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

Chapter 57 School Uniforms and Tears

In early September, the afternoon sun was blazing in Sichuan.

In the living room of the Li family's old house, the air conditioner sent out a gentle breeze, but it couldn't dispel the tension in the air.

"Li Qingyi, put your hand out."

Ye Yier's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable sternness. In her hand was a brand-new kindergarten uniform—a light blue dress with cloud patterns embroidered on the chest, which had just been ironed last night.

Three-and-a-half-year-old Li Qingyi leaned against the sofa, curled up into a tiny ball, her hands tightly hidden behind her back, her little face flushed red: "No... Yiyi doesn't want to wear it..."

"School starts next Monday, so you have to try on clothes today." Ye Yier knelt down in front of her daughter, trying to soften her tone. "Just try on the size; if it doesn't fit, Mom can go exchange it."

"No!" Qingyi's voice trembled with tears. "Yiyi doesn't want to go to kindergarten! No!"

This is the seventh time I've said this in three days.

Ye Yier took a deep breath. She was a rational person, aware of the importance of early education, and had done a lot of research—choosing the best-reputed kindergarten, communicating with the teachers in advance, and even planning the pick-up and drop-off routes. But she hadn't expected her daughter's reaction to be so intense.

"Yiyi," Li Qi, watching the mother and daughter staring at each other, knew he couldn't stand by and watch anymore.

"Every child has to go to kindergarten. Look at DouDou next door, and DuoDuo downstairs, they both go. Kindergarten has teachers who teach singing and dancing, lots of toys, and they can make new friends..."

"Yiyi has friends!" Xiao Qingyi suddenly exclaimed. "Yiyi has Sister Sizi! Sister Chengyang! Sister Lizhi! And Brother Taizi!"

Li Qi was stunned. Her daughter had been saying these things a lot lately, and she had always thought it was because the fairy tales her grandfather told were so vivid that the child couldn't distinguish between reality and imagination.

"Those are characters in a story." He tried to be patient. "In reality, Yiyi needs real friends."

"It's true!" Tears streamed down Xiao Qingyi's face. "Brother Crown Prince is real! He taught Yiyi principles and even gave Yiyi gifts!"

"Wife, how about..."

Li Qi felt a pang of pity seeing his beloved daughter so upset, so he tentatively spoke up.

"No." Ye Yi'er's attitude was firm. "We can't let this become a habit of escapism. Li Qingyi, Mom will count to three, one, two—"

"Wow--!"

Little Qingyi, like a startled little dinosaur, dashed towards the backyard. She didn't care that she'd lost one of her slippers, and continued running barefoot.

"Yiyi!" Li Qingge rushed down from the second floor.

But it was too late.

The door to the ancestral hall in the backyard was pushed open and then slammed shut. When the three arrived, only the old portrait remained hanging quietly in the morning light. On the offering table, a small green dinosaur slipper lay forlornly.

"Li Qi... Yiyi, she..." Ye Yier was speechless for a moment, her body went limp and she almost fell to the ground. Li Qi, who was beside her, quickly supported her.

"Dad, Mom... Yiyi should be alright. She just went to the Tang Dynasty." Li Qingge quickly comforted her upon seeing this.

---

Tang Dynasty

The meeting in the Xiande Hall of the Eastern Palace was at a crucial point. Li Chengqian and Li Tai sat on either side of the main seats, with officials from the Eastern Palace and the Prince of Wei's residence standing on either side below—this was a special arrangement by Li Shimin, to allow the Prince of Wei to "assist" the Crown Prince in governing the country.

"Your Highness," Yu Zhining, the Left Vice-Minister of the Crown Prince, reported, "the price of salt in Hedong Circuit has risen by 30%, and the people are quite resentful."

Li Chengqian reviewed the memorials and pondered, "The government should be ordered to strictly control the situation. Furthermore..."

He paused, then added, "I consulted ancient texts and found records of a 'salt-making method' from a previous dynasty. Perhaps we could try it out on a small scale in the sunny coastal areas as a supplement to salt production."

A slight murmur arose inside the hall.

The method of salt production by sun-drying is not unknown, but it has always been regarded as "relying on the weather" and difficult to promote.

Li Tai chuckled, "Brother, your extensive reading is truly admirable. However, salt production is heavily reliant on the weather; if it rains, the harvest will be completely lost. Furthermore, it requires vast tidal flats, which might infringe on the land from the local people." He turned to the officials, "What do you all think?"

These words thrust the conflict into the hands of everyone. The atmosphere in the hall became delicate—everyone knew that this was not only a dispute over salt administration, but also a power struggle between the two princes in front of their subordinates.

Just as Li Chengqian was about to speak, a commotion suddenly arose outside the hall.

"Young lady—you can't—"

"I need to see my brother, the Crown Prince! Get out of my way!"

The door was kicked open.

A small figure dressed in strange clothes, with messy hair and one bare foot rushed in. The tail of her green dinosaur pajamas dragged on the ground, her face was still wet with tears, and she was holding a pink rabbit water bottle in her arms.

The entire hall was filled with a chilling atmosphere, and everything froze instantly.

Xiao Qingyi, completely oblivious to the eerie atmosphere in the hall, rushed towards Li Chengqian and hugged his leg tightly: "Crown Prince Brother—! I don't want to go to kindergarten! Waaah—"

Tears and snot smeared all over the hem of the prince's court robe.

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. All the officials stared in disbelief at the scene—who was this strangely dressed little girl who had suddenly barged in and was now hugging and crying the Crown Prince?

A look of surprise flashed across Li Tai's eyes, followed by a playful smile. Of course he recognized the child—it was this little girl, the "descendant of an old friend from overseas," who had brought those strange and wonderful things to the lychee banquet a few months ago, and had made his father laugh heartily.

But he never expected that the child would be so... presumptuous in the Eastern Palace.

"B-Big Brother..." Li Tai deliberately dragged out his words, "This is a place for political discussions. Isn't it inappropriate to let a child barge in like this?"

Li Chengqian ignored him. He squatted down and gently wiped away Qingyi's tears with his sleeve, his voice unusually gentle: "Yiyi, what's wrong? Who bullied you?"

"The kindergarten bullied me..." Xiao Qingyi sobbed, "I have to wear a uniform... I have to go to school all day... Prince Brother, Yiyi doesn't want to go back, Yiyi wants to live in the Tang Dynasty..."

Li Chengqian picked her up and said to everyone in the hall, "Today's meeting is over. The matter of salt administration will be discussed later."

"Brother," Li Tai rose, his smile gentle yet sharp, "national affairs come first. This young lady may be lovely, but ultimately she is..."

"This is my family matter," Li Chengqian interrupted him, his gaze calm yet unwavering. "If Fourth Brother has nothing else to say, please return."

The brothers' eyes met in mid-air.

After a moment, Li Tai cupped his hands and said, "In that case, I will take my leave."

As he turned around, he gave Xiao Qingyi a deep look. The child had her face buried in Li Chengqian's shoulder, only her tear-reddened eyes showing, timidly looking back at him.

Li Tai suddenly laughed—not his usual gentle and refined laugh, but a laugh tinged with interest and curiosity.

The palace doors closed. The officials filed out, and Yu Zhining, who was leaving last, hesitated before finally letting out a sigh.