Chapter Five: Unforgivable Crimes
Li Shimin snorted, "I have already given my decree: anyone who spreads rumors and stirs trouble will be severely punished! My son... you did nothing wrong. Those few young eunuchs should be sent to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation!"
Li Zhi suddenly realized he had made a deadly mistake!
He had forgotten he was a prince of the Great Tang!
To defame a prince was a crime beyond forgiveness!
Under such circumstances, it was clear those young eunuchs were at a disadvantage—how could he persuade Li Shimin?
"Father, there are exceptions to everything, even the law has room for compassion! Think of it as accumulating virtue for your son, please let them go?" Li Zhi pleaded stubbornly.
"No!"
Li Shimin’s stance was firm.
"My son, your father can agree to anything, except matters that violate the law!"
"But aren’t the laws all set by you...?"
"What kind of words are those?"
"I’m just speaking the truth!"
...
The father and son argued for a while.
Without a conclusion.
It seemed those young eunuchs would not survive.
Li Zhi suddenly sat on the ground with a slap, playing the rascal: "Waa... I don’t care, if you don’t agree, I won’t get up, waa..."
Li Zhi exaggerated his sobbing, wailing loudly.
He scattered all the memorials and documents in the imperial study onto the floor.
After all, he was just a child, only three years old—what could they do to him?
Sure enough!
Li Shimin watched helplessly from the side.
"This prodigy..." He had to reevaluate Li Zhi; what kind of prodigy was this?
The commander of the Imperial Guards, Hou Junji, requested an audience outside!
Li Shimin hurried, "My son, get up!"
"As the Prince of Jin, crying and whining—what kind of conduct is that?"
...
"If you don’t get up, I’ll punish you... punish you by copying the Records of the Historian a hundred times!"
Any other prince would have been frightened into getting up.
But not Li Zhi!
Such petty tricks could never make him yield!
Li Zhi, teary-eyed, said, "Father, your son is only three years old, yet you would have me indirectly cause the deaths of several lives; that would incur heavenly wrath, your heart is too cruel!"
"Who said you caused their deaths?"
"Isn’t it so?"
Li Zhi continued to recount the situation at the time.
He took all responsibility upon himself.
As if, should those eunuchs die, his own life would be shortened.
Li Shimin believed in spirits and karma, and dared not risk Li Zhi’s life. He let out a long sigh, "Very well! Father will agree to release them!"
"Really?"
"Really!"
Li Shimin forced a bitter smile, helping Li Zhi to his feet, "You little devil, you even know how to act spoiled now? Never do this again, or your father will be angry!"
"Understood..."
Li Zhi was overjoyed.
He went with the palace attendant to the Ministry of Justice.
At once, the young eunuchs were released.
"Ding! Congratulations, host, you have completed the task; the system attribute interface is now unlocked!" As Li Zhi stepped out of the Ministry, he heard a clear notification in his mind.
"Wow!"
Li Zhi closed his eyes slightly.
A crystal screen appeared in his mind.
It was like a computer monitor.
On it was a table:
Host: Li Zhi.
Gender: Male.
Age: 3 years.
Martial strength: 5
Intellect: 89
Speed: 41
Politics: 66
Charisma: 72
System Function: Infinite Healing
...
The attribute screen was not complicated.
It simply converted his physical state into data.
Judging from the numbers, his intellect was high, charisma passable, politics and speed worrying, and martial strength was abysmal—practically a weakling.
He was still young, after all.
Weak martial strength was normal.
Li Zhi didn’t mind; he bounced his way back to the palace.
The next day.
At dawn.
Li Zhi was taken to a side hall behind the imperial study.
Two palace maids brought fruit and pastries.
Li Zhi, curious, stopped them: "Wait... why am I placed here? Where is my father?"
"Your Highness, the Emperor has not finished court yet, please enjoy some pastries first."
"I don’t want any! I just want to know, why am I brought here?"
...
The maids shook their heads; clearly, they didn’t know.
Li Zhi didn’t trouble them further, waving them off: "You may leave!"
He sat by the tea table.
First, he surveyed the hall.
Books were piled everywhere.
It looked like a study.
Beside was a writing desk.
A ruler hung in front.
Li Zhi thought for a moment and seemed to understand: "Am I here to study?"
"Never mind... let’s eat something first!"
He casually picked up a pastry from the table to taste.
The cuisine of Tang was disappointing, and the pastries were rubbish!
It was like eating tissue paper.
No flavor at all.
When he had spare time, he would have to change this!
...
Li Shimin finished court and brought Fang Xuanling to the rear hall.
"My son, come here. From now on, Minister Fang will be your teacher. Quickly pay your respects!" said Li Shimin.
"Greetings, Teacher!"
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
The two exchanged greetings.
Li Shimin said, "Minister Fang, do not let his young age deceive you; he possesses extraordinary wisdom and a photographic memory. I believe you will come to like him!"
"Rest assured, Your Majesty; I will do my utmost to teach the prince well!"
"Good!"
Entrusting Li Zhi to Fang Xuanling, Li Shimin felt secure.
In both strategy and literature, Fang was among the best.
From a purely literary perspective, only Kong Qiyida could compare.
But Kong Qiyida was too obsessed with literature and rigid in demeanor, not as suitable as Fang Xuanling.
"Teacher, please take a seat. I have many questions I wish to ask you!" Li Zhi wanted to give Fang Xuanling a challenge, pulling him to sit down.
"Oh? May I ask what Your Highness wants to know?"
Fang Xuanling was intrigued.
He hadn’t expected Li Zhi to be so eager to learn.
It seemed the child was teachable indeed!
Li Shimin sat to the side, eager to hear what Li Zhi would ask.
"Last night, I gazed at the stars and felt the vastness of the heavens, unparalleled. Yet I cannot understand—how large is the sky? And what lies beyond it? Teacher, can you tell me?"
This question—not just Fang Xuanling, but even modern scholars—would not know the answer.
Ancient science was undeveloped.
People mostly believed in spirits.
Following such thinking, he would never figure it out.
Li Zhi’s question was deliberately challenging.
"Uh!"
Fang Xuanling was stunned.
He had no idea how big the sky was, nor what lay beyond it.
"Ahem... Your Highness, you are indeed extraordinary. Your question is truly profound; I cannot immediately provide a correct answer! But I believe, so long as you study diligently and devote yourself to learning, one day you will discover the answer!"
Fang Xuanling was mortified, quickly trying to salvage the situation.
Li Shimin was embarrassed for him as well.
As a teacher, he hadn’t even begun the lesson and was already stumped by his student—how could this be?
"Your Highness, shall we begin the lesson?"
"Not so fast!"
Li Zhi had no intention of letting him off, smiling mischievously, "Just because Teacher doesn’t know the answer doesn’t mean I don’t. Last night, after gazing at the stars, I dreamed of an old immortal with a white beard, who told me the answer. Would Teacher like to hear it?"