Caught sneaking out
"I don't dislike it..." Li Yunyu pondered Tang Feng's words carefully, then looked at Tang Feng, her eyes filled with confusion. "Simply put, observe more and speak less. Your father is the emperor of a country. You have to figure out for yourself what the emperor wants to hear and what he doesn't want to hear. After all... the one sitting on that throne in the future will be you." Li Yunyu looked at Tang Feng, pursed her lips, and finally managed to utter a sentence, "My elder brother is dead, there must be someone who betrayed him. You won't betray me, will you, sir?" Tang Feng walked out of the cabin, stood on the deck, and looked down at Li Yunyu, saying, "People are only betrayed by friends; enemies will never have the opportunity to betray or sell out. Today I will teach you another principle: even if the road ahead is bumpy and you need someone by your side, never turn your back on anyone else, no one! Including me. Don't have hope for anyone; in desperate situations, you can only save yourself." "Do you understand?" Li Yunyu stood on the plank with Tang Feng, clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "I will naturally keep your teachings in mind." Tang Feng rested his chin on his hand, bowing as he looked at Li Yunyu's serious demeanor, and couldn't help but smile. "Your Highness is truly rigid!" Li Yunyu blushed at Tang Feng's words. No one had ever joked with him like this before. Since birth, he had been raised in the Duan Prince's Mansion, visiting his mother in the palace once a month, a routine he had maintained for over a decade. Neither his strict older brother nor his gentle mother had ever spoken to him like this. "Teacher... Did you speak to my older brother like this before?" "Him?" Tang Feng thought of how he had negotiated with Li Yunrui at Lishan Academy and couldn't help but laugh. "To be honest, your older brother is a bit more fun than you. Don't be so old-fashioned. Shall I take you out for a walk?"
"Where to?" Li Yunyu had lived for over a decade, her days revolving between the military camp and the Prince's residence. This was her first time at the Wei River, let alone going out for a stroll. "In the warm spring of April, Your Highness, where would you like to go?" Tang Feng squatted down, slowly sitting down with the support of the armrests. "This empire is ultimately yours. If you don't see it now, you won't have the same mindset later." Tang Feng patted the spot beside him, gesturing for Li Yunyu to sit down. "Why are you standing? It's not like you're being punished! You are His Highness, don't be so reserved. To achieve great things, one must first learn to be bold and decisive, and only then can one be meticulous and calm. If you are always reserved, it's difficult to achieve greatness. I don't deny your elder brother's talent, but he's lacking in everything. As for what he lacks, that depends on Your Highness's understanding." Li Yunyu sat beside Tang Feng, the spring breeze gently caressing their cheeks, causing their clothes to flutter lightly. "Sir... if only I had met you ten years earlier..."
"Your Highness, there are no 'what ifs'..." Tang Feng casually pulled a slender willow branch, snapped it off, and splashed it into the water, creating ripples. "Sometimes I wonder... if I hadn't tried to approach Li Yunrui on the long steps of Jingdu back then, would the outcome have been different? Perhaps, but no one can predict how things will unfold. After all, life is unpredictable and ever-changing. Now, you and I are still in the same boat because of Li Yunrui. Your Highness doesn't need to dwell on the past; focusing on the present is what matters. If Your Highness is willing to overturn your elder brother's case, then the first thing to deal with is your mother."
"How so?"
"I've heard... that Consort Yun is naturally beautiful and also knows some medical skills. Logically speaking, she should be both beautiful and talented, yet she is not favored by His Majesty... Why does Your Highness think so?"
"My mother is proud and unwilling to associate with those women in the harem and compete for favor."
"No, is it possible that your mother refrained from vying for the Emperor's favor for His Highness's sake? The struggle for the throne among the princes in the palace can be a matter of life and death, or even mutual destruction. Your mother's feelings for His Majesty are probably not deep, and you are her only solace in the harem... Your Highness, perhaps you should consider persuading Consort Yun? I've heard that His Majesty is sentimental." Li Yunyu didn't reply for a long time before finally asking, "Where are you taking me, sir...?"
"What, so reluctant? I've known Ziliang for so long, and we've never gone sightseeing like this before. Your Highness isn't happy about traveling with me today?" Tang Feng didn't mean anything by it; he simply wanted to broaden the horizons of this naive young prince. If he became the crown prince and lacked even basic common sense, how could he possibly govern the country? Besides, Tang Feng was also feeling cooped up at home and wanted to take this opportunity to relax. After Qin Liuliu left, Tang Feng had kept this matter to himself, never complaining to anyone. Although he appeared indifferent, it had become an unresolved knot in his heart. Today's outing had improved his mood considerably. "Have you ever strolled around Xiling City before?" Li Yunyu shook his head, looking at Tang Feng with a blank expression. "No, I haven't! The spring scenery is so beautiful, wouldn't it be a pity not to see it? Come on, let me take you around?" Tang Feng turned to the boatman and said, "Old man, please pull over!" The boatman looked troubled upon hearing this. "Young master, the young marquis instructed me to take you back safely. Please don't make things difficult for me."
"It's alright, I've lived here for so many years, I can still go back. Don't worry, tell Ziliang to put his mind at ease." The boatman had no choice but to moor the boat at the shore. Tang Feng slowly got up and patted Li Yunyu on the shoulder. "Come on, I'll show you around. Oh, let's go!" The boatman's mooring spot wasn't actually near the market, but with the spring equinox approaching, the grass was growing and the flowers were blooming all over the city. Many vendors were carrying their wares and selling things along the Wei River. Young masters and ladies from wealthy families were flying kites with their families along the Wei River, making it even more lively. Li Yunyu followed behind Tang Feng, looking at the bustling scene. He had walked along Jiming Street before, but he had always been in a hurry and had never stopped to experience the prosperity of Xiling. "Boss, give me two pear blossom cakes." Tang Feng smelled the aroma and walked to the stall. He took the pear blossom cakes from the boss and took a bite while they were still hot. "Your Highness, you should try some too, they taste pretty good."
"Sir, how do you usually address your deceased brother?" Tang Feng's outstretched hand froze for a moment, and he didn't recover for a while. He forced a smile, but it was tinged with bitterness. "I... I usually call him... Liu Liu." "I heard that Yun Yu is the same age as him. You can also call me Yun Yu, Your Highness... it's a bit too formal." Tang Feng paused for a moment, stuffed the pear blossom cake into Li Yun Yu's mouth, turned around and said softly, "Your Highness is Your Highness, and Liu Liu is Liu Liu. To Liu Liu, I am his brother; to you, I am your subject. Even if the sky falls, I would not dare to overstep my bounds." Li Yun Yu frowned. Sure enough, compared to Qin Liu Liu, Tang Feng cared more about Qin Liu Liu, while he was probably just using him to get revenge! Seeing Li Yunyu's somewhat downcast expression, Tang Feng frowned and explained, "The rules between a ruler and his subject should not be overstepped. Please do not take offense, Your Highness." "Sir, you are mistaken. If you do not like it, Yunyu will naturally not say anything. In this vast world, who could possibly blame you? Even my elder brother dares not speak ill of you, how could I?" This left Tang Feng speechless. He forced a smile, tightened his grip on the pear blossom cake, then slowly loosened it. Seeing a beggar sitting nearby, he tossed the pear blossom cake into the beggar's tattered bowl. "Haven't eaten in a long time, have you? Eat up!" Li Yunyu watched Tang Feng's actions without speaking, simply following behind him, looking at the scenery outside. The atmosphere, which Tang Feng had just brought up, fell into an awkward silence again. Tang Feng walked ahead, watching the passersby, and suddenly thought of a good place to go. He turned around and called out to Li Yunyu, asking, "Has Your Highness ever flown a kite?"
"No..." Li Yunyu shook his head. "Big brother has always been very busy, but I saw the servants flying kites when I was at the Prince's Mansion." "Then let's go fly some today. To be honest, I haven't flown many kites myself, but I still want to try." Tang Feng looked around for kite stalls and randomly picked one. Tang Feng stood to the side and asked, "Which one does Your Highness like?"
Upon hearing the words "Your Highness," Li Yunyu's expression turned even colder. He casually picked up a kite and said, "Anything is fine." Tang Feng, seeing Li Yunyu's lack of interest, could roughly guess why. He told the vendor, "I want the most expensive one." The vendor, hearing he was a big customer, quickly handed Tang Feng the best kite on the stall. "Young master, please take a look and see if this one is alright." Tang Feng didn't even look at it, waving his hand and pointing to Li Yunyu behind him. "This one is it. He'll pay." Then he looked at Li Yunyu and spread his hands... "Pay up!" Caught off guard by Tang Feng's call, Li Yunyu quickly pulled out her purse from her belt. "You two are friends, right? You seem to have a good relationship," the shopkeeper said as he wound the kite. Tang Feng shook his head. "No, we're teacher and student. He's my student." He took the kite from the shopkeeper and handed it to Li Yunyu. "Let's go! There are magnolia trees all over there. It looks like a hidden gem. Let's go take a look." Li Yunyu followed behind Tang Feng, holding the kite, and asked softly, "Sir, you just said I'm your student?"
"Yes," Tang Feng said without turning around, continuing straight ahead. "You call me 'sir,' what else could you be but my student? Here!" Tang Feng tossed something to Li Yunyu, who caught it and looked closely. "Sir... what is this...?" He saw it was silver for buying a kite. "Where does a teacher spend a student's money? Keep it, Your Highness." Tang Feng taught Li Yunyu to run with the kite. The wind was strong today, and the kite soon soared into the sky. Tang Feng found a magnolia tree, intending to rest in its shade, but looking up, he saw the magnolias in full bloom. Suddenly seized by a playful impulse, he rolled up his sleeves and climbed the tree. Sitting on a branch, watching Li Yunyu happily playing alone, Tang Feng pondered, perhaps this child, born in the palace but raised outside, had long been neglected, making him sensitive. It seemed he should be more careful with his words in the future, lest he touch upon his sore spots. Tang Feng casually picked a magnolia blossom from beside him and, idly playing with it, began to ponder its beauty. Just as he was lost in thought, he heard a familiar voice, "It seems Young Master Tang's health has truly improved considerably." Tang Feng looked down and saw Zhou Ziliang standing below, his brow furrowed and his expression unfriendly. Tang Feng already guessed that Zhou Ziliang had come to interrogate him, and quickly began to soothe him, saying, "When Your Highness and I were boating, we found the spring scenery to be beautiful. I suppose Your Highness hasn't yet enjoyed a spring outing in Xiling City, so I brought you here to see it."
"It's windy today, Xiao Feng, do you still want to go home to take your medicine?" Seeing that soothing him was useless, Tang Feng lowered his head, knowing that he was indeed in the wrong, and could only make a small excuse, "I... I've just been cooped up at home for too long, and I'm feeling restless, so I wanted to come out for a walk. I just forgot to tell you. Next time I come out, I'll definitely tell you." But Zhou Ziliang knew in his heart that Tang Feng was the kind of person who would say, "I'm sorry," but would do it again next time. If he let it go so easily, Tang Feng might not learn his lesson in the future, so he said sternly, "I can't agree to Xiao Feng's promise. Xiao Feng has always promised to take care of his health, but now it seems that his care is nothing special." After Zhou Ziliang finished speaking, he was about to leave when Tang Feng jumped down from the tree and pounced on him. Afraid of dropping him, Zhou Ziliang held Tang Feng tightly around the waist. When he came to his senses, Tang Feng was holding a magnolia flower in front of him and said, "Xiling has nothing to offer, so I'll give you a sprig of spring." Zhou Ziliang slowly put Tang Feng down and sighed, "Xiao Feng, you think you can bribe me with just a flower?"
"I'm just passing on what I've got, so please don't be angry. It was really my fault this time, and I won't do it again... Besides," Tang Feng glanced at Li Yunyu, who was holding a kite behind Zhou Ziliang, and said in a low voice, "My student is behind me... Please give me some face!"
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