My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 150 My third brother is really useful!
"Sanlang!! Get up!!"

As dawn broke, Li Shimin shouted and pushed open the gate of the courtyard. However, he bumped into Liu Chounu, who was standing inside, and fell to the ground.

Li Shimin rubbed his backside, jumped up as if nothing had happened, and looked at Liu Chounu with a smile, "Old man, I hope I didn't hurt you?"

Liu Chounu was also helpless.

Back when I was guarding the Southern Courtyard, I was always harassed by Li Shimin. Now I'm coming to see the Third Prince, why is it still this guy?
He simply said indifferently, "My lord has not yet risen. I will trouble you, Second Young Master, to wait outside the door."

Li Shimin grinned and said, "I am his elder brother. How can I make my elder brother stand outside waiting? If you do this, won't you make Sanlang suffer a bad reputation?"

Liu Chounu couldn't argue with him, so he ignored him and started tidying up the weapons in the courtyard.

Duan Niang came out at some point, and when she saw Li Shimin, she looked him up and down.

Li Shimin, who had been grinning just moments before, immediately became obedient upon seeing Duan Niang.

He bowed to the other person very obediently.

Duan Niang was his mother's person and could report their every move directly to his mother. Li Shimin knew this a long time ago, so he never said anything he shouldn't have to his brothers in front of them.

Duan Niang laughed, "Second Young Master, why are you looking for Third Young Master so early in the morning? What brings you here?"

"I made an appointment with Sanlang to go out and catch some insects to play with, so I came to find him."

"I see. I'll go wake him up now."

"No need, no need. Let him rest a little longer. I'll wait here. It's alright."

Li Shimin behaved extremely well, just like a good older brother. However, Duan Niang still went in and woke up Li Xuanba. Li Xuanba had been going out a lot these past few days, sleeping late and getting up late. When he learned that his second brother was coming, he quickly changed his clothes and came out to greet him.

After the two brothers met, Li Shimin pulled Li Xuanba to the door and asked in a low voice, "You haven't forgotten what you promised me, have you?"

"How could I forget? But, must we go now?"

"If we go too late, there won't be anything left to hunt. Grab your bow and come with me."

I don't have a bow.

"Didn't the emperor reward you with one? Just take it! Let's go!"

Li Shimin urged him repeatedly, so Li Xuanba had no choice but to take the imperial bow and go out with Li Shimin. Liu Chounu still had to follow them. Li Xuanba had been learning to ride a horse for some time and was now finally able to ride a horse without having to be carried by Liu Chounu.

Li Shimin walked along the road, followed by many knights, his face full of smiles.

There was a reason he asked his younger brother to come with him.

This time, he invited several officers from Eagle Banner to go hunting together.

The soldiers of Yingyang Prefecture were not like the poor peasants; they were all landlords in the area. The officers were also mostly people of some status. Li Shimin got along well with them, but he had more on his mind.

Many people treated Li Shimin like a child, but Li Shimin wanted to be treated as an equal. He did not want these officers to treat him like a child.

Li Shimin's status was indeed very noble, but these military officers were not of such humble origins. If they wanted to curry favor, they would prefer to curry favor with Li Jiancheng.

How can we change their mindset?

Demonstrating strength through hunting was only one aspect; Li Shimin was skilled in archery and horsemanship, and so were these people.

Another good way is to let the younger brother come out and show off, intimidate these people, and demonstrate the family's strength.

Li Xuanba followed his brother southward until they finally arrived at the edge of a dense forest.

A dozen or so knights were already waiting for them.

Although these people were not wearing armor, they were all tall, strong, and robust. They talked to each other in loud voices, and they all carried large bows, making them look very intimidating.

Li Shimin rode forward on his horse.

"Everyone!!!"

"I'm late!!"

Everyone looked at Li Shimin, who was dressed in military attire, holding a large bow, and looked exceptionally brave and valiant.

One of the knights teased, "Second Brother, you have such a big bow! Those arrows are probably longer than you. Be careful when you shoot them later, lest you shoot yourself out!"

"Hahaha~~"

The other officers laughed as well. Most of the soldiers in the Eagle Banner were like this, teasing and mocking each other. Except for the general who directly commanded them, they could joke around with everyone else.

Li Shimin wasn't angry; he simply smiled and replied, "As long as you don't get hit!"

He met with the group and then pointed to Li Xuanba, who was standing to the side, saying, "This is my third brother. He heard that I was going out to hunt with you all, so he wanted to come along and see. Please don't take offense."

Everyone just smiled.

Li Xuanba stepped forward and greeted them.

Li Shimin then introduced these officers to Li Xuanba. The leader of this group was a squad leader from the Yingyang Prefecture, which meant he was an officer in charge of fifty men.

This man also looked quite formidable and didn't fit in with the people around him; his name was Samurai Go.

According to Li Shimin, this man was originally a wealthy merchant who had been in the timber business, participated in some major palace construction projects, and had connections with top officials. Later, when the military government was renamed Yingyang Prefecture and expanded its recruitment, he abandoned his business and joined the army, becoming an officer in Yingyang Prefecture.

Soldiers in Yingyang Prefecture are rarely transferred, but officers are transferred; they are not allowed to stay in one place for too long.

He was noticeably more polite to Li Shimin and didn't tease him much. People around him were also quite courteous to him. In fact, he was the one who organized this hunt, not Li Shimin.

The group met with each other and then decided to hunt in the surrounding area.

Just as everyone was enthusiastically discussing the hunting plan, Li Shimin suddenly said, "My younger brother is quite skilled in riding and archery. Why don't we have him act as a driver to herd our prey?"

The crowd was curious and all looked at Li Xuanba.

They knew that Li Shimin was very skilled in riding and archery. Could this child, who looked even younger than him, also be proficient in riding and archery?

Li Xuanba was somewhat bewildered. He could ride a horse, but he simply couldn't gallop at full speed and shoot prey with a bow and arrow.
"Xuanba, fetch the bow! Let them see your archery skills!"

Li Shimin said with a smile.

Li Xuanba had no choice but to bite the bullet and have Liu Chounu bring over the large bow.

Everyone was still watching with smiles, but when they saw Li Xuanba pick up that big bow, the expressions of several officers changed drastically, especially the leader, Wu Shiyue. This well-informed man was stunned for a moment when he first saw the bow in Li Xuanba's hand, and then he reacted and jumped off his horse.

"Wait! Wait!"

Wu Shiyue quickly spoke up, and Li Xuanba stopped drawing his bow and turned to look at him.

Wu Shiyue stared at the bow in the other man's hand, then looked at Li Shimin.

"My lord, is this a... a royal bow?"

“Indeed, my younger brother, though young, has been granted the title of Marquis of Bocheng. When the Emperor made his inspection tour earlier, he specially bestowed upon him a royal bow.”

"Today, let this Marquis take this imperial bow and drive the prey for you all!"

Wu Shiyue was drenched in sweat. He hurriedly bowed to Li Xuanba, "I didn't know it was you, Lord Li! Please forgive me! Please forgive me!"

The other warriors dared not make any more jokes at this moment, and they all lowered their heads, showing great respect.

Li Shimin was a commoner, but this man is a marquis!
Li Shimin dismounted with a smile, "Why bother, everyone? This isn't the imperial court. Just treat him like a younger brother. Xuanba, why don't you drive the game away for us?"

"No! No!"

Wu Shiyue quickly stepped in front of the horse to block it.

If we let a marquis drive our prey with a bow and arrow today, we'd probably be arrested and our entire clan executed tomorrow. What merit do they have?!

"I'll drive them away! I'll drive them away!"

One of the knights spoke up immediately, and the others echoed him. At this moment, the way they looked at the two brothers changed.

Seeing that he no longer needed to shoot arrows, Li Xuanba breathed a sigh of relief and put away his bow.

Li Shimin simply smiled as he watched the group. One of the knights secretly pulled Li Shimin aside and asked, "How did this lord, who is so young, receive so many rewards?"

"Alas, the Sage favors my family greatly, so at such a young age, we were granted a marquisate and received rewards. In time, I too must perform some merits so that I may receive a reward from the Sage."

The knight dared not joke anymore and nodded, "If my lord wants to do it, he certainly can."

Li Shimin was all smiles, looking very pleased.

My third brother is so useful!!
(End of this chapter)