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

That was Changsun Wuji's gaze!

Their eyes met, and he even smiled.

That smile seemed to contain a hint of pride, a hint of politeness, and a hint of something else that was hard to define.

But I just can't see any hostility!

This is the real smiling tiger. You will never feel any murderous intent or hostility from him, but when it comes to taking action, he is more ruthless and decisive than anyone else.

Li Yuanchang brushed past him, but those two short breaths felt like the passing of spring and winter.

In such a situation, neither of them had the opportunity to speak, nor did they intend to.

An old man and a young man, one black and one white, one standing and the other walking downhill, went further and further away, as if they were destined rivals.

Li Yuanchang left, ordered to go to the East China Sea to find the elixir of immortality for Li Shimin.

The two biggest powder kegs of the Tang Dynasty have been dismantled, the struggle for the crown prince has come to an end, and the two important ministers are now far apart.

After Li Yuanchang left, Chang'an will enter a period of complete tranquility.

Li Shimin stood at the highest point of the palace, gazing in the direction of Xuanwu Gate, as the small black dot gradually disappeared completely from sight.

"Xuanling".

"Your subject is here."

Fang Xuanling slowly stepped forward.

Li Shimin was already showing signs of age; his gaze was half heroic and half weary.

"Whom do you think the King of Han is loyal to?"

Fang Xuanling's expression changed drastically at the question.

"Your Majesty, it is naturally you."

Li Shimin shook his head slightly: "I don't think so."

Fang Xuanling felt a chill run down his spine for Li Yuanchang.

"His loyalty is to the Tang Dynasty, not to me."

"If he were loyal to me, he wouldn't have pushed for reforms in the Ministry of War, wouldn't have cracked down on corruption, and wouldn't have been irreconcilable with Wuji."

Fang Xuanling glanced at his profile. Sure enough, His Majesty understood everything.

"Your Majesty, one should fulfill one's duties in one's position. The Prince of Han has indeed not done anything wrong."

"Yes, it's because he didn't do anything wrong that I sent him out to reflect on his actions."

"He can't really be blamed for the reforms, and he didn't do anything wrong in the personnel appointments and removals in the Ministry of War, but if the water is too clear, there will be no fish."

"I intend to suppress the aristocratic families for the sake of balance."

"But the King of Han's reforms are for the sake of fairness throughout the land."

"They both involve the word 'flat,' but when applied to matters of national importance, they produce two completely different outcomes."

As he spoke, Li Shimin looked up at the sky and took a deep breath: "It's not that you are disloyal, it's not that I am blind."

"But what I need now is Wuji, the Guanlong nobles, and peace throughout the land for a smooth transition."

"Wuji is the one who can bring peace to all sides."

"But the King of Han is a double-edged sword."

"Many times, when I use him, I am afraid."

"This seventh brother is so intelligent that he is almost supernatural. The commercial and agricultural laws he promoted in Liangzhou have effectively changed the Tang Dynasty. His commodities have almost dictated the flow of the Tang Dynasty's economy."

"No fewer than fifteen ministers have reported this matter. If it weren't for the rise of the Northern Song Dynasty, he would have been the only one in power."

"I cherish talent, but I also have my own limitations."

Upon hearing this idea, Fang Xuanling opened his mouth several times, wanting to say something, but in the end, it all turned into a sigh and disappeared into the long river of history.

……

Early November.

After more than twenty days, Li Yuanchang led his team from Chang'an to Mingzhou!

Mingzhou was one of the many coastal prefectures of the Tang Dynasty and its gateway to the sea. It was a major shipping route between the Tang Dynasty and Japan at that time, and a large number of envoys and monks to the Tang Dynasty landed there.

Unlike the scene in Yangzhou and other places where Persian and Arab merchants gathered, there were very few red-haired and blue-eyed people here; instead, there were more Japanese and Silla people.

This is what is commonly referred to as Japan and Korea.

In addition, there were many monks, especially those who traveled back and forth to Japan to spread Buddhism.

"Faster, those behind, faster!"

"We're here! We're here!"

The warhorses galloped, splashing up large amounts of mud.

On my very first day in Minnesota, I was caught in a downpour.

Fortunately, Li Yuanchang had the foresight to not bring a large team and instead travel light, intending to recruit locally; otherwise, they would have been stuck halfway there.

"Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up!!"

Li Yuanchang led his men on horseback and quickly entered Mingzhou City.

A carriage approached, and a snow-white hand lifted the curtain to peek outside.

The woman was stunningly beautiful, with arched eyebrows and an aura of royalty!

She glanced at the crossing line several times; the people there were all broad-shouldered and burly, with the imposing stature of mountains, which inevitably caught her attention.

But Li Yuanchang was at the front, and the two passed each other in the heavy rain and mud.

Before long, Li Yuanchang arrived at the official post station and settled down.

Everyone was soaked to the bone, and they quickly moved some supplies.

Upon receiving the news, Zhuo Xi, the prefect of Mingzhou, quickly led his men to the scene.

The once-loose post station was suddenly packed with people, attracting a large crowd of onlookers.

"Look, who's that?"

"A lot of soldiers have arrived. Are they here to arrest people?"

"Impossible! That person is the Prefect of Mingzhou. He came in person, and it seems like some very important figure has arrived!"

"They look like them to me too. Those guys are all burly and strong, some of them are even as big as black bears. I've never seen such tall people in my life, they're so fierce!"

"..."

"Your humble servant, Zhuo Xi, Prefect of Mingzhou, pays his respects to the Prince of Han!"

"I was unaware of the Prince of Han's arrival in advance and have failed to greet him properly; please forgive me!"

As soon as Zhuo Xi entered the room, he immediately performed a deep bow. He had also come in the rain, and his pants were covered in mud, clearly indicating that he had run all the way there.

Although he was the prefect of Mingzhou, he was far inferior to Li Yuanchang.

Just one place versus Chang'an, and the difference is like heaven and earth, a fact that remained true in later generations.

"Governor Zhuo, you are too polite."

"I didn't want to make a big fuss and waste resources, so I only informed you upon arrival."

"You must have received the imperial decree by now, right?" Li Yuanchang asked bluntly.

With the support of the formidable postal system of the Tang Dynasty, a fast horse could deliver a message from Chang'an to Mingzhou in fifteen days.

"Your Highness, everything is ready. Three reinforced treasure ships, including the boatmen, can carry nearly eight hundred people and various supplies," Zhuo Xi said.

Li Yuanchang nodded: "It's raining heavily today, so it's inconvenient to inspect. Once the rain stops, I will send someone to find you, and we can go to the dock together for the inspection."

"The ship is fine, your mission is complete."

Zhuo Xi nodded repeatedly. The man, who was over fifty years old and held a high position, appeared cautious and timid at this moment, revealing a fawning smile.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"However, the post station here is old and in disrepair, and is quite inconvenient. Why don't you accompany me to the prefectural capital for lodging?"

"I, your humble servant, would also like to do my best to be a good host."

Li Yuanchang said, "Then there's no need. I have an imperial order to refrain from drinking alcohol."

"This place looks habitable, so there's no need to be picky."

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Xi was unwilling to give up: "Your Highness, we will eat at the banquet, but not drink alcohol."

"I thought that if Your Highness stayed in the prefecture, it would be more convenient for the handover of the treasure ships and for Your Highness to recruit sailors in Mingzhou."

"This humble official is ready to accompany and cooperate throughout the entire process."