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

This kind of mindset and inertia, in the long run, will create hidden dangers.

In fact, a closer look at history reveals that the leaders of each dynasty did not take the outside world seriously.

A thousand years later, they were overtaken and encountered another dynasty, which resulted in a tragedy.

Li Yuanchang's gaze was filled with emotion. Japan was so weak right now, yet this tiny island would one day cause the entire Central Plains to sink and countless ghosts to wail.

As he walked and observed, Li Yuanchang had made up his mind that he would find a way to do something good after returning to Chang'an.

After passing through the market where fishermen and farmers gathered, the group arrived at a long street in Aoki Castle. This street was noticeably cleaner and tidier, and the Japanese people coming and going were dressed more elegantly.

Men typically wear floral print shirts and shaved headscarves.

Women mainly wore kimonos, also known as five-piece Tang-style clothing, which had not yet evolved into kimonos.

However, their makeup was indeed characterized by a seductive and heavy use of white powder.

This kind of outfit looks great on someone with exceptional looks, but on an average person, it just looks like a ghost.

So much so that when the guards saw the noblewomen from Japan, they all immediately lost interest.

"Stop looking."

"Let's split up and buy supplies, then meet at the port," Li Yuanchang said.

"yes!!"

The fifty people were divided into several small teams. Before disembarking, tasks were assigned, and water, food, and medicine were important supplies.

Although they had gained a lot on Tsushima Island, the fleet of only two ships couldn't hold that many, and their supplies from the past half month were almost depleted.

"yes!"

Li Yuanchang led Pei Xuan, Guo Chao, and others to a pharmacy to buy medicinal herbs.

The architecture here is similar to that of the Tang Dynasty, but it exudes a stingy and eerie atmosphere, making it feel sinister.

The pharmacy's facade was built very high; most people had to stand on tiptoe to see inside.

Several Japanese knelt on the ground, weeping and pleading, but were ignored. Those inside the high platform couldn't see them either, which was somewhat similar to pawnshops in the Central Plains.

They show no compassion; they only give medicine if you pay them, otherwise they ignore you.

Pei Xuan kept turning back, seemingly reluctant to leave.

Seeing her compassionate heart, Li Yuanchang was quite pleased. He took out a small packet of salt from his pocket, which was a valuable commodity in Japan.

"Go give it to them."

Pei Xuan was overjoyed upon hearing this, her eyes filled with admiration. If at first it was for survival, now it was out of love.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Li Yuanchang smiled. He had seen too many life-and-death situations and tragedies. He couldn't save everyone. He could only say that he had received a small favor from someone.

However, if you want to take over completely, then be prepared to bear the consequences for others.

This statement applies at all times.

The procurement of medicinal herbs went very smoothly. The Japanese here did not seem surprised by the arrival of the Han Chinese, as many people had come before, and they even knew some basic Chinese.

Li Yuanchang's method of exchanging goods was also very aggressive, offering scarce items such as salt, cloth, and copper, which attracted the attention of shop owners.

Before the goods were even loaded, the boss came out with a man. This man had a topknot, with his head shaved from the top to his forehead, leaving only the hair on the sides and back of his head braided, a typical image of an ancient Japanese.

"My lord!"

"Greetings, Segawa."

Li Yuanchang was surprised; yet another person who understood Chinese.

Judging from his attire, hairstyle, and accessories, he would probably be considered a nobleman in Japan.

He returned the greeting: "Sir, is there something you need?"

Segawa smiled and said, "I see that you look travel-worn, young sir, and must have just arrived at Aoki Castle. I am a member of the Ōtomo clan. May I ask that you stay and have a cup of tea?"

Oban clan?

Li Yuanchang raised an eyebrow. He had heard Ji'an say on the ship that although the Emperor was in charge of Japan, there were four prominent families under him.

They are Soga, Mononobe, Nakatomi, and Ōtomo.

These four powerful families practically monopolized everything, even influencing the Emperor, making them incredibly influential figures in Japan.

Any one of the five surnames and seven noble families could easily defeat them, but in the Tang Dynasty, they were not as domineering as the four great families in Japan.

"I see. But we have important matters to attend to, so let's not have the tea."

Li Yuanchang's refusal made Segawa even more convinced that he was an extraordinary figure from the East.

He immediately blocked their way and said, "Young sir, I mean no harm; I am merely being hospitable."

"We have dealings with many of your Tang Dynasty's merchants."

"If the young adults are willing to stay and get to know each other a little, Segawa will certainly make proper arrangements to make you feel at home."

He tried to build rapport by constantly smiling to dispel any doubts.

Li Yuanchang knew that the other party didn't have bad intentions; they just wanted to make connections with powerful people and expand their social circle. This would be the same in later generations.

Even more outrageous.

In his past life, he witnessed a female boss being incredibly proactive and attentive in order to get a bureau chief's WeChat account, and they eventually became a couple.

That's how it is in the upper circles. If both parties have value, they will give each other face; if not, they're just asking for trouble.

"Mr. Segawa, thank you for your kindness."

"But we really have urgent business to attend to and are afraid we can't stay any longer, sorry."

Adhering to the principle of not slapping a smiling face, he politely declined.

Segawa was disappointed upon hearing this, but he did not try to persuade her to stay any longer. He simply said as he saw her off, "In that case, I will not try to keep you any longer."

"But if you have any problems in Japan, you can come directly to me. Although I am not much, my family has influence throughout Japan."

He smiled confidently and even offered a token—an old iron plaque with Japanese characters on it.

Li Yuanchang smiled and politely accepted it, saying, "Okay."

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

The two sides then separated.

Segawa stood on the steps, gazing in the direction Li Yuanchang had left.

"Lord Segawa, why are you treating this man so well? He refused your invitation, which was rather rude, yet you still gave him the Holy Token," a samurai asked, puzzled.

Segawa said quietly, "What do you know?"

"This young man's background is absolutely astonishing!"

"I have been to the Tang Dynasty. The swords they carried were Tang Hengdao swords, which were only possessed by the elite troops of the Tang Dynasty."

"This is not something a businessman should have."

"Moreover, this young man has an incredibly powerful aura, and his subordinates are all ruthless individuals."

"It's truly a pity that we can't befriend such a person!"

"Lord Segawa, he's Han Chinese, how can he help us?"

Segawa shook his head: "What if?"

"The family now..."

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence and didn't continue.