If I traveled back to the Tang Dynasty, all I really wanted to be was a carefree prince.

Li Ke lay in the side hall for fifteen days straight.

On the fifteenth day, Wang Yongzheng came to change the dressing. He lifted the gauze and looked at the wound, a rare smile appearing on his face. "Your Highness's wound has scabbed over and you can sit up now, but not for too long. Sit for half an hour each day, gradually increasing the time. You'll have to wait a few more days before you can walk around."

Li Ke nodded and slowly sat up, supporting himself on the edge of the bed. He hadn't sat up for fifteen days, and his vision went black for a moment when he first sat up; it took him a while to adjust. Yang Guifei, watching beside him, had tears welling in her eyes again. Li Ke smiled and said, "Mother, why are you crying again? The imperial physician said I'm all better." Yang Guifei wiped her eyes and scolded, "Who's crying? Mother is happy."

Once the news spread that he could sit up, people came to visit him in droves.

Empress Zhangsun visited twice, each time bringing homemade pastries. She sat by his bedside, asking about his well-being and urging him to take good care of his injuries. Li Chengqian came every few days, rarely speaking, just sitting nearby. Sometimes he brought books to read, sometimes nothing at all, simply sitting there. Li Lizhi also visited several times, each time bringing a handkerchief and a sachet she had embroidered, saying they were for her third brother to cheer him up. Li Yuan visited three times. The first time, he said nothing, only glancing at him before leaving. The second time, he brought a newly made chessboard, saying, "When you're better, play chess with me." The third time, he brought a jar of fine wine, saying, "This is the wine you made; I'll drink it for you." Li Shimin, busy with state affairs, also made time to visit twice, standing by his bedside for a while, only saying, "Take good care of your injuries," before leaving.

Li Ke greeted each person with a smile. But in his heart, he was always thinking of one person—the young man in white robes.

One afternoon, a loud, gruff voice rang out from outside the side hall, loud enough to be heard even through two doors: "Your Highness, Prince Shu! Old Cheng is back! Old Cheng has come to see you!"

Li Ke laughed upon hearing the voice. Cheng Yaojin—no one else could make such a commotion.

The curtain was lifted, and Cheng Yaojin strode in, travel-worn but with a smile on his face. Behind him followed four servants, each carrying a large box, lined up in a row, making a grand entrance like someone moving house. He immediately began shouting, "Your Highness! Old Cheng was away from Chang'an for a while, heading to Jiangnan. I just finished up with the winery business. When I returned, I heard you'd been assassinated! It terrified me! How are your injuries?"

Li Ke, sitting on the couch, was made to hear the shout, his ears ringing. He smiled and waved his hand, "General Cheng, please keep your voice down, I can hear you. My injuries are almost healed, I can sit up now."

Cheng Yaojin leaned over to check his complexion, then felt relieved. With a wave of his hand, four servants opened the boxes one by one. The first box contained an old ginseng root, complete with its roots and whiskers, at least several decades old. The second box contained a purplish-red lingzhi mushroom, of excellent quality. The third box contained deer antler, neatly cut. The fourth box contained donkey-hide gelatin, each piece square and glossy black.

"Your Highness, these are all good things that Old Cheng collected in Jiangnan! The soil and water in Jiangnan are excellent, and the medicinal herbs there are also very good. Old Cheng doesn't know anything about medicine, but he knows these are all good for your health. Please keep them and eat them slowly!" Cheng Yaojin's voice grew louder again. "Ginseng stewed chicken, Ganoderma lucidum soaked in wine, deer antler soup, donkey-hide gelatin steamed eggs—Your Highness, you must take good care of yourself!"

Li Ke looked at the several large boxes of food, both amused and exasperated: "General Cheng, this is too much. I can't eat that much."

"Eat as much as you can, if you can't finish!" Cheng Yaojin waved his hand. "Old Cheng has plenty, don't be shy!"

Knowing Cheng Yaojin's temperament, Li Ke knew that refusing would be too formal, so he nodded and said, "Thank you very much, General Cheng. I'll treat you to a drink when I'm able to get out of bed."

Cheng Yaojin laughed heartily, "That's wonderful! Your Highness, I've been longing for your wine for a long time!" He then lowered his voice and leaned closer, saying mysteriously, "Your Highness, I've set up the branch in Jiangnan this time. In two months, people in Jiangnan will also be able to enjoy our fine wine. At that time, money will be flowing into Chang'an like water!"

Li Ke smiled and said, "General Cheng, you've worked hard."

"What's so hard about it? Old Cheng never complains about the hard work of making money!" After saying that, Cheng Yaojin gave a few more instructions on how to take good care of his injuries before leaving with his servants.

He left the palace gates, his voice still booming, telling everyone he met, "Old Cheng sent His Highness the Prince of Shu a lot of tonics! Old ginseng, purple lingzhi, deer antler, donkey-hide gelatin—all good stuff!" In less than half a day, half of Chang'an knew that Cheng Yaojin had given gifts to the Prince of Shu. Some laughed at his ostentation, some said he was good at social maneuvering, and some sourly remarked that he was "currying favor with the prince." Cheng Yaojin didn't care; he had a loud voice, a straightforward mind, and was never afraid of what people said.

The day after Cheng Yaojin left, Qin Qiong arrived.

He didn't come alone; a young man in white followed behind him. The young man was seventeen years old, tall and straight, with handsome features. His white robe was as white as snow, washed until it was almost white but still clean.

"Your Highness." Qin Qiong walked to the bedside, looked at Li Ke's face, and nodded. "You look much better."

"Master, please sit down," Li Ke said, gesturing to the chair.

Qin Qiong did not sit down, but stepped aside and said to the young man behind him, "This is His Highness the King of Shu. Please step forward and pay your respects."

The young man stepped forward, knelt down, and kowtowed: "This humble subject, Xue Rengui, pays his respects to Your Highness, the King of Shu."

Li Ke stared at him for a long time. This was the man who had rushed forward under the blade, blocking a fatal blow with a longsword. This was the man who had asked for no reward, only saying, "I was just passing by and offered my help." This was the man who would become a famous general of the Tang Dynasty, conquering Liaodong and pacifying the Tianshan Mountains with three arrows. At this moment, he was just a lowly man in white, kneeling before him, waiting for him to speak.

"Get up. Sit down and talk." Li Ke pointed to the chair beside the couch.

Xue Rengui stood up but didn't sit down, standing to the side with his hands at his sides. Li Ke didn't insist, looking into his eyes, and said earnestly, "If it weren't for you that day, Yin'er and I would probably be in grave danger. I won't thank you with words, I'll remember your kindness."

Xue Rengui raised his head, his gaze frank: "Your Highness, I was merely passing by and offered my help. I would have done the same for anyone else. Your Highness need not take it to heart."

Li Ke shook his head: "You saved me, I'll remember that favor." He paused, glanced at Qin Qiong, then looked at Xue Rengui, "You came from Hedong to Chang'an to join the army, hoping to make a name for yourself. I can't be of much help, but I can tell you one thing—learn well from General Qin. Your talents will not go unnoticed."

Xue Rengui clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble subject will remember."

Qin Qiong stood to the side, remaining silent. Only after Xue Rengui finished speaking did he speak: "Your Highness, I will take good care of this man. I have tested his spear skills and horsemanship; he is a promising talent."

Li Ke nodded, then glanced at Xue Rengui, his gaze now holding something more. "Xue Rengui, you may step back now. I have a few words to say to my master."

Xue Rengui responded and left the side hall.

Only Li Ke and Qin Qiong remained in the hall. Li Ke looked at his master and lowered his voice, "Master, what do you think of this person?"

Qin Qiong sat down in the chair, remained silent for a while, and said, "His spearmanship is fierce, his horsemanship and archery are accurate, he has read military books, and he has extraordinary courage. In my decades in the army, I have rarely seen someone like him."

"What about his character?"

"I had someone investigate. He comes from a poor family; his father died early, and he makes a living by farming. He came to Chang'an to join the army, and the travel expenses along the way were all raised by his fellow villagers. He stayed at an inn for half a month, eating simple meals every day, and never went on credit. After saving people, he did not seek rewards or curry favor with the powerful. His character is beyond reproach."

Li Ke nodded. He trusted Qin Qiong's judgment and his own.

"Master, I want to discuss something with you."

"Please speak, Your Highness."

"I want you to nurture this man properly. Not just his military skills, but also his military strategy, tactics, and interpersonal skills. If possible—" Li Ke paused, "when the time is right, you can adopt him as your godson."

Qin Qiong's brow twitched slightly. "Adopted son?"

"Not now. Right now, he's just a commoner, newly arrived in Chang'an, and his foundation isn't yet solid. You should guide him first, let him learn from you, and let him gain experience. Once he's made meritorious contributions in the army and gained a reputation, then you can bring up the matter of adopting a son. At that time, it will be a natural thing, and no one will gossip."

Qin Qiong remained silent for a moment, then looked into Li Ke's eyes. "Your Highness, do you have any plans for him?"

Li Ke did not deny it. "Master, I need someone of my own. Not the kind who flatters the powerful, but someone I can rely on in crucial moments. I trust Xue Rengui. But now is not the time, so I would like to ask Master to keep an eye on him and train him for me."

Qin Qiong stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subject understands. Your Highness, rest assured, I will take good care of this person."

Li Ke smiled and said, "Thank you, Master."

Qin Qiong reached the door, then suddenly stopped and turned around. "Your Highness, you've changed."

Li Ke was taken aback. "What's changed?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it." Qin Qiong shook his head. "Before, you only thought about saving people. Now, you're starting to think about how to protect them. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but I feel—you've grown up."

Li Ke remained silent. Qin Qiong turned and left.

After Qin Qiong left, Li Ke sat alone on the couch, gazing at the sky outside the window.

The sky cleared, and sunlight streamed through the window, casting bright patches of light on the floor. He remembered Cheng Yaojin's booming voice, and how he had rushed back from Jiangnan, shouting as soon as he entered. That man was rude, gluttonous, and boastful, but he was genuinely kind to him. He remembered Xue Rengui kneeling before the bed, saying, "This humble commoner only intervened because I was passing by," his gaze open and honest, neither humble nor arrogant. That man had saved him, yet he hadn't taken credit or sought reward, like a blade of grass growing by the roadside, inconspicuous yet resilient.

Li Ke suddenly smiled. Xue Rengui was like a blade of grass, unnoticed and unappreciated. He himself probably didn't know what he would become. But Li Ke knew. He knew this man would one day become a renowned general of the Tang Dynasty. But that was in the future. Right now, he was just an unknown figure, having just arrived in Chang'an from Hedong, lodging in a small inn in the east of the city. No one knew him, no one valued him. Only Li Ke knew.

Li Ke lay on the couch, clutching the jade pendant in his hand. He recalled when he first transmigrated, he was like a blade of grass. No one noticed, no one valued him. He spent half a year, step by step, getting to where he was today. Now, he had encountered another blade of grass. This blade of grass was even more inconspicuous than him, even more struggling than him. But he knew that this blade of grass would one day grow into a towering tree.

Li Ke gazed at the sky outside the window, a slight smile playing on his lips. Not all seeds can sprout, not all blades of grass can grow into towering trees. But this one, he was determined to make it grow. Not to repay a debt of gratitude, but for the future.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling warmly on his face. He closed his eyes, thinking of that little blade of grass—no, that future giant tree.