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

The river water shimmered under the sunlight, blurring Li Yu's vision.

As Li Yu finally got closer to the two people, he took a closer look and saw that the man was wearing a moon-white robe, which swayed in the spring breeze.

Beside him, a woman in a silk skirt was standing on tiptoe, looking in their direction.

Li Er!?

Li Yu was nearly scared to death, not understanding why the couple would suddenly appear here.

"Bluebird, Bluebird!"

He nudged Li Tai, who was sleeping with his eyes closed, waking him from his deep sleep.

"Your parents have come to see you!" Li Yu nudged Li Tai and shouted, pointing out the window.

"What?"

Upon hearing this news, Li Tai, who had been drowsy, suddenly perked up. He scrambled up from the carriage seat and then leaned half his body out of the carriage.

Li Jing, who was walking at the front of the group, seemed to have spotted Li Er and his wife on the opposite bank, so he shouted to stop the group.

As the carriage slowly came to a stop, Li Tai suddenly climbed out of the window, making Li Yu's eyelids twitch.

The car window wasn't wide to begin with, and this guy was a real chubby little fellow, so when Li Tai squeezed out, he lost his balance and fell flat on his backside.

Upon seeing this, Changsun on the opposite bank immediately became anxious and waved to a figure not far from her.

Only then did Li Yu see clearly that there was another person on the other side of the river besides Li Er and his wife.

Without even thinking about who that person was, Gou Da rushed to her side in a few strides after seeing the Empress beckoning to him. Then, Li Yu saw Changsun first explain something to Gou Da, and then he took two yellowed papers from Li Er's hands.

The next moment, to Li Yu and his group's astonishment, he ran to the shore, pushed off with both legs, and leaped high into the air. This leap covered almost six or seven zhang (approximately 33-40 meters), landing perfectly on a small, unmanned fishing boat.

Li Yu, who was on the shore, was on tenterhooks when he saw this. He was relieved when he finally saw the man land, but what happened next made him anxious again.

Gou Da did not stop, but instead pushed off the gunwale with both feet and jumped onto another boat.

After jumping a few times, Gou Da quickly jumped onto the last boat closest to the opposite bank.

Li Yu had recovered from his surprise and was now staring intently at Gou Da's figure on the boat. He was very curious about how this guy had managed to jump ashore, since the last boat was a full ten zhang away from the shore.

However, Gou Da's next move shocked Li Yu for a full two and a half minutes, and he began to question the meaning of life.

Damn it, this guy actually waded over across the water, his footsteps leaving afterimages.

"Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!"

Three huge "Holy crap" popped into Li Yu's mind, and even the soldiers on the shore exclaimed "Holy crap" at the sight.

That's a bit ridiculous! Is it true that Bodhidharma crossed the river on a reed?

Li Yu jumped down from the carriage, completely captivated by this skill.

This made him look at another expert here—Chu He.

Looking at his calm expression, Li Yu knew without a doubt that the old man could do the same.

"Um?"

Feeling as if someone was watching her, Chu He turned around in confusion.

"What are your orders, Your Highness?" Seeing Li Yu staring at her expectantly, Chu He smiled kindly and then asked with a hint of doubt.

"N-nothing..."

Caught spying, Li Yu scratched his head awkwardly and explained, "I just wanted to ask Gou Da what kind of skill he used just now?"

Upon hearing Li Yu's question, Chu He still smiled and said, "Your Highness, Xiao Gouzi's skill is a type of lightness skill. Among my many disciples, Xiao Gouzi's lightness skill is the best, so achieving this is certainly not a difficult task for him."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this news, Li Yu was astonished: "This Eunuch Gou... is actually your disciple?"

Chu He chuckled and nodded, saying, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but although I am not a royal servant, many of the servants are my disciples. However, they are mostly hidden in the palace. Only Gou Da has been put out into the open by His Majesty, in order to protect His Majesty and the Empress."

Li Yu nodded upon hearing this. He didn't care how many eunuchs were around Li Er; he only cared about one thing: "May I ask, Eunuch Chu, is it possible for me to learn this skill?"

After saying that, Li Yu stared at Chu He with a grin, already imagining the future when he wouldn't need a boat to cross the river.

But before he could even begin to dream, Chu He spoke with a troubled expression: "As the saying goes: at eight, one trains their bones and muscles; at ten, they learn fist and foot techniques; at fourteen, they practice spear and staff techniques; and at sixteen, they are ready for battle. Forgive my bluntness, but Your Highness is already past the age for learning martial arts. Although starting now will give you the opportunity to become a master later, skills like lightness skill, which require rigorous training from a young age, are unlikely to be mastered at Your Highness's current age..."

After explaining, fearing that Li Yu would be disappointed, he added, "Your Highness is naturally intelligent and talented in poetry. It's obvious at a glance that you'll thrive in literary gatherings. Why bother learning this arduous skill?"

Chu He's words only made Li Yu more frustrated.

Everyone knows that in the Tang Dynasty, this phrase was no different from the later saying "You are a good person"—just a bunch of comforting, perfunctory platitudes.

So, you're still studying literature?

Li Yu smiled bitterly to himself. He'd been in the Tang Dynasty for over a year, yet he couldn't even understand a slightly complex document. A year after transmigrating and still unable to read classical Chinese—in later times, he'd be a laughingstock…

"This servant greets Your Highnesses, the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Wu."

Before he could feel frustrated, Li Yu took one of the letters from Gou Da, who was kneeling on the ground holding two secret letters.

"Please convey my greetings to His Majesty for me. I don't have your ability to get there..."

Seeing Li Yu's dejected look, Gou Da was a little confused, but he didn't dare to ask any questions. He bowed and presented another secret letter to Li Tai.

Li Tai took the secret letter with trembling hands, but was stopped by Li Yu just as he was about to open it.

Seeing Li Tai's inquiring gaze, Li Yu reminded him, "This is His Majesty's secret decree. We'll unpack it once we get back to the carriage."

Seeing Li Yu wink at him, Li Tai nodded, though he didn't understand what he meant.

Then, he turned his gaze to Gou Da, who was waiting for a reply, and asked, "Did my father and mother give any instructions?"

Finally, Li Tai asked him a question, so Gou Da bowed and replied, "Your Highness, His Majesty has instructed you to consider matters carefully, and if you are unsure, to consult His Highness Prince Wu or General Li Jing..."

.........