Chapter Seven, Imperial City Guards
The Yan Consort had indeed encountered this old fellow a few times, but for some unknown reason, she held a strong aversion to this high-pitched, shrill-voiced eunuch
Upon seeing Yan Fei, the chubby boy ran even more joyfully, dashing into Yan Fei's embrace in just a few steps
"No matter who you are, it is best to surrender now; otherwise, we have the right to execute you on the spot!" After confirming that Li Yuanba could no longer resist, a man with a dark complexion shouted.
Just as she arrived at the door, without even having the time to clearly see the figure, a somewhat slender silhouette darted past her.
The Inner Palace, Western Inner Garden
Li Zhen was frightened; this little chubby boy was only six or seven years old, after all just a child. Remembering Li Yuanba's previous ferocity, he dared not say any more nonsense and immediately turned to run. His two short, stout legs swung vigorously, fearing that Li Yuanba would catch up and give him a beating.
Hearing the cold words of the Yan Fei, Wei Gongtang trembled in fear. However, thinking that fortune favors the bold, he gritted his teeth and said: "Your Majesty, it is not that this servant does not understand the hierarchy or intends to offend you, but there is truly a grave matter at hand. Just now, His Highness the Han Wang was admiring the scenery in the Western Inner Garden when suddenly someone rushed out and beat him violently. If you do not go and take a look, His Highness the Han Wang may lose his life"
Clang clang clang ~ ~ ~
Upon hearing the voice of the palace maid, Consort Yan furrowed her delicate brows
Li Yuanba did not believe that he could take on fifty battle-hardened and fully armed imperial guards, so he decisively abandoned the tempting idea of chasing after Li Zhen to give him another beating, and instead chose to stand still in place.
The dark-faced man still wore a stern expression as he spoke: "To assault a prince without cause within the palace and to attempt to harm the royal family is a crime that deserves execution! Now, in my capacity as the commander of the Right Wing Guard of the Imperial Guard, I announce that you will be taken into custody and held in the dungeon, awaiting the Emperor's judgment! All of you, heed my command, take him away!"
Wei Gongtang finally relaxed his heart, knowing that he had made the right bet
"What? Zhen'er was beaten? You must recount the entire sequence of events to me in detail. If there is even the slightest concealment, I will certainly petition His Majesty to punish your entire clan!" Upon hearing the words of Lord Wei, Yan Fei could no longer remain seated. She abruptly stood up, and a chilling light burst forth from her clear eyes.
Li Yuanba couldn't help but laugh; how fast could a seven or eight-year-old little brat run? Moreover, he was a chubby kid in every sense of the word. So, he simply quickened his pace to chase after him, maintaining a distance of five steps behind the little chubby boy, leisurely trailing along.
At this moment, Li Yuanba had already been surrounded by a group of imperial guards
The young child bowed his head respectfully and turned to walk towards the entrance of the main hall
Lord Wei
At this point, Wei Gongtang's heart suddenly raced; he was gambling on the notion that the Yanfei Empress would only care about His Highness the Han Wang and would not mind his trespassing into the Chenglu Hall. Perhaps she might even reward him with something.
The group of guards truly lived up to their reputation as soldiers, immediately surrounding Li Yuanba in the center. Moreover, their positioning was exceptionally clever; no matter from which direction Li Yuanba attacked, he would face a significant blow.
This little brat, just now so arrogant and full of murderous intent, now looks like a snot-nosed kid. What is going on here? Li Yuanba shook his head, stepping on the accumulated snow, and slowly walked towards the chubby boy
To be honest, Yan Fei was very reluctant to meet this person, so she deliberately pretended not to recognize the speaker's voice and issued a direct command
A series of clashing sounds of armor echoed, and a squad of fifty, all clad in black armor and wielding long knives, approached from not far away. Following closely behind them were the Yan Consort and the treacherous old eunuch, Wei Gongtang.
Who is making such a loud commotion at the door? Do they not know that this is my royal chamber? Little one, go outside and inquire about the situation. If it is not a significant matter, directly instruct the guards to drive the troublemaker out of the palace with sticks!
At the moment when everyone was lost in their own thoughts, a piercing wail suddenly awakened them all
Later, after the birth of Li Zhen, the Han prince, this Wei Gong Hall was assigned by Li Shimin to serve Li Zhen
The young girl was startled, fearing that the Yan Fei would reprimand her for her incompetence, and hurriedly rushed back to the main hall
Alas, there's nothing left to play with! Li Yuanba scratched his head in annoyance and murmured softly.
The Imperial City Guards are distinctly different from the princes' attendants; they have all undergone the baptism of blood. In comparison, the attendants of those princes are simply inept in battle, and they are the kind that falls over with just a light touch
What the hell, this is terrifying, who is it, why is their voice so loud
Wei Gongtang, do you think this place belongs to me? Do you think you can come and go as you please? If you do not provide me with a reasonable explanation today, do you believe I will have your head on a platter right now? The Yan Fei saw Wei Gongtang flustered and in a state of disarray as he rushed in, and her delicate face and demeanor immediately turned grim.
Just because of a single remark, he was driven out, leaving this old fellow feeling quite unwilling to accept it. Thus, he frequently visited the Han Wang Mansion, hoping to return to the Han Wang Mansion once again
"Zhen'er, how are you? You haven't been hurt, have you? Quickly let Mother Empress take a good look!" Yan Fei embraced the tearful little chubby one, her pair of fair hands gently exploring Li Zhen's body.
No!
She still knows a little about this Lord Wei
... ...
Mother!
Slow!
Hearing the footsteps, the chubby boy looked ahead with tear-filled eyes. When he saw Li Yuanba approaching him, he immediately panicked, scrambled to his feet, and frantically took steps back. Trembling, he said, "Y-you, you, don't come any closer. You must know that I am a prince, and my father is the current emperor! If you dare to approach me again, I-I will have my father kill you, kill your entire family!"
When Li Zhen reached the age of four, the old eunuch was expelled by Li Zhen for mistakenly saying a wrong word during one occasion, and he became the lowest-ranking chief eunuch in the imperial palace.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, something terrible has happened!" Wei Gongtang stumbled into the main hall, kneeling before Consort Yan with a face full of distress.
This Eunuch Wei was originally named Wei Gongtang. The name sounds quite masculine and scholarly, but in reality, this old fellow came from a poor family. When he was young, they could not even afford to eat, and with many siblings, his father resorted to drawing lots to select the unfortunate Wei Gongtang. He personally had this youngest son castrated and sent him to the Tang royal palace to serve as a eunuch
Just as the group of imperial guards was about to take Li Yuanba away, the slightly immature voice of King Jin, Li Zhi, came from the right rear of the crowd
Just a moment ago, during the time it took to take several dozen breaths, a voice, both charming and filled with anger, rang out from ahead: "Did you not see that His Highness, the Han Wang, is being pursued? Why are you not quickly capturing that fellow for me?"
Wow, I, I want to kill you! I want to have the Emperor execute your entire clan, nine generations, ten generations! You damned lowlife... Wow...
You, you... you wait for me!
Li Yuanba shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Don't you want to ask me why I am pursuing him?"
Step by step
Li Yuanba wore a smile at the corner of his mouth and did not retreat as a result. Instead, he said, "Little chubby, even if you are the Emperor's biological son, I would still not hesitate to beat you up, even if you were the Emperor's biological brother!"
Everyone turned to look in the direction of the crying sound, only to find the chubby boy Li Zhen struggling to crawl out from under four young eunuchs. At that moment, he was sitting on the ground with a face full of grievance, wailing like a ghost.