Little Sizi came to my house and became the family's darling, and Li Shimin got anxious.

After finishing the banquet, Li Shimin lost interest in staying in the hall and stood up to extend his hand to Empress Zhangsun.

"Let's go to Qujiang."

The emperor and empress set off, and the entourage left the Taiji Hall in a grand procession.

Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun rode together in the imperial carriage in front, followed by Li Chengqian in a wheelchair pushed by guards. Li Yinxun, Guo Qian, and a group of princesses rode in separate carriages. It was their first time riding in a carriage, and they found it quite novel.

The imperial guards escorted the imperial carriages on both sides, which departed from Chengtian Gate and headed south along Zhuque Avenue.

The streets were already packed with people, all eager to catch a glimpse of the emperor.

The eunuchs scattered colorful threads and small rice dumpling sachets along the road in advance, and the people rushed to pick them up.

In less than half an hour, the carriage arrived at the Qujiang Pool.

The watchtower was already prepared.

This is a three-story waterside pavilion, built specifically for the royal family to watch the games. It has windows on all four sides, offering a wide view of the entire Qujiang Pool.

Upstairs, there were futons, tables and stools, and ice jars filled with seasonal fruits and plum juice—the perfect setting for cooling off in the summer.

Li Shimin strode up to the second floor and sat down in the center, with Empress Zhangsun sitting to his right.

Li Yinxun, Guo Qian, and several princesses took their seats in the second row. Just as they took a sip of their plum juice, a deafening drumbeat came from downstairs.

The dragon boat races have begun.

On Qujiang Pool, two dragon boats shot out like arrows from a bow, cutting through the waves.

The dragon boat is painted entirely in red and black, with the dragon's head held high and its tail raised. The hull is decorated with gold scales and silver patterns, which gleam in the sunlight.

Each boat has twenty oarsmen, all of whom are elite soldiers handpicked from the Imperial Guard. They work shirtless, their bronze muscles gleaming with sweat in the sunlight. They row in unison to the beat of the drums, their movements as synchronized as if they were one person.

A drummer stood at the bow of the boat, shirtless, swinging his arms in a wide arc, striking the large cowhide drum with his drumsticks, each beat louder than the last, the sound reverberating across the water.

The helmsman at the stern gripped the helm tightly, his eyes like an eagle's, fixed intently on the trophy ahead.

The two boats moved forward side by side, oars flashing and water splashing everywhere.

The cheers from the people on the shore surged like a tide. Some shouted for the red boat, while others waved handkerchiefs to cheer for the black boat. The entire Qujiang Pool was in an uproar.

Looking up at the tower, Li Yinxun's eyes widened in amazement.

She leaned against the window, her gaze sweeping back and forth over the tall, imposing Imperial Guards, her eyes filled with undisguised excitement and admiration.

So handsome.

This raw, pure sense of power and explosive force can be summed up in two words: awe-inspiring.

"Ahem." Li Shimin glanced back and forth between Li Yinxun and the shirtless oarsmen downstairs, then looked at Guo Qian.

The latter was squatting on the ground, letting the little girl ride on her neck. She was having a great time riding the big horse, holding Guo Qian's hair with her two little hands as reins, and shouting "Giddy up!" incessantly.

Guo Qian was being pulled by the hair, but his face showed no impatience; instead, he smiled indulgently.

Li Shimin withdrew his gaze and slowly began to speak.

"Xiao Xun, look how engrossed the soldiers downstairs are in watching. Aren't you afraid Xiao Guo will get jealous?"

Guo Qian shook his head. "I'm watching too."

Empress Zhangsun paused, Li Lizhi lowered her head to hide her smile, and Li Chengqian silently turned his head away.

Li Shimin's lips twitched. "Do you think it's the same as hers?"

He picked up his wine glass, deciding to find a different way to have fun.

"Little Xun, would you dare to make a bet with me?"

Li Yinxun perked up: "What are we betting on?"

"Betting on the dragon boat race."

"What's the stake?"

The loser treats the other person to a meal.

"make a deal!"

Li Yinxun immediately pointed to the red boat on the left, "I'm betting on this one!"

Li Shimin casually pointed to the black ship on the right: "I'll bet on this one."

The little princess peeked out from Guo Qian's shoulder, "Auntie won!"

Li Shimin's smile froze: "I am your father."

"Auntie wins!"

The little princess covered her ears, refusing to listen to any dissenting opinions.

Li Shimin: ...

In the final sprint, the two dragon boats crossed the finish line almost simultaneously.

But the black ship's helmsman, with a brilliant turn at the last moment, gained half the ship's head and struck the marker first.

The outcome is decided: the right boat wins.

Emperor Taizong was overjoyed and laughed heartily.

"I have won!"

Li Yinxun pouted, but she was also able to accept defeat: "Fine, fine, you win. I'll treat you to dinner later."

Li Shimin was in high spirits. With a wave of his hand, he ordered his eunuchs to pass on the decree: "Each victorious soldier will be rewarded with ten taels of silver and a barrel of imperial wine!"

Upon hearing the order, the soldiers downstairs all raised their oars and shouted.

After rewarding his soldiers, Li Shimin took out a super lollipop from his sleeve. It was a free gift from an online snack purchase a few days ago, which he hadn't been willing to eat.

He had intended to give it to the little princess, but halfway through reaching out, he suddenly remembered that the little girl had been determined to side with Li Yinxun.

He then handed it over to Chengyang.

"Chengyang, good boy, your father will give you candy."

Chengyang took the lollipop with both hands and handed it to the little princess.

"Here you go, Second Sister."

The little princess's eyes widened.

Li Shimin's face immediately darkened.

Pointing at Chengyang, he angrily flung his sleeve, "You little brat!"

Chengyang shrank his neck, but defiantly stuck out his tongue.

After admiring the view for a long time, the sun gradually set.

Empress Zhangsun was feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Let's go back to the palace to rest first. Lizhi, you take your aunt and the others around Chang'an."

Li Yinxun nodded and saw him off.

The little princess had been playing all day and was now getting sleepy, rubbing her eyes with her little fists.

Li Yinxun had finally made it to the Tang Dynasty, and she was going back without even having explored Zhuque Street. She was really unwilling to give up.

He glanced at the little princess who was almost asleep and took out a baby carrier from his backpack.

It was a free gift with the purchase of baby formula, and it suddenly arrived today.

"Little Sizi," Li Yinxun poked the little girl's cheek, "would you like your uncle to carry you to sleep?"

The little princess blinked, having never seen such a thing before, and immediately became interested.

"think."

Guo Qian smiled helplessly and bent down to cooperate.

Li Yinxun secured the little princess to the carrier, adjusted the shoulder straps and waist belt, and made sure that the little princess's limbs were not constricted. Her chin rested on Guo Qian's shoulder, just enough for her to see the road ahead.

"Wow, so tall!" The little princess excitedly swung her legs on Guo Qian's back.

The little princess, perched high up, suddenly had a much wider field of vision.

The little princess lowered her head and shouted at Chengyang on the ground.

"Second sister, I'm taller than you."

Chengyang looked up, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes.

Li Yinxun noticed and gently pinched Chengyang's cheek.

"Chengyang, next time your uncle will carry you on his back, okay?"

Chengyang looked up and paused for a moment.

"Really?"

"real."

A smile bloomed on Chengyang's face; the satisfaction of being cared for was truly captivating.

She reached out her little hand and held Li Yinxun's finger tightly.

Not long after, the little princess stopped moving.

The little girl lay on Guo Qian's broad back, gently rocked by his even steps, and had fallen into a deep sleep without anyone noticing.

Guo Qian felt the little head on his back and subconsciously slowed down.