Li Cannan had actually only met her elder brother a handful of times.
From her earliest memories, her "elder brother" had been studying at the Heavenly Principles Academy. Even after she had grown much older, she still had not met him. Only that vague impression grew ever more lofty and unreachable as others spoke of his "Heaven-Knowing Heart," of him as "a practitioner of the Book of Changes," and of his "foremost Qilin blood."
She had first met him when she was about six or seven. He was indeed a very clean, very quiet figure, unlike anyone else in the palace. He wore plain clothes and cloth shoes, yet seemed to stand even further above her than her other imperial brothers.
She timidly approached and tugged at the corner of his robe, rising on tiptoe to offer him the paper scroll she held. She had heard that her brother studied at the Heavenly Principles Academy and probably would not like flower balls or rocking horses, so she had chosen her finest piece of calligraphy and painting to make friends with him.
She remembered tilting her head very far back, yet still being unable to see his shadowed face against the sunlight. Her brother seemed to lower his head toward her, perhaps for only an instant or a glance, then turned away, removed her hand, and waved her off.
It was probably in that moment that she realized they inhabited two different worlds.
Soon, her tutor led her away and sternly warned her not to disturb her brother.
Li Cannan had few memories of her childhood. Some people could clearly recall a great deal of the past, but she was the sort who easily forgot unpleasant things. For some reason, this episode alone remained exceptionally clear.
By then, she had already