Chapter 31: Little Black Sesame Rice Ball
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Li Zhijing listened quietly to Wu Meiniang’s words, his brow involuntarily furrowing, his eyes filled with worry and urgency.
“Meiniang, what must I do to save you?”
His voice trembled slightly, as if Wu Meiniang’s predicament were his own.
Wu Meiniang bit her lower lip gently and fell into deep thought.
After a moment, she raised her head and looked at Li Zhi with utmost seriousness, a trace of resolve gleaming in her eyes.
“Zhinu, there’s only one way for me to get out—and that is if His Majesty the Emperor consents.”
Her tone was heavy.
“Otherwise, I fear I will spend my entire life here at the Ganye Temple!”
As she spoke, her figure trembled slightly, a profound sadness radiating from her—the yearning for freedom and the fear of an uncertain fate.
Li Zhi engraved her words deeply in his heart, like a seed taking root and sprouting within him.
...
Morning sunlight poured over the Imperial Garden, where Li Chengqian was leisurely practicing Tai Chi.
His movements flowed like clouds and water, and six eunuchs cautiously attended behind him.
At this moment, he was enjoying this rare peace and comfort. Just as he was getting into the flow, a eunuch rushed in with an urgent report: “Your Majesty, Prince Jin requests an audience!”
“Zhinu’s come to see me? Let him in!”
Li Chengqian stopped his movements, a flicker of curiosity crossing his eyes.
Soon after, Li Zhi entered with measured, square steps.
Though still youthful and tender, his earnestness gave him a certain dignified bearing.
Upon seeing Li Chengqian, Li Zhi respectfully cupped his fists and greeted in a clear voice, “Greetings, elder brother!”
Seeing this little gentlemanly figure, Li Chengqian couldn’t help but laugh.
He strode forward, pulled Li Zhi closer, and affectionately ruffled his small head, eyes full of indulgence.
“What’s the matter, Zhinu? No tutor today? How come you have time to come and play with your elder brother?”
Li Zhi was only thirteen years old. His delicate, jade-like face was as exquisite as fine porcelain, brimming with spirit—utterly adorable.
Li Zhi blinked his large eyes, assuming a serious demeanor as he said: “Elder brother, the palace’s consorts have all disappeared. No one is left to play with me—especially Consort Li. I haven’t seen her for a long time.”
Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian instinctively searched his memory for information about Consort Li.
If he remembered correctly, Consort Li had no children. According to Tang Dynasty custom, childless consorts were sent to Ganye Temple to become nuns.
“Ganye Temple…” Li Chengqian murmured, feeling an inexplicable familiarity with that place.
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“What are you mumbling about, elder brother?”
Li Zhi tilted his head, curious, his eyes sparkling with innocent light.
Seeing Li Zhi’s sharp tongue, Li Chengqian’s expression suddenly grew awkward, even his gaze toward Li Zhi tinged with embarrassment.
He cleared his throat and said, “Zhinu, you should go study first. If you get bored, go to Wude Hall and keep your brother Qingque company.”
“He made a mistake and is under house arrest in Wude Hall. Don’t worry, elder brother will handle Consort Li’s matter for you!”
A flicker of disappointment involuntarily appeared in Li Zhi’s eyes but was quickly masked by a joyful expression as he happily ran toward Wude Hall.
Though Li Zhi concealed his disappointment swiftly, to Li Chengqian it was just a little too slow.
Li Chengqian sat on a stone chair, resting his chin in his palm, watching Li Zhi’s retreating figure with a helpless sigh.
“How did the Li family produce such a black sesame glutinous rice ball?”
He pondered silently, “If nothing unexpected happens, this little brother will likely repeat history—falling in love with someone he shouldn’t. The Tang Dynasty bore no prejudice against remarriage, but when ethics are involved…”
Li Chengqian suddenly felt a headache, unsure how to resolve such a thorny matter.
This little brother of his, so young, already weaving tangled words.
If he weren’t familiar with history, this time he might have been fooled by Li Zhi’s innocent little face.
He wasn’t really coming to see Consort Li—he wanted to use me to get his beloved released!
Li Chengqian frowned deeply. This matter must be handled carefully, though now was not the right time.
...
“Come, take a look—how do I look in this armor?”
Li Shimin was clad in the grand general armor gifted by Li Chengqian, proudly parading before his close comrades Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Jingde, and Li Ji.
Cheng Yaojin’s eyes gleamed as he gave a thumbs-up and exclaimed loudly, “Your Majesty, your might is as awe-inspiring as ever!”
“Yes!” Yuchi Jingde smiled broadly in agreement, eyes filled with reverence for Li Shimin.
Li Ji sat in the corner, resigned.
He had been happily wearing the grand general armor specially made by the crown prince, eager to boast to his brothers.
Unexpectedly, barely after putting it on, Li Shimin had it taken off and worn himself.
Still, he had to admit—the crown prince’s taste was impeccable.
This armor was exquisite.
It was a semi-heavy upper body armor, with carefully fitted iron plates at crucial points like the knees.
Each plate was polished to a gleaming shine.
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It was also specially oiled, radiating an awe-inspiring martial aura under the light, as if donning it guaranteed invincibility.
Alas, the armor now adorned His Majesty.
What was worse, His Majesty’s build was similar to Li Ji’s, and the armor was cinched at the waist, making Li Shimin appear even more heroic—like a war god descended to earth.
Li Ji could only hope His Majesty would wear it just for a while to indulge himself, and return it for battle.
Just then, Li Ji suddenly slapped his forehead, as if recalling something important.
“Your Majesty! I have something for you!”
Li Shimin, still savoring his heroic image, snapped back to reality upon hearing Li Ji’s call.
“What is it? The campaign begins tomorrow, and you still have something to give me?”
He looked at Li Ji with curiosity.
Li Ji hurriedly produced the black jade Qilin military token from his bosom, respectfully handing it to Li Shimin.
Seeing this familiar token returned to his hand, Li Shimin was momentarily stunned.
“What? To fight the Xueyantuo, that bastard handed over my Xuanjia Army and Hundred Riders to you?”
Li Shimin’s brows furrowed, eyes full of surprise.
Li Ji nodded solemnly. “Yes. The crown prince said this time is different.”
“The Xueyantuo army numbers at least two hundred thousand. Our mission is not only against Xueyantuo but to annihilate all the tribes north of the desert, leaving only the Turks.”
“The crown prince wants the northern grasslands to become the stables of the Great Tang, with the Turks as the horses’ servants.”
Hearing this, Li Shimin was dumbfounded, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief.
“Wipe out all the tribes on the grasslands? Then all my past efforts would be wasted. Those tribes are a good buffer for our borders, saving the Tang a fortune in military expenses each year.”
“If that kid just keeps order, punishes wrongdoers, rewards the loyal, and holds the title of Heavenly Khagan, wouldn’t those tribes be our personal army? Why such a massive campaign?”
Li Ji sighed deeply. “Your Majesty, the crown prince said those tribes won’t feel pain unless we strike them.”
“You can keep them under control, and so can the crown prince. But if a future Tang emperor cannot, those loyal dogs could become wolves, viciously attacking the Tang.”
“So the crown prince’s idea is to eliminate the northern grassland tribes once and for all while they are still weak, or else when they grow to the current strength of Tibet, the force needed to suppress them will only increase!”
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