gnovel Chapter 26 Princess Chengyang
Chapter 26 Princess Chengyang
Before long, Princess Chang Le, dressed in a modern dress, emerged from behind the screen.
Everyone was immediately struck by how perfectly Princess Chang Le's temperament matched the dress.
It must be said that although Xiao Sizi is a child, her aesthetic sense is indeed very good.
"Wow, big sister is so pretty!" Little Si jumped up happily, clapping her hands and exclaiming.
Empress Zhangsun and Li Shimin exchanged a glance and nodded, clearly agreeing with what Xiao Sizi had said.
Princess Chang Le did not show the slightest shyness when faced with the direct gazes of the group. Instead, she confidently turned around in front of everyone, displaying the self-confidence befitting the eldest princess of the dynasty.
"Excellent! As expected of my daughter, Li Shimin, she not only inherited Guanyinbi's beauty, but her confidence and composure alone surpass most women in our Tang Dynasty!"
Li Shimin's flattery was so blatant; he not only praised Princess Changle and Empress Zhangsun, but also managed to praise himself in the process.
"It's not as exaggerated as Father makes it out to be!" Princess Chang Le smiled faintly, pursing her lips.
"It's not an exaggeration at all. After all, your father has many concubines in the harem, and his vision is exceptional!" As she spoke, she glanced at Li Shimin, without any dissatisfaction in her eyes, but it still made the old man's face turn awkward.
"I never imagined that in the blink of an eye, our Lizhi has grown into a beautiful young lady! Lizhi has been taking care of Xiao Sizi all this time, and she must be very tired!" Empress Zhangsun said, then stepped forward and touched Princess Changle's cheek with affection.
"Mother, I'm not tired. It's most important that you get well!" Princess Chang Le leaned on her mother's shoulder, a bittersweet feeling welling up inside her.
"I want a hug too!" Seeing her parents praising her older sister, Xiao Sizi wasn't jealous at all. She ran up to them, opened her arms, and kept jumping around.
Seeing this, Li Shimin stepped forward, picked up the little Sizi, and lifted him above his head, making the little Sizi laugh heartily. At that moment, he felt like the happiest man in the world.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Prince Chengyang has arrived!" Wu She walked into the hall at an inopportune moment. Li Shimin turned his head and was about to get angry, but upon hearing that Chengyang had arrived, his anger immediately vanished.
"Fifth Sister is here!" Upon hearing the announcement, Little Si immediately asked her father to put her down and wiggled her little bottom as she ran out of the hall.
"Sizi, slow down! Be careful not to fall!" Empress Zhangsun and the other two immediately followed her toward the door.
Xiao Sizi arrived outside the palace first and saw her two maids standing not far away, waving happily at her. She immediately waved back in response.
At the corner of the main hall, a little girl of about five years old walked over, led by a palace attendant. She was Princess Chengyang, the second daughter of Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun.
Princess Chengyang was also very cute, but her personality was obviously much more reserved. She wore a light-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and her small face always maintained a dignified air. One of her small hands was placed behind her back, and her steps were always unhurried.
"Fifth Sister!"
Little Si couldn't help but shout loudly when it saw the person coming.
"Little Rhinoceros!"
Princess Chengyang heard the familiar voice and, just as she raised her small face, saw Xiao Sizi running towards her.
"Slow down, Sizi!"
Princess Chengyang looked nervous, afraid that Xiao Sizi would fall, and immediately went to meet him.
As she approached her fifth sister, Xiao Sizi subconsciously slowed down. She knew that her fifth sister's small frame was not as strong as her father and mother's, and if she didn't slow down and bump into them, they would definitely fall down.
The next second, the two adorable little figures hugged each other tightly.
Li Shimin and his companions were very pleased to see this scene when they arrived at the palace gate.
"Fifth Sister! You haven't come to visit for days!"
The little ox pouted with a wronged look, its happy expression instantly turning into one of dissatisfaction.
"Fifth Sister has been busy with her studies these past few days, it's not that she didn't want to come see Little Sizi!" Princess Chengyang quickly explained.
In fact, royal children are not always carefree in their childhood. They usually begin to receive early education when they are three to five years old. In addition to their studies, they also have to learn various court etiquette, which is not only tedious but also time-consuming.
However, Xiao Sizi was an exception. After Xiao Sizi was born, Empress Zhangsun's health gradually weakened, so she stayed in the palace to accompany the Empress from a young age. For this reason, Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun personally taught her.
In addition, Xiao Sizi was exceptionally intelligent and lively from a young age, which led to Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun doting on her even more.
"I don't care, Fifth Sister didn't come to see me, and I'm unhappy now!" Si Zi's little face was full of anger, and she kept squirming in Cheng Yang's arms.
"Fifth Sister admits her mistake! Fifth Sister apologizes to Sizi, okay? Besides, Fifth Sister even brought Sizi a gift today!"
"What gift!" Upon hearing about the gift, Xiao Sizi immediately became interested, and all her unhappiness was instantly forgotten.
"Look, this is a little windmill that your fifth sister made for you by hand. Do you like it?"
Princess Chengyang stretched out her small hand, which was hidden behind her back, and held a finely crafted, colorful paper windmill in her hand.
"Wow! It's a Volkswagen! Sizi loves it!"
Little Sizi snatched the windmill and started waving it around in his hands, a happy smile spreading across his face.
"Is that Sizi still angry with Fifth Sister?"
"Hehe, I'm not angry this time. Fifth Sister, remember to come visit our department often!"
Little Sizi waved her colorful little windmill and said in a childish voice.
"Yes! Fifth Sister knows. By the way, why did you summon me to Hanfeng Palace today?"
Princess Chengyang was somewhat puzzled, as the guard who came to report did not explain the reason clearly.
"Hehe, that's right, I brought clothes for Fifth Sister! Come quick!"
As Xiao Sizi spoke, he took Princess Chengyang's hand and ran towards the main hall. Just as they arrived at the entrance, the two Princess Chengyang stopped in their tracks.
"I've met Father, Mother, and Elder Sister in Chengyang."
The little boy bowed respectfully to the people in front of him. In his attitude towards Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun, Chengyang was not as uninhibited as Princess Changle and Xiao Sizi, both in his words and actions.
Seeing this scene, Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun felt a pang of sadness. Empress Zhangsun was alright; she would occasionally send someone to invite Princess Chengyang to dine at the Lizheng Hall. However, Li Shimin paid far less attention to Chengyang than to Sizi and Changle.
"Chengyang, there's no need for such formality in front of your parents! Do you understand?"
Li Shimin stepped forward and gently lifted Princess Chengyang's arm, his tone unusually gentle.
Princess Chengyang nodded quickly. She was only a five-year-old girl and naturally longed for her parents' care. However, due to her personality and the short time she had spent with them, she felt a lump in her throat when she saw this scene.
"Chengyang, come quickly! Xiao Sizi has prepared a dress for you today. Your mother has already seen it, and I'm sure it will look especially good on you!"
Empress Zhangsun stepped forward, took Princess Chengyang's hand, and led her into the palace.
Princess Chengyang then recalled that the clothes Xiao Sizi and her elder sister were wearing when she saw them earlier were indeed very different from what she usually saw.
Thinking of this, Chengyang glanced at Xiao Sizi and her sister's clothes again, and a sense of anticipation rose in her heart.