Chapter 497 Cannon Fodder Gathering

"Sister, sister, wake up!" Su Ying was sleeping soundly when her two younger sisters shook her hard.

"Well, Xiaotao, let me sleep for a while!" Su Ying turned over and covered her head.

I was busy all day and stayed up late at night to do intermediate mathematics. I was really sleepy.

It is cold in Chang'an and getting up is a living hell.

"Sister, sister, get up quickly, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince are here again!" Xiao Tao shouted anxiously.

"Ah? What did you say?" Su Ying turned over and sat up, and her sleepiness disappeared.

"The Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince and others are here again. Aye is accompanying them in the reception room! Get up quickly!" Xiao Tao and Atang brought the robe to Su Ying.

"It's so early, can't they stay later?"

The ancients had a sleep schedule of getting up at the beginning of Yinshi (3 a.m.), and it was already the beginning of Chenshi (7 a.m.), so Su Ying slept in.

In modern society, some large temples still retain this routine.

The monks get up at three in the morning to wash, chant scriptures, eat breakfast, and do homework. They have dinner around three in the afternoon, then chant scriptures, and turn off the lights and go to bed at eight or nine in the evening.

Su Ying hurriedly dressed and washed up, then hurried to the living room.

"Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Lu..." Su Ying saluted to a group of princes, including two more princes.

"Aying, this is..." Su Bucheng was about to introduce.

"Lord Su, wait a minute. Let me guess. I was able to recognize the Seventh Uncle at a glance yesterday!" One of the princes, who was slightly younger than Li Tai, said excitedly.

"Uh..." Su Ying looked at the two princes, "Greetings to His Royal Highness the Third Prince and His Royal Highness the Fifth Prince!"

"Haha, what do you think? I said it wouldn't be difficult for Lord Su!" Li Tai clapped his hands and laughed.

"Hey, how did you guess that?" The fifth prince Li You was surprised.

"The Fifth Prince has already mentioned the Seventh Uncle, which means that you, the Crown Prince, and the Fourth Prince are brothers. The rest is not difficult to guess." Su Ying said with a smile.

"Oh, I should have known I shouldn't have said anything!" Li You was annoyed.

The emperor's previous sons were very close in age.

Li Chengqian and Li Tai, brothers from the same mother, were only one year apart in age, and they had two half-brothers in between.

The second prince Li Kuan died at the age of one or two, and his biological mother is unknown.

The third prince, Li Ke, was the son of Concubine Yang, the daughter of Emperor Yang of Sui.

The fifth prince Li You was born to Concubine Yin.

The five brothers were only about one year apart in age, which shows how frequently they were born at that time.

The third prince Li Ke is also one of the emperor's most beloved sons, and his talent is not inferior to Li Tai.

After the Crown Prince's rebellion, the Emperor considered Li Tai and Li Ke as the candidates for the Crown Prince. For this reason, Zhangsun Wuji was wary of Li Ke.

Zhangsun Wuji and other ministers firmly opposed it on the grounds that Li Ke was the blood of Emperor Yang, and finally recommended the ninth prince Li Zhi as the crown prince.

Not long after Li Zhi ascended the throne, Zhangsun Wuji used the case of Princess Gaoyang and Fang Yiai's treason to implicate Li Ke, and Li Ke died unjustly.

It was later discovered that Li Ke was wrongly accused, and he was rehabilitated during the Shenlong period.

The fifth prince Li You was Li Chengqian's nemesis and disaster. He brought his own death upon himself, but he dethroned the crown prince and changed the course of history.

Li You's maternal grandfather, Yin Shishi, was an official who stayed in Chang'an during the previous dynasty.

In the 13th year of Daye, in order to prevent the Tang army from breaking through Chang'an, the emperor's 14-year-old fifth son Li Zhiyun was beheaded and the Li family's ancestral tomb was excavated.

When Chang'an City was broken, the adult males of the Yin family were killed and the female members of the family were taken into the imperial palace.

Yin Hongzhi, the youngest son of the Yin family, escaped the disaster because of his young age.

The emperor, who was the King of Qin at the time, passed by the Ye Ting and accidentally ran into Yin Fei, who was a palace slave. He took her into the harem and she gave birth to Li You.

Later, Li You was granted the title of vassal in Qi. Concubine Yin was worried, so she asked her younger brother Yin Hongzhi to accompany him to assist her son.

Yin Hongzhi, who had always harbored deep hatred for the Li Tang royal family, instigated Li You to rebel.

Li You shot and killed Quan Wanji, the chief secretary sent by the emperor, and dismembered him, then rebelled.

After being captured, he was ordered to commit suicide. During the investigation, Hegan Chengji was implicated. Hegan Chengji reported the prince for treason and survived...

Alas, looking at the princes present, their tender faces filled with joyful smiles, Su Ying sighed silently, they are all cannon fodder!

The real dragon is the little ball who is less than three years old. He only surfaced after his brothers were killed to pieces.

I wonder what will happen to the Su family in the future?

If I hadn't traveled through time, the Su family would have taken root in Lingnan and been farmers for generations.

Now that this group of cannon fodders have gathered at the Su family, could it be that the Su family is also one of the cannon fodders?

"Lord Xiao Su, do you have any extra math books?" The third prince Li Ke asked humbly and politely.

Upon hearing that his elder brother and fourth brother had received new books from the Su Mansion, Li Ke also followed them out of the palace to see if he could get a copy.

"That's right, Lord Su!" The fifth prince Li You also agreed.

Today is New Year's Eve. There will be a palace banquet in the afternoon. I got up in the morning and went to play with some of my royal brothers, but I saw them leaving the palace and making a fuss.

"Afa, go to the Fulon Inn and ask Mr. Xie to get some math books." Su Ying said to Afa outside the door.

"Master Xiao Su, the activated carbon has been produced. Shall we start now?" Li Tai ordered people to bring the things in.

A big clay pot, a wooden barrel with a mesh bottom, a wooden rack, and a bucket of yellow mud.

There were also two large boxes, each containing twenty pieces of fine Shu brocade, and a small box containing four pieces of donkey-hide gelatin.

"Hiss!" The fifth prince Li You exclaimed in amazement, he was really willing to spend so much money.

"Forty pieces of Shu brocade are my tuition fees. I hope Master Su won't mind!" Li Tai said without waiting for Su Ying to speak.

Su Ying taught him sugar-making techniques and more advanced assembly line technology.

Compared with the commercial and political benefits gained, this tuition fee is worth a lot.

"Master Su, I have some too!" Before Su Ying could politely decline, Li Chengqian spoke up, "Hegan guards, bring it in!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Hegan Chengji and several other guards came in carrying boxes, one box of famous paintings and calligraphy, and one box of rare books.

"Wow!" Li You was shocked again and again, "Big Brother, are you emptying out your Eastern Palace assets?"

The forty pieces of Shu brocade given by the Fourth Prince were surprising enough, but still within the acceptable range. After all, the Fourth Prince's rewards were the most and the best, so such a generous gift would not be a big deal.

But the prince is different.

The queen promoted frugality in the harem, and all the palaces were doing well, with no significant reduction in food, clothing, or expenses.

Only in the Eastern Palace, everything is really simple, even shabby.

The only things he could show off were his calligraphy and paintings, and classics, which were priceless treasures that even the Hongwenguan Library did not have.

The Crown Prince is more ruthless than the Fourth Prince!

Not to mention Li You, Li Tai, Li Ke, and Prince of Lu Li Yuanchang all changed their expressions.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Fourth Prince! It is too valuable, I dare not accept it!" Su Ying bowed.

"Master Xiao Su, you are too polite. If I had these books with me, they would just sit on a shelf and gather dust. Your place is the best place for them!"

Li Chengqian was very satisfied with everyone's reaction, and guessed that Qingque would spend a large sum of money!

Everyone felt their teeth ache after hearing this, and their expressions were indescribable!

They didn't even have a chance to look at these rare books owned by His Royal Highness, yet they gave them all to Su Ying! And he said it so lightly!

"Your Highness, I appreciate your kindness! I'm afraid I can't keep such a precious book safe in my humble abode! If I destroy a rare copy, I'll be guilty!"

Su Ying bowed and said, "Teaching the two princes is just a small favor. It's not worth it. Please take it back!"

"Master Xiao Su is wrong. Books are meant to be read. If we put them aside for fear that they will be damaged, then what is the point of their existence?" Li Chengqian insisted.

"Master Su, do you think the gift I gave you is tacky?" Li Tai was also displeased.

Not only was he outdone by his brother, but he was also rejected by Lord Xiao Su.

These are all high-quality Shu brocades that I carefully selected. Each piece is worth a hundred gold coins and can be used as money. They are also very good for making skirts and jackets. But Lord Su doesn't want them!