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

The Prince of Han's Palace.

Late at night, the cold wind howled, and the guards were busy at work.

"Madam, there's no need to prepare."

"I'm only going for a few days, and it's not far, less than a hundred miles. You're making it sound like I'm going to fight a war on the border."

Li Yuanchang looked at the large and small bags in the bedroom and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Situ Lan and her personal maid were busy working non-stop, but they refused to stop.

She said gently, "Your Highness, what kind of talk is that? Leaving Liangzhou is a long journey, isn't it? It's so cold now, what if you catch a cold?"

"These are the clothes you used to change into, along with your cloak."

"Here are some writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones; and over here, and over here, some food, including your favorite..."

"Why don't you move your entire palace with me?" Li Yuanchang joked.

Situ Lan turned around and smiled, giving him a reproachful look.

Li Yuanchang took two steps forward and suddenly hugged her from behind, their bodies perfectly aligned with her waist and hips, except this time she was wearing clothes.

"Your Highness?" Situ Lan asked, slightly embarrassed.

"It's so good to have you." Li Yuanchang took a deep breath through her beautiful hair.

Situ Lan's red lips curled up.

"I may also go with Your Highness, if Your Highness agrees."

"How can that be? This isn't a game." Li Yuanchang was unwilling to let Situ Lan suffer.

Situ Lan thought about it and agreed.

"So Your Highness must take these things with you. Once you get there, Guo Chao and the others are all rough men. Without me, there will be no one to take care of your daily needs."

Li Yuanchang glanced at the other maids: "Let the servants get back to work, let's talk for a bit."

"This is the first time we've been apart since we got married, although it hasn't been for long."

These words hit the bullseye, striking at the deepest part of Situ Lan's heart.

"good!"

"Qiu Lan, you guys go out and tidy up first."

"Yes, Your Highness."

As the maids left one after another, the bedchamber became quiet.

Li Yuanchang picked Situ Lan up by the waist and then sat her on the bed, snuggling up to her in a very warm and tender manner.

Situ Lan's snowy hand inadvertently touched a touch of coolness, and she glanced at the ring on Li Yuanchang's middle finger.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he said, "Your Highness, this ring of yours is quite unique. It doesn't look like it was made by the government, nor does it seem to be from a foreign tribe."

Li Yuanchang was speechless for a moment.

He chuckled, "It seems I've never given you any jewelry before."

He skillfully changed the subject.

Situ Lan didn't think much of it and said, "Your Highness is the best gift."

"That would make me seem too stingy. When I become successful, I will definitely make it up to you. Right now, I really don't have anything worthwhile to offer, and I've already spent a lot of your dowry."

When talking about this matter, Li Yuanchang felt both warm and guilty.

She used her own savings to recruit talents for the Prince of Han's mansion, and this time, the armor for the mansion's guards was also made from her dowry.

He even suspected that Situ Lan had borrowed money from her family.

"Your Majesty, no need."

"A husband and wife should weather the storm together."

"I believe that Your Highness will overcome this difficult time. As long as His Majesty sees Your Highness's efforts, he will surely calm down and rescind the punishment."

"Last time, didn't we just give them some money as a reward?"

Her voice was gentle and pleasant, like a spring breeze on the face or warm soup in the hands.

Li Yuanchang smiled knowingly, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?"

"Very well, I will not let you down."

As he spoke, he kissed Situ Lan's cheek.

Situ Lan lowered her eyes and smiled, but when she raised her head again, she met Li Yuanchang's staring gaze.

Their eyes met, a warm yet ambiguous moment.

Their lips slowly drew closer, and the moment came naturally.

Unlike the impulsive and intense first kiss, it was a subtle and gentle intertwining of emotions.

Snapped!

Situ Lan's shoes fell to the ground.

The warm touch enveloped her delicate, fair soles, and Situ Lan's ears perked up instantly, her body trembling uncontrollably a few times.

The flickering candlelight dispelled the chill.

Gradually, the two lay down on the soft couch, and the curtains were slowly lowered.

Situ Lan let herself be manipulated, her breathing grew heavier, and her clothes quietly slipped off the foot of the bed.

The spring mountains remain unchanged, and the flowers bloom again and again.

The next day.

dawn.

Li Yuanchang almost couldn't get out of bed. This was not just a warm quilt, but a paradise of tenderness!

No one but him knew how fair-skinned and fragrant Situ Lan was. To be able to crawl out of there, Li Yuanchang could be considered a hero.

Situ Lan would usually be awake by this time, but she was too tired last night to move a single finger.

Li Yuanchang didn't disturb her. He simply helped her tidy up the bedding, dressed himself, and left a note on the table.

"My beloved wife, do not worry, I will return soon."

Stepping out of the palace, the biting wind and frost made even someone as robust as Li Yuanchang shiver. Under the protection of his guards, he set off from the mansion and headed straight for Liangzhou City.

Even after leaving the city, it was still dark, the sky a pale blue.

In the suburbs, all the guards of the Imperial Guard had assembled, totaling four hundred men, carrying dry rations and some shovels and tools.

They walked for a full two days, until the morning of the next day, before finally arriving.

Even for a distance of a hundred miles, the lack of horses and the carrying of too many tools resulted in a speed that was half that of a fast horse.

Luomayi is not a desolate place, but a core "point" of the Liangzhou transportation station network.

Here, you can find everything from villages and towns to brothels, restaurants, inns, and temples.

The unique nature of the Tang Dynasty post roads gave them unparalleled geographical advantages; otherwise, one would have to take a detour.

The detours in ancient times were extremely terrifying. The primitive mountains and ridges were beyond what later generations could have imagined. Various ferocious beasts roamed around, and some even became extinct.

But when Li Yuanchang officially arrived, as the sun rose higher and its rays shone on the entire mountaintop, what he saw shocked everyone!

"This..." Guo Chao's eyes widened as he looked down at the post road below.

"Is this a landslide?"

"Where's the road?"

Li Yuanchang's heart sank to the bottom.

Although he had prepared himself mentally, he still felt a headache coming on when he saw the actual situation.

The winding post road was cut in half like a giant snake. The post stations had long since disappeared without a trace, and at least five miles of road were completely submerged, making it difficult for people to travel, let alone carriages and horses.

Generally speaking, a landslide might flood a few hundred meters, but this is several kilometers long, as if the entire mountain had collapsed.

The large amount of soil and stones stained the gray post road brown, and the post road at both ends was particularly eye-catching when viewed from the mountaintop!

On the other side, a large number of vehicles and people were trapped and unable to cross.

"This is a difficult situation."

"Four hundred men are simply not enough!" Li Yuanchang said in a deep voice, his brows furrowed.

The problem isn't the number of people, but the sheer volume of people leads to huge consumption. The distilled spirits haven't even started selling yet, and the imperial court's financial allocations haven't arrived.

Li Yuanchang can't just forcibly conscript people, can he?