Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 3 Fire
"Want to hear the truth or lies?"

Liu Jianjun's answer surprised Li Xian. Li Xian frowned and said, "You're just going to tell the truth when I ask you to?"

“Yes.” Liu Jianjun said this very seriously, his eyes fixed on Li Xian, and the sincerity in his eyes made Li Xian’s heart tremble. “But this time, whatever I say in the future may not be true.”

"Okay, then I'll hear the truth."

"The truth is, I don't want to marry Huya," Liu Jianjun said.

Li Xian was taken aback: "Tiger Girl?"

"Hmm, our village head's niece is broad-shouldered and burly, I don't like her."

"But... what does this have to do with you helping me?" Li Xian was still puzzled.

"Not wanting to marry Huya is just an excuse!" Liu Jianjun waved his hand, his eyes still fixed sincerely on Li Xian: "Because you are from Chang'an, and a big shot in Chang'an. I could tell that as soon as you arrived in Liu Family Village."

"I'll help you, you take me to Chang'an!"

After saying that, Liu Jianjun stood up, his back to Li Xian.

The boy was not tall, only about five feet tall, but because Li Xian was sitting, the boy standing in front of Li Xian was like a mountain blocking the setting sun.

"I don't want to stay in Bazhou, it's too poor here."

"I want to go to Chang'an, where there is fine wine, beautiful women, and a profusion of flowers."

"I want to drink the strongest Sanlejiang (a type of Chinese liquor), sleep with the most beautiful women of the five surnames; experience the thousands of houses like a chessboard, the twelve streets like vegetable plots; see the spring breeze and the swift hooves of horses, and see all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day..."

"I want to see this glorious Tang Dynasty."

At this point, Liu Jianjun turned around, his gaze still earnest: "Only you can help me with these things!"

Li Xian was stunned.

The setting sun behind Liu Jianjun fell on his shoulders, like a golden shawl draped over him, making Liu Jianjun's youthful face seem to glow.

“I believe you,” Li Xian said.

"You believed that? Didn't you think I was trying to fool you?" Liu Jianjun looked astonished.

“I said I believe you can read.” Li Xian grinned, somewhat flustered, but it best reflected his current state of mind. “That poem was beautiful, but it was only half of the poem. What about the other half?”

"Tch! What time is it for you to care about poetry! Here's what you'll do: wait for me at home tomorrow!" Liu Jianjun stood up.

"Wait for you?"

"You wicked servant!" Liu Jianjun picked up the long-handled sickle from the ground, put the basket on his back, and said without turning his head, "I've been observing them for quite some time. They'll definitely come tomorrow. Don't go out then, wait for my news."

As he spoke, Liu Jianjun walked out of the courtyard, waving goodbye to Li Xian as he reached the door.

Li Xian stared blankly at Liu Jianjun's departing figure.

"What is Liu Jianjun doing with a sickle used for cutting ailanthus buds in the dead of winter?"

……

Not long after Liu Jianjun left, the embroiderer returned.

Upon seeing the embroiderer, Li Xian rushed forward anxiously: "Embroiderer, have you been bullied outside?"

The embroiderer's eyes were red, as if she had been crying, but there were no tears in them, so she must have just wiped them away.

To Li Xian's surprise, the embroiderer's eyes suddenly lit up with joy upon seeing him. She rushed forward and threw herself into his arms, her voice choked with emotion: "Your Highness...you, you're alright..."

Then, she burst into tears.

Li Xian paused for a moment while holding the embroiderer's back, then gently placed his hand on her back.

It turns out, even the embroiderers knew.

"You can't call me Your Highness anymore."

Li Xian's gaze passed over the embroiderer's shoulder and looked at the figures behind her. Standing at the front was his concubine, Zhang, and behind Zhang was his eldest son, Li Guangshun, who was now fifteen years old and about the same height as Liu Jianjun.

Next to Li Guangshun was his second son, Li Guangren, who was twelve years old. Behind him was his third son, Li Guangyi, who was nine years old and being led by his daughter, Changxin, who was also born to Xiu Niang and was the same age as Li Guangren.

The three younger children all looked bewildered, but the eldest son and Zhang Shi looked excited, yet also somewhat apprehensive.

Although their expressions differed, their gazes were all fixed on him. A sudden wave of self-reproach washed over Li Xian. If he were to die like this, what would become of them?

"It's okay, I'm fine," Li Xian murmured.

……

Life in Liujiazhuang was very hard. Even Li Xian was used to eating only two meals a day, so the whole family went to bed early.

Li Xian's house was very large, and his wife and children each had their own single rooms. But today, Xiu Niang insisted on sleeping with Li Xian. Li Xian knew that Xiu Niang was worried about him, so he led her to lock the door.

Before it was completely dark, Li Xian thought about the events of the day and found them all extremely bizarre.

"Embroiderer, please trim your husband's beard."

Li Xian leaned against the headboard, tilted his head back, and squinted his eyes.

The embroiderer nodded and leaned closer, wrapping a pair of hemp threads around her index fingers and thumbs, and began to sew them across Li Xian's face. The figures of the couple overlapped, a poignant yet heartwarming scene.

As Li Xian felt the hemp thread rubbing against his face, he whispered, "Embroiderer, my husband met an interesting person today."

"An interesting person? Is he from the village?"

"Yes, his name is Liu Jianjun."

Li Xian recounted his encounter with Liu Jianjun that day, not even concealing his own humiliation and his intention to commit suicide, and then hummed that little tune with a smile.

"Tell me, how can there be such a magnanimous person in the world? They throw mud at me, I use the mud to plant lotus flowers; they throw stones at me, I use the stones to build a small house. How wonderful!"

As soon as Li Xian finished speaking, he felt his face being touched by two hands.

Opening her eyes, she saw the embroiderer looking at her with deep affection: "Your Highness, please don't try to kill yourself again. I felt uneasy after Your Highness sent me away today. On the way back, I kept thinking that if Your Highness were gone, I would rather die."

"Fortunately, Your Highness, you met Liu Jianjun... Your Highness, you must remember that your life is not only your own, but also intertwined with the lives of my son and me."

Li Xian felt moved and was just about to pull the embroiderer in his arms.

Just then, a gong-banging sound suddenly came from outside the courtyard. The sound was clanging and banging, extremely noisy and disorderly, purely designed to harass people.

He's Qiu Shenji's lackey!

They arrived just as night fell!
They usually arrive late at night, but they're here so early today. Are they planning to stay up all night?
Li Xian was furious. He quickly comforted the embroiderer and made her sit down. Then he hurriedly got up and rushed into the children's room.

The children had gone to bed early, but were awakened by the sound of the gong. Li Guangshun and Li Guangren were fine, but the younger Li Guangyi and his daughter Changxin looked terrified and uneasy. Zhang was comforting them from the side.

Li Xian hugged the children and gently comforted them, "Don't be afraid, they only dare to bang gongs outside. Tonight, Grandpa will watch over you."

That damned Qiu Shenji!
Li Xian's eyes were filled with rage, but he was just a commoner now, how could he fight against a governor like Qiu Shenji?

For no apparent reason, Li Xian thought of the figure he had seen during the day.

"Liu Jianjun said he has a solution, but... Qiu Shenji arrived early today, does he know?"

The moment the thought crossed Li Xian's mind, he smelled a foul stench.

Outside, Qiu Shenji's lackeys were using the same old trick again, splashing excrement into their own yard.

shame.

What a shame!
Li Xian clenched his teeth, wanting to rush out and beat those lackeys to death.

but,
Those lackeys were just thugs and hooligans hired by Qiu Shenji; they had no worries about the consequences, they had their own.

He has a wife and children to take care of.

For the sake of his wife and children, Li Xian had no choice but to endure it.

The stench grew stronger and stronger, forcing Li Xian to cover his mouth and nose.

But just then, Li Xian saw flames rising outside through the broken window.

Along with the flash of fire came a familiar cry: "Thief! Manure thief!"

……

(End of this chapter)