Chapter 3

Last time, we mentioned that Li Kuan began practicing Xinyi Quan, but due to his weak constitution, he could not continue and decided to find some tonics to improve his health. Just as he stepped out of his courtyard, he encountered a chubby little boy. The boy's short jacket was so tight on his body that it looked like a modern-day bodysuit, which was quite amusing.

However, the little boy was now shedding tears, trying hard not to cry. His white padded jacket was stained with black and gray patches. He was walking step by step toward Crown Prince Changsun's courtyard.

Li Kuan recognized this chubby boy. He was the second son of the Changsun family, the future Wei King Li Tai, the one who had once spoken harshly about passing the throne to his younger brother. But now, he was just an innocent child who understood nothing.

"Qingque, why are you crying?" Li Kuan stepped forward and approached the little boy.

"It's Second Brother! They bullied me!" The little boy's face was streaked with tears, and his chubby little hands were dirty. He wiped his face, smearing it into a big, messy cat face.

"Don't cry. Tell Second Brother what happened?" Li Kuan searched his pockets but realized that ancient clothes had no pockets, and thus no tissues. He had to use his sleeve to wipe Li Tai's face.

"They were saying bad things about Father, so I hit them, and they all ganged up on me!" Li Tai's face had no visible injuries, but his body was covered with footprints, indicating that these guys still cared about appearances and didn't hit him in the face.

"Is that so? Come, let's go and reason with them!" Although Li Kuan was in poor health, he was confident that he could still out-talk these ancient people.

"Okay!" Li Tai, who was only four years old, felt reassured by his brother's support and smiled. "I'll take you there!" He led the way.

It was early autumn, and the trees were beginning to wither and shed their leaves. The sparse trees on both sides of the road were dropping their leaves slowly in the wind. Li Kuan followed Li Tai down the street. This was the Zhuque Avenue, the most prosperous area in the heart of Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty. However, there were few people around.

Due to the wars, the population had dwindled, and the country was in turmoil. There were thirty-six rebel kings and seventy-two rebel factions fighting across the Central Plains. The empire's center was also suffering from commercial decline, with few shops open, and those that were open had few customers.

After crossing the main street, they entered the palace area. Li Er, the Prince of Qin, lived in the imperial city, while today, the little Li Tai had come to visit his grandfather and overheard the sons of Crown Prince Li Jiancheng criticizing Li Er, leading to the conflict.

At the palace gate, they entered through the Changle Gate. The guards here were familiar with the noble children, as they often entered the palace to attend classes in the Eastern Palace, so they let them pass directly.

This was Li Kuan's first time entering the palace since his穿越 (time travel), but he didn't remember much from his previous life, so he was still quite curious about everything in the palace. He looked around, but soon lost interest as everything seemed monotonous, with walls on both sides and occasional doors. He had no way of knowing what lay behind those doors.

After several turns, they finally reached the school. It was already after class, and this place had become a playground for the princes and nobles. A few teenagers were wrestling in the courtyard.

Because the Li family had a mixed heritage, the royal children were trained in martial arts from a young age and took pride in their martial prowess.

Two of the teenagers were about ten years old, bare-chested, and already showing some muscle. Sweat trickled down their faces, but their arms were still tightly locked, their veins bulging. A few younger boys were cheering them on.

When these teenagers saw Li Kuan and Li Tai approaching, they stopped. "What, fatty, did you bring backup? You should have brought someone reliable, like your older brother. This sickly one is just a liability. He can't even watch without getting scared and falling ill, and then we'll have to call the imperial physician to treat him at your house!"

"Who are you?" Li Kuan's memory was incomplete, and he didn't recognize the boy who spoke.

"Who am I! Ha ha... You must be sick in the head, not recognizing me?" The boy said arrogantly, "I am your cousin, the son of the current Crown Prince. My name is Li Chengde!"

"I don't know you!" As a modern person, who would remember the names of Li Jiancheng's sons? Li Kuan spoke honestly.

But his honesty was seen as sarcasm by others, especially by Li Chengde, who thought Li Kuan was mocking him. "You sickly one, why do you only know how to talk? Why don't you come and test your skills?"

"Second Brother, don't listen to them. They are unreasonable and always bully the younger ones. Humph!" The chubby Li Tai told Li Kuan.

"It's okay, I know my limits! How could I possibly compete with them?" Li Kuan patted Li Tai's shoulder and stepped forward. "I came here to reason with you, not to fight. If you think your skills are superior, why not go to the front lines and fight the rebels and the barbarians? That's where the true sons of the Tang Dynasty should serve, not hide in the palace and bully their own kin. Don't use your age as an excuse. If you have the heart, you won't do things that make your loved ones sad and your enemies happy."

"Who would have thought that the sickly son of the Second Prince could be so eloquent. But that doesn't change the fact that you're afraid to fight us. Think of your Uncle Qin, who has fought countless battles and achieved great military honors, yet his son is so weak that he can't even defend himself. It's truly surprising," the boy who had been wrestling with Li Chengde said calmly after putting on his clothes.

"Is that so? How old are you?" Li Kuan asked nonchalantly.

"I am nine years old, your third cousin. My name is Li Chengxun," the boy replied.

"You are nine years old, and I am only six. You practice martial arts diligently, while I am weak. How can you expect me to compete with you? Do you think I'm stupid, or are you?" Li Kuan looked at the boy, who was a head taller than him.

"Then, how about I let my sister compete with you? She is also six. Would that be fair?" Li Chengxun chuckled.

"You...!" Although Li Tai was young, he had seen enough to know that Li Chengxun was trying to humiliate Li Kuan.

"Men don't fight with women, so let's not. Besides, the Tang Dynasty has many skilled warriors. What difference would I make?" Li Kuan deflected the challenge.

"How can a member of the royal family abandon the glory of our ancestors? Our ancestors were distinguished generals. As their descendants, how can we forget our roots? With the country still in turmoil, how can we not practice martial arts and fight for our grandfather?" Li Chengxun smiled triumphantly.

"Is the country's peace only achieved through martial prowess? Practicing martial arts can kill ten, a hundred, or a thousand, but a single strategy can kill ten thousand or a hundred thousand. Isn't that enough to bring peace to the country?" Li Kuan spoke confidently, knowing that true victors on the battlefield are often the strategists, not the warriors who fight directly.

"I won't argue with you. What's your purpose here? If you came to stand up for the fatty, then come and compete. If not, go back where you came from!" Li Chengxun cut to the chase, knowing that if Li Kuan entered the arena, he would have to take the beating, a rule everyone understood.

"I came here today to seek justice, not just for my brother Li Tai, but also for my father, the Prince of Qin." Li Kuan's words left the other boys speechless. Seeking justice for Prince Qin Li Shimin? This kid must be delirious!

"Rubbish! We did beat Li Tai, but that was just a children's quarrel. What does it have to do with the Prince of Qin? Don't spread lies!" Li Chengxun's face changed. The current situation was delicate, with Liu Heita's rebellion and the threat from the Jie Li Khan. His father, Crown Prince Li Jiancheng, was suppressing Liu Heita in Guanzhong, while Li Shimin was far away on the border. If news of this spread, it could cause unrest in the Tang Dynasty. If it were known that this was due to their criticism of the Prince of Qin, even his father, the Crown Prince, might not protect him. What was he compared to the entire Tang Empire?

"This isn't up to you or me. The whole story needs to be clarified. In these times of internal and external troubles, we can't afford to have people with ulterior motives," Li Kuan pressed his advantage, using this opportunity to establish his authority among the princes and nobles.

"Since that's the case, let's end this here, shall we?" Li Chengxun was genuinely afraid. The words they had spoken were overheard from a conversation between Li Jiancheng and Prince Jin Li Yuanji. They had only repeated them to show off, but Li Tai had overheard them by chance.

"Afraid? The issue isn't resolved yet. Why are you backing down? Don't worry, I've already sent for my mother, Empress Changsun, and your mother, Consort Chang." Li Kuan stood in front of the taller boys, blocking their path.