Chapter Fifteen: Returning to Her Parental Home

After spending the afternoon playing with her two sisters, dinner tonight would be later than usual. As was her habit, Li Yuechen went out for a walk. Since arriving in this era, she had been exceedingly careful about her health—after all, medical care here lagged far behind, so her only option was to ensure she did not fall ill.

During these days of family reunion, she couldn't help but recall her previous life, and her mood grew melancholy. In that life, she never met her parents and was raised by her grandfather. When she was ten, her grandfather passed away, and she was sent to an orphanage. Her academic performance was mediocre; after getting into an ordinary university, she left the orphanage and began supporting herself. In college, she stumbled upon extreme sports and thus embarked on a decade-long journey of reckless adventure.

Gradually, Li Yuechen left the inner palace behind, surrounded by the well-armed guards of the Imperial Guard, whose sole task was to protect the little princess in silence. Lost in thought, she wandered aimlessly, and when she came to, found herself atop the city wall at Danfeng Gate. The sun had already set, and a bright crescent moon hung in the sky, casting its silvery light over all of Chang'an.

A gentle breeze awakened her from her reverie. She murmured to herself, “I truly am living in another time…” Behind her, Eunuch Fu and Xiao He exchanged glances, both shaking their heads in confusion—they had not understood what the princess said. Naturally, she had spoken in the Mandarin of the future, which differed greatly from the ancient language of this era.

The vast city of Chang'an alternated between light and shadow, its glow soft and subdued—not as glaring as the nights of the future. Some lively districts, like Pingkang Ward, were brightly lit, but the further south one went, the dimmer the light became. Though Chang'an claimed a population of a million, it could not fill the city. Most of the southern areas remained quite desolate. Yet even so, it was the most prosperous city in the world at that time.

A cold wind blew, prompting Eunuch Fu to step forward and remind her, “Your Highness, the wind on the city gate is strong—be careful not to catch a chill.” “Yes. Let’s go,” Li Yuechen nodded, turning to return.

She glanced at Xiao He and the Imperial Guard trailing behind her, a smile blooming on her face. No one from this era could have imagined that, a thousand years hence, this place would become a train station.

That evening, the whole family dined in the Golden Throne Hall, though her two sisters born of concubines had no place at the table. Meals in this era were served individually. Her four brothers sat at their own tables, and Li Yuechen, as always, sat beside her mother.

The family banquet was much more relaxed than the previous night. Everyone wore comfortable everyday attire, the atmosphere far less solemn. Her brothers each stood in turn to toast Li Zhi and his wife, offering words of congratulations and wishes for the new year.

Finally, it was Li Yuechen’s turn. She cradled a cup of steaming tea and, grinning, addressed Li Zhi and his wife: “May you both grant our Tang dynasty prosperity and enduring glory!”

Her parents and brothers were momentarily stunned, surprised by the little sister’s words. Children usually asked for their own wishes to be fulfilled, not for such lofty blessings.

Li Yuechen had thought this through. Possessing the soul of an adult, she would inevitably act differently from others. Rather than causing a sudden surprise, she preferred to display her uniqueness bit by bit from a young age. This way, when she did something incomprehensible by contemporary standards, it would not be entirely unacceptable. After all, she had always been clever, hadn’t she?

Li Zhi burst into laughter. “Excellent! As expected of my daughter!” He drained his cup, his face flushed with joy. Beside him, Lady Wu smiled indulgently, growing ever fonder of her daughter.

She then turned to her sons, saying, “Xian and Xian, look at Yuechen—do you not feel ashamed?” Li Xian and Li Xian, caught unawares, looked thoroughly embarrassed.

Thanks to Li Yuechen’s quick thinking, she lifted her head and said, “Mother, please don’t scold my brothers. Today is New Year’s—let us be happy.” Lady Wu frowned, “Don’t shield them…”

“It’s not like that!” Li Yuechen shook her head. “Mother, you don’t know—my brothers often say they’re clumsy with words and worry about displeasing you and Father. I know they don’t mean it. Please, Mother, show them more kindness!”

As she explained, Li Yuechen felt a wave of helplessness—did Lady Wu simply not know how to raise children?

If this were the future or an ordinary household, such parenting might be harmless. But this was the imperial family, and these children would someday wield power over life and death. If gaps and resentments were sown in childhood, once they held power, a moment’s impulse could lead to fratricidal conflict and disregard for kinship.

Especially since the Tang imperial family had a tradition of such behavior. Emperor Taizong set the precedent by killing his brothers and nephew; Li Chengqian was only fortunate that his rebellion failed—had he succeeded, would he have spared Li Tai? It was common knowledge online that fratricide was rampant in the Tang dynasty, with even Emperor Xuanzong famously executing three sons in a single day.

Thus, Li Yuechen took care to avoid such outcomes. As a princess, if her relationship with her brothers suffered due to Lady Wu’s admonishments, she might not escape a tragic end.

Hearing her daughter’s words, Lady Wu’s expression softened. She smiled and gently stroked Li Yuechen’s hair. “Very well, I won’t scold them anymore.”

Her second and third brothers clearly breathed a sigh of relief, secretly smiling and grateful to their sister for intervening. Li Yuechen winked at them, and Li Xian gave her a thumbs-up, while Li Xian smiled. Li Zhi said nothing, merely spinning his health balls and observing with an inscrutable smile.

……

Perhaps treasuring the rare holiday, Li Zhi and Lady Wu slept until sunrise the next morning. Meanwhile, Li Yuechen had risen early in Chengxiang Hall to practice yoga. She was no longer alone—her two sisters had joined her, each with a mat, standing behind her and mimicking her pose: right leg supporting, left foot pressed against the right knee, hands raised above their heads, palms together.

“Yuechen, is it enough to simply stand like this?” Princess Xuancheng asked, puzzled.

“Just follow my movements and mind your breathing,” Li Yuechen replied, guiding them patiently.

After about half an hour, Xiao He came to remind her, “Your Highness, it’s time to wash and dress.” Li Yuechen agreed, ending the session with her sisters before having breakfast and preparing herself. Thankfully, she didn’t have to wear formal attire today—just a little grooming sufficed, which made her much happier.

Around eight or nine o’clock, Li Yuechen was already waiting outside the Ladies’ Court. Her brothers had arrived even earlier and were stretching, warming up. Ancient etiquette was strict, and even the unruly Li Yuechen dared not keep Lady Wu waiting.

On this point, she had set herself a strict rule: no matter how favored she became, she must never overstep her bounds—otherwise, the consequences would be dire.

It wasn’t long before Lady Wu appeared. After greeting their mother, the group boarded a luxurious carriage bound for the residence of Lady Rongguo.

Lady Wu’s sister lived out of town with her husband, whom Li Yuechen had never met. Her other sister, Lady Zhengguo, had once been Li Zhi’s concubine, but she was already dead. Notably, Li Zhi had quite the reputation—Lady Zhengguo’s daughter, Li Yuechen’s cousin and Lady Wu’s niece, had also been his concubine... and had died as well. Rumor had it Lady Wu herself was responsible, but Li Yuechen had been a newborn then, her bones not yet formed, so the truth was unknown.

As Empress, Lady Wu’s mother’s residence was very close to the palace, situated in Yongjia Ward. It was vast, taking up nearly a quarter of the ward. When the carriage stopped at the door, the group disembarked to find Lady Rongguo already waiting. She was now over ninety, her face lined with wrinkles, her hair silver-white without a trace of black. But she was still robust, her eyes bright, her posture upright.

Leaning on a staff nearly as tall as herself, she stood within the gate. When her grandchildren approached, her wrinkled face broke into a smile.

In this era, most people favored sons over daughters—even women themselves. But perhaps because she raised three daughters alone, Lady Rongguo clearly preferred Li Yuechen over the four princes. Moreover, Li Yuechen excelled at bringing joy—every visit cheered Lady Rongguo for days.

While her brothers and Lady Wu walked toward the entrance, Li Yuechen darted ahead.

“Grandmother!” she called, taking Lady Rongguo’s hand and smiling sweetly. “I’m here!”

“Yuechen, you’ve finally come,” Lady Rongguo said, affectionately patting her head. “Grandmother missed you.”

Li Yuechen nodded. “Then I’ll visit you more often!”

The elderly were like children—easy to please, so long as one had patience.

Lady Wu entered with her four sons. “It’s been a long time—are you well, Mother?”

“Well, well!” Lady Rongguo replied with a smile and a nod.

The four princes bowed deeply. “Greetings, Grandmother!”

“Good, good, good…” Lady Rongguo waved them in. “Come in, all of you.”

Following Lady Rongguo indoors, the Imperial Guard stayed outside, with only two of the Inner Guard accompanying Lady Wu inside.

Inside, Lady Wu and her sons dutifully sat on the couch, but Li Yuechen was pulled to Lady Rongguo’s side. The two chatted about family affairs, and Li Yuechen and her brothers could only listen. Li Yuechen didn’t mind—she was patient enough to sit quietly. Her brothers, on the other hand, were clearly bored, but dared not show impatience, sipping yogurt and listening obediently.

Occasionally Lady Rongguo asked about their lives, and they answered properly, though the conversation was awkward. Only the eldest, Li Hong, managed well—mature and personable, he occasionally chimed in, never embarrassed. The others struggled: the second and third were still childish, barely keeping still in their mother’s presence, while the fourth was taciturn, almost invisible, sitting in silence, lost in thought.

Lady Wu seemed to have little to discuss with her mother; she knew little of statecraft, so conversation soon shifted to the children.

“Speaking of which, Yuechen, why didn’t you prepare one of those iron balls for your grandmother?” Lady Wu asked.

Li Yuechen replied, “I thought it would be too heavy and tire Grandmother’s hands.”

It was true—she had considered gifting a set, but worried an elderly woman might drop one and hurt herself.

“It doesn’t matter. More than any iron ball, I just want Yuechen to visit often,” Lady Rongguo interrupted Lady Wu’s rebuke.

……

They had lunch there, and soon it was time to return. Li Yuechen had nothing pressing, so she asked to stay and keep Lady Rongguo company until evening; Lady Wu agreed.

She spent another afternoon with Lady Rongguo, promising to visit again soon before taking her leave at sunset.

Outside, the Imperial Guard was ready. Eunuch Fu lifted the carriage curtain, preparing for Xiao He to carry her inside, when the sound of hooves suddenly approached.

Turning around, she saw a tall, handsome young man in pale blue robes leap nimbly from his horse. His features were striking, his head adorned with a black turban from which two long ribbons trailed behind.

It was said that Xianbei men were attractive—not just their features, but their fair complexion, which concealed many flaws. Add in their height, and so long as their features were decent, they were unlikely to be anything but handsome. This young man was not merely decent; his features were clear and sharp, the very image of a modern-day heartthrob.

He strode toward Li Yuechen, prompting the Imperial Guard to step forward, gripping their swords.

He stopped before her, bowed, and greeted, “Greetings, Your Highness.”

He was none other than Lady Rongguo’s grandson, Helan Minzhi.

Li Yuechen nodded. “Cousin, you need not bow. It’s getting late, so I must take my leave.”

There was always something mysterious about him that Li Yuechen disliked, so she avoided conversation.

Xiao He helped her into the carriage, and the Imperial Guard led it away.

Helan Minzhi straightened up, watching the carriage depart with a smile and a flicker of intent in his eyes.