Chapter 77
After a while, the surroundings finally quieted down.
“Your servant failed to protect the princess. Please punish me, Your Majesty!” The female officer knelt on the ground, asking for forgiveness from Empress Zhangsun.
Although Empress Zhangsun was generally benevolent, such a significant incident wouldn’t be easily overlooked. Even though Empress Zhangsun treated people generously, she understood that a mistake of this magnitude wouldn’t be easily forgiven.
Moreover, Little Princess had grown up under the care of this female officer, and after the dangerous situation today, she was feeling not only fear but also a strong sense of guilt.
Empress Zhangsun let out a sigh. She knew that the female officer was also distressed after this incident.
If possible, she wouldn’t want to punish her.
However, rules are rules, and they must be upheld. Empress Zhangsun furrowed her brows slightly as she pondered how to handle the situation with the female officer.
At this moment, she felt a tug on her clothing from within her arms—Little Princess was pulling at her clothes.
Looking down, she saw Little Princess’s timid gaze.
“Mother, Little Princess wanted to see the elephants herself. It’s not their fault. Can you please not punish them?” The Little Princess whispered.
Empress Zhangsun’s expression softened at once.
Rules were important, but if this incident could teach Little Princess a valuable lesson, Empress Zhangsun felt it was worth considering.
She smiled and said, “But their responsibility is to look after you. If they put you in danger, it’s their fault. When mistakes are made, they must be punished.”
“It’s all my fault. If you want to punish them, then punish me.” The Little Princess lowered her head and said softly.
Seeing her in this small demeanor, Empress Zhangsun couldn’t help but smile.
“You’re so young, you can’t handle being scolded or punished. How would you like your mother to punish you?”
Little Princess opened her mouth, her eyes shifting, and then she said, “I have money, so you can punish me by taking my money!”
This statement amused Empress Zhangsun.
Given Little Princess’s age, she indeed had quite a number of assets under her name. While not comparable to the older princesses like Changle, she was still quite well-off.
However, the Little Princess usually lived in the palace and didn’t worry about finances. So when she spoke these words, it didn’t hurt her at all. Instead, she seemed pleased with her clever idea.
Empress Zhangsun thought for a moment, about to respond, when she heard a voice coming from nearby — he was Li Er.
“So my Little Princess made a mistake? That’s quite rare!”
Li Er, dressed in everyday clothing, walked over from a distance and looked at Empress Zhangsun and her daughter with a smile.
He had arrived a while ago but remained hidden upon seeing the female officer pleading with Empress Zhangsun. However, when he heard Little Princess willingly asking Empress Zhangsun to punish her, Li Er couldn’t stay hidden any longer.
After all, his youngest daughter was the apple of his eye. How could he bear to see her upset?
“I’ve been hearing you talk for quite some time, and I still don’t know what happened. Can someone tell me?” Taking his daughter from Empress Zhangsun’s hands, Li Er held her naturally in his arms and then asked.
“Father, today I went to play with Sister Changle…” Before anyone else could speak, Little Princess spoke directly.
Li Er smiled, gazing at his daughter with an indulgent expression.
“Later, we went to the zoo to play and saw elephants…”
Perhaps because the memory was vivid, Little Princess’s description became more coherent at this point.
Li Er’s face remained unchanged, even when he heard that the elephant had been frightened and Little Princess had been in danger. He figured that since his daughter was safe now, there hadn’t been any real danger later on.
Curiosity getting the better of him, Li Er asked, “Did you say Su Li grabbed the elephant’s leg and threw it into the pool?”
Little Princess nodded eagerly, her eyes shining with excitement. Li Er couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle.
Saying that Su Li saved Little Princess Li Er believed. But throwing an elephant?
What a ridiculous idea!
The elephants kept in Lin Yuan were the imperial guard of honor, and Li Er had seen them many times. These elephants were massive, several times larger than ordinary wild elephants — true giants. Each of them weighed around four to five thousand catties.
Even if it were the reincarnation of King Xiang Yu of Chu, trying to move such colossal elephants would be nearly impossible, let alone throwing one.
Li Er couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of Su Li throwing an elephant. It was simply unimaginable.
Listening to Little Princess talk, Li Er couldn’t help but be amused. Though he believed Su Li had saved her, he couldn’t help but think that Little Princess might have added some of her imagination to the story.
After all, in moments of crisis, hallucinations were not uncommon. She might have mixed up her own fears and the real events.
Li Er shook his head with a smile. “Throwing an elephant is something beyond human capability!”
After all, Little Princess was only three years old. He didn’t fully believe the story she was telling. Although children might not intentionally lie, they often struggle with language organization and expression. Thus, their retellings of events could become messy and confusing. In their eyes, they might be unable to distinguish between their imagination and reality.
Upon hearing this, Little Princess grew anxious and immediately responded, “Father, I never lie! What I say is true. If you don’t believe me, you can ask them!”
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