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

Looking at the letter Li Er had given him, Li Yu felt somewhat relieved; thankfully, it was mostly written in plain language.

Although it contained a lot of words, the content of the letter was not complicated.

"Recently, there have been many memorials submitted to the court, stating that Feng Ang, who controls the Lingnan region, is privately training soldiers and harboring rebellious intentions. Many court officials have requested that troops be dispatched to suppress him. However, since he is oppressed by officials and various tribes in Lingnan, I have considered this carefully and have not been willing to resort to war lightly. Lingnan is remote and rife with miasma and dangers. If war breaks out, it will only harm the people and will not be a blessing for the country."

"Follow my secret order, you and Qingque will go to Lingnan to appease Feng Ang, the governor of Gaozhou. Qingque is young and far inferior to you in making decisions on important matters. You must not make a fuss about your trip; use the pretext of appeasement. After meeting Feng Ang, you can tell him frankly: I know that his family has guarded Lingnan for generations and has made great contributions. He is not inherently rebellious. The reason why rumors are spreading is mostly because he is suspected by local officials and is at odds with various tribes, which makes him uneasy and thus his actions arouse suspicion."

I will grant him a way out: as long as he sends his son to court to show that he has no disloyal intentions, I will not investigate any of the previous suspicions. He will still be allowed to govern Gaozhou and pacify the Baiyue people, and his official titles and territory will remain unchanged. If he remains obstinate and harbors rebellious intentions, the imperial army will arrive at any time. At that time, we will meet on the battlefield, and he and his clan will be exterminated. It will be too late for regrets then.

"On this trip, you must act prudently, prioritizing stability and avoiding any rash actions. Your greatest achievement will be to dispel Feng Ang's doubts and bring him to submission, thus ensuring peace in Lingnan."

Upon seeing this, Li Yu couldn't help but roll his eyes.

It was just a matter of his word to send me to Lingnan, and I couldn't refuse. Yet he still managed to frame me for peddling prostitutes as a minor. Now, the whole of Chang'an knows, and I've lost all face…

After mentally grumbling for a moment, Li Yu continued reading.

"Furthermore, Lingnan is located near the sea and has many overseas islands. Since ancient times, there have been legends of immortal mountains, miraculous medicines, and extraordinary people. I have heard that Guanyin Bodhisattva lives on Mount Putuo in the South China Sea. After you finish your business, you can keep an eye out and secretly search for it. If you can find any trace of overseas immortal mountains, or find any strange herbs or elixirs of immortality, report them to the capital in secret and do not make a fuss."

"The journey to Lingnan is arduous and fraught with danger, so please take good care of yourself. Report anything you see or hear to me in secret. Your safe return will be richly rewarded. Keep this a secret."

"..."

After reading Li Er's secret letter, Li Yu wanted to tear the paper to shreds on the spot.

He couldn't understand why Li Er, who had only just ascended the throne, would already have such thoughts...

Putuo Mountain? Putuo Mountain is clearly in the Zhoushan Islands in Wu region, not in Lingnan. Besides, I've been there myself, and apart from the better scenery, I didn't see any Guanyin Bodhisattva who saves people from suffering.

Hiding Li Er's letter in his sleeve, Li Yu decided that he would never mention the matter again. Even if Li Er asked him about it when he returned, he would simply say that he had never found such a mountain.

Anyway, that mountain isn't in Lingnan, and he doesn't go out to sea. If he wants to find a deity, he can send someone there himself...

After reading through the letters from Changsun and Li Chengqian one by one, Li Yu finally put the previous matter out of his mind.

The eldest grandson's letter was very warm and affectionate. Besides asking Li Yu to take good care of himself, he also asked Li Yu, as the elder brother, to keep an eye on his youngest son, Li Tai, and to make sure nothing went wrong, etc.

As for Li Chengqian, this guy started his letter by complaining about why the three of them hadn't taken him to the brothel, leaving him bored to death alone in the palace. After complaining, he asked Li Yu about how to manage the business they had jointly invested in in Chang'an, and urged him to reply as soon as possible. At the end of the letter, Li Chengqian wrote some words of advice to take care of himself. Li Yu glanced at it and then closed the letter and put it away.

"What exactly did my father say to you? I'm so curious!"

Just as Li Yu finished reading the contents of the letter, he saw Li Tai staring at him expectantly, glancing every now and then at the three letters that Li Yu had tucked into his pocket.

"It's nothing, you'll know when you get to Lingnan..." Li Yu said dismissively, ignoring Li Tai's earnest gaze.

"Tch, so stingy! Extremely stingy!"

Li Tai was somewhat exasperated. He glared at Li Yu fiercely, then leaned against the carriage, closed his eyes, and said no more.

"If he wants to see it, just let him see it. It's not a big deal..."

Seeing Li Tai's appearance, Cheng Chumo, who had already dismounted and sat in the carriage, spoke up.

"You know nothing! Do you think I didn't want to show it to you? His Majesty himself said later: 'Keep it secret.' What could I do?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Chumo immediately shut his mouth and dared not say another word.

Both Li Yu and Li Tai were on missions when they were exiled to Lingnan, but Cheng Chumo was truly exiled.

Although he rode in a carriage just like Li Yu and the others, the halberd bearer that Old Cheng had painstakingly obtained for him had now been lost. For this, Old Cheng later gave his stubborn son a severe scolding and even brought him to the palace to personally apologize to Li Er. Therefore, the fact that this matter didn't implicate his entire family meant that Li Er hadn't taken it to heart.

If Cheng Chumo wants to return to Chang'an, his primary task is to protect Li Yu and Li Tai, but this is not a big deal for him.

With Li Yu and Li Tai in trouble, he himself had no desire to return to Chang'an. He had always held the thought of living and dying alongside his brothers...

.........

After parting ways with Li Er and the others, Li Jing led his team directly into Wuguan Road.

Upon entering Wuguan Road, Li Yu and his group left the open Guanzhong Plain and were instead enveloped by continuous mountain ranges. The road surface of Wuguan Road was built along the mountainside. Although it was not steep, it was still winding and tortuous. The bluestone underfoot was smoothed by the years, and the traces left by past travelers could be faintly seen.

Occasionally, there were low-lying post stations along the roadside, their earthen walls and thatched roofs exuding a sense of history. Li Yu regretted not having a camera; otherwise, he would have definitely recorded these scenes, as they were completely different from the ancient road scenes seen in television dramas of later generations.

"Withered vines, old trees, and crows at dusk; a small bridge, flowing water, and a humble dwelling; an ancient road, a west wind, and a lean horse. The setting sun sinks in the west; a heartbroken traveler is at the ends of the earth."

Gazing at the setting sun about to disappear into the deep mountains, Li Yu couldn't help but think of Ma Zhiyuan's poem "Tian Jing Sha": "An ancient road, a west wind, and a lean horse; now this place embodies all of that."

Just as he was about to look for the crows perched on the withered vines along the roadside, he heard Sun Simiao scolding him from the side: "Instead of spending your time studying medicine, you're here reciting these clichéd poems. You're truly ignorant!"

"Um?"

Hearing this, Li Yu turned his head, staring at Old Sun's angry face, and innocently said, "How could you call my song lewd and vulgar? 'The setting sun sinks in the west, a heartbroken traveler is at the ends of the earth,' listen to the words, the imagery, it's so elegant!"

.........