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

"I ask you, how did you and your adopted son manage to get out of the Qinling Mountains?"

He was still an emperor after all; even in his old age, his imposing aura, though not angry, could still awe people.

"Your Majesty, your grandson, Chengqian, Xiaotai, and I happened to meet the Daoist Master Sun Simiao in the Qinling Mountains, which gave us the opportunity to return to Chang'an."

His answer was ambiguous, and he didn't explain any of the important details.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't afraid, but Li Yu couldn't muster even a shred of respect for his grandfather, who was treating him differently right in front of him.

Moreover, given his current status, as long as he doesn't rebel, he'll definitely not lose his life; at most, he'll get a beating.

After all, I am an outstanding young person who grew up in the future and received more than ten years of advanced ideas, not an eleven-year-old kid who would tremble with fear at the slightest word...

"Are you resenting me?" Seemingly dissatisfied with Li Yu's answer, Li Yuan's questioning caused the atmosphere in the Taiji Hall to become tense again.

Just as he was staring at Li Yuan with murderous intent, he suddenly noticed out of the corner of his eye that Li Chengqian was blinking frantically at him.

With his mind at ease, Li Yu bowed again and replied, "I dare not! The Analects says: 'To speak before being asked is called rashness; to remain silent when asked is called concealment; to speak without observing the expression on one's face is called blindness.'"

"Our Great Zhou governs the country with filial piety, so whatever Your Majesty asks, I will answer; if Your Majesty does not ask, I will naturally not answer. As a grandson of the Emperor, I must naturally put the words of the Sage into practice."

After he finished speaking, Li Yuan's wrinkled old face instantly relaxed, and he laughed heartily a few times: "Good lad! With just one sentence, you shifted the blame for your perfunctory attitude onto me and Confucius. What sophistry! Come, come! Sit here with your imperial grandfather!"

The atmosphere in the hall relaxed again. Li Yu wasn't a simpleton, so he followed Li Chengqian and Li Tai and sat down next to Li Yuan.

"Come here! Silly child! Eat whatever you want, and while you're at it, tell Grandpa about what happened in the Qinling Mountains..."

After maintaining his stern demeanor for so long, Li Yuan finally adopted the air of an elder, listening to Li Yu's story with a kind expression...

.........

He recounted his ordeal in the Qinling Mountains to Li Yuan. As for the salt-making matter, Li Yu cleverly concealed it.

If Li Er didn't mention it, he naturally wouldn't either. Since his father supported the King of Qin, he absolutely couldn't be a fence-sitter; that would be tantamount to suicide...

By the time they left the palace, it was already late.

Dealing with so many historical figures at once left Li Yu feeling incredibly exhausted.

The evening breeze felt wonderful on his face, and he couldn't help but yawn widely. Li Chengqian, who was walking behind him, came closer.

"My cousin truly lives up to his reputation as the leader among us brothers; even his naps are full of vigor! I admire him greatly!"

Li Chengqian, who was walking behind, came over and cupped his hands in greeting to Li Yu, with Li Qingque, who was also putting on an affected act, by his side.

"What? I don't have time..." Li Yu glanced warily at the two brothers and blurted out his refusal.

"Huh? I haven't even asked what it is yet. Do you have the ability to predict the future?" Li Chengqian was somewhat surprised to see Li Yu refuse so readily.

"No, what is it?" Li Yu shook his head, indicating that he should spit it out.

"Oh, it's nothing, it's just that my father told us to learn more from you..."

"I don't have time..." Without giving Li Chengqian a chance to continue, Li Yu quickly took two steps and left the two brothers behind.

Damn it! I'm exhausted from the journey! And dealing with Li Yuan's questions has left me completely worn out.

He decided that he would lie motionless on the soft couch for the next three days.

"Huh? What's wrong with you...?"

.........

If you say you won't move, then you won't move.

Upon returning to his residence, Li Yu first paid respects to his mother. For the next three days, aside from eating, drinking, and relieving himself, he was practically paralyzed on his soft couch.

Even Sun Simiao, who came to urge Li Yu to memorize medical books, waved his sleeves and angrily returned to his medicine hut when he saw him like this.

Old Sun refused to live in the Prince Zhao's mansion no matter what. The old man said that he was just an itinerant doctor, and if he lived in the mansion every day, who would come to him for treatment?

So Li Xuanba generously built a medicine hut for Old Sun near the Prince's mansion. It was constructed using the finest thatch, which was much more expensive than logs.

Wenren An also wanted to build his own house outside, but Li Yu scolded him severely.

Damn it, such a huge palace, with so many empty rooms, isn't that enough for you to live in?

.........

Li Er is very trustworthy.

Just three days later, Li Chengqian was sent to deliver the dagger.

"My father has so many good things, why did you have to choose a dagger? A good horse would have been better than this flashy but impractical thing..."

Li Chengqian felt utterly disdainful as he watched Li Yu carefully put the dagger away and hide it under the bed.

"What do you know?"

Li Yu pursed his lips, not wanting to explain anything about Li Chengqian's words.

He couldn't very well say, "Your father is about to kill your eldest uncle and fourth uncle, then oust your grandfather and become emperor himself," so he simply kicked him out...

.........

Li Yu discovered that he had a lot of potential to be a homebody.

Three days passed, and still he had no desire to leave the mansion.

All my original curiosity about ancient times vanished without me even realizing it as I sat on the soft couch.

After thinking for a long time, he realized that, whether in his past life or this life, he hadn't felt as idle as he had these past few days in a very, very long time.

He enjoyed this feeling, so even when Li Chengqian and Cheng Chumo tried to pull him out of the mansion to do the things a playboy should do, he always kicked them out under the pretext of studying something.

It wasn't until Li Chengqian brought a little boy with panda eyes to Li Yu that he realized he had been back in Chang'an for ten days...

.........

"If you want to fight, go find Changsun Chong or Cheng Chumo. Why are you coming to me?" Li Yu lay on the couch and glanced lazily at the two of them.

Li Chengqian was furious with Li Yu’s nonchalant attitude, so he forcibly dragged Li Yu out of the room.

Now we finally know who Li Chengqian is after, and we also understand why he didn't call out to Cheng Chumo.

So you're planning to mess with your uncle's idiot son, Li Chengzong?! It's no wonder Cheng Chumo would help you!

"He hit Xiao Ke, so as the older brother, I can't just sit idly by. You're full of clever ideas, so come up with something for me!" Li Chengqian said through gritted teeth.

After saying that, he pushed Li Ke, who had two black eyes, out so that Li Yu could see how miserable this little brat was.

"It's a bit tragic."

Li Yu looked down at his small frame. "But even the two of you combined can't beat him. Do you think adding me would make it?"

"It's not that the two of us haven't fought, it's that the three of us, including Qingque, have never won..." Li Chengqian scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.

Li Yu was somewhat surprised. Could it be that Li Chengzong was also a martial arts expert?

I was just about to ask when Li Chengqian's next sentence completely stunned me...

.........