Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 106 Liu Jianjun, who couldn't sit still

Liu Jianjun was idle again.

He entrusted Aisha with the entire process of turning cotton into yarn, asking her to figure out a suitable spinning machine, and said, "You don't need to make it too neat. Just make a rough shape, like the two rollers you used for removing seeds. I'll have a professional carpenter do the finer work later."

Then, Aisha was made to work in her yard every day, while she herself became a hands-off manager.

They even called it "knowing people and making good use of them".

However, Li Xian went to Liu Jianjun's courtyard several times to look for him, only to find that Liu Jianjun always embraced his two maids, Yu'er and Cui'er, and flirted with them in front of Aisha without any attempt to hide it.

Aisha, a young woman of marriageable age, blushed every time she heard Liu Jianjun's lewd moans.

Li Xian thought to himself, Liu Jianjun must have done it on purpose.

Because Aisha has become visibly immune to Liu Jianjun's dissolute behavior, she is completely unaware even when Liu Jianjun occasionally holds her hand.

But Liu Jianjun's personality proved to be restless.

However, as soon as spring arrived in March, Liu Jianjun was no longer willing to stay in the Prince's Mansion. With a sullen face, he came to Li Xian's door and muttered, "Xianzi, life is so boring. Shall we go out and find some fun?"

Li Xian felt that even if his mother stood in front of him, she probably wouldn't think Liu Jianjun was a person of great talent.

He chuckled and teased, "Didn't Zian invite you on a spring outing with some literary talents a couple of days ago? Why didn't you go?"

In late February, Liu Jianjun assigned Wang Bo a task: to use his reputation among literati to make many friends.

Liu Jianjun said: "The literati have a wide network of connections. When they have nothing to do, they travel around, making friends with all sorts of people. Wang Bo is one of our people. He has spread out his connections. When we need talent in this area, we can just pull him up and bring up a whole string of people."

Wang Bo did not feel dissatisfied because of this.

He had long admired Liu Jianjun highly because of his literary talent.

Wang Bo even invited Liu Jianjun to go on a spring outing with him. Liu Jianjun was interested at the time, but after going once, he never went again.

Liu Jianjun said with an annoyed look, "Go my ass! Do you know what a scholar's spring outing should be like in my mind?"

"What is it like?" Li Xian asked curiously.

“Men, two or three, women, a whole bunch, find a pleasure boat or a private room, close the small door, bring some wine, when the mood is right, everyone strip naked…” Liu Jianjun’s eyes gleamed with lust as he spoke.

But then, he looked dejected and said fiercely, "Instead of a bunch of grown men huffing and puffing as they walk for miles to the Qujiang River late at night to be exposed to the cold wind, their clothes soaked with dew, and then reciting something like 'The path is narrow and the grass and trees are tall, the evening dew wets my clothes, I don't care about my wet clothes, as long as my wishes are fulfilled'!"

Li Xian chuckled: "Such literary wit, how come in your mouth you call them a bunch of idiots?"

Yes, the term "idiot" was also coined by Liu Jianjun.

"Aren't they just a bunch of good-for-nothings who want to endure hardship? I've figured it out. This so-called spring outing is just a bunch of well-off people coming to experience life. If you really make them work from sunrise to sunset like farmers, they won't be happy!"

Liu Jianjun looked reluctant and muttered, "I don't care, I'm just a spoiled brat, I can't learn that kind of pretentious stuff. You think of somewhere else in Chang'an where we can have fun!"

Li Xian chuckled, thought for a moment, and asked, "Then... how about we go hunting in the suburbs?"

Liu Jianjun was taken aback, then his face lit up with delight: "You mean hunting? That's great! That's great! Hunting tigers! Oh, and I've heard tiger penis is very nourishing, I've never tried it before!"

Li Xian glared at him irritably and said, "Where are there tigers on the outskirts of Chang'an? Do you think it's some desolate wilderness? But if you really want tiger penis... there are some tributes in the Prince's warehouse. You might as well get some to try." As he spoke, Li Xian glanced at Liu Jianjun's lower body out of the corner of his eye.

Liu Jianjun instantly understood the meaning in Li Xian's eyes. He puffed out his chest and argued, "What kind of look is that! Do you think I'm the kind of person who needs supplements...?"

"Right, it really is in the Prince's warehouse?"

Li Xian decided to ignore him.

……

Liu Jianjun is a decisive person; when he said he was going hunting, he went that very day.

Led by twenty guards from the Prince's mansion, they mounted their horses and set off in a grand procession towards Zhongnan Mountain.

Li Xian was naturally present as well.

Not only Li Xian, but also Guang Shun and Guang Ren were there. Only the youngest Guang Yi stayed at the palace because his feet couldn't reach the stirrups yet.

Originally, if it were a royal "hunting ceremony", it would be an extremely grand and solemn event.

Not only were there royal guards in armor and armed to provide security, but there were also specialized hunters to identify the terrain, track animal tracks, and arrange encirclements. Furthermore, there were five hunting lodges to mobilize falcons and hounds, as well as a large number of servants responsible for setting up tents, cooking, transporting supplies, and handling the prey.

Even the hunting grounds were chosen to be special royal hunting grounds like Shanglin Garden.

But Liu Jianjun certainly didn't like that kind of thing, so Li Xian deliberately traveled light, only taking twenty armored and armed guards for security, and chose Zhongnan Mountain, a relatively "wild" place.

Of course, the main reason is that Li Xian couldn't make things official even if he wanted to.

The Empress Dowager is so engrossed in vying for power with Li Xian and Li Dan that she seems to have forgotten herself. To this day, the Prince of Pei's residence has not been fully staffed with officials from the Five Guards of Hawks and Hounds.

Although Li Xian could recruit privately within the regulations, since returning from Bazhou, he had lost much of his interest in such pleasures, so many official positions in the Prince's Palace remained vacant to this day.

Liu Jianjun rode his horse at the front in an awkward posture, his buttocks bobbing up and down with the horse's gallop. Li Xian couldn't help but laugh, spurred his horse to catch up, and teased, "Don't you mind the bumpy ride this time?"

"When people are motivated, they are naturally not afraid of long and treacherous journeys!"

Li Xian smiled and shook his head. Liu Jianjun always managed to say things that sounded quite philosophical at first glance.

"Don't rush ahead too much. Although there are no tigers or bears in Zhongnan Mountain, large wild animals are not uncommon. If you encounter a wild boar, even three or five people can't handle it!"

"I know, first a boar, second a bear, third a tiger!" Liu Jianjun said nonchalantly. "You said there are no tigers or bears, and I can climb trees, so why would I be afraid of a mere wild boar?"

Li Xian chuckled, then thought about Liu Jianjun's agile, monkey-like body and realized that what he said made sense.

The Zhongnan Mountains are covered with towering trees that reach into the clouds. If they were to encounter a wild boar, Liu Jianjun would actually be the safest one.

"Huh... there's someone up ahead too?"

Liu Jianjun suddenly exclaimed.

……

(End of this chapter)