Chapter 3: The Education of Love

Early the next morning, just after stepping out of the Eastern Palace, Li Chengqian saw Kong Yingda walking over with hurried steps.

"Damn it! I'm already over twenty and still have a homeroom teacher; Li Shimin is truly not human!"

"Where is the Crown Prince heading? Why bring so many guards?"

Facing Kong Yingda's questioning, Li Chengqian gave a sheepish smile:

"Is Libationer Kong not on leave today? Is there some urgent matter you need me for?"

"Crown Prince, why have you still not given up? The Prince of Qi is fond of martial arts, which is why he committed such acts; you should take this as a warning."

Kong Yingda frowned and remonstrated: "Since ancient times, one establishes a nation through martial arts and governs the people through literature."

"The Emperor once campaigned in all directions, but for the sake of the common people, he ceased starting wars lightly after ascending the throne. Why can the Crown Prince not understand this?"

Li Chengqian suddenly raised his head, his eyes staring fixedly at Kong Yingda:

"I once thought you were all book-stupid, wanting me to be just like you, to become a bookworm."

"Looking at it now, you see things very clearly."

"Don't you think it's too late to be saying these things now?"

"It is not too late! As long as the Crown Prince begins to cultivate his Nature starting today, I believe the Emperor will understand."

"Impossible!"

Li Chengqian turned his head to look at the Zhuque Men, the central gate of the Imperial City:

"Hegan Chengji has already been captured; I will not sit and wait for death, so you need not try to persuade me further."

"Crown Prince..."

Before he could finish, Li Chengqian directly raised his hand to interrupt:

"I know what you want to say, and I can tell you clearly: if I really do as you say, that is just waiting for death."

"If you truly want to save me, go see Father in half an hour and say that the Crown Prince is beating the Prince of Wei in the street."

？？？？

Kong Yingda was stunned, and by the time he came to his senses, Li Chengqian had already walked far away:

"What does that mean? Why say 'save'? Why beat the Prince of Wei in the street?"

Glancing at the Zhuque Men and then watching Li Chengqian's retreating back, Kong Yingda was filled with conflict.

He was no fool; since Hegan Chengji was implicated in the Prince of Qi's treason case, Li Tai would not let this opportunity pass.

As an official of the Eastern Palace, if something happened to Li Chengqian, he would inevitably be affected as well.

But if he did not stop it and the Prince of Wei was truly beaten by Li Chengqian, he would also be punished for failing to provide proper guidance.

After struggling for a long time, Kong Yingda let out a long sigh:

"Forget it, forget it! I am on leave today; I never came to the Eastern Palace."

At the same time, Li Tai, who was inside the Literature Pavilion, was watching the pedestrians outside the window with a face full of smiles.

"Brother-in-law, do you think Big Brother was able to sleep last night?"

"He definitely couldn't sleep!"

Fang Yi'ai picked up his wine cup and took a shallow sip: "Princess Chengyang entered the palace this morning; I imagine she went to scout for news for Du He!"

"Let her go; Hegan Chengji has already talked, and Big Brother's time as Crown Prince is at an end."

"Crown Prince!"

"Crown Prince, let this lowly one go and announce your arrival!"

"……"

Suddenly, exclamations came from outside the door, and Li Tai's round body trembled slightly:

"Why did Big Brother come? Is he a dog jumping over a wall in desperation, wanting to perish together with me?"

Without waiting for Fang Yi'ai to speak, Li Tai hurriedly stood up and opened the door to welcome Li Chengqian:

"Big Brother, why didn't you say anything before coming? Qingque hasn't prepared anything here."

Li Chengqian stopped in his tracks, the corners of his mouth slowly curling upward, his mockery undisguised:

"Qingque, I have to announce my arrival to come see you? Are you not getting ahead of yourself?"

"Big Brother, what are you saying? It's just that the people below are ignorant; Qingque will punish them in a moment."

Li Chengqian walked past Li Tai into the room, found a seat at random, and only then spoke slowly:

"Qingque, Quan Wanji is your man, isn't he? Back when the Third Brother destroyed the farmland, he was punished by Father, and it was because of your words that he became the Chief Clerk of the Qi Wang Fu."

"Indeed!"

Li Tai admitted it generously: "He is not afraid of death and offers blunt remonstrance, which is why I pleaded for him before Father."

Li Chengqian revealed a gentle smile, then beckoned to Li Tai:

"Qingque, come here, come in front of Big Brother."

Li Tai did not understand why, but subconsciously moved closer:

"Big Brother, what is it?"

"Look at what Big Brother has in his right hand."

Looking at Li Chengqian's raised right hand, Li Tai was completely bewildered:

"What? There's nothing there at all!"

"How could there be nothing? This is Big Brother's education of love!"

"Smack!"

Before the words had faded, Li Chengqian brought his hand down heavily on Li Tai's forehead.

"Li Chengqian, you've gone mad!"

"Addressing Big Brother by his given name—you deserve a beating!"

"Smack! Smack!"

"Someone! Come here!"

Fang Yi'ai and a group of guards from the Wei Wang Mansion tried to step forward to intervene, but were blocked by the Eastern Palace guards and could not advance an inch.

"Brother-in-law, come quickly and protect me!"

Hearing this, Fang Yi'ai wanted to force his way in, yet a single sentence from Li Chengqian completely dispelled his thoughts.

"Fang Jun, an older brother beating a younger brother is a family matter; if you collide with Gu, that is treason."

"This subject dares not!"

Seeing that no one came in, Li Chengqian casually picked up a scroll of books from the table and chased after Li Tai to beat him:

"For the sake of the position of Crown Prince, you actually laid a hand on the Fifth Brother; are you even human?"

"Smack! Smack!"

"The Fifth Brother just wants to live a leisurely life, how does that bother you?"

"Ah! Li Chengqian, you stop right now!"

"You think doing this can get me deposed? Aren't you thinking a bit too much?"

"Smack! Smack!"

"Qingque, Big Brother will tell you now: Chengyang didn't go into the palace this morning to find Emperor, but to find Yin Fei.

Thinking you can pull Big Brother down through the Fifth Brother and Hegan Chengji, you are still too green."

As he finished speaking, Li Chengqian threw down the book and looked at Li Tai with a look of contempt.

Li Tai covered his head, his eyes full of viciousness:

"Didn't Big Brother also send people to assassinate me? I am your own brother born of the same mother."

"Do you want to listen to what you are saying yourself? What is the use of killing you? Emperor has so many sons, do I have to kill them all?"

Li Chengqian put on an expression of being disappointed that his brother would not live up to expectations:

"If I really wanted to kill you, wouldn't poison work? I would have to be crazy to assassinate you in public."

As he finished speaking, Li Chengqian shook his head and turned to leave:

"Think about it carefully yourself, who are the Prefects of Qingzhou and other places? Do you really think those noble clans are worth trusting?"

In the original body's memories, there was indeed no record of sending anyone to assassinate Li Tai; he could now be certain that the rebellion of Li You, Prince of Qi, was not aimed at him alone.

'History books record that Li You was killed for treason; was it that Li Shimin did not want to save him, or could not save him?'

Carrying his doubts, Li Chengqian walked slowly toward the Imperial City; he had to go see this legendary emperor through the ages.

Not long after Li Chengqian left, Su Xu, the husband of Princess Nanchang, walked in holding a scroll of books.

"Greetings to Your Highness, Wei Wang!"

"Uncle-in-law, you came just in time."

Li Tai waved his hand, signaling that there was no need for formalities:

"The last time I was assassinated, do you think it was Big Brother's men?"

"Did His Highness the Crown Prince say something?"

Li Tai recounted what had just happened, his expression turning aggrieved:

"Even Emperor has never hit me, how could he hit me? And he hit me in front of so many people."

"..."

Su Xu could not help but mutter in his heart: 'You were already preparing to kill him; hitting you is considered light.'

"It doesn't matter if it was or not; at this point, even if it wasn't an assassination by the Crown Prince, it must become one.

The truth is not important, the result is what matters.

Why doesn't Your Highness take this opportunity to submit a memorial to Emperor, making Emperor despise the Crown Prince even more?"

Fang Yi'ai, standing to the side, also chimed in: "Wei Wang, the husband of the Princess is right; there is no need to treat the wounds for now. Just go to see Emperor like this, and it will surely make Emperor feel heartache."

"I will go now; this time, no matter what, I must get Big Brother deposed."

"Wait!"