Chapter 91: Princess Jianling and Liu Ling

These five thugs patiently stalked Liu Li and her party all the way; because the Western Market was too crowded to make a move, they kept following until they reached this deserted official road, where they finally spurred their horses and blocked them.

Cao Xiang stood on the carriage step, their face flushing with anger at the insult: "How dare you! Do you know the Northern Army is stationed nearby?"

The leader, mounted on a tall steed, held a great sword in one hand and pointed at Cao Xiang: "I don't care who you are, make the other kid in the carriage hand over the golden smelting furnace."

"Golden smelting furnace?" Cao Xiang was startled for a moment.

Behind them, Huo Qubing stepped out of the carriage, standing coldly beside Cao Xiang and staring at the five thugs blocking the vehicle. The men wore masks, revealing only a pair of fierce, greedy eyes.

When he heard their demand, Huo Qubing instinctively raised his hand to grasp his side sword, but felt nothing; he then remembered he hadn't brought his sword today.

"You, kid—hand over the golden smelting furnace you won earlier, and we few will let you go; otherwise…" the thug leader brandished his great sword, eyes flashing with menace, and threatened: "Otherwise we'll kill you all."

Because they had just fled from the Imperial Academy, they had no guards with them. Cao Xiang thought that, being in Chang'an, the capital under the Son of Heaven, it should be safe and unlikely to encounter danger.

Who could have imagined these thugs daring to block the road and rob on an official highway—truly audacious.

The carriage driver, a horse slave only slightly older than Cao Xiang and Huo Qubing, was already terrified upon seeing these ferocious thugs; his trembling voice asked: "Lord, now… what should we do?"

Adding up the ages of the people in this carriage, they were probably still younger than the man opposite them; what should they do?

Cao Xiang, seeing his fear, sneered disdainfully: "I, the Lord, am not scared; what are you afraid of?"

"Enough chatter, hand over the item quickly." The leader opposite knew that a robbery required swift action; otherwise drawing the Northern Army would cause trouble.

Huo Qubing let out a snort: "What if I refuse?"

Cao Xiang quickly raised an arm and nudged Huo Qubing, lowering their voice: "They seem after the furnace you won; perhaps just give it to them."

"No." Huo Qubing refused decisively.

Cao Xiang frowned: "Wasn't it a gift for your uncle? When we return, I'll pick a few more from the private vault for you."

He thought Huo Qubing was great in every way, just a bit stubborn. At present they were clearly outnumbered; why wouldn't he trade the furnace for safety?

Huo Qubing glanced at Cao Xiang, then reached out and snatched the riding whip from the horse slave, leaping down from the carriage.

The thugs watched Huo Qubing's action, momentarily unable to figure out what the youth was doing /. 52g. g, d. /. Yet Huo Qubing gave them no chance to think, charging at them like a cheetah. The instant he closed in on the thugs, he swung the whip in his hand fiercely, instantly curling the horse's front hooves.

The horse beneath the thugs was startled, neighing and kicking its hooves high; just as a hoof seemed about to strike Huo Qubing's head, he performed a backward somersault, diving under the horse's belly to evade.

The thug leader riding the horse was flung off, crashing heavily onto the ground. The frightened horse reared and galloped away, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Seizing the opportunity, Huo Qubing rolled up from the ground, picked up the great sword that had fallen, and pointed its blade straight at the thug leader.

The whole sequence flowed in one breath, with no superfluous movement, striking directly at the enemy's vital point.

The swirling dust settled, and the dusk sunlight enveloped the youth, as if he himself were radiating golden light. He stood proudly before the crowd, a foot on the thug leader's chest, the great sword in his hand pressed across the leader's neck.

Cao Xiang, standing on the carriage, exclaimed: "Great, spectacular!"

Huo Qubing lowered his eyes to the leader he had stepped on, then turned to his brought companions: "Put down the weapons in your hands, or I'll cut off his head."

The remaining Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding stared at the scene, frozen in fear, and clanged their weapons onto the ground.

These people could hardly have imagined, even in their dreams, that a youngster of such age could, in the blink of an eye, subdue their leader—truly terrifying!

The leader under Huo Qubing's foot cursed and complained, especially unwilling to accept defeat. Huo Qubing's eyes hardened, and he raised the great sword to strike, the motion seeming truly to be about to behead him.

"Ah!" Inside the carriage, Liu Yue, who had been peeking through the window, saw Huo Qubing's move, as if envisioning a spray of blood, and screamed in fright, pulling her head back.

Huo Qubing heard the scream, his motion halted, and instinctively looked up toward the carriage, where he happened to see Liu Li also peeking from the window, eyes tightly shut from fear.

He paused, then chose not to swing the sword, and said to Cao Xiang: "Cao Xiang, you first escort the three princesses back to the palace; I'll deal with these people."

The other thugs, hearing Huo Qubing's words, were stunned: "Princess? Princess?" The girls in the carriage were princesses?

Even the leader under his foot stopped cursing; he had assumed those girls were either rich or noble, but never imagined they were princesses.

How could a princess appear in a place like the Western Market, a den of scum and chaos!

Yet before the thugs could abandon their leader and flee, soldiers of the Northern Army stationed nearby had already sensed something amiss and dispatched a small squad to investigate.

Leading the team was Wei Qing's friend Gongsun Ao; when he saw that the one stepping on the man was Huo Qubing, he was astonished: "Qubing, how did you end up here?"

Cao Xiang shouted: "Gongsun Ao, you arrived just in time!"

Gongsun Ao, seeing that Lord Pingyang Cao Xiang still stood on the nearby carriage, instantly understood and hurried: "Are the three princesses with you? The emperor already knows about your truancy and is ordering the Southern and Northern Armies to scour the city for you!"

Huo Qubing paused, then said: "These thugs attempted to rob us; I'll leave them to you. Let's quickly escort the three princesses back."

Gongsun Ao nodded: "Alright."

Huo Qubing dropped his great sword, then picked up the whip he had thrown on the ground, walked over and handed it to the carriage driver. Cao Xiang praised him: "Huo youngster, you were truly brave just now! Like a fierce boar, I admire you."

"If you practice martial arts diligently every day without slackening, you can be this brave too." Huo Qubing calmly accepted Cao Xiang's compliment, lowered his head, and entered the carriage.

Liu Ling, chattering, began to flatter him: "Cousin, you're amazing; you're as great as Uncle!"

Compared with Cao Xiang's boar analogy, Huo Qubing clearly preferred Liu Ling's praise; he slightly lifted his lips: "I'm still not as good as Uncle, but soon I can catch up to him."

"Yeah, yeah, cousin is the best." Liu Ling nodded vigorously.

Liu Li recalled Huo Qubing's fluid, cloud‑like movements and his carefree stomping of the enemy leader, raised her hand to applaud him, sincerely praising: "Shoot the rider before the horse, capture the thief by taking the king first. Huo youngster is truly impressive!"

Truly, he lives up to being the future invincible cavalry general of the Great Han!

Flushed with a faint joy from Liu Li's praise, Huo Qubing repeated Liu Li's words: "Shoot the rider before the horse, capture the thief by taking the king first… Princess Jianling, good summary! Actually I hadn't thought much earlier; after all, I alone couldn't defeat five opponents, so I aimed to take down their leader first."

That line actually comes from a Tang poet Du Fu, and the scene just now perfectly matched it.

"That's why I'm praising you; you don't seem as reckless as before," Liu Li said with a smile.

He nodded: "It's also thanks to you, princess, that I've read more and studied."

Liu Yue, seeing Huo Qubing and Liu Li chatting so well, felt an inexplicable pang, and noticing Huo Qubing's hand seemed injured, she called out lightly: "Cousin, is your hand hurt?"

A scrape had appeared on the back of Huo Qubing's hand, clearly from rubbing the ground, already oozing a bead of blood. He brushed it off: "A minor wound, it's fine."

"It's bleeding; how can that be a minor wound?" Liu Yue took a silk handkerchief from herself, then firmly grasped Huo Qubing's wrist, refusing to let go: "I'll bandage it for you first, then go to the Fragrant Hall later to give you some medicine."

With Liu Yue holding his hand, Huo Qubing couldn't shake her off; instinctively he looked at Liu Li, only to see her calmly staring at his injured hand.

"I have antiseptic iodine here; let's disinfect his wound first," Liu Li quickly purchased a bottle of iodine from the system mall, then pretended to take it out of her bag and handed it to Liu Yue.

Liu Yue's movement paused; she turned her head cautiously toward the oddly colored object in Liu Li's hand, unwilling to take it.

"Mouthpiece," Liu Ling said: "What is this thing, the color is so strange, you aren't trying to make my cousin's wound fester, are you?"

Liu Li: "?" She had specially exchanged it with her precious points, and it was regarded like this?!

Huo Qubing: "A Ling, you must not talk nonsense!"

Liu Li snorted, not really angry, and raised an eyebrow: "Fine, Mr. Dong Guo and the wolf, the farmer and the snake, Lu Dongbin and the dog, Princess Jianling and Liu Ling."

Liu Ling listened with a bewildered expression, completely unable to understand Liu Li's sarcasm.

Liu Li was also speechless.

Arguing with an ancient person, and the other side couldn't catch her joke, felt like a punch landing on cotton—so boring. She said irritably: "I was saying you don't understand a good person's heart; since you don't want this iodine solution, fine, I don't intend to give it anyway."

After saying that, she prepared to put the iodine solution away, intending to take it home for herself later.

Unexpectedly, Huo Qubing suddenly reached out, snatched the iodine solution from Liu Li's hand, gripping it tightly in his palm, his eyes clear as he said: "I need it."

Liu Li was startled, then turned her gaze to Liu Ling, smiling: "It seems your cousin would rather let his wound fester, just to get the divine medicine bestowed by the heavens."

Liu Ling: "......"

Huo Qubing said gravely: "I trust the princess."

At this moment Cao Xiang returned from outside the carriage: "I've already explained the situation to Gongsun Ao; we can now return to Weiyang Palace... Hmm? What were you just talking about?"

The carriage slowly started, Liu Li leaned against the carriage compartment, leisurely saying: "Little cousin, let me tell you a few fable stories."

Cao Xiang became interested, nodded and said: "Alright, I love listening to stories the most."

"I'll start by telling you a story about a dog biting Lu Dongbin." Liu Li's lips curled with a mischievous smile as she began: "It is said that the celestial Erlang True Lord had a dog named Xiaotian Dog…"

Liu Li's story finished amid the clatter of the carriage wheels, and Cao Xiang, after listening, slapped his thigh: "That Xiaotian Dog is really no good; Lu Dongbin kindly rescued it, and it still bites people!"

Finally understanding the meaning behind Liu Li's earlier words, Liu Ling's face turned red with anger.

Huo Qubing quietly looked at Liu Li's radiant demeanor, and subtly curled his lips.

"Any more stories?" Cao Xiang asked.

Liu Li: "I'll tell you another story about Mr. Dong Guo and the wolf."

So on the way back to Weiyang Palace, Liu Li recounted all three fable stories consecutively; before Cao Xiang could comment, Jiaofang Hall had already arrived.

Liu Li, satisfied, slung her bag onto her back: "I've arrived, I'll go back first; see you at the Imperial Academy tomorrow."

Cao Xiang also prepared to stand: "A Li, let me escort you inside; if Uncle and Aunt blame you, I can intercede for you."

Liu Li wasn't afraid that her skipping class would be punished by her parents: "No need, the Emperor and Empress won't blame me."

She said that, waved her hand, and walked out of the carriage compartment very gracefully.

Liu Li said she wasn't afraid of her parents' reproach, but once she stepped onto the steps of Jiaofang Hall, an inexplicable anxiety rose in her heart.

After all, skipping class isn't a pleasant thing to admit, especially when ten people skipped together.

"Princess, why are you crouching at the doorway?" a curious palace maid called from behind.

Inside the great hall, Chen Ajiao and Liu Che clearly heard the maid's words; Chen Ajiao said: "Since you're back, come in."

Liu Li had to steel herself and walk into the great hall; seeing her parents already seated, ready for dinner, she unusually obediently called out: "Father Emperor, Mother Empress."

Liu Che lifted his eyelid, gave her a glance, and raised an eyebrow: "You even remembered to come back?"

Liu Li nodded: "This is a daughter's home, of course I have to come back."

Liu Che slapped his chopsticks on the table with a snap: "Dong Zhongshu has already filed a report to Xuanshi Hall; you still don't reflect?"

After all, the class was missing people, and they were all imperial relatives; the teaching Grand Tutor informed the principal Dong Zhongshu, who first sent people to search the Imperial Academy and discovered that the back door's lock had been opened.

Considering the possibility that several children had skipped school, Dong Zhongshu directly reported to the Son of Heaven.

Liu Li pursed her lips to admit fault: "Daughter knows she's wrong; next time I definitely won't skip class. If I skip again, you'll break my leg!"

Hearing Liu Li's words, Liu Che held his breath in his heart, and finally said irritably: "Did you assume I wouldn't break your leg?"

Liu Li giggled, hurried to stand between Liu Che and Chen Ajiao, looking up at them with her small face: "Of course, because I know the Emperor and Empress love me the most."

Chen Ajiao raised her hand and patted her daughter's forehead: "Alright, next time even if you want to go out to play, you must tell the academy's scholars; otherwise, if you disappear, people will truly worry."

"Okay okay, A Li, I understand; next time I definitely won't sneak out."

Chen Ajiao: "Put down your bag and come eat."

Actually, Liu Li had already eaten her fill at the market that afternoon, but to "atone," she decided to come over and eat a little with her parents.

She handed her bag to a palace maid, asking her to return it to her room, then climbed onto a chair to sit beside Chen Ajiao, ready to eat.

"By the way, Father Emperor, Mother Empress, did you receive the note I had Aunt Fuqu deliver this morning?" Liu Li asked while eating rice, inquiring about recent court affairs.

Liu Che said: "The Substitution Field Method you wrote looks pretty good, but it still needs testing before it can be promoted throughout the Great Han."

Liu Li nodded: "Indeed, it does need to be practiced first."

Liu Che raised his eyebrows and said: "I've already ordered the agricultural officials to experiment using your method; if successful, we'll adopt this Substitution Field Method from now on." He paused, then couldn't help praising: "I didn't expect our A Li also knows about agriculture."

Liu Li, not daring to outshine the ancients, quickly said: "Father Emperor, I know the Great Han values filial piety and integrity, but when selecting officials, the criteria can be relaxed a bit, choosing more capable people. For example, those skilled at farming could be appointed as agricultural officials, and devise more farming methods to meet future situations."

Liu Che, hearing Liu Li's suggestion, nodded thoughtfully: "That is indeed a good idea."

"Even with A Li's Substitution Field Method, we can't neglect canal construction," Liu Che began: "After today's discussion with the ministers, I think building canals is still very necessary."

Liu Li, hearing Liu Che say he still plans to build canals, quickly nodded: "Yes, yes, I also think this is a very necessary matter."

Indeed, if this timeline were left untouched, events would still occur. Historical records show that Emperor Wu of Han began constructing the canal system in 129 BC!

Having his thought approved by his daughter, Liu Che felt an inexplicable joy.

After a simple dinner, Liu Li said goodbye to her parents and returned to her room.

Zhuqing came in to untie Liu Li's hair, saw her take out everything from her bag, and asked with a smile: "Princess, what did you do during this skip class?"

Liu Li was startled, turned her gaze to Zhuqing: "Even you know about my skipping class?"

Zhuqing chuckled lightly: "Not only the maid, everyone in Weiyang Palace knows."

Liu Li fell silent, no wonder Liu Che was so angry earlier. She pursed lips, laid out the bag's contents on the table, then picked two beautiful wooden hairpins and handed them to Zhuqing: "These are for you and Qiao."

Zhuqing, unreservedly, gladly received: "Thank you, Princess."

Liu Li looked at the items on the table, but her gaze was drawn to something at the far edge: "Huh?" She picked it up, unfolded the cloth covering the package, and stared at the gilded incense burner glittering with golden light, falling into contemplation.

How did this thing end up in her bag?

Wasn't Huo Qubing going to give it to his uncle as a wedding gift? When they were robbed earlier, he hadn't been willing to hand it over, so how did it suddenly end up in her bag?

Zhuqing asked curiously, "Princess, what is this thing?"

Liu Li set the censer in her hand on her small table and admired the gilded censer up close; the carved patterns on it were even clearer to see, and the openwork dragon head at the top was vividly lifelike.

"This thing..." Liu Li sighed in her heart. In the future, two thousand years from now, it would become a national treasure. But at this time, it was merely an ordinary gilded censer.

"Huo Qubing must have accidentally left it in my bag. I'll take it to the Imperial Academy tomorrow and return it to him." As Liu Li spoke, she wrapped the censer in cloth again and put it back in her bag.

Zhuqing said, "It seems the Princess had a wonderful time playing outside this time."

Liu Li tilted her head in thought, then nodded and said, "Yes, having friends for company is naturally delightful." Although Sister Yan'er and Sister Yuan didn't seem to like the market much, being around them still put her at ease.

Zhuqing said softly, "Before, the Princess didn't seem like a child of this age, but I feel that the Princess now is becoming more and more like a child."

Liu Li was taken aback and raised an eyebrow, "Am I?"

"You are," Zhuqing said. "Before, the Princess always acted like a little adult. Even with the favor of His Majesty and Xiao Jun, it was as if you were on guard against something. Now the Princess is just like an ordinary child, and even acts coquettishly toward His Majesty and Xiao Jun."

"Then... is this change in me good or bad?" Liu Li asked softly.

Zhuqing nodded firmly, "Of course it's good. I hope the Princess will always be as happy as today."

Liu Li blinked and replied with a smile, "All right."

The next day, Liu Li went to the Imperial Academy and, during the midday break, ran to Huo Qubing's class to find him.

She called him out to the pavilion in the middle of the lake at the Imperial Academy, raised an eyebrow, and asked him, "Did you lose something?"

Huo Qubing frowned, "What?"

Liu Li took the gilded censer out of her bag, "The thing you protected with your life yesterday. You didn't even notice it was gone?" She handed the item to him as she spoke.

But Huo Qubing didn't take it; he even took a step back, "This... this is for you."

Liu Li: "?"

She looked at him oddly, "Isn't this a wedding gift for your uncle?"

Huo Qubing stammered, "It was originally meant to..."

Liu Li cut him off, "Young Master Huo, you've got it wrong. The one marrying your uncle isn't me. I have no desire to be your future aunt."

Huo Qubing: "?"

He was stunned for a long while before saying, "What... what nonsense are you talking about? I saw how much you liked this censer yesterday, so I signed up for the dragon boat race. This... this was always meant to be won for you."

Hearing his words, Liu Li was also stunned, "Won for me? Not a gift for your uncle?"

"No," Huo Qubing replied. "I prepared my uncle's wedding gift long ago. This gilded censer is, is for you."

Liu Li held the censer in her hand and asked in puzzlement, "If it was for me, why did you say yesterday that it was for your uncle?"

Huo Qubing looked down at his toes, the rims of his ears reddening, "Yesterday... there were too many people yesterday."

"Why give it to me?"

"Didn't you like this?" Huo Qubing recalled how Liu Li had stared fixedly at this gilded censer yesterday and immediately concluded that she liked it.

"Then your cousin likes this too, why don't you give it to her?"

"I... I didn't notice that my cousin liked it too." Huo Qubing scratched his head and thought of an excuse, "Besides, you gave me that divine medicine yesterday, so let this censer be a return gift."

Hearing this, Liu Li curved her lips into a smile, "All right, since you put it that way, I'll accept it. Thank you."