Chapter Fifteen: You Won't Hit Me, Will You?

“What a fine thing!” Li Zhi’s eyes sparkled as he immediately took a liking to it. Overjoyed, he exclaimed, “Thank you, Uncle Cheng!”

“Your Highness, you’re quite skilled at reverse psychology!” Luo Tong remarked.

“Oh no, I think I’ve been tricked…” Cheng Yaojin realized too late. The dagger was already in Li Zhi’s possession, and getting it back now would be nearly impossible.

“Hahaha!”

“Uncle Cheng can fall for tricks too?” The others laughed.

“Serves you right!” Hua Bigfoot cut in mercilessly, ridiculing Cheng Yaojin until he looked utterly deflated.

With the matter of the weapon resolved, Li Zhi did not linger. The sky was swiftly darkening. To avoid worrying Emperor Taizong and Empress Zhangsun, he grabbed Luo Tong and hurried back toward the palace. As he left, he reminded Cheng Yaojin, “If you change your mind, you can have Chubi come to me and I’ll teach him to cook!”

“Bah!” Cheng Yaojin scoffed disdainfully.

In the palace, Empress Zhangsun discovered her token was missing and began searching everywhere, taking her attendants with her. Her personal maid, Caiyun, came to report, “Your Majesty, according to the palace gate guards, you sent someone outside the palace on an errand this morning?”

“Nonsense!”

“I knew Your Majesty hadn’t sent anyone out, so I checked with the Inner Service and the Court of the Ladies. I found that two young eunuchs are missing. Their supervisor said… well…”

“Said what?”

Caiyun hesitated, then replied, “Someone saw those two eunuchs taking the Prince of Jin out of the palace. Everyone assumed it was by your orders, so they didn’t stop them. After all, who would expect two young eunuchs to dare such a thing? But who would have thought!”

“My child!” Empress Zhangsun finally realized she hadn’t seen Li Zhi all day. Panic seized her.

Compared to Li Zhi, the missing token was nothing.

“Quickly… send people to look for him!” she cried, stumbling forward in her agitation, nearly falling.

Caiyun steadied her, saying, “Your Majesty, don’t worry. The token, His Highness, and the two young eunuchs are all missing together. They must have left the palace, since the gate guards said they saw the two eunuchs driving a carriage out using your token. There’s no point searching inside the palace!”

“I’ve lost my head… You are so thorough!” Empress Zhangsun came to her senses and went herself to the imperial study to report to Emperor Taizong.

Due to the many affairs of state, Emperor Taizong had not left his study all day and knew nothing of Li Zhi’s disappearance. Fang Xuanling had been tutoring Princess Lizi privately and, caught up in the lesson, had forgotten to inform the inner palace about Li Zhi’s truancy.

It was only when Empress Zhangsun arrived that everyone realized the gravity of the situation.

“Why didn’t you report this sooner? He’s been gone a whole day, left with two young eunuchs—how am I supposed to find him now!” Emperor Taizong’s anxiety was as great as Empress Zhangsun’s.

He had high hopes for Li Zhi, raising him as his successor and even considering gradually replacing the crown prince. Li Zhi was a rare genius, and for the prosperity of the Tang dynasty, it seemed the right thing to do.

But now… the sudden disappearance sent his mood plummeting. What if something happened? Or an assassination attempt? The Tang dynasty would lose not only a brilliant prince, but possibly its future ruler.

With that, he slammed the table and roared, “Summon Hou Junji! Mobilize the Imperial Forest Army to search for him! Have the officials of Chang’an and Wannian counties search every corner of the city—he must be found!”

“Otherwise…” A cold gleam flashed in Emperor Taizong’s eyes. “I’ll have them all sent into exile!”

A collective gasp filled the room.

It had been a long time since anyone had seen Emperor Taizong so furious. If Li Zhi could not be found, or if something happened to him, it was clear this incident would implicate a large number of people.

Night fell. Li Zhi’s carriage returned to the palace gates, where the guards immediately detained them. The two young eunuchs were seized on the spot.

“Your Highness, save us!” the two pleaded pitifully with Li Zhi.

“Let them go!” Li Zhi called, holding up Empress Zhangsun’s token as he jumped down from the carriage, Luo Tong right behind him.

But the guards did not yield. They saluted and said, “Your Highness, His Majesty has ordered that, upon finding you, we are to bring you straight to the palace. Please come with us.”

Li Zhi had anticipated this, remaining calm. He withdrew into the carriage, and the guards drove it straight to the inner palace.

“Your Highness… will we be all right?” Luo Tong asked anxiously inside the carriage. Judging by the situation, a harsh punishment was inevitable, and as Li Zhi’s companion, he would not escape blame.

Damn it! Caught in the crossfire!

Li Zhi laughed. “Aren’t you supposed to be tough? What’s there to fear?”

“Easy for you to say! I’m completely innocent!” Luo Tong rolled his eyes. “Had I known, I wouldn’t have come back with you. I should have protected you from the shadows… What a miscalculation!”

“Heh…” Li Zhi replied, “If Father asks, just say you were ordered to escort me back. Maybe you’ll even get a reward!”

“I just hope I’m not punished,” Luo Tong muttered. Safety was all he wished for.

The carriage passed several palace gates. They disembarked and walked to the Hall of Sweet Dew.

Emperor Taizong and Empress Zhangsun were there, having dispatched countless people to search for Li Zhi with no news so far. Their anxiety was beyond words.

“Report!” a guard hurried in. “Your Highness, the Prince of Jin has returned!”

Emperor Taizong’s heart, finally, could rest.

Empress Zhangsun rushed out and embraced Li Zhi, weeping. “Where have you been? You should have told your mother!”

“I went out to play!” he replied.

“My son… come here!” Emperor Taizong’s furious voice thundered. His face stern, he scolded, “How dare you sneak out of the palace, even using your mother’s token! Do you admit your fault?”

Li Zhi had never seen his father so angry.

Good heavens! Is he going to beat me?

Slowly, Li Zhi edged closer, a thought occurring to him. “Father, you cannot blame me for this. I’m only three years old—I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to leave the palace!”

It wasn’t a lie. A three-year-old—never mind leaving the palace—even committing a crime would not be at fault, since he didn’t know right from wrong.

But in a flash, Li Zhi regretted it. If he claimed ignorance due to his age, who would take responsibility? The two eunuchs? It felt wrong to shift the blame onto them.

He was about to explain when Emperor Taizong spoke: “I know you are intelligent, unlike ordinary children. You certainly knew you shouldn’t leave, which is why you took your mother’s token!”

“As this is your first offense, your punishment is to copy the Records of the Grand Historian five hundred times! From now on, when you have nothing to do, stay home and write; don’t run around, understand?”

Li Zhi bowed and said, “Your son understands!”

“As for those two eunuchs…” Emperor Taizong’s face grew murderous as he roared, “Drag them out, beat them to death with sticks! And send word to all the palaces: if anyone else dares, they will suffer the same fate!”