The Emperor's Beloved: My Ancestor is the Crown Prince?

Chapter 52 The Miracle of Light and Shadow in the Warm Pavilion

Modern-day study in the Li family's old house.

Li Qingge connected the camera to the computer and flipped through the photos Xiao Qingyi had brought back, one by one. When he saw the family portrait of the Tang Dynasty royal family, his hand holding the mouse stopped.

On the screen, Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun sat in the center, with Li Chengqian holding little Qingyi on one side, and Li Tai, Li Lizhi, Sizi, Zhinu, and Chengyang sitting around them. The picture quality was stunningly clear, and everyone's expression was vivid and lifelike—the smile lines at the corners of Li Shimin's eyes, Empress Zhangsun's dignified elegance, Li Chengqian's rare relaxed posture, Chengyang's shy embrace of the panda plush toy…

"This one..." Li Qingge said softly, "If I showed this to a history professor, it would probably cause an earthquake."

Li Minghua put on his reading glasses, carefully examined the photo, and after a long while said, "What you said is very good and very correct. First of all, you need to prove that you were taking pictures with a modern camera at Emperor Taizong's banquet more than a thousand years ago."

Li Qingge: (￣▽￣*)ゞ

"Grandpa, look at Sizi's complexion, it's much rosier than last time."

Indeed, in the photo, Sizi has a gentle smile and her cheeks have a healthy pink hue, showing no signs of illness or weakness.

"The medication is working," Li Minghua said with relief. "And Chengyang... Historical records describe her as 'timid and taciturn,' but look at this picture—"

In one corner of the photo, Chengyang is secretly watching Xiaoqingyi, a small, shy smile on his lips.

"Yiyi really has a magical touch," Li Minghua smiled, his finger lightly swiping across the screen. "These photos are priceless."

"Yes." Li Qingge skillfully backed up the photos to an encrypted hard drive. "If so many things hadn't happened later, how happy this family would have been."

Night deepened outside the window. In the study, the grandfather and grandson watched over these images spanning a thousand years until the last photograph disappeared from the screen.

Meanwhile, in the Tang Dynasty, the morning sun was shining into the warm pavilion of the Lizheng Hall.

---

Xiao Qingyi arrived exceptionally early today. She ran into the warm pavilion with her pink backpack, which looked even bulging than usual, and Si Zi and Cheng Yang were already waiting there.

"Qingyi, little sister!" Chengyang rarely spoke up, his little face full of anticipation, "Did you bring it?"

"I brought it!" Xiao Qingyi closed the door mysteriously and carefully took out a flat black board from her schoolbag.

The board was slightly thicker than the book, entirely black with rounded edges, and its front was a smooth glass screen. In the morning light, it gleamed with a cold and strange luster.

Sizi and Chengyang held their breath, staring intently.

Xiao Qingyi pressed the button on the side, and the screen suddenly lit up—first, an apple with a bite taken out of it appeared, and then it turned into a background of a photo of Xiao Qingyi and her brother.

Chengyang let out a soft "Ah," and subconsciously took half a step back.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid," Xiao Qingyi quickly reassured her. "It won't bite! It just... it just glows!"

She skillfully swiped the screen and found the app with the rabbit icon. With a gentle tap, the opening theme music from Zootopia suddenly began to play.

"Boom, boom, boom—" Amidst the lively drumbeats, vibrant animated scenes leap onto the screen.

Chengyang was completely stunned. She stared at the animals on the screen that could walk, jump, talk, and laugh, and at the fantastical city with its flashing neon lights and bustling traffic. Her little hands gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, but she couldn't bear to blink.

Sizi also slightly opened her mouth. Although Xiao Qingyi had described it before, the shock of seeing a "moving painting" in person was completely different.

The movie begins. Judy Hopps, the little rabbit, loudly proclaims on stage, "I'm going to make the world a better place!" and then boards the train to Zootopia. As the vast, vibrant, and infinitely possible cityscape unfolds on the screen, the cozy room is so quiet you can hear the three children breathing softly.

"So...so big..." Chengyang murmured.

"This is Zootopia," Xiao Qingyi explained softly. "All the animals live together and can do whatever they want."

The scene shifts to Judy moving into a run-down apartment and encountering the cunning fox Nick. When Nick uses trickery to earn money for popsicles, Chengyang frowns slightly: "Is this fox... bad?"

"It looks a little bad now," Xiao Qingyi said earnestly, "but he'll become Judy's best friend later!"

Sizi watched quietly, and when she saw Judy being looked down upon because she was a rabbit, yet still persisting in investigating the case, she whispered, "She's brave."

"Yes!" Xiao Qingyi nodded vigorously. "So she's a police officer!"

The movie continues. Judy and Nick investigate the case, stumbling into the Mole Gang's territory and narrowly escaping an attack by a jaguar. The tense plot makes Cheng Yang nervously hug her panda plush toy, but when she sees Judy cleverly use a recording pen to expose the deputy mayor's sheep's conspiracy, she can't help but whisper a cheer: "Amazing!"

The door to the warm room was gently pushed open a crack.

Li Lizhi stood outside the door, intending to call the children for some snacks, but she was stunned by the scene before her.

She saw three little heads huddled together, staring at a glowing black board. On the board... were there moving pictures? Were there sounds? The animals were lifelike, and the city was bizarre and fantastical. It was all completely beyond her comprehension.

Li Lizhi quietly entered the warm pavilion without disturbing the children. She sat down a little distance away, but her gaze could not leave the glowing panel.

The film reaches its climax. Judy says something inappropriate at the press conference, hurting Nick, and the two part ways. As Judy sits alone in the cable car, looking out at Zootopia in the rain, the background music begins—

Chengyang's eyes reddened.

"She...she didn't mean it..." the little girl whispered, her voice trembling with tears.

Xiao Qingyi quickly patted her back: "It's okay, it's okay, they'll make up soon! Look—"

Sure enough, Judy apologized to Nick, and together they exposed Mayor Sheep's entire conspiracy. When all the carnivores regained their senses, when Judy and Nick became official partners, and when Zootopia truly became a home for all the animals…

The end credits roll. The credits scroll across the screen.

The warm room remained quiet for a long time.

Chengyang was still clutching the panda plush toy, but her tears had already dried. Staring at the now-black screen, she whispered, "Is it over?"

"It's over." Xiao Qingyi put away her tablet. "Was it good?"

Chengyang nodded vigorously, his eyes shining like stars: "Beautiful! Judy...so good."

Si Zi said softly, "That city is so beautiful."

Li Lizhi then walked over and asked softly, "Have you finished reading?"

The three children were startled. Xiao Qingyi instinctively hid the tablet behind her back, but Li Lizhi just smiled and said, "I saw it all. That... it really is amazing."

She crouched down and looked at the three children: "Can I see them too?"

Xiao Qingyi hesitated for a moment, then handed over the tablet. Li Lizhi took it, her fingers gently tracing the smooth screen, trying to swipe like Xiao Qingyi had—the screen lit up, returning to the main interface. It contained many video categories: children's animation…historical films?

"These..." she looked at the different folders, "Are each of them a 'moving painting'?"

"Yes, my brother downloaded a lot of videos for me, including all kinds of anime and movies," Xiao Qingyi said.

"But it won't work when the power is out," Xiao Qingyi said honestly. "It needs to be charged."

"Charge?"

"It's...it's about replenishing energy," Xiao Qingyi explained as she tried. "When it's plugged in, it can 'eat its fill' and then continue working."

Li Lizhi nodded thoughtfully. She returned the tablet to Xiao Qingyi and said gently, "This is indeed a rare treasure. Qingyi, your willingness to bring it to Chengyang and Sizi is very precious."

Xiao Qingyi smiled shyly: "Because they are Yiyi's good friends."

Chengyang suddenly whispered, "Qingyi... will we still be able to see it tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow..." Xiao Qingyi thought for a moment, "Yiyi, bring something else tomorrow! A toy that you can make things with!"

"Okay!" Chengyang smiled; it was the brightest smile she had ever given all day.

Sizi said gently, "Thank you, Yiyi. I'm very happy today."

The three little girls huddled together again, chattering excitedly about the movie. Chengyang said her favorite scene was Judy standing on the train, Sizi said her favorite was the ending where all the animals lived in harmony, and Xiaoqingyi excitedly said that she also had "Frozen" and "Coco" on her tablet...

Li Lizhi listened quietly, watching the three children from different worlds who had unexpectedly become friends, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

In the afternoon, it was time for Xiao Qingyi to go home. As she packed her schoolbag, Si Zi suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, the painter said the portrait will be finished tomorrow. Father said it should be hung in the Lizheng Hall when it's done."

"Really?" Xiao Qingyi's eyes lit up. "Then Yiyi will come to see you tomorrow!"

"Yes, it's settled."

Xiao Qingyi slung her schoolbag over her shoulder and hugged Chengyang and Sizi goodbye. Li Lizhi saw her off to the outside of the palace, watching her skip and hop away, and sighed softly.

Back in the warm pavilion, Chengyang and Sizi were still quietly discussing the movie. Li Lizhi was about to have the palace servants prepare tea and snacks when her gaze suddenly froze—

On the couch in the warm pavilion, the black, glowing panel lay quietly.

Xiao Qingyi forgot to take it with her.

Li Lizhi walked over and picked up the tablet. The screen was already dark, but when her finger accidentally touched the button on the side, the screen suddenly lit up again—it was the video app interface that Xiao Qingyi had forgotten to close.

The light and shadow flickered in the warm room.