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

Qin Keyu, inside the carriage, was stunned for a moment.

"Your Highness, wouldn't it be simpler to just summon him directly, given your status?"

"The situation is somewhat special; summoning him is not an option, and Lü Jie is not showing up now," Li Yuanchang explained.

"Oh~~"

Qin Keyu drawled out her words, then pointed: "So Your Highness wants me to use my beauty to lure that guy out, is that it?"

Li Yuanchang laughed and said, "It's a sting operation, but it won't make you sacrifice your body."

Qin Keyu pouted.

"Fine, I'll help His Highness this once for Sister Situ's sake."

"His Highness has ordered a carriage to be driven to the Six Abodes Pavilion."

"That's a place where Lu Jie and his gang of rich kids frequent. Even if Lu Jie isn't there, someone can find him anywhere."

Li Yuanchang was overjoyed.

"Guards, to the Six Study Room!"

"yes!"

"..."

They arrived at the Six Study Pavilion quickly, and Li Yuanchang and Qin Keyu entered in two separate groups.

This is an extremely elegant and scholarly teahouse, somewhat similar to a high-end private club in later times. People who come here usually have family members with them.

Li Yuanchang and his entourage discreetly took their seats in a private room, a place unlike ordinary restaurants where there were many people and distractions.

He had barely sat down, and hadn't even had a sip of tea, when there was a knock at the door.

"Your Highness."

Li Yuanchang was surprised and had someone open the door.

"How come it's so fast?"

"Otherwise, did Your Highness think it would take much longer?"

"Lu Jie isn't here, but I've already spread the word that those rich kids can find him. If nothing unexpected happens, that bastard should be here soon." Qin Keyu said, picking up a cup of tea and gulping it down. She was very down-to-earth, a stark contrast to her beautiful appearance with her red lips and white teeth.

"Alright, then let's wait." Li Yuanchang waved his hand, instructing Guo Chao and the others to lie in ambush.

Qin Keyu suddenly looked at him: "Your Highness, someone made the appointment for you, shouldn't you fulfill your promise?"

Li Yuanchang was both amused and exasperated: "This person hasn't arrived yet."

Qin Keyu immediately turned pale and said resentfully.

"Your Highness is being far too insincere."

Li Yuanchang laughed and said, "Alright, alright, just say it. As long as it doesn't violate my principles, I'll agree to anything you ask."

Qin Keyu immediately smiled again; she had an extremely outgoing and cheerful personality.

"Your Highness still hasn't answered my question from last night?" Her innocent-looking eyes looked at me with a sweet, gossipy air.

Li Yuanchang's forehead instantly became covered in black lines.

If he had known it would be these conditions, he wouldn't have agreed in the first place.

"Um... is this really that important?"

"Yes, I just want to know, Your Highness, you can't go back on your word!"

Faced with further questioning, Li Yuanchang felt somewhat helpless and could only say, "There is no question of loving one more or less than the other. Both of them are family to me, and both have left an indelible mark on my life."

"Really?" Qin Keyu didn't believe it.

"I've heard about what happened in Chang'an; it's all over the place."

Li Yuanchang raised an eyebrow: "What are you spreading?"

"It is said that the current emperor forcibly ended your marriage with that man, and you even went to Xuanwu Gate and knelt for a whole day. As a result, you were punished and had to accept the cancellation of the wedding before you were released." Qin Keyu said while looking at Li Yuanchang's face.

Li Yuanchang remained silent.

Only he and Li Shimin knew about what happened at the Imperial Clan Court; that deal was probably unknown to a third person in the world.

He doesn't care what outsiders think of him.

But then he suddenly realized that this was a common rumor, so how could Meiniang not know it?

Given her incredibly bold personality, wouldn't she hate herself to the core?

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"It's all in the past."

Let's not talk about this anymore.

"Let's talk about something else."

Qin Keyu noticed Li Yuanchang's hesitation and didn't press further: "What else did you want to say?"

"I heard from my wife that your family's tea-horse trade is doing quite well?" Li Yuanchang said, his tone noticeably more serious.

Unlike other commodities, the tea-horse trade is generally conducted over long distances, which means that the Qin family has a certain industrial chain and transportation chain.

In ancient times, it would have taken a very long time to build something like this.

With the recovery of embezzled funds and the subsequent raids on his property, he has become quite wealthy. His plan to revitalize the economy and use money to bolster his power is gradually taking shape.

"It's alright, not as good as those big merchants in the Central Plains, but it's still decent in Liangzhou. It's only because of the connections of the elders in my family that we haven't been completely devoured in Liangzhou."

"However, to avoid being targeted by the government, we've reduced our family business as much as possible," Qin Keyu said with some helplessness.

Li Yuanchang nodded.

"Let's arrange a time to invite your father to the palace another day. Tell him it's my invitation to discuss a business deal."

Qin Keyu's expression suddenly turned strange.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not going to rob you, this is really business." Li Yuanchang was both amused and exasperated. The shady dealings in Liangzhou's officialdom had left the local merchants with a lingering fear.

"I know. Even before I met Your Highness, I knew that Your Highness was different from them. Otherwise, Your Highness wouldn't have started to deal with those guys as soon as you took office."

"These are matters I cannot make decisions on my own; they must be decided by my father. However, I can help Your Highness by mediating a few things."

"Your Highness, what kind of business do you want to do?" Qin Keyu asked curiously. She found it hard to believe that someone like Li Yuanchang would do business with her family.

"Success is achieved through secrecy, and failure through leaks; therefore, keep things secret from the start."

Qin Keyu's fair and pretty face fell instantly.

"Your Highness, don't you know I can't stand being kept in suspense?"

"Hahaha!"

Li Yuanchang laughed loudly: "You'll find out in a few days, just wait and see."

"No, Your Highness, you can say it now, not later!"

"Otherwise, I'll turn around and leave." She puffed out her cheeks and brandished her claws, displaying extreme curiosity and gossip, and completely disregarding Li Yuanchang as an outsider.

Li Yuanchang was not displeased at all; he enjoyed talking to such straightforward people.

A personality like Qin Keyu's is actually quite rare, both in the Tang Dynasty and in later generations.

"It's not the right time yet."

"Then I'm leaving."

"Really leaving?"

"Let's go!"

"Then you can leave."

"Your Highness, I beg you!"

"Even begging won't work."

"Your Highness, is it truly necessary to be so resolute?"

"right."

"..."

Li Yuanchang refused to tell him no matter what, which is like someone in later generations suddenly saying, "I'll tell you a secret," and when you ask him what it is, that guy goes offline.

Just as Qin Keyu was about to lose her temper, a flurry of footsteps suddenly sounded in the Sixth Dormitory Building.

The leader was tall and noble, dressed in almost every item that was in high demand, even his boots were decorated with agate.

"Young Master Lü!"

"Where is he?" the young man asked anxiously. He was of average appearance, and had applied some rouge, making him look extremely strange and disgusting.

"Reporting to young master, it's on the second floor."

"Very well, you guys go and block the door first, and make the owner of this place close the door to guests. Even if the King of Heaven himself came, he wouldn't be able to disturb my good time today!" Lu Jie revealed a wicked smile and rubbed his hands together vigorously.

"yes!"