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

A moment of silence.

Li Yuanchang said, "Here's what we'll do: tell Hu Qian to start with a small-scale recruitment, and then conduct assessments."

"We don't have a budget of four hundred strings of cash, we only have forty strings."

"Huh?" Song Yu's jaw almost dropped to the ground. He had even considered cutting it in half, but he never expected that Li Yuanchang would raise his hand and cut off nine-tenths of it.

"You heard me right, forty strings of cash," Li Yuanchang said with a smile.

"Your Highness, this amount of money is indeed too little. The budget is only enough to set up a stage, but once the candidates are selected, it will require a large sum of money."

"Those who are chosen are all arrogant and conceited people, this..." Song Yu sincerely advised, and did not directly carry out this absurd order.

In the Tang Dynasty, officials selected from local positions received their salaries starting from the day they took office.

However, once selected, there will be additional rewards, such as increased household registration, equalization of taxes and corvée labor, and some tangible benefits.

Even a lowly ninth-rank official could possess land, silk, grain, and so on, though the lower the rank, the less they received.

Li Yuanchang should have had a large sum of money originally, but it was confiscated after he beat Chai Lingwu unconscious.

"With so little money, I'm afraid no one will be willing to come," Song Yu said again.

To everyone's surprise, Li Yuanchang just chuckled meaningfully, "If they don't come on their own, it's none of my business."

"Go."

After saying that, he quickly left.

Situ Lan was pregnant and couldn't have sex for the time being. Just then, Qin Keyu's period ended, and he rushed off to arrange flowers and play with her.

Song Yu was left standing there, completely bewildered.

After hesitating for a while, realizing that Li Yuanchang must have his own reasons for doing this, he could only send a message in the end.

East Courtyard.

This was originally a large courtyard that Situ Lan, as a princess, had alone, comparable to a manor, with dozens of side rooms alone. However, she and Qin Keyu were too close and did not want to be too far apart. It would also be easier to manage the backyard and accounts, so they simply decided to live together in the east courtyard.

As soon as Li Yuanchang entered the antique-style room.

boom!

A fragrant breeze enveloped him.

"Your Highness!" Qin Keyu shouted excitedly, hanging up on the wall. Lively and straightforward, she exuded emotional charm, a complete contrast to the gentle and subtle Situ Lan.

Li Yuanchang chuckled: "How did you know I was here?"

"If Your Highness doesn't come to me, where else can you go?" Qin Keyu smiled and touched the tip of his nose, radiating happiness.

Li Yuanchang hooked the door shut with his heel, then, supporting Qin Keyu's slender and exquisite buttocks with both hands, strode forward.

"What a joke! The Prince of Han's mansion has so many rooms, why would I choose yours?"

Qin Keyu revealed a half-smile.

"If you're so capable, Your Highness, then don't stay with me tonight."

"You said that?" Li Yuanchang made a move to leave.

"I didn't say that!" Qin Keyu immediately changed her tune.

"Hahaha!"

"bring it on!"

Li Yuanchang laughed loudly, then pressed the man down onto the soft couch and showered his fair neck with passionate kisses.

That tingling, numbing sensation instantly made Qin Keyu feel intoxicated. Although she didn't say it, she truly liked how Li Yuanchang treated her.

She kept making guttural sounds, her snow hands moving in sync with Li Yuanchang.

But suddenly, Li Yuanchang stopped abruptly.

Qin Keyu's face was flushed, and her eyes were already watery.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Li Yuanchang turned around and saw a young and beautiful maid standing not far away.

He disliked having people around him the most, but that was the custom in wealthy families in ancient times. There had to be maids waiting by his side during intercourse to help and take over.

That's so true!

"Your Highness, she is my personal maid, who grew up with me since childhood. Her name is Mingzhu."

"You're too..."

"I'll think about it for a while..." she said, a little embarrassed to explain.

But Li Yuanchang probably understood, and couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh, the kind of laugh a man would have.

"It's alright, I'll be more careful later. You can go now, you don't need to wait here."

Mingzhu blushed and said "yes" before running away as if fleeing.

Qin Keyu's brows furrowed slightly with fear. Every time, she felt heartache and tenderness, but every time she felt like she was about to fall apart.

Seeing Li Yuanchang's insistence, she could only accept it with trepidation.

Soon, most of the lights in the room went out, and the bed curtains slowly slid down, along with some women's personal clothing.

Two figures were vaguely visible inside the curtain.

"Your Highness, please stop looking."

"They won't even let me look! What about the husband's authority?"

Qin Keyu was completely speechless, burying her head in the blankets, her neck turning red. However, she truly had no idea that Li Yuanchang was so...shameless.

The word "shameless" was even the most elegant word she could think of.

She even talked to Situ Lan in private, after all, they were already married women.

Situ Lan was both amused and exasperated, and said, "Your Highness is usually busy, so let's just go along with it."

Situ Lan set a precedent for "doting," and Qin Keyu followed suit by unconditionally allowing Li Yuanchang to do so.

Despite Li Shimin having three thousand beauties in his harem, Li Yuanchang only had one wife and one concubine; it's hard to say who was happier.

"..."

It was a wonderful night.

Strictly speaking, every day after the escort team from Chang'an arrived in Liangzhou was wonderful.

The first phase of his struggle brought Li Yuanchang power, subordinates, wealth, and prestige, and he also enjoyed nearly a month of peace.

But this peace and tranquility was soon shattered the following morning.

"Report!!"

"Urgent report! Urgent report!!"

"Whoa!!"

A fast horse galloped across the street and came to a screeching halt at the gate of the Prince of Han's residence. The guards immediately let it pass.

"Where is His Highness the Prince of Han?"

"Something's happened!"

"Dining with the Princess in the backyard!"

The arrival of the visitor was so urgent that it startled a flock of birds in the Prince's Garden in early spring.

Li Yuanchang was having breakfast with Situ Lan and Qin Keyu when his eyes flashed and he spotted Fang Weng leading a messenger on the post road rushing over from afar.

Men are not allowed to enter the backyard of the Prince's mansion unless they have something urgent to attend to.

Li Yuanchang's expression immediately turned serious.

The messenger rushed in, panting and looking flustered: "Your Highness, the magistrate of Wei County has sent an urgent report: the bronze chariot from the direction of Fengzhou has been hijacked!"

boom!

This news was like a bolt from the blue, causing both ladies to freeze in their tracks.

"What did you say?!"

Li Yuanchang jumped up and snatched the letter.

The so-called copper carts were carts filled with copper coins, which were the money from selling distilled liquor. These carts have been gradually being transported back from various states in recent days.

He also specially dispatched a lot of people to help with the escort, fearing that the Qin family would not have enough manpower.

As for the Fengzhou direction, they were escorted by the subordinates of County Magistrate Yang Zhuo.

"Your Highness, it is absolutely true. Thirteen soldiers from Wei County were killed, nineteen members of the Qin family's troops were also killed, and even the eldest son of Magistrate Yang Zhuo was killed."

"All payments for goods in the Fengzhou area have been robbed by bandits!"

What?!

Everyone present was shocked, stunned, and incredulous that such a thing could happen.