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

The three of them couldn't help but laugh.

"Brother, didn't we spend quite a bit of money at the brothel last time?"

"The Duke of Ju is known for his incorruptibility. Tang Meng has never had much money to spend since he was a child. He always spends our brothers' money. This time, he is raising money to make his elder brother happy."

"This guy was short of money, so he actually set his sights on his old man, broke the lock on the house, and stole five strings of cash."

"His father wasn't initially that angry, but upon hearing that he had stolen money, the Duke of Ju was furious, feeling it was an insult to the family. He almost expelled Tang Meng from the family, but his elder brother intervened, preventing him from being driven away, though he was still severely punished," Li Chongzhen explained.

Upon hearing this, Guo Chao, Wang Hongzhi, and the others standing nearby twitched at the corners of their mouths.

This is indeed a bit lawless.

Stealing money to go to prostitutes... In the family of a scholar-official during the Zhenguan era, who valued family reputation, one can imagine how serious this was.

Fighting at least gets out and doesn't sound bad, but stealing money is like rubbing the Duke of Ju's face into the ground.

Li Yuanchang found it both funny and heartbreaking, his eyes revealing a tenderness that only men could understand.

"My four brothers have suffered because of me; I bow to them!"

"Big brother!!"

The three of them tried to stop them.

"Brother, you're not treating us like family at all. We call each other brothers, what's this little thing?"

"That's right, elder brother. You've taken the blame alone before His Majesty, and we haven't been able to help you at home at all. We already feel very ashamed!"

"Please, please don't do that!"

Li Yuanchang was moved by the pure and innocent look in the eyes of the three men.

"Okay, we'll be brothers in our hearts!" he said with a strong look in his eyes.

The three of them then smiled.

Immediately afterwards, a look of sadness appeared on their faces.

"Brother, we part ways today, and I don't know when we'll meet again."

"To be honest, after this incident, our father is going to send us away."

"I'm being sent to the army camp. My father said things aren't peaceful in Songzhou."

"Me too. My father said that the Tibetans are showing off their power over there, and it seems like they want to fight the Tang Dynasty. My father also wants to send me to the Zhongwei Bridge General's Office to gain some experience," said Yuchi Baoqi.

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanchang was slightly taken aback, as if the wheels of history were rolling in before his eyes.

The Tang Dynasty and Tibet did indeed have a conflict around the eleventh or twelfth year of the Zhenguan era, but they made peace briefly afterward, which led to Princess Wencheng's marriage to Tibet.

Li Chongzhen frowned: "My father also arranged for me, but not to the military. I'm going to Lantian County to be a minor official."

"Tang Meng should be leaving home soon too."

"The five of us brothers are now scattered all over the country, sigh!"

He sighed, and the other two sighed as well, their spirits low, filled with reluctance and a sense of loss at leaving their comfort zones.

Li Yuanchang comforted him with a smile.

"This is a good thing. Your father has arranged your careers. Others would beg for this."

"Hey, big brother, what career path are you talking about? We're all the second sons, and the eldest brothers have inherited the family business."

"To put it bluntly, they just think we're in their way and want us to get out of the way so that we won't cause them more trouble if we stay in Chang'an."

"That's right!"

When the topic came up, the three of them clearly harbored strong resentment towards their father.

Li Yuanchang smiled wryly.

Perhaps it is true that the saying from later generations is true: in China, fathers and sons are rivals and enemies throughout their lives, only becoming father and son when they are about to die.

At this moment, none of them could understand their father's good intentions. Letting them go was partly to prevent the Chai family from retaliating, and partly to pave the way for their own future.

Although they weren't the eldest sons, if they truly disliked each other, the four of them wouldn't have the power to act arrogantly in Chang'an.

He knew that no matter how much he tried to persuade him, it would be useless; a person cannot simultaneously possess and feel possession.

"Chu Liang, Bao Qi, Chong Zhen, it doesn't matter."

"This parting signifies our next reunion."

"Take care of yourselves. Next time we meet, let's drink until we drop."

"I hope that when I see you again, you will be renowned experts. Then we can meet at the top!" Li Yuanchang smiled, leaving them with a wonderful expectation.

The three of them tensed, their eyes gradually brightening: "Alright!"

"I'll listen to my older brother!"

"Let's meet at the summit!"

"Our elder brother is already a prefect, we can't fall behind, we should all strive to become generals!"

「到时候，咱们还是可以横着走，见了柴令武照样揍他，娶个公主瞧给他神气的，咱们也娶！」程处亮扯着牛嗓子，嘴里没个把门的。

The four of them burst into laughter on the post road.

After chatting for a while, Li Yuanchang, seeing that it was getting late, said, "I must go now. Take good care of yourselves."

"I left some things for each of you four by the well in the backyard of the palace. Take some time to dig them out."

"Remember, if anyone causes you trouble, do not argue or act impulsively. Wait for my return!"

He was very serious and didn't explain it very clearly.

Few dare to cause them trouble; the only possibilities are the Chai family or the Wei Wang faction, which has close ties with Chai Lingwu.

Seeing how serious he was, Cheng Chuliang and the other two didn't joke around.

"good!"

"Don't worry, big brother."

"We understand."

"Brother, what did you leave behind?"

"You'll find out when you dig it up," Li Yuanchang said with a smile, keeping everyone in suspense.

The three chuckled and said, "Okay."

"Oh, and also, don't tell anyone why we're gathering firewood and ordering Wu to do it," Li Yuanchang specifically instructed.

"Why?" Cheng Chuliang asked, his large eyes wide with confusion.

"I don't want her to know." Li Yuanchang forced a smile.

If Wu Zetian knew, she definitely wouldn't be able to let it go. But given the current situation, if Wu Zetian couldn't let go, it would ruin her life.

Li Yuanchang knew clearly that although he had left Chang'an, his future was no longer peaceful and might even be fraught with danger.

His previous plans had fallen through because he had already made enemies, even enemies, with the entire Wei King's faction and the Chai family.

Over the past month, the three of them had naturally become aware of the relationship between Li Yuanchang and Lady Wu.

Hearing this, I couldn't help but sigh.

"Ugh."

"It's all His Majesty's fault for separating the lovers!"

"But brother, if Lady Wu is unaware of the situation, wouldn't she be wrongly accusing you of being heartless and ungrateful?"

"But my older brother almost died trying to protect her."

Li Yuanchang shook his head and said, "It doesn't matter. Only those who hate me can let me go. My fate is beyond my control."

"I am content as long as I know she is doing well."

"You must not try to explain anything on my behalf, as this will only cause trouble for both me and her."

The three men clearly didn't understand Li Yuanchang's intentions, but they all nodded: "Okay, we'll listen to our eldest brother!"

Li Yuanchang smiled and said, "It's about time. It's time to part ways. All good things must come to an end, but believe me, we'll meet again in a few years at most."

"Let's go back."

The three of them immediately showed reluctance to part.

"Brother, farewell!"

Farewell.