Chapter 134 Returning to the Palace
The first thing Li Ke did upon returning to the palace was to cause Emperor Jian'an to sprain his back.
He reached out to support Emperor Jian'an, his face full of panic: "Grandfather, Ke'er did not mean it, please forgive me."
Liang Qisheng has already gone to summon the imperial physician. The Grand Secretary and the Ministers were all in the Taiji Hall, and the Crown Prince was also there. They all saw with their own eyes that Emperor Jian'an insisted on hugging the heir, which resulted in him twisting his back. How could Emperor Jian'an hold a grudge against his own grandson?
But he was still very happy that Li Ke was so polite. While rubbing his aching back, he comforted Li Ke, saying, "Ke'er, don't worry. This is an old ailment of yours. Just ask the imperial physician to prescribe some ointment and it will be fine."
Grand Secretary Yang and other important officials then brought up the topic of Emperor Jian'an needing to take good care of his health. At that moment, Minister of Revenue He Yuchang said, "I have tiger bone wine at home, which is excellent for strengthening the waist. I will send my attendant home to fetch it for Your Majesty to drink."
Emperor Jian'an waved his hand repeatedly: "There are plenty of these in the palace, so there's no need to trouble you, my dear minister. This back injury is an old ailment that flares up from time to time. Today was just a coincidence."
Within a few words, the imperial physician rushed over, first having Emperor Jian'an lie down to examine his injuries, then giving him a massage with medicinal wine, and finally applying a plaster to his waist. Emperor Jian'an felt much better afterward.
But standing or sitting is still tiring, and lying down is the only comfortable option.
The moment the imperial physician rushed to the Taiji Hall, the inner palace knew immediately.
Of course, the news of Li Ke's return reached the Empress's ears directly. She immediately sent a palanquin to fetch Emperor Jian'an and also summoned Li Ke and the Crown Prince.
Li Ke respectfully bowed to the Empress, but before he could kneel down, the Empress pulled him into her arms. She was about to hug him and cry, telling him how much he had suffered, when she touched his flesh.
The Empress forced back her tears.
Well, he seems to be doing much better than he did in the palace. He's come back so plump; he doesn't look like he's suffered.
The Empress could only say, "You look much older than before, Grandmother is very happy."
Li Ke said, "My grandson eats a lot and eats very well at the Meng family's house, so he has gained weight."
Upon hearing this, the Empress exclaimed, "Madam Meng is a skilled mother." However, she made no mention of rewarding her.
Li Ke had some doubts. This was not the way the royal family acted or followed the usual rules. According to past practice, his grandmother should have rewarded Madam Meng.
But she didn't.
Li Ke subconsciously looked at the Crown Prince, only to find that the atmosphere between his father and grandmother was strange. His father did not look at his grandmother, while his grandmother would steal glances at his father from time to time, as if she had something she couldn't say.
Did Father and Grandmother have a fight?
Children are naturally sensitive to these emotions, but once Li Ke entered the palace, the caution he had been taught since childhood returned. He had long since learned not to ask questions casually, so he planned to return to the East Palace to ask his father what had happened.
The Empress and Li Ke didn't talk much, because the news of his return caused a sensation in the harem. Consorts and ladies of various ranks came to visit him under the pretext of seeing the Crown Prince. After greeting him at Jinghe Palace, they naturally went to visit Emperor Jian'an, who was lying in bed.
The Crown Prince had no interest in these matters. Instead, he bowed to the Empress and said, "Mother, Ke'er's mother is still waiting for him to return to the palace. If there is nothing else, I will take him back."
The Empress hesitated, but ultimately said nothing, only waving her hand gently and saying, "Go then."
The Crown Prince led Li Ke back to the Eastern Palace without looking back.
Back in the palace, the Crown Princess had already prepared a table full of food, all of which were Li Ke's favorite dishes. Seeing the Crown Prince bring Li Ke back, she gently took Li Ke's hand and said, "Zezhi, come here quickly. Your mother has asked the imperial chef to prepare your favorite dishes. Come and eat."
Li Ke glanced at the sumptuous dishes on the table and suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity.
When he was at the Meng family home, his favorite food was the salted vegetable and meat pie made by Mao's mother. He could eat two full bowls of it mixed with white rice.
But with so many exquisite dishes prepared by his mother, she certainly wouldn't let him eat pickled vegetables and meat patties with rice.
He was hungry too, so he obediently sat down at the table. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess sat on either side of him with smiles, and the three of them ate together.
The palace maid served him food, using exquisite silver chopsticks to pick up some dishes and place them on a gilded ceramic plate in front of him, but there wasn't a single grain of rice in his bowl.
Li Ke then said to the palace maid, "Pour me a bowl of rice."
The palace maid was startled and instinctively looked at the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. The Crown Prince frowned slightly: "Didn't you hear what the young master said? He told you to serve the food!"
The palace maid hurriedly agreed and quickly filled a small bowl of rice for Li Ke.
There were only a few mouthfuls of rice, loosely covering the bottom of the bowl. Li Ke frowned, stood up, and personally scooped a large spoonful of rice into the bowl, then scooped another large spoonful, pressing it down firmly. Only then did he begin to eat with satisfaction.
He ate a mouthful of rice and a mouthful of vegetables, and soon finished a bowl of very full rice. He wanted to eat another bowl.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess stared in disbelief as their son devoured the entire heaping bowl of white rice, barely touching any of the other dishes on the table.
After Li Ke finished a bowl of rice, he wanted to eat more rice, but the Crown Princess hurriedly said, "Ke'er, eat more vegetables. You haven't touched any of the vegetables, you've only been eating rice."
Li Ke said, "Sister Xiaoxiao said that only rice is nutritious. If you want to be healthy and strong, you have to eat rice. It's best to have vegetables, but it's okay if you don't."
So, is this how Li Xiaoxiao fed Li Ke until he was so fat?
But facts speak louder than words. The couple certainly hoped their son would grow up strong and healthy, unlike Princess Li Yu, who, although she did not continue to weaken after being away from the poisonous stone, was still as weak as a cat after being well cared for for more than three months. She could not eat more than eight dishes at every meal, and even the Crown Princess felt anxious about it, let alone her own mother, Consort Lin.
Thinking of Rui Rui's chubby body, Mrs. Meng must be very good at raising children, so the couple decided not to interfere with their son's diet. As long as he could eat it and liked it, he could eat whatever he wanted.
After the meal, Li Ke inquired about the Empress's unusual attitude: "Why didn't Grandmother reward Madam Meng or Sister Xiaoxiao?"
The Crown Princess's smile vanished, and even the Crown Prince fell silent.
My son is so young and he's already sensed something's wrong. Shouldn't we tell him about his sixth uncle's plot to harm them? And his beloved grandparents have chosen to side with his sixth uncle, even testing his attitude, trying to get him to agree to release his sixth uncle...
My son is intelligent, but he is too young. Can he keep the secret and control his expression?
But he was the crown prince, and his birth destined him to be different from ordinary children. His caution needed to be cultivated in advance, and he also needed to know the truth to take precautions early.
After much deliberation, the Crown Prince finally revealed everything about the Sixth Prince and instructed him, "Can you keep this a secret? Can you keep it from being discovered? Even if it's just to protect your sister Xiaoxiao..."
Li Ke's eyes were filled with tears. He couldn't believe that so many of his younger brothers and sisters had been killed by his sixth uncle. He threw himself into the Crown Prince's arms and cried out, "My own brother was just as adorable as my brother. I could have played with him in the Eastern Palace every day..."
The younger brother he was referring to was the chubby, smiling, and incredibly sweet-talking third son of the Crown Prince, while the younger brother was Rui Rui.
The Crown Prince held him tightly, letting him cry in his arms, and whispered, "So now you know why your grandfather and grandmother didn't reward Sister Xiaoxiao, right? She exposed your sixth uncle's secret, causing him to be confined and unable to come out. Your grandfather and grandmother will only be angry with her, not reward her."
Li Ke asked in a daze, "What about the deaths of my two younger brothers? Didn't my grandparents care?"
The Crown Prince patted his head tenderly: "If they don't care, your father will, it just might take a little longer. I'm telling you this secret because I believe you're all grown up now, that you'll keep this secret, and that you'll protect Sister Xiaoxiao and Brother Xiaoxiao, right?"
Li Ke wept bitterly, wiped away his tears, and his eyes shone with determination: "Father, Mother, rest assured, I will keep the secret. I will protect Sister Xiaoxiao, my brother, and Madam Meng's family."
Back in her palace that evening, the Crown Princess said to the Crown Prince, "Ze Zhi is still so young, yet Your Highness has told him everything. What if he can't control his emotions?"
The Crown Prince's gaze darkened slightly: "If he can't control himself, then he can't control himself. Blindly being kind and tolerant will only encourage others to take advantage. I'd rather he be more assertive. He's the Crown Prince; does he need to be beholden to others?"
The Crown Princess hesitated, but in the end, she could only sigh and let him go.
After returning, Li Ke rested in the Eastern Palace for two days, and on the third day he went back to the Imperial Study to resume his studies.
For the first two days, everything was normal. On the third day, the Crown Prince was discussing snow disaster relief with Emperor Jian'an, whose back injury had almost healed, and a group of key ministers when Liang Qisheng rushed in to report: "The Grand Tutor has sent someone to report that His Highness the Heir Apparent has started fighting with the other imperial grandsons..."
The Crown Prince's expression changed drastically. Li Ke had been well-behaved, dignified, and composed since he entered school at the age of four. He had never had any conflicts with anyone, not even a quarrel. Now, they were actually fighting?
Although the students he studied with were also imperial grandsons, mostly little kids around ten years old, and with tutors and eunuchs watching over them, they shouldn't have gotten hurt. But his act of fighting was itself abnormal.
Could it be that what he said that day was too harsh, making him angry?
He stood up abruptly, bowed to Emperor Jian'an, and said, "Father, please allow me to take my leave and go see what's going on." Before he finished speaking, he ran off.
Emperor Jian'an quickly signaled the meeting to end, and, supporting his back, was about to go and see what was happening. The Minister of War, with a quick thought, immediately stepped forward to support Emperor Jian'an: "Your Majesty, please be careful. Let me help you."
The imperial grandsons are all children, so their fighting is nothing to watch. But the Crown Prince, who had disappeared for half a year, actually got into a fight. That's something to see. You know, Li Ke was very disciplined, even though he was young. What could have caused the fight?
The Minister of War followed, and the other ministers naturally followed suit. Even the Grand Secretary Yang Shimin shook his head and followed, leaving Liang Qisheng speechless.
Even Emperor Jian'an didn't say a word, so how could he dare to stop any of these people?
When the Crown Prince arrived, the children in the Imperial Study stood on two sides. On one side was Li Ke, who stood with his hands in his sleeves, and on the other side was Li Shen, the eldest son of the Third Prince, followed by the children of the First Prince, the Second Prince, and the Fourth Prince. The oldest was twelve years old, and the youngest was only five.
The tutor who was instructing them was lecturing them on things like brotherly love and respect, but the little rascals were clearly unconvinced. One of them was fuming, and although he didn't talk back, he obviously ignored the lecture.
The Crown Prince was the first to arrive. He glanced at Li Ke and saw that there was no one behind him, while on the other side, Li Shen, the ten-year-old son of the third prince's family, was leading a group of imperial grandsons to confront Li Ke. He was not happy about this.
Li Ke hasn't come back to school for so long, so they're all ganging up on him?
His face darkened: "What happened? Why were you fighting?"
Although it was called a fight, Li Ke was clean, while several people on Li Shen's side had disheveled clothes and messy hair, and some even had tear stains on their faces, making it look as if Li Ke had beaten them.
My son did the work of seven or eight people by himself...
Even though he knew fighting was wrong, he would still be very happy if Li Ke actually won a fight against multiple opponents.
Upon seeing the Crown Prince arrive, the Grand Tutor hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects and recounted the events: "The imperial grandsons had a minor argument over something, and His Highness the Heir Apparent then attacked them, throwing them one by one to the ground. The eunuchs outside rushed in to stop them, and that's how they were separated—"
At this moment, Emperor Jian'an and the ministers arrived. Upon hearing that Li Ke had single-handedly defeated that bunch of kids, Emperor Jian'an was somewhat skeptical: "It's common for children to quarrel and fight, and a little fighting can even strengthen their bond. But Ke'er defeated them all by himself? Isn't the Grand Tutor being a bit biased towards those lads?"
Li Shen was pinned to the ground by Li Ke and unable to move. He had lost all face and dignity, and now he was being wrongly accused by his grandfather. He immediately burst into tears, feeling aggrieved: "Grandfather, no, he beat all of us by himself."
When he started crying, a bunch of boys behind him started crying too, making a racket like ducks quacking.
He threw my things to the ground right away.
"I didn't even realize it."
"My head hit the stool, it hurts so much."
"He got all the new clothes my mother made for me dirty, boohoo~"
"My shoes fell off and were stepped on several times."
...
Emperor Jian'an was at his wit's end. He waved his hand and said, "Stop, stop, stop, Ke'er, you tell me, did you really beat all of them?"
Li Ke bowed respectfully and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Emperor Jian'an was taken aback, his eyes widening in disbelief: "Are you telling the truth?"
Li Ke said, "Your grandson would not dare to deceive His Majesty."
Emperor Jian'an hesitated for a moment, glanced at Li Huai, the twelve-year-old son of the eldest prince, and beckoned to him: "Huai'er, come out."
Li Huai wiped away his tears and quickly stepped forward.
Li Huai is twelve years old this year, four years older than Li Ke who is eight, and almost a head taller. Emperor Jian'an said to Li Ke, "Come, come, show me how you knocked down your brother who is a head taller than you."
Li Huai's eyes widened. Was his grandfather ordering Li Ke to continue beating him? How could that be?!
To everyone's surprise, Emperor Jian'an immediately said to him, "Huai'er, don't just stand there and take the beating. Show your skills and don't lose to him!"
Since it was a contest between them, Li Huai had nothing to worry about.
He charged towards Li Ke.
Just as Li Ke was about to reach him, he sidestepped, hooked his arm around Li Huai's neck, and then wedged his leg under Li Huai's knee. Li Huai instantly lost his balance and fell to the ground.
Li Huai's face turned red with anger. The first time he lost, he said it was because he was ambushed by Li Ke unintentionally. But this time, in front of his grandfather and all the ministers, he was actually thrown to the ground by Li Ke again.
He quickly got up and immediately reached out to hit Li Ke.
Li Ke reached out and grabbed Li Huai's arms, pulling his shoulders down to his own height. He spun him around several times to dissipate the force, then, seizing the opportunity, tripped him with his leg. Li Huai lost his balance once again and fell heavily to the ground.
This really hurt him, and it also ruined his face. He was so angry that he sat on the ground and burst into tears.
"Excellent!" Minister of War Wu Xiuwen exclaimed, "Your Highness has mastered wrestling techniques exceptionally well; you are a promising martial arts talent!"
Although the other ministers did not speak, their eyes showed admiration for Li Ke. Such a posture could not be achieved without frequent practice.
Not to mention the Crown Prince's own father, he was both surprised and delighted, and wished he could pick up his son and kiss him a few times.
Even Emperor Jian'an was stunned. In his memory, Li Ke was thin and small and didn't speak loudly. Who knew that after returning from half a year away from the palace, he had become so good at wrestling and fighting?
Li Ke showed off this skill, and Li Ke finally believed that he could take down this group of little brats all by himself.
Strength, timing, and skill are all indispensable. And with these kids who haven't even learned the basics of wrestling, it was only natural that I won.
Emperor Jian'an couldn't help but praise, "Ke'er has learned wrestling very well, but—" He changed his tone, his voice becoming increasingly stern, "As cousins, how does the Grand Tutor teach you? Why are you fighting?"
Li Ke said calmly, "Grandfather might as well ask my cousin Li Shen what he said to me before you blame me."
Li Shen?
Emperor Jian'an then looked at Li Shen, whose legs went weak with fear. Li Shen immediately knelt on the ground and burst into tears.
The remaining few who had come to join the fun didn't dare to speak and all knelt down, crying.
Li Ke calmly said, "It took me half a year after leaving the palace to understand the meaning of 'every grain of rice on the plate is the result of hard work.' Since returning to school these past few days, I have eaten every single grain of rice at every meal, yet they laugh at me, saying that even the pig trough is not as clean as my bowl. I have endured this for two days, but today I really can't take it anymore."
Li Ke left the palace for half a year, citing poor health as the reason. He found a quiet Taoist temple to recuperate. Emperor Jian'an kept the truth completely from him, and others would only assume that he had learned skills from the Taoists while recuperating, without any doubt.
To everyone's surprise, as soon as he finished speaking, the Crown Prince's face turned deathly pale with anger. Several ministers also frowned and looked at each other in dismay. Emperor Jian'an was also furious, his face turning purple. He roared, "You little brats! How dare you mock the Crown Prince?! Who taught you to speak like that? Don't you have any manners? Don't you have any sense of hierarchy?"
The emperor's might was like thunder, and the children trembled with fear. Emperor Jian'an and the crown prince looked at Li Ke with a mixture of guilt and sadness. How could a dignified heir to the Eastern Palace have eaten every last grain of rice? How much suffering had he endured in the past six months?
Emperor Jian'an was furious. He picked up the teaching whip that the Grand Tutor had placed aside and was about to teach Li Shen and Li Huai, the two ringleaders, a lesson. But Li Ke stepped forward and blocked their way: "Grandfather, please calm down. This is just a trivial matter between us cousins. A fight and a cry will be over. We can handle it ourselves. Grandfather and Father, please don't be angry, and don't tell our cousins' father and mother."
Upon hearing this, Yang Shimin couldn't help but stroke his beard and nod in praise. The ministers looked at him with increasing astonishment. How could the young prince have such magnanimity at such a young age? How could he consider that adults shouldn't interfere in matters between children? This is truly rare precocity!
Emperor Jian'an was also moved and said, "But Ke'er has been wronged. If I don't punish them, how can you live with yourself?"
Li Ke said, “They were the ones who started it with their foul mouths, and I gave them a beating, so that’s the end of it. If they’re foul-mouthed again in the future, I’ll beat them again until they don’t dare to talk back. If Grandfather really wants to punish them, he should make them eat all the lunch that’s sent to them every day and not waste any. That would be the most severe punishment for cousins.”
Emperor Jian'an's face immediately became so kind it seemed to drip with water, and he sighed, "You all hold the highest positions among ministers, yet have you ever cherished food as much as the Crown Prince?"
Yang Shimin immediately said, "Your Highness has such insights at such a young age. I am humbled, for I am still inferior to Your Highness at my age."
The other ministers immediately replied, "Your Majesty, we are terrified."
"I am ashamed of my inferiority."
Emperor Jian'an praised Li Ke a few more times and then instructed Liang Qisheng: "Go to my private treasury and find the inkstone that I liked the most from the previous dynasty. I want to reward Ke'er with it."
Li Ke thanked the Emperor for the reward, and Emperor Jian'an then left with the Crown Prince and his officials, completely satisfied.
After Emperor Jian'an left, the respectful expression on Li Ke's face immediately disappeared, and when he faced the imperial grandsons again, he had put on a cold and indifferent expression.
Li Shen and Li Huai didn't dare to breathe loudly or even look at him.
If he hadn't pleaded for them just now, and if their words calling him a pig had reached home, his father and mother would have beaten them to death!
That's terrifying. He's only eight years old, so why does he look so scary when he puts on a stern face?
Li Ke stared coldly at Li Shen and Li Huai: "If you dare to speak ill of me again, even if I break your heads, my imperial grandfather will still stand by my side. Do you understand?"
Li Shen and Li Huai whispered, "We understand, we won't say anything more."
The remaining younger ones were just following the crowd and fooling around; after being frightened by Li Ke's words, they nodded vigorously.
Li Ke was satisfied. Following Emperor Jian'an's method, he had already given them a good beating, so he decided to offer a reward: "If you get along well with me, I will teach you the wrestling techniques I have learned. How about that?"
Li Shen and Li Huai were stunned. They immediately forgot what had just happened and stepped forward: "Are you serious? You're willing to teach us the wrestling technique we just learned?"
Li Ke raised his head and said, "Of course it's true! It's just that we can't tell the adults about our little secret, otherwise they definitely won't let you learn from me."
"We won't say! We won't say!" Li Ke was immediately surrounded by the imperial grandsons. The strength he had just displayed was truly astonishing. Which child could resist him?
Li Ke was satisfied: "Alright, then I'll observe your performance. If you do well, I'll teach you more..."
He recalled the wrestling competitions his cousin Xiaoxiao had organized back in Biyang County. The winners received little red flowers on their foreheads and a handful of peanut candies as a reward. But his cousins certainly didn't lack peanut candies; they'd definitely never seen a little red flower before.
He thought for a moment, then said with an air of pride, “Once you’ve learned it, we’ll hold a wrestling competition. We’ll all bring our favorite things as prizes. The winner will not only take the prize but also get a little red flower printed on their forehead. The loser will get nothing.”
The imperial grandsons had never seen anything like this before. They were immediately subdued by Li Ke.
Li Xiaoxiao, who taught them wrestling, naturally had no idea that Aze had managed to completely subdue the imperial grandson in his class within just a few days of returning home. After Aze left, she was also very busy, busy setting aside a piece of land in the third courtyard to turn it into a sports field.
If Meng Guanqi's words are true, this winter may very well see a repeat of the cold wave of thirty years ago. In that case, Meng Guanqi, who can only wear five layers of clothing at most, may not be able to survive the three-day imperial examination.
This is no joke. It's only November, and it's been snowing lightly these past few days. There's a thick layer of frost on the ground. Even without a thermometer, Li Xiaoxiao felt that the temperature wouldn't be lower than minus ten degrees Celsius, and might even be lower.
The examination cells in the examination hall had no doors; they were just two detachable wooden planks that served as both desks and beds. It would be fatal to endure two days and one night in such weather, let alone have to use your brain and write for the exam.
Although Meng Guanqi had suggested that the Crown Prince prepare to provide charcoal for the candidates, no one could guarantee that the Emperor and those rigid officials would agree.
If he really disagrees, Meng Guanqi will really have to endure it inside.
With his current physical condition, he absolutely cannot survive it. There are still three months until the imperial examination. She must do her best to improve his physical fitness, help him build muscle, and enhance his ability to resist the cold.
She planned to replicate Rui Rui's obstacle course in Biyang County, but to make it an adult version, she would increase the difficulty and have Meng Guanqi complete the challenge every day.
With the imperial examination approaching, he spent his days either eating and sleeping with a book in his hand or writing non-stop. Although he ate a lot, he still lost weight little by little, which shows how hard it was to study.
In an effort to adapt to the winter in the capital as quickly as possible, he even went to the outer study to read and write these past two days. There wasn't a single charcoal brazier lit in the room, which Li Xiaoxiao discovered by chance and immediately stopped him.
Meng Guanqi smiled wryly: "I need to get used to being able to write even when my hands are frozen. I can't sit in a room with a heated floor and read every day."
Li laughed and said, "Do you still want your hands? Believe me or not, in less than two days your hands will be covered in chilblains, so swollen you won't be able to hold a pen."
Meng Guanqi sighed, "It's not like it never grew..."
During the two winters on Guiyuan Mountain, his hands and feet were covered in frostbite every year, but even Headmaster Gu had never used a brazier, so naturally they couldn't use one either.
Headmaster Gu set an example by demonstrating how to help students adapt to the conditions of winter without charcoal or warm clothes, so that they could still maintain a clear mind and write excellent articles.
His concern was that if a cold wave occurred during the spring imperial examinations, the students of Wanshan Academy would be more resistant to the cold, more accustomed to it, and more alert than others—that would be enough.
Li Xiaoxiao sighed, "I used to think that Headmaster Gu was just putting in the hardship, but I never expected him to go to this extent. He really put in a lot of effort... But dealing with a cold wave, just toughing it out isn't the best way. There's a big difference between freezing weather and non-freezing weather. The most important thing is to improve your body's resistance. I've already started preparing equipment to strengthen your physique. Once it's set up in the yard, you can set aside an hour each day to exercise and build up your muscles so you won't be so afraid of the cold..."
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