My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

"Do you think I'm joking?"

Li Shimin's gaze swept over the three of them.

"My son, Chengqian, was made crown prince at the age of eight; he is exceptionally intelligent!"

"I have carefully selected renowned scholars from across the land to serve as his teachers, including Li Gang, Yu Zhining, and Kong Yingda... all of whom are outstanding talents of their time. They all praise the Crown Prince for his rapid progress in his studies and his exceptional comprehension!"

"In the sixth year of the Zhenguan era, I visited Qizhou and ordered him to remain and oversee the state. At that time, he was only a teenager, yet he was able to handle a large amount of government affairs with clarity and decisiveness. Many senior officials in the court also praised him!"

"He was kind and filial, and he had always paid his respects to the Empress and me morning and evening without fail."

Even as his foot ailment worsened and he became less mobile, he still frequently sent people to inquire after his well-being; his feelings never changed!

At this point, Li Shimin paused slightly.

He suddenly raised his voice, his gaze intense, his tone resolute.

"This child is like me!"

"I believe that, given time and proper training, my son Chengqian's civil and military achievements will surely surpass mine in the future!!"

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the air.

Zhu Biao, Fusu, and the others looked at Li Shimin with shock.

Old Zhu looked at Li Shimin with a surprised expression.

Did Emperor Taizong of Tang take the wrong medicine?

Why does it suddenly seem like she's had a sex change?

The reason he valued Zhu Biao so much was largely due to the example of Emperor Taizong of Tang.

Is that really what you think?

Will your son eventually rebel?

And standing behind Li Shimin was Li Chengqian...

As Li Shimin began to recount his past, he looked up in astonishment.

When he heard his father describe his youthful intelligence and filial piety in that familiar, proud tone, tears welled up in his eyes and flowed freely.

So... Father remembered everything!

When the words "You will surely surpass me in the future" hit his ears, Li Chengqian felt his brain go blank.

His body, which was leaning on his cane, began to tremble violently.

It wasn't out of fear, but because of a certainty he had never imagined, or even dared to hope for!

This certainly came so suddenly and so violently, especially since he had spoken ill of Li Shimin at noon.

Overwhelmed by immense regret, helplessness, and a dizzying sensation as if struck by a giant wave from the sky.

Li Chengqian opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no sound came out. He could only let the hot tears blur his vision as he stared blankly at Li Shimin's back.

The whole world seemed to have fallen silent.

Li Chengqian finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Clang!"

His cane slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Amidst everyone's astonished gazes, Li Chengqian, dragging his injured leg, mustered all his strength and knelt heavily on the ground!

The dull thud of the knee hitting the ground sent a shiver down everyone's spine.

Without the slightest hesitation, he kowtowed to the ground and shouted in a trembling voice.

"Your subject, Li Chengqian, deserves to die a thousand deaths!!! I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"

The next second, Li Shimin suddenly turned around.

He looked at the trembling Li Chengqian and sighed with relief.

"Get up! What I did before was indeed wrong."

Li Chengqian did not get up, but instead raised his cane high.

"Your Majesty, I beg you to punish me!"

Li Shimin did not take the cane, but instead bent down and firmly supported Li Chengqian's arms with both hands.

"What punishment?"

His voice was deep.

"I said, rise."

Li Chengqian wanted to persist, but Li Shimin helped him up from the ground.

His legs were weak and he staggered, but fortunately Li Shimin's arm steadily supported him.

"I only ask you," Li Shimin's gaze was deep, "were the things you said yesterday sincere?"

Li Chengqian shook his head violently, his face full of shame.

"Your Majesty, I was foolish! Those were just angry words, utter nonsense! I beg you..."

"If it was just said in anger, then let it go."

Li Shimin interrupted him, gently patting his shoulder, "Just Chengqian, remember this—"

His voice suddenly became serious.

"You are the crown prince personally chosen by me, the heir apparent of the Tang Dynasty. This position is not something you can simply give up because you don't value it."

Li Chengqian stared blankly at his father.

"It is not just a power, but also a responsibility."

Li Shimin's gaze swept over everyone in the courtyard, finally settling on his son's face.

"It is you who must shoulder this heavy burden for me and for all the people of this world. Do you understand?"

"Um!!!"

At this moment, Li Chengqian truly understood his father's intentions.

He used to think that his father was biased, but today he understands that his father's expectations of him have never been less than anyone else's.

"Your subject...understands."

Li Shimin smiled.

He looked at Li Chengqian's appearance and pondered for a moment.

"Actually..."

Li Shimin deliberately dragged out his words.

"I still prefer the way you were at noon, with your neck stiff, fearless and unruly, pointing at me and spewing insults. That had a bit of my style back then."

Li Shimin paused, looking at Li Chengqian's eyes widen in that instant.

"How about... you get yourself to recover?"

"what?"

Li Chengqian was dumbfounded and looked embarrassed.

"Father...that was just something I said in a drunken rage!"

"Don't people often say that people speak the truth when they're drunk?"

"Oh, right! There's one more thing!"

Li Shimin seemed to suddenly remember something, his smile faded, and he pretended to be serious.

Seeing his expression, Li Chengqian became nervous again.

"What is it...?"

Li Shimin put on a stern face and said in a serious tone.

"Please address the Crown Prince as Your Majesty!"

Li Chengqian: ? ? ?

Li Chengqian's mind went completely blank, and the dazed look on his face turned into a bewildered confusion.

Seeing his appearance, Li Shimin's serious expression completely collapsed, and he finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! How about it, my crown prince?"

Li Shimin was exceptionally pleased.

Suddenly, Ying Zheng's voice came from behind him.

"Airplanes have wings, I'm out of licenses."

"I remember, thirty taels per person."

The air froze instantly.

Li Shimin: ? ? ?

The smile on his face froze at a visible speed, and his eyes widened instantly.

No!

Don't you guys know how to read the timing?

Li Shimin was instructing the crown prince, a time of reconciliation and happiness between father and son.

Would it be appropriate for you to come and do this?

Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow as he looked at Li Shimin's expression.

"Old Li, you're not trying to renege on your debt, are you?"

"How could this be... I'll have someone send it over later!"

Li Shimin looked distressed.

Thirty taels!

Who the hell knew that Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, didn't have any martial virtues!

He cheated while he was having an affair with his son!

Just as Li Shimin was about to start criticizing, a sound came from the kitchen.

"Dinner's ready! Get ready to eat!"

But then Chen Mo came out carrying a plate of braised beef, and Li Lizhi followed behind him carrying a plate of braised pig's trotters.

After seeing Li Chengqian get up, Xiao Sizi hurriedly returned to the kitchen.

Then, she carefully walked over, carrying a plate.

She stood on tiptoe, held the plate containing most of a strawberry cake high in the air, tilted her little face up, her eyes sparkling, and said in a childish voice.

"Big brother, eat this! This is delicious!"

A little bit of white cream clung to the tip of her small nose, making her look especially adorable.

Li Lizhi, who had followed, watched this scene and explained softly to Li Chengqian.

"Sizi really cherishes this cake. Manager Chen cut her a piece, and after taking a bite, she said it was especially delicious. She insisted on keeping most of it so that her older brother could try it. She even resisted eating any herself."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian was stunned.

He looked down, a strong soreness rushed to his nose, and his eyes instantly reddened.

He slowly squatted down, even though he had difficulty walking, so that his line of sight was level with his sister's.

Then, he reached out and gently wiped the cream off the tip of Sizi's nose.

"Okay, big brother, eat up. Thank you, Sizi. Sizi... you're such a good boy."

When Si Zi saw that Li Chengqian accepted, his eyes narrowed into slits with a smile.

"Alright, alright, stop standing there! The dishes are all ready! If we don't start eating soon, the food will get cold!"

Chen Mo walked over and helped Li Chengqian to his seat.

Taking advantage of the moment he bent down to help Li Chengqian up, he whispered to him:

There's something I need to tell you.

"After you passed out drunk at noon, it was Old Li who..."

Chen Mo glanced at Li Shimin.

"...It was he who carried you from downstairs to your bed in your room."

"At the time, Biao Ge and the others wanted to lend a hand, but Lao Li refused and insisted on carrying you up himself."

"In the end, it was he who took care of you!"