The Great Tang Dynasty's Trans-Dimensional Conference: Little Rhinoceros Arrives

"Who am I? Where am I?" At this moment, Lin Fan desperately wished the little princess were by his side so he could escape this incredibly awkward situation.

Empress Zhangsun noticed Lin Fan's unusual behavior and, being as intelligent as she was, realized that something serious was probably going on.

However, she couldn't figure out where the problem lay. Was it because of Li Shimin? Or Li Chenggan himself? Or perhaps Li Tai?

The atmosphere in the entire hall instantly became quiet. Seeing that Empress Zhangsun did not speak, Lin Fan also began to try to regulate his breathing.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Fan spoke somewhat guiltily, "Your Majesty, didn't Chang Le tell you about these things?"

Empress Zhangsun turned to look at Lin Fan, somewhat stunned. "What does this have to do with Chang Le?"

"That's right!" Empress Zhangsun immediately realized as soon as she finished speaking, after all, Chang Le was the first person besides Si Zi to go to the future.

Based on Empress Zhangsun's understanding of Chang Le, she must have asked Lin Fan this question beforehand.

However, the result was certainly not satisfactory, so Chang Le did not mention it to her after returning.

Empress Zhangsun immediately understood the key point, and then quickly composed herself, forcing a smile onto her face.

"Young master, it's alright. If you're not comfortable saying more, I won't ask any further."

"well."

Lin Fan gave an awkward laugh, silently apologizing to Chang Le in his heart, "I'm sorry, little sister Chang Le, you'd better pray for yourself from now on!"

"Achoo!" Chang Le, who was playing games with the two little princesses outside the palace, suddenly sneezed, completely unaware that Lin Fan had already betrayed her.

The two people inside the hall chatted for a few moments, then Empress Zhangsun took a deep breath and slowly rose.

"Young master, Chang Le and the others will keep you company from now on. I'm feeling a bit tired and would like to go back and rest first. Please forgive me if there has been any inadequacy in our hospitality!"

"Yes, yes, Your Majesty, please rest." Lin Fan could only nod and smile apologetically.

At this moment, he couldn't wait for Empress Zhangsun to leave so that he could find an excuse to slip away.

Without greeting Xiao Sizi and the others, Empress Zhangsun led a group of maids directly back to Lizheng Hall. Lin Fan followed the sound of laughter and walked into the garden next to it.

Seeing Lin Fan walking towards them alone in the distance, Xiao Sizi in the pavilion quickly waved and called out, "Brother Lin Fan, where are you?"

Lin Fan quickly forced an unnatural smile and strode over to the three little princesses.

"Brother Lin Fan, where is Mother? Why didn't she come over?" Chang Le asked with a smile.

"Um...this..."

Lin Fan wondered if he should tell Chang Le about what had happened beforehand, so that she could be mentally prepared.

Thinking of this, Lin Fan nodded and tentatively asked, "Chang Le, didn't you read about later history before?"

Chang Le nodded somewhat blankly upon hearing this, "Yes, what's wrong? Is there a problem, Brother Lin Fan?"

Are there any more questions? Of course there are! Lin Fan couldn't help but slap his forehead and look at Mingyue beside him, "Miss, could you please take Xiao Sizi and Chengyang to play somewhere else first?"

Hearing this, Mingyue turned to look at Changle. Seeing Changle nod, she turned back to take Xiaosizi's hand, but Xiaosizi headbutted Lin Fan and fell into his arms.

After finishing, she raised her little head and looked at Lin Fan with dissatisfaction, "Hmph, Lin Fan, why do you want me to leave again? I'm not leaving!"

Seeing the indignant look on Xiao Sizi's face, Lin Fan smiled wryly and quickly squatted down to comfort him gently.

"Sister Sizi, go play with Sister Mingyue for a while. When things are ready, your brother will take you back to buy a cake."

Upon hearing the word "food," the little ox instantly quieted down and asked in a childish voice, "What's 'dang gao'? Is it good?"

"It's a cake, not a traditional Chinese cake, so of course it's delicious! It's an exceptionally delicious treat; you'll definitely love it!"

Something incredibly delicious? This was the first time Xiao Si had ever heard Lin Fan praise something like this, and her eyes immediately began to sparkle.

"Is it really that good? Lin Fan wouldn't lie to me, would he?"

Lin Fan gently pinched the little princess's pointed nose and said with a smile, "Of course not, when has your brother ever lied to you?"

Upon hearing this, Little Sizi, with her little finger in her mouth, thought for a moment and nodded happily, "Okay, Fifth Sister, Sister Mingyue, let's go quickly."

Without needing Lin Fan to say anything more, and fearing that someone might change their mind, Xiao Sizi took Chengyang and Mingyue's hands and ran to the side.

Seeing the three of them walk away, Lin Fan turned back to look at Chang Le, who still seemed confused. "Didn't you tell Her Majesty about these things after you came back?"

"Um...who should I tell? My mother?" Chang Le was still completely caught off guard and had no idea how serious the problem was.

"Wait, aren't you usually pretty smart? Why are you taking so long to react today?" Lin Fan looked at Chang Le in front of him speechlessly.

After thinking for a moment, he continued, "The Empress just asked me a question...it's about your elder brother, Li Chengqian..."

Upon hearing this, even the slow-witted Chang Le finally understood the meaning behind Lin Fan's words, and her mouth instinctively formed an "O" shape.

"Ah...this..." Chang Le, who had already realized the seriousness of the problem, was now somewhat flustered.

When she returned from her previous trip to the afterlife and Empress Zhangsun asked her questions, she only talked about herself, Xiao Sizi, Empress Zhangsun herself, and Li Shimin.

She chose to remain silent about her elder brother and younger brother, partly because she feared that Empress Zhangsun would be heartbroken if she knew, and partly because she feared that something even more unexpected might happen.

Although she didn't take any proactive measures during this period, she still privately had people keep an eye on her brother Li Chenggan's daily life.

However, this kind of thing cannot be brought into the open, after all, Li Chengqian is now the crown prince, and his position is relatively stable.

However, what happened today was completely unexpected. It all came too suddenly, and now she didn't know how to deal with it.

She could only look to Lin Fan for help, "This is terrible, Brother Lin Fan, what... what should I do next?"

The usually decisive and efficient eldest princess of the Tang Dynasty had completely transformed into an ordinary, weak younger sister, placing all her hopes on Lin Fan.

"What should we do?" Hearing Chang Le's question, Lin Fan was also at his wit's end, and his face turned sour.

He really wanted to reply, "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?" But looking at Chang Le's pitiful eyes, he just couldn't bring himself to say it.

Lin Fan thought about it and realized that the root of the problem was actually the issue of "concealing and not reporting".

Although Chang Le's initial intention was good, and Empress Zhangsun might understand her, she would definitely have a grudge in her heart.

Thinking of this, Lin Fan also gave his advice, "Changle, I think the best course of action now is for you to go and confess to the Empress as soon as possible."

"Oh, but I'm worried that if I tell Mother, she won't be able to handle it. She's only recently recovered, and what if something goes wrong?"

Upon hearing that she had to confess, Chang Le was so anxious that tears were almost welling up in her eyes.

Lin Fan, standing to the side, felt a headache coming on. He couldn't stand seeing others cry, especially since the person in front of him was Chang Le. After spending time together, he had long regarded Chang Le as his own younger sister.

Helpless, he could only immediately comfort her, "Alright, alright, don't be sad. Actually, there's still a chance to turn things around."

As soon as Lin Fan said this, Chang Le almost lunged at him, but thankfully she managed to control her emotions in the end.

Blushing, Chang Le quickly asked, "Brother Lin Fan, what do you mean by 'room for maneuver'?"

Lin Fan didn't speak, but first found a seat on a bench and sat down before continuing.

"Actually, you've forgotten the most important point in this matter."

Chang Le thought about it for a while, but because he was anxious, he still couldn't figure out the meaning behind it.

Seeing this, Lin Fan shook his head helplessly and continued to explain, "First of all, what we saw before was all history that has already happened."

"But right now, none of these things have happened yet, have they? We still have a chance to change things, don't we?"

Lin Fan's few words were like a wake-up call for Chang Le, instantly clearing her mind.

"Haha, that's right, Brother Lin Fan, you're so smart! How come I didn't think of that before!"

Chang Le excitedly rushed to Lin Fan, grabbing his arm and shaking it repeatedly with her little hands.

Seeing this, Lin Fan subconsciously moved to the side, leaving a little distance between them, and then pretended to cough.

Overjoyed, Chang Le was completely oblivious to Lin Fan's actions, her face flushed like a big apple.

After a while, Chang Le gradually calmed down and realized that she had overstepped her bounds. Her face turned even redder.

With her head down, Chang Le didn't dare to look at Lin Fan, and whispered, "Brother Lin... I'm sorry, I was just too excited."

Lin Fan didn't say anything, but gently shook his arm, and Chang Le suddenly released her grip on Lin Fan's arm.

Clearing his throat to cover his embarrassment, Lin Fan said softly without changing his expression, "As the saying goes, those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly. It's normal that you couldn't think of that just now because you were in a state of confusion."

Chang Le nodded shyly, her blush still lingering. "Brother Lin Fan, in that case, I'll go find Mother now."

"Tell her sooner rather than later, so she can feel more at ease. Otherwise, knowing her mother's personality, she'll definitely start overthinking things again."

"Alright, the sooner the better. Remember to comfort the Empress, after all, nothing has happened yet, and no one can predict what might happen."

"Hmm!" Chang Le nodded emphatically, looking at Lin Fan in front of her, then seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

"What's wrong?"

"Brother Lin Fan, you said you were going back soon?"

"Yes," Lin Fan replied without much thought.

Upon hearing this, Chang Le's mood became somewhat depressed. She knew she would have to go find her mother and wouldn't be able to accompany Xiao Si Zi and the others.

With a sigh in her heart, Chang Le slowly stood up, then asked with some anticipation, "Alright, will you come over later, Brother Lin Fan? I... I can ask Mother to prepare the banquet in advance."

Lin Fan was taken aback. It was hard to say for sure. After thinking for a moment, he said, "We'll see how things go. If I'm going to come, I'll let Xiao Sizi know in advance."

Upon hearing this answer, Chang Le's disappointment immediately lessened, and a smile returned to her face.

"Alright, in that case, I'll go find my mother first. Goodbye, Brother Lin Fan!" After saying that, Chang Le ran out without waiting for Lin Fan's reply.

After Chang Le left, Lin Fan didn't linger and immediately began searching for Xiao Sizi and the others again.

Although the garden of Xiaosizi Palace is not large, it is filled with all kinds of flowers and plants, many of which are varieties that Lin Fan has never seen before.

Before long, Lin Fan found Little Sizi on a grassy field. At that moment, the little princess was happily chasing a very brightly colored butterfly.

Before meeting Lin Fan, chasing butterflies was almost a daily routine for Xiao Sizi. Hearing the laughter coming from afar, Lin Fan's mood unconsciously brightened up as well.

After running several laps, Little Sizi finally stopped, exhausted. Without thinking, he plopped down on the ground.

"Sizi, the ground is so cold, you'll catch a cold. Don't sit down, get up now!"

Upon hearing Lin Fan's voice, Xiao Sizi turned around with a "whoosh" and exclaimed in surprise, "Haha, Brother Lin Fan, you're here!"

Without thinking twice, she nimbly stood up with her hands on the ground, then wiggled her little bottom and ran towards Lin Fan.

Facing the little ox's "headbutt" attack, Lin Fan quietly took a step back with his right foot and caught it steadily in his arms.

"Hehe, Lin Fan, where's my sister?" Xiao Sizi looked around happily, but unfortunately, she didn't see Chang Le.

Lin Fan squatted down and looked at Xiao Sizi, who was sweating profusely on her forehead. He quickly took out a tissue from his pocket and wiped it off for her.

"Your older sister had some things to take care of and went to see your mother first. Why, do you want to go too?"

"No, no~ I still want Qidang cake." Xiaosi shook her head and refused without thinking. At this moment, nothing could stop her enthusiasm for food.

After having Mingyue help Xiao Sizi tidy up a bit, Lin Fan took the two little princesses home.

Watching the three disappear, Mingyue and Qiuxia were filled with envy. Thinking that they would also be going there, they became even more excited.

After returning home and changing his clothes, Lin Fan took the two little princesses out. He quickly navigated in the car and found a well-known cake chain store.

Looking at the two happy little princesses in the back row, they certainly couldn't resist the temptation of the cake.