Chapter 6

Leaving his courtyard, Li Kuan began a new day. Today, he was going to the school, although due to his frail health since childhood, his attendance was often sporadic. However, when he felt better, he still had to go, and this was a matter that allowed no leniency.

First, he had to pay respects to the Crown Prince, which was a daily necessity. Then, he would go to school with Li Chengxun, Li Chenggan, Li Tai, and Li Ke.

Those who could enter the palace to provide enlightenment education to the royal children were all great scholars of the time, such as Kong Yingda, who had previously visited the Qin王府, and Wei Zheng, who served under the Crown Prince Li Jiancheng. They were all responsible for this task, but it seemed that the results were not good.

Upon arriving at the school, there was only one classroom, with a dozen desks arranged in two rows. However, only four desks were on one side, and the rest were on the other. At this moment, Li Chengxun, Li Chengde, and the others were sitting on the side with more desks.

Their father was the Crown Prince, so they lived in the Eastern Palace, and the school was right next to it, which was why they arrived early.

"Hey! Our great scholar Li Kuan is here today? That's quite rare!" Li Chengxun said sarcastically. Yesterday, Li Kuan's harsh words had caused them a lot of trouble. The shock at the time and the punishment they received after returning to the palace had left them in a state of extreme distress. In his mind, all of this was due to this sickly boy. What was originally a small matter, or even nothing, had turned into a major issue because of him. So, it was all this guy's fault!

"What, is there a rule that says who can't come to this school?" Li Chenggan, as the eldest brother, spoke up first.

"Of course not, but I just think that Li Kuan, the second son of the Li family, is so talented that it would be a waste for him to study with us!" Li Chengxun replied.

"Are you in charge here? Even the teacher hasn't said I can't come, and you want to drive me away! Besides, the teachers who instruct us are great scholars like Mr. Kong Yingda, Mr. Wei Zheng, and even the Crown Prince's teacher, Mr. Li Gang. Their knowledge is vast like the sea. How could they not be able to teach a small child like me? Do you need to evaluate me? Have you not learned to respect your teachers?" Li Kuan spoke up from behind Li Chenggan.

"Um..." Li Chengxun was just a child of about ten. His previous words were just out of anger, and he hadn't expected Li Kuan's response to be so sharp, leaving him momentarily speechless.

"Since you're not saying anything, we'll sit down!" Li Kuan sat down directly, and Li Chenggan, Li Tai, and the others followed suit.

Just as they had sat down for a short while, Mr. Li Gang arrived. He was the principal of this royal primary school and also the mentor of the current Crown Prince Li Jiancheng. This old gentleman had also been the mentor of Emperor Yang of Sui, but due to the tyrannical nature of Emperor Yang, Mr. Li Gang felt that he had failed to educate the former crown prince properly, so he resigned and went into seclusion during the Sui Dynasty. It wasn't until the establishment of the Tang Dynasty that Emperor Li Yuan invited him out of seclusion to become Li Jiancheng's teacher, and to teach these children as well.

"Good morning, Mr.!" All the children stood up and greeted him.

"Sit down!" Mr. Li Gang said, his voice low and resonant. He turned his head and looked at the two rows of desks, which were clearly divided, and shook his head slightly. "Today, we will study Zhou Xingshi's 'Thousand Character Classic.' I will read a sentence, and you will follow me!"

The 'Thousand Character Classic' was compiled during the Southern Dynasties period by Emperor Wu of Liang, who selected 1,000 non-repeating characters from Wang Xizhi's calligraphy and asked Zhou Xingshi to compile them into a text. It became the first 'Thousand Character Classic' in Chinese history and has since been a required text for children's enlightenment.

"Heaven is dark, earth is yellow, the universe is vast and ancient." Mr. Li Gang read, swaying his head. The dozen or so children behind him also swayed their heads, which made Li Kuan feel very uncomfortable. This wasn't like taking a pill that made you shake your head! So, Li Kuan, although he was reading along, sat very loosely and casually, forming a stark contrast with the others who were kneeling and swaying their heads seriously.

"Brothers and siblings share the same roots." Mr. Li Gang taught for a while, then opened his eyes slightly and looked at the princes and nobles who were swaying their heads and reading along. He stroked his beard and smiled slightly. However, his eyes suddenly fixed on Li Kuan, who was sitting cross-legged.

"Alright, let's stop here. You've been studying this 'Thousand Character Classic' for several years now. The youngest, Li Tai, has been studying for two years. Now, I'll test you. Li Chengxun, what comes after 'households are granted eight counties, families are given a thousand soldiers'?"

"Mr., it is: 'high hats accompany the imperial carriage, driving the chariots and shaking the tassels. Generations enjoy lavish wealth, carriages are light and horses are fat!'" Li Chengxun stood up and answered.

"What does it mean?"

"These ministers and nobles all wear high hats and accompany the emperor and empress on their tours, driving chariots and shaking the tassels." Li Chengxun answered.

"Very good. Li Kuan, where does the 'Thousand Character Classic' come from? Explain it to me!" Mr. Li Gang called out Li Kuan.

"Um..." As a modern person who had traveled back in time, Li Kuan had not studied the 'Thousand Character Classic' in depth. He didn't know these things, and the memories of his predecessor were also vague. He could follow along with the reading, but he couldn't answer such questions.

"Why can't you answer? Aren't you known for your quick wit? I heard from the emperor yesterday about your deeds." Mr. Li Gang's voice remained calm, but it made Li Kuan's face turn red.

"Really, I shouldn't have done that. If Li Tai got beaten, so be it. What does it have to do with me? I just stuck my neck out and now I'm in trouble!" Li Kuan cursed inwardly, but he had no plan.

"Sit down! You haven't learned anything, but you know how to show off your cleverness. Your mind is not settled, and you're already learning to manipulate people!" Mr. Li Gang sighed. In his view, Li Kuan was already frail and couldn't learn martial arts like his brothers. Focusing on literature would have been good, but yesterday, when he heard Li Yuan talk about Li Kuan, he found it hard to believe that this boy could turn a small dispute into a matter of national importance. Was it really true that the royal family had no close ties? Or were they all full of deceit and intrigue?

So, when he saw Li Kuan come to school today, he couldn't help but test him and give him a warning.

"I will remember your teachings! I have learned my lesson!" Li Kuan lowered his head. He knew that this man would later become Li Chenggan's teacher, teaching three crown princes, but none of them would have a good end. However, his status among scholars remained unshaken. He was a great scholar of the early Tang Dynasty, a literary master. Even now, his adoptive father, Li Er, would give him some respect. In an era dominated by scholars, the status of a great scholar was very high.

Li Kuan sat down as instructed, but in his heart, he grumbled: Why is it that when I travel back in time, I don't get any advantages? Others have golden fingers and golden legs, but I have nothing. Others can show off and flirt, but I'm just a sickly boy. Others can talk their way out of anything, but I end up in a bind! Is it because the supporting characters in others' stories have low IQs? The people I've met in the past few days, except for children under ten, are all sharp-witted, like Changsun, Chang Shi, Li Yuan, and Li Gang. Without any advantages, I can't compete with them! I have to find some advantages when I get back!

As Li Kuan was lost in thought, the school day ended. He returned to the Qin王府 with his three brothers. Upon returning, he hurriedly went back to his courtyard without even responding to Li Tai's farewell.

Back in the courtyard, he instructed the maids not to disturb him and then went into his room to experiment: First, he checked all his accessories to see if there was anything special, or if there was an old man hiding inside.

The result was that he smashed three jade pendants, broke two hairpins, and took apart two belts, but found nothing!

Could it be a physical mutation? Could it be the legendary superpowers?

So, he tried: I spit water, I spit fire. The result was that he spat out water, but it was just saliva. When he tried to spit fire, he only made himself dizzy and ended up with a headache, and finally, he just farted!

What about being impervious to weapons, having a photographic memory, or moving objects with his mind?

Li Kuan started to abuse himself. He saw a few decorative vases in the room and tried to move them with his mind, but after a lot of effort, he only ended up sweating profusely with no results.

What about a photographic memory? He opened a book, but it was all in traditional characters, which he wasn't familiar with. He read an article, guessing and guessing, but the words in his head turned into a mess!

As for being invincible, that was definitely not the case, because during the experiments, Li Kuan fell several times and even scraped his elbow. There was no need to continue the self-abuse.

"Damn, why do I have nothing?" Li Kuan raised two middle fingers to the sky. Then, he returned to his room, feeling depressed, and threw himself on the bed, not wanting to move at all.

"Without any advantages, how can I compete with the famous Li Er and the virtuous ministers of the Zhen Guan era? These people are not the kind you can avoid just by not wanting to deal with them. They will write the most glorious chapter in the history of the Tang Dynasty over the next few decades. If I can't participate, I will be a failure as a time traveler. But if I get involved, without any outstanding support or abilities, how can I compete with them?" Li Kuan didn't know what to do.

"Second Prince, the Princess Consort requests your presence!" Just as Li Kuan was lost in thought, a maid came in to report.

"I'll go right away!" Li Kuan got up from the bed, tidied his clothes, and followed the maid out.