Filial piety is of great importance.

Li Zhi’s complaints to Li Lizhi were anything but aimless. This young boy was clever; he understood that Li Lizhi was equally beloved by Emperor Taizong and Empress Changsun, so he deliberately confided in her. Li Zhi also knew that Li Lizhi struggled to keep secrets—sooner or later, she would share his words with Empress Changsun, or even with the emperor himself, thereby sowing seeds of discontent in their hearts.

Naive Li Lizhi had no inkling that she was, unwittingly, being used by Li Zhi as a tool against their two elder brothers. At this moment, she was carefully carrying a freshly brewed medicinal soup, guided by Li Zhi, as they made their way toward the Hall of Governance. The apothecary followed nervously behind, fearful that the two would spill the medicine and bring disaster upon him.

When their figures appeared at the entrance of the Hall of Governance, a chorus of astonished voices rose, and Li Chengqian and Li Tai, who were still energetically flaunting their academic achievements, fell instantly silent.

Protecting Li Lizhi, Li Zhi approached Empress Changsun’s bedside and said, “Mother, please drink this medicine. My sister and I personally prepared it for you.”

Seeing Li Lizhi struggling to carry the tray to the bedside, Emperor Taizong quickly reached out to take it from her, speaking with a touch of concern, “Why not let the apothecary help you? The tray is so heavy.”

Li Lizhi gently wiped a sheen of sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and replied, “I wanted to bring it to you myself, Mother, since I could carry it.”

Empress Changsun, reclining at the head of the bed, drew Li Lizhi into her arms affectionately. “It was worth raising you—now you can help ease your mother's burdens.”

Nestled against Empress Changsun, Li Lizhi said, “Zhinu helped boil the medicine, too.”

Hearing this, Empress Changsun turned to look at Li Zhi and noticed a smudge of charcoal on the tip of his nose. She quickly took out a handkerchief and said, “Zhinu, come here—your little nose is dirty.”

The charcoal was entirely Li Zhi’s doing; he had smeared it on himself to show he had been hard at work. Upon hearing Empress Changsun, he obediently moved to the bedside to let her clean him up.

Meanwhile, Li Chengqian and Li Tai had risen from their chairs, though their expressions were somewhat awkward. After all, both were older than Li Zhi and Li Lizhi.

Now that their mother was ill, they had only been concerned with impressing their father, never thinking to do anything for her. Seeing their younger siblings—one brewing medicine, the other carrying it—how could they feel at ease?

Emperor Taizong stirred the medicine in the bowl as he gazed fondly at Li Lizhi and Li Zhi; their conduct today pleased him greatly. His own mother had passed away early, and when he grew up, his attempts at filial piety were thwarted by years of war and power struggles. Witnessing this scene—a loving mother surrounded by dutiful children—brought him immense comfort.

He had not previously realized there was anything amiss with Li Chengqian and Li Tai’s behavior, but now, comparing them with Li Zhi and Li Lizhi, he could not help feeling a trace of dissatisfaction. Still, he said nothing—for even he had neglected some things.

After drinking the medicine, Empress Changsun felt better, and Emperor Taizong kept all the children at his side for a meal. Since Li Chengqian and Li Tai had already reported their recent studies, Emperor Taizong now began to test Li Lizhi and Li Zhi on their knowledge at the table.

What set Emperor Taizong apart from earlier emperors was his strong belief in equal education. He held that girls should not lag behind boys in learning, and so he always treated his children’s education equally. This even led, indirectly, to many women holding official posts in the Tang dynasty.

Li Lizhi, having studied for years, possessed a deep understanding of the classics and histories, and answered her father’s questions fluently. This made Emperor Taizong exceedingly proud; he could not help turning to Empress Changsun and saying, “Changle’s knowledge is every bit as good as any boy her age. It seems my views are correct.”

Empress Changsun teased him with a smile, “Yes, yes, yes… Erlang is wise indeed. Thanks to you, girls across the empire now have the chance to study.”

Emperor Taizong laughed heartily at her words, then turned to Li Zhi. “You mentioned the Classic of Filial Piety today. Shall I quiz you on it?”

Li Zhi replied, “Please, Father, ask your questions.”

Emperor Taizong began, “One who loves his parents will not despise others’ parents; one who respects his parents will not be disrespectful to others’ parents. What does this mean?”

Li Zhi answered without hesitation, “Those who love their own parents will not scorn others’ parents. Those who respect their own parents will not neglect the parents of others.”

The Classic of Filial Piety was less than two thousand characters long and easy to comprehend, so Li Zhi had memorized it thoroughly.

Emperor Taizong followed with two more questions, which Li Zhi answered crisply. Pleased by his performance, Emperor Taizong took the opportunity to address Li Chengqian and Li Tai, “Zhinu is so young, yet he already understands the principle of filial piety deeply. You two brothers should learn from him.”

Though spoken casually, the words were a clear reminder that their conduct today had not met his expectations. In this era, filial piety was paramount—the Classic of Filial Piety was the first text every scholar learned. If someone was lacking in filial conduct, no matter their achievements elsewhere, they would not be respected.

Li Chengqian and Li Tai understood the implication and promptly replied, “We shall remember Father’s teachings.”

Li Chengqian, realizing he had behaved poorly, felt mostly remorseful after being corrected by his father. Li Tai, however, saw it differently. He knew his performance was lacking but blamed his elder brother Li Chengqian for it. Had Li Chengqian not boasted first, he would not have rushed to showcase himself.

Li Tai also cast a discreet glance at Li Zhi. To him, Li Zhi was his nemesis. Whenever they appeared together before their parents, Li Zhi would either effortlessly steal the spotlight or cause him to be punished.

Thinking of punishment, Li Tai’s mouth involuntarily twitched—he still felt aggrieved over the recent beating. What annoyed him most was that the furniture Li Zhi had designed was now wildly popular in the palace, and even some ministers had begun to commission similar pieces for their homes.

His new steward had reported, “That furniture is very well received. If you were to organize a workshop for making it, you could earn a handsome profit.”

Li Tai was tempted. He reasoned that the ministers had only seen a limited range of furniture styles and could hardly come up with anything novel. If he were to produce them himself, leveraging his experience in the palace, he could quickly attract a large clientele.