Chapter 60

Changsun walked gracefully towards the dining room. She felt very content now, for she had found a good husband and had several children, some mature and some adorable. What more could a woman want? Although her husband was often away on military campaigns, spending more than half a year away from home each year, this still made her somewhat uncomfortable. However, Changsun never showed it, which was the root of Li Er's continued respect and affection for her.

Looking at the sun slowly rising in the sky, Changsun smiled slightly: It was already May, and her second brother had been on the campaign for three months. It was about time for him to return. The world was now largely at peace. Thinking back to the thirty-six rebel kings and seventy-two rebel forces, only the mighty Tang Dynasty remained, and Changsun felt immense pride. This peace was largely due to her husband's efforts, and the people of the land enjoyed a peaceful life thanks to the contributions of her husband and brother. Of course, she herself had also contributed.

As she approached the dining room, she heard her daughter's voice: This girl, even though she's not so young anymore, still acts so dramatically. How will she ever find a husband? Changsun had once thought about changing her daughter's behavior, but eventually gave up. One mature and steady child like Chengqian was enough. Otherwise, who would be there to be playful and sweet, to cling to her arm and call her Mother?

Hearing her daughter's shouts, Changsun knew without guessing that it must be Li Kuan and little Nianwei butting heads again, a game they played every morning before breakfast. For some reason, Changsun was very tolerant of Li Kuan's behavior. If it were Chengqian, he would have been slapped on the head long ago. But Li Kuan, who played around with his two younger sisters all day, never faced any reprimand from Changsun. She didn't know what she was thinking!

"Xiao Wei, try harder! Second Brother is going to use more force!" Li Kuan said with a smile, watching little Nianwei, with her short legs pushing against the ground and her little head pressing against his forehead.

"Wei, not using force!" Nianwei's round face was chubby and adorable, with a baby fat chin. Her big eyes shone with effort, making Li Kuan's heart fill with joy again: This little one, her little head pressing against his forehead, must be feeling some pain too, yet she still said she wasn't using force.

"Then use more force, or Second Brother's iron head will overpower you!" Li Kuan continued to tease Nianwei.

"Okay! Wei is using force!" Nianwei said, her little face pressing against Li Kuan's, her little nose completely squished, her eyes invisible, her whole head pressed against Li Kuan's face, her hair brushing against his neck, causing a slight tickling sensation.

Li Kuan was enjoying the massage from Nianwei's little head when a sudden sound rang in his ear. He felt something warm and sticky on his face.

It turned out that while Nianwei was pushing, her little nose was tickled by Li Kuan's hair, and she sneezed, spraying snot all over Li Kuan's face. Realizing the danger, Nianwei immediately turned and ran, her short legs moving quickly, disappearing behind Li Lizhi, leaving Li Kuan standing there in shock.

"Ah! I'm going to spank your little bottom, you little brat, stop!" Li Kuan, coming to his senses, took out a handkerchief to wipe the snot off his face and chased after Nianwei. Everyone else was still in shock.

"Chuckles..." Changsun, who had just reached the door, burst out laughing. These two siblings, no, these three siblings, were like normal children. The little sister was playful and adorable, and the older brother doted on them. Sometimes Changsun envied this, envied the late Shao Hua, who had such a child. Sometimes she couldn't help but think, if Li Er were her child, how wonderful it would be. But that was just a thought. Looking at Li Tai, who was still dozing, and Li Chengqian, who was trying to look dignified but whose lips kept twitching, Changsun put aside her unrealistic thoughts. These two were her sons, though they had their flaws, they were her own flesh and blood.

Everyone in the dining room, except for the sleeping Li Tai, laughed. Even Li Chengqian, who usually didn't get along with Li Kuan, smiled slightly. Yang Fei laughed heartily, a rare occurrence. The last time she had laughed so freely was in the palace, ten years ago. Looking at the woman standing at the door, Yang Fei envied her background. Although Changsun was an orphan who grew up in her uncle's home, Yang Fei felt that perhaps being an orphan was better than being a princess.

Changsun didn't notice Yang Fei's envious gaze. She just looked at her eldest son, the little guy who was almost ten, and sighed at his still youthful face: Changsun knew her son very well. Li Chengqian had been learning various underhanded tactics from his uncle Changsun Wujì behind her back for the past two years. Although he hadn't shown any signs of using them yet, Changsun knew it was only a matter of time. This was an inevitable part of being born into the imperial family. Qingque was obsessed with poetry and books, which was a good thing, at least it meant there wouldn't be any fratricidal conflicts. But Changsun knew this was only temporary. In the near future, her two sons might change, becoming strangers, even frightening to her. This was the price to be paid for ruling the empire, and it was only a matter of time before the decisive moment came. Changsun had already made her preparations, but she hoped that day would never come. In her heart, there was perhaps a small hope: that the child chasing his mischievous sister would become the last hope to prevent their conflict.

Li Kuan didn't know that Changsun's thoughts had wandered far. He just wanted to catch the little girl who was running with all her might and give her a good spanking. How could he let her embarrass him so much, especially with so many people watching? He had to punish her to show her the consequences of annoying Second Brother!

"Stop, Second Brother is going to catch you and pinch your nose!" Li Kuan threatened.

His words only made Nianwei run faster, her short legs moving quickly, her two braids of different sizes swinging behind her head, as if mocking Li Kuan: "Second Brother, shame, bullying Wei!" Nianwei shouted as she ran.

"Ah! You're going to make me angry, stop!" Li Kuan, who had already caught up to Nianwei, reached out and grabbed her little dress. Since there was no printing technology, the flowers on her dress were all embroidered, a gift from her mother, which she loved very much.

"Second Brother, big bad wolf, is going to eat Xiao Wei!" Nianwei struggled, her little body wriggling in Li Kuan's arms, her head shaking, her braids coming loose.

"You dared to spray Second Brother, so Second Brother will pinch your little nose and make it flat, and you won't grow up to be a pretty girl! Ha ha..." Li Kuan