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

"It doesn't matter, as long as we can find that fairy island."

Upon hearing this, Ji'an nodded immediately: "If that's the case, then I'm willing to guide you, sir."

"But, is it really necessary to go now?"

Li Yuanchang nodded: "The sooner the better."

"Of course, safety comes first; we'll take the safest route."

Ji'an nodded, and for the sake of the seeds and scriptures, he gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, I'll listen to you, sir."

"Pack your things now, and we'll leave together first thing tomorrow morning."

"good!"

After Li Yuanchang finished speaking, he left.

Ji'an watched them go and uttered a Buddhist chant.

Only after Li Yuanchang had completely disappeared did he slowly raise his head, his eyes flickering, seemingly lost in thought.

"..."

And just like that, the matter was completely settled.

The next morning, the whole team set off and arrived at the dock.

The three enormous treasure ships were now completely packed, no longer empty shells, and were filled with hundreds of people.

Such a fleet was already quite large, approaching five hundred people including those from the Prince of Han's residence.

Li Yuanchang was preparing to board the ship.

"Your Highness, the Prefect of Mingzhou has arrived," Guo Chao suddenly whispered in his ear.

Li Yuanchang looked back and saw that Zhuo Xi had arrived with a large group of people.

He had no choice but to stop and go to meet them.

"This humble official greets Your Highness, the Prince of Han!" Zhuo Xi greeted with a smile, bowing and clasping his hands.

"Governor Zhuo, you are too polite. Didn't I say there was no need for a farewell? Why did you still come?" Li Yuanchang returned the greeting.

Zhuo Xi immediately replied, "The King of Han requested a simple document, but I had no choice but to come. After all, this is His Majesty's mission, and I should assist him without hesitation."

He first made some polite remarks, then smiled and said, "Besides that, I was thinking of sending Your Highness some more supplies for the voyage."

Li Yuanchang asked, "Everything is ready. What other supplies are needed?"

"Your Highness, you'll see when you see it. This way, please?" Zhuo Xi extended his hand with a broad smile.

Li Yuanchang had no choice but to follow.

Several carriages were parked in the open space. When Zhuo Xi reached out and lifted a curtain, what came into view was not goods, but two living people!

They were both women, one of whom looked like a young girl, with a beautiful and graceful appearance.

The other one was a bit older, around thirty years old, but she was very charming and mature.

They wouldn't call themselves stunning beauties, but they're all pretty enough to be considered average-looking.

"Prefect Zhuo, what is the meaning of this?" Li Yuanchang raised an eyebrow.

Zhuo Xi waved his hand, signaling his men to retreat, and then laughed, "Your Highness may not know, but you can spend months on the high seas without seeing a single living person. It's incredibly boring, and some people have even developed madness because of it."

"Many merchant caravans would bring women aboard on long voyages to entertain them with music."

"The two of them, one is my niece and the other is my sister-in-law. One is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and the other is proficient in serving. With them by your side, Your Highness will surely not be too bored on the journey."

As he spoke, he gave a wink to the two women inside the carriage.

The girl seemed a little shy.

The more mature woman appeared more poised, immediately bowing respectfully inside the carriage. Her palace-style dress and skirt accentuated her curves as she bent over, revealing glimpses of her cleavage.

This is clearly a deliberately displayed cleavage.

"Your Highness, please rest assured. I know the rules of Chang'an, and this matter will not be leaked. When Your Highness returns, I will personally come to pick you up and will not make things difficult for you." Zhuo Xi hinted with his eyes.

What he called "rules" were actually the culture of sending daughters to be given away, which was prevalent among the nobles of Chang'an. It was essentially a kind of unspoken rule.

They generally won't pester you, nor will they leave behind any offspring.

"Prefect Zhuo, you can just say what's on your mind. There's no need for this," Li Yuanchang said.

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Xi rubbed his hands together and smiled ingratiatingly.

"Your Highness, to be honest, I do have a request to make."

"My son has been studying etiquette and calligraphy at the Imperial Academy for five years, but because he lacks support in the court, he has been unable to enter officialdom for a long time."

"I am getting old and have only one son. I hope he can serve the Tang Dynasty and not be buried in obscurity."

"Your Highness, could you please find a way to give my son a chance to enter the Ministry of War, even if it's just a minor official position? That would be better than him remaining unknown."

"If Your Highness remembers, I will be eternally grateful and will follow your lead for the rest of my life!" He bowed and clasped his hands in a respectful manner.

Li Yuanchang was speechless upon hearing this; it seemed he had come for his own son.

This guy sacrificed his niece and sister-in-law for his own son—it's like saying, "Better to sacrifice your friend than yourself!"

However, such things are commonplace in later generations, and even more so in ancient times, so they are not surprising at all.

Generally speaking, many high-ranking officials in the court are willing to do this in order to win over a governor's followers.

But Li Yuanchang never did that.

It's not that I'm aloof or that I don't engage in power-for-sex transactions.

The fact that a high-ranking official's son studied at the Imperial Academy for five years and still hadn't been appointed speaks volumes.

In the Tang Dynasty, there were various selections every year. Children from humble backgrounds had a chance, while the sons of nobles and meritorious officials had an even greater chance!

Five years have passed, and the governor's son has not been appointed, not even to the lowest rank.

Anyone with eyes could see that his son was absolutely terrible, so terrible that even those who used connections would be embarrassed to arrange it for him.

The other party's immediate request to join the Ministry of War clashed with Li Yuanchang's bottom line as an official.

"Prefect Zhuo, I'm afraid I can't help you with this matter."

Zhuo Xi's expression changed: "Your Highness."

"The Ministry of War is currently under the temporary command of Li Ji. I am away from home and cannot manage anything."

"However, I've heard there will be several elections next year. I can recommend your son to participate in the assessment." Li Yuanchang wasn't too cold-hearted, as one doesn't hit a smiling face.

But Zhuo Xi's expression turned slightly unpleasant. What he wanted was not to participate in the assessment, but to be promoted directly.

Li Yuanchang was well aware of his thoughts, so he didn't give him another chance to speak.

"Furthermore, Lord Zhuo, these two are unnecessary, as the Princess Consort of Han is somewhat averse to them."

"If Lord Zhuo has any needs, I will write a letter of recommendation so that your son can participate in the assessment."

His repetition was to tell the other party that it was impossible to get in through back channels.

If he did that, he would be no different from Changsun Wuji. Besides, Changsun Wuji would still select his family members for special privileges, and he wouldn't send a good-for-nothing second-generation rich kid to the top.

But it seemed that Zhuo Xi didn't understand.

"Your Highness, although you are not in court, you are still the Prince of Han, with many of your former subordinates. Do you think... you could make some arrangements?"

"This humble official promises..."

Li Yuanchang interrupted him directly: "Prefect Zhuo!"

Zhuo Xi looked slightly embarrassed.

"I understand your deep love for your son."

"But sometimes, contentment is the key to happiness."

After saying that, Li Yuanchang turned and left.

Zhuo Xi's face was grim as he watched Li Yuanchang board the ship, a hint of resentment flashing deep in his eyes!

His fist clenched: "I've served you tirelessly, and you won't even help with this little thing!"

"..."