Chapter 7

Last time, we mentioned that Li Kuan had experimented and found out he had no superpowers or golden finger, feeling utterly devastated. At this moment, he was summoned by the Empress Dowager Changsun.

"Your humble son greets Mother Empress!" Li Kuan thought as he bowed to Changsun.

"I heard you went straight to your room to rest after school. Are you not feeling well?" Changsun asked with concern. Although she was not Li Kuan's birth mother, she had a very good relationship with Li Kuan's birth mother, Yin Shaohua. Of course, Changsun had a good relationship with all of Li Er's concubines. Even the daughter of Emperor Yang, Consort Yang, and the daughter of the Yin family, who had desecrated the Li family's ancestral tomb, were her good sisters. However, Li Kuan's birth mother, Yin Shaohua, was an exception. This woman truly lived up to her name, as the saying goes: 'Youth does not linger for the young. Hate lingers, when will it end?'

This woman passed away at the peak of her beauty and brilliance, leaving a deep impression on Li Er's heart.

Otherwise, why would Li Er, after ascending the throne, posthumously confer the title of Prince of Chu on a deceased son? It is important to note that among the princes, a one-character title is higher in status than a two-character title. For example, Li Xiaogong was first conferred the title of Prince of Rencheng and later the title of Prince of Jiangxia, both two-character titles. Most of the emperor's biological sons were given one-character titles, but these titles were also ranked. Titles like Prince of Jin, Prince of Qin, Prince of Qi, and Prince of Chu, which were named after the major states of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, were extremely prestigious.

Therefore, Li Kuan's title of Prince of Chu was more prestigious than Li Ke's title of Prince of Wu or Li Yin's title of Prince of Shu. Historically, it is worth considering that Li Kuan's birth mother was actually just a palace maid. This is quite questionable. First, could a son born to a palace maid receive such a prestigious title as Prince of Chu? At most, he would be given a lesser title like Prince of Wei or Prince of Chen. Another theory suggests that Li Kuan was adopted by his uncle, Prince of Chu, Li Zhiyun, but this is also questionable. Li Zhiyun died before the founding of the Tang Dynasty, so if Li Kuan had been adopted, he would have inherited his title and would no longer be Li Er's son. Li Er would not have conferred him a princely title; at most, he would have been a marquis. Therefore, this theory is also not very convincing.

Thus, the author determines that Li Kuan's mother was someone else, the daughter of Duke of Chen, Yin Kaishan, named Yin Shaohua. Speaking of Yin Kaishan, few may recognize him, but later, an author named Wu Cheng'en wrote a novel called "Journey to the West," in which Yin Kaishan is the prototype for the maternal grandfather of Tang Sanzang.

"Mother Empress, please rest assured, your humble son understands!" Li Kuan did not know why Changsun had summoned him. Was it just to remind him to take care of his health? But he still answered obediently.

"Do you remember your birth mother?" Changsun helped Li Kuan to his feet and had him sit opposite her, then asked.

"At the time, your humble son was very young, and only vaguely remembers some things. Now, I can't recall them clearly!" In the memories left by his predecessor, his birth mother, Yin Shaohua, was indeed vague.

"That's not your fault. I called you here today to talk about your birth mother. Your mother's name was Yin Shaohua, the daughter of the founding hero, Duke of Chen, Yin Kaishan." Changsun gestured for a servant to bring tea and then said to Li Kuan.

"Your humble son still remembers this. Last year, Grandfather passed away in the army during the campaign against Liu Heita, and your humble son was very saddened!" Li Kuan was grateful for this memory, as this step-grandfather always brought him some novel trinkets, mostly small items captured from the battlefield, which Li Kuan enjoyed very much.

"Sister Shaohua was the most talented woman I have met in these years. If not for her untimely death, she might have been as renowned as Cai Wenji." Changsun sighed.

"Mother Empress flatters her!" Although Li Kuan had no clear memory, he was still very pleased by Changsun's praise for his birth mother.

"Before your mother passed away, she entrusted you to me. These past few years, you have been in poor health, and I have been deeply worried that you might follow her. I have even devoted more attention to you than to Chenggan. Several times, Chenggan has secretly asked me who is my real child!" Changsun sighed, "To be a mother like me is truly a failure."

"Mother Empress, you are too kind. Your humble son does not deserve such attention!" Li Kuan quickly stood up, bowed repeatedly, and said with surprise.

"How can you not believe it? Ha ha... I find it incredible too. Clearly not my biological child, but seeing your frail body, suffering from illness time and again, and yet standing up again and even comforting your mother, it has deeply moved me. My own children only make me worry, never understanding the hardships of their mother! Chenggan, Lizhi, and Qingque are all like this. Why don't I have a child as considerate as you?" Changsun's eyes welled up with tears as she spoke, "Once, when you had a high fever, Sister Shaohua was taking care of you. When you woke up in the middle of the night, you reached out to wipe the sweat from Sister Shaohua's forehead. It really made me envious."

"Your humble son doesn't remember these things! Ha ha..." What could Li Kuan say? Should he tell Changsun that the sickly child she liked had already died and was now a modern person with a new CPU and memory?

"Regardless, as the saying goes, 'Three years old, and you can see how they will be when they grow up.' You are more sensible than your brothers. Your Li family has Xianbei blood, and my Changsun family also has non-Han ancestry. Therefore, you Li family boys have a bloodthirsty nature, no matter how well it is hidden. Chenggan behaves very obediently in front of me and your father, but behind our backs, he enjoys the rough lifestyle of your ancestors, cutting meat from a roasted sheep with a knife and drinking and eating heartily. Li Tai, although young, is very intelligent and loves Han poetry and literature, which is good, but he acts without thinking and can easily be used by others." Changsun analyzed her sons' flaws in detail, proving the saying that a mother knows her children best. From everyday details, Changsun had long understood their personalities and ways of acting.

"Mother Empress, what are you saying? My elder brother and fourth brother are also very excellent. They are the best at answering the teacher's questions. Mother Empress should be proud of them!" Li Kuan couldn't understand why Changsun was telling him all this. Sometimes, the more you know, the faster you die.

"Ha ha... I knew you were cunning. Are you afraid of knowing too much and being silenced? Don't worry, Mother Empress promised your mother to take good care of you. Don't be so suspicious! The reason I'm telling you this is that in this Qin王府, only you can listen to me. I don't trust anyone else. Chenggan and the others are too young, and as for the servants, who knows who their real masters are!" Changsun's voice turned cold, making Li Kuan feel a chill down his back.

"Why are you telling me this?" Li Kuan found today's Changsun a bit strange.

"I don't know if the words you said the other day were your own thoughts or someone else's, but I can be sure that you won't do anything to harm the Qin王府. Moreover, you are Sister Shaohua's child, raised under my watchful eye, and I know your background. Plus, the maturity you've shown these past two days has made me find someone to confide in, so..." Changsun admitted frankly, "These past years, your father has been fighting outside, and the burden of the Qin王府 has been on Mother Empress's shoulders. Your other stepmothers are of no help, and I am very tired. I hope you can help Mother Empress share some of the burden!"

"Does Mother Empress not fear that if I gain too much power, it might threaten Chenggan?" Li Kuan knew that this family was full of fierce dragons, all capable of devouring others, and the transition of power was always bloody. This would all start in three years and become a precedent for the Li Tang dynasty's imperial succession.

"You are a clever child, but do you think you can outsmart your father?" Changsun smiled.

One sentence made Li Kuan sober up. Indeed, if he really wanted to aim for that throne, his opponents would not just be his brothers like Li Chenggan, but also his father, Li Er. For this emperor, Li Kuan had no confidence, whether in political acumen or military talent, he was a standout among the emperors of China's two-thousand-year feudal history.

"You won't be handling overly complex matters. Your main responsibility will be to manage the daily needs of your brothers and sisters. This shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?" Changsun didn't wait for Li Kuan's consent and directly assigned him the task.

"About this..." Li Kuan wanted to decline but thought of something and remained silent.

"Then it's settled. If you do well, I can focus on planning for your father's front-line needs!" Changsun reached out to support Li Kuan's thin shoulders and looked at his young face.

"Your humble son will do my best!" Li Kuan nodded slowly and said with great seriousness.

Seeing Li Kuan agree, Changsun smiled, stood up, and opened the door to leave. Li Kuan followed closely behind.

After leaving Changsun's residence, Li Kuan returned to his own quarters, lay on the bed, and thought about the matter: managing the daily needs of his brothers and sisters would allow him to find what he needed. According to Li Kuan's memory, not only he but also his sister Li Lizhi and two other sisters were in poor health. They all needed that thing!

Never mind, tomorrow he would take advantage of his position to improve his health first, and then slowly plan for the future. As for how to deal with the others, he would just make them buy more. If he said the demand was high, it would be settled! Thinking of this, Li Kuan couldn't help but smile broadly.

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End of Chapter

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