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

It must be said that Li Er's loyalty to his subordinates was truly exceptional.

Whether it was to flaunt his magnanimity as a great emperor or simply out of consideration for past relationships, historically, Li Er (Emperor Taizong of Tang) truly never killed a single meritorious official.

Even Hou Junji, who committed the heinous crime of treason, was only beheaded with tears in his eyes. As for his family, they were all still alive.

Li Yu felt quite magnanimous at this moment, so he waved his hand to indicate that being beaten up was no big deal, and then asked Changsun Chong where his father was.

"My father? So you weren't here to see me after all! You made me feel all touched for nothing..." Changsun Chong looked at these two ungrateful guys with disdain.

"We did come to see you, and we'll also be visiting Chu Mo and the others later, but it's also true we're looking for your father. Hey? What's with that expression?"

Despite Li Yu's attempts to argue, Changsun Chong still looked unconvinced: "My father is in his study. I'll talk to him later and ask him to stop confining me at home. I'm feeling really stifled..."

I know what Changsun Chong meant; he just wanted to go to a brothel.

This guy is actually more than four years older than Li Yu. A fifteen-year-old boy starting to frequent brothels every day, who knows if his health will ever improve...

.........

This was not the first time Li Yu had met Changsun Wuji.

Looking at the short, stout middle-aged man with fair skin and wearing a black felt hat, Li Yu found it hard to associate him with the famous powerful minister in history.

"Young man, your father and I are close friends, and I am also Chengqian's maternal uncle. You and Xiaochong are also good friends, so I won't stand on ceremony with you. If you want tea, pour it yourself."

Sitting in the study, Changsun Wuji took an elegant sip of tea, looking quite content.

Li Yu glanced at the steaming teapot, but had no desire to drink it. He smiled and said, "Of course, but the reason I've come to your residence to bother you, Uncle, is that I want to borrow something."

"What do you have that your royal residence doesn't have, that you have to come to my county magistrate's mansion to borrow?" Hearing Li Yu's words, Changsun Wuji curiously put down his teacup.

"To be honest, I've come to ask you for some tea."

When you ask someone for a favor, you should have the right attitude, so Li Yu smiled rather embarrassedly.

"Tea? Your father ate your tea like it was food! He even took half of my tea away yesterday, and now you're back again?"

Good heavens! Dad took so much! Looks like those teas were a waste of their potential...

"Uncle, you misunderstand. I wanted to borrow some fresh, unsteamed tea leaves to research some novel ways of brewing tea."

There was no other way! In order to preserve his father's hard-won refined tastes, Li Yu quickly offered an explanation.

"A novel way to drink tea?"

Changsun Wuji's eyes lit up: "I've long heard that you're quick-witted, but I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable about tea. Go on! I happen to have some more here; go ask your aunt for some."

The new tea was ready, and Li Yu was overjoyed. He thanked them and was about to leave when he heard Changsun Wuji say, "By the way, teach this old man when you've figured it out..."

.........

They sent someone to deliver the tea back to the Prince's residence, and the two of them were considered to have successfully rescued Changsun Chong.

When the three arrived at the Cheng residence, they saw Cheng Yaojin grabbing Cheng Chumo by the back of the neck and scolding him incessantly, spittle flying from his mouth.

"How many is this now? I hired a tutor for you, and you chased one away. Now I've asked every tutor in Chang'an, and not a single one is willing to teach at the Cheng family's school!"

Cheng Yaojin was very troubled by his son's refusal to study.

As the eldest son of the family, he had lived for fourteen years and still couldn't read a single character.

Whenever this matter is mentioned, his mother always sighs and points to herself, saying that it was all her father who started it.

That's utter nonsense! Although I'm a military officer, I can still read fairly well, and I've signed quite a few military documents myself!

"Uncle, Brother Chumo only has a preference for martial arts; he's actually quite capable of writing." Seeing that Cheng Yaojin was getting tired of scolding, Li Yu quickly stepped forward to comfort him.

"He has absolutely no skills!"

After drinking some water and catching his breath, Cheng Yaojin said with exasperation, "If one teacher can't teach him, it could be the teacher's problem. But if a group of teachers can't teach him, tell me, isn't that just because he's stupid?"

After saying that, he slapped Cheng Chumo on the head again, hitting him very hard. Cheng Chumo wanted to get angry several times, but in the end he held back.

Seeing Cheng Chumo's dejected look, Li Yu quickly stepped forward to help him out, saying, "Uncle, you don't need to worry. Chumo has always wanted to be a military general. With your abilities, you can arrange for him to serve as a subordinate general under you, and he can gradually build up his achievements!"

"You're thinking too simply, kid!"

Cheng Yaojin shook his head in frustration. "Have you ever seen a head of a great family who is illiterate? Chu Mo is destined to inherit my title, and with him like this, when I pass away, he won't even be able to understand His Majesty's edict. How can I not worry?"

"You flatter me. I am a doctor myself. With your health, even in your eighties you can still eat a bushel of rice and ten pounds of meat!"

Although there was an element of flattery involved, this was not some comforting remark made up by Li Yu to reassure Lao Cheng.

Because Cheng Yaojin in the novel did indeed live past 100, and even in history, this lucky general lived to be nearly 80.

"Alright! You still say 'a peck of rice and ten catties of meat'? I've been fighting for years, and I know my own body. Stop trying to comfort me with these fabricated stories."

Sigh! I told you I wouldn't believe you...

Li Yu had no other choice but to take on the responsibility, saying, "Why don't you entrust Chu Mo to me, Uncle? In less than a year, I'll make sure he comes back with a cartload of calligraphy for you to test."

"really!"

When Cheng Yaojin heard that Li Yu had a way to make his son literate, his eyes lit up with an alarming gleam.

But thinking about her son's behavior, she sighed and said, "You don't need a whole cartload. You can make him recognize a whole bunch of people. He can choose whatever he wants from the Cheng family's treasure trove."

That's really inspiring! I'd heard Cheng Chumo say before that his family had so many treasures he couldn't count them all.

Letting him choose whatever he wanted? This made Li Yu wish he could immediately drag Cheng Chumo back to school...

.........

After spending some time freeloading at the Cheng residence and visiting the other beaten bastards, Li Yu took Cheng Chumo back to the Prince's Mansion.

"Brother Yu, can you really teach my brother to read?"

Seeing that Li Yu started fiddling with the tea leaves as soon as he returned home, Cheng Chumo felt as if he had been deceived by his brother.

"Who said I could teach you to read? That was just a stopgap measure to get you out of your father's clutches."

In order to get this good-for-nothing to learn to read properly, Li Yu felt he absolutely couldn't reveal his thoughts in the slightest...

.........