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

The next day.

Li Yuanchang slept until the sun was high in the sky.

I haven't drunk like this in a long time, and I still have a splitting headache when I wake up.

"Your Highness, have some ginseng tea, it will make you feel better." Cui Wanqing brought over a bowl of hot soup.

There are quite a few women in the Prince of Han's mansion, and they are now basically rotating through the palace. Last night, it happened to be Cui Wanqing's turn.

Li Yuanchang dodged away and buried his head in her soft, fragrant embrace: "I won't drink this stuff, it tastes awful."

"Your Highness, this is to help you sober up, otherwise you'll have a headache all day. Please drink it, I'm begging you."

Cui Wanqing spoke softly and gently, her hair styled in a bun, exuding the air of a dignified wife.

"I won't drink it. I'll just lie in your arms and wake up just the same way." Li Yuanchang nuzzled against her.

Cui Wanqing was both amused and exasperated, and had no choice but to have someone take it away.

Looking at the powerful man in her arms, who could stand up to the imperial court, now nestled in her arms like a child, her maternal instincts were instantly aroused.

She held Li Yuanchang and patted him gently, without disturbing him.

Sparse sounds arose, her clothes loosened, and a gap appeared in her neckline.

She glanced down, looking slightly embarrassed, and pulled the blanket over herself a little.

The couple kept their private affairs to themselves.

"mother!!"

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside; it was Li Yu, the daughter of Li Yuanchang and Cui Wanqing.

The two were startled and immediately separated.

Just then, the sound of the door being pushed open rang out.

"Yu'er, don't come in!"

Cui Wanqing shouted, quickly pulling up the ribbon on her shoulder to close her exposed collar, feeling both embarrassed and flustered.

"Father!" Six-year-old Li Yu was extremely cute, perfectly inheriting Cui Wanqing's appearance.

"Haha, my dear Yu'er, what brings you here?"

"Your mother and I were talking when you barged in. Isn't there a rule that you can't just trespass?" Li Yuanchang picked up the child, but there was no reproach on his face, only doting affection.

"Father, many guests have come to our house. Yu'er has come to deliver a message to you." Li Yu said with a smile.

She didn't notice at all that her mother's face had turned red.

"Oh, a lot of guests?"

"Mmm-hmm." Li Yu nodded vigorously, "The old lady is leading people to meet us."

The "aunt" refers to Situ Lan. This was not a common way of addressing her in the Tang Dynasty, but rather a family rule established by Li Yuanchang.

The order goes down from the eldest aunt to the second aunt, the third aunt, and so on. This is mainly to prevent estrangement and antagonism between the different courtyards and rooms, and to build deeper feelings from a young age, thus avoiding infighting among family members.

In fact, such a thing is no longer possible in the Prince of Han's residence.

Simply having the whole family eat dinner together every day is enough to mitigate the vast majority of potential risks.

There were too many outdated rules in ancient times. Not to mention the royal family, even half-siblings in ordinary families were kept very separate. Each had their own stove and courtyard, and they almost never ate at the same table.

How could there be any feelings in such a situation?

Humans are emotional beings. Even fathers and sons, mothers and sons, who have been separated since childhood and have no contact with each other, cannot have feelings for each other; at most, they can only feel a sense of responsibility.

"Oh, I see. Yu'er is such a good girl. But next time, when Father and Mother are resting, you mustn't wander in, understand?"

Li Yuanchang patiently taught him.

Cui Wanqing, a woman in her early thirties standing to the side, blushed deeply as she was being talked about.

"Yes, Father!" Li Yu nodded obediently.

Li Yuanchang handed the person to Cui Wanqing, saying, "It must be the imperial court. I must go now."

He secretly pinched it.

Cui Wanqing trembled and gave him a shy, reproachful look.

It seems to be saying, "My daughter is still here!"

"Hahaha!"

Li Yuanchang laughed heartily. He had many talented and beautiful young ladies in his family, but after they became wives, they were basically all corrupted by him, or at least became lively, coquettish, angry, and silly.

"..."

Gaozheng Hall.

This is where Li Yuanchang held meetings at the Han King's Palace in Goguryeo; it was a very formal place.

Chu Yanbu and his group were arranged to stay here. Outside, the wind was biting cold, but inside, the stove was burning brightly, and steam rose from the hot tea, creating a peaceful scene.

"The King of Han has arrived!!"

At the shout of the butler, Li Hou, everyone stood up in unison.

Li Hou was Fang Weng's adopted son, whom he took in during a heavy snowfall. He entered the Han Prince's mansion seven years ago. Now, Fang Weng is too old and his health is deteriorating day by day. He is also living in the Han Prince's mansion to retire, and most of the miscellaneous tasks are handed over to the nineteen-year-old Li Hou.

It's like a kind of inheritance; the old ones can no longer move around, and the young ones continue to take care of the trivial affairs of the Han Prince's Mansion.

"We pay our respects to His Highness the Prince of Han!"

A chorus of voices rang out, and everyone bowed in unison, even the emperor's special envoy.

This was a courtesy, but it was also a courtesy earned through battle. If Li Yuanchang had not stopped Ashina She'er's attack, let alone bowing down, even a lowly jailer could probably have ridden on his head.

Li Yuanchang touched Situ Lan's face.

Situ Lan and his female relatives withdrew.

"Please take your seats, everyone."

"Thank you, Prince Han."

Li Yuanchang sat imposingly in the main seat, exchanging glances with Cheng Chuliang and Li Chongzhen.

It was obvious that the two were no longer as casual as they were yesterday; they clearly had serious business to attend to today.

Chu Yanbu sat in the first seat on the right, while the others sat behind him.

"Did you all stay comfortably in the Central Prefecture last night? It's freezing cold here, and the conditions are far inferior to those in Chang'an," Li Yuanchang said in greeting.

Chu Yanbu said politely, "Your Highness, you are staying very well."

"After the King of Han conquered Goguryeo, he ruled over the region. Doors were left unlocked at night, and lost items were not picked up on the road. Peace and stability reigned. How could he not live comfortably?"

Upon hearing this, Su Gui and the others exchanged glances.

Li Yuanchang chuckled and joked, "Is that how the court describes me?"

"Of course!" Chu Yanbu blurted out without changing his expression.

"Your Highness's victory over Goguryeo is a fact, and your role in governing a region is also a fact; His Majesty has witnessed these achievements."

"Although rumors of a rebellion by the Prince of Han circulated due to the issue of the wounded soldiers and the border conflicts, His Majesty immediately changed this statement after ascending the throne."

"Not only will the name of the Prince of Han be vindicated, but it will also be strictly forbidden for anyone to smear the meritorious officials of the Tang Dynasty in any form!"

Upon hearing this, the high-ranking officials of the Prince of Han's mansion felt much better.

At this time, Chu Yanbu went all out, one batch after another.

"If Your Highness does not believe me, I have also brought with me the records of the Yonghui era that His Majesty ordered to be copied."

As he spoke, he took it from his subordinate and presented it with both hands, showing that he was very well prepared.

Yonghui was the reign title of the first year of Li Zhi's reign. History refers to historical records, which have strong legal significance. They are basically a characterization of the major events that occurred in the year of Yonghui and are generally not changed.

Li Yuanchang glanced at it and saw that Li Zhi had indeed instructed people to record it this way, without mentioning the word "rebel," completely portraying Li Yuanchang and his army as great heroes who acted on the emperor's orders.

As for the border conflict, it was only mentioned briefly, referred to as a localized upheaval.

How history is recorded truly depends on what the important figures think.

Whether someone is a traitor or a hero depends entirely on how people perceive them.

Therefore, while the historical records spanning thousands of years are vast, most major events have been embellished by human intervention.