Chapter 476 Chengqian
The carved and gilded door hinges creaked softly as a crack slowly appeared in the vermilion door of the Chengqian Hall.
The maid, holding the swaddled baby, bowed her head and gracefully stepped across the threshold. She respectfully curtsied, intending to hand the baby to Li Shimin.
Li Shimin stepped forward quickly, his well-defined hands hovering above the swaddling clothes, as if afraid of disturbing the sleeping infant.
When the soft little body fell into his palm, the decisive and ruthless King of Qin on the battlefield suddenly held his breath, his throat churning with uncontrollable sobs, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Li Yuan strode over, his dragon-patterned robe billowing in the wind.
He bent down to examine the exquisitely beautiful face of the baby in the swaddling clothes. His tense expression softened instantly, and he laughed loudly: "Good! Good! Good! Shimin's son is born extraordinary, he shall be named Chengqian!"
A proud voice echoed through the outer corridor of the palace, startling the bronze bells on the eaves to tinkle.
Li Jiancheng, standing under the corridor, gripped the jade belt at his waist, his knuckles turning white beneath his black robe.
His supporters whispered amongst themselves, their eyes darting between the two characters "Chengqian" and the majestic Chengqian Hall, suspicion growing wildly in their hearts like vines.
Li Jiancheng stopped his younger brother Li Yuanji, who was about to question him, and stiffly offered his congratulations: "Congratulations on the birth of your son, second brother."
Li Shimin carefully held the child in his arms, then looked up and coldly met Li Jiancheng's gaze: "If Your Highness the Crown Prince really wants to congratulate me, then investigate the matter at the palace banquet thoroughly. How can one sweep the world if one cannot even sweep one's own room?"
"you!"
Li Jiancheng gripped Li Yuanji's arm tightly, preventing him from saying anything more, and said with an air of righteousness, "I will, don't worry, second brother."
Li Yuan, standing to the side, looked down at the child in Li Shimin's arms without saying a word. "One cannot be a good father-in-law without being deaf and mute," he reasoned, especially since his second son had indeed been wronged.
To ease tensions between his eldest and second sons, he had specifically entrusted the palace banquet to his eldest son. Now that things have gone wrong, whether it's to give his second son an explanation or to prove himself, these are things Jiancheng needs to consider.
As the crown prince, he must shoulder the responsibilities of a crown prince.
...
The air was filled with the scent of sandalwood mixed with medicine, and Li Shimin's hands, holding the swaddled baby, trembled slightly.
Entering the cleaned-up Chengqian Hall, Li Shimin looked at his wife lying on the bed, her face pale. His throat tightened, his eyes reddened, and he called out in a choked voice, "Guanyinbi..."
Empress Zhangsun's eyelashes trembled slightly as she forced a smile and said weakly, "Second Brother, you mustn't cry. We're in the palace."
Li Shimin hurriedly lowered his head, rubbed his reddened eyes hard with his fingertips, and said in a muffled voice, "Who's crying?"
"Guanyinbi, look quickly." Li Shimin carefully placed the swaddled baby on the edge of the bed, his slender fingers hovering above the baby as if afraid of disturbing the fragile little life. "This is our little Chengqian, how adorable."
Looking at the baby's rosy face in the swaddling clothes, Empress Zhangsun smiled, then frowned slightly and asked softly, "Chengqian?"
Seeing this, Li Shimin gently stroked the fine lines between her brows with his fingertips, the warmth of his palm soothing her cool skin: "It was the name given by your father. Don't worry, our child was born with extraordinary signs, he is destined for greatness, this name is fitting."
Empress Zhangsun gazed at the sleeping child in the swaddling clothes, a thin mist rising in her eyes: "I only wish my child were foolish and dull, free from calamity and hardship..."
Before she could finish speaking, Li Shimin had already grasped her hand tightly, the calluses on his thumb rubbing against the cool back of her hand: "Guanyinbi, don't worry, I'm here. I will definitely protect him and ensure his safety and a smooth life."
He spoke with great certainty, but Li Shimin never imagined that children could be so difficult to raise!
Because Empress Zhangsun had just given birth, it was impossible for her to leave the palace now. So the whole family stayed in Chengqian Palace.
On the first day, Li Shimin felt both heartache for his wife's suffering and love for his prematurely born eldest son. So, throughout the entire day, except when feeding the baby, he held the child tightly.
Looking at Chengqian nestled obediently in his arms, Li Shimin's heart melted. Indeed, father and son are of one heart; Chengqian clearly adores his father.
The next day, Li Shimin went to urge Li Jiancheng to make progress in the investigation. When he returned, he heard Xiao Chengqian crying, which broke his heart.
Confused and at a loss, Li Shimin frantically summoned the imperial physician to examine him, which also alarmed Li Yuan.
When Li Yuan arrived, he saw a silly father happily swaying his child in his arms; it was indeed his first time being a father.
On the third day, Li Shimin continued investigating the case, and when he returned, Xiao Chengqian was crying again.
Li Shimin began to suspect that someone might be harming the child, and asked more imperial physicians to examine everyone and everything in Chengqian Palace.
This alarmed Li Yuan again, and Li Jiancheng, who was afraid of being blamed again, rushed over.
Then, Li Shimin was seen holding the young Chengqian and swaying him around, and nothing happened.
Li Jiancheng was speechless, suspecting that Li Shimin was deliberately trying to mess with his mentality.
On the fourth day, before Li Shimin could leave the house, Xiao Chengqian woke up and started crying because he couldn't get a hug from Li Shimin.
Unable to bear seeing his son cry, Li Shimin carried his son to supervise Li Jiancheng's investigation.
Li Jiancheng was speechless. Li Shimin was really ruthless. He brought his son out when he was so young, just to frame him.
On the fifth day, Chengqian cried, and Li Shimin held him.
On the sixth day, she cried and then hugged.
On the seventh day, I hugged him.
...
"Do you really have to bring the child?"
Li Yuan's forehead veins bulged as he looked at his second son, Li Shimin, who was sitting calmly in the Taiji Hall, holding an infant in his arms, and was utterly speechless.
Knowing it's his first time being a father, isn't this a bit too much? Are the servants in Chengqian Palace dead?
I don't trust anyone else with this.
Although Li Shimin felt uneasy inside, he appeared confident and righteous on the surface.
What a sweet dilemma! His son just can't leave him, and he cries if he's separated from him. How could he possibly bear to part with him?
"Didn't you say what you found out? Hurry up and say it, Chengqian is about to take a nap."
Li Shimin, defying Li Yuan's bottom line, arrogantly looked at Li Jiancheng with his chin raised.
Li Jiancheng took a deep breath, deciding not to argue with this father who had gone mad with parental love, and turned to Li Yuan, presenting him with the relevant clues and conclusions he had found.
After hearing his account, Li Shimin snorted coldly, "You mean, it was the people left behind by the former Sui dynasty in the palace who so easily bypassed the palace's defenses and the pre-banquet checks to successfully poison him?"
Faced with Li Shimin's questioning, Li Jiancheng remained calm and bowed to Li Yuan, saying, "Yes, I was also wrong in this matter; it was my negligence."
Turning to Li Shimin, he said apologetically, "Second brother, it was my fault for not supervising properly. I apologize to you. Whatever you want me to do, I will do without hesitation."
Unable to bear his hypocritical act, Li Shimin immediately said, "Abdicate and yield the throne to a worthy successor..."
"Shimin!"
Li Yuan interrupted him with a cold shout.
Li Shimin immediately looked at the little Chengqian in his arms, patted him gently and coaxed him, "Chengqian, don't be afraid, your grandfather just has a loud voice."
Li Yuan closed his eyes. Seeing him like this, the anger in his heart dissipated instantly, and he subconsciously whispered, "Don't talk nonsense."
Li Jiancheng's eyes turned cold, and he couldn't help but glance at the child in Li Shimin's arms.
But Li Shimin, who suddenly looked up, noticed this and, seeing the coldness in his eyes, Li Jiancheng instinctively flinched away. When he turned back, he found Li Shimin again displaying an indifferent and sarcastic demeanor.
"I understand, I understand. I suppose His Highness the Crown Prince won't be able to find anything else. I'll be going now. Chengqian should go to sleep."
He didn't say whether he was satisfied with the result, and Li Yuan didn't press him for details. He simply waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Go on, go on, as if you've never been a father before."
"That's different. Can your eldest son compare to mine?"
"roll!"
Li Jiancheng threw a memorial at Li Shimin's back, angry but still controlling his voice.
Li Jiancheng, who was suddenly being compared to Li Shimin and was even less capable than him, had even deeper doubts in his heart. Was it that Li Shimin was too good at using retreat as a means of advancement, or did this newborn nephew have some other kind of charm?
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