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

At this moment, Madam Yang wanted to burst into tears, but after looking at the silent surroundings, she ultimately held back.

She feared that her cries would attract the servants who gossiped about her, tearing her already fragile dignity to shreds.

But fate had other plans. A whistle suddenly came from the darkness, startling her so much that she hurriedly picked up her tattered clothes to cover her naked body.

Another whistle rang out, followed by a chorus of whistles from all directions.

Yang was heartbroken. Those filthy whistles were like hammers, shattering her already broken heart into pieces...

Under the moonlight, a dark figure lurked in the shadows, watching Yang Shi, barely clothed, walk awkwardly down the corridor of the Prince's mansion, each step fraught with difficulty.

Her once bright eyes had become numb, and she even ignored the servants who looked at her with strange eyes.

At this moment, all she wanted was to return to her bedroom, wash herself clean with pure water, and then close her eyes and forget everything...

.........

The candlelight cast a soft glow, projecting her beautiful silhouette onto the screen.

Behind the screen, looking at her own wounds and the tattered silk skirt stained with blood, Yang squatted down and helplessly wrapped her arms around her knees.

Today, Li Yuanji's humiliation of her was exceptionally severe, so severe that every inch of her skin ached terribly.

She didn't know how much longer she would have to live like this, nor did she know how to proceed with the road ahead.

There was a time when she thought about ending her life, but after trying several times, she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

She was afraid of death, and dared not die; she had been a timid girl since childhood. So even though her current life was more painful than death, she endured it again and again, and eventually got used to it.

But the humiliation she suffered today made her contemplate suicide. It was because when she was being bullied by Li Yuanji again, and when she was being watched by everyone in the Prince's mansion, she suddenly realized that she didn't even deserve to be called a human being.

"Father, Mother, I was too cowardly. Perhaps I should have followed you two long ago."

With a few sorrowful murmurs, Madam Yang lay down in the wooden tub and slowly closed her eyes.

Perhaps this is all there is to my life...

.........

"This absolutely cannot happen!"

Sitting opposite Li Yu, Changsun Chong waved his hands repeatedly: "You say you want to make money, the brothers will absolutely support you, but if you want to go to Lingnan to make money, I advise you to give up on that idea!"

"Why?" Li Yu was very puzzled.

Lingnan is already a treasure trove that no one cares about. If he can add his vision that transcends this era, Li Yu is very confident that he can turn it into a fertile land.

Therefore, he had made a plan for the whole night, so why did Changsun Chong say it wouldn't work?

"It really won't work!" Cheng Chumo and Niu Tong, who had always unconditionally supported Li Yu, also nodded in agreement.

They were both the eldest sons in their families, and from a young age they were taught what they could and could not do.

Therefore, they were well aware of the implications, and explained, "Do you really think Lingnan is some kind of wild and uncivilized place? It's not!"

"Actually, the one who truly governs Lingnan now is not the imperial court, but Feng Ang, the grandson of Lady Xian."

Upon hearing this, Li Yu was slightly surprised.

Li Yu didn't know much about Feng Ang, but he had heard many stories about his grandmother, Lady Xian, in later generations.

Speaking of Lady Xian, she was born into the Xian clan of Gaoliang, whose ancestors were leaders of the Southern Yue, ruling over the mountains and caves, with a tribe of more than 100,000 households.

This extraordinary woman was wise and resourceful from a young age, and skilled in military strategy. Her prestige in the Baiyue region was extremely high.

I heard that she also advised her brother, Xian Ting, to stop the fighting and to subdue the various tribes and thousands of large and small tribes in Hainan with faith and righteousness.

However, she later married Feng Bao, the governor of Gaoliang, and from then on chose to stay at home and govern, no longer showing her face in public.

It was only later, because the regime changes during the Northern and Southern Dynasties were too rapid, that she was forced to step forward.

During the Hou Jing Rebellion, Lady Xian first led troops to assist Chen Baxian in suppressing the rebellion and stabilizing Lingnan. After her husband Feng Bao died, she took over his command and led Lingnan to submit to the Chen Dynasty, whereupon she was granted the titles of Lady Shilong and Lady of Songkang County.

Later, after the Sui Dynasty unified the country, Emperor Wen of Sui sent people to pacify the region. She still assessed the situation and sent people to welcome the Sui army into Guangzhou, which led to the submission of Lingnan to the Sui Dynasty and facilitated the peaceful unification of the Central Plains.

Her achievements need no further elaboration. Even in later generations, she was revered as the Holy Mother of Lingnan, and great figures of later generations called her "the foremost heroine."

Therefore, Lady Xian's influence is self-evident, and her grandson, as long as he is not a good-for-nothing, can gain the trust of the various tribes in Lingnan simply by virtue of Lady Xian's name.

"Feng Ang is no useless man; he had already made great military achievements during the Sui Dynasty."

"I've heard his archery skills are exceptional; even my father admits he's no match for him!"

Archery has always been something Li Er was proud of. For the arrogant Li Er to admit that the other party's archery skills were better than his own, it is clear that this Feng Ang was indeed not simple.

"Speaking of which, Little Fish, why are you thinking of finding a way out for us? We brothers haven't reached the point of desperation yet." Li Chengqian found Li Yu's idea somewhat puzzling.

Li Yu was unsure whether he should speak, and after hesitating for a while, just as he was about to open his mouth, the door was suddenly pushed open. The next moment, Wenren An, dressed in black, rushed in without anyone noticing.

"Hehe! Guess where I went and what I saw?" He looked at the room full of people, grinning with his big white teeth, and asked mysteriously.

"You went to a brothel?" Changsun Chong smiled maliciously. "Oh, really! I didn't expect a little brat like you with thick eyebrows and big eyes to go to a brothel?"

"You still dare to be so foul-mouthed? You're asking for it, aren't you!" Wenren An narrowed his eyes, his tone unfriendly as he made a move to hit him.

"You...you stay away, or I'll call the guards..." Changsun Chong shrank behind Li Yu in fear, still uttering threatening words.

Almost every one of them had been thoroughly defeated by Wenren An, so they were all somewhat afraid of his skills.

"Alright, alright, stop fooling around!"

Li Yu quickly tried to smooth things over: "You didn't go to Prince Qi's residence, did you?"

"That's right!"

Wenren An patted his chest with extreme pride: "You didn't see what he looked like; he couldn't even eat."

"How did you sneak in? That place is heavily guarded by Prince Qi's men!" Li Yu didn't care much about Li Yuanji's situation.

Since Li Yuanji hoarded all the fine salt in Chang'an at the Qi Prince's Mansion at a price of ten coins per dou, he had already released a large amount of fine salt into the market and driven down the price.

This resulted in Li Yuanji not being able to sell much salt even if he sold it at a low price.

Therefore, he had long guessed Li Yuanji's fate, so at this moment he was more concerned about Wenren An's safety...

.........