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

The Great Tang Dynasty, on the banks of Qujiang Pool.

As dusk settles, hundreds of palace lanterns light up one after another, reflecting off the water like scattered gold.

Tonight, Li Shimin is hosting a banquet to entertain the governors from various regions who are returning to the capital to report on their duties. What is even more noteworthy is that more than ten scions of prominent families have also been invited—all of them outstanding young talents from the Five Clans and Seven Families.

Li Chengqian and Li Tai sat to the left and right of the throne, respectively. The Crown Prince wore a deep purple casual robe with a jade belt at his waist, and his expression was calm and composed; the Prince of Wei wore a lake-blue round-necked robe, holding a folding fan, and his gentle demeanor exuded a scholarly air. The two brothers appeared to be chatting and laughing, but in reality, they were both observing the young noblemen who were taking their seats one after another.

"Young Master Cui Yan of the Cui Clan of Boling has arrived!"

A young man of about eighteen or nineteen years old entered the banquet hall. He wore a moon-white robe, his hair was tied up with a jade crown, and his sleeves fluttered lightly as he walked, his steps unhurried as if treading on clouds. When he bowed before the emperor, his back was straight, his posture respectful but not humble.

"Young Master Cui Zhili of the Cui family of Qinghe has arrived—"

The younger one, about sixteen or seventeen, had handsome features and held a book in his hand. After taking his seat, he didn't exchange pleasantries with anyone and simply flipped through the pages. When a palace maid came forward to pour wine, he merely nodded slightly, his gaze never leaving the book.

"The Wang family of Taiyuan, Prince Wang Zhao has arrived—"

He was in his early twenties, wearing a dark brocade robe embroidered with subtle patterns. Instead of a jade pendant, he wore an ancient bronze seal at his waist. As he took his seat, his gaze swept across the entire room, lingering briefly on Li Chengqian and Li Tai, a faint smile playing on his lips.

The names of the Lu family of Fanyang, the Zheng family of Xingyang, the Li family of Longxi, and the Li family of Zhaojun were called out one by one, and young people with different demeanors took their seats. Some carried scrolls, some wore swords, and some carried zithers. None of them wore gold or silver, but they had a kind of noble and refined demeanor that had been passed down for hundreds of years.

Li Shimin raised his cup: "Today, let us set aside formalities. All of you talented individuals are pillars of our Great Tang Dynasty. Let us drink this cup together."

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually relaxed. A governor rose and composed a poem praising the peaceful and prosperous era. Li Shimin clapped his hands in approval and ordered that brocade be bestowed upon him.

At this moment, Cui Yan suddenly stood up: "Your Majesty, I have recently been reading the *Discourses on Salt and Iron*, and I am moved to write this. The price of salt in Hedong is fluctuating, causing great suffering to the people. Does the court have any good solutions?"

The question was direct yet cleverly phrased—it showed concern for people's livelihood while subtly probing the court's intentions.

All eyes were on Li Chengqian. Salt administration was a matter that the Crown Prince had been in charge of recently.

Li Chengqian put down his wine cup and slowly said, "Young Master Cui is concerned about the people's livelihood, which greatly pleases me. The court has ordered the Hedong Circuit to open its granaries and sell firewood at a fair price, while also promoting the use of new firewood-saving stoves. In addition..." He paused, "I consulted ancient books and found that the method of sun-drying salt might be worth trying, and I have already ordered people to test it on a small scale in Quanzhou."

A slight murmur arose during the gathering.

Salt production by sun-drying? This method has existed since ancient times, but it has never been widely implemented.

Wang Zhao chuckled and said, "Your Highness, salt production depends on the weather. If it rains, there will be no harvest. Moreover, it requires large areas of mudflats, which may harm the profits from fishing and salt production. May I ask which dynasty the ancient book Your Highness consulted records from? My Wang family library has quite a few such miscellaneous records."

These words sound respectful, but they actually contain a hidden barb: "Does your Eastern Palace have more books than those of prestigious families that have collected books for generations?"

Li Tai smiled slightly, gently waving his folding fan.

Li Chengqian's expression remained unchanged: "It is a book from the previous dynasty called 'Miscellaneous Records of Maritime Kingdoms,' the title of which has been lost. I am merely testing it; whether it succeeds or fails, we will know in a few months."

"Your Highness, please be cautious." Cui Zhili suddenly looked up, put down his book, and said, "However, the salt administration is a matter of national importance. If it fails, it will jeopardize the livelihoods of tens of thousands of salt farmers."

This is practically a question.

The atmosphere at the banquet became subtle. Several scions of prominent families exchanged glances, each with a faint smile. They had come today precisely to see what this young crown prince was capable of.

Li Shimin sat upright on his throne, expressionless, as if he were merely observing.

Li Chengqian was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "What Young Master Cui said is absolutely right. That's why the Quanzhou saltworks, which I ordered to be piloted, were almost abandoned in recent years due to a shortage of firewood. If it succeeds, it will restore the abandoned saltworks and support a thousand salt workers; if it fails, it will simply remain as it is. In this way, it will not harm the foundation of the country."

He raised his wine cup and looked at the scions of prominent families: "I am young and inexperienced, and I need your guidance. However, governing a country is like treating an illness; sometimes strong medicine is needed, and sometimes gentle remedies are required. When to use which method depends on the circumstances and the times—this principle is something that you, with your families' profound learning, should understand better than I do."

His words acknowledged his youth while subtly implying that the scions of powerful families were all talk and no action. He was neither arrogant nor humble, and his words were perfectly tactful.

A hint of surprise flashed in Cui Yan's eyes as he raised his cup in return: "Your Highness's humility is admirable."

Round 1, a draw.

At the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), the guests moved to a waterside pavilion to admire the moon. Li Shimin ordered a chess game to be set up, allowing the younger generation to freely exchange skills.

The pavilion overlooks the lake, where a refreshing autumn breeze blows. Li Chengqian is playing chess with a member of the Zheng family, while Li Tai is chatting and drinking tea with Cui Yan not far away, his gaze occasionally drifting towards his elder brother.

"Your Highness, Prince Wei," Cui Yan said, taking a sip of tea, "the Crown Prince seems to have made considerable progress lately."

Li Tai paused slightly in his teacup, then smiled and said, "Brother, with your diligence, you will naturally make progress."

"Diligence is certainly a good thing." Cui Yan put down his teacup, lowering his voice, "However, I've heard that His Highness the Crown Prince's memorials and strategies over the past six months have been quite different from his usual style. It's as if... he's been guided by a master?"

Li Tai's smile remained unchanged: "Where did Young Master Cui hear this from?"

"Noble families have their own eyes and ears," Cui Yan said directly. "Your Highness, let's not beat around the bush. My Cui family has been a family of scholars for generations, and we deeply respect genuine talent and learning. If Your Highness truly has a good teacher or friend, we would like to introduce them to him so we can discuss state affairs together. If it is merely..."

He paused, then didn't continue.

Li Tai understood the unspoken words—if it was just a pretense, he would eventually be exposed.

Just then, a gasp of surprise came from the other side of the waterside pavilion. Li Tai looked up and saw that Li Chengqian had just placed a piece. The Zheng family member, renowned for his chess skills, stared at the chessboard for a long time before smiling bitterly and saying, "Your Highness's chess moves are unpredictable. Your Majesty... has lost."

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "You flatter me."

Li Tai was secretly shocked. Zheng's chess skills were among the best of the younger generation, yet he lost so decisively?

He got up and walked over to the chessboard. Black and white pieces were scattered everywhere. The white pieces (Li Chengqian)'s layout seemed chaotic, but in fact, it concealed deadly intent, and some of his moves were even unheard-of strange moves.

"Brother, your chess skills are excellent," Li Tai said with a smile. "May I ask who your teacher was?"

"I'm self-taught." Li Chengqian arranged the chess pieces, "It's just that I've recently been reading the 'Chess Classic' and have gained some insights."

"The Chess Classic?" Wang Zhao raised an eyebrow. "I am also well-versed in the Chess Classic, but I have never seen such an opening. Your Highness, could you please offer some guidance?"

This is pushing them further and further.

Just as Li Chengqian was about to speak, a palace attendant's voice suddenly came from outside the waterside pavilion: "Your Majesty, Lady Yiyi has arrived."

Everyone turned to look.

Under the moonlight, Xiao Qingyi was being led by Empress Zhangsun towards the waterside pavilion. Tonight, she was wearing a pink Tang Dynasty children's outfit—something that Li Lizhi had specially ordered made. Her hair was styled in a double bun, tied with a pale yellow ribbon, and the string of sandalwood beads on her wrist gleamed warmly under the palace lanterns.

"Uncle!" Upon seeing Li Shimin, her eyes lit up, and she bowed respectfully—though her posture was still immature, it was precise and methodical, clearly indicating that she had studied diligently.

Li Shimin smiled and beckoned her over: "Yiyi, what brings you here?"

"Auntie the Empress said there's a moon tonight, so she brought Yiyi to see it." Little Qingyi was carried to the throne and curiously looked around at the unfamiliar faces.

The scions of noble families were also sizing her up—this "overseas lady" who was rumored to be extremely favored by the emperor and empress and whose origins were shrouded in mystery.

Cui Zhili suddenly spoke up: "Is that agarwood bracelet on your wrist, young lady, from Hainan?"

Xiao Qingyi looked down at the bracelet and nodded: "It was a gift from my aunt."

"Hainan agarwood, an inch of agarwood is worth an inch of gold." Cui Zhili said calmly, "Your Majesty the Empress is very kind."

These words sound like praise, but they actually imply that the emperor and empress dote on a child of unknown origin.

Empress Zhangsun remained calm and said gently, "Yiyi is innocent and lovely, and I am delighted to see her. Besides..." She looked at Li Shimin, "Your Majesty often says that children are innocent and should not be distinguished by social status."

With a single, gentle word, the attack was neutralized.

Li Shimin lifted Xiao Qingyi onto his lap and pointed to the chessboard: "Does Yiyi know how to play chess?"

"No," Xiao Qingyi shook her head honestly, but after staring at the chessboard for a while, she suddenly pointed to a certain spot, "Put a white bunny here, and a black bunny here, and they can be friends!"

Her childish words stunned everyone—the two positions she pointed to were the two most crucial "eyes" in the game just now.

A flicker of surprise crossed Li Chengqian's eyes. The Zheng family members' expressions changed slightly—was the child's remark unintentional, or…?

"Yiyi is right." Li Shimin laughed. "Playing chess is like making friends; there should be both competition and harmony, and that is the right way."

He looked at the scions of noble families: "Let's call it a day. It's late, everyone should get some rest."

When the order to leave was given, everyone bowed and took their leave.

As they stepped out of the waterside pavilion, Cui Yan whispered to Li Tai, "Your Highness, that child..."

"He's just a child," Li Tai said calmly.

But the thorn in my heart has sunk even deeper.