The Fierce Teacher of Zhenguan: Starting with Teaching the Crown Prince to Make a Comeback

Chapter 5 I really did what you said just now.

Li Chengqian returned to the Eastern Palace.

He felt a sharp pain in his right ankle, but he didn't seem to feel it.

The conversation in the Liangyi Hall was still echoing in his mind: his father's furious face and Zhang Xuansu's pale face.

A thrilling sensation, a mixture of fear and excitement, enveloped him.

When the palace guards saw him, they immediately bowed in respect.

Li Chengqian ignored them and walked straight into the palace gate.

Li Yichen remained kneeling in the same spot, as if he had not moved at all.

The hall was empty, with only the two of them inside.

When Li Chengqian saw Li Yichen, his face immediately lit up with excitement.

He quickened his pace, even forgetting the pain in his feet, and almost started jogging.

He walked up to Li Yichen, his eyes shining and his breathing rapid.

"Yichen! Do you know... do you know what just happened..." he began, his voice hoarse with excitement, wanting to describe everything that had happened in the Liangyi Hall and to boast about his "achievements".

Just then, Li Yichen quickly stood up.

His actions interrupted Li Chengqian's words.

Li Chengqian was taken aback.

Li Yichen's face showed no joy or curiosity, only calmness, and even a hint of urgency.

He didn't say anything, but quickly stepped forward and, taking advantage of the moment when his body was in the way, stuffed a folded piece of paper into Li Chengqian's hand.

Li Chengqian felt something being stuffed into his palm and instinctively gripped it.

He was completely dumbfounded, staring at Li Yichen with bewilderment in his eyes.

He wanted to ask what it was.

Li Yichen shook his head very slightly, looking at him sharply with a clear sense of prohibition.

Li Chengqian opened his mouth and then closed it again.

Although he was confused, seeing Li Yichen's unusually serious expression, he swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

He clenched the note in his hand.

Li Yichen took a step back, knelt down again, lowered his head, and resumed his submissive posture as a tutor.

Li Chengqian stood still for a moment, then turned around and limped toward his desk.

His heart was beating a little fast.

He sat down behind his desk, placed the note on it, and unfolded it.

The handwriting on the note was small and clear, and it was Li Yichen's handwriting.

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words. His Majesty will surely suspect that someone instigated this and will thoroughly investigate the Eastern Palace. For my own protection and for Your Highness's sake, I must not mention what I said today in front of outsiders, not even a single word. Quickly take control of the palace, restrict entry and exit, and prevent spying. This is crucial."

After Li Chengqian finished reading, his expression changed slightly.

A chill instantly extinguished his earlier excitement.

He suddenly looked up and gazed outside the hall, as if he could feel unseen eyes watching him.

He was so caught up in his smugness that he completely forgot about this.

How could Father not investigate?

Those words were definitely not something he could have come up with on his own!

If you find out you have any connection to Li Yichen…

Li Chengqian felt a wave of fear wash over him.

He immediately composed himself, took a deep breath, and tried to appear calm.

He raised his voice and shouted towards the outside of the hall, "Someone come here!"

A commander of the Eastern Palace guards strode into the hall, bowed, and asked, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Li Chengqian sat behind his desk, striving to maintain a dignified and composed expression. He said in a deep voice, "Issue my order. From this day forward, the Eastern Palace will be heavily guarded. No one may enter or leave without my written permission. Palace attendants and maids are also forbidden from communicating with the outside world. Increase the number of trusted men to patrol the area around the palace walls. Anyone found acting suspiciously or attempting to spy on the Eastern Palace must be apprehended immediately! Do you understand?"

A hint of surprise flashed across the guard commander's face, but he dared not ask any further questions and immediately clasped his hands in obeisance, saying, "Yes! Your humble general obeys!"

He quickly stepped back to carry out the order.

Hearing the hurried footsteps and whispered instructions coming from outside, Li Chengqian breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He looked at the note in his hand again, clenched it tightly in his palm, then brought it close to the candle and lit it. The flames engulfed the note, turning it into a small pile of ashes.

After doing all this, he finally relaxed, leaned back, and felt a thin layer of sweat on his back.

The hall returned to silence.

After a while, Li Chengqian waved his hand and said to the two eunuchs and palace maids standing in the distance in the hall, "You may all leave. No one is allowed to approach the hall without my summons."

"Yes," the eunuch and the palace maid replied in a low voice, respectfully withdrew, and gently closed the palace door from the outside.

The heavy palace doors closed with a slight sound.

In the vast palace, only Li Chengqian and Li Yichen remained.

The light dimmed, and silence descended.

Li Chengqian's gaze fell on Li Yichen, who was still kneeling there.

He looked at him for a moment, then pointed to a seat in front of his desk: "You, come and sit down."

Li Yichen raised his head, got up as instructed, walked to the seat designated by Li Chengqian, and sat down properly.

The two sat facing each other, with a desk between them.

There was silence for a moment.

Li Chengqian suddenly let out a long breath, a breath that carried the exhaustion after tension, as well as an indescribable complex emotion.

The dignity and composure on his face disappeared, replaced by a genuine expression after he had shed his disguise.

"Yichen..." he began, his voice lower and hoarse.

“I just…I really did what you said just now.”

His tone carried a hint of lingering excitement, but more so a desire to vent.

“Father…he was truly enraged. I’ve never seen him so angry…his face was ashen, and he swept everything off his desk…he yelled at me, calling me a rebellious son, a beast…”

Li Chengqian spoke faster, his eyes fixed on Li Yichen, as if seeking approval, or perhaps reliving that thrilling moment.

"That old bastard Zhang Xuansu! He's so scared he's paralyzed on the ground, only able to kowtow, and can't even speak properly... Haha..."

He chuckled dryly twice, but the laughter quickly faded.

"I asked him... I asked him those questions... about Xuanwu Gate, about Emperor Shun, about filial piety..." Li Chengqian's eyes were somewhat glazed over, as if he was still immersed in the scene at that time.

He just stared at me like that... as if he didn't recognize me... as if he wanted to kill me...

His voice gradually lowered, the excitement faded, and another emotion surged up.

“But…but he didn’t…” Li Chengqian murmured.

“He didn’t immediately cripple me, nor did he drag me away to be flogged… He only confined me to my quarters…” He raised his eyes and looked at Li Yichen, his eyes filled with confusion and a strange light.

"He only brought me back to reflect... Yichen, is this... is this considered a success?"

He didn't wait for Li Yichen's reply, and it seemed he didn't need an answer.

Once he starts talking, he can't stop.

The emotions that had been suppressed for too long found an outlet.

“He’s always been like that…” Li Chengqian’s voice suddenly became choked with emotion. He turned his head and looked at one side of the empty hall, his eyes wandering.

"They've always looked at me like that... as if nothing I do is right... as if I can never compare to them..."

He paused, his lips pressed tightly together, as if he were restraining something.

"Mother..." he uttered these two words, his voice becoming even softer, filled with obvious pain.

"When Mother was around... things were a little better... he would still have a smile on his face... Mother would always protect me a bit..."

(End of this chapter)