The Emperor's Beloved: My Ancestor is the Crown Prince?

Li Chengqian hadn't told anyone about the two "experimental fields" at the imperial estate, and he even thought about them while sleeping. That day, the old subordinate sneaked in under the cover of night again, handing over a crumpled piece of hemp paper that still smelled of earth. Li Chengqian took it and looked at it by candlelight—it had a few crooked lines drawn on it with a charred twig, and two words next to it: "Sprouts Emerging".

He stared at those two words for almost half an incense stick's time before finally bringing the paper to the fire to burn. Looking at the ashes, he felt a strange sense of relief.

The court remained unchanged, with officials arguing over a peck of rice and half a bolt of silk. However, the fact that "the Crown Prince's proposal was comprehensive" somehow began to circulate among a few officials.

When Li Chengqian went to pay his respects to his mother, he felt that the palace maids and eunuchs in the Lizheng Hall seemed to linger on his gaze for a moment longer than usual.

That afternoon, as usual, he went to the Lizheng Hall. Before he even entered, he heard Xiao Qingyi's distinctively loud voice excitedly shouting inside:

"...Then that wicked fox Nick, 'whoosh,' fell right into the giant cake! His face was covered in cream, it was hilarious!"

The sound of Xiao Qingyi gesturing wildly could be heard; she was clearly telling her of her never-ending Zootopia-themed tale.

Then came Sizi's soft, amused question: "Cake? What's that?"

"A cake is a cake! Hmm... I'll give you a big cake for your birthday next time, Sister Sizi." Xiao Qingyi's walnut-sized brain was clearly insufficient to explain what a cake was.

The hall was filled with the cheerful laughter of two children...

A smile unconsciously crept onto Li Chengqian's face before he stepped inside. Passing the screen, he saw a thick Persian carpet spread on the floor. Xiao Qingyi was wearing a light red dress today, but her head was adorned with a sparkly, spinning rainbow windmill hair clip (Li Qingge's new invention, solar-powered, slowly spinning when exposed to light), which she was twirling with great enthusiasm. Sizi was leaning against a soft pillow, holding a soft, chick-shaped toy, trying to make a sound from it, her face unusually focused and curious.

Empress Zhangsun sat by the couch, doing needlework, but her gaze fell gently on the two little ones on the carpet, a smile playing on her lips.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty." Li Chengqian bowed.

"Get up, sit down." Empress Zhangsun looked up at him, her gaze sweeping gently over his face. "She was listening to Yiyi tell a story. This child, I wonder how many strange and wonderful ideas are swirling in her head."

Li Chengqian sat down at the lower end of the table, watching as Xiao Qingyi proudly pulled out a palm-sized magnetic writing board (with magnetic chess pieces) covered in strange grids and numbers, trying to teach Sizi to play "tic-tac-toe." She muttered to herself, "Sizi, look, put the circle here... no, no, Yiyi will block it here!" Her earnest little face made her look just like a schoolteacher.

"She's just a child at heart, innocent and carefree," Li Chengqian said, his tone relaxing a bit. "Being able to make the Empress Dowager and Sizi smile is her blessing."

Empress Zhangsun nodded, put down her needlework, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and casually brought up the matter: "The other day, your father, the Empress, came to tell me about the meeting at the Liangyi Hall. He praised you a few times, saying that your memorial was clearly laid out, and even several experienced and prudent ministers nodded in approval. It seems that you have been putting in a lot of effort to study it lately."

Li Chengqian's heart tightened slightly, but his face remained calm: "Your Majesty flatters me. I was just thinking that as the Crown Prince of the Great Tang, I should think more and more. I consulted some old files with my subordinates and also asked the experienced stewards on the estate. I pieced it together bit by bit, and I dare not say it is comprehensive, but I only hope it can be of some help to Father."

"Check the old files, consult experienced elders..." Empress Zhangsun repeated softly, her gaze drifting to Xiao Qingyi, who was scratching her head, pondering her next move, and the windmill above her head that spun incessantly, reflecting tiny rainbows in the sunlight. "Yes, it's always good to listen and observe more. If you had more reliable, hardworking, and knowledgeable people around you, your father and I would feel more at ease." She paused, her tone still gentle, yet as light as a feather brushing over a crucial point, "Your uncle came to the palace the other day and mentioned in casual conversation that Chengqian has become increasingly methodical in handling affairs lately. Your father didn't say anything, just smiled."

Li Chengqian lowered his eyes, picked up the teacup beside him, and used the rising steam to conceal the fleeting thought in his eyes. His mother's words sounded like casual concern, but every word touched upon "those close to him" and "the established order." His father's "smile" was even more enigmatic. Was it relief? Or... something else?

"Your subject is young and inexperienced, and I fear that I may make mistakes and disappoint my father and mother." He put down his teacup, his voice sincere. "Think things through a few steps ahead and ask a few more people; it's always safer that way."

Empress Zhangsun looked at him, his head bowed, yet revealing a quietness unlike his usual demeanor. A faint, complex emotion, a mixture of relief and other emotions, flickered in her eyes, finally settling into a barely audible sigh: "It's good that you know how to be composed. Some things can't be rushed. It's like growing flowers and grass; once the roots are firmly planted, the time will come, and the branches and leaves will naturally flourish." She didn't elaborate further, but instead inquired about Sizi's diet and medicine that day.

Emerging from the Lizheng Hall, the sun was blazing outside. Yet, Li Chengqian felt that the gentle conversation he had just had inside the hall was slightly more scorching than the sunlight.

He understood his mother's reminder. The assistance from "the future" was like a rare rain, making his "Eastern Palace field" seem too fertile and prematurely green. While this was good, it could also easily attract unnecessary attention and even suspicion.

He needs to make this "rejuvenation" look more natural.

Not two days later, news spread from the Eastern Palace: His Highness the Crown Prince, out of compassion for the farmers' hard work, and with the summer harvest approaching, specially allocated some millet and salt from his own rations to distribute to the tenants of his several estates. It was also said that the Crown Prince was concerned about agriculture and had ordered people to begin compiling useful farming and disaster prevention methods from past dynasties into a book for future reference.

The news wasn't big, but it had a real, substantial feel to it. It seemed like a common act of compassion from the Crown Prince, and it also perfectly explained why his previous disaster relief strategy was so "well-documented"—His Highness had been paying attention to these things for a long time, and had simply had them systematically compiled recently.

When word reached Li Shimin, the emperor was reviewing a memorial concerning the Grand Canal. Hearing the eunuch's quiet reply, he didn't stop writing, only giving a faint "hmm." The old eunuch standing nearby stole a glance; the emperor's face seemed expressionless. After finishing that page, he paused briefly, his gaze fixed on the lush green trees outside the window, lost in thought.

What truly made Li Chengqian's experimental field in his heart unfold like sprouting seedlings was the third sheet of hemp paper delivered by his old subordinate a few days later. The charcoal drawing on it was even more hasty, but a few more words were added next to it, the strokes bold and revealing a simple excitement: "The seedlings are strong, the color is deep, and they are more robust than the surrounding fields!"

More robust than Pang Tian!

Li Chengqian held the "good news" that smelled of earth in his hand, standing alone in his study for a long time. The light outside the window gradually dimmed, but he didn't turn on the lamp. It seemed as if he could feel through the rough back of the paper how those tender lives from a thousand years in the future were striving to grow strong and vigorous, so different from other seedlings.

He suddenly realized that his mother's words, "the roots are firmly planted," might have another meaning. Some changes don't need to be publicized; they just need to be like these seeds, quietly absorbing nutrients and growing silently.

He brought the hemp paper close to the remaining candle flame, the flame gently licking it until it turned to ash. Night fell into the study, and he sat alone in the dim light.

"Your Highness," the trusted eunuch outside the door said in a very low voice, "Commissioner Du (Du He) is requesting an audience outside. He said... he has acquired a very interesting Hu puppet and has come to present it to Your Highness to amuse you."

Du He. Li Chengqian's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. This childhood playmate, now an official in the Eastern Palace, seemed to have become increasingly enthusiastic about collecting all sorts of novel trinkets and sending them to him. If it were before…

He recalled the seemingly casual yet unsettling phrase "surrounded by treacherous officials" in Qingge's letter, the innocent smile of Xiao Qingyi sharing candy in the warm pavilion, and his mother's words in the Lizheng Hall: "Down-to-earth, hardworking, and well-informed."

"Tell him," Li Chengqian's voice rang out in the darkness, colder than usual, "that I'm tired today and we'll talk another day. As for those playthings... let him keep them for himself."

There was a moment of silence outside the door before the respectful reply of the eunuch and the sound of his footsteps retreating could be heard.