“Year after year, we’re at war, and now we’ve had a bad harvest. No one can survive this,” a heavy voice came from outside. Dai Ting lay on the straw-covered bed, listening to the conversation outside, remaining silent and motionless, ensuring no one knew he was awake. The voice outside continued to persuade, “This is because they’re desperate for people. If it were the previous dynasty, they wouldn’t have let anyone in so easily. This child, although he looks good, has a birthmark on his face. He won’t be able to rely on civil service exams in the future. Your eldest son is different, he’s so smart. You should let me take him away, and in spring, someone will take him to school.”
Dai’s father eventually agreed.
The next day, before dawn, Dai Ting was stuffed into an ox cart.
The ox cart rumbled towards Chang’an, picking up several groups of people along the way, all sobbing and sniffling.
Dai Ting sat quietly in a corner, neither crying nor making a fuss. A boy about his age, who cried himself weary, stopped his tears and curiously looked at Dai Ting. He said, “My name is Dong Xiao’e, what’s your name?”
Dai Ting said nothing.
Dong Xiao’e persisted, “Aren’t you sad?”
Dai Ting didn’t reply, just turned his head to look at Dong Xiao’e.
Just that one glance, and Dong Xiao’e involuntarily shut his mouth.
Upon arriving in Chang’an, they were inspected for their family background and health. Dai Ting had a birthmark, a slight imperfection, but overall he was okay, and he was kept.
To enter the palace to serve, they were first cleansed. The children had no concept of this, and one by one, they were sent to the cleansing room to be “processed.” The cries of the children lingered in the cleansing room and its surroundings.
After nightfall, people started getting fevers, one after another. Dai Ting also got a fever, but he survived. Over the next few days, the number of people living with them gradually decreased. Dong Xiao’e whispered to Dai Ting, “Where have some people gone?”
Dai Ting spat out two words, “Died.”
Dong Xiao’e was struck by lightning.
For children who were not yet fully aware of the world, death was too far away. He didn’t understand how Dai Ting could so calmly say the word “died.”
Dai Ting didn’t say anything more.
People are bound to die, he thought. If he hadn’t been sold, he would have starved to death anyway. There’s nothing to say.
Dai Ting quietly served as he was supposed to. They were all new to the palace, and they were taught by older eunuchs.
Dai Ting wasn’t talkative, but he was quite efficient, and the older eunuch who was in charge of him liked him.
But that liking had a strange taste, and even the way he looked at Dai Ting felt disgusting.
Dai Ting felt that if the eunuch did anything, he might not be able to hold back and kill him.
He wasn’t afraid of death.
Even though he had already given up many things for survival, there were still things he couldn’t tolerate.
He had already figured out how to kill.
Fortunately, before the eunuch could do anything, he was taken by a prince.
It was the Emperor Li’s most beloved son, Li Yuanying, only four years old, still a little babe.
He was missing a servant, so the Emperor Li gathered all the boys together and let him choose.
The four-year-old child was beautiful, with a pair of sparkling black eyes, curiously looking at the eunuchs lined up before him, as if he were truly making a choice. He was carried around the group by a man, and suddenly his eyes lit up, and he reached Dai Ting.
The little prince turned back to the Emperor Li, acting spoiled, pointing at Dai Ting, “Father, I want him!”
The Emperor Li glanced at him casually and readily agreed, “Alright, let him serve you.”
Dai Ting stepped forward, knelt, and reported his name to the Emperor Li and the little prince, and from then on, he served by the prince’s side.
The prince’s mother was only a Bao Lin, but she was kind and gentle, and she treated the servants with courtesy.
Dai Ting lived a life of ease he had never imagined for a year.
Until the Emperor Li died.
After the Emperor Li’s death, all the concubines were in a state of fear, worried about their future.
The Empress and the Emperor Li Zhi were busy preparing for the Emperor Li’s funeral, and they hadn’t had time to arrange the concubines. Some people took advantage of the situation and started to bully those of lower status.
Liu Baolin was also mistreated, and the person who came to her was the eunuch who had been in charge of her before.
Dai Ting stood in front of Liu Baolin to protect her, but the eunuch spoke lewdly to him.
Liu Baolin had never heard such vulgar words before, and she was immediately flushed with anger. Their young and innocent prince was being taken to play by several eunuchs, and when he heard the commotion, he ran over to see what was happening. He saw Liu Baolin’s face full of fury.
The prince was angry, and he ordered the attendants to drag the eunuch to the snow, roaring, “Bury him, bury him for me!”
Hearing the prince order his attendants to bury the eunuch, Dai Ting felt a strange surge in his heart, and he joined the others, grabbing handfuls of icy snow and smashing them against the man’s face.
Yes, bury him, bury this vile and despicable creature!
The prince thought it was fun and also went over to throw snow at the man.
The commotion lasted until the Empress arrived personally.
The Empress ordered people to dig the man out of the snow and looked at the eunuchs who had done the beating.
The prince called everyone back behind him and complained to the Empress, “He’s bad, he bullied Mother.”
Dai Ting felt the Empress’s gaze sweeping over them.
The prince ran over and grabbed the Empress’s clothes, relentlessly complaining, “Sister-in-law, he’s bad.” As he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes, and with his red nose from the cold, he looked especially pitiful.
The Empress bent down and hugged him, coaxing him, “Alright, I know, he’s bad.”
The prince was finally satisfied and nodded vigorously, “He’s so bad, so bad.”
The disgusting eunuch was taken away for interrogation.
Under the prince’s tearful protection, they weren’t punished. They were only warned not to speak like that again.
The prince was still young, so it was understandable that he would give such an unreasonable command, and they had to advise him not to act recklessly.
That night, Li Yuanying fell ill and was delirious all night.
Dai Ting and the other attendants stayed by his side all night, vowing to serve Li Yuanying faithfully for their entire lives.
Over the next few days, Li Yuanying was listless, and the Empress came to visit him several times. After he recovered slightly, she took him to live in the Da Xing Palace.
From then on, Dai Ting devoted himself to serving Li Yuanying.
After his serious illness, Dai Ting noticed that Li Yuanying would occasionally behave strangely. Sometimes he seemed to be talking to himself, and other times he seemed to be talking to someone invisible. He would also bring out food that wasn’t sent from the kitchen.
Dai Ting didn’t mention it to anyone else. He stayed by Li Yuanying’s side as much as possible, serving him, and whenever Li Yuanying took out those strange foods, he offered to try them first.
Li Yuanying generously shared his secret food with him.
Dai Ting gradually got used to it, occasionally helping Li Yuanying cover things up, so that others wouldn’t become suspicious of him.
As Li Yuanying grew older, some things became harder to hide. The Emperor Li Zhi, his older brother and ruler of the country, started to notice Li Yuanying.
Li Yuanying wanted to do more and more things.
Dai Ting originally thought that he would only serve Li Yuanying for his entire life, like the other eunuchs, growing old in the palace or in the fiefdoms of the princes.
But Li Yuanying told him that anyone could serve, he should do things that no one else could do—he should do things that no one else could replace.
Li Yuanying was different from everyone else.
He hoped that the people around him could all live their own lives.
Who would want to do something that could be replaced at any time for their entire lives?
Dai Ting, at least, didn’t want to.
Dai Ting took the prince to Gaochang, and for the first time, he felt what it meant to have boundless oceans for fish to leap in and endless skies for birds to fly.
Over the next few years, Dai Ting went to Luoyang, to Tubo, and to many other places.
Most of the people who went out with him at first accumulated a substantial fortune and soon married and had children.
Every time they went out together, they would discuss their parents at home, their new wives, and when they could return to see their wives and children. Some people who had been with him for a long time would even dare to ask him, “I heard that some eunuchs can also get married. Why don’t you marry one too, and adopt a few sons to enjoy your old age? That way, you’ll have a home to return to when you go back.”
Dai Ting, as always, was economical with his words, “No need.”
He didn’t need another family, he just needed a place to go. He didn’t need anything more.
When Dai Ting was dealing with the Duke of Yun in Luoyang, he had actually seen his older brother. When his brother saw his unusual status, he had a desire to recognize him, and fearing his refusal, he even sent his nephew to test him first.
Dai Ting still said, “No need.”
He didn’t resent his brother, and he didn’t even resent his parents for selling him to the palace to be cleansed and made a eunuch.
But he didn’t care about them either.
From the moment he boarded that ox cart headed for Chang’an, he had no relatives.
Dai Ting didn’t tell Li Yuanying about this.
He didn’t need parents or brothers, nor did he need descendants.
Later, the Emperor Li Zhi became suspicious of him because of the matter of Zhanpo, and asked him if he was willing to serve the court.
He refused without hesitation.
He didn’t need fame or fortune either.
This went on for many years. Dai Ting had crossed deserts, traversed grasslands, and sailed across oceans. He had been to every place where horses and carts could reach, and every place where ships could sail.
He had left behind many legends in numerous small and large countries, but he never stayed in one place for long. No matter how far he went, he always returned. His last voyage was to plant the flag of the Tang Dynasty and the flag of Prince Tang in a land that no Tang people had ever set foot on before.
He stayed on that continent for several months, leaving behind evidence that people from Prince Tang’s residence had been there before he set sail with shiploads of treasures.
His body could no longer endure any more voyages.
He returned to Prince Tang’s residence.
The prince, as he had done countless times before, enthusiastically pulled him to sit down, asking him what he had encountered on his journey, and what was different about that continent from the continent where the Tang Dynasty was located.
They talked late into the night, without any of the awkwardness of long separation.
The next day, several of the prince’s grandsons returned and treated Dai Ting with respect. The youngest one even ran over to hug his leg and asked if he had brought them gifts.
Dai Ting picked him up and took out gifts that he had prepared long ago to coax the little grandsons. Of course, he had prepared an extra set of each gift, specifically for the prince.
The prince accepted the gifts and was indeed very happy, proudly showing off to his grandsons, “You only have one of each, I have two of everything!”
Dai Ting held the young child and smiled.
No matter how old he was, the prince was still a child at heart.
He didn’t need another family, he just needed a place to go.
The gates of Prince Tang’s residence would always be open to him.
This was his home.
**Author’s Note:**
Little Prince: ? Grandsons?
Little Prince: Where are my granddaughters?
Update!
These past few days, the little prince has become the brightest star in all of Jinjiang! His nutrient solution has increased so much! He has taken first place! The articles on the romance cultivation list aren’t even replenishing much! It’s a pity!
But my friend said, but you’re going to end it!
qaq
Request for a female character √
Emperor Li Zhi √
Wu Mei √
Gao Yang √
Fat Fourth (Li Tai) is youthful and jade-like √
It’s Thursday tomorrow! The little prince is updating for the last week! Besides the after-life extra, it seems like all the things you requested have been written! After thinking about it carefully, it seems like someone also requested Chi Nu (Li Xian)! Chengqian (Li Chengqian) wearing a hanfu! Wu (Empress Wu) wearing a hanfu (this feels a bit repetitive with Li Zhi wearing a hanfu, and it’s not easy to write, because I haven’t researched Wu’s reign, so I won’t write that)! There’s also the Four Great Masters of Early Tang! Li Bai is a bit too far away, but it is said that some people have verified that Li Bai is actually the little prince’s descendant (x)
Have I not missed anything?! (Starting to forget)
Finally, another round of begging for nutrient solution qaq Sweet Spring has a little wish! I hope that the little prince can remain at the top of the cultivation list after it’s finished (even if it’s at the bottom)
After a week, the little prince will be a neglected child qaq
**Glossary:**
* **河南道**: Henan Road
* **李二陛下**: Emperor Li
* **东方之珠**: The Pearl of the East
* **滕王殿下**: Prince Tang
* **府**: Government Office or Official Residence
* **李元婴**: Li Yuanying
* **李泰**: Li Tai
* **李靖**: Li Jing
* **薛仁贵**: Xue Rengui
* **《卫公兵法》**: The Art of War by Wei Gong
* **滕州**: Tengzhou
* **傍竹鲜**: bamboo-shoot dish
* **幺叔**: Yu Shu
* **滕王阁**: Teng Wang Pavilion
* **狄仁杰**: Di Renjie
* **范阳卢氏**: Fanyang Lu Family
* **吐蕃**: Tubo
* **魏王府**: Wei Wang Fu
* **天竺**: Tianzhu
* **长安**: Chang’an
* **城阳**: Chengyang
* **上元节**: Shangyuan Festival
* **武媚**: Wu Mei
* **贡院**: Imperial Examination Hall
* **李治**: Li Zhi
* **庄子**: Zhuangzi
* **李承乾**: Li Chengqian
* **相州**: Xiangzhou
* **左仆射**: Left Prime Minister
* **《臣轨》**: Min Gui
* **国子监**: Imperial Academy
* **晋王府**: Jin Wang Fu
* **鸿胪寺**: Honglu Temple
* **长孙无忌**: Changsun Wuji
* **魏姝**: Wei Jiu
* **新罗**: Silla
* **柳宝林**: Liu Baolin
* **太上皇**: Taishang Huang
* **幺儿**: Yao’er
* **玄奘**: Xuanzang
* **弘福寺**: Hongfu Temple
* **大唐西域记**: Record of the Western Regions
* **侯君集**: Hou Junji
* **长孙皇后**: Empress Changsun
* **李承乾**: Li Chengqian
* **太原王氏**: The Wang Clan of Taiyuan
* **勋国公**: Duke of Xun Guo
* **平阳公主**: Princess Pingyang
* **魏征**: Wei Zheng
* **万国博览会**: International Expo
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