Chapter Sixty-Seven: Family Games

After returning to the Hall of Tranquil Blessings, Li Yuechen couldn't wait to have Xiao He remove the elaborate array of ornaments from her head. As she changed clothes and combed her hair, she tied it up into a ponytail with a hair ribbon. Once dressed, she flicked her ponytail with a flourish, sat cross-legged before her desk, and breathed a sigh of relief. “Hair buns just aren’t for me,” she declared.

She was just about to brew some tea when her two elder sisters entered. “Yuechen, since there’s nothing pressing today, shall we visit the Taoguang Garden?” they suggested.

The Taoguang Garden, located at the northernmost edge of the royal city, served as both the imperial gardens and a zoo. Li Yuechen had hurriedly toured it once when she first arrived. To be honest, it was beautiful, but not particularly interesting. Still, since her sisters wished to go, she agreed to accompany them.

She waved at Shangguan Wan’er, who stood nearby. “Wan’er, would you like to join us?”

“Yes!” Shangguan Wan’er nodded enthusiastically.

Thus, the four of them set out together, accompanied by a retinue of palace maids and eunuchs. The Hall of Tranquil Blessings was not far from Taoguang Garden; they entered directly through the west gate, passed through corridors, and were soon greeted by the sight of an endless stretch of luxurious gardens.

The first thing they saw was a wide canal running east to west. Even in the depths of winter, colorful shapes occasionally darted beneath the thin layer of ice. Though it was a garden, every ten zhang stood a pavilion, every hundred zhang a hall. The layout appeared random, yet followed a certain order.

These manmade structures continued the Tang dynasty’s aesthetic: simple, yet grand. Tang architecture was known for its symmetry and simplicity, but its bold use of color made a striking visual impact. Crimson dominated, with other colors serving as accents.

Seemingly labyrinthine corridors wound through the gardens, connecting every hall and pavilion. The lofty spaces emphasized the unique dignity and ritual of the imperial family; walking through them felt like entering the gaping maw of a dragon.

What amazed Li Yuechen most was that, despite the opulence of the manmade structures, they harmonized perfectly with the gardens, never appearing out of place.

Every beam between the corridors was painted with colorful scenes—mountains, rivers, birds, and beasts of various forms. Even in winter, when most plants stood bare, the overall effect was undiminished; indeed, the harmony among the halls, pavilions, and towers was only accentuated. In summer, when the trees flourished and flowers bloomed, the palace buildings would seem to appear and disappear amidst the greenery.

The entire Taoguang Garden was like a living painting, offering a different beauty in every season. Walking within this moving scroll, Li Yuechen, with her knowledge of the future, couldn’t help but marvel inwardly; history’s weight seemed to grow lighter in this moment.

She had traveled all over the world, seen and even conquered countless breathtaking sights, but the classical splendor of these ancient royal gardens was something she had never encountered in her memory. If she were to describe it in a phrase: understated luxury with depth.

If only I had a cellphone now… Li Yuechen sighed inwardly as she gazed at the view.

Suddenly, Princess Xuancheng pointed ahead. “Yuechen, look! A rabbit!”

Li Yuechen looked up and indeed saw a gray wild rabbit digging at the ground, seemingly searching for food.

Shangguan Wan’er, having never seen a rabbit before, couldn’t resist saying, “Your Highness, perhaps we could…”

Li Yuechen nodded. “I’ll see if I can catch it. Xiao He, have someone fetch a grill!”

“Huh?” Shangguan Wan’er spun around, a hint of horror in her eyes. “Your Highness intends to eat it?”

Li Yuechen froze. “But didn’t you just say…”

Shangguan Wan’er’s eyes filled with distress. “I only wanted to hold it… and pet it…”

“Ah…”

Li Yuechen felt a little embarrassed. Her two sisters seemed similarly awkward. With a resigned pat to her head, Li Yuechen reminded herself to consider these matters from a woman’s perspective in the future. Most real girls probably didn’t see every animal and think first of eating it…

After all, she was a woman now; if not in all respects, at least in some she ought to behave as such.

With that in mind, she nodded and joined her sisters in simply watching the rabbit. In this era, most rabbits were gray or black; white ones were rare enough that presenting one to the emperor could earn a reward, for the ancients saw white rabbits as auspicious omens.

There were other animals in Taoguang Garden too—monkeys, cranes, and the like. But Li Yuechen was already thinking that, once the food supply was secured, perhaps she could try planting some bamboo here. If successful, maybe she could even bring a couple of pandas from Sichuan to play.

Perhaps worried that Li Yuechen might eat the rabbit, they ultimately decided not to catch it, simply watching from afar before continuing their leisurely stroll. That evening, they obediently returned to their quarters to sleep. In this era, people looked forward to the Lantern Festival even more than the New Year itself.

That night, lying in bed, Li Yuechen wondered how the Lantern Festival in the Eastern Capital would compare to Chang’an.

The second day of the New Year was traditionally a day to visit one’s maternal family, but now that Lady Rongguo had passed away, Li Yuechen decided to spend the day with her mother. She consulted her sisters, who, after some thought, agreed to accompany her.

Upon arriving at the Hall of Longevity, they found that several brothers had come as well. Led by their eldest brother, Li Hong, the princes all paid their respects to the two princesses.

As Li Hong bowed his head, Li Yuechen seized the moment, leaping onto his back. “Big Brother, happy New Year!”

“Ah! Yuechen, you’ve grown much stronger,” Li Hong staggered under her weight, nearly falling. Fortunately, Li Xian, quick on his feet, stepped forward to steady him.

Realizing she might have been too rough, Li Yuechen quickly let go and asked, “Are you alright, Big Brother?”

“No harm done…” Li Hong waved it off. “But you truly have grown—not just stronger, but heavier too.”

“Hehe…”

Li Yuechen laughed softly, relieved that her brother hadn’t noticed anything unnatural about her strength.

Inside the Hall of Longevity, they all greeted the emperor and empress. Seeing Wu Zetian still seated at her desk, Li Yuechen went to her side. “Mother, let’s set these matters aside today. We’ve all come to keep you company.”

“So you’re here for Meiniang, not for me?” Emperor Gaozong of Tang turned, smiling.

Li Yuechen stuck out her tongue. “Today, I’m not keeping Father company—only Mother!”

“Sigh…”

The emperor feigned a deep, injured sigh at his daughter’s words. The children struggled to suppress their laughter, and even Wu Zetian covered her mouth with a muffled chuckle before resuming her usual stern demeanor.

Li Yuechen clung to her mother’s arm. “Mother, please set work aside for today. Rest with us.”

Wu Zetian glanced at the table; there weren’t many memorials left. She nodded. “Very well, I’ll rest.”

Though she’d said she wouldn’t accompany the emperor, it was the dead of winter, so her mother apparently didn’t want to go out either. The family gathered around the table, sipping tea and chatting.

Li Yuechen spent almost the entire time nestled in Wu Zetian’s arms. On this day, her mother’s usual severity seemed to vanish, and she didn’t send her away.

Simple conversation soon grew dull. Li Yuechen suggested, “Since it’s New Year’s, why don’t we play a game?”

In this era, dice games were even more popular than Go or chess. At the suggestion, everyone perked up—except Li Hong, who frowned. “But there are nine of us. Your ‘mahjong’ only accommodates four.”

Li Yuechen grinned. “Then let’s invent a new one.”

“Oh?” The emperor was intrigued. “Let’s hear it.”

“Just a moment, Father—I’ll fetch paper and brush.”

She returned with writing materials and penned two characters: “Chasing the Killer.”

She began explaining. “Here are the rules: we divide into Imperial Guards, Assassins, and Commoners…”

Indeed, Li Yuechen intended to introduce the classic game of Werewolf. The rules were simple and easy to understand, but playing well required keen wit and adaptability.

This sort of intellectual contest was quite popular in the Tang dynasty. After hearing the rules, the emperor nodded eagerly. “Let’s try it!”

With that, Li Yuechen tore slips of paper, writing different roles since she would be the moderator: two Imperial Guards, two Assassins, and four Commoners. She folded the papers, shuffled them, and had everyone draw their identities.

Once each had secretly checked their role and tucked the slip into their sleeve, Li Yuechen announced, “Night falls—everyone, close your eyes!”

She wasn’t worried about cheating; in the presence of the emperor, no one would dare. “Assassins, open your eyes!”

In this round, third brother Li Xian and Princess Yiyang were the assassins. Li Yuechen had them silently point out their target while clapping her hands to mask the sound. Then she called for the Imperial Guards—her mother, Wu Zetian, and fourth brother Li Lun.

When dawn was declared, Li Yuechen regretfully told Li Hong, “Big Brother, you’ve been killed. Any thoughts?”

Li Hong pondered, then shook his head. “No clues—nothing to say.”

Li Yuechen smiled and had everyone speak in turn, but with no leads in the first round, they simply voted someone off at random. It was second brother Li Xian. When his identity was revealed, everyone’s expressions changed.

The game continued. Unfortunately, third brother Li Xian’s acting was poor, and he was soon voted out. After another couple of rounds, Princess Yiyang was discovered by Wu Zetian and eliminated.

The first round ended!

Perhaps sensing the charm of the game, the emperor laughed heartily. “Excellent! Let’s play again!”

Now understanding the game, everyone became fully engaged. At first, the children were hesitant to vote out their parents, but as their enthusiasm grew, they cast votes without reservation.

Emperor Gaozong and Wu Zetian took it in stride, laughing when they were wrongly eliminated and gleefully revealing their identities.

Once absorbed in a game, time flew by. Before they knew it, evening had arrived—it was nearly time for dinner.

“We’ll dine here tonight,” the emperor declared, sending Zhang Chengxin to make arrangements.

Wu Zetian nodded in agreement, watching her children frolic with a gentle smile.

It was mainly thanks to Li Yuechen; the sons would never have dared such roughhousing before Wu Zetian otherwise. But with Li Yuechen provoking them and their mother showing no sign of disapproval, they soon joined the merriment.

The Hall of Longevity was spacious enough that their games escalated into mock battles. Li Hong carried Li Yuechen on his back, Li Xian bore the youngest, Li Lun, and the others cheered.

Wu Zetian, for once, did not scold them. She sipped tea, quietly amused. Emperor Gaozong rolled his health balls in one hand and cheered with the other. “Do your best! Whichever team wins shall be rewarded!”

Li Yuechen knew she could easily pull Li Lun down with her strength, but today was about fun, not victory, so she decided to go easy.

She patted Li Hong’s shoulder. “Big Brother, charge!”

“Alright, alright…” Li Hong laughed fondly, carrying her toward Li Xian.

Li Xian was not to be outdone and charged as well. Li Yuechen reached out, pretending to tug hard at Li Lun’s clothes. Li Lun, refusing to yield, grabbed her wrist and pulled back.

As they tussled, Li Yuechen urged, “Big Brother, ram him! Ram him!”

But Li Hong’s health was not the best, and after several rounds, his stamina flagged.

“Haha! Big Brother is losing strength—Li Lun, pull Yuechen down!” Li Xian called, retreating.

At that moment, Li Lun, caught up in the tug-of-war, slipped and fell to the floor with a thud.

“Huh?” Li Xian was incredulous. “Li Lun, how did you fall by yourself?”

Li Yuechen burst out laughing. “Second Brother, as the Art of War says, when the enemy is about to win is when they are most complacent. You miscalculated!”

Feigning regret, Li Xian scratched his head. “Very well, I concede! Yuechen is formidable!”

“Hmph!” Li Yuechen put her hands on her hips, looking smug.

Behind the desk, Wu Zetian turned with a slight smile. “Well said.”

“To apply knowledge, rather than merely recite it…” Emperor Gaozong nodded, murmuring, “Excellent… excellent…”

Watching his children tumble and laugh together, the emperor’s face shone with joy. Wu Zetian, his wife, fell into quiet contemplation. How long had it been since she’d seen him so relaxed and happy?