Chapter 40: Where There's a Will, There's a Way

Indeed, the furious Li Yuan proved through his actions exactly why the saying "Your imperial grandfather is still your imperial grandfather" holds true.

"There is no need for Your Highness the Prince of Chu to trouble yourself! This Emperor... shall try harder!" Having spoken these harsh words of frustration, Li Yuan immediately took action.

Thus, a short while later, the brothers Li Kuan and Li Ke each had two distinct footprint marks planted on their rear ends, having been "courteously escorted out of the palace" by the short-tempered Retired Emperor.

"Second Brother, I truly do not understand..." Along the imperial pathway, Li Ke rubbed his rear end while looking with grievance at the smiling Li Kuan beside him. "Didn't Imperial Grandfather practically calm down after just a few words from you? Why did you have to provoke the old man at the very end?"

"Ah, you do not understand!" Currently in exceptionally high spirits, Li Kuan patted Li Ke's shoulder upon hearing this. "If we didn't let Imperial Grandfather give the two of us a personal beating with his own hands, it would make our profound filial piety seem utterly lacking in sincerity."

"What?" Li Ke's eyes widened, and then he pursed his lips.

Profound filial piety... If you ask me, wanting to throw punches to show filial respect is the only real truth here...

"Stop badmouthing me in your heart!" Noticing his younger brother pursing his lips, Li Kuan raised a hand and rewarded him with a light knock on the head. "You still have plenty to learn, kid!"

"Second Brother, you aren't that much older than me," Li Ke said, rubbing his head in pain and looking unconvinced.

"But I am your older brother," Li Kuan laughed heartily, casually rubbing his younger brother's head. "My foolish little younger brother..."

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Over the next two days, Li Kuan's life returned to its usual routine.

Of course, this return to normalcy was strictly conditional upon Li Kuan obediently drinking his medicinal decoction.

After countless rounds of wits and wills, Empress Zhangsun shedding tears, and Li Er growing so angry he threatened him with a rattan whip, Li Kuan had no choice but to put on an act. Taking advantage of moments when no one was watching, he would pour the medicinal soup into his summoning space. Then, to pass the inspection of his parents, he would take a tiny sip and let the bitterness linger on his tongue, finally managing to scrape by and pass the test.

One must admit that anything produced by the imperial palace was bound to be of top quality.

Even though it was just a tiny sip per meal, the frequency of Li Kuan's nosebleeds had already caught up with the daily nosebleed count of Li Ke's full younger brother, Li Yin, who was still swaddled in infancy.

If he continued to take these tonics... *cough, cough*... Li Kuan felt that even if a pig were to appear before him right now, he would find it increasingly pleasing to the eye...

Because of this, Empress Zhangsun was extremely worried. She specifically summoned Imperial Physician Zhang to inquire about the matter, and only after being assured that these were all normal phenomena did she finally set her mind at ease.

Empress Zhangsun was worried, and Li Kuan was equally troubled.

With the appointed day fast approaching, the Prince of Chu, eagerly desiring to leave the palace, knew full well that his previous privilege of entering and leaving the palace at will had likely long since been revoked by his narrow-minded father. Yet the matters he was about to discuss with the representatives of the Five Surnames and Seven Clans were of monumental importance.

Driven by desperation, he even entertained the thought of simply forcing his way out.

But upon second thought, if he actually did that, he would undoubtedly suffer terribly—word had it that in a few more days, his uncle, Zhangsun Wuji, would return from Shandong with grain harvests. According to what he stated in his memorial to the imperial court, the prominent aristocratic clans in Shandong (note: this "Shandong" does not refer to our modern Shandong province, but broadly denotes the region east of Mount Xiao) were also finding life quite difficult.

"They claim that despite their large and established households, the year of famine has left them with no surplus grain, and they are barely able to keep the pot boiling.

Despite this minister exhausting all efforts, the total grain raised amounts to no more than eighty-odd thousand shi."

One must confess that you can always rely on the shamelessness of these aristocratic gatehouses.

It was said that Li Er was so enraged he was ready to draw his sword and kill someone on the spot.

However, of what use is anger?

It could not solve the immediate crisis.

Eager to share the burdens of the imperial court, Li Kuan ultimately decided that to shoulder the blame for leaving the palace without permission, he needed to find someone with a sufficiently formidable background to take the fall.

Thus...

"Eldest Brother! I am out again!" When Li Kuan once more appeared at the entrance of the Eastern Palace, Puyun, the Grand Eunuch of the Eastern Palace, felt his eyelids twitch violently.

This exalted personage never visited unless he needed something. Judging by the posture, the Crown Prince was in mortal danger!

"Your Highness the Prince of Chu!" Puyun wore a flattering smile as he stepped forward to bow to Li Kuan. "Your Highness, the Crown Prince is still studying with his tutors. You..."

"Oh, never mind then," Li Kuan nodded. "I won't disturb Eldest Brother's studies. By the way, tell him to lend me his carriage."

"Um... then this servant—" Puyun, who had felt a sense of relief upon hearing the first half of the sentence and believing the Prince of Chu had finally grown sensible, dropped his jaw wide open once Li Kuan revealed his true intentions. "Ah?"

"What do you mean, 'ah'?" Li Kuan glared at Puyun. "Are you a toad?"

"Your Highness, this, this, this... this will not do... The Crown Prince's imperial carriage... it violates ritual regulations!" Puyun said with a mournful expression.

"Humph," Li Kuan tilted his chin, radiating an overpowering aura of dominance. "I am informing you, not asking for your permission, understand?"

"This servant will go inform His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince..." Knowing his own status was humble, Puyun's face was filled with nervous anxiety.

"As you please," Li Kuan's lazy tone reflected his absolute determination. He even started playing with the cadence of Shaanxi opera: "Anyway, this old man has to get moving right away, otherwise if I miss dinner later, my dad is going to beat the stuffing out of this old man..."

Puyun: "..."

Your Highness, you are truly overthinking things. Playing around like this, regardless of whether you make it back for dinner or not, His Majesty is going to smash your head open...

"Alright, no more dawdling with you, I'm off." Li Kuan naturally knew where the carriage was kept. Ah, at this thought, Li Kuan could not help but let out a sigh: his eldest brother's only remaining prestige probably lay in that luxury carriage of the Eastern Palace, which existed solely due to ritual protocols.

Snatching the coachman's clothes and having one of his shadow assassins put them on, Li Kuan swaggered out of the imperial palace aboard the Crown Prince's carriage.

Indeed, where there is a will, there is a way.

Riding the Eastern Palace carriage and smoothly exiting the palace, Li Kuan drove the vehicle directly toward the residence of his paternal aunt's husband, Chai Shao, the Duke of霍 (Huo).

His paternal uncle had been guarding Shuofang and had not returned for two years, while his two cousins, Chai Zhewei and Chai Lingwu, were still studying in the palace. Therefore, the truant Li Kuan handed the carriage over to the familiar old steward of the Duke's estate: "Steward Wang, look after this carriage for me. I'll come collect it later."

"Your Highness..." Since the two young masters had not yet returned from their studies, Steward Wang naturally knew that this great-grandfather of a figure was playing truant yet again. Though he wished to offer a few words of advice on studying, he knew his own position was too humble. Looking at the familiar Eastern Palace carriage before him, Steward Wang first sighed and then helplessly shook his head.

Compared to playing truant, sneaking this contraption out of the palace was the truly massive disaster.

Forget it...

It was not the first time anyway...

Amidst his anxiety, Steward Wang ultimately accepted the arrangement.

Yet, just as he remembered to remind the other party to return as early as possible, he turned around only to find that Li Kuan had already vanished without a trace.

"Sigh... these youths..."