Chapter 51: His Highness Has Brought the Princess of Qi into the Palace

Guided by the estate steward, they walked along the winding paths until they reached the lotus pond pavilion in the rear gardens of the Prince of Qin’s Mansion.

The refreshing moisture rising from the water instantly dispelled the oppressive summer heat.

A maid lifted a steaming-cold pitcher of iced plum juice from the ice chest.

Li Chengqian and Li Tai stood quietly with lowered heads in a corner.

To the lower-left of Zhangsun Wugou sat a radiant, elegant noblewoman. Li Ke sat right beside her, seemingly casting casual, wandering glances toward the opposite side of the pavilion.

He watched as Li Lizhi clutched a piece of pastry, stubbornly attempting to shove it into Rourou’s mouth, which was already stuffed to the point of resembling a chubby little squirrel.

The latter kept her mouth stretched wide, eagerly and greedily trying to swallow it all.

Deeming that still not enough, the former picked up yet another piece from the table.

Feeling a twinge of disdain, Li Ke muttered an inward, quiet huff: "That silly little glutton, she really knows how to eat."

Watching the scene, Zhangsun Wugou wore an expression that was half-amused, half-exasperated, and she was just about to offer a word of restraint when a servant hurried in from outside, bowing deeply.

"Reporting to the Princess and the Consort, Young Master Wen has arrived."

Upon hearing the name Wen He, the three young royals gave an involuntary start.

Li Ke, who had only a moment ago been silently mocking Rourou, swiftly averted his gaze and deliberately cast his eyes downward.

The two brothers standing in reprimand lowered their heads even further.

The elegant noblewoman found their reaction quite amusing.

"What fortuitous timing; the plum juice has just chilled to perfection. Do invite him in at once," Zhangsun Wugou said with a gentle smile.

The servant acknowledged the command with a bow and retreated.

Before long, Wen He strolled in with his usual unconcerned, free-and-easy demeanor.

Out in the courtyard, he had been wondering what special occasion this might be. Surely Zhangsun Wugou hadn't summoned all of Li Er’s offspring here at once?

Yet, upon closer mental calculation, he figured not.

At the very least, aside from Li Ke, no other concubine-born sons were present.

What could this possibly mean?

Fraught with curiosity, he stepped into the pavilion.

Rourou, who had been busy feasting on pastries, caught sight of him and bounded over joyfully, paying no heed to the fact that her mouth was still full.

Because she was running too fast, her foot caught on the edge of a mat, causing her to stumble and pitch forward abruptly.

Li Ke, sitting closest to her, instinctively made a move to catch her, but Wen He was already a step ahead, scooping Rourou up in his arms.

"Why are you always so flustered and clumsy?"

Rourou lifted her gaze, blinking timidly at him with an expression that clearly signaled her awareness of having done wrong.

Wen He refrained from scolding her, smiling warmly as he ruffled her hair before turning to pay his respects to Zhangsun Wugou.

"Young Master Wen, no need for such formal courtesies. That is Consort Yang, mother to the Third Young Master," Zhangsun Wugou said with a gentle, amiable smile, gesturing for Wen He to greet her.

Wen He had already guessed as much; the mere presence of Li Ke sitting right there was proof enough.

The daughter of Emperor Yang of Sui, the concubine of Li Shimin, and the future Consort Yang.

Unofficial histories of later eras had no shortage of romanticized tales regarding her.

Rumors claimed that Li Shimin favored her so deeply that he had once contemplated naming Li Ke as the Crown Prince.

He recalled that later generations even produced a television series titled *Heroes of Sui and Tang*, the first arc of which revolved entirely around the love-hate entanglements between her and Li Shimin.

By comparison, Zhangsun Wugou had been relegated to a mere background character in those accounts.

Wen He had been rather curious about her prior to this.

Yet, upon second thought, living under someone else's roof while harboring curiosity about the master's lesser wife always felt somewhat improper.

Thus, upon entering just now, he had deliberately chosen to overlook her.

Moreover, it would not do for him to usurp the host's place; in a gathering like this, introductions naturally belonged to Zhangsun Wugou.

"Greetings, Consort Yang."

"Young Master Wen is too polite."

Consort Yang acknowledged him with an amused smile, taking a moment to appraise Wen He with a discerning look.

Two nights prior, she had heard all about this extraordinary youth from Li Ke.

Barely had he set foot within the Prince of Qin’s Mansion than he gained the profound trust of His Highness.

At a mere ten years of age, he had become the tutor to all three children of the household.

Li Chengqian went without saying—he was the heir, destined to be the rightful Crown Prince.

As for Li Tai, although he had been formally adopted into the lineage of Li Xuanba, both the Prince and Princess harbored a deep sense of guilt toward him, showering him with even greater indulgence and bringing him back to live within the estate over the past two years.

And then there was her own Ke'er.

Bearing the bloodline of the former dynasty, backed by the Guanzhong aristocracy led by the Hongnong Yang clan.

Amidst the delicate and shifting political currents of the present, the three of them were undeniably the prime candidates for the future throne.

Yet the Prince of Qin had abruptly appointed a mere boy as their preceptor, a move that forced Consort Yang to ponder deeply.

"The other day, when Ke'er mentioned he had taken on a new tutor, I originally intended to pay a personal visit. Never did I expect the young master would be summoned away on official duties, but today I am finally blessed with the chance to meet you."

"It is only fitting that I present a proper introductory gift on behalf of Ke'er."

Her smile was refined and effortless. As her words trailed off, a maid stepped forward bearing a wooden tray.

Zhangsun Wugou smiled and nodded slightly.

It seemed this matter had been discussed with her in advance.

"Since Consort Yang is so exceedingly gracious, I would be remiss to decline."

Wen He preferred to avoid convoluted social niceties; dealing with the subtle undercurrents among women was his weakest suit.

As long as Zhangsun Wugou remained alive, no great turmoil would ever erupt within Li Shimin's inner court.

"The young master has been busy running about on official matters; ideally, you should be allowed to rest. However, upon learning of the foolish blunder Qingchuan committed today—and the fact that GaoMing, as the elder brother, failed to discipline him properly—I wished to offer an apology to you on their behalf."

Abruptly, Zhangsun Wugou rose from her seat, prompting Wen He to quickly step aside.

He certainly did not dare to accept a formal bow from the future Empress.

Before he could voice a refusal, Consort Yang beside her also pulled Li Ke up to his feet.

"As the elder brother, Ke'er shares in the blame. Yet the Princess is benevolent and refuses to punish this rascal, which leaves me deeply ashamed. It is only right that he, too, undergoes punishment."

These words were directed at Zhangsun Wugou, but as she finished, Consort Yang turned to bow deeply toward Wen He as well.

Startled, Wen He scrambled out of the way once more.

"Princess, Consort, please, I beg of you, cease this! If His Highness returns and learns of this, won't he give me a severe beating?"

"His Highness understands the hearts of us sisters; why would he ever do such a thing?" Zhangsun Wugou chuckled.

Consort Yang joined in with a light laugh.

Finding himself the object of amusement for two noble women, Wen He felt a prickle of awkwardness. A sudden, desperate urge to flee the premises crossed his mind—what should he do?

Fortunately, sensing his discomfort, Zhangsun Wugou refrained from pressing the matter further. After inviting him to be seated, she instructed a maid to pour him a bowl of plum juice.

The freshly chilled plum juice, infused with a dollop of pure, natural honey, possessed a wonderfully crisp and tangy flavor.

Meanwhile, the three poor youngsters remained standing off to the side, staring enviously and swallowing hard as they watched him drink.

The grievance etched across their faces was palpable.

Pretending not to notice, Wen He kept a watchful eye on Rourou, who was still eyeing the pastries with intent.

The little glutton had already eaten so much that her stomach was visibly rounded, yet she still craved more.

In Li Lizhi's eyes, however, Wen He's actions painted him as an absolute villain.

Sister Rourou was so adorable—why wouldn't he let her eat the delicious pastries?

Secretly, she attempted to slide a few more cakes across the table, only for Wen He to intercept every single one and pop them straight into his own mouth.

Her cheeks puffed up in instant indignation.

Seeing this, Rourou found it immensely amusing. In truth, she was already quite full; simply watching her older brother eat brought her a sense of complete contentment.

Not long after, noting that the hour was growing late, Zhangsun Wugou decided that the three culprits had suffered enough of a reprimand.

She was just about to conclude the gathering and send the Wen siblings back to rest.

When suddenly, a figure rushed breathlessly into the pavilion from outside.

Seeing who it was, Zhangsun Wugou knitted her brows slightly. The messenger hurried forward and bowed low.

"Reporting to the Princess and the Consort, this maid has gathered news from the Prince of Qi's Mansion, and it is said that..."

Hesitating for a moment, the servant licked his lips and continued, "It is said that His Highness has escorted the Princess of Qi into the inner palace."