The matter of traveling south was quickly settled. The journey was long and arduous, and with both young and old among the travelers, everyone agreed that they should choose a day with pleasant weather. They finally decided to depart in mid-spring.
By this time, Li Yuanying’s two young sons could already walk. They would toddle around in the spacious carriage, wobbling towards their father, then wobbling back to Wei Jiu, giggling as they threw themselves into their arms. They could play this way for hours without getting tired.
Li Yuanying, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, would scoop up his younger son when he was thrown into his arms, pretending to use the boy’s head to bump against the carriage ceiling.
The older brother would immediately panic, scurrying over with his short legs and wrapping his arms around Li Yuanying’s legs, babbling and trying to get him to put the younger one down.
The younger brother, however, was fearless. He would laugh with toothless glee, grabbing at Li Yuanying’s hair ornament and making excited noises.
Wei Jiu, exasperated, said, “The road is bumpy. Stop bothering them.”
Li Yuanying, always a good listener, immediately put the younger boy down. He let the two little ones, tired from running around, sit on his lap, one on each side. He looked like he was in heaven.
Halfway through the journey, Gao Yang arrived with her son, dragging Li Yuanying out of the carriage. She scolded him, saying, “All the men are out there, and you’re the only one hiding in the carriage, playing with children! Aren’t you embarrassed?”
Li Yuanying, unapologetic, replied, “Not at all!”
Seeing that Gao Yang was about to give him a good kick, Li Yuanying quickly got out of the carriage and went to join the others.
As soon as he stepped outside, he understood why Gao Yang had made him leave the carriage. All the princes and駙馬(fùmǎ, a title for the husbands of the emperor’s daughters) were gathered together. Of them, Lu Zhaolin seemed the weakest. Changsun Quan and Yu Zhi, the two newly-wed驸馬, were also scholars, but having grown up in Chang’an, they had at least a bit of the adventurous spirit of the Chang’an youth.
Gao Yang was clearly worried that Lu Zhaolin would be taken advantage of!
Li Yuanying thought Gao Yang was quite the traitor, forgetting her uncle for her lover! But he was a good-natured fellow. He had fun playing with the children and also enjoyed being with his friends. He would ride his horse with the others, admiring the scenery along the way.
Throughout the journey, Li Yuanying kept himself busy. He spent most of his time playing with the children. When they slept, he would go find someone to annoy. From princes to驸馬, from Emperor Li to Changsun Wuji, everyone suffered under his relentless teasing.
It had to be admitted, though, that his constant antics made the uncomfortable journey a little more bearable.
The group traveled from north to south, leaving behind the sparsely populated, flat plains and entering the dense forests and abundant waterways of Lingnan Road.
Lingnan Road was undoubtedly less prosperous than Chang’an, but the beautiful mountains and trees created a spectacular landscape, sculpted by nature’s own hand.
Li Chengqian had built the official road extremely well. Knowing that the imperial procession was coming, he personally led a welcoming party, ensuring the route was patrolled and everything was in order.
Emperor Li, breathing in the fresh air from the lush forests, felt refreshed and invigorated. Seeing his long-lost eldest son, he felt a wave of fondness and decided to ride a horse instead of riding in a carriage, wanting to savor the beauty of the riverside scenery.
Spring was almost over in the north, but in the south, wild flowers still carpeted the land. Emperor Li, while unable to name the flowers, was delighted by their abundance.
The Tang Dynasty was vast and rich. In the same month, some places might have already seen their flowers wither, while others were still in full bloom. In some places, snow covered the mountains, while in others, it was warm and spring-like.
It was no easy task to protect such a vast empire.
Emperor Li looked ahead and saw Li Yuanying, who had dismounted at some point, holding Li Zhi’s youngest son and leading a group of little ones to look at frogs in a nearby field.
He didn’t need to think twice to know that his own son had fallen asleep, and the rascal had gone off to play with other people’s children. Was he not afraid of scaring the frogs with such a large group of kids surrounding them?
Emperor Li doubted that the future of the empire would be secure in the hands of such grandchildren. Thankfully, the crown prince seemed to be doing well, and Changsun was behaving, staying by his side and not causing any trouble. He felt a glimmer of satisfaction, but he still had to send someone to fetch Li Yuanying, lest he lose the entire group of imperial grandchildren!
Li Yuanying, who had been having a blast, arrived at Guangzhou City. If Li Chengqian hadn’t stopped him, he probably would have gone for a ride on an elephant with his son in his arms.
His elephant ride was thwarted, but Li Yuanying still worried over his son’s small arms and legs. He sighed. The child was too young to do anything fun. Though he couldn’t take him for an elephant ride, he still snuck him to touch the elephant’s trunk. The unfamiliar and special sensation excited the little ones, making them both curious and fearful.
The younger brother, bolder, not only touched the trunk but also grabbed it with his tiny fingers, fascinated. Though the older brother tensed up every time he got close, he still bravely reached out and touched the trunk. Only when he discovered that the elephant wasn’t going to hurt them did he start to gently stroke it.
Li Yuanying’s little smuggling expedition to the elephant was soon discovered, and Emperor Li was furious. He had Li Yuanying dragged over and scolded him like a dog, saying that he was irresponsible enough, but he was also dragging his own son into his antics. The three of them together weren’t even as big as an elephant’s foot!
Li Yuanying humbly accepted the scolding, and when Emperor Li finished, he sauntered over to pour him tea, sincerely complimenting him, “Your Majesty, your voice still carries so much weight when you scold someone. You don’t look a day over fifty. It makes me happy to hear it. You must scold me for at least another fifty years!”
Emperor Li glared at him, exasperated, “Scold you for another fifty years? Then I’ll be an immortal!”
Though everyone desired immortality, such things were impossible. Everyone would eventually experience birth, aging, sickness, and death. Back then, Wang Xuance had brought back from Tianzhu (India) a supposed elixir of life, but Li Yuanying had exposed the lie, discovering it was nothing but a charlatan’s trick.
Emperor Li no longer cared much about the concept of immortality. He felt healthy and strong, and believed that he could easily live another twenty or thirty years.
The International Expo of Lingnan Road was to be held in Guangzhou, with many ships sailing into Guangzhou Harbor.
The southern sea and the northern sea, though both called “the sea,” looked quite different. One morning, while the children were fast asleep, Li Yuanying dragged Emperor Li to the harbor to watch the ships.
Guangzhou Harbor was already a major port in the south, and after Li Chengqian invested in expanding it, it had become even grander.
After the establishment of the Guangzhou Maritime Trade Commission, it connected with the Maritime Trade Commissions in Henan Road and Jiangnan Road, forming a chain along the northern, central, and southern coasts. Fueled by the enormous profits of maritime trade, sea routes extended further and further, and almost all ships returning from overseas were fully laden.
Of course, the risks at sea were also becoming increasingly apparent. Whether it was encountering a storm or being attacked by natives, both could spell disaster for a fleet. But as long as the profits outweighed the losses, there were many willing to take the risk.
The Tang Navy, while sailing on its voyages, would often help out impoverished natives, bringing back to the Tang Dynasty those who were unable to survive in their own homeland.
This day marked the return of the fleet. Li Yuanying pulled Emperor Li to the coast to welcome them.
A red sun rose over the horizon, painting the entire sea red. Then, the sea turned gold, shimmering like a vast expanse of liquid gold. Emperor Li looked up, his eyes scanning the horizon. He saw ship after ship appearing in their sight, accompanied by Li Yuanying’s excited shouts, “I see them! I see them!”
Li Yuanying often hung around the harbor. He was naturally excited because there were many of his friends on board: Li Dejian, Dai Ting, and Luo Binwang.
Li Yuanying had kept Luo Binwang by his side for two years, handling administrative tasks. He felt that Luo Binwang was a bright and capable man who needed to go out and experience the world.
So, poor Luo Binwang, a frail scholar who had never learned to swim, was thrown into the Tang Navy after three months of rigorous training. He ate on the ship, slept on the ship, and had to go out to sea every day.
Luo Binwang had a mission on this voyage. He wasn’t responsible for fighting, but for recording the customs and manners of different places and the Navy’s observations along the way. His focus was to describe in detail how abundant the local products were and how impoverished the people were, emphasizing how much these poor, underdeveloped regions needed the Tang Dynasty to develop them.
Luo Binwang had already been out on a few voyages, and his travelogues had made Li Yuanying so captivated that he was even more determined to keep him on board for future voyages.
It was important to note that Luo Binwang was a man of integrity, with a righteous and compassionate heart. His writing was vivid and powerful. His descriptions of local products made them feel real, while his accounts of the locals’ suffering evoked empathy in the reader, leaving them sighing in dismay and feeling a heavy sense of responsibility.
There were so many people in the world who needed their help. They had to brave the waves, overcome hardship, and deliver the goods and entertainment these people needed to improve their material lives and enrich their spiritual world. Along the way, they could conveniently exchange these goods for local minerals, spices, jewelry, or whatever else, things that were worthless in those places.
This time, Li Dejian led the fleet on a long voyage, lasting nearly two years. Li Yuanying hadn’t seen them in a long time and was missing them. After all, he had already bragged to all his friends about his two sons, and it was rare to have a group of friends returning who hadn’t seen his little ones yet. He had to wait for them.
As the fleet docked, the harbor buzzed with activity. Li Dejian left some people behind to unload the cargo, and he personally led the rest to greet Emperor Li.
Li Yuanying, ignoring the Emperor and his entourage, waited until they finished with all the formalities, then pulled Dai Ting and Luo Binwang aside for a chat.
This voyage had gone further than ever before, and Li Yuanying was eager to learn about the places they had visited, questioning them for hours, wishing he could see them with his own eyes.
Even if Emperor Li and the others allowed him to go out to sea, he could only go to nearby small islands to enjoy the sea breeze and roast sea crabs. Further voyages were out of the question.
After listening to their stories until he was satisfied, Li Yuanying excitedly took them to see his two little ones.
Luo Binwang and the others had been away when the children were born in Huating, and news from the sea was slow. They didn’t know about Wei Jiu’s pregnancy, so they were shocked to learn that Li Yuanying already had two sons.
Luo Binwang complained, “You didn’t tell us sooner. We should have brought gifts for them.”
Dai Ting remained silent, but when he saw the children, he presented them with two jade-carved models of ships as gifts.
Jade was a demanding material. He had not only polished the models to a smooth, non-abrasive finish and carved them with exquisite detail, but he had also designed them so that they could be disassembled and reassembled. His ingenuity was truly impressive.
The two little ones had been born into a world of gold and jade, so they didn’t have much concept of the value of jade, but they loved the ship models. They tugged at them, pulling this way and that, completely captivated. They had been taken to see the real ships with Li Yuanying. The younger brother had a good memory, tugging at Li Yuanying, making the sound for “water.”
He wanted to put the ships in the water.
Though the older brother didn’t join in the “water” calls, he also looked on eagerly at Li Yuanying.
Children wanted to play however they wanted. Whether the ships sank or not was part of the experience. Li Yuanying didn’t want to tell them “that won’t work” before they even tried it. He excitedly asked someone to bring a wooden basin of water for them to play with.
Despite Luo Binwang’s protests that it was impossible, the two jade ships, as if by magic, floated on the water.
Li Yuanying was also puzzled. Without hesitation, he picked up one of the jade ships and began to disassemble it.
Though the jade ships had a basic structure resembling real ships, the interior was hollowed out, providing enough space to make the ships buoyant and capable of sailing on water.
Li Yuanying’s dismantling was swift and efficient. The younger brother, who had been delighted by the ships, watched in horror as his ship was reduced to a pile of pieces. He glanced at his brother’s ship, still intact and floating, and burst into tears.
Wei Jiu heard her son’s heart-wrenching cries from afar. She rushed over and saw Li Yuanying struggling to comfort his son, while Dai Ting silently reassembled the jade ship that Li Yuanying had so mercilessly taken apart.
Luo Binwang held the older brother and watched Li Yuanying helplessly.
Wei Jiu arrived, and Li Yuanying immediately shoved his sobbing son into her arms. He grumbled, “This is all Dai Ting’s fault. He should have made three ships! Then there wouldn’t be any problems.”
Wei Jiu looked at the disassembled jade ship and understood what had happened. She patted her crying son and sighed, “Yes, we need to have three of everything. After all, there are three children in this family.”
Li Yuanying, unashamed, replied smugly, “See? I told you so.”
The imperial procession spent the summer in Lingnan Road. Everyone tanned a bit before Emperor Li, reluctantly, finally ordered them to return to Chang’an.
The crown prince had spent two years in Lingnan Road, a region previously plagued by瘴疠(zhànglì, malarial diseases) and significantly underdeveloped compared to the north and the Jiangnan region. He had done a lot for the local people and helped bridge the gap between those living in the mountains and the plains, creating a harmonious environment where people lived together in increasing hope.
The locals were heartbroken to learn that the crown prince was leaving, and they spontaneously lined the streets to see him off.
Previously, for Li Chengqian, “the people” had been an abstract term, only mentioned when he wanted to sound virtuous and emphasize the benevolence of those in power. But over the past few years, he had been among the common people. He hadn’t witnessed every suffering, but he had realized that every ordinary citizen was a living, breathing soul, a real person living in this world.
As he waved goodbye to the familiar and unfamiliar faces lining the roads, his eyes filled with tears, he found himself comforting those who cried, promising them that he would return.
It was said that the ruler was like a boat and the people were like the water. Water could carry the boat, but it could also overturn it. Over the past few years, Li Chengqian had finally come to understand this. When he first arrived in Lingnan Road, it was difficult to implement any policies, but once he truly lowered himself to interact with this fertile land, truly understood the needs of the local people, his decrees were executed with ease.
However many people came to bid him farewell, they eventually dispersed.
The vast imperial procession, with the setting sun warming their backs, continued towards Chang’an, slowly leaving Lingnan Road behind.
Over the next two years, Gao Yang and the others all gave birth to their second and third children. Only the Prince Tang’s Residence remained quiet.
Emperor Li loved Li Yuanying’s two intelligent and charming boys, but he also felt that Li Yuanying had too few children. In his opinion, it was best to have more children. After all, children would grow up and leave the nest. He needed to have a few younger ones around to keep him company.
Emperor Li questioned Li Yuanying, only to discover that he had been serious when he said that he felt sorry for his wife and didn’t want to have more children. He had actually taken action! Over the past two years, the couple had been very affectionate, but they had been careful about contraception, never allowing for an accident.
Emperor Li didn’t know what to say. He simply warned Li Yuanying, “Don’t regret it later.”
Li Yuanying firmly declared that he would never regret it. His two sons were so adorable!
But Emperor Li’s words had rekindled Li Yuanying’s long-dormant desire for a daughter. After the Emperor left, Li Yuanying locked himself in his study and sulked for a long time. His sons were wonderful, of course, but he really wanted a daughter. Qingque’s daughters were so lovely, and the little ones in Zhi’s family were different, each with their own charm. He loved them all.
Li Yuanying’s sadness was quickly forgotten when his sons woke up. He was soon back to his happy self, playing with the children.
Wei Jiu, upon learning that Li Yuanying had locked himself in his study for a long time after meeting the Emperor, quietly went to the study and opened the drawer where Li Yuanying kept his paintings. She pulled out a few new paintings hidden at the bottom of the pile. They depicted lively, adorable little girls. Some had her eyes, others had her mouth, and all of them bore the traces of their shared features.
He really wanted a daughter.
Li Yuanying had painted many such paintings, but he had never shown them to her. He had kept them hidden at the bottom of the drawer.
He was such a treasure. How could she not love him?
…
Spring came again, the season of blooming peach blossoms. Emperor Li was planning to travel to Shu (Sichuan). Li Yuanying, as always, was eager to join him, dragging his family along. However, the day before they were supposed to leave, Li Yuanying rushed to see Emperor Li and announced that he wouldn’t be going.
Emperor Li was surprised. Was there a time when Li Yuanying didn’t want to go out and play?
“What happened?” Emperor Li asked.
“Shumeimei is pregnant!” Li Yuanying, anxious and nervous, confided in the Emperor. “Maybe we were too careful, but somehow she’s pregnant. Even Sun Shi said it was impossible to avoid completely. I can’t go to Shu. You guys have fun. Chengqian and I will wait for you here in Chang’an.”
Li Zhi, not the crown prince, was the one who had been going to Shu for the past two years. Everyone felt sorry for him, as he had missed out on two trips. They had purposely given the opportunity to him.
Li Zhi had also done a good job in Shu. The roads were difficult to repair, and there was no harbor, but the land was still rich and fertile, making it easy to hold an International Expo. Li Yuanying had never been to Shu. He really wanted to go, but there would be plenty of opportunities to travel. His wife was more important right now!
Emperor Li knew that Li Yuanying was incredibly protective of his wife and children, always wanting to be by their side. He didn’t insist on taking Li Yuanying with them, but he jokingly said, “I wonder if it’s a boy or a girl this time. Maybe it’s twins again—”
Before the Emperor could finish, Li Yuanying, bold as brass, put his hand over the Emperor’s mouth.
“Psh, psh, psh. Don’t say that! Heaven will hear you!”
Emperor Li didn’t mind Li Yuanying’s impudence. After Li Yuanying stormed off, the Emperor burst into laughter. He secretly hoped that Heaven would grant Wei Jiu two more chubby boys, just to make Li Yuanying cry!
…
The Library of the Multiverse.
Because this particular timeline was clearly going to diverge from its original course, the System and Li Yuanying agreed to close off the visitors’ access to the remaining content. Visitors could still subscribe and read the already uploaded content, but they could no longer peek into the future of this timeline.
Li Yuanying’s once tranquil personal library was in an uproar.
Initially, they had entered the Library with the intention of seeing how their ancestors lived or catching them in lies and inconsistencies. However, as they followed along, they had become as attached to their little prince as the System was, experiencing a sense of parental satisfaction. Every day, after a long day of work, they would come to see how their little prince was doing, to see what he had become.
Just as they were finally about to witness the fulfilling, perfectly happy ending where their little prince had both a son and a daughter, the System had closed off their access?!
“Did our little prince get a daughter or not?!”
“I think it’s probably another son. And since twins run in the family, maybe it’ll be two sons again.”
“You’re a devil, you know that?”
“If it’s two more sons, our little prince is going to cry his eyes out!”
“What to do? I want to know more! I demand access to the content!”
“I demand access +1”
“I demand access +2. Honestly, I really want our little prince to have a daughter. I cried when I saw the paintings he kept hidden!”
“Waaah, don’t lie. I cried too. I hope our little prince gets his wish. It has to be a girl!”
“Yes, yes, it has to be a girl!”
“Trash System, give us back our access!!”
“Trash System, give us back our access!!”
“Trash System, give us back our access!!”
The System received a barrage of messages flooding its screen, but it remained unfazed. In fact, it was quite amused.
Author’s Note:
Little Prince: So, did I get a daughter?
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