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

Li Yuanchang raised his hand to stop him: "No need to bother."

"I have come to you to ask you to lead the way and help me introduce me to the highest-ranking members of the Ōtomo clan."

"I have important matters to discuss with them."

"However, this matter must be kept absolutely secret; the fewer people who know, the better. You must deliver this message directly to the head of the Ōtomo family!"

He emphasized this point and got straight to the point.

Segawa was startled by what he heard, then seemed to remember something.

He asked tentatively, "Your Highness, things haven't been peaceful at the port lately. Could it be related to you?"

Li Yuanchang nodded directly.

Segawa was taken aback; no wonder.

Li Yuanchang said, "If you can deliver the message, I will reward you handsomely."

"Moreover, the matter I wish to discuss with Ōtomo is undoubtedly of great importance, one that could elevate your entire clan to a higher level!"

Upon hearing this, Segawa was deeply shocked!

He already sensed that something serious was about to happen. Just thinking about it made him feel like his hands and feet were about to give way.

Without almost any hesitation: "Okay!"

"Your Highness, please stay here for the night. I will set off immediately and deliver your message!"

Li Yuanchang shook his head: "There's no time. I must set off with you."

Segawa was overjoyed; bringing the king of Tang back was a great achievement in itself!

He can elevate his status by simply facilitating something.

"good!"

"Your Highness, I will prepare immediately!"

"Prepare one hundred horses for me. Also, do not disturb the people of the Zhongchen clan."

One hundred horses are a very scarce resource in Japan, as they are surrounded by the sea and don't use many horses. But Segawa still managed to find a way.

"good!"

"Your Highness, Segawa understands."

"Please rest for a moment!"

Li Yuanchang nodded. With someone acting as a go-between, it would be easier to get there.

Immediately afterwards, torches illuminated the entire building, and many people got busy.

Rather than calling this a medicine shop, it's more accurate to describe it as a stronghold of the Otomo clan.

As soon as Segawa took action, Li Yuanchang quickly sent people out of the city to inform Guo Chao and the others.

He ordered Guo Chao to lead ten men to monitor the port of Dayuan, while the rest of the men waited outside Aoki Castle and went together to the Otomo Shogunate.

With Segawa's help, the operation went exceptionally smoothly.

Not only were the horses prepared, but the operation was also completely covert, with everything being handled by Segawa, the local tyrant.

Finally, at dawn, the entire team set out and rushed southeast.

All of this was a case of the blind spot being right under the lamp.

The Nakatomi Shogunate was completely unaware of this and thought that Li Yuanchang was truly afraid of them.

……

A few days later, it was January.

It was already the eighteenth year of the Zhenguan era in the Tang Dynasty.

Temperatures plummeted across the entire Japanese island, as a frigid ocean current swept across the entire territory. The harsh conditions caused everyone, including Li Yuanchang, to suffer from cracked skin and bleeding lips.

But thankfully, we've arrived!

In fact, the two places are not far apart, less than 400 li.

The reason for the slow pace is that there are almost no proper roads on the island, making their marching speed much slower than in the Tang Dynasty.

Japan did not have a post road system like that of the Tang Dynasty.

The great companion shogunate.

This is also a fortified city situated on the plains of the island, with waterways connecting it to the sea. To enter the city, one must travel by boat.

It seems that large families in Japan are keen on such castles.

As the ships slowly pierced through the fog and entered the Ōtomo Shogunate at dawn, this territory, which was on par with the Nakatomi Shogunate, soon became abuzz with excitement!

Li Yuanchang was unaware of how Segawa contacted the family, but he only waited for less than half an hour before a large number of magnificent samurai poured out and flooded the streets.

The islanders coming and going were discussing it animatedly.

"Your Highness, they've arrived!"

"Quite a few people have come!" Huang Tu reminded him.

Li Yuanchang, who was resting in a place that resembled a teahouse, looked up.

About a hundred warriors quickly approached.

"This Ōtomo clan member, his strength should not be as great as that of the Nakatomi clan member, right?" he suddenly said.

Ji'an nodded: "Your Highness is wise, indeed I am not as good as you."

"The Ōtomo clan has declined, while the Nakatomi clan is a long-established military family that controls many armies."

"Your Highness, you noticed that?"

Li Yuanchang said, "You can tell from the various checkpoints at the entrance to the city."

"Is Your Highness reliable?"

"Now that the Ōtomo clan has declined," Arato and the others worried.

Li Yuanchang laughed and said, "That's good. If they were strong, they wouldn't need me."

"The law of nature is that the strong prey on the weak, and only the fittest survive."

"They were afraid of being swallowed up, which gave us a chance to persuade them."

He knew perfectly well that the family feuds in Japan were far more serious than those in the Tang Dynasty.

In the Tang Dynasty, families mostly engaged in open and covert struggles, but they were generally bound by a set of rules. However, there are no rules here, and wars break out directly between families, sometimes resulting in the extermination of the entire clan.

This point is reflected in many films and television dramas from later generations.

During the conversation, the person arrived.

Segawa walked at the front: "Lord Yamazaki, this is His Highness the Prince of Han of the Tang Dynasty."

The man was tall and thin, about thirty years old, with a long, thin face, a thick beard, and a brightly colored samurai robe that made him stand out.

The white powder on her face made her look rather odd.

They glanced at each other simultaneously.

"The Prince of Han of the Great Tang has come from afar; I am so sorry for not welcoming you properly!" Yamazaki stepped forward and bowed.

Li Yuanchang stood up and said with a smile, "It is truly presumptuous of me to come uninvited."

"Thank you for welcoming me, Mr. Ōtomo."

Yamazaki laughed and said, "Not at all, not at all."

"It is only natural that the Tang Dynasty and Japan should be on good terms."

"However, this is not the place to talk, Your Highness, why don't you come with us into the shogunate?"

"My elder brother has prepared a banquet and is awaiting the arrival of the Prince of Han." Yamazaki's invitation was full of sincerity.

Upon hearing the translation, Li Yuanchang readily agreed.

"Okay, let's go then."

"please."

"please."

The group left in a grand procession and eventually arrived at a place called "Wushe".

The site is vast, and although there are no tall buildings, it is surrounded by numerous bamboo houses, resembling a small imperial palace with a distinctly Japanese style.

The interior is extremely elaborate, completely different from the lives of the islanders outside.

As soon as Li Yuanchang arrived, a large number of warriors and servants in Wushe greeted him respectfully, including some maids, all of whom knelt in a standard manner to welcome him.

Li Yuanchang glanced at them casually and found that almost all of them were good-looking, with the standard Japanese appearance—the kind that looked very obedient.

All that's missing is a kimono, but unfortunately, we don't have those in this era; we're still copying the Tang Dynasty as fashion.

No wonder he said the women here were so ugly; it turns out all the good-looking ones have come here.

After passing through two gates, Li Yuanchang finally saw the head of the Ōtomo family, Ōtomo Tsuosaburo, waiting for him on a set of steps.

With a crescent-shaped head and short stature, he was a typical Japanese pirate.

The black robe and pale face perfectly embody the gloomy atmosphere of Japanese style.

Pei Xuan was frightened when she saw it and instinctively hid behind Li Yuanchang.