Tang Dynasty: Starting at Xuanwu Gate, this prince is better off not being one.

The spring breeze from the south made the banners at Baogukou flutter loudly.

Li Xuanba, who had been waiting at Xieyuguan for several days, finally received a message from a messenger.

"You mean none of them are missing?"

Seeing Li Xuanba's eyes were bloodshot with anxiety, the messenger reported with a smile: "Your Highness, not a single one is missing! The young prince, the prince of Zhongshan, and the prince of Yidu are all among them."

"Has my foolish son been injured?" Even after hearing the messenger's report, Li Xuanba still asked anxiously.

"All is well. I heard from General Niu that the young prince not only became a disciple of Immortal Sun, but his headaches have also miraculously healed!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xuanba excitedly grabbed the messenger's sleeve and wouldn't let go: "Really!?"

"Absolutely true!"

"Good! Good! Good!"

"..."

The messenger came out carrying two huge gold ingots, his white teeth sticking out and he couldn't hide them.

Inside the tent, Li Xuanba, in high spirits, gave a few instructions to his men and then came out.

He untied his warhorse from the stable, spurred it on, and excitedly charged out of the pass, ignoring his adjutant's advice, galloping straight toward Niu Jinda's troops...

.........

He went up and greeted the simple-minded son of Yuchi Gong, and that was how they became acquainted.

We set off with the group, heading north along the Baoxie Road.

Seeing others riding horses so majestically, Li Yu was filled with envy.

How shameful!

A prince who can't even ride a horse!

He had no time to practice riding a horse and was roughly thrown into the light carriage that had been prepared in advance by the old ox, where he sat with the green-clad old Sun.

Du He, who kept asking Li Yu to compose another poem, was eventually dismissed by Li Yu with a math problem and never came back.

This kid is quite studious!

"I didn't expect you couldn't even ride a horse!"

After nudging the horse's belly twice to urge it to run alongside the carriage, Wenren An finally began to mock Li Yu.

And here comes that clueless person...

Fuming with anger, Li Yu retorted without hesitation, "What are you so smug about? Don't be fooled by your skills; it'll be too easy for me to make you suffer."

Speaking so arrogantly, Wenren An curled his lip in disdain: "Of course, you're a prince, and I'm just a commoner. It's easy for you to deal with me."

Hey! This kid! Do I look like the kind of person who bullies others just because I have power?

If I were to abuse my power and bully others, given his insubordinate attitude, he would have been in deep trouble long ago...

Ignore this kid for now. I'll show him what real technology and ruthless skills are like when we get back to Chang'an!

.........

As he traveled along the Baoxie Road, watching the scenery rushing past outside the carriage, Li Yu, who had been traveling for half a month, finally felt as if he had returned to ancient times.

The plank road was crudely built but exceptionally sturdy. It was the same road that Zhuge Liang used during his last Northern Expedition.

I just don't know how far away Wuzhang Plain, where thousands of people shouted "Take care, Prime Minister," is from me.

While recalling the plot of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Yu was suddenly pulled down by Niu Jinda.

"Hey kid! Your dad's here to pick you up."

Following the direction Old Niu was pointing, Li Yu saw from afar a man riding a horse galloping toward them.

Is this really my dad?

Although he had seen the man countless times in his memory, Li Yu couldn't help but feel excited when he met him in person.

"Cease fire!"

As Li Xuanba drew closer, Niu Jinda shouted, and the procession slowly came to a stop.

"Foolish child! Where is my foolish child?"

Li Xuanba tightened the reins, dismounted, and scanned the group of people.

Just as Li Yu was about to jump out and acknowledge his father, and casually say, "Your son has become smarter! Aren't you surprised?!", he saw Li Xuanba's gaze sweep over him.

The next moment, he rushed over in three steps and hugged Li Yu tightly in his arms.

"Foolish child! My foolish child! Do you know that your father almost followed you in death!"

The seven-foot-tall man cried like a newborn baby, which was incredibly moving.

Li Yu was also deeply moved!

But listening to his own creaking bones, he really wanted to ask his father if he could loosen them first.

Seeing that Li Yu's face had turned purple from being strangled, Niu Jinda quickly patted Li Xuanba, who was still crying, "If you don't loosen your grip on your son, he's going to be strangled to death!"

"what?"

The crying stopped abruptly. After a moment of stunned silence, Li Xuanba released his son, checked Li Yu for injuries, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

Once the ropes were loosened, Li Yu was finally able to catch his breath. He moved his arms around a couple of times and found that he didn't feel anything except pain.

Thankfully, the bone is still in place...

Looking at his much thinner son, and recalling the scene just now, Li Xuanba felt ashamed.

"Your son greets his father!"

Just as she was about to ask if her son was feeling unwell, she saw Li Yu suddenly kneel down and kowtow to her. So she quickly picked her son up from the ground.

"I'm so glad you're alright! I'm so glad you're alright!"

Li Xuanba never considered raising his son, who had been separated from his family for eight years, like the eldest sons of other families.

She only had one son, and he had suffered so much because of her negligence. So after finding him, she wanted to give him everything.

Especially since he almost lost his son again this time, if his second brother hadn't stopped him in time, Li Yuanji would probably be beheaded by now.

Standing up straight, Li Yu gazed at his father in this world.

He had a square face, a high nose, and thick eyebrows—features similar to his own, but with a more rugged, soldierly air. He wasn't the simple, honest type from historical fiction, wielding two golden hammers and beating people everywhere.

For some reason, looking at his father, Li Yu felt as if a celebrity he often saw on TV had suddenly greeted him face-to-face on the street.

.........

"Foolish child! Have you truly recovered from your headache?"

Having heard the messenger's earlier report, Li Xuanba was not surprised by the matter; on the contrary, he was overjoyed.

Over the past three years, he has sought out numerous renowned doctors.

After examining their son's symptoms, almost all of them shook their heads, indicating they were at a loss.

This unexpected blessing in disguise has greatly reduced his sense of guilt.

So he first went to pay his respects to Sun Simiao, and then patted Li Chengqian and Li Tai, who came to greet him, saying that the two boys were both excellent.

Seeing the two of them clutching their arms and wincing in pain, Li Yu felt a surge of joy.

Finally, someone understands my pain...

"Old sage! My son really won't turn back into the way he was before?"

Beside the carriage, after receiving greetings from everyone, Li Xuanba grabbed Old Sun and wouldn't let go.

"Your Highness, rest assured, I have already examined him. Although I have not yet found the cause of his mental impairment, I can guarantee that this boy will never return to his previous state."

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, Old Sun's words were a reassuring presence.

Now that Sun Simiao had said he wouldn't do it again, Li Xuanba finally felt relieved...

.........