Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 285 A Gathering of Stars Outside Chengtian Gate
The sky was not yet fully bright, and a few remaining stars still hung in the sky.

There was a loud knocking sound outside Wen He's bedroom door.

"Brother, wake up!"

The gentle voice was crisp and clear, penetrating the door and drilling straight into the room.

She stood under the eaves, her small body ramrod straight, her hands firmly on her hips.

"If you don't get up, His Majesty will come and spank you!"

The words were shouted so loudly that Wen He, who was asleep, was startled awake.

This was a message His Majesty specially sent to the eunuch yesterday, saying: "Lately, Wen County Boy has been fond of sleeping in. Your Highness must wake him up before dawn today. If you cannot wake him up, I will personally give him a few lashes to help him wake up."

Li Shimin was just joking, and the eunuch who delivered the decree laughed at the time, but the little girl took it seriously.

Last night before going to bed, she took her maid Azhu's hand and solemnly instructed her, "Azhu, wake me up at 3 a.m. I have to keep an eye on my brother and make sure he doesn't get beaten by His Majesty."

At this moment, she was standing on tiptoe, her little nose almost touching the door panel, and her voice still had a soft, sleepy quality.

Wen He rolled over in bed and buried her face even deeper into the pillow.

This "black-hearted cotton" is really getting better and better at manipulating him. Last night, after checking all the expenses for the study tour, I wrote a few chapters of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and didn't get to bed until almost midnight.

At this moment, my eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and I barely had the strength to open them.

Of all the people in the manor, only she dared to cause such trouble. If it were the three little ones or Li Yifu, they would probably already be pinned down in front of his desk and whipped.

Seeing that there was no movement inside, Xiao Wenrou simply raised her little foot and gently kicked the door twice, her voice carrying a hint of threat.

"Brother, if you don't get up, I'm going to cry."

The maid Azhu, who was standing in the corridor, quickly pulled her back: "Young lady, be careful not to hurt your feet."

Wen He chuckled softly inside the room. This girl actually dared to threaten him just to wake him up.

He slowly sat up, rubbed his heavy temples, and resignedly threw off the covers.

The door creaked open, and Wen He, with her messy hair and bloodshot eyes, looked at the little girl standing with her hands on her hips in the doorway, her face full of gloom.

"Brother, you've finally gotten up!"

Xiao Wenrou immediately dropped her "fierce" look, a big smile blooming on her face, revealing two sharp little tiger teeth. She ran to Wen He's side in a few steps and reached out to take his arm.

"Brother is the best!"

Wen He poked her forehead with her fingertip in annoyance: "Only you dare to mess with me like this. I'll find someone powerful to keep you in check sooner or later."

At Xiaorou's age, it's definitely time for her to find a female tutor.

Wenrou pouted and hummed twice, "We should find someone powerful to keep an eye on my brother."

Seeing her puffed-up face, Wen He suddenly felt a warmth in her heart.

When he first arrived, the little girl was thin and frail. Her coarse cloth clothes were so worn that their original color was almost unrecognizable. Her wrists were so thin that they looked like they would break if you bent them. She was always timid when she saw him, like a frightened little deer.

He had just woken up and was starving. He was looking for something to eat when he saw the little girl holding a bowl of thin, watery rice porridge. She placed it in front of him and whispered, "Brother, eat."

There were only a handful of rice grains in that bowl of porridge, but she insisted on giving him half of it.

Thinking about it now, my nose still feels a little sore.

After these past few months of care, the little girl's face has become rounder, her complexion rosy, and her personality has changed from being timid to now being a little tyrant who dares to put her hands on her hips and give orders.

"Is it okay to have wheat porridge in the morning?"

Wen He led her to the kitchen. The morning light was slowly spreading from the east, gilding the eaves with a faint golden edge.

"Okay!" Xiao Wenrou immediately responded loudly, grabbed Wen He's hand, and hopped around every now and then like a happy little rabbit. She would even deliberately step on Wen He's shadow and laugh very happily.

When Wen He finished breakfast, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the celadon bowls in the canteen were still steaming.

The three little ones, with their messy hair, yawned and strolled in.

As soon as they crossed the threshold, they bumped into Wen He, who was propping her chin up and looking at them with an ambiguous smile on her lips. Her gaze made them feel uneasy.

"Meet sir."

The three children snapped to attention and immediately became more alert, quickly bowing respectfully.

Wen He waved to them, her smile growing even warmer: "Come on, sit down, breakfast is still warm."

"Let's eat! Ah... Brother Ke, Brother Tai, Xiao You, come quick!"

She gently held a small bowl, her cheeks puffed out, and waved to them with a smile.

But the three little ones stood frozen in place, looking at each other with expressions that said, "Something's not right."

Li Tai quietly tugged at Li You's sleeve and muttered in a low voice, "The gentleman's smile today is very strange; it can't be anything good."

He always felt that behind that smile was a small whip, waiting to lash their backs.

Li You shrank back, clutching the hem of his clothes with his small hands: "I don't think we did anything wrong yesterday, did we?"

He thought about it for a long time and realized that he was quite honest.

I just sneaked into the kitchen and boiled a few extra buckets of water.

Then, because the fire got too big, it almost set the kitchen on fire, but the kitchen manager said he would cover it up for him.

“Play it by ear.”

Li You lowered his voice even further, his gaze quickly sweeping over Wen He's side. Finding no rattan whip, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

The two brothers were whispering amongst themselves when they saw Li Ke walk straight to Wenrou and sit down next to her, even picking off the crumbs of steamed bun that had fallen onto her clothes.

Li Tai immediately snorted disdainfully and muttered in a voice only he could hear, "Worthless!"

He secretly rolled his eyes.

What's so good about being gentle?

A young woman hit him on the head as soon as they met.

They're so fierce, unlike the gentle way the palace maids speak.
She really wasted her life choosing that name.

"After you finish your meal, come with me to the palace."

Wen He suddenly spoke, picked up a piece of pickled vegetable and put it in her mouth, her tone as calm as if she were talking about the weather.

"It's been a long time since I took you guys to the training ground for some exercise."

really!

The three children's hearts skipped a beat at the same time.

I knew this "gentleness" was just the calm before the storm. The husband must have been simmering with anger because Xiaorou had urged him to get up early, and he wanted to drag them down with him.

Just thinking about how strict his father was, training soldiers like soldiers, at the Taiji Palace training ground made Li Tai's legs start to ache.

Li You's face immediately fell.

Even the most composed Li Ke subtly twitched the corners of his mouth downwards.

"Ugh."

Three sighs rang out in unison, like three kittens whose tails had been stepped on, their voices trailing off in despair.

Wenrou was drinking her porridge when she heard this and burst out laughing, almost spitting out a mouthful of porridge onto the table.

She put down her bowl, laughing so hard she couldn't straighten up: "The three of you..."

Li Tai glared at her, but the little girl made a face back at him, which made him so angry that he picked up a piece of mutton and stuffed it into his mouth, taking a big bite, his cheeks puffing out like a frog.

Li You leaned close to Li Ke and whispered, "Brother Ke, can we pretend to have a stomachache when we get there?"

Li Ke ignored him and silently shoveled rice into his mouth, while pondering whether he should go see his mother later and get some things that his young mistress liked.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Li You pouted and decided not to make a fool of himself.

This man is hopeless.

Before long, Li Yifu also rushed over.

When he lifted the curtain, he saw Wen He and the three little ones already sitting in the dining hall. He felt a flush of embarrassment and quickly bowed to apologize, "I was late, please forgive me, sir."

Wen He was picking at a piece of pickled vegetable when she heard this and smiled: "It's alright, let's eat first. I've already asked A Dong to take care of preparing the car, there's no rush."

Li Yifu breathed a sigh of relief, bowed in agreement, and quietly sat down in the corner.

Around 3:45 AM, the group finally went out.

When Wen He's carriage arrived at Chengtian Gate, it was nearly Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

The three children's carriage then went around to Xuanwu Gate.

As soon as Wen He lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage, before she could even stand firmly, she heard a familiar voice behind her, tinged with a hint of mockery: "Little brat."

His heart tightened, and just as he was about to quicken his pace, the back of his collar was firmly grabbed. The force was not strong, but it carried a familiarity that made it impossible to break free.

Looking back, it was indeed Li Daozong. This unruly man had his eyebrows raised and a roguish smile on his lips. His purple robe and jade belt made him look even more dashing.

"What are you running for?"

Li Daozong turned him around and looked him up and down, pressing his shoulders.

"Haven't we seen each other for so long, don't you miss your brother?"

"I don't want to." Wen He slapped his hand away impatiently. She was still sleepy from waking up early, and seeing this irresponsible man made her temples throb even more.

"You little ingrate."

Li Daozong sighed, feigning resentment.

"I even got up early today, thinking of helping you deal with those who want to impeach you."

Wen He was taken aback by his expression, then burst into laughter.

Seeing that he couldn't keep a straight face, Li Daozong burst into laughter: "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. There are a few people over there looking for you."

He gestured with his chin toward the gazebo not far away, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes.

Wen He looked in the direction he pointed and suddenly widened her eyes.

Several folding chairs were scattered under the pergola, and Li Jing was holding a teacup and talking to Li Shiji.

The brothers Yan Liben and Yan Lide sat side by side, nodding occasionally.

Duan Zhixuan, Cheng Zhijie, and Yuchi Gong, three military generals, came together.

Several civil officials, including Jing Junhong, Dou Jing, and Wen Yanbo, sat around a table, talking in hushed tones.

To Wen He's surprise, even Changsun Wuji was there, his face dark, as if someone owed him money.

What surprised him most was that Qin Qiong was also sitting there. Although his face was still a little pale, the determination in his eyes was already clear.

This is a bit too much.

Wen He was secretly alarmed.

Four of the six ministers and seven of the sixteen generals arrived; each of them was a figure whose mere presence could shake the entire city of Chang'an.

He subconsciously turned around and glanced at the plaque of Chengtian Gate.

Fortunately, this wasn't Xuanwu Gate, otherwise he would have really suspected that these people were blocking the way here and were planning something earth-shattering.

"Stop standing there stupidly."

Li Daozong tugged at his arm.

Wen He then came to her senses and was half-pulled and half-dragged towards the shed.

The closer you get, the more you feel the different atmosphere; there seems to be an invisible barrier surrounding that small pavilion.

Officials of the fourth rank and below dared only linger ten steps away, even walking lightly, for fear of disturbing the people inside.

Xu Jingzong had followed us unnoticed. Seeing Wen He approach, he quickly came over and asked in a low voice, "Jiaying, is this... someone here to back you up?"

Wen He was also confused and was about to shake his head when Li Daozong spoke up: "His Majesty sent a special message yesterday, except for the people from the three provinces. The elders of the Prince of Qin's mansion are all on the side of the little boy today. However, Dou Jing and Wen Yanbo and a few others came on their own initiative."

Wen He's heart trembled violently.

If these people were united, they could even force the emperor to abdicate, yet Li Er didn't give him a single hint beforehand.

Even if they were backing him up, they wouldn't need to use so many powerful weapons.

Every one of them is usually fawned over when they go out, but now they're all fawning over him?

"Hey, isn't that Wei Xuancheng?" Xu Jingzong suddenly exclaimed as he approached the shed.

Wen He looked up and saw Wei Zheng walking towards her from the other side with a square gait.

He walked under the shade of the pavilion, greeted everyone one by one with meticulous movements, and his face still had that usual stern expression.

Just then, Wei Zheng suddenly turned his head, his gaze landing precisely on Wen He. His eyes, which always held a sharp light, now held a meaningful scrutiny.

"Why is he here too? Wait, isn't that Xue Wanche? When did he return to Chang'an?" Li Daozong suddenly pointed to the side.

A general, looking travel-worn, was dismounting.

He seemed to hear a noise and turned around. When his gaze fell on Wen He, a smile suddenly appeared on his lips, and he cupped his hands in greeting to Wen He from a distance.

(End of this chapter)