"Princess, you're back!"
At the entrance of Zhengqing Hall, Qin Xi, her lips trembling, strode forward to greet the girl, her eyes reddening as she grasped the girl's arm.
Li Chang'an supported his body with his hands and gently comforted him, "Eunuch Xi, Chang'an is back."
Qin Xi was rescued by her mother and kept by her side. After her mother passed away when Qin Xi was three years old, Qin Xi stayed by her side until three years ago before Qin Xi went to war. Although Qin Xi was a servant, Qin Xi was more like a family member to her.
"Why aren't you in Shou'an Palace, but instead in Father Emperor's Zhengqing Hall?" Li Chang'an rubbed the calluses on her hands, countless thoughts flashing through her mind: if she wasn't mistaken, Qin Xi was kneeling and washing the bricks in front of the hall...
Ignoring her objections, Qin Xi knelt down and kowtowed three times before getting up. He cautiously glanced around, and seeing that no one was around, he pulled her aside to the white jade dragon before saying, "Princess, you should hurry back to the military camp!"
Li Chang'an's heart sank. Her father-in-law was worried about her safety. Back then, he had even knocked his head out and fainted before she went to war, trying to persuade her not to go to the battlefield. But now he was unusually urging her to go back quickly... She hesitated for a moment and then said, "Tell me everything, Father-in-law. Otherwise, even if I hide in the military camp, I will not escape the schemes."
Qin Xi hesitated for a moment before finally telling the truth: "The Emperor is currently in a coma."
Li Chang'an narrowed his phoenix eyes, about to ask for clarification, when he was interrupted by a woman's voice coming from outside.
"Qin Xi, you dog servant, where are you hiding again to slack off! Get out here now and see how I teach you a lesson this time!" The clear and charming voice became sharp and shrill under the force of the command, causing Li Chang'an to subconsciously purse his lips.
She glanced at the eunuch beside her, only to find that his already hunched back had bent even lower, and he was trembling all over. Before Li Chang'an could speak, he quickly took two steps forward, knelt down, and begged for forgiveness: "This servant knows his mistake, this servant knows his mistake—"
"Fine, you dare to hide? Watch me—ah!"
Li Chang'an slipped out, pinching the woman's jade-like wrist in his hand. When he saw the woman's face clearly, he was slightly surprised: "Consort Lan?"
"How dare you! I don't even know who I am! Guards—how could it be you!" Zhao Ruyue's face suddenly turned pale, and the fear that Li Chang'an had instilled in her years ago immediately resurfaced.
Most of the maids serving her were newcomers and unaware of Li Chang'an's identity. They raised their noses and, acting like bullies, scolded, "How dare you lay a hand on the Imperial Noble Consort! Be careful, or we'll chop off your head!"
These words acted like a shot of adrenaline, immediately calming the panicked Zhao Ruyue. She struggled and shouted angrily, "What is Princess Chang'an doing! I am now the Imperial Noble Consort, the Crown Prince's mother!"
Li Chang'an's eyes darkened, and he shook off her hand, looking at Qin Xi kneeling on the ground: "Get up first."
Qin Xi felt uneasy. She glanced at Li Chang'an, then at the Imperial Noble Consort beside her who was clutching her wrist in pain, and hesitated before looking at her: "Consort Lan was promoted to Imperial Noble Consort by the Emperor a year ago, and her sixth son was also named Crown Prince."
"Crown Prince..." Li Chang'an frowned, a rare occurrence. She hadn't known a thing about such an important matter...
"How dare you bully my mother! I'll beat you to death!" A soft, still-childish voice suddenly rang out. Then, Li Chang'an felt a pain in his calf. Looking down, he saw a seven or eight-year-old child dressed in bright gold robes kicking his calf repeatedly.
The nanny serving the young prince broke out in a cold sweat and cautiously advised him, "Your Highness, this is Princess Chang'an..."
The little prince's kicking foot paused, and he blurted out, "That tigress of a mother of mine!?"
Everyone was shocked. Imperial Noble Consort Zhao Ruyu sensed something was wrong, and sure enough, she heard her precious son blurt out, "Is she the same strong, dark-skinned, and incredibly ugly female killer that Mother Consort was talking about?!"
All eyes turned to the Imperial Noble Consort, filled with admiration.
Zhao Ruyu, however, felt it was better to save face than to fight for a steamed bun. Back then, she had been completely suppressed by Li Chang'an, but now she had finally turned the tables. Her son was even the Crown Prince; why would she be afraid of a mere princess like Li Chang'an? She put her hands on her hips and sneered, "What? Am I wrong?!"
"You, a woman, are going into battle like a man. Aren't you going to get so tanned you'll become an ugly...monster..." Zhao Ruyu's voice trailed off as she finally realized something was wrong with Li Chang'an—what happened to the promise of becoming an ugly monster on the battlefield?! How come she still had the same fair skin and beautiful features as when she left three years ago?!
Seeing that his mother remained silent, the young prince assumed she was intimidated by the female assassin and immediately shouted, "I am the crown prince, I can kill you!"
Seeing that she didn't speak, the young prince thought she was scared, and immediately raised his head triumphantly: "How about that, are you scared! No matter what kind of princess, general's wife, or female general you are, you have to kneel down in front of me! If you don't kneel down, I will call the regent to chop off your head and play with it!"
Seeing her dark eyes staring at him, the little prince panicked and became even angrier. He pointed at her with his chubby little hand and threatened, "What are you looking at? If you look again, I'll have the Regent gouge your eyes out too!"
Li Chang'an snorted coldly, took two steps forward, bent down, and lifted him up, tucking him under his arm.
"How dare you! How dare you take me hostage—"
"Li Chang'an, what are you doing! You dare to kidnap the Crown Prince! Guards!"
The scene suddenly became chaotic. The Imperial Noble Consort screamed and rushed forward, only to be pushed away by her.
The young prince's wailing grew even louder, almost to the point of exhaustion: "I want my mother! I want the regent!"
Li Chang'an felt a throbbing pain in his temples: "Shut up!"
"I won't shut up, I won't shut up! Ah—Mother!"
Seeing the little brat still grumbling and yelling in his arms, Li Chang'an drew a dagger from his waist and swiftly brought it down—
"Ah—Her Imperial Noble Consort has fainted!"
"Oh no! His Highness the Crown Prince has wet his pants!"
Li Chang'an looked at the black hair he had cut and that had fallen to the ground, then at the little dumpling he was holding in his hand, who was dribbling urine. He felt that this little brother was no good at anything. Seeing that he was still crying loudly, he immediately turned cold and said, "As the Crown Prince of my Sheng Nan Kingdom, you are arrogant and domineering, spouting nonsense. You can't even handle this little bit of stimulation. You are not even as good as a three-year-old child on the border!" After saying that, he strode out of Zhengqing Hall with him in his arms.
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