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

"I see. Then why don't I have Mr. Fang show the young master around the Han Prince's Mansion?" Situ Lan suggested.

"Thank you, Your Highness, but there's no need for that. The reason I came here is actually to see the Crown Prince. Is that convenient?" Ling Shuang said.

Situ Lan hesitated, feeling uneasy.

"If it's inconvenient, that's fine too."

"I once made an agreement with the King of Han that if I had any children, I would treat them as my own," Ling Shuang said.

Upon hearing this, Situ Landai raised an eyebrow. This person has such a good relationship with His Highness?

After thinking it over, she smiled and said, "There's no inconvenience."

"Someone, go and bring Ye'er out."

"yes!"

The two maids quickly left.

Before long, Li Zhaoye, who was only about one year old and still fast asleep, was brought over.

With a smile on her lips and eyes full of maternal love, Situ Lan carried Ling Shuang to her side.

A hint of bitterness and jealousy flashed deep in Ling Shuang's eyes.

Then, looking at the child, his highly recognizable, sharp phoenix eyes showed a hint of daze again, and he said softly.

"She looks just like him."

"Really? Everyone in the Han Prince's mansion says so. He really does look like the Han Prince." Situ Lan said with some pride, her attention focused on the child, and she didn't notice the change in her expression.

Ling Shuang's gaze was somewhat complicated, containing darkness, hatred, and a sense of bewilderment towards the son of an old friend.

She didn't reply, but focused intently on the sleeping Li Zhaoye.

He couldn't help but reach out and gently touch her skin with his fingers, before finally forcing a smile.

His change in expression left Fang Weng and the others, who were not far away, somewhat puzzled.

Situ Lanmudan's eyes flashed, and she suddenly saw something.

"My lord, where did you get this ring?"

Ling Shuang glanced at her hand, deliberately flashed it, and said, "A gift from an old friend."

Situ Lan frowned.

Li Yuanchang also had a very similar ring, which he had worn for many years without ever taking it off, so she was very familiar with it.

But she actually saw a ring on the young man's finger that was about 70-80% similar, only smaller and more delicate.

It even...it even gave off a feeling of a male and female pair.

"A gift from an old friend?"

"Could it be the King of Han?"

"No, it's not. It's a dead person." Ling Shuang shook her head.

Then he said, "Princess Consort of Han, wife of an old friend, I have seen her son and my wish has been fulfilled. I will no longer disturb the peace of the Prince of Han's residence. I will take my leave now."

"Eh," Situ Lan said, "Young master, why don't you sit a little longer?"

"Thank you, Princess Consort of Han, but there's no need," Ling Shuang declined.

Upon hearing this, Situ Lan could not linger and could only ask Fang Weng to see the guest out.

People travel far away.

Situ Lan's gaze followed him intently, her beautiful eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

"Your Highness, he... he seems to be a woman." Ru Shuang stepped forward, her brows furrowed slightly. As the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan, she had noticed something amiss.

Situ Lan sensed it too.

How could a man be so fair-skinned, with such slender fingers, and even smell of rouge on his body?

Outside the Prince of Han's Palace.

Ling Shuang quickly left, boarded the carriage, and disappeared into the bustling traffic of Chang'an.

"You saw the Princess Consort of Han?" Song Sanlang's voice rang out as he stared intently at Ling Shuang, who was sitting opposite him—the vanished Wu Mei.

She was dressed in men's clothing, but her features were still stunningly beautiful. She nodded expressionlessly.

"How is it?" Song Sanlang asked again.

Ling Shuang's lips curled into a cold, alluring smile: "What do you mean, 'how about'?"

"I just wanted to see what the famous Princess Consort of Han looked like."

"Is that so?"

"Otherwise, do you think I would still have any lingering feelings for him?"

"But when the news of his death in battle came, you felt as if you had been drained dry."

"I just feel resentful that he didn't die by my hand." Ling Shuang's phoenix eyes were as sharp as knives, filled with genuine hatred.

Song Sanlang glanced at her, sighed inwardly, and said nothing more.

"Back to Youzhou?"

"Don't reply yet, send a message to the Prince of Jin's men."

Song Sanlang gave her a deep look: "I know I can't stop you from doing anything; your abilities and intellect far surpass mine."

"But getting involved with these people is bound to be dangerous."

"We are just businessmen."

"I'm not content to be just a businesswoman." Ling Shuang's calmness was terrifying.

"You are a woman."

"So what if she's a woman?"

A sharp retort left Song Sanlang speechless.

"Over the years, you've become more and more of a stranger to me, and I'm even a little scared of you."

Ling Shuang calmly looked out the window: "We met when we were both nobody, and I am very grateful to you. If you are scared, you can get off the bus now."

"The road ahead may be one of utter ruin, and I don't want to owe anyone anything."

Song Sanlang smiled bitterly, seeing his own impossibility reflected in Ling Shuang's eyes.

He remained silent for a very long time.

"Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Even if it means facing mountains of knives and seas of fire, I will follow you.

Ling Shuang frowned slightly, and said almost coldly, "You know I have no romantic feelings for you."

"Hmm." Song Sanlang smiled.

Ling Shuang remained silent and ultimately said nothing more.

……

March 9th, southern Gobi Desert.

A long-awaited battle has finally broken out!

Li Ji ordered Xue Wanche to lead 20,000 cavalry as the vanguard to launch a formal counterattack.

The main forces of both sides clashed fiercely in various parts of southern Mongolia. The Tang army advanced steadily with overwhelming force, and Li Ji's military strategy was brilliant, almost completely crushing Xueyantuo Dadushe.

The Xueyantuo army continued to retreat. Not only that, the other two Tang armies were also steadily advancing. They were not only retreating, but their lateral space was also being squeezed.

Faced with the deteriorating battlefield conditions and the pressure from the Xueyantuo Khan, the enemy forces began to amass troops, intending to gather all their strength for a decisive battle against the Tang army.

On March 12, Li Yuanchang, who was in the Tuxi Basin, received a scout's report and discovered through the scout's reconnaissance that the Xueyantuo cavalry were being frantically mobilized.

He immediately sensed the impending outbreak of the Battle of Norzhen.

He also realized that his chance to deliver the final blow had come!

On March 13, Li Yuanchang gave the order to set off completely. The army of 10,000 men began to cross the Tuxi Basin, avoiding the Xueyantuo cavalry, and taking a route into the northern desert.

Since then.

Li Yuanchang's 10,000-strong allied army completely disappeared from the map. In ancient times, without GPS, it was as if they had never existed.

Even the western front camp lost contact with Li Yuanchang's troops.

March 20th.

The Battle of Nuozhenshui rolled in like the wheels of history, with the Xueyantuo gathering 100,000 main forces to meet Li Ji.

These are messages that Li Yuanchang, who is deep in the northern desert, could not possibly know.

Once the plan is launched, he can only move forward; there is no turning back.

On March 21, he completely traversed the Tusi Basin, marking his transition from southern to northern Mongolia.

Next came an endless grassland, a 200-mile stretch from the northern desert to the west bank of the Douro River.

There are no mountains, no paths, no cover whatsoever; it's all flat and open. Once discovered, they will be directly surrounded and annihilated by the Xueyantuo cavalry.