Chapter 90

As the morning assembly began, Li Kuan, being just a child, was not qualified to enter. After all, he was too young, and matters of state and political intrigues were not something these little ones should be exposed to. Changsun went to the harem, where she had a few familiar concubines. Li Chenggan and Li Ke ignored Li Kuan, as they kept their distance from this brother who always outshone them. Li Kuan could only wander around aimlessly by himself. Fortunately, the brocade robe and jade pendant on his waist indicated his identity, so no one came to stop him.

Before he knew it, Li Kuan wandered back to the Xuanwu Gate, where Qin Qiong was still kneeling. His figure was desolate, his once straight back now hunched, his hair disheveled, and his silver strands looked like a patch of wild grass.

Li Kuan slowly walked over and stood beside Qin Qiong, "Old General Qin!"

"It's the Second Young Master! Have you come to deliver an order from His Highness the Qin King?" Qin Qiong's eyes were lifeless. He knew Li Er was a man of deep feelings, but such a man could never accept betrayal, even if it had a reason. He wouldn't blame him too much, but he wouldn't easily forgive him either. Qin Qiong knelt there, seeking peace of mind, or perhaps still harboring a faint hope that Li Er would understand his predicament.

"The young one hasn't received any message from Father. He is currently in the morning assembly," Li Kuan said. Although he wanted to lie to comfort the old general, he knew that if he did, Li Er's attitude later might still plunge him into despair. It was better to be cruelly honest than to give false hope.

"Then what brings the Second Young Master here?" Qin Qiong asked, though he was disappointed, he didn't show it.

"The young one was just wandering around with nothing to do, and ended up back here!" Li Kuan said honestly.

"Ha ha... The Second Young Master still has the heart to wander here, you must be quite brave! But I have a question for you, was it really because you were afraid the Qin King couldn't complete the Emperor's order that you didn't use the anesthetic?" Qin Qiong's eyes showed a hint of doubt. He didn't believe Li Kuan's previous explanation, but in the heat of the moment, no one had the time to think much about it. Li Er was upset over Qin Qiong's situation, and Cheng Yaojin, caught between Li Er and Qin Qiong, had no time to discern the truth. Now that Li Kuan was here, Qin Qiong wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Do you want to hear the truth or a lie, General Qin?" Li Kuan asked, tilting his head.

"What difference does it make, the truth or a lie?" Qin Qiong countered.

"The truth is, the young one wanted the Crown Prince and Prince Qi to die here. The lie is, the young one was new to the battlefield and was shocked by the brutal slaughter, so he forgot." Li Kuan was very honest. He believed Qin Qiong would pass these words to the right people. He was tired of explaining himself over and over.

"Why?" Qin Qiong asked, his question complex. He was asking both why he wanted the two to die and why he was being so direct.

"Because, to cut off the roots. Once the face is torn, there's no need to hold back. Even if it means a bad reputation, so what? Leaving them alive would be a future threat. As for the young one telling you this, it's because the young one is lazy and doesn't want to explain to everyone. I believe you will be happy to help me with this." Li Kuan stood up, stretched his limbs, and, seeing the battlefield almost cleared, decided to leave.

"Grab it! Don't let it escape!" At that moment, the shouts of the Black Armor Guards below the city wall rang out. Li Kuan poked his head out and saw a group of armored soldiers chasing a small dog. He was taken aback. This was the palace! Where did this dog come from?

But then he thought about it. A battle had just taken place, and the area was covered in blood. It wasn't surprising that the scent of blood had attracted nearby dogs. With the city gates open and only a few guards, the dog could have easily run in.

The dog was very agile, dodging and weaving through the soldiers' attempts to catch it. However, no matter how agile, it was still just a dog. The soldiers, though unarmed and hindered by their armor, formed a circle and cornered the dog against the city wall.

"Kill it! It licked human blood, this dog can't be kept!" one soldier shouted.

Sometimes, ancient people were so ignorant. They believed dogs couldn't drink human blood, and if they did, they would turn into mad dogs. In modern times, this would be nothing. People often treat their dogs better than their children. Even if the dog licked a bit of blood or bit your leg, its owner would fight to the death to protect it. You could pay money, but you couldn't touch the dog.

Li Kuan stood on the city wall, watching the soldiers chase the dog, finding it quite amusing. A group of people couldn't catch a single dog, and he watched with interest.

The dog suddenly darted through the legs of a soldier, escaping the circle and running towards the city tower in a panic.

On the city tower, only Li Kuan and the kneeling Qin Qiong were there. The dog, with no other way to go, ran up to Li Kuan and lay down at his feet, as if it were his pet.

"Truly a clever little thing, but I don't keep dogs!" Li Kuan said.

But the dog seemed to understand Li Kuan's words. It looked up at him, whining pitifully, as if begging for help.

"Second Young Master!" The soldier who caught up bowed to Li Kuan. "Please, Second Young Master, hand over this dog. A dog that drinks human blood can't be tamed, as its wolf nature is awakened."

"Is that so?" Li Kuan remained calm, though he didn't believe it, he was curious about the claim.

"Yes, dogs and wolves may look different, but they share a common nature. In our village, there was once such a dog. During a war, it licked the blood of the dead and later turned into a wolf, becoming the wolf king in the forest behind the village!" The soldier told his story, but without an education, it was dry and uninteresting, and Li Kuan lost interest.

"Is that all?" Li Kuan said, but he looked down at the dog at his feet. Its ears were flat, not upright like a wolf's, and it had long fur on its neck, like a shawl. This caught Li Kuan's attention. In this era, dogs were typically Chinese rural dogs, which didn't have this kind of fur. This suggested the dog was unusual.

Upon closer inspection, Li Kuan noticed something strange. Most dogs have five paw pads, four in front and one in the back. But this dog had six, with five sharp claws in front, unlike other dogs which have four. In the back, it had a large pad and a small paw that didn't touch the ground, similar to a regular dog.

This discovery piqued Li Kuan's interest. He remembered an old legend: in the village, the elders used to tell a myth about a dog that gave birth to nine puppies. Among them, one would be a mastiff, a dog king.

Could this be a dog king? If raised, could it defeat lions and tigers? How would it compare to a Tibetan mastiff? Li Kuan was intrigued and said to the soldiers, "I want this dog. The idea that a dog drinking human blood turns into a wolf is nonsense. A dog is a dog, it won't turn into a wolf. The one you mentioned was probably just a wolf cub."

"Second Young Master!" The soldier persisted.

"Don't worry, look how well-behaved it is!" Li Kuan said, looking at the dog lying quietly at his feet, wagging its tail occasionally.

"Since that's the case, I won't insist. But if you notice anything strange about the dog, please deal with it early!" The soldier knew he couldn't change Li Kuan's mind and gave in.

"I understand, and this dog won't hurt me." Li Kuan was confident.

Thus, Li Kuan's life was enriched by a new pet, a dog he named "Little Gray." This dog later became a great companion in his many battles, especially in the campaign against Tubo.

Under the scorching midday sun, Li Er left the palace with Changsun. Li Kuan, with his new pet, followed his parents back to the Black Armor Guard camp. They wouldn't return to the Qin王府, as Li Er had been named Crown Prince and would soon move to the Eastern Palace. In a few months, he would likely ascend the throne, as Li Yuan's health was failing.

Back at the camp, Li Er issued his first order: to bring back those from the Qin王府 who had been sent to Luoyang, along with the families of the Tian Ce Fu. As for Qin Qiong, it seemed Li Er had forgotten about him. However, shortly after leaving the palace, Qin Qiong stood up, mounted his yellow horse, and left the palace.

The officials who attended the morning assembly returned home, some excited, others anxious. They began making arrangements, as a series of promotions and demotions were likely to follow. They needed to secure their positions and prepare for any contingencies, or they might face greater troubles.

PS: Thank you, RADIANT and Tang Bing's Smile, for your valuable monthly votes. I appreciate it! Today, I'm not in the best state, as I'm thinking about how to speed up the story. Many readers have commented that there are too many scenes with children, suggesting it might be a clickbait tactic. I'm considering whether to speed up the pace.