My house's electrical wiring dates back to the Tang Dynasty.

"We'll leave this to the Empress." Upon hearing this, Li Shimin thought, what did two maids matter when it came to his own lifespan?

"Your Majesty truly is my wise and capable wife. You always have such a way with me." Li Shimin patted Empress Zhangsun's hand happily. "Let's wait a few days until Hongwen's injuries have healed before we go. Otherwise, if we go now, he'll claim he's ill and refuse to entertain us. Hongwen isn't from this era; he's capable of anything."

"Indeed," the Queen said.

"The Empress really knows how to handle this, hehe." Li Shimin thought, "You like pretty women, huh? I have plenty."

Thinking about Li Mingbo's weakness, and knowing that I had it under control, I felt a sense of satisfaction.

Li Shimin was in a good mood, closed his eyes, and enjoyed his wife's massage.

After a while, Li Shimin said, "Guanyinbi, you haven't been back to your maternal home for a long time, have you?"

When the Empress heard Erlang ask this question, her heart skipped a beat.

Erlang certainly wouldn't say that for no reason.

The Empress knew Li Shimin all too well.

"Yes, I haven't been back since I married His Majesty," the Empress replied.

"Your Majesty, you've worked hard. Please go back during the noon break. I've been busy with state affairs these days and haven't had a proper chat with my advisors in a long time," Li Shimin said.

Want to chat with your brother?

As husband and wife, the Empress seemed to understand something upon hearing Li Shimin's words.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will obey your orders," the Empress said, bowing.

"Alright, Guanyinbi, you may leave now. I need to review the memorials," Li Shimin said, waving his hand.

"This concubine takes her leave."

The Queen remained deep in thought throughout her journey back.

After the Empress left, Li Shimin summoned Wu Hai and instructed him to inform Qin Shubao and Cheng Yaojin about visiting Li Mingbo and to await his reply.

Pingchangfang, north of the west gate, Li Mansion.

Li Mingbo was carried back.

Wang Chao and Ma Han came out when they saw their son being carried back.

The palace staff carried Li Mingbo to the Li residence but did not go inside; they left him outside the gate.

Without saying a word, Wang Chao carried Li Mingbo inside.

They arrived at Li Mingbo's bedroom and put him down.

Li Mingbo hissed as the wound on his buttocks touched the hard mat, causing him to gasp in pain. "Ouch, be gentle!"

"Please punish me, Master!" Upon hearing Li Mingbo's reprimand, Wang Chao immediately knelt down and raised his hands above his head.

"Get up, this is none of your business." Li Mingbo turned around and lay down on the hard mat. "Your brother deserves this, he brought it on himself."

At this moment, Old Zhao walked in.

"This old servant greets you, Master." Old Zhao bowed and greeted Li Mingbo, who was lying on the bed.

Li Mingbo asked Old Zhao to find a carpenter to make it from the finest sandalwood.

Li Mingbo lay sprawled on the hard mat, the small ceiling fan above the bed blowing cool breezes, but it couldn't dispel the anger in his heart.

"Old Zhao, what is it?" Li Mingbo was very satisfied with this old butler.

He's a master among masters, yet very low-key.

"This old servant heard that A-Lang was punished in the palace, so I came to see him."

"What's so interesting? His skin is all torn and bleeding." After saying that, Li Mingbo wondered if the other party, being a master, might use qigong to heal him.

Qin Shubao knew qigong, so it's impossible for Old Zhao not to.

Thinking of this, Li Mingbo said, "Let's take a look."

"Yes." Old Zhao walked to the bedside, lifted Li Mingbo's pants, and then his briefs.

"Those youngsters haven't lost their skills yet," Old Zhao said softly.

"Old Zhao, what do you mean?" Li Mingbo was completely bewildered.

"Ah Lang, this is the lightest one. You'll recover in five days at most," Old Zhao said, explaining, "It looks loud, like every punch lands, but it was just a light tap, only scratching the surface. If it were a real beating, with Ah Lang's delicate skin and bones, ten blows would have really torn his skin and flesh. He'd be lucky to survive, but he'd be seriously injured. That's what you call a broken bone."

Upon hearing this, Li Mingbo said unhappily, "Old Zhao, so you're saying I have to thank him for being beaten? You don't need to speak well of Li Shimin."

When Zhao Lao heard Li Mingbo address His Majesty by his given name, he was so startled he almost fainted. He looked outside and thankfully there was no one inside.

"By the way, open my backpack. There's some wound medicine that the Empress gave me. Tell Lianhua to come and help me apply it. Tell everyone to close the gates of the mansion. No one, not even the Emperor himself, can enter. Except for the Duke of Yi and the Duke of Su."

"Yes." After saying that, Old Zhao turned around, his thumping footsteps sounding like meat being chopped on a chopping board.

Li Mingbo had wanted to ask Old Zhao if he could use his internal energy to heal his injuries, but then he thought about how the injury was on his buttocks and the thought of an old eunuch rubbing his buttocks made him decide against it.

The lotus is gentler.

"The people from the Imperial Household Department know what's important and showed mercy. It'll be fine in a few days," Lianhua said as she gently applied the ointment to the wound.

I should have thought of that sooner and bought some medicine for sprains and bruises.

Sigh, I wonder if there's any aloe vera available at this time of year. I'll send someone to check in the East Market.

Li Mingbo described the situation and asked Zhu'er from the Lotus Sect to go to the East Market with Zhao Lao to look for it.

They actually found some, and Li Mingbo asked the housekeeper to buy more so they could plant them at home.

Qin Shubao and Cheng Yaojin received an imperial edict from Li Shimin and did not come to visit the Li residence.

Noon.

The scorching sun beat down on the earth, and the magnificent palaces in the north of the city were distorted by the heat.

Wisps of smoke drifted out of the chimney.

The sounds of barking dogs, crowing roosters, and children playing rose and fell.

Magnificent bracket sets.

The deep eaves, like sharp knives, gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

The sound of opening drums echoed through the East and West markets.

On the crossroads of Chongrenfang, a luxurious carriage slowly drove by under the blazing sun.

The squeaking of the carriage axles made an annoying noise, which made Changsun Wuji even more irritable.

He was in a bad mood that day, constantly thinking about his sister's words.

Can't distinguish between friend and foe?

According to his investigation, Li Mingbo's identity was just a white-robed man. If there was anything strange about him, it was that his household had several connections with the Eastern Palace.

If we wanted to investigate further, we wouldn't be able to.

Changsun Wuji's obese body tumbled off the carriage.

"Father." Changsun Chong, the eldest son of Changsun Wuji, walked out of the gate, bowed to Changsun Wuji, and nodded to his father. Changsun Chong continued, "Someone from the palace has come to tell you that Aunt will be returning to the mansion soon."

"Good, good, give the order and make good preparations. It's rare for your aunt to come home," Changsun Wuji said with satisfaction.

Changsun Wuji went straight to his study and closed the door.

My sister will be returning home soon.

What a coincidence that this timing is so coincidental!

Thinking about what my sister said this morning.

"Could it be related to Li Mingbo, the man in white?"