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

The two ate together, strolled around the streets of Chang'an, watched Western Region magic tricks involving swallowing swords and breathing fire, and listened to the exquisite melodies of the ancient zither from beyond the Great Wall. They were extremely happy.

Time flew by quickly, and before we knew it, it was dusk.

Li Su, who had been happy all day, looked at the sky and suddenly became gloomy again.

Li Yuanchang noticed her disappointment and bought a string of candied hawthorns, handing it to her: "Don't look so sad. If I have nothing else to do tomorrow, I'll get you out again."

Upon hearing this, Li Su raised her head, and her eyes brightened.

"Your Highness, is this convenient?"

"What's inconvenient about that, unless you're physically unwell?" Li Yuanchang blurted out.

The words that came out of her mouth made Li Su's cheeks burn. Why is Uncle Qi talking to me about this?

She was in a state of confusion and her mind was blank, but she still answered.

"Me too, it's convenient for me."

"That settles it then. Let's go, head towards Xuanwu Gate. I'll escort you back. Otherwise, if you don't return after dark, it will be a bit taboo." Li Yuanchang didn't dare to be careless. This kind of thing was a big deal in ancient times. If Li Tai and his gang were to target him again, Li Su would be in trouble.

"Hmm." Li Su looked down at her toes.

Once she was on the carriage and the journey home had officially begun, she couldn't help but ask another question.

"Your Highness, how long will you remain in Chang'an?"

"Well, maybe three to five days, it's hard to say," Li Yuanchang said.

Li Su suddenly fell silent again, her head bowed. After a couple of breaths, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"Hey, why are you crying?" Li Yuanchang said, both amused and exasperated.

"I...I didn't cry," Li Su said, wiping her face, trying to cover it up.

Li Yuanchang looked at her with a sense of helplessness and heartache. He had met many young girls, but Li Su was the most endearing to him.

"There's nothing we can do about it; I'll have to return to my fiefdom sooner or later."

Li Su wiped away her tears with her wrist, her eyes red and swollen, and forced a smile, pretending to be sensible: "Yes, Su Su knows."

"Your Highness is a high-ranking official in charge of a region; he is destined for great things and cannot remain in Chang'an indefinitely."

"As long as Your Highness thinks of Susu when you return to Chang'an and comes to see Susu, Susu will be very happy."

"I just don't know when we'll see each other again."

As she spoke, she was clearly smiling, yet tears streamed down her face as she forcefully suppressed the bitterness in her heart—an extremely intense emotion.

Li Yuanchang sighed inwardly, guessing that she probably considered him her only family.

The idea that had come up earlier resurfaced.

"Don't cry, don't think too much about the future. I promise you, we'll be able to meet again soon."

"We might be able to see each other often in the future."

Upon hearing this, Li Su opened her amber-colored, ice-cold pupils wide, her eyelashes moist.

"Do you see each other often?"

Li Yuanchang laughed and said, "Don't ask. Just do what I say. Don't worry too much about the future, just focus on the present."

Upon hearing this, Li Su felt a surge of strength within him and nodded repeatedly, "Alright, Your Highness, I will listen to you."

Li Yuanchang subconsciously reached out and touched the back of her head with his hair, showing great affection.

But when I touched it, I realized something was wrong.

However, Li Su looked down at her toes and didn't say anything.

Not long after, the afternoon's itinerary came to an end, and Li Yuanchang personally escorted her back to the palace, watching her enter the unfathomable palace with every step she took, turning back again and again in the setting sun.

He looked at Li Su as if she were his own sister, and made up his mind to bring her to live in the Prince of Han's mansion. There, he felt a sense of warmth and companionship, and with people like Situ Lan, it felt more like a home.

Back at the Prince of Han's residence.

The once quiet palace was now bustling with activity, as the hundred beautiful maids and vast amounts of gold and silver bestowed by Li Shimin had all arrived.

The rewards this time were indeed very generous. Usually, it would be good to be given ten beautiful maids, but he was given a hundred. In addition, he was given the salt wells of Shannan West Circuit, as well as an additional fief, and so on.

In some ways, Li Yuanchang was like Li Tai, receiving treatment that exceeded that of a typical prince.

They simply don't have inheritance rights; they're just considered special within the royal family.

"Your Highness, you're back. Are you leaving again?"

Li Yuanchang shook his head: "We can't leave for now. Have your men take the things from the carriage into the storeroom first."

"We'll have to stay for at least a few more days."

"Yes!" Guo Chao clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Oh, and also, make preparations first thing tomorrow morning, as I need to go to the palace."

"yes!"

After giving his instructions, Li Yuanchang went to bathe and change his clothes.

That night, he went to bed early and, unusually, did not visit Chi Lian and Wu Yu.

Before dawn, he got up again, got ready, and immediately went to the palace.

However, it happened to be the morning court session, so Li Shimin did not receive him but instead summoned him directly to the Liangyi Hall.

His appearance immediately drew the attention of the entire court, with many expressing envy, jealousy, and even hatred in the eyes of a few individuals in the crowd.

Li Yuanchang stood in the corner, listening silently like a passerby, without saying a word. He hadn't come to show off; he was there purely for Li Su.

But as if by some preordained fate, he happened to stumble upon an unusual morning court session.

Two major events occurred during this morning court session!

First, after Hou Junji decisively defeated Gaochang, he secretly opened the treasury, and all his subordinates followed suit. This was impeached and reported, which enraged Li Shimin.

He immediately ordered that Hou Junji, a highly decorated military leader, be imprisoned.

No matter how much Li Chengqian and others pleaded, it was to no avail. On his first morning court session after returning from his campaign, Hou Junji received no reward; instead, he was imprisoned.

But this is not Li Shimin's fault. Taking treasures privately and the army becoming a common practice was indeed a huge stain at the time. Hou Junji was simply acting recklessly.

Li Yuanchang witnessed the whole process and could only sigh in his heart.

The turning point has finally arrived.

He knew that Hou Junji would not die and would be released soon, but this incident foreshadowed what would happen two years later.

Historically, Hou Junji harbored resentment because he was humiliated despite his outstanding military achievements, and eventually embarked on a path of no return.

The second major event was the marriage alliance with Tibet, which Li Shimin finally brought to the forefront of court discussion.

This means that more people are involved, which is equivalent to soliciting opinions from a wider range of people.

Unsurprisingly, the entire court almost unanimously agreed to the marriage alliance. In their view, since Tuyuhun had already formed an alliance, Tibet should too, so as to appear as the superior nation.

Secondly, the civil service, considering their own interests, did not want to go to war with Tibet.

When faced with the Tibetan Empire, the military group indeed could not come up with a complete solution, and ultimately agreed.

Looking at the inevitable trend of the court and considering Hou Junji's situation, Li Yuanchang could only sigh helplessly in the end.

History seems not to be altered by individual will.

He knew that he alone could not defy the prevailing trend; everyone wanted a marriage alliance, a situation that Li Shimin could not ignore.

It's unlikely that a marriage alliance with Tibet will bring about any major changes.