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

A few days later, Li Yuanchang returned to the Central Prefecture.

The news that he went out and captured the king of Baekje, and even sent troops to punish him, shocked Su Gui and his comrades.

"Your Highness, I heard you've gone off to fight again?"

Inside the Prince's mansion, Yin Yao handed the child to a maid and then helped Li Yuanchang change his clothes.

After giving birth, she shed her former gloom and worries, and became full of new hope. She was extremely radiant and charming, and her looks, temperament, and conversation were second to none.

"It doesn't count, it's more like bandit suppression," Li Yuanchang said smugly.

Yin Yao couldn't help but chuckle, then her face showed concern: "I shouldn't say more, but Baekje is a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty. If things get out of hand, the court can't just ignore it."

Even though Baekje had offended them first, the court officials could not help but be wary.

Li Yuanchang laughed and said, "I understand everything you've said, but don't worry, I won't act impulsively."

Yin Yao nodded, saying nothing more, only offering a reminder.

"Hey, why are you the only one here? Where are the others?"

"The backyard is too quiet." Li Yuanchang suddenly realized that he had been back for so long, and only Yin Yao had come.

Yin Yao explained, "Your Highness, the Princess and the ladies took the children from each courtyard out to learn farming, and they didn't know you were back."

"But I've already sent someone to deliver the message."

"Farming?" Li Yuanchang asked in surprise.

"It was arranged by the Princess. She said that all the children of the Far East Royal Palace should go and experience hardship so that they would know how hard it is to obtain food and how difficult it is for ordinary people, so as to prevent them from developing an arrogant and extravagant attitude in the future."

"Only the young children don't need to go for now."

Li Yuanchang was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, and couldn't help but sigh, "I've found a virtuous wife and loving mother."

With such a matriarch, how could his descendants decline?

This would have been almost a dream, an impossible thing in ancient times, but Situ Lan did it anyway, addressing all the children in the courtyard.

"Your Highness, the Princess Consort is truly a rare and extraordinary woman, unparalleled throughout history." Even someone as remarkable as Yin Yao couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Li Yuanchang grinned, somewhat proudly: "You're not bad either."

"I?"

Yin Yao smiled bitterly: "How can I compare to the Princess? The Princess is a hundred times better than me."

"Oh, you're too modest, too modest. They are all my women, all unique and wonderful women in the world."

With that, he closed the door and told the maid to take the child and leave.

Yin Yao's eyes flashed with a hint of reproach. She was not an eighteen-year-old girl, and this was not her first time with Li Yuanchang. Once the door was closed, she felt that Li Yuanchang was about to make a move on her.

Sure enough, the next second Li Yuanchang pounced on him, hugged him and started kissing him.

Yin Yao's red lips were distorted by his kiss, and she wrapped her arms around him in response, like a young girl.

Before long, the two of them collapsed onto the bed.

Li Yuanchang looked down at her, his gaze fixed on her, one hand stroking her face. Even though time had left some marks on her face, she was still beautiful, still breathtaking.

"You are so beautiful."

Yin Yao was a little embarrassed by the praise, and her expression even resembled that of a young girl.

Therefore, no woman is aloof or indifferent; the only explanation is that she may simply not like you.

"You're the best talker, the best at making people happy."

"Otherwise, why would you be willing to bear me a son?"

One sentence made Yin Yao blush, her eyes filled with coquettishness.

"Hahaha!"

Li Yuanchang laughed loudly and whispered something in her ear.

Yin Yao felt even more ashamed: "Your Highness, don't shout like that!"

"I want it!"

"No!"

"I want it!"

"No, um!!"

"..."

The passionate love affair ended only after Yin Yao pleaded and urged it on.

Situ Lan and the rest of the family returned, a large family of dozens of people, all waiting outside.

Yin Yao was so ashamed that she didn't dare to go out.

Subsequently, Li Yuanchang's life returned to stability.

He did not concern himself with the war in Baekje, leaving it entirely to his subordinates. His daily duties consisted of handling government affairs reports from the Far East and Japan, making personnel appointments and dismissals, and meeting with officials from various regions.

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and it was mid-November, when the Far East was extremely cold.

Reports from the front lines kept coming in, all of them good news.

Once the Han army entered the battlefield, it almost swept through Baekje with its invincible fighting power. In addition, the two trump cards of distributing grain and land led to the defection of entire Baekje.

Soldiers and civilians alike ignored the new king of Baekje and welcomed the Han army into the city with open arms.

There's no point in fighting this war.

After offering only a brief resistance, Moda began his great escape, while simultaneously appealing to the court for help.

From initially commanding tens of thousands of troops, he was eventually reduced to only a few hundred men, forced to hide in a mountain ravine, and then captured by his own trusted subordinates, surrendering voluntarily.

The speed at which Baekje fell was like autumn leaves being swept away by the wind.

This is understandable, as Goguryeo was the strongest state during this period. Baekje and Silla were both relying on the Tang Dynasty for protection; otherwise, they would have been annexed long ago.

Even after being captured, Moda never received reinforcements from the imperial court. Only after the dust settled did an imperial edict from Chang'an arrive at the Central Office.

"Your Highness, what do you mean?" Su Gui asked curiously.

"His Majesty has ordered me to spare his life and send Mo Da back to Chang'an."

"Then, Your Highness, what is your opinion?"

Lee Won-chang remained calm: "Send them back. His Majesty didn't say anything after we destroyed Baekje, so I should still give him this much face."

"Besides, we are called subjects."

Su Gui frowned: "But Your Highness, Mo Da is a member of the royal family. If he is allowed to return to Chang'an alive, he may cause some influence and hidden dangers to the Baekje region in the future."

"He will definitely plead with the court, hoping for its intervention to allow him to regain power."

Li Yuanchang laughed and said, "It's alright. He may have some influence, but he won't pose a threat to us."

"With these two combined measures—opening granaries to distribute grain and distributing land for planting—what Baekje person wouldn't be willing to follow Moda?"

"Even if those nobles and landowners who were to be operated on were willing, they were already dead."

"The court has no reason to do anything for such a worthless person. Sending Moda back is more symbolic and political."

"The Tang Dynasty has so many vassal states; His Majesty has a lot of face to save."

Su Gui nodded thoughtfully: "Your Highness is right."

"However, I still feel that the court is too calm about this matter; the calmer it is, the less genuine it seems."

"After taking Baekje, Changsun Wuji and his men will probably have even less sleep."

Li Yuanchang said, "If I can't sleep, I can't sleep. I have no interest in pleasing everyone."

"We had the opportunity to take over so many of the Tang Dynasty's vassal states long ago, but they weren't interested. The older generation believed that the Central Plains was the only fertile land, and other places were barbarians."

"The places they didn't want, I conquered for the Tang Dynasty and the Han people, and they still have complaints?"