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

Li Yuanchang was speechless.

A woman's intuition is incredibly strong; she already sensed something.

He held Situ Lan's delicate body, unsure of what to say. He truly couldn't forget Wu Meiniang; there was love, guilt, and longing.

Situ Lan suddenly raised her head, as if she had been thinking about it for a long time.

"Your Highness, why don't you go and bring her back?"

"Ah?" Li Yuanchang frowned and reassured her, "Madam, don't overthink it. We are already husband and wife, and you are my queen."

But Situ Lan wasn't speaking out of anger or sarcasm.

"That's exactly why we need to bring her back."

"She must be an exceptional woman to have gotten to know and befriend His Highness."

"If it weren't for that accident, she might be the one living here. In a way, I would have benefited. I don't want to be so selfish."

"If she can come back, there will always be a place for her in the Prince of Han's mansion."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanchang couldn't help but kiss Situ Lan's fair forehead. There aren't many women with such a magnanimous heart.

After all, Wu Zetian was different from other women; she was the initial candidate for the position of Princess Consort of Han.

"Lan'er, thank you."

Thank you for your generosity.

"However, this is all in the past between me and her. Knowing that she is alive and well puts my mind at ease."

"But there's probably no chance for me and her."

Why?

Situ Lan frowned.

Li Yuanchang didn't know how to explain the legend of Wu Zetian's dragon eyes and phoenix neck, which aroused Li Shimin's suspicion, and he didn't want Situ Lan to worry.

It might just be a legend. According to the course of history, Li Shimin wouldn't believe it and would still bring her into the palace. But if Wu Zetian were to be with him, Li Shimin wouldn't be happy.

Even if he met Wu Meiniang, there wasn't much he could actually do.

Hiding away like Princess Wencheng was impossible; given Wu Zetian's personality, she would never accept it.

So, after a long silence, he finally spoke.

Flowers have an end, but water has no fixed course.

The connection between people only happens once.

Upon hearing the hint of helplessness and sadness in his voice, Situ Lan's first reaction wasn't jealousy or sadness, but rather heartache.

She held Li Yuanchang tightly with her naked body, sobbing softly.

Li Yuanchang couldn't help but chuckle. "You can cry over this?"

He gently cared for her, first lifting her hair behind her ear, then placing a hand on her back. Once she had calmed down a bit, he lowered his head and kissed her.

Situ Lan's stunningly beautiful eyes were tightly closed as she kissed him until he was breathless.

On the fragrant soft couch, shadows rolled about, candles flickered, and the plum blossoms bloomed a second time.

She was already stunningly beautiful, but after becoming a mother, her magical power reached its maximum.

……

The next day.

Under a clear blue sky, the Prince of Han's mansion was bustling with activity.

First, the baby's crying broke the silence, throwing the entire Han Prince's mansion into a flurry of activity. Then, guests from all walks of life arrived early in the morning to visit.

Fang Weng and others received them on their behalf, and they were all sweating profusely from the service.

Li Yuanchang remained completely hidden throughout, not appearing to receive anyone, and claimed that his old battlefield wounds had not yet healed, making it inconvenient for him to show himself.

In reality, he was chatting and laughing with Qi Senluge, Li Su, and other women in the backyard.

Every now and then, he would gently hook Li Su's palm with his finger. Li Su blushed and felt so embarrassed that she wanted to disappear into the ground, afraid that someone would see her.

In the entire backyard of the Prince of Han's mansion, she was the only one who remained a virgin, pure as could be.

"Report!"

"Your Highness, Your Highness!"

"The four gentlemen have arrived!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanchang raised an eyebrow.

"Lu Ge, Su Su, you two stay here for a while. I will go and meet my four virtuous brothers."

The two women nodded repeatedly, "Yes!"

Before leaving, Li Yuanchang gave Li Su a light pinch on the buttocks.

Li Su was so frightened that her face turned pale. If beckoning with her fingers was ambiguous, then what was this?

"Susu, why is your face so red?"

"what?"

"No, it's nothing." She panicked, her eyes darting around, glancing at Li Yuanchang's back every now and then, her heart pounding in her throat.

Step out of the backyard.

The five brothers reunited.

"Hahaha!" Li Yuanchang's hearty laughter echoed throughout the courtyard.

"Big brother!"

The four of them swarmed forward, their faces flushed.

"It's so good to see you again!" Li Chongzhen and Tang Meng pulled him up and down to look him over.

"What unlucky things are you two saying? Big brother is perfectly fine!" Cheng Chuliang said irritably.

"Yes, yes, look at our mouths!" Li Chongzhen and his companion laughed.

Li Yuanchang didn't know how to describe this friendship. He already knew that after news of his death spread, Cheng Chuliang and the other man would wail and make a scene.

Li Chongzhen and Tang Meng rushed a thousand miles to guard the coffin, and the people who guarded the Han Prince's mansion day and night were afraid of being retaliated against by their enemies.

These friendships will be unforgettable.

"My four worthy brothers, I'm sorry to have worried you all, no matter what." Li Yuanchang bowed.

"Big brother!"

The four people stopped them, asking, "What are you doing?"

"that is."

"That's too formal."

"If you really feel bad, brother, then it wouldn't be impossible for me to keep some of His Majesty's rewards," Li Chongzhen joked.

"You've got abacus beads stuck in my face," Tang Meng said from the side.

"Hahaha!"

The four men burst into laughter, and Li Yuanchang was also amused by these four clowns.

"What reward?"

"Brother, you don't know yet, do you? This morning at court, His Majesty issued an edict to reward the first batch of victorious soldiers."

"Those who perform meritorious service will be promoted two ranks."

"All fallen soldiers will receive pensions and their families will be exempted from taxes for five years."

"The notices have all been posted."

"Oh, and there are also twenty-one tribes. They were all rewarded. The tribal chiefs were made marquises, and the soldiers who participated in the war received heavy rewards."

"A portion of what the Xueyantuo captured will also be given to them, but the exact amount is unknown; we'll find out later."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanchang breathed a sigh of relief.

This can be considered as him fulfilling his promise to the tribes.

To avoid suspicion, he did not mention the matter upon his return, guessing that a powerful ruler like Li Shimin would not fail to reward merit and would not ruin his reputation for a few spoils of war.

"Brother, didn't you know?"

"Has the imperial edict bestowing honors upon you not arrived yet?" Li Chongzhen asked curiously.

Cheng Chuliang and Yuchi Baoqi seemed to know some inside information, their eyes widening: "Brother, you really don't want to be the Minister of War?"

"Why don't you just stay in Chang'an? It'll be much better if we brothers are closer together."

"Yes, Chu Liang was appointed as a fourth-rank Flying Cloud General, and I was appointed as a fourth-rank Purple Gold Commandant. We were in Lantian County, under the jurisdiction of the Jingzhao Zhechong Prefecture."

Li Yuanchang smiled and said, "Let's not talk about that for now."

"We've finally finished the war and are home. Let's rest first and talk about it later."

Cheng Chuliang was an impatient person and immediately pressed for more information.

"Chu Liang, forget it. Your elder brother has his reasons. Let's talk about it another time."

"We've finally managed to get together, let's have a couple of days of pure fun first!"

"That's right!"

"Where to?"

"The usual place?"

Li Yuanchang quickly interrupted, "Hey, my four brothers, that won't do now. I have a whole family to support."

"Why don't we just have the drinks at home?"

"what?"

"What are you talking about? You're always thinking about those fancy things."

"You didn't realize you'd chosen this all along the way," Li Chongzhen said disdainfully.

Li Yuanchang burst out laughing.

"..."