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

"Your Highness, you are unaware of this!"

Xu Jingzong said with a smile, "His Majesty has appointed me as the Chief Administrator of Gaozhou and will accompany you to Lingnan to assume your post."

Xu Jingzong appeared extremely excited as he said this. Li Yu, however, couldn't quite figure out what was causing his excitement.

Who would give up a high-ranking official position in the capital (a lower-ranking seventh-grade official) to become a low-ranking prefectural administrator (a lower-ranking sixth-grade official) in a remote, desolate place three thousand miles away? And yet he's so excited about it. Li Yu wondered if this guy had lost his mind...

"Old Xu, you went all that way just to get promoted to this rank, is it... worth it?" he asked tentatively.

"That's a great deal!"

Xu Jingzong said excitedly, "To be honest, I only need to stay in Lingnan for two or three years. When you return to the capital, I will go with you. As long as nothing unexpected happens, my rank will be no lower than that of a sixth-rank official!"

"What if we can't go back?" Li Yu's words struck between the two like an unexpected arrow.

"Oh, this!"

Xu Jingzong was speechless for a moment and did not know how to answer.

"Hahaha!"

Seeing Xu Jingzong seemingly frozen in place, Li Yuqian chuckled a few times, then lowered the carriage curtain and stopped peeking out.

.........

The group reached the banks of the Wei River, where Li Xuanba and his men were already waiting to see Li Yu and his companions off.

"Father, Mother! Your son will be away in Lingnan for at least three years, and at most five years. During that time, I will not be able to be by your side to pay my respects morning and evening. So please take good care of yourselves and don't worry about me."

After saying this, Li Yu knelt down in front of Li Xuanba and his wife, making three thumping sounds to signify his farewell.

Although Li Yu hadn't managed to stay awake at all times while he was with them, the two of them still teared up after hearing these words.

Dugu Jin, in particular, burst into tears while holding Li Yu, which made Li Yu feel terrible.

"Alright, alright, stop acting like children. Our silly child still has a long journey ahead of him. Don't let him get upset."

After a long while, Li Xuanba finally pulled his wife up and gently comforted her, telling her not to cry anymore.

Hearing her husband's words of comfort, Dugu Jin felt even more like crying, but she also felt that her husband was right, so she forced back the tears that were about to fall.

After comforting Dugu Jin, Li Xuanba wheeled himself to Sun Simiao. With the help of his guards, he stood up on one leg and bowed slightly, saying, "My son is young and may make mistakes. I ask Mr. Sun to keep an eye on him. I thank you in advance."

His words came from the bottom of his heart, but Sun Simiao turned aside to avoid the bow and said, "Your Highness, there is no need for such formality. Young Yu is my disciple, and this is simply my duty. So please do not worry about it."

After entrusting his son to Sun Simiao, Li Xuanba approached Li Jing, stood up, and bowed, saying, "General Li Jing, I entrust my son's safety to you."

"Your Highness, there's no need for such formality. As I have been ordered by His Majesty to escort the two princes, I will certainly ensure their safety!"

Li Jing also cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Li Xuanba, signifying his acceptance of his entrustment.

Whether he wanted to linger a little longer or was worried about Li Yu, Li Xuanba not only saluted all the soldiers, but also rubbed the big head of Xiao Hua, which Li Yu had taken away.

The sound of the flute fades, Qin E's dream ends under the moon over Qin Tower. The moon over Qin Tower, year after year the willows turn green, a poignant farewell at Baling.

Finally, the time for parting arrived. As the carriage crossed the Ba Bridge, Li Yu leaned out of the window. Looking back at his father waving goodbye and his mother with red eyes, he felt a surge of sadness and bitterness.

"Why are you crying?" He pulled his head back and looked at Li Tai, whose eyes were also red, and asked in confusion.

When Li Yu asked him, Li Tai choked up a little. After a long while, he finally answered, "Little Yu'er, seeing that you all have parents to see you off, but neither my father nor my mother came, I feel terrible..."

Hearing Li Tai's words, Li Yu sighed inwardly. After all, Li Tai was just a child of about ten years old. Even if the royal family's education made him mature early, a child's nature still existed.

Although Li Tai was the most favored among the princes, he could only see Li Er and Changsun a few times a month. He spent the rest of his time with the servants. Now that he was about to go to Lingnan for several years, he would be missing his closest relatives to see him off, so he was bound to be like this.

Thinking of all this, Li Yu comforted him, "Don't be too sad. In name, we are still being exiled. Your father and mother will definitely put on a show. They must be extremely reluctant to let us go."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "Besides, although the journey to Lingnan will take about three years, most of that time will be wasted on the road. It'll be a good opportunity for us to experience the customs and culture of the Tang Dynasty. Don't you always complain that the palace is too boring and you want to go out and broaden your horizons? Well, here's the chance!"

Li Yu's words did little to comfort Li Tai, who only looked distressed and said, "What knowledge could we possibly gain from this long and arduous journey?"

"There are so many!"

Li Yu said, "The Tang Dynasty has ten circuits and three hundred and sixty prefectures, each with its own unique style. Take Lingnan for example, a place where it's spring all year round. Aren't you curious about why it is?"

"Why?" Li Tai asked curiously, his attention successfully diverted by Li Yu.

"Because of the different latitudes."

Li Yu explained, "This is related to what I told you and Chengqian before, that the earth is a sphere. This latitude is..."

Inside the carriage, Li Tai listened intently, as did Green Robe and Li Tai's maid. Although they couldn't understand what Li Yu was saying, they found the reasoning behind it incredibly fascinating.

Outside the carriage, Cheng Chumo, who had volunteered to ride a horse, would occasionally peek over, trying to hear what Li Yu was muttering, but he couldn't understand a word.

The army did not advance very fast along the Wei River, because there were two princes and a young duke among them. Li Jing dared not let the troops get tired, lest the soldiers' fighting strength be greatly reduced if they encountered danger.

So when the group arrived in Shangzhou, it was already the morning of the third day of their journey.

This was Li Yu's first time leaving Chang'an in a year. Since he and his companions escaped from the Qinling Mountains and returned safely to Chang'an, he had basically been living a quiet life in the city. After all, given his status and age, it was impossible for him to leave Chang'an at will.

So, having finally gotten this opportunity, Li Yu was extremely excited.

The azure sky! The rolling mountains! The wide river! And the simple, honest people!

Wait, something's not right!

Li Yu rubbed his eyes, feeling that the group of men and women on the other side of the river looked somewhat familiar.

What's going on?

.........