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

Chapter 555 Going to the Meeting Alone

"Report!"

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened!"

"The Nakatomi clan posted notices, deliberately in Chinese, saying that if we didn't hand over the people, we would begin massacring the crew in three days!"

boom!

"What?"

On a secluded island, gasps of alarm rose from all sides, and everyone paled.

Li Yuanchang snatched the notice, his face immediately darkening.

Ji'an's face turned ugly: "Your Highness, why don't you just hand me over? They won't give up until they get me."

"Shut up! If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened!"

"What's the point of saying all this now?" a guard snapped, his eyes filled with hostility.

Everyone knows that Ji'an is the only way to find Penglai Island; he's the only one who can guide you, so it's impossible for him to give it away.

Ji'an lowered his head in shame.

Li Yuanchang casually threw the notice away.

"Don't panic."

"The fact that they gave us three days clearly shows they didn't dare to go too far."

"This shows that Nakatomi no also has some reservations."

"But Your Highness, the other side won't release the people or the ships, and they've even blockaded the port. What should we do?"

"They might still kill again after three days."

"Or, why don't we just go all the way and fight our way over to take it back?" someone said, a murderous glint in their eyes.

Everyone looked at Li Yuanchang, ready to launch a counterattack at his command.

Li Yuanchang glanced in the direction of the port.

"The other side refuses to back down and is even threatening with hundreds of lives. This matter can no longer be resolved peacefully, and fighting back is inevitable."

"But we can't do it alone."

"Our equipment is all on the treasure ship, and we don't have crossbows or other lethal weapons. There are at least a thousand people over there, ten times the strength of our troops, and they are prepared. If we go there, we will be stuck in the mud."

"And with so many hostages, how can we fight them?"

Upon hearing this, the guards, who had just been brimming with murderous intent, immediately deflated.

"Your Highness, is there really no other way?"

"have!"

Li Yuanchang blurted it out.

Then, looking seriously at Ji'an, he asked, "You said the four major families check and balance each other, and have grudges against each other. After Nakatomi took over, whose relationship is the most tense?"

"Otomo-san!" Ji'an replied without hesitation.

Li Yuanchang raised an eyebrow slightly.

Wasn't that Segawa guy I met yesterday while shopping from the Ōtomo family?

"Nakatomi and Ōtomo both belong to the southern region, and there has never been peace between the two families for a hundred years. They have fought three wars and their relationship is extremely tense."

"It got a bit better later."

"However, after Nakatomi no Nakayoshi came to power, he listened to the Soga clan and frequently targeted the Ōtomo clan, resulting in major disputes over territory and interests."

"If we're talking about the Nakatomi clan's greatest enemy, it would definitely be the Ōtomo clan," said Jakuan.

Li Yuanchang said meaningfully, "That makes things easier; the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"If our strength isn't enough, then let's bring along this Ōtomo-ji."

Ji'an frowned and said seriously, "But Your Highness, let alone whether we can persuade Ōtomo-no-miya, there's not enough time."

"Nakatomi no Nakatomi only gave us three days. Three days isn't even enough to get to the Ōtomo Shogunate, let alone rescue the crew."

"This is Nakatomi no's territory. Now that the notice has been posted, if no one shows up for three days, he'll definitely kill someone!"

"At that time..."

Li Yuanchang frowned; time was indeed a problem.

"How long does it take to go round trip?"

Ji'an said, "It will take at least ten days to go round trip, and that's just the travel time."

Li Yuanchang said in a deep voice, "If we're going to stall for time, then it seems we'll have to go and meet this Nakatomi no Yasushi."

A meeting?

All eyes turned to them, their gazes filled with surprise and uncertainty.

"Your Highness, isn't this...like a lamb being led to the slaughter?"

"I have my own way. Go and make preparations, get ten horses, and we'll head to the Nakatomi no Shogunate now."

"Your Highness, this is too dangerous."

"Yes, we can go!"

"If this Nakatomi no Nakano turns out to be an impulsive fool and actually makes a move, we'll be at a huge disadvantage!"

Li Yuanchang shook his head: "It's no use for you to go."

"I have a way to buy time; just prepare the horses."

"this……"

"All right."

His repeated insistence left Guo Chao and the others with no choice but to comply.

About two hours later, the guards exchanged ten dwarf horses with tenants from afar.

As soon as the horses arrived, Li Yuanchang set off with Huang Tu and ten others.

Before setting off, he instructed everyone to stay put and provided some contingency plans for unforeseen circumstances.

After that, he went alone to the Nakatomi no Shogunate.

Strangely, when you are hiding, the other party can find you, but when Li Yuanchang openly appears, he does not encounter any enemies.

He just swaggered straight to the Nakatomi no Shogunate.

The dwarf horse was extremely slow, and even hauling goods was considered a hassle in the Tang Dynasty, but it was already a rare treasure in Japan.

The following morning, Li Yuanchang finally arrived at the shogunate.

The so-called shogunate was actually just a shell, a castle built in a rather family-oriented manner, with a strict hierarchical system.

Here, any fisherman you encounter is a member of the Nakatomi family's private property.

Upon Li Yuanchang's arrival, he immediately revealed his identity, causing a stir at the city gate and subsequently sweeping through the entire Nakatomi Shogunate, creating a massive uproar.

A large number of warriors arrived and surrounded Li Yuanchang and his party, their eyes filled with hostility.

But he was fearless and went to the meeting alone with only ten men.

He was led deep into the Nakatomi no Shogunate, passing through layers of sturdy walls and crossing a moat within the city by boat.

They finally arrived at a mansion with a gloomy style, where a demon warrior was enshrined. It was guarded by a large number of samurai inside and out, and all other people had been cleared out.

Li Yuanchang had just stepped inside.

call out!

boom! !

An arrow pierced through his side and embedded itself firmly in the wall.

Huang Tu and the others almost took action immediately.

Li Yuanchang gestured for everyone to calm down, then stared intently at a group of Japanese people gathered fifty meters away.

They were all dressed in gorgeous clothes, completely different from the other islanders.

A middle-aged man, with a pockmarked face and an ugly appearance, was holding a bow and arrow.

"Haha, slip of the hand, slip of the hand!"

"This must be His Highness the Prince of Han of the Great Tang Dynasty?"

"I've heard so much about you!"

He waved from afar with a big smile on his face, but didn't move an inch, showing no intention of greeting him.