Chapter 128: A Friendly Spar (Plea for Monthly Votes)

When it comes to playing, especially with young children, Liu Yitiao is quite experienced. At home, whenever he had a moment of leisure, little Liu Xiaohui would pester him, and he, in turn, would do everything in his power to amuse his only younger sister.

Rock-paper-scissors, "Stick, Tiger, Chicken," picking up pebbles, spinning tops, tossing beanbags, or knotting ropes—anything he had played as a child, he brought out for Liu Xiaohui. In the modern world, these games might be common, but here, they were incredibly novel. Every one of them had Liu Xiaohui jumping and cheering with delight.

So, when little Zhinu asked to play with him, Liu Yitiao gladly agreed and warmly invited the future young emperor into his quarters.

"Please sit, Your Highness!" Liu Yitiao gestured for Xiao Suo to serve tea, then smiled and asked softly, "Your Highness, what made you think of coming to play with me? I believe we have only met twice in total, haven't we?"

Little Zhinu lowered his head, a bit timidly, and whispered, "Because Zhinu thinks you are a good teacher. You aren't like the eunuchs and palace maids who are always afraid when they see me and dare not play with me. I wanted to play with you. My mother used to play with me, but now she is ill, and my elder brother and fourth brother are very busy, so there is no one left to play with..."

"Oh, I see..." Liu Yitiao’s expression dimmed. He reached out to gently pat little Zhinu’s head—what a pitiful child, growing up in the palace without a shred of childhood joy. "Don't worry, Your Highness. Whenever you feel bored, you are welcome to come here, and I will play with you."

"Alright," Liu Yitiao stood up, clapped his hands, and said with a gentle smile, "Come, Your Highness, today I will teach you a fun guessing game called 'Stick, Tiger, Chicken'."

A stick beats a tiger, a tiger eats a chicken, a chicken eats a worm, and a worm eats a stick! It was a simple circular game, but the fun within it was endless.

"Stick!"
"Chicken!"
"Stick!"
"Tiger!"

"Haha, Teacher Liu, you lost! You lost!" Little Zhinu stood up triumphantly, tilting his little head to look at Liu Yitiao. "Quick, put your nose forward! It’s my turn to flick your nose! Hmph!"

Little Zhinu touched his own little nose, which had been turned bright red by Liu Yitiao’s flick, and let out a retaliatory snort.

"Uh, Your Highness, shall we call it a day for now?" Losing such a game to a small child felt quite embarrassing, so Liu Yitiao tried to change the subject. "Look, it’s getting late. Your Highness should head back, or the Empress will be worried."

"No, Teacher Liu, don't try to cheat!" Little Zhinu was not so easily fooled. He put his hands behind his back, looking like a little adult. "The teacher who teaches me my lessons said that one must have integrity to establish one's standing. You cannot break your word, Teacher! I want to flick your nose!"

"Oh?" He truly was a future emperor; even at such a young age, he knew how to quote the classics and split hairs.

Although it was embarrassing, he couldn't let a child look down on him. Seeing that no one was around, Liu Yitiao resolutely stretched out his head, placed his nose in front of little Zhinu, and closed his eyes, awaiting the cruel blow.

"Hmm, never mind." Little Zhinu lowered his head and thought for a moment, then retracted his hand. He said to Liu Yitiao with great solemnity, "My mother said one must be respectful to teachers. I will let you off this time. Teacher, shall we play again?"

"This?" Liu Yitiao opened his eyes, looking at little Zhinu in astonishment. Was this something a child could say? He felt a surge of admiration for Empress Zhangsun; to raise a child with such manners, she was truly worthy of being the mother of the nation.

"Very well! Your Highness, let's play again!" Liu Yitiao pulled his head back and threw out his hand again. "Worm!"

After a round of the game, although little Zhinu lost more than he won, he was incredibly happy; his little mouth almost never stopped smiling. He had never been this happy in his entire life.

"Your Highness, Prince of Jin," Xiao Dezi walked in from outside and bowed. "It is nearly noon, and time for your midday meal. The Empress has sent me to escort you back."

"Oh." Little Zhinu nodded, gave Liu Yitiao a slightly reluctant look, stood up, and bowed. "Teacher Liu, the hour is late. I must take my leave. If I have time in the future, I will come to play with you again."

Liu Yitiao also stood up and smiled. "As I said, Your Highness, if you feel bored, you are welcome to come anytime; I will certainly keep you company. Come, let me see you out."

Liu Yitiao bowed as he saw little Zhinu and Xiao Dezi off. Looking at the sky, it was indeed noon, with the sun hanging overhead, making one feel languid. Time had truly passed quickly; it felt as if they had only played a few rounds, and the morning was already gone.

"Xiao Suo," Liu Yitiao called out softly. "Go fetch two chairs; let's sit in the courtyard for a while and soak up the sun."

"Yes, sir. Right away." Xiao Suo responded and went into the room to fetch the chairs.

Liu Yitiao leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and faced the early spring midday sun, enjoying this moment of leisure.

The Empress’s complexion had improved slightly. As long as she followed that diet, in another ten days or a fortnight, the symptoms caused by heavy metal poisoning would gradually disappear. That could be considered the resolution of a fatal threat to Empress Zhangsun. As for the asthma, he would leave that to that old Daoist, Sun Simiao. Whether old Sun could cure it or not was up to heaven; in any case, he, Liu, was out of ideas.

"Sir, sir!" Xiao Suo called out gently. "Commander Feng is here."

"Oh?" Liu Yitiao opened his eyes to see Feng Xiaoyi striding toward him, a follower carrying a wooden food box trailing behind.

Liu Yitiao sat up and bowed to Feng Xiaoyi. "Greetings, Commander Feng."

"Haha, greetings, Teacher Liu!" Feng Xiaoyi returned the bow. "I had official business all morning and couldn't properly host you; please forgive my discourtesy."

He signaled to the follower, who took the food box into the house. Feng Xiaoyi bowed again. "I have brought some food and wine today and would like to have a good drink with you. Please, do not decline. After you!"

"You are too kind, Commander. Please!" Liu Yitiao stepped aside, and Feng Xiaoyi entered the house first.

Inside, the follower had already set out the food and wine—four dishes and two pots of wine, quite a feast for two people.

"Come, Teacher Liu, let's have a drink first!" Feng Xiaoyi raised his cup, clinked it against Liu Yitiao’s, and downed it in one gulp. He looked at Liu Yitiao and said, "I heard that you are on good terms with General Gongsun and are sworn brothers with young brother Helan. It truly surprised me. Haha, I never imagined that little madman Helan would actually admire someone."

"Oh?" Liu Yitiao set down his cup, letting the follower refill it, and looked at Feng Xiaoyi in surprise. "You know young brother Helan as well?"

"Haha, Teacher Liu, since you are new to Chang'an, you naturally don't know Helan's reputation here. He is the infamous 'Scholar-Slayer.' There are very few in Chang'an who don't know him," Feng Xiaoyi said with a laugh. "Even I have crossed hands with him a few times. I suppose you could say we fought our way into friendship."

Uh, no wonder the scholars at Qingfeng Pavilion looked as if they had seen a ghost the moment they heard the name Gongsun Helan. 'Scholar-Slayer'? Liu Yitiao could only manage a wry smile.

Feng Xiaoyi picked up his chopsticks, popped a fennel bean into his mouth, and toasted Liu Yitiao again. "Based on what I know of that boy, for him to be willing to call someone his 'elder brother,' that person must far exceed him in martial arts. I imagine your martial arts, Teacher Liu, are quite extraordinary. I wonder when I might have the honor of sparring with you?"

"You are too kind, Commander. My meager skills are not worth mentioning," Liu Yitiao said modestly. "However, if you have the time, I would be happy to oblige."

Having been idle for so long, Liu Yitiao couldn't help but feel his hands itching; sometimes he even missed the days when he would beat up Gongsun Helan. Moreover, he didn't know how long he would be staying here, so building a good relationship with a head like Feng Xiaoyi was never a bad idea. And relationships among martial men were usually forged through fist-to-fist and foot-to-foot exchanges.

"Good! You are a straightforward man, unlike those scholars who drag their feet and are so tedious!" Feng Xiaoyi slapped the table happily. "Let's drink first, and after that, we'll go into the courtyard and exchange a few moves, how about that?"

"That is exactly what I wished for! I wouldn't have dared to ask first, but I shall follow your lead, Commander!" Liu Yitiao agreed with a smile, feeling no fear toward this captain of the guards.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the two changed into short, nimble clothes and stood in the courtyard.

Feng Xiaoyi clasped his hands toward Liu Yitiao. "Teacher Liu, please!"

Liu Yitiao returned the gesture, then turned slightly, clenched his fists, stepped diagonally, and assumed a balanced stance of offense and defense. He beckoned to Feng Xiaoyi. "Commander, come!"

"Hey! Brothers! Someone is challenging Commander Feng again! Everyone come out and watch!" Before the two could even move, someone shouted loudly in the courtyard, his voice filled with extreme excitement.

"Where?! Where?! Who is so bold as to challenge the Commander?!" With a rush, all the guards resting inside were drawn out, some even shirtless, standing at the doors and looking around in curiosity.