The Emperor's Beloved: My Ancestor is the Crown Prince?

Chapter 59 Xiao Qingyi's Two Homes

Ye Yier stared blankly at her father-in-law, as if she were seeing him for the first time. Li Qi clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

"Why..." Ye Yi'er murmured, "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because you won't believe it." Li Minghua smiled bitterly. "Before seeing it with your own eyes, who would believe that a three-year-old daughter could travel through time? Even Qingge and I thought we were dreaming when we first saw it."

He stood up and walked towards the study: "Come with me."

In the study, the computer screen was lit. Li Minghua opened an encrypted folder containing detailed records:

Date: April 7th, the eleventh year of Zhenguan

Event: Yiyi's first time-travel experience, encountering Crown Prince Li Chengqian. Brought back: A Tang Dynasty mutton-fat jade pendant (a gift from Princess Chang Le).

Photo: [Close-up of the jade pendant]

Date: May 3rd, the eleventh year of Zhenguan

Event: Princess Jinyang suffers a bout of illness, and Yiyi brings back modern medicine. Result: Princess Jinyang's condition improves.

Note: This is Li Chengqian's first letter, with a copy of "The Collected Works of Tao Yuanming" attached.

Date: August 15th, the eleventh year of Zhenguan

Event: Yi Yi brought high-yield grain seeds and agricultural books to Tang. The Crown Prince used these to refine his disaster relief strategy.

Line after line, page after page. Photos, scans, data analysis charts... the evidence is overwhelming.

Ye Yi'er's hands trembled as she touched the screen, tears dripping onto the keyboard: "My Yiyi... for the past six months... I've been caught between two worlds..."

"She is safe," Li Minghua said softly. "Li Chengqian treats her like a precious jewel, and everyone in the palace dotes on her. She has playmates and 'older brothers and sisters' in the Tang Dynasty, and she is very happy."

"But she's still our daughter!" Li Qi slammed his fist on the table. "She's only four years old! She should be in kindergarten in modern times, playing with other children her age, not... not in some Tang Dynasty palace!"

"Li Qi," Li Minghua looked at him, "Do you think we can stop it?"

This question left Li Qi speechless.

"The portrait in the ancestral hall is the medium." Li Minghua walked to the window and looked at the backyard. "Yiyi's time travel was uncontrollable and related to her emotions and desires. Today, because she didn't want to go to kindergarten, she strongly wanted to 'escape,' so she time-traveled."

He turned around, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Over the past six months, Qingge and I have tried various methods—sealing off the ancestral hall, moving the portrait, and even taking Yiyi on a trip to another city. But whenever her emotions get strong enough, she disappears no matter where she is, and then comes back from the ancestral hall."

Ye Yier covered her face: "So...we can only watch helplessly as our daughter...may disappear at any moment?"

"No," Li Minghua shook his head. "We have a choice. We can choose to be afraid and resist, lock her up, and watch her suffer; or we can choose to accept, understand, help her, and protect her."

He opened the drawer and took out a thick notebook: "This contains some materials compiled by Qingge, as well as records of our communication with the Tang Dynasty. Li Chengqian knows that Yiyi comes from the future, and he is protecting her. Princess Changle also knows this, and she is protecting her as well."

Li Qi took the notebook and opened it. The elegant calligraphy was in Li Chengqian's handwriting:

"To future generations: Yiyi is innocent and adorable, and I will protect her thoroughly. However, time travel may involve unpredictable dangers, so I urge you all to be cautious..."

The following is Li Qingge's reply written in pen:

"Rest assured, our ancestor Chengqian, we will protect Yiyi. We've included some knowledge from later generations, which may be beneficial to the reign of Zhenguan..."

Page by page, two families separated by 1,400 years were connected through a three-year-old child.

Li Qi closed his notebook and remained silent for a long time.

"Dad," he finally spoke, his voice hoarse, "Is Yiyi... in the Tang Dynasty now?"

"They should be back soon." Li Minghua glanced at the clock. "It seems that the flow of time is different on each of the two sides."

As if to verify his words, a loud "bang" came from the backyard, followed by a familiar, tearful, baby voice:

"Grandpa! Dad! Mom!"

The three of them rushed towards the backyard at the same time.

The ancestral hall door opened. Xiao Qingyi stood at the entrance, wearing her green dinosaur pajamas, but holding an exquisite food box in her hands and a white jade rabbit paperweight tucked into her arms. The tear stains on her face had dried, her eyes were still red, but her expression had calmed down considerably.

"Yiyi!" Ye Yier rushed over and hugged her daughter tightly, as if she would disappear again if she let go.

Little Qingyi was a little out of breath from being held so tightly, but she remained obediently still. She whispered, "Mommy, I'm sorry... Yiyi shouldn't have run off like that..."

"It's okay...it's okay..." Ye Yi'er sobbed uncontrollably, "It's good that you're back...it's good that you're back..."

Li Qi also came over, squatted down, and carefully examined his daughter. She was indeed still his Yiyi, but something seemed different—there was something in her eyes that he couldn't quite put his finger on, like… growing up.

"Yiyi," he asked softly, "where did you go?"

Xiao Qingyi lowered her head, playing with the dinosaur tail: "Yiyi went to find Prince Brother... Prince Brother said that Yiyi must be brave and not run away... He also gave Yiyi a jade rabbit, saying that seeing the jade rabbit is like seeing Prince Brother encouraging Yiyi..."

She held up the jade rabbit paperweight, showing it off like a treasure: "Daddy, look, isn't it beautiful?"

Li Qi accepted it. The warm, smooth white jade and exquisite carving clearly indicated it was an antique. He looked up at his father, Li Minghua, who nodded slightly.

"Beautiful." Li Qi hugged his daughter and wife tightly. "Yiyi, Daddy promises you, we won't try on the school uniform today. Okay?"

Xiao Qingyi hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Brother Crown Prince said... we can't run away... I'll go in a little while."

Ye'er looked at her daughter in surprise.

Little Qingyi crawled out of her mother's arms and said earnestly, "Brother Prince said that everyone has their own responsibilities. Qingyi's responsibility is to go to kindergarten and learn. Qingyi can't be a deserter."

The couple were stunned when their three-year-old child spoke such a coherent and logical statement.

Li Minghua laughed from the side: "It seems that Crown Prince Chengqian has taught Yiyi very well."

Xiao Qingyi ran to her grandfather and handed him the food box: "Grandpa, these are snacks from Prince Chong! They're so delicious! Let's eat together!"

The food box was opened, revealing several exquisite Tang Dynasty pastries—Touhua Ci, Guifei Hong, and Yulu Tuan, all with simple and elegant designs and enticing aromas.

Looking at these completely unfamiliar pastries, Ye'er finally believed it completely—this was not a dream, not an illusion. Her daughter had really gone to a distant dynasty and brought back gifts from fourteen hundred years ago.

"Yiyi," she asked softly, "that... is Crown Prince Brother good to you?"

"Okay!" Xiao Qingyi nodded vigorously. "Brother Crown Prince is the best! And Sister Lizhi, Sister Sizi, Sister Chengyang... they are all so good to Yiyi!"

Suddenly remembering something, she took out a small handkerchief-wrapped item from her backpack: "Mom, this is a pair of pearl earrings that Sister Lizhi gave me. It's for you!"

She then pulled out a sandalwood bracelet: "This is for Dad! My brother, the Crown Prince, said Dad works hard, so this is...it's good..."

She was stuck, trying hard to recall Li Chengqian's words.

"It can improve eyesight and calm the mind," Li Minghua replied, a smile in her eyes. "Li Chengqian is so thoughtful."

Ye Yier accepted the pair of earrings—pearls from the Tang Dynasty, perfectly round and lustrous, delicately set with gold wire. This gift was far too generous.

"Yiyi," he crouched down, looking earnestly at his daughter, "Daddy wants to ask you—do you like going to the Tang Dynasty?"

Xiao Qingyi thought for a moment and nodded, "I like it. But..." She held her parents' hands, "Yiyi also likes home. Yiyi has two homes, one here and one in the Tang Dynasty. Yiyi loves them both."

Children's world is so simple, yet so transparent.

Ye Yier hugged her daughter, finally showing her first genuine smile of the day: "Okay, then Yiyi will have two homes. But promise Mommy, if you ever want to 'go' somewhere else, you have to tell Mommy and Daddy, okay?"

"Mmm!" Xiao Qingyi nodded vigorously, then added softly, "But sometimes... Yiyi doesn't know when she'll 'go'..."

"It's okay." Li Qi patted her head. "We'll learn together and adapt together."

Sunlight streamed into the backyard, casting gentle shadows on the eaves of the ancestral hall.