Chapter 62 Where on earth did these two pig heads come from?

Chapter 62: Where on earth did these two pig heads come from?

If you were to ask Li Xian whether he had any objections to Empress Wei and Wu Sansi's illicit affair, of course he did. After all, he was still a man.

However, on the one hand, he needed Empress Wei to balance the court, and on the other hand, due to certain promises that had been made, Li Xian could only grit his teeth and swallow his pride.

Having dealt with Li Xian and Empress Wei, the next target naturally shifted to Princess Anle, Li Guor'er.

Princess Anle shrank into a corner, trembling like a winter grouse, entirely stripped of her arrogant demeanor as a favored daughter of heaven.

Understandable, really. When facing others, she could still stick out her neck and put on airs as a princess, but in front of these three men—in terms of status, two were emperors and one was a crown prince; in terms of seniority, one was her great-great-grandfather, one her grandfather, and another her uncle...

"Look, isn't this the Grand Imperial Princess of my Great Tang?" Li Zhi said sarcastically as he flipped through the small notebook handed to him by Li Qing.

"Replying to Your Imperial Grandfather, your granddaughter is merely a princess, not any Grand Imperial Princess." Princess Anle bit her lower lip so hard that it turned deathly pale.

Holding a leather belt, Li Zhi leisurely squatted down, patted the back of his granddaughter's head, and said with a kind smile, "How can you say you aren't? Where did all that vigor go when you were screaming and demanding your father depose Li Chongjun and name you Grand Imperial Princess?"

Unexpectedly, Princess Anle retorted instead, "If Wu, a mere daughter of a Bingzhou merchant, could ascend the throne and proclaim herself emperor, why can't I—a direct descendant of the imperial blood and the Li family—be named Grand Imperial Princess simply because I am a woman?!"

Li Zhi genuinely wished he could tear her mouth apart. Why on earth did you have to bring up the one surnamed Wu? Were you truly afraid my father would forget about her?

"Well said! The descendants of my Li family should indeed have such ambition," Li 世民 (Li Shimin) suddenly spoke up. "If you truly care for the realm, what does it matter if you are a woman? I will make the decision for you; it would be quite acceptable to enthrone you as emperor."

"But what about you? Look at all these things you've done!" At this point, Li Shimin's voice suddenly rose sharply. "Look at these fine deeds of yours! Abducting the children of respectable families to serve as slaves in your manor? Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I truly would not have known that our later descendants could harbor a beast like you!"

Li Qing drifted over like a ghost and added fuel to the fire beside Princess Anle, "Not just that, Brother Li, you have no idea. Under her manipulation, Princess Anle's manor has practically turned into a marketplace for selling official posts and conferring titles!"

"She divided court official posts into several grades and priced them accordingly. Pedestrians, street hawkers, or even those of servant backgrounds—as long as the money was paid in full, she would draft an imperial decree according to the amount given and then take it to the palace for her father Li Xian to sign and stamp."

"This Li Xian is truly a fool. Every time Princess Anle asked him to sign something, she would cover up the text. He wouldn't even look; he would just happily sign his name. As for the contents of the decrees, he never once inquired, leaving Princess Anle to do entirely as she pleased."

With every word spoken, Li Zhi's eyes grew a shade redder. Finally, with a roar, Li Zhi brought the leather belt down across Princess Anle's body.

Princess Anle was much tougher than Li Xian. Though whipped by Li Zhi, she merely let out muffled groans, her almond-shaped eyes glaring viciously at Li Zhi and the man fanning the flames, Li Qing.

Right now, her mind was entirely occupied with thoughts of waiting until Li Shimin and the others left, so she could go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and throw all their spirit tablets out.

Such a level of filial piety could certainly compete with Lady Jaina for the title of the ultimate filial daughter.

She hadn't taken many lashes of the belt before Li Chongjun walked in with his men.

He knelt down respectfully: "Great-grandfather, grandfather, the imperial palace has been completely cleared. The morning court session in an hour still requires the two of you to preside."

"Mm, you've done well." Li Shimin nodded in affirmation and handed the leather belt over. "Go on, give her a couple of lashes with the belt. Let her remember a lesson—what it means to respect the order of seniors and juniors!"

Li Chongjun took the belt and walked up to Princess Anle.

Princess Anle lifted her slender neck, as elegant and plaintive as a swan struck by an arrow.

She looked at Li Chongjun, her thin lips moving slightly, her expression filled with both arrogance and disdain: "Even a lowly slave like you can now rely on borrowed power to humiliate me?"

Li Chongjun raised the belt, his expression shifting through several emotions before finally settling into a sigh.

"Forget it." He handed the belt back to Li Shimin.

"Why?" Li Shimin frowned. "She has humiliated you so, and you aren't angry?"

Could it be? Was this boy truly so benevolent and forgiving of past grievances? No, this simply won't do! How can an emperor possess uncalled-for mercy?

Old Li thought to himself that he would listen to the boy's answer in a moment, pick out his flaws carefully, and give him a good lecture.

"What does it matter if she indulges in a few more sharp words?" Li Chongjun smiled indifferently. "No matter what, she is still a princess of my Great Tang. No matter how much she looks down on me, she is still my sister. For the sake of our sibling ties, let her walk her final road with some dignity..."

Li Shimin: Speechless and hesitating to speak.

Goodness gracious, I thought you were just overly benevolent; it turns out this kid's heart isn't white either.

I only wanted you to whip her a bit to vent your anger, but you actually wanted her dead.

Though, come to think of it, being oppressed for so many years, it would be stranger if he could face her with a calm mind.

"Her life still has its uses for now." Li Shimin didn't take the belt. "Opportunities like this don't come often; don't regret it."

Hearing this, Li Chongjun didn't say another word. He raised the leather belt and lashed out.

He really put his full strength into it. All these years of Princess Anle calling him a slave to his face and swaggering over him flashed before his eyes one by one, and he put even more force into his hands.

"You lowly slave, wuwuwu..." Princess Anle finally broke down. Being brutally beaten under the feet of someone she had always looked down upon—how could this not cause a psychological explosion for someone who had always held herself above the clouds?

Li Chongjun had truly vented a deep grievance. The anger that had accumulated since childhood was released all at once today; it was impossible to say it wasn't utterly refreshing.

However, there was one truth to the matter: Princess Anle's attitude toward Li Chongjun was actually entirely instigated by Empress Wei and Wu Chongxun. Originally, her impression of Li Chongjun was merely that of a stranger. But first her mother exaggerated matters, and then her husband instigated her, causing her attitude toward Li Chongjun to worsen steadily.

Li Chongjun didn't bother asking whether she knew her wrong. He knew all too well how arrogant this sister of his was; trying to get her to admit fault was harder than ascending to heaven.

So venting his anger was enough.

Princess Anle wept as she curled up in the corner. She was waiting for Li Chongjun to ask if she knew her wrong, so she could use the opening to back down and beg for mercy.

Even at this point, she was still clinging to her pride as a favored daughter of heaven, refusing to admit her faults of her own accord.

The result was a standoff: one didn't want to ask, and the other didn't want to confess.

Li Xian felt truly heartbroken. This youngest daughter of his was someone he feared would drop if held in his hand, and melt if kept in his mouth. Enduring the lingering sting of the slaps on his own face, he walked over with Wu Sansi and Empress Wei, smiling ingratiatingly: "Alright, Imperial Grandfather, Father Emperor, please inspect the results. How do you find these two hundred slaps?"

"They're finished already?" Li Shimin asked in disbelief. When he turned his head and saw Empress Wei and Wu Sansi, he couldn't help drawing a sharp breath.

"Where on earth did these two pig heads come from?"

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(End of this chapter)