Chapter 504 A Day in the Life of a Prodigal Son
At dawn, as the drums sounded, the palace gates opened, and officials entered the court one by one to discuss matters.
Li Chengqian slept soundly in the Eastern Palace.
At 3:45 AM, Li Chengqian woke up naturally, leisurely ate his breakfast, and let Wumo take a walk to get some exercise.
At the hour of Si (9-11 AM), I wandered to the Da'an Hall, where I received loving education from my grandfather while my mind wandered.
"As the crown prince, you should know the principle that 'the people are the water, and the ruler is the boat'..."
Zhou, why didn't you summon Kunpeng? You can be a spaceship or a sea vessel, how impressive it would be to sail the seas! You're definitely worthy of your noble playboy status. I'll have Wumo keep an eye on this later and see who can bind to Kunpeng and become his underling!
"The Book of Documents says, 'Virtue lies in good governance, and good governance lies in nourishing the people.' Chengqian, tell me, what is the profound meaning behind this?"
Li Chengqian obediently raised his head, showing no sign of having been distracted, and answered methodically: "Grandfather, this sentence means that a monarch should govern the country with virtue and put the livelihood and well-being of the people first. Only with good governance can the hearts of the people be won over and the country be stable."
He needs to raise many younger brothers to be worthy of his status as the number one playboy!
Li Yuan nodded in satisfaction and continued to ask, "If you encounter factional strife in the court, how will you handle it?"
A knowing glint flashed in Li Chengqian's eyes. He was familiar with the younger brothers vying for favor.
"We must be discerning, distinguish right from wrong, remain impartial, and use a fair mind to reconcile all parties, eliminate the practice of forming cliques for personal gain, and maintain a clean and honest court."
He was extremely fair and impartial. Whether it was Qingque or Lizhi who came to ask him questions, he treated them as the best people in the world!
He was also good at mediating between his father and grandfather. The two of them bickered and argued, but it was absolutely impossible for them to "form a clique" and add to his studies.
Li Chengqian was thinking about Li Shimin when Li Shimin strode in.
Before Li Chengqian could even stand up and bow, she pulled him into her arms and turned to Li Yuan to complain, "Father, you've summoned Chengqian to your Da'an Hall again. How can I, as his father, not even see Chengqian? Is this proper?"
Li Yuan put down the book in his hand, glared back impolitely, and his beard trembled slightly with his tone: "Where do you, an emperor, find so much free time every day? Chengqian is doing very well with his grandfather, so don't interrupt."
“How am I interrupting?” Li Shimin raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, and tightened his grip on Li Chengqian’s arm. “I am Chengqian’s father!”
"I'm still his grandfather, and your father!"
Li Yuan and Li Shimin were glaring at each other, while Li Chengqian smiled faintly. That's how it is; his father and father couldn't possibly "form a faction." So he only needed to deal with one person at a time.
Feeling that his father was getting worse with age, Li Shimin didn't argue with him. He pulled Li Chengqian around and quickly walked out.
"Father, why don't you go fishing? Today is the Spirit Pact Academy's Pact-Forming Ceremony. I'll take Chengqian to do some serious business!"
Li Chengqian, who should have been enjoying lunch and a nice nap at the Da'an Hall at noon, was instead dragged to the Lingqi Academy.
I'm unhappy!
Never mind, consider it a test for my junior.
On the gilded cloud-patterned platform, Li Chengqian's black brocade robe fluttered in the wind, and the jade pendant with dragon patterns at his waist swayed gently with his movements.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his piercing gaze sweeping over the students, each with their own unique style, on the training ground below the stage. Little brothers! They were all his little brothers!
Li Chengqian smiled gently and said in a loud voice, "Today is the first Spirit Pact Academy Pact-Forming Conference. I hope you all have a good harvest, form protective pacts, and bless the people of the Great Tang!"
The moment the words were spoken, a tremendous response erupted from the training ground, with hundreds of students shouting in unison: "Let us forge a pact of protection and bless the people of the Great Tang!"
A satisfied smile curved Li Chengqian's lips as he nodded inwardly. These energetic students would be his future pillars of society. They were certainly full of spirit!
His gaze casually swept across the crowd, then suddenly fixed on a slender figure. Hmm? Qingque?
Li Chengqian suddenly realized what he had forgotten: Qingque had also come to study at the Spirit Pact Academy. No wonder the palace had been so quiet lately.
Judging from his appearance, he must have been working very hard lately.
Li Chengqian was very confident about this, not because he trusted Li Tai, but because he trusted himself. As the most notorious playboy in the Tang Dynasty, could his younger brother be an ordinary one?
Absolutely impossible!
Therefore, Li Chengqian looked straight at Li Tai, his eyes full of trust and expectation.
Li Tai, sitting in the audience, seemed to be struck by a beam of light, his whole body trembled, and his previously tense shoulders instantly relaxed.
Sure enough, my brother came for him! My brother and he are the best of friends in the world!
As the bond was formed, Li Chengqian saw that Li Tai had finally bound himself to a three-legged golden crow. He felt proud of his choice, but also a little regretful. Why wasn't it a Kunpeng?
But it doesn't matter, a subordinate bound to the Three-Legged Golden Crow is still a good subordinate!
So, when Li Tai rushed over and hugged him, Li Chengqian gave him face and hugged him back.
"Big brother, did you come all this way just to see me?"
"That's right!" They made eye contact, so how could it not be considered a special connection?
"Big brother, aren't we the best of friends in the world now?"
"Always has been." And "the best under heaven"—who isn't a citizen of the world? Who isn't good?
"Big brother, look, this is the three-legged golden crow I've bound to. It's the fourth one, just like me!"
"Really? That's great." Strange, why does this ranking feel so familiar?
"Big brother?!" Li Tai looked up and saw Li Chengqian crying. He couldn't help but redden his own eyes and hugged him tightly. "I knew it. Big brother would be happy for me. He's crying tears of joy!"
"Yes, I'm so happy and touched!"
Damn it, why is that little golden crow flashing so brightly? It's making my eyes water!
The students watching from afar couldn't help but sigh, "The Crown Prince and the Prince of Wei have such a good relationship..."
At Shenshi (3-5 PM), he brought the bluebird, who had successfully formed a bond with his father, back to the palace to inform his parents of the good news, and also took the opportunity to have a meal at the Taiji Hall.
Picking food for Mother, picking food for Father, picking food for Qingque, picking food for Lizhi—another day of treating everyone equally!
At dusk, he casually took the Fire Phoenix back to the East Palace to listen to it relay the latest gossip. In order to keep up with news from all sides... well, not really, he just loved listening to gossip.
Watching Fire Phoenix and White Tiger fight, he was fair and impartial, never taking sides. Therefore, it's impossible for Fire Phoenix and White Tiger to "form a faction." Truly, he's worthy of his reputation!
I fall asleep promptly at the hour of Xu (7-9 PM).
He's still a child. He needs to rest well and be pampered with a soft bed and pillows so he can grow into the most outstanding playboy!
Hai Shi (9-11 PM)
Zzz…
midnight
Zzz…
Chou hour
Zzz…
Yin Shi (3-5 AM)
Zzz…
Mao Shi (5-7 AM)
Zzz…
A day in the life of a playboy is not easy. To become the number one playboy in the Tang Dynasty is indeed a long and arduous journey!
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