Chapter 67

The carriage creaked as it moved along the official road outside the city, sunlight streaming through the windows into the carriage. Inside were four young ones, two boys and two girls. One of them was particularly chubby, taking up nearly half of the carriage space. The other three had to huddle on the other side, fortunately, there was still a little one who didn't take up much room, otherwise, it would have been questionable whether the carriage could fit them all.

Around the carriage, over a dozen knights were guarding, with a few leading the way and a few sturdy men on either side. They all wore armor and carried sabers at their waists, vigilantly watching their surroundings. Although the Crown Prince had reduced the pressure on the Qin王府 recently, it was unlikely that he would target a few young lords and ladies, but the necessary security for the Qin Prince's children's outing was still essential, especially without any adults accompanying them.

Chang'an City appeared calm like a still pond, but beneath the surface, there were turbulent undercurrents. Therefore, the safety of the four young ones was the top priority. Besides the dozen or so guards in plain sight, there was also a team secretly following them. Shadows flitted through the grass and treetops, barely noticeable, leaving only the slight rustling of leaves as evidence of their presence.

"Second Brother, how much longer? It's so uncomfortable in here, I can't even stretch my limbs!" the chubby one complained.

"Qingque, I've told you to lose weight, but look at you now, you're getting fatter. If you keep this up, you'll turn into a pig!" Li Kuan said irritably to the chubby one. He really didn't know what to say about Li Tai, who ate too much at every meal and didn't like to exercise. What else could he do but gain weight?

"But Qingque has been trying to exercise!" Li Lizhi defended him.

"Running two laps in his own courtyard every day? That's not exercise. Wei runs faster than him!" Li Kuan replied irritably.

"It's already a big improvement. Now Qingque only eats two meals a day, skipping breakfast and late-night snacks!" Li Lizhi saw Li Tai shrink to a corner of the carriage, looking pitiful, and felt a bit sorry for him.

"Wei runs faster than Fourth Brother!" Little Nianwei clapped her hands and laughed.

"You little rascal!" Li Lizhi gave the little one a disapproving look.

"Alright, I'll think of a way. Qingque can't keep getting fatter. This is a disease, and it needs to be treated!" Li Kuan had come out to relax, but he felt that Li Tai's issue was urgent. A 1.5-meter-tall boy weighing 150 pounds was seriously overweight. He wondered why the other siblings were so slim while Li Tai just gained weight.

"Second Brother, I understand. I will definitely lose weight." Li Tai finally spoke. He didn't like his weight either. The Crown Prince's cousins had been whispering and saying unpleasant things behind his back, which made him feel uncomfortable.

"I think we should invite Mr. Sun Simiao to see you soon. Father has his token!" Li Kuan said no more and looked out the window at the scenery.

Yushan was thirty miles from Chang'an City. A river called Dongyang River wound around this small mountain, which was lush with green trees. The mountain paths were winding and barely visible, slowly leading up the mountain. Halfway up was a pavilion, next to the Dongyang River, which flowed directly from the mountain, forming a waterfall. The pavilion was built not far from the waterfall, and the sound of the waterfall, muffled by the layers of trees, was barely audible here.

The carriage stopped at the foot of the mountain, and the four young ones got off. Li Tai looked at the sun and felt a bit dizzy. Climbing the mountain in such weather was like torture for him, but seeing Li Kuan and Li Lizhi's enthusiasm, he had to suppress his thoughts.

Little Nianwei ran happily at the front, her short legs taking light steps, and her pink bow flying on her head. Seeing the wildflowers by the roadside, she picked a handful and ran back.

"Sister, it's fragrant, just like Second Brother!" The little one handed the flowers to Li Lizhi, letting her smell them.

"Um, really fragrant!" Li Lizhi pretended to sniff a few times and then smiled.

"Hehe..." The little one was delighted, her mouth wide open in a happy smile, then she ran over to Li Kuan: "Second Brother, make a flower crown." She handed the wildflowers to Li Kuan and looked at him with big, blinking eyes.

"Okay, Second Brother will make a flower crown for Wei!" Li Kuan was a bit depressed by the little one's words, but seeing her expectant face, he felt nothing. These two little ones had made his life more enjoyable over the years. Without them, he might have been driven mad by the繁琐的礼节. They made him feel free and light every day, helping him adapt to this era.

The environment can change a person. Even if you hold the truth, when everyone says it's wrong, the truth becomes a fallacy. You can either isolate yourself and live a lonely life, or blend in and become as ignorant as those around you. Li Kuan came from the future, his thoughts already formed, and it wasn't easy to change. But in an era where the authority of the ruler was supreme, if you wanted to promote equality, you would be considered a heretic, labeled a rebel, and nailed to the pillar of shame.

Because of Li Lizhi and Little Nianwei, they became a buffer between Li Kuan and this era. Their innocence allowed Li Kuan to express some modern ideas, easing his suppressed personality. So, Li Kuan's affection for these two little ones was understandable. They were not just his sisters but also the lubricant that helped him better integrate into this era.

Without Li Lizhi and Little Nianwei, Li Kuan might have clashed with Changsun, who came from a traditional feudal aristocratic family, due to their differing views. Even though Changsun was kind, when it came to major issues and the interests of the Qin王府, necessary sacrifices would be made without hesitation. For example, soon after the opening of the Wine Immortal Inn, to keep the recipe secret, Changsun had a cleanup of the servants who had access to it. Li Kuan never saw some faces again after that. From then on, he withdrew from the management of the Wine Immortal Inn and did nothing every day until now.

Human life is cheap, and in troubled times, people are worse off than dogs in peaceful times. Li Kuan had only read these words in books before, but after that incident, he realized that sometimes human life was indeed no different from roadside weeds.

Thinking about these things, Li Kuan's hands didn't stop. He quickly formed a circle with a few thin branches and inserted the wildflowers into the gaps, making a small flower crown: "Come, Second Brother will put it on Wei!" He put the flower crown on the little one's head and praised her: "Um, really beautiful, even prettier than Sister Lizhi!"

The little one had grown up with Li Lizhi, and as the saying goes, "near vermilion, one becomes red; near ink, one becomes black." The little one also had the habit of being praised, nodding her head like a chick pecking at rice: "Um, Wei is beautiful!"

Li Lizhi felt a bit jealous. Before the little one came, the first flower crown Second Brother made was always for her. Now, there was competition, and the first one was often the little one nodding her head. But Li Lizhi didn't want to argue with her: "I'm a big girl, I don't quarrel with little kids, yes, that's right." Li Lizhi consoled herself, but she still envied the flower crown on Little Nianwei's head.

"Second Brother, I want one too!" Li Lizhi quietly pulled Li Kuan's sleeve and pouted.

"Okay, Second Brother will make one for Lizhi too!" It wasn't much trouble, and there were still plenty of wildflowers left. He made one for Li Lizhi.

In a few quick moves, another one was ready. Li Lizhi put it on, her long black hair flowing like silk, and she wore a green palace dress, looking like a beautiful little girl. With the flower crown on her head, she seemed like a fairy of the mountain. Her face was smiling, her eyebrows like willow leaves in the spring breeze, her eyes like clear autumn water, and her small mouth like a cherry, making her look almost breathtakingly beautiful at that moment.

Next to her, the little one, also in green, with a flower crown on her head, looked like a lively little fairy dancing among the flowers, full of vitality.

"Wow, Wei is the prettiest!" The little one was very proud, her head held high, and her big eyes squinted like a cat's.

"Alright, no more gloating. Let's go boating and fishing!" Li Kuan decided on the next activity, looking at Li Tai wiping his sweat. He had to give up the idea of climbing the mountain, but boating on the Dongyang River was also a good option. The country was just beginning to recover, and there weren't many people coming here for outings, as the nation was still in the process of rebuilding.

"Fish!" The little one ran over first at the mention of boating and fishing, still thinking about the carp.

Li Lizhi was also very happy. She loved going out with Li Kuan. Before Little Nianwei was adopted by Changsun, Li Kuan would take her out to play. Back then, it was just the two of them, and sometimes they would sneak out of the city. The Qin王府 was not far from the Tonghua Gate, so they could easily slip out and play for half a day before returning. Later, with the addition of Little Nianwei and Li Tai, Li Lizhi hadn't had a chance to play with just her Second Brother for a long time.

At the riverside, a small boat was already prepared. Although most northerners didn't know how to row, Li Kuan, who grew up by the Yangtze River, could swim and row a boat, which he had already proven on a previous visit.

The boat's edges were specially treated with a railing to prevent the overly active little one from falling into the water. The gaps between the railings allowed one to stick their head out but not their body, ensuring they wouldn't fall in.

Li Kuan got on the boat first. A small dock was built here, small but sufficient for one or two boats. The water flowed slowly and quietly, and the Dongyang River in this section looked like a piece of greenish-blue amber.

"Second Brother, Lizhi will pass Wei to you!" Li Lizhi held the little one on the dock, preparing to pass her to the boat. She did this because the little one was particular about who held her, and unfamiliar people would make her cry. The guards nearby would cause her to wail if they tried to hold her.