In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

Li Yuanchang's few words showcased his high emotional intelligence and team leadership skills to the fullest. In his previous life, he was able to build his company up not just by luck.

In feudal times, the favor of being helped was of paramount importance.

When Wang Hongzhi and Guo Chao heard that the Prince of Han had taken such good care of them and thought so highly of them, they knelt down on the spot, their voices choked with emotion.

"Hongzhi is deeply grateful for the King of Han's great kindness and is willing to serve him with utmost devotion!"

"Guo Chao is deeply grateful for the King of Han's great kindness and is willing to go through fire and water for him!"

Li Yuanchang chuckled as he helped the two up, thinking to himself, "This is my startup team."

"alright."

"Enough said, Guo Chao, prepare the horses."

"My little wife is still waiting for me," Li Fan said with a smile, his mind filled with Wu Mei's fair and pink face.

And those phoenix eyes, though only fifteen, already possessed remarkable resilience and sharpness.

"Yes!" Guo Chao replied in a deep voice, exuding the air of a soldier.

"..."

Half an hour later.

We've arrived at the Martial Academy.

Li Yuanchang's carriage stopped at the back gate.

Before even being married, going out for a secret rendezvous wasn't considered too outrageous in the Tang Dynasty, but it wouldn't work in the royal family, so they had to keep a low profile.

After Guo Chao sent someone in to deliver the message, a short while later, someone came out of the back door.

Li Yuanchang, who was standing by the carriage waiting, suddenly had his eyes light up as a beautiful figure caught his eye.

Wu Mei was wearing a green high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), revealing the initial charm of a girl next door.

She had clearly dressed up; her face was exquisite, her skin as white as snow, and her long, black hair was gently tied up with a silver hairpin. With just a slight gesture, she already surpassed countless others in the mortal world.

It's hard to imagine how terrifying a woman like that would become if she lived a few more years.

If Consort Yang was a first-class beauty, then Wu Zetian was definitely a top-tier beauty. Her dragon eyes and phoenix eyebrows were outstanding; she was a born queen.

However, she is still in her teenage years, so it is not obvious yet.

When a woman's facial features and figure reach a certain level, then it's all about her temperament.

"Wu Mei greets Your Highness."

Li Yuanchang couldn't help but glance at Wu Mei's impressive figure again. The high-waisted ruqun of the Tang Dynasty could really accentuate a woman's bust. Good heavens, she was only fifteen, but she was already quite well-endowed.

I'm probably going to be very lucky from now on!

"You're so beautiful," he said with a smile.

A blush crept onto Wu Mei's cheeks; it was the first time she had been praised by a man, and her heart began to pound.

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness."

Li Yuanchang smiled and said, "Let's not talk about this here. Let's get in the carriage first."

"it is good."

Wu Mei nodded. She was not a delicate and frail beauty, but Li Yuanchang still gentlemanly extended a hand to help her up.

Wu Mei accepted the offer without a second thought.

The moment their slender, jade-like hands touched Li Yuanchang's warm, large hands, both of them trembled, experiencing a strange, mysterious, and wondrous feeling of being connected by fate.

Wu Mei blushed, looked away, and lifted her skirt to get into the carriage.

Li Yuanchang followed closely behind.

"Guo Chao, go to Yipin Tianxia."

"Yes."

The carriage outside started moving.

Wu Mei's tense heart also relaxed. Although Tang society was open and there were fewer restrictions on women, this was her first time having a private meeting with someone.

Li Yuanchang noticed her nervousness and couldn't help but chuckle. Was this the future empress who kept three thousand male concubines and acted so eccentrically?

She was once a romantic and innocent young girl!

"Meiniang, how is Madam's health? Are Wu Yuanqing and the other two still bullying you?" Li Fan asked with concern.

Wu Meiniang's heart melted instantly.

If a 21st-century man went to ancient times, it would be like being in a completely different dimension.

"Your Highness, thanks to the great care of the Prince's Mansion, Mother is in good health, and they no longer dare to bully us. Instead, they keep trying to get close to Mother."

There was a hint of dislike in her words.

"Hahaha!"

"That's good, that's good."

Wu Mei suddenly looked up again, her eyes filled with tender affection: "Your Highness, why do you call me Mei Niang?"

Li Yuanchang then remembered that Wu Mei was his name, Meiniang was the courtesy name bestowed upon him after entering the palace, and Wu Zhao was a courtesy name she created for herself when she reached the pinnacle of power.

It symbolizes the sun and moon shining brightly in the sky, and that I am the only one worthy of respect.

"What's so strange about the marriage proposal?"

Wu Mei's feigned ignorance only made her blush more; her lack of refusal was tantamount to acquiescence.

After all, everyone in Chang'an knew about her marriage to the Prince of Han.

Just as she looked down at her toes, unsure of what to say, she suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, Your Highness, there's something I'd like to tell you."

"What is it?"

Wu Meiniang's gaze gradually turned serious: "Since His Majesty bestowed this marriage upon us, the entire Wu family has ascended to heaven, and the once-declining state of the Wu family has suddenly recovered."

"Many old acquaintances who used to look down on me came to visit."

"Wu Yuanqing and his companion were greedy for money and accepted a lot of it."

She looked at him with a hint of guilt.

Li Yuanchang thought something was wrong and laughed, "It's nothing."

"But Your Highness, there is one special guest among these gift-givers, and he has given a very generous gift."

"oh?"

Wu Meiniang's eyes were serious: "It was sent by the current Crown Princess through someone, and she also wrote a letter to Meiniang, addressing Meiniang as her younger sister."

Li Yuanchang was shocked, and his expression changed instantly.

Some of these courtesies were just formalities, customs among the nobles of Chang'an—a way to show support and become familiar with someone. Even if word got out, it wouldn't be considered forming cliques.

But some gifts are not just for show. The Crown Princess is a person of great stature. For her to condescend to send such a generous gift to Wu Zetian is clearly aimed at her.

It inherently carries a strong connotation of political appeasement.

"But Your Highness, please rest assured."

"Meiniang did not accept it."

"Wu Yuanqing and his companion were greedy for money and wanted to curry favor with the powerful, but Meiniang sternly stopped them by threatening to go on a hunger strike."

All twenty-four cartloads of gifts were returned.

"Mei Niang also told a lie, saying that there was a regulation from above that strictly prohibited extravagance, and that the wedding should be kept simple, with all gifts to be returned."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanchang gave Meiniang a deep look.

Why won't you accept it?

Wu Mei pursed her lips, which were even redder than cherries, and her eyes sparkled with an intelligence that was completely out of character for her age.

"Your Highness, firstly, those twenty-four carts of gifts are more than the palace's bestowal. What merit does the Wu family have? This is clearly done to curry favor with Your Highness."

"Although Meiniang is a woman, she knows that there is no such thing as a free lunch. I'm afraid Your Highness will have to return the twenty-four cartloads of gifts."

"Secondly, the Crown Princess represents the Crown Prince, while Meiniang is the Prince of Han's person. If Meiniang doesn't know her place and accepts it, wouldn't that be sending the message to the outside world that the Prince of Han's wife and the Crown Princess are close, and that the Prince of Han is on the Crown Prince's side?"

"In this way, the King of Han will become the enemy of many people."

"How could Mei Niang dare accept it?"

"Meiniang has already threatened Wu Yuanqing and his companion to make a big show of returning all the gifts, firstly to protect the Crown Princess's face and avoid offending her."

"Secondly, it can demonstrate to His Majesty that His Highness the Prince of Han is responding to the new Zhenguan Code's call to curb extravagance."

"But Wu Yuanqing and his companion refused to relinquish what they had already gained, so Meiniang went all out and used the people His Highness had left in the Wu residence to forcibly return it."

After hearing this, Li Yuanchang was completely shocked and stared blankly at the woman in front of him.