Chapter 6

After making an agreement with Liu Hui, Liu Chang returned to his seat.

When the teacher finished the lecture, Liu Chang hurriedly got up, winked at Liu Hui, who nodded and walked out of the Tianlu Pavilion first. Liu Ruyi stretched lazily, chatting with Liu Heng, and slowly got up. Just as he stood up, he saw the shock in Liu Heng's eyes.

At that moment, a foot from an unknown source kicked him hard in the buttocks. Liu Heng watched as Liu Ruyi, who was unprepared, was kicked into the air by his younger brother Liu Chang and fell to the ground like a dog eating shit.

Liu Chang also fell to the ground but got up quickly, leaping up like a carp, and then rushed out of the Tianlu Pavilion without looking back.

Liu Ruyi, supporting himself with his hands, roared in anger: "Liu Chang!!!"

Liu Chang had long wanted to beat up Liu Ruyi. This guy always provoked him, and seeing his smug face, Liu Chang wanted to punch him. However, Liu Hui always stopped him. Liu Hui, being older and a chubby boy, held Liu Chang back, making it impossible for Liu Chang to do anything to Liu Ruyi. Today, with Liu Hui gone, ah, take this righteous flying kick!

Liu Heng reached out and pulled Liu Ruyi up. Liu Ruyi brushed off the dirt on his clothes and said angrily, "I'll get that kid sooner or later!"

"Why does the elder brother always get angry with him... The elder brother is not a naive boy; there are many more important things to do, so why waste time on useless conflicts with a little kid?"

"Ah? I... This... I was just teasing him..."

Liu Ruyi, who was two years older than Liu Heng, was at a loss for words, his face turning red with a deep sense of shame, being told he was not mature by a younger brother.

"Brother, as you said, we will govern the land in the future."

"The war has just ended, and there is a lack of food and farming tools everywhere; the people are not living well... We are fortunate to be born into the imperial family, but outside these city walls, children our age are starving and working in the fields like oxen... How many have died of hunger and exhaustion."

Liu Ruyi's face turned red, and he stammered.

Liu Heng said nothing more and turned to leave.

Liu Ruyi smiled bitterly and said, "What could be more embarrassing than being scolded for being childish by a younger brother?"

"Being kicked in the buttocks by a brother five years younger."

Liu Heng replied and left without looking back.

These younger brothers are really not cute at all!

Liu Ruyi thought to himself, rubbing his nose.

...

"Little brother, where am I supposed to find a spinning wheel for you?"

Liu Hui was on the verge of tears; he never expected that Liu Chang would come to him to ask for a spinning wheel.

Liu Chang thought for a moment and said, "Then get me a knife... I'll do it myself."

"Ah? Do it yourself??"

Liu Hui was startled and quickly grabbed Liu Chang's arm, "How can brothers use knives and swords against each other? Third brother actually loves you... When you were unconscious, he visited you every day. When the imperial physician said you might not wake up, he was very sad..."

"He was sad because he had no one to bully... But that has nothing to do with what I'm saying."

Liu Chang explained, "I saw how hard Mother worked to weave our winter clothes... So, I want to make her a new spinning wheel. It's actually very simple, just changing the current single spindle to multiple spindles... But Mother doesn't let me touch her spinning wheel, and I don't have any tools."

Liu Hui looked at Liu Chang with a strange expression, as if to say, only a fool would believe his lies.

Liu Chang was very anxious.

He really wasn't lying.

In his previous life, although he worked in the oil industry, he could spot problems with such simple machinery with just a few glances. When he was young, he liked to take things apart, and his grandmother had an old foot-operated spinning wheel. To understand how it worked, he had taken it apart.

Now, with such a rudimentary spinning wheel, there was a lot of room for improvement. If he could find some tools, he could make a very advanced spinning wheel, and Mother wouldn't have to work so hard.

The problem was, he couldn't get any tools.

First, princes his age were not allowed to leave the palace at will. In the palace, he could only interact with eunuchs and maids, and eunuchs were not allowed to bring anything from outside into the palace, or they would be executed.

Although the Han dynasty had made some changes to the Qin laws, these laws were still derived from the Qin. Any violation could result in punishments like shaving, building the palace, or chopping off toes, all of which were efficient and comprehensive. Only the bravest and most daring would dare to break the law.

Liu Chang wanted to improve the spinning wheel, and he needed a woodworking knife.

Liu Hui just shook his head; he couldn't get Liu Chang a knife, and even if he could, he wouldn't give it to him.

Liu Chang made a concession, "Alright, no knife, then get me an axe, how about that?"

"Not really..."

"Why don't you just ask Mother directly if you have such filial piety?"

"You don't understand... This is a surprise!"

Liu Chang frowned, how could he find proper tools in the heavily guarded palace?

Suddenly, he seemed to have an idea and slowly looked towards the Changxin Palace. If he remembered correctly, there were many guards there, and they were all fully armed... Liu Chang suddenly lowered his head and smiled "sinisterly."

"Little brother... Whatever you're thinking, don't do it!"

Liu Hui said earnestly.

"I remember Third Brother has a sword, why not borrow it from him?"

Suddenly, someone spoke up.

Liu Chang turned around and noticed it was Liu You.

"You scared me! When did you get here?"

"I've been here all along..." Liu You lowered his head, his hands intertwined, and answered softly.

Liu Ruyi did indeed have a sword. Liu Ruyi was a very special prince, deeply loved, allowed to leave the palace, carry a sword, and even visit Liu Bang without notice... But borrow from Liu Ruyi? He had just kicked him and made him fall like a dog eating shit. Would he lend him a sword?

Borrowing a sword from him would be like borrowing his head.

Liu Chang hesitated, bid farewell to Liu Hui, and returned to the Jiaofang Palace, deep in thought.

Liu Bang was a man who enjoyed company and disliked solitude, so he often held banquets, either drinking and eating meat with his old friends or dining with his family.

Tonight, Liu Bang decided to hold another family banquet. Liu Chang loved such banquets because there was a lot of good food. Despite being a prince, his daily meals were not very good, usually just millet or wheat, which was unappetizing.

Occasionally, he would have steamed buns, but they were soft and tasteless, like eating sand.

The meat was not very good either, usually just dog, chicken, or pork, with no seasoning, making it hard to eat.

Only at banquets could he enjoy various fruits, vegetables, and meats like beef, mutton, and horse meat.

To prepare for this banquet, Liu Chang had not eaten since morning, waiting silently for the evening banquet.

When Empress Lü led Liu Chang to the banquet, most of the guests were already there: Liu Tuan, Liu Bang, Lady Cao, Lady Qi, Lady Bo, Lady Guan, Lady Zhao, Lady Shi, and Lady Tang, as well as the Crown Prince, Liu Ruyi, Liu Heng, and Liu Hui.

When Empress Lü arrived, everyone except the old couple and Liu Bang stood up to greet her. Lady Qi, sitting next to Liu Bang, almost leaned against him, quickly stood up as if electrocuted when Empress Lü entered.

Empress Lü's expression was cold, and she did not return the greetings, going directly to greet Grandfather Liu and the old lady.

Grandfather Liu smiled and returned the greeting, waving at Liu Chang.

Liu Chang smiled and ran to Grandfather's side, calling out, "Grandpa!"

Liu Chang was raised by his grandparents in his previous life and was very close to them. As the faces of these two elders gradually merged with his memories of his grandparents, Liu Chang became very fond of them.

"Oh, we've been waiting for you. Come, eat some meat, eat some meat!"

Grandfather Liu directly handed meat to Liu Chang, while the old lady handed him fruit. The two of them, one on each side, smiled at Liu Chang. Grandfather Liu was Liu Chang's biological grandfather, but the old lady was not; she was Grandfather's concubine.

However, Liu Bang treated her very filially, regarding her as his mother and even granting her the title of Empress Dowager.

Liu Chang was the youngest grandson, and thus the most beloved by the elders, with the even younger Liu Jian still in swaddling clothes.