Chapter 498 Matching Experiment
Time: March 7th, the first year of the Zhenguan era Location: Taiji Palace, Taiji Hall Participants: Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji, Li Tai, Li Lizhi, Changsun Wugou, Changsun Wuji, Yuchi Jingde, Cheng Yaojin, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Wei Zheng Experiment Theme: Who is the lucky one?
"Aren't we just giving it a try? Aren't there a lot of people?"
Li Yuan looked around at the hall filled with people, men and women, and the Taiji Hall seemed much more crowded.
“Not many,” Li Shimin said, looking around at the crowd. “I’ve brought men and women, old and young, civil and military officials, and even former members of the Crown Prince’s faction. Isn’t this for a more accurate test?”
The former Crown Prince faction, including Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji, and Wei Zheng, couldn't help but twitch their lips. Their current emperor was truly unconventional.
So what exactly should we try?
Li Yuanji shouted impatiently. Although he had submitted, his unruly nature was impossible to change.
However, reality will teach him a lesson.
As he habitually wore a sour expression, but only intended to ask Li Chengqian a question, he had just turned his body towards him when a huge white tiger pounced on him.
Everyone was shocked, but Li Jiancheng remained silent. How familiar this scene was... Thankfully, he wasn't there this time.
"Alright, Wu Mo, come back."
Li Chengqian casually called out, and the white tiger obediently released Li Yuanji, shrinking its body and snuggling up to Li Chengqian's leg, leaving a bewildered Li Yuanji lying on the ground, looking aggrievedly at the roof beams of the Taiji Hall. He just wanted to ask a question, it wasn't like he came here of his own accord, was it really necessary...?
Li Jiancheng helplessly helped his arrogant younger brother up, while Li Shimin casually asked, "Chengqian, when did you name Baihu?"
Li Chengqian's expression went blank for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "Just obtained it, Father, what do you think?"
"White Tiger Without Ink, excellent! Chengqian is a wonderful name!"
Li Shimin praised him very generously, not only praising him himself, but also signaling with his eyes that others should also praise him.
As Li Chengqian's tutors, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui exchanged a helpless glance. Even if the Crown Prince said that Baihu was called Ruhua, the Emperor could still praise him.
Indeed, the Emperor must not be allowed to interfere with the Crown Prince's education! We must guard against it at all costs; a genius cannot be ruined by the Emperor!
Unaware that he had once again been deprived of his right to education, Li Shimin was still praising Chengqian's ingenuity and even thinking about giving the fire phoenix a matching name, only to be rejected by the fire phoenix with a single wing.
"Erfeng, don't be disrespectful. I'm the only one who has the right to name you! Of course, if Chengqian is willing to name me, I'm not incapable of doing so..."
"cannot!"
Without Li Shimin needing to refute, Baihu Wumo pounced on Huofeng and started fighting again.
Li Shimin not only did not dissuade them, but also cheered them on from the sidelines; while Li Chengqian was busy pulling Li Tai and Li Zhi, who were watching the play, and had no time to pay attention to them.
Seeing this, Li Yuan felt dizzy and stepped forward to stop them, saying, "Alright! Let's get down to business!"
Li Shimin instantly became serious, as if he wasn't the one who had just incited Wu Mo to use underhanded tactics. "I've brought you here today to try and see if you can form a bond with the guardian beast of the Tang Dynasty."
Patting the restless phoenix's head, Li Shimin gestured for everyone to look, "The phoenix, the white tiger, and the black tortoise are all guardian beasts of the Tang Dynasty. Everyone knows how the phoenix and the white tiger came to be, and the black tortoise..."
Li Jiancheng wasn't deliberately trying to cause trouble, but he still interrupted him, saying, "I don't know."
Li Jiancheng smiled at Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, my fourth brother, Lord Wei, and I are unaware of this."
“I forgot about you.” Li Shimin paused, then explained in a few words, “In short, the Fire Phoenix and the White Tiger are my and Chengqian’s guardian beasts, respectively, and the Black Tortoise is my father’s guardian beast. But only a few can awaken their guardian beasts on their own, so today the three divine beasts will summon their clan… clan beasts to see if you have the fate to form a bond.”
Li Jiancheng looked at Li Yuan with a hint of resentment. "Father, if you had told me earlier that the second son and his father were protected by a divine beast, what would he have been fighting for? He would have abdicated long ago."
Li Yuan's eyes darted away, looking slightly embarrassed. He was indeed a bit indecisive, but it was all for the sake of protecting Chengqian!
Then he thought again, if he hadn't said anything, Jiancheng could have just pulled him down to abdicate. If he had said something earlier, wouldn't he have become a mere emperor on a heated chair? Thinking of this, Li Yuan glared at Li Jiancheng with annoyance.
Li Jiancheng was speechless. What did he mean? You're keeping it from me and you still think you're right?
The onlookers were thoroughly enjoying the subtle sparring between the father and son. Then, Lizhi's innocent voice rang out: "What's wrong with Grandpa and Uncle's eyes? Should we call the imperial physician? Lizhi can help."
"Lizhi is so considerate."
Li Shimin suppressed a laugh and coaxed his daughter. Upon hearing this, Xiao Lizhi proudly puffed out her chest and said, "Of course! Lizhi is the most amazing little princess. She will make a good impression on her playboy brother in the future."
"What? What playboy?"
Li Yuan, who was initially a little embarrassed by his granddaughter's innocent words, began to doubt his own ears upon hearing this.
Li Shimin's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly covered his beloved son's mouth, who was proudly preparing to introduce himself, and said with a laugh, "It's getting late, let's begin."
"Indeed, I am also very curious."
"I wonder if I am destined to have such a connection."
Having received the hint, Changsun Wuji and the others spoke up one after another, trying to dodge the topic.
Li Yuan stared at Li Shimin for a while, and after a long time, he decided to let him off the hook for the time being. "Then let's begin."
Li Shimin breathed a sigh of relief and urged Huo Feng to take action, completely unaware that it concerned his beloved grandson, Li Yuan had already secretly noted it down in his little notebook.
Everyone held their breath. Soon, the fire phoenix soared into the air, its wings fluttering, and countless sparks fell, spreading across the ground to form a circle of crimson runes. Quickly, like glass refined in flames, a Chongming bird broke through the circle, its golden eyes gleaming.
As Xuanwu, carrying the tortoise shell, slowly sank, the ground beneath its feet transformed into a turbulent pool of water. The surging water condensed into ice crystals, and as the red carp leaped out with a flick of its tail, thousands of water droplets floated in mid-air, refracting a rainbow-like halo.
The white tiger raised its head and let out a deafening roar, and the white light under its paws suddenly expanded into a transparent cocoon. As the cocoon threads peeled away, three furry cubs stumbled out. The gray wolf cub sneezed and fell into the arms of the spotted leopard cub, while the orange tiger cub chased its own bushy tail in circles.
"What do you mean? You're making up for the lack of quality with quantity?"
Fire Phoenix grumbled and glared angrily at the scheming White Tiger.
Wu Mo arrogantly flicked its tail, "There's nothing we can do about it, we beasts are just good at reproducing."
"?" Xuanwu slowly raised his head. "Say it again in front of me, who can give birth?"
How do you compare a litter with a maximum of eight or nine chicks to a litter with hundreds or thousands of chicks?
"We are different!"
Wu Mo wanted to find another reason, but he found that all five little creatures that had been sent out were desperately trying to get close to Li Chengqian. In particular, the three little ones he had sent out, taking advantage of their young age, had all snuggled into Li Chengqian's arms.
"A wolf has been let into the house!"
The white tiger wrapped its tail around the three little ones, nimbly pulled them down, and pushed them in front of the crowd. "Chengqian is mine, choose someone else!"
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