Chapter Fifty-Seven: Bestowing Hairpins

  Third watch!

  Princess Changle heard this, her eyes flickered, and she didn't dare to look into Changsun Wuji's eyes. She lowered her head and said: "I heard that Qingque was crying, so I couldn't rest assured, and I ran over."

  "Have you asked for leave from Lord Li?" Empress Changsun asked in a low voice, she was very fond of her eldest legitimate daughter.

  Princess Changle glared at Crown Prince Longsun behind Empress Longsun's back, her eyes accusing him of being the reason she was punished.

  Changsun Chong looked at the wide-eyed Chang Le Gongzhu, whose watery eyes and scowling face made her look even more lovely, adding to the already delicate features of her face; her beautifully shaped lips were slightly upturned, making her look so enticing even when she was angry.

  "No!" Princess Chang Le said softly.

  "In that case, your assessment for this month is not passable. You won't be able to leave the palace by the end of the month." Empress Changsun was very strict with her children's education. As Zhang Le had grown up, corporal punishment was no longer applicable; instead, she would be deprived of what she loved most as a form of punishment, so that she could take it as a warning.

  This time Li Tai may be young, but if he hadn't taken the initiative to apologize and admit his mistake to Li Ke earlier, the punishment awaiting him would have been several times more severe.

  Princess Changle hastily stepped forward, pulling on Empress Longsun's sleeve, and coquettishly said: "Mother, you can't do this. I'm worried about Qingque, that's why I forgot to ask Lord Li for leave. Please forgive your daughter this one time!"

  Empress Changsun looked at Princess Changle for a moment, sighed, then looked at Changsun again without saying anything.

  Princess Chang Le was clever and knew she had suddenly offended Long Sun Hong, so to avoid trouble by the end of the month, she took small steps to walk in front of Long Sun Hong, pulled his sleeve and said in a long voice: "Big brother, sorry! You are magnanimous, don't be angry with me, okay?"

  Chang Sun Chong was looked at by Princess Chang Le's eager-to-please eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed. He cleared his throat twice and said softly, "Auntie, since Chang Le knows her mistake this time, don't punish her anymore. If she makes the same mistake again next time, double the punishment!"

  Zai Changsun said "double punishment" with a wrinkled nose and pouted mouth, looking very displeased.

  "Since your brother pleaded for you, I'll let you off this time. But if there's a next time, with all the shouting and yelling, I will definitely punish you severely." Empress Changsun intentionally gave face to her nephew Changsun, in order to improve the relationship between him and her daughter. After all, they would be married in the future, and if they could cultivate their feelings for each other, it would be a good start to their life together. They could grow old together, like she and her second brother had done over the years, even though the passion of their youth was gone, but still having a gentle affection, supporting each other through thick and thin, raising children and growing old together.

  Princess Changle saw Empress Zhangsun relax and slightly put down her guard, saying: "Thank you, Mother!"

  "Is it just a thank you from me?" Empress Changsun raised an eyebrow, having forgotten the matchmaker so quickly.

  "Thanks, Brother!" Princess Chang Le turned her back on Empress Chang Sun, sticking out her tongue at Chang Sun, a lovely gesture.

  Chang Sun Chong glanced at the hourglass, then prepared to leave the palace. He said, "Auntie, I'll go first. My family doesn't know that from now on I will be having lunch in the palace, they will worry about me. Two guards are waiting for me at the palace gate, so today Chong Er will take his leave."

  The Empress nodded and said: "Well, that's good. You can go back first today. As for Mr. Kong, I'll have someone inform him on your behalf. Chang Le, see Chong'er off!"

  "It's Mother!" Princess Chang Le saw that Zhangsun Chong was finally leaving and felt happy in her heart. Today, she would no longer have to see this jinx.

  Changsun rushed out of the palace gate of Empress Changsun, and immediately transformed into a dignified and elegant royal noblewoman, with impeccable manners: "I bid farewell to my elder brother!"

  "Thanks for seeing me off, sister-in-law! See you tomorrow!" Zhang Sun rushed to bid farewell, turned around and left, but immediately turned back.

  Princess Chang Le was making a face at the back of Zhangsun Chong, but unexpectedly he suddenly turned around and caught her in the act. Her pale face instantly turned red, and she didn't dare to look at Zhangsun Chong.

  Chang Sun rushed to the front of Princess Chang Le and pulled out a small box from his bosom, inside which was the sparkling hairpin of the princess.

  Princess Changle thought that Long Sun was going to trick her, and she was about to forget her dignity and run away with her legs. However, when she saw the shiny thing in Long Sun's hand, she stopped moving. She secretly looked at the thing in Long Sun's hand while looking at his face. If she found out that something was wrong, she would snatch the thing and run first.

  "This is for you." Chang Sun said with a slight smile.

  As soon as she heard that it was a gift for herself, Princess Chang Le became less polite and hastily accepted it. She politely asked, "What's the meaning of this? But brother-in-law, what is this thing?"

  "This is the water diamond hairpin, I'll help you put it on!" Changsun Chong was much taller than Princess Longle, so he easily helped her put it on and pulled her to the edge of the pavilion by the water, "Look at the reflection in the water!"

  Princess Changle was puzzled, lowered her head to take a look, and exclaimed: "Ah! So beautiful!" She raised her head just in time to ask Changsun Wugong how many he wanted, but Changsun Wugong had already walked out of ten or more meters.

  Look at the chubby back of Zhangsun, and then look at the reflection in the water. The lovely double buns have added a lot of noble temperament with the addition of the diamond hairpin. For the first time, Princess Chang Le felt that her older brother was really different from before. Before, she only knew he bullied her, even when giving her things, it was just putting caterpillars in the box to scare her into loud screams, and then the despicable older brother would laugh with glee on the side.

  Princess Changle was puzzled for a moment before being distracted by the beautiful hairpin on her head, just in time to meet her sisters who were going down to school.

  They were all girls, and naturally they saw the hair crown on Princess Chang Le's head at a glance. They ran to Princess Chang Le's face, asking: "Chang Le, your hair crown is really beautiful, was it given by the Empress Dowager?" Princess Nanping looked at Princess Chang Le's hair crown with envy, shining brightly, so beautiful. If Princess Chang Le hadn't protected it with both hands, she would have probably snatched it away.

  Princess Chang Le shook her head, covering the hairpin on her head, and said: "It wasn't given by Empress Dowager, it was just given to me by my elder cousin!"

  "Is it Eldest Grandson's older brother?" asked Princess Xiangcheng.

  Princess Chang Le nodded, her face red, fearing that these sisters would tease her, so she ran back to the Li Zheng Hall to report.

  After Qing Que returned, she apologized to Empress Changsun and told her about the conversation with her elder brother Changsun Long. Empress Changsun was very pleased.

  "Sister, your hair crown looks great!" Li Tai and Princess Chang Le were very close, and her little mouth was sweet.

  Li Chengqian took a look at that thing and had never seen it before, so he smiled and asked: "That must be something Eldest Brother gave you!"

  "How did you know?" Princess Chang Le was astonished, could it be that her brother's family had many.

  "Hehe, it's a secret. If you want to know, ask Big Brother," Li Chengqian said with a smile, not wanting to say more, letting Chang Le herself gradually get closer to Big Brother, which was better than him pushing her from behind."

  Princess Chang Le thought for a moment and said: "Mother, I find that Eldest Brother is different from before."

  "What's different now?" Empress Changsun asked with a hint of a smile on her lips.

  "It's just different now."

  "So which one do you like, the current big brother or the previous one?"

  "Nowadays, my elder brother from before would only bully me and liked to see me cry." Princess Chang Le wrinkled her small nose.

  "Hehe, that's because you've grown up and won't be like before. You can't be like before either, playing with your elder cousin, it's not dignified." Empress Changsun took the opportunity to instruct Princess Changle.

  Since she got the water diamond hair crown, Princess Changle wore it every day, not only were her sisters envious, but even the concubines in the palace were also very jealous, and they all asked where that shiny and elegant hair crown was bought.