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

They did catch up with the carriage, but it was all a ruse.

late at night.

The outskirts of Minnesota.

Bang bang bang!

A large number of guards from the Northern Song Dynasty were detained and forced to kneel on the ground.

The torchlight illuminated their faces, which were filled with fear and unease.

"Your Highness, it's these bastards who have been leading us astray; it's all a smokescreen!" the guards exclaimed angrily.

Li Yuanchang raised his hand to stop his men from using the knife.

Where is your employer?

The guards were uneasy.

"The employer told us to do this; she has already left by boat."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanchang was taken aback, then smiled helplessly. This was a clever move to achieve his goal of secretly advancing his own forces.

They actually traveled by water.

At this point, it's almost impossible to catch up.

He remained silent for a long time before finally accepting the fact.

"Dong, the boss also said that you will definitely chase after her, and asked us to tell you not to worry about her, but to be careful when you go out to sea. There are many pirates at sea, especially in Japan, where they live by occupying islands and plundering merchant ships."

Li Yuanchang sighed, looked towards the sea, and thought to himself, "Meiniang is determined to leave, and there's nothing I can do to stop her."

Maybe it would be better to let her give it a try.

Get up.

"Release them all."

"Yes."

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

"By the way, please pass on a message to your master: if needed, he can go directly to the Han Prince's residence to find Su Gui."

"Make her remember what she promised me."

"I have returned from the East Sea. I have ordered her to come see me, or I will make her pay!" he said in a deep, somewhat forceful voice.

This separation is different from the last one. There was a knot in their hearts before, but now their relationship has overcome that.

Wu Meiniang stopped hiding from him; she just wanted to prove herself and was unwilling to be a concubine.

"yes!"

"We will certainly convey the message."

Li Yuanchang took a deep breath and said nothing more. Perhaps a woman as extraordinary as Wu Zetian was truly beyond his control.

To fulfill and support is the best approach.

As long as she doesn't turn evil!

"..."

The next day.

Li Yuanchang woke up in Mingzhou.

When he woke up, he hadn't yet adjusted to the fact that Wu Meiniang was gone. These past few days felt like a dream, so unreal.

She came suddenly, and she left suddenly.

The two have spent most of their time apart over the years.

He shook off the distracting thoughts in his mind and got down to business, hoping to return as soon as possible so that they could reunite sooner.

"Where is Ji'an?"

Guo Chao clasped his hands in greeting: "Your Highness, he is still at the post station."

"My subordinates have been monitoring him these past few days. His movements are very regular; he goes to the temple every day to listen to scriptures and study Taoist practices."

"As you instructed, I also sneaked into his room and searched it."

"Besides some ordinary clothes, there were also a large number of copied scriptures."

"This Japanese monk came to copy Buddhist scriptures, seemingly wanting to return and spread the profound Buddhism of the Tang Dynasty. In addition, he also brought a small number of seeds and books."

Li Yuanchang nodded; this was in line with the behavior of visiting monks.

The Tang Dynasty was the only superpower in the 7th century, with highly advanced culture and technology. Many monks came under the guise of pilgrimage, but in reality, they came to learn Buddhism and take some seed books back with them.

These things were rare items in ancient times.

"However, Your Highness, the East China Sea has been calm lately, and the fishermen traveling to and from Mingzhou say that the weather is good and they are catching a lot of fish."

"There's no storm at all. Is this Japanese monk just spouting nonsense to get His Highness's attention and try to gain some benefits?" Guo Chao wondered.

Li Yuanchang shook his head.

"It shouldn't be. Although this monk's origins are unknown, it's obvious that he has some knowledge and background."

"The group of people that Meiniang found for me have only gone as far as Baiyingkou, which is far from the depths of the East China Sea. They are proficient in navigation, but they are not familiar with the routes or the terrain there."

"This monk even visited the Penglai Immortal Island."

"We still need to bring it."

Guo Chao clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: "Yes!"

"Go and urge Cui He to conduct one last inspection of the treasure ship to confirm the supplies and personnel, and strive to depart tomorrow."

"yes!"

After giving his instructions, Li Yuanchang went directly to Ji'an's residence.

He now has everything ready, except for the final push.

If nothing unexpected happens and if I can get there directly, I hope to return to Chang'an within a year.

As for the so-called elixir of immortality, he never took it to heart, treating it as just a formality.

Boom!

As the knocking sounded, the sound of the wooden fish drum inside the house abruptly stopped.

Footsteps sounded, and Ji'an opened the door. Sunlight shone on his face, revealing a handsome and kind-looking man who certainly did not have the sleazy air of a Japanese.

"It's you, benefactor."

"Amitabha."

Li Yuanchang smiled and said, "Master, shall we chat?"

"Please, benefactor." Ji'an stepped aside with neither servility nor arrogance, his face smiling and his mind utterly at peace.

Li Yuanchang entered the room, which was spotless and odorless.

"Master, how long do you intend to stay here?"

"Benefactor, I have come here to learn about Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty. Once I have learned enough, I will return."

"Of course, if possible, I will bring more seeds back. Japan is starving, and many people are dying of hunger because they rely on the sea for their livelihood. I can't bear it."

"However, for some petty thieves, all their sins can only be repented for by the Buddha."

"Amitabha Buddha." He then chanted a Buddhist prayer.

Li Yuanchang looked at him and said, "Master, you are overthinking it."

"You have saved countless lives and done many good deeds; the Buddha should be worshipping you in the hall."

Ji'an was startled and shook his head repeatedly, chanting, "Forgive me, forgive me."

Li Yuanchang smiled.

"However, your personal strength is too limited. Putting aside everything else, carrying so much stuff across the sea is not an easy task, and you might even perish at sea."

"How about this, you come with me?"

"Together with you, benefactor?" Ji'an asked in surprise.

"Yes, I am an official of the Tang Dynasty, ordered to go to Penglai Island. Please lead me to that place."

"In return, I will give you some scriptures, seeds, and grain."

"This way, I can save time, and you can also help people."

"How about it?" Li Yuanchang cut to the chase, offering a condition the other party couldn't refuse.

As expected, Ji'an was moved.

Putting everything else aside, just being able to get on a boat trip is already worth it.

"But my lord, I may not be able to help you find immortals and elixirs of immortality."

How do you know about immortality?

Ji'an said calmly, "At the end of the East Sea lies Penglai Immortal Island, where the secret to immortality has been rumored for hundreds of years, and many people have gone there seeking the elixir."

"This is no secret."

"When you mentioned that you were an official of the Tang Dynasty, I already guessed it."

Li Yuanchang nodded. It seems that during the Qin Dynasty, the First Emperor ordered Xu Fu to sail east, and this was the place he was looking for.

There are also rumors that the population there was migrated there during the Qin Dynasty, but this can no longer be verified.