A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

"Qingque, you must weigh over 200 pounds, right? You're panting when you walk. Next time, let me help you. Otherwise, I'm afraid you might accidentally fall and end up like me."

Li Chengqian cursed under his breath.

"No need for you to worry, elder brother. I will be careful, having learned from your experience."

Li Tai gave a forced smile.

Empress Zhangsun and Li Shimin watched the two brothers arguing below. Empress Zhangsun couldn't help but complain to Li Shimin, "Your Majesty, how could you allow Qingque to enter the palace?"

"I just wanted to give you a surprise. You and Qingque haven't seen each other for so many years. Once your birthday celebration is over, I'll send Qingque back to her fiefdom. It'll only be a few days, nothing will happen."

Li Shimin comforted her, "You and Qingque haven't seen each other for many years, and you must miss each other very much. Don't worry, I will let Qingque return to her fiefdom tomorrow."

Empress Zhangsun sighed, "Alright."

She naturally missed Qingque, but compared to her longing, she didn't want to see the brothers Li Chengqian and Li Tai kill each other.

I just hope nothing unexpected happens in the next few days.

At the birthday ceremony, Li Chengqian presented a sandalwood comb inlaid with jade that he had personally polished. In terms of value, it was not particularly precious and could not compare to the deep-sea coral presented by Li Tai.

Wearing the sandalwood comb inlaid with jade, it was meticulously crafted by Li Chengqian. The sandalwood he selected was the finest in the world, taken from the heart of a small-leaf sandalwood tree with a diameter of several meters, a species that appears only once every thousand years, using only the most exquisite section.

The piece inlaid on it is Hetian warm jade, which is the essence of jade. Li Chengqian sent people to search for a long time before finding such a piece.

Its size is perfectly natural, small and round, with a warm, milky white color and a slight tinge of warm, soft yellow. Under sunlight, its luster is soft and restrained, neither bright nor gaudy, with a subtle sheen hidden in its texture, without the slightest impurity or black spot.

When you touch it with your fingertips, the texture is extremely delicate, without any roughness or graininess, and it's neither cold nor astringent.

It feels slightly cool at first touch, but quickly settles into the palm of your hand with a gentle, moist texture, like your fingertips stroking melted cream. It's smooth yet not slippery, with a substantial weight in your hand, and the more you caress it, the more warm and comforting it becomes.

Empress Zhangsun held it in her hands, admiring it greatly.

She could feel that the comb was slightly rough, which was a waste of such good wood.

But it's clear that Li Chengqian made it himself.

Empress Zhangsun summoned Li Chengqian to her side and, sure enough, smelled a faint scent of blood on him. Upon opening Li Chengqian's hands, she saw numerous bloody scratches on them.

"Chengqian is very thoughtful."

Empress Zhangsun looked at Li Chengqian's palm with moist eyes. "Has medicine been applied?"

"Mother, it has been treated with the best wound medicine. The imperial physician said it will heal in a few days."

Li Chengqian laughed and said that he was able to avoid turning evil not only because of Wei Zu's help, but also because of Empress Zhangsun's care.

Under Empress Zhangsun's guidance, Li Chengqian withstood the immense pressure from Li Shimin and learned Li Shimin's deeper intentions from Empress Zhangsun.

"Remember not to get the wound wet. Have the imperial physician check it every day. In a few days, go to the palace and let the Empress Dowager see if your hand has healed."

Empress Zhangsun gently gave her instructions.

When Li Tai presented her with deep-sea coral, Empress Zhangsun merely nodded slightly. Firstly, she disliked such extravagant items, and secondly, she did not want Li Chengqian to misunderstand and prevent him from harming Li Tai after ascending the throne.

To prevent brothers from killing each other, she, as a mother, was extremely worried.

Li Tai's eyes dimmed. If he were the eldest son, would his mother like his gift?

It's all Li Chengqian's fault. Li Taicai should have been born first; he should have been the eldest son.

As long as Li Chengqian dies, he will be the most beloved son of Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun, and the throne, father's love, and mother's love will all belong to him.

After Empress Zhangsun's birthday celebration, Li Shimin was preparing to issue an edict to send Li Tai back to his fiefdom when he heard news from the Prince of Yue's residence that Li Tai had fallen ill and was seriously ill, unable to get out of bed.

After Li Shimin ordered the imperial physician to investigate, it was confirmed that Li Tai was indeed ill with headaches.

While Li Tai was taking a walk in his residence, he suddenly suffered a headache, felt dizzy and fell to the ground.

Having contracted a headache, he naturally could no longer make the long journey back to his fiefdom.

The journey to the fiefdom was long and arduous, which would exacerbate Li Tai's headaches and make them unbearable. For the sake of his son's health, Li Shimin allowed Li Tai to stay in the capital.

Empress Zhangsun sighed inwardly, "Why did she have to fall ill on the very day she left the capital?"

Empress Zhangsun could easily see that Li Tai wanted to stay in the capital and compete with Li Chengqian for the position of crown prince.

She didn't believe Li Shimin couldn't see it, but Li Shimin was somewhat blinded by his achievements and was too confident. He felt that as long as he was still alive, everything was under his control.

Now, Li Shimin has become somewhat arrogant due to his great achievements in expanding the territory. Lately, he has even stopped listening to the advice of his advisor, Wei Zheng.

If it weren't for Empress Zhangsun's intervention, Wei Zheng would probably have lost his official position by now.

Now that Li Tai has pulled this stunt, the situation in the entire capital has become unpredictable, and Empress Zhangsun is very worried about the next generation of the Tang Dynasty.

She worried that the next generation of the Tang Dynasty would repeat the mistakes of Li Shimin's generation.

The throne is a powerful and alluring prospect.

But both children are her flesh and blood; how could she, as a mother, bear to see her children fight each other?

However, things never change according to Empress Zhangsun's wishes.

Li Tai's stay in the capital sent a signal to those people, and a rumor began to circulate in the capital: Emperor Li Shimin once patted Li Tai on the shoulder and said: "The Crown Prince has a leg ailment, and the Prince of Yue should encourage him."

"The crown prince has a leg ailment; the King of Yue should encourage him."

When Li Chengqian heard this, he was furious.

"Qingque, do you really want to overthrow your elder brother like that?"

Li Chengqian said to himself.

"But I'm sorry to disappoint you, as long as I live, you will be my subject."

"Guards, go and remove all of Qingque's claws and teeth. I want to see how the King of Yue will encourage him!"

Li Chengqian was ultimately the legitimate crown prince of the dynasty. Having served as the heir apparent for many years, under the tutelage of Emperor Wei, he almost perfectly embodied the image of a wise ruler.

He was handsome and dignified, kind and benevolent, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and pragmatic in governing the country...

It can be said that he possessed all the virtues that a wise ruler should have.

The only regret is that he became a cripple.

However, this did not prevent Li Chengqian's power in the court from reaching its zenith. Li Chengqian relied on shared interests to unite with many ministers.

However, he firmly adhered to one line, refusing to touch certain important court officials or Li Shimin's bottom line.

In particular, Li Shimin had nearly doubled the territory, and felt that he had accomplished something that surpassed his ancestors. With his confidence, he was even less concerned about Li Chengqian's petty actions.

Even if Li Chengqian is very capable, he is confident that he can subdue him. He is only worried that Li Chengqian is not good enough.