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

With Mr. Lu's letter tucked in his arms, Li Yu left the Lu residence with a delighted expression.

I never expected that my studies would yield such unexpected gains; this is truly rare.

"Go home if you want, why are you looking at me? I have plenty of talented men under my command, I don't need another guard like you." Back at the palace, Li Yu looked at Wenren An, who looked troubled, and said nonchalantly.

Upon hearing this, Wenren An glanced at Lai Fu, who was puffing out his chest, and said to Li Yu, "A year is a year. Now that there have been changes at home, I will definitely come back to fulfill my promise after I have settled things at home!"

"Come on!"

Li Yu didn't let Wenren An continue speaking, but instead took out the letter from his bosom: "You've already helped me a lot. Since you don't want the official position I promised you in the future, then stay and work for your father."

"This is a letter from the Lu family's ancestor. You can take it to the head of the Lu family in Wu County. I reckon that guy named Lu Dakai won't dare to be so audacious as to ask for your hand in marriage again."

"As for the Xie family, you have rendered meritorious service in guarding the Prince of Qin's mansion, and your father's position as the governor of Changzhou will probably be replaced soon."

"Change? Change to where?" Wenren An asked, somewhat surprised.

"You'll have to ask your father. How would I know about these things?" Li Yu rolled his eyes and continued, "If your father knew that you had rendered meritorious service to the emperor but were acting all high and mighty, he would probably beat you half to death."

"hey-hey!"

Wenren An smiled smugly: "You don't need to worry about that. It would be incredibly difficult for my father to arrest me. As long as I don't want to be an official, no one can force me..."

.........

After seeing Wenren An off at Baqiao, Li Yu felt somewhat downcast.

In this era without airplanes and trains, it's uncertain when the two will see each other again.

"Young master, it's past noon. You promised Mr. Sun you'd help him prepare the medicinal herbs. If you don't go soon, he'll get angry again..." the green-clad man kindly reminded him.

"knew……"

Li Yu responded, and then he and the woman in green jumped onto the carriage and hurried towards Sun Simiao's medicine hut...

Upon entering the medicine hut, Li Yu happened to see Sun Simiao instructing a young boy.

The boy looked younger than Li Yu, and about the same age as Li Tai. He was nodding incessantly and seemed very well-behaved.

When they saw Li Yu enter, they both looked over at the same time.

"Hey kid, come here right now!"

Old Sun greeted Li Yu with a smile, surprisingly not getting angry at him for being late.

When Li Yu approached, the old man pushed the boy in front of him and introduced him, saying, "This is my newly accepted disciple, who will be your junior brother from now on."

After the introductions, he said to the boy, "This is your senior brother, Li Yu. If you encounter any inconvenience here in the future, feel free to go to him!"

"Yes, Master!"

The boy bowed in response, then bowed again to Li Yu, saying, "Junior Brother Meng Shen greets Senior Brother!"

Upon hearing the name, Li Yu was slightly taken aback, feeling that it sounded familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had heard it before.

"Boy, what are you daydreaming about? Go back to your greeting!" After a long while, seeing that Li Yu was still in a daze, Sun Simiao reminded him in a scolding tone.

"Huh? Oh."

Reminded by Lao Sun, Li Yu came to his senses and said apologetically, "It was my rudeness, Senior Brother. Please don't take offense, Junior Brother."

Meng Shen, who had been a little nervous because of Li Yu's dazed state, gradually calmed down now that he saw Li Yu had come to his senses. "Senior brother, you flatter me!"

After sizing up his new junior brother, Li Yu noticed that this kid, who was a head shorter than him, seemed a bit too honest.

So, to put him at ease, Li Yu made his smile more natural: "Junior brother, there's no need to be nervous. Judging from your appearance, you don't seem to be from Chang'an?"

"Replying to Senior Brother, my ancestral home is Liang County, Ruzhou. Due to war years ago, my family moved to Xianyang."

Hearing this, Li Yu nodded and smiled, continuing to change the subject: "Junior Brother isn't familiar with Chang'an, is he? When I have some free time tomorrow, I'll show you around!"

"Junior brother thanks senior brother!" Meng Shen smiled brightly.

"Junior brother, please don't be so polite. Did you know anything about medicine before?" Li Yu asked with a smile.

Relaxed, Meng Shen smiled and replied, "My family has been practicing medicine for generations, so I have some knowledge of medicine."

Li Yu nodded, "I wonder if Junior Brother understands..."

.........

At this time, Sun Simiao, who had stayed in the medicine house for half a day, saw that his two disciples were gradually getting along well, so he left the medicine house with satisfaction.

At the same time, Li Yu also learned the full story of his junior brother's identity.

Although he couldn't figure out why they were familiar with each other, he found that this junior brother was far too naive.

At the same time, Li Yu also figured out the background of this junior brother.

So it turns out that Old Sun took in this little apprentice because he thought I was too much trouble and couldn't inherit his medical skills!

This hurt Li Yu deeply, so he left Meng Shen to organize the medicinal herbs while he went to Yang Xi for comfort.

"Are you really willing to spend your whole life in the medicine hut?" Li Yu asked Yang Xi, who was frying beans, as he popped a roasted bean into his mouth.

"Besides Mr. Sun's compassion, which allows a withered woman like me to stay here, where else in this world can I find a place to live?" When Yang Xi said this now, she had no emotion left. All she was worried about was that Li Yu would eat all the beans, and she wouldn't be able to explain herself to Sun Simiao.

"Yes, I have!"

Li Yu sat up, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Take entering the palace, for example!"

"Enter the palace?"

Yang Xi didn't even look at Li Yu's expression, and laughed self-deprecatingly: "I've been trapped in the palace for ten years, and now I just consider it a place of trouble that I want to avoid at all costs."

Seeing her like this, Li Yu leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Don't you have any feelings for the current Crown Prince?"

"Your Highness the Crown Prince?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Xi was visibly taken aback, clearly having forgotten that Li Er was now the crown prince.

However, when she remembered, she immediately shook her head.

The feelings of youth are eventually crushed into dust by the vicissitudes of life. The world has changed, and I am no longer the naive girl who was just beginning to experience love. I will not put myself in a cage again for the sake of illusory feelings.

Seemingly sensing Yang Xi's concerns, Li Yu pondered for a moment and said, "If Sister has such a plan, becoming a concubine in the future is certain. As far as I know, Second Uncle feels that..."

Li Yu did not continue speaking.

Because he saw a smile inexplicably bloom on Yang Xi's captivating face: "Mr. Sun is a good man. To be able to serve him as a medicine attendant is a blessing I earned in my past life..."

"Besides, with Cui'er by my side now, and you coming over every now and then to joke around with me, I have no other desires."

Upon hearing this, Li Yu nodded silently.

He genuinely didn't want to be a pimp. But regarding Yang Xi, whether it was a matter of mutual benefit or friendship, it was best to mention some things briefly. As for her own choices, he didn't want to get involved…

.........