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

Time flies.

As the sun gradually set behind the western mountains, the twelve teams returned one after another.

Twelve small hills rose abruptly from the ground, all of which were the spoils of the hunt in this competition, many of which contained animals that did not exist in later generations.

As the last batch of spoils arrived, the officers and soldiers immediately began weighing and recording them.

However, the few teams of a hundred riders were the most visible. They hunted as if it were child's play, with each rider carrying two or three large beasts, thus creating distance between them.

On the other hand, Li Ke's men seemed to have been dragged down by Li Zhi, and their spoils were almost the worst.

"Third Brother, have I been dragging you down?" A hint of guilt appeared on Li Zhi's seemingly harmless face.

Li Ke smiled and said, "It's alright, participation is what matters."

"Those participating are all the most valiant warriors from Father's side, so there's no shame in us losing."

Li Zhi sighed, looking somewhat defeated: "Alright."

Li Shimin paid almost all of his attention to their conversation, though he seemed not to notice it at all.

Li Shimin stared at his two sons in a daze for a long time, seemingly lost in thought.

It wasn't until Li Yuanchang came to his side that he said, "Your Majesty, the statistics are in. Captain Gu Fei's team has the most hunted animals."

"It weighs over 2,100 jin (approximately 1,500 catties)."

"followed by……"

Li Yuanchang reported the numbers one by one.

After listening, Li Shimin stroked his beard and nodded emphatically: "Very good!"

"The soldiers of our Great Tang Dynasty are all valiant!"

"Everyone gets a reward!"

"Tonight we'll celebrate our victory, tomorrow we'll hold a sacrificial ceremony!" He waved his hand, displaying his boundless generosity.

"Yes, we obey!"

"We obey!" the three armies roared in unison.

"..."

Soon, darkness fell, and the banquet officially began, with countless bonfires illuminating the night.

Large quantities of prey were roasted, releasing an irresistible aroma of oil, seasoned with fine salt and pepper—a flavor far superior to modern barbecue.

It all depends on the ingredients.

From the cavalry to the soldiers, almost everyone received a large piece of meat.

Perhaps a piece of meat wouldn't be much in later generations, but this was ancient times, and even soldiers didn't necessarily get to eat it often.

Cheng Chuliang gnawed on the food, his mouth full of oil, and he was even licking his fingers.

"That's not enough! I should have led a hunting party myself; they would have been just as good as the Hundred Riders!"

"You idiot, they're here to hunt, we're here to handle security and logistics. How can you be the same? We can't even shut you up with food."

Li Yuanchang laughed and scolded, then shared his meat with him.

"Hehe, since you don't like meat, I won't be polite with you," Cheng Chuliang grinned.

"Hahaha!"

Li Yuanchang was amused.

Just then, someone arrived.

It was Li Ke; he led a group of people carrying three full pots of meat.

"King of Wu".

"Seventh Uncle, I noticed you weren't in the camp just now."

"Seeing that the brothers in Lantian County have worked so hard, I specially brought some extra meat to reward them," Li Ke said with a smile.

"Hahaha, Your Highness Prince Wu, you're too kind." Cheng Chuliang's eyes lit up as he went straight over and led his men to take it.

Li Yuanchang didn't even have time to stop him; he simply rolled his eyes and then cupped his hands in greeting.

"Thank you, Your Highness King Wu."

"Seventh Uncle, you flatter us. If the brothers from Lantian County also participated in the hunt, they would probably get even more." Li Ke spoke eloquently, demonstrating his high emotional intelligence.

Calling each other "brother" directly and subtly brought them closer together.

"By the way, Seventh Uncle, why don't you come over for a drink? Father Emperor was just looking for you," Li Ke invited again.

Li Yuanchang shook his head: "I have official duties to attend to. Everyone in the camp is drinking. I must be on guard and protect His Majesty's safety."

"Otherwise, we can't afford to take responsibility if something goes wrong."

Li Ke nodded upon hearing this: "That's true."

"Then why don't I stay here and play a game of chess with Your Highness to relieve your boredom?"

Li Yuanchang could actually sense that Li Ke was also trying to get closer to him, or at least wanted to befriend him, but his methods were much more sophisticated than those of Li Chengqian and Li Tai.

He was straightforward, sincere, and knew his boundaries. He would immediately back down if he sensed that Li Yuanchang was unwilling.

Just as he was about to speak, the rapid sound of horses' hooves rang out, shaking the campfire.

Several guards dismounted and whispered something in Li Yuanchang's ear.

Li Yuanchang's expression changed drastically!

"What did you say?"

"Your Highness, it's absolutely true, all the soldiers left behind on that mountain are dead!" The guard said in a low voice, his face grave.

Li Yuanchang frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Was it a wild animal, or was it man-made?"

"Sword and blade wounds," the guard said again.

"broken!"

"Everyone, follow me!" Li Yuanchang suddenly shouted, his voice urgent.

"Yes!" Everyone paused for a moment, then dropped the meat and picked up the swords.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Li Ke quickly followed, noticing something was amiss.

Li Yuanchang's face was serious, and his steps were as fast as lightning.

"Something has happened. Soldiers have been killed outside the hunting grounds. It's possible that someone infiltrated the area."

"What?" Li Ke was shocked, his eyes widening.

The clanging of armor continued, and at least a hundred men rushed toward the main camp, where Li Shimin held a banquet.

Although Li Yuanchang didn't know the specifics of what was going on, it was clear that transferring the leader immediately when problems arose was the right thing to do.

In just a short distance, he issued three orders to light the beacon fires and mobilize a large number of officers and soldiers to reinforce the area from all directions of the hunting grounds.

Meanwhile, Li Shimin, who was drinking and reveling around the campfire, was completely unaware of the situation. Not only him, but also his close associates, such as Cheng Yaojin, had all gotten drunk.

Although there were still many Imperial Guards guarding the camp, it was a bonfire party, and there were many people coming and going, including many ministers and soldiers.

It's not impossible to take advantage of a situation where things are in disarray.

Here, being besieged by the army is impossible, but assassination is highly likely.

Li Yuanchang was extremely anxious and rushed to the main camp.

Inside, there was singing and dancing, and the bonfire was bright, presenting a peaceful scene. No trouble had occurred, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

Immediately afterwards, he strode in with his men.

The imperial guards, seeing that it was Li Yuanchang and Li Ke, did not stop them.

Upon entering, the main camp was filled with people and troops, appearing somewhat disorganized.

Li Yuanchang suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Everyone stopped.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Li Ke asked, sounding slightly anxious.

Li Yuanchang squinted and turned his head to lock onto an inconspicuous group of Tang soldiers leaving near a tent.

"stop!!"

He gave a low shout, daring to speak with just one glance.

This Tang army seemed suspicious. Upon seeing Li Yuanchang and his group, they changed their course and avoided eye contact.

Immediately, the large group of people froze, all turning their backs to Li Yuanchang and the others.

Li Yuanchang gave a signal, and his personal guards scattered and quickly approached.

"Whose people are you?"

A large contingent of Tang soldiers emerged one after another from behind the tents. The leader bowed and clasped his hands, saying, "Your Excellency, we are the Imperial Guards of the Palace."

"I'm asking, whose men are you? State your general's name." Li Yuanchang's sharp eyes continued to scrutinize.

"Li Yun," the man blurted out.

There are many generals in the palace, and even Li Yuanchang could not possibly know them all.

"Raise your head and let me see you," Li Yuanchang said again.