The Palace of Merciful Peace
“…Actually, he’s very smart,” said Li Chen, unable to stop from smiling. “Sometimes, though, he’s very silly. Yesterday, as he was reading, he encountered a few words he didn’t recognize. He was too embarrassed to ask me, so asked Jing’er to ask me instead.”
Empress Dowager Lan smiled as well. “He’s truly an interesting child.”
“Jing’er only remembers ten plus characters. So how could he remember the characters he told him? Sure enough, when Jing’er brought a book to find me, he forgot which characters he was supposed to ask me about. So he turned around and cried out, ‘Uncle Little Qi, which characters did you not know? I forgot…’” said Li Chen, copying Jing’er’s appearance and manner of speaking.
Empress Dowager Lan couldn’t help but laugh. “Good Jing’er. He truly is a clever child. Like this, he exposed his Uncle Little Qi.”
Li Chen smiled. “He always wants to help me. Back in the northwest, Little Qi didn’t know anything. Even horseriding was something he learned in the northwest region. However, he left Yushu Pass alone to look for me. In the endless yellow sand, he did not lose his way. A boy like him wasn’t a bit afraid when encountering many Qiang men who were taller and stronger… He faced Cheng Sijie yet was able to escape safely, and even exposed the secret tunnels of Xinyuan Country.”
Empress Dowager Lan listened quietly to him speak. Then she said, “He’s stronger than many men in the world.”
Li Chen nodded. “I won’t hide it from Grandmother. Grandson has been focusing my attention on the news from the northwest for Si De’s case. Little Qi has been taking care of all the matters in this capital for me.”
At this moment, she was somewhat startled. “He’s just a seventeen to eighteen-year-old young man. He actually understands the messy relationships in the capital? Si De’s case involves many people and many things.”
“Even Grandson had never thought he would accidentally save Mistress Si’s servant girl. By following this thread, we were able to uncover a lot. Little Qi is careful and intelligent. In some situations, when Grandson can’t figure things out, he can.”
Empress Dowager Lan asked in passing, “I’ve also heard the rumors about him. You should know what to do, right?”
The smile on Li Chen’s face dimmed. A good while later, he nodded.
A light sigh left Empress Dowager Lan’s lips. “This position causes a lot of trouble… The emperor still hasn’t chosen a crown prince. Yet he has already reigned for almost fifty years.”
Li Chen furrowed his brows. “Grandmother… Indeed it was I who had not done well, leaving behind openings people could use against me.”
Empress Dowager Lan waved, paying no mind to it. “I’m old. I can’t see through politics anymore. Now, I only want to have someone to talk to. Bring that Little Qi over someday. I want to have a look at him.”
“Grandmother… Little Qi’s identity is special.”
Empress Dowager Lan recalled as she said, “Many years ago, Grandmother met Shui Linglong.”
Such words startled Li Chen.
But she smiled. “At the start, I was merely curious. Who would have known that the moment I laid eyes on her, she sure enough seemed like an immortal, untouched by the filth of the world. How could the child she gave birth to be a bad person?”
Not quite understanding, Li Chen looked at Empress Dowager Lan. She took her time saying, “Who told your grandmother to think this courtesan had enchanted the emperor? I was also curious about the capital’s most famous courtesan, and sneaked out of the palace to see this Miss Shui.”
