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

"Don't worry, Eunuch Chu, there will be no danger on this trip to Lingnan."

Li Yu smiled, then asked, "What are Eunuch Chu's plans for the future?"

Hearing Li Yu ask this, Chu He was overjoyed, but just as she was about to answer him, she suddenly froze.

Yes! What are your plans for the future?

Although he was highly skilled in martial arts, he had spent his entire life in the palace and was completely out of touch with the outside world. He was adept at serving the emperor, but serving himself? He really didn't know how to take good care of himself.

Seeing Chu He's bewildered expression, Li Yu smiled faintly and said, "Eunuch Chu, there's no need to worry. You are highly skilled in martial arts, so even if you leave the palace, you will find a place to stay."

At this point, Li Yu's expression gradually became cunning. "If you really have nowhere to go, you can come to me, Eunuch Bao Chu, and enjoy your old age in peace."

Upon hearing this, Chu He, who had been completely bewildered, suddenly brightened up. She knelt down before Li Yu with a thud, her face filled with excitement, and said, "This servant thanks Your Highness, Prince Wu!"

"Please rise quickly, Eunuch Chu!"

Li Yu hadn't expected Chu He's reaction to be so strong, and was so frightened that he quickly helped him up, saying, "Since His Majesty has promised to free you from slavery, then given your lifespan, it is only right that the young prince be treated as an elder. You mustn't be so overly polite!"

Hearing Li Yulian address her as "you" (formal), Chu He was truly flattered and began to feel hopeful about the future.

There was a time when I enjoyed the respect of all kinds of people. Even high-ranking officials who held great influence in the court would kneel down when they saw the imperial edict in my hand.

However, he was perfectly aware that these people's respect was not for him, but for the Emperor behind him. If one day he were to be abandoned by the royal family due to old age and declining health, he would become a despised eunuch, no different from those lowly eunuchs who were beaten to death at will...

Li Yu's equal dialogue with him gave him a sense of unreality. For a eunuch to be treated with such respect by a prince—this was a blessing he had accumulated over many lifetimes!

Li Tai watched in astonishment as the old man and the young man put on their disgusting show, wondering where Li Yu got all these tricks from. He was clearly the most favored among the princes, yet he didn't have a single decent guard by his side.

Li Yu was granted the title of Prince on the same day as him, but his status was not as high as his, and he made enemies everywhere. Yet he was able to gather so many talented people around him.

Leaving aside Wenren An, who had already left Chang'an and returned to Wu, even great Confucian scholars like Li Gang and living immortals like Sun Simiao liked to hang around Li Yu's side, and now Chu He had joined them. Although this old fellow was just a eunuch, having grown up in the palace, he knew all too well that in the entire Chang'an, and even the entire Tang Dynasty, few could rival him in martial arts.

With someone like this around, he felt that from now on, even a sparrow would have to fly in and out of Li Yu's mansion with extreme caution...

Remembering his father's constant advice to learn from Li Yu's tact and diplomacy, Li Tai realized for the first time that his father was right, and he couldn't help but move closer to Li Yu.

Li Yu was somewhat puzzled when he saw Li Tai approaching him out of the blue.

He was just about to ask Li Tai what he was doing when he saw a familiar figure riding a horse in the distance, leading a force of several thousand men rushing towards them.

Upon seeing this, Li Yu instinctively became alert, but after recognizing the person, his gaze gradually shifted from alertness to shock.

"Li Jing? What's he doing here?"

Upon seeing this person, not only Li Yu, but also Li Tai and Cheng Chumo were astonished.

Although everyone knew Emperor Taizong's (Li Er's) intention in sending Li Yu and the others to Lingnan, they were still nominally exiled there! To have the most feared commander of the Tang Dynasty escort them with such fanfare—wasn't that making a bit too much of a fuss…

Shock as it may be, Li Yu still had to face the situation.

Not daring to go too far ahead for fear of being trampled into mincemeat by the army's iron hooves, Li Yu had no choice but to stop a few dozen steps away from the group.

Seeing Li Jing's group stop in front, Li Yu led Li Tai to meet them again.

However, when he saw the people in the group, he was stunned.

"This humble general greets Your Highness the King of Wei and Your Highness the King of Wu!"

Li Jing's voice interrupted Li Yu's thoughts. He came back to his senses, looked at the Tang Dynasty's military god bowing respectfully in front of him, and hurriedly said, "General Li Jing, you are too polite. This trip to Lingnan is arduous and dangerous, and we will rely on your protection along the way."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing remained bowed and said, "I dare not! Escorting the two princes is by His Majesty's order, and this humble general will do his utmost and stay by their side at all times."

After hearing this, Li Yu nodded and didn't stand on ceremony with him any further.

Among the military generals, there were few who were not familiar with Li Yu, and Li Jing was one of them.

Li Yu had always been curious about Li Jing, the legendary military genius of the Tang Dynasty who was said to have never been defeated. However, while Li Jing was a skilled warrior, he was utterly inept at handling interpersonal relationships.

Unlike loyal ministers like Niu Jinda, although Niu did not participate in the struggles between civil and military officials, he still had many dealings with those military generals, simply because his background was not strong enough.

Li Jing, however, was different. Because of his immense abilities, he always maintained a low profile. Even when Li Er (Emperor Taizong of Tang) killed his own brothers at Xuanwu Gate, he did not participate in either side's actions. Otherwise, with his military achievements, he would certainly have been granted the title of Duke, like Cheng Yaojin and Qin Qiong.

However, at the ennoblement ceremony after Li Er ascended the throne, he was only granted the title of Duke of Yongkang County, which is enough to show that his cleverness backfired.

Seeing that Li Yu was no longer talking to him, Li Jing did not feel that anything was wrong. He simply ordered his soldiers to surround Li Yu and his group in the center, and then rode his horse to the front of the procession.

"No, what are you doing here? Could it be that you were also exiled to Lingnan by His Majesty for visiting a brothel?"

Looking at Xu Jingzong, who had broken away from the group and moved closer to him, Li Yu asked with a surprised expression.

"hey-hey!"

Xu Jingzong glanced around at the soldiers with serious faces, then leaned closer to Li Yu and said with a forced smile, "Your Highness, please don't tease me anymore. I am here to take up my post in Lingnan in accordance with His Majesty's decree."

"Lingnan? Taking office?"

Li Yu was even more surprised. "It was Qingque who went to Lingnan with me, not Chengqian. You, the Crown Prince's Attendant, why aren't you accompanying the Crown Prince in Chang'an? What kind of post are you taking with us to Lingnan?"

.........