very stubborn person.

He listened to the persuasion.

Just don't smash his wine jar in public like my father did. Now I'm quitting drinking in the East Palace, and it's safe.

At this moment, my father and mother were also in front of the East Palace, apologizing to the emperor.

Li Chengqian took apart the two mortise and tenon joints, merged them into one, and then screwed small cubes together, and a Rubik's Cube was made.

It took me more than two months to make this Rubik's Cube.

Li Lizhi likes to play jigsaw puzzles, so she invited a painter from the Ministry of Industry today.

"Brother, you are the only one missing!"

Hearing this, Li Chengqian put away the Rubik's Cube in his hand and walked out of the East Palace.

The whole family, including younger brothers and sisters, as well as the emperor father, the empress mother, and the emperor grandfather stood together and let the three painters from the Ministry of Works paint on the drawing board.

Draw everyone in it, one copy for preservation, one copy for making a puzzle, and one copy for my father and my mother.

Li Yuan sat in the middle with a smile on his face.

Li Shimin noticed that his son was playing with something and asked curiously, "What is this?"

"Magic Cube." Li Chengqian said as he played with it.

"I heard that Li Yuanchang came to see you?"

"Well, I didn't enter the East Palace." Li Chengqian responded and continued to turn the Rubik's Cube.

"Xiao Gong hopes that you will not be disturbed by external things. Those toys may look interesting, but they will only wear down your mind. Once you indulge in them, your mind will no longer be firm."

Li Shimin was lecturing, and seeing his son still playing, he took it away and asked, "What's the secret of this thing?"

Li Chengqian put his hands in his pockets and explained discouragedly: "Magic Cube, turn it, there are numbers on each side, make sure all the numbers on the six sides are aligned."

"What's so difficult about this?"

"Father, try it?"

Li Shimin began to rotate the Rubik's Cube, but suddenly frowned. When he rotated the number "one", the numbers on the other sides also began to rotate.

After turning a few more times, Li Shimin's face turned slightly red.

Looking at the small cube, he stretched his wrist and continued to turn it. The mortise and tenon joints of the Rubik's Cube were not strong, so it was still loose when it was turned.

"hiss……"

The father took a deep breath and looked at the Rubik's Cube as if facing a formidable enemy, bloodshot gradually appeared in his eyes.

The three painters from the Ministry of Works confirmed it and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, the painting is done."

Seeing that her father ignored her, Li Lizhi walked forward and confirmed that the three painters' paintings were of the same high quality. Her grandfather, younger brothers and sisters, as well as her mother and the emperor's brother were all painted on the same wooden board.

Li Lizhi bowed politely and said, "Thank you all."

"Your Highness, there is no need to do this."

The three painters bowed and left.

The children in the East Palace are well-behaved, polite and smarter.

In a sense, the children of the Eastern Palace have quicker minds than those of the Imperial Academy, and their way of thinking is different from that of other children.

Quick thinking is also developed through repeated on-the-spot examinations.

"Father, what is this?"

"The magic cube was made by your royal brother."

Seeing that her father was still turning, Li Li asked, "Let your daughter try?"

After first looking at his son who was standing beside him with his hands in his pockets, Li Shimin handed her the Rubik's Cube.

Li Lizhi first looked at several sides of the Rubik's Cube, and then began to rotate it. After turning it about ten times, the numbers on several sides of the Rubik's Cube were complete.

"Huh?" Li Shimin was surprised, but he didn't show it very obviously. He said calmly, "Li Zhi knew it before?"

"It was also the first time for my daughter to play with the Rubik's Cube."

"Yeah." Li Shimin nodded continuously with a serious expression.

Until his father and mother left, he was still holding the Rubik's Cube in his hand and continued to turn it.

Li Chengqian looked at the family portrait in front of him and whispered, "Father has started to take the toys from the East Palace."

This family still has many problems, at least they are not serious yet.

My father finally came to apologize to my grandfather, but of course my grandfather did not return to the Wude Hall because of this.

For Grandpa, Wude Hall is not a suitable place for him to spend his old age. In comparison, having grandchildren in the East Palace is a great comfort to him.

It was Li Lizhi who personally persuaded the emperor before he agreed to come and apologize.

If I don’t do this, I don’t know how long grandpa will miss me.

Grandpa is a very simple person. He knows very well who is good to him and who is not. He also knows very well who is a good kid and who is a bad kid.

If you say he has a stubborn temper, give him a way out and he will calm down.

"Those involved are confused, but those who are on the sidelines can see things more clearly. Sometimes, for the sake of this family, we have to stand up."

"Your Majesty is right." Li Lizhi agreed.

Life is not always smooth sailing, there are always things to face. It is still snowing heavily in Guanzhong, and the envoys from Tubo are coming again.

Last year, it was Sambuza who delivered the letter to the Eastern Palace, and this year he was still the official envoy.

Li Chengqian met the envoy in the Honglu Temple. Looking around at this small Honglu Temple, he felt that it was not big enough.

If there are too many envoys coming to the Tang Dynasty one day, where will these people sit?
"Your Highness has grown taller after not seeing you for a year."

Listening to the Guanzhong dialect with a Tibetan accent, Li Chengqian ignored him and looked at the clerk beside him and asked, "Has the Duke of Zhao arrived?"

"Your Highness, I have sent people to urge them twice, and they said they will be here soon."

Li Chengqian nodded and continued to peel the tea egg in his hand.

Sambuza put his hands behind his back, took two steps and said, "When Tuyuhun and the Tang Dynasty went to war, our prime minister said that the Tang Dynasty would definitely win. Later, we all saw that the Tang Dynasty won, and Tuyuhun's cattle, sheep, and horses all belonged to the Tang Dynasty."

As soon as he finished speaking, Changsun Wuji came hurriedly, his neck hunched because of the cold as he walked into the Honglu Temple.

Li Chengqian quickly stood up to greet him and said, "The Tibetan envoy has arrived. I thought that my uncle would be in charge of receiving the envoy, so I asked you to come."

Changsun Wuji first glanced at the Tibetan envoy before sitting down and drinking a sip of hot tea to drive away the cold.

Li Chengqian calmly wiped the table in front of his uncle, and with his hands diligently and skillfully, he handed over a peeled tea egg.

Zhang Sun Wuji naturally took the tea egg and started to eat it. He looked at the messenger in front of him and said, "This messenger is..."

Sambhota introduced himself: "I am Sambhota, the Tibetan envoy, and I have come to see His Majesty the Khan."

Li Chengqian whispered, "Uncle, this person has only come once this year to deliver a letter to me."

Zhang Sun Wuji understood and asked, "Didn't Lu Dongzan come?"

Sambuza replied, "The Prime Minister and Nipra have important matters to attend to, and he is also ill and needs to be recuperated."

Li Chengqian suddenly asked: "Is the soap useful?"

Sambuza took out a small piece of soap from his bosom and said, "To thank His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for the gift, the Prime Minister also gave us some soap."

"What's wrong with the Prime Minister?"

Sambuza replied, "It's just that I have unbearable abdominal pain. The news that arrived yesterday said that the Prime Minister has recovered."

(End of this chapter)