My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

In the courtyard of the side hall, even the wind seemed to stand still at that moment.

"Won't live past twelve..."

Empress Zhangsun murmured these words repeatedly.

Her face, which had just regained some color, instantly turned ashen white.

His bloodless lips trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with undisguised horror and despair.

"Clatter".

Empress Zhangsun's legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the cold bluestone seat.

Her mind went blank, and her ears were ringing.

As the Empress of the Tang Dynasty, she knew her physical condition better than anyone else.

That incurable disease called "breath disease" tormented her for most of her life, causing her countless nights of unbearable pain and difficulty breathing.

She took every precaution, even enduring all sorts of bitter medicines to prevent miscarriage while pregnant with Xiao Sizi, just to avoid passing on this terrible constitution to her child.

Every time the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital finished taking the princess's pulse, they would kneel on the ground and solemnly declare that the little princess was healthy and in perfect condition.

"It's my fault...it's all my fault..."

Empress Zhangsun's tears flowed uncontrollably from her eyes like beads from a broken string.

She clutched her chest tightly, self-blame and guilt gnawing at her heart like venomous snakes.

"I passed this illness on to Sizi...she's so young!"

"Don't cry, Mother! Don't cry, Mother!"

When Little Sizi saw his usually dignified mother suddenly collapse and burst into tears, he immediately panicked.

The little girl ran over with her short legs and desperately tried to wipe away the tears on Empress Zhangsun's face with her chubby little hands.

"Sizi doesn't get sick, Sizi eats its fill every day, and Sixteenth Brother says Sizi can live to be a hundred years old..."

As she spoke, the little girl's eyes reddened, and tears began to fall.

Li Shimin stood to the side, his body suddenly swaying.

This was the Heavenly Khan who had fought his way through countless battles, the Tang emperor who remained unfazed even when faced with a 200,000-strong Turkic army knocking on his gates.

At this moment, however, he seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.

He strode up to Li Chen and gripped the edge of the stone table tightly with both hands.

Due to excessive force, the knuckles turned a horrifying bluish-white.

"Chen'er... are you... are you telling the truth?"

Li Shimin's voice was terribly hoarse, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty. "Those useless people in the Imperial Hospital clearly said that the prince was just a little weak and could be cured with some treatment. How could... how could he not live past twelve?!"

Li Chen looked at the Emperor and Empress, who were on the verge of collapse, and sighed helplessly.

How could a mortal's medical skills possibly see through the depletion of innate meridians?

For cultivators, Xiao Sizi's condition is called "Innate Heart Meridian Absolute Fiend". In the cultivation world where spiritual energy is abundant, this kind of constitution can be cured with just a few Marrow Cleansing Pills.

But in this mundane world where spiritual energy is depleted, this is an incurable disease. In the original history, Princess Jinyang, the most favored princess of the Tang Dynasty, did indeed die young at the age of twelve.

"If those quacks could see that, I'd write my name backwards."

Li Chen stood up and walked to Empress Zhangsun's side.

He reached out his hand with its distinct knuckles and gently rubbed the top of Xiao Sizi's head.

A gentle, mellow wood-elemental true essence flowed from his palm, instantly calming the little girl's rapid breathing caused by her excitement.

"Alright, stop acting like you're going through a life-or-death situation."

Li Chen's voice was calm and resolute, carrying a kind of inexplicable reassuring power.

"What I just said was that if I didn't use my true energy to nourish her heart meridian every day, she wouldn't have lived past twelve. But since I'm here, I won't let her die."

Empress Zhangsun suddenly raised her head, her tear-filled eyes bursting with intense light.

"Chen'er, you can cure Sizi?!"

She struggled to get up, wanting to bow to Li Chen.

"Don't worship me, it will shorten your lifespan."

With a flick of his sleeve, Li Chen unleashed an invisible surge of true energy that supported Empress Zhangsun's arms, steadily lifting her to her feet.

"Her meridians are too fragile to be treated with strong medicine. We can only use the method of boiling a frog in warm water, gradually expanding and nourishing them with the purest spiritual energy every day."

Li Chen turned to look at Li Shimin.

"That's why I said I want to get married. And Sizi must come with me to live in the Prince's mansion. There are spies everywhere in this palace, it's not suitable for me to set up an array to treat her body."

At this moment, Li Shimin no longer possessed any of the airs of the Tang Dynasty emperor.

As long as he can save his precious daughter, Li Chen would send people to build a ladder for her without hesitation, even if it meant leaving the palace to build his own mansion.

"Alright! Alright! I agree!"

Li Shimin nodded repeatedly, his eyes red-rimmed.

"Don't even mention taking Si Zi to live in the Prince's mansion, you could even move the entire Imperial Medical Bureau there! As long as Si Zi's life is saved, I'll grant your every wish!"

Empress Zhangsun held the little girl tightly in her arms, tears streaming down her face again, but this time they were tears of excitement and gratitude.

"Chen'er, your mother... your mother really doesn't know how to thank you."

Empress Zhangsun's voice choked with emotion.

They saved her life, and now they're going to save her most beloved daughter. This kindness is greater than anything else for this Empress Dowager of the Tang Dynasty.

"We're family, no need to thank me."

Beside them, Li Chengqian, with a pig-like face, came over and casually chimed in.

He's completely come to terms with it now. His sixteenth brother is a stubborn but soft-hearted immortal; as long as you go along with his temper, life will be more comfortable than that of an immortal.

"Shut up."

Li Chen glared at him and kicked Li Chengqian in the thigh. "Haven't you had enough of a beating today? Go to the well and put some cold water on your pig face. Don't get in my way here."

Li Chengqian was not angry at all. Instead, he chuckled and ran off to fetch water.

Li Shimin looked at his children, took a deep breath, and held back the tears welling up in his eyes.

He turned to look at the door, regaining his imperial dignity.

"Wang De!"

Wang De, the chief eunuch who had been standing guard outside the courtyard gate, barely daring to breathe, scrambled in.

"This old servant is here!"

"Issue my decree!"

Li Shimin waved his hand and said decisively, "The sixteenth prince, Li Chen, has come of age and is to be married off; he shall be granted the title of Prince of Qin!"

"Immediately bestow upon the Prince of Qin the residence originally prepared for the retired Emperor, located north of the East Market in Chang'an, as his royal palace!"

"I hereby order the Minister of Works to personally oversee the construction, using funds from the national treasury, to renovate it as quickly as possible! The specifications and materials used must all be in accordance with the highest standards!"

Wang De was terrified and broke out in a cold sweat.

The King of Qin?!