My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

The last wisp of azure wood-elemental true essence silently disappeared into Empress Changsun's brow from her fingertips.

Li Chen sat cross-legged on the low stool in front of the bed and slowly opened his eyes.

In the field of vision, the internal organs of Empress Zhangsun, which had been withered like rotten wood, were now showing a layer of even and long-lasting vitality. The meridians that had been blocked into a knot were also completely unblocked.

Thirty days in total.

They managed to snatch the life of the Empress of the Tang Dynasty back from the Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell for three years.

Li Chen withdrew his withered right hand and tucked it into his wide, gray-white sleeve. No sweat appeared on his forehead beneath the mask; his peak late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation level allowed him to perform this level of cleansing without even breaking a sweat.

"All done."

The old man's hoarse voice echoed in the main hall.

Li Shimin, who had been holding his breath and standing three steps away, suddenly felt his legs go weak and staggered forward half a step, his hands gripping the edge of the canopy bed tightly.

He didn't speak. He just looked at his wife, who was sitting on the cushion, her face still pale but breathing evenly on her own. The dark circles around her eyes twitched violently.

Two streams of tears flowed down the emperor's cheeks, silently falling onto the bright yellow brocade quilt.

Empress Zhangsun raised her hand and gently wiped away the tears on Li Shimin's face with her thumb.

"Immortal Master." Li Shimin suddenly turned around, lifted the hem of his casual robe, and was about to kneel on the blue brick ground.

Li Chen lightly touched the ground with his toes, and moved the stool and himself three feet away, avoiding the bow.

"No need. It's a transaction. I'll take your spiritual materials and herbs; it's a deal."

Li Chen stood up and patted the wrinkles on his robe.

"Today is the last day. For the next three years, as long as she doesn't commit suicide, she can live like a normal person. If her time comes in three years, then you should stop causing trouble and prepare for her funeral."

"Three years... is enough. The immortal's extraordinary talent will be unforgettable for me, the Great Tang Dynasty!"

Li Shimin took a deep breath and straightened up. He turned to look at the door.

"Issue the imperial decree! A grand banquet will be held tonight at the Taiji Palace! Inform all officials to celebrate the Empress's recovery!"

……

The hour of Xu (7-9 PM) is the Taiji Palace.

The main hall was brightly lit, both inside and out. Giant tallow candles, as thick as an arm, illuminated the carved beams and painted rafters with exquisite detail, and the air was filled with a rich aroma of Western spices and mellow wine.

The dancers from the Imperial Music Bureau, dressed in light gauze skirts, twirled to the beat of drums on the red carpet in the center of the hall. The sounds of chime bells and erhu mingled together, making one's eardrums buzz.

Li Chen sat in the first seat on the right side of the main hall.

On the long rosewood table in front of me were roasted venison and lamb legs, glistening with oil, as well as various delicacies whose names I did not know.

He ignored the awe-inspiring glances cast his way from the main hall, gripping a small silver knife in his left hand and a leg of lamb in his right, cutting off a piece of crispy roasted meat and putting it in his mouth.

Although his late-stage Foundation Establishment body allowed him to abstain from grains, deep down he was still that fifteen-year-old boy who had gone hungry for three years. He hadn't even smelled such top-tier mortal cooking during those three years in the cold palace's side hall.

While chewing on the juicy mutton, Li Chen's gaze casually swept across the main hall.

The first seat on the left is empty. That's the seat for Prince Wei, Li Tai. Ever since that day he was kicked away in the Imperial Garden, Li Shimin has been keeping this fat man under strict confinement in his residence.

Next was Crown Prince Li Chengqian. He held a wine cup, his posture extremely tense, and his eyes revealed an undisguised fawning and fear as he looked at Li Chen.

Next to her were Princess Chang Le, Li Lizhi, and several other princes and princesses who were a little older.

Suddenly, Li Chen paused for a moment.

He noticed a tiny figure sitting next to Empress Zhangsun.

Today, Xiao Sizi was dressed in a festive bright red ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with her hair styled in two small buns. She neither watched the palace maids dancing in the arena nor ate the pastries on the table.

Those large, dark, grape-like eyes were staring intently at Li Chen, beyond the layers of the dancer's flowing sleeves.

Li Chen slowed down his chewing of the mutton.

He turned his head slightly, trying to avoid the little girl's gaze. But as soon as he turned his head a little, the little girl's head also tilted a little, her eyes fixed on his gray-white wide sleeves and collar.

"What is this girl looking at..." Li Chen muttered to himself, and quickly picked up his wine glass to cover half of his face.

After the dance ended, the dancers retreated like flowing water.

The atmosphere in the main hall instantly reached a climax.

"Immortal Master!"

A loud voice, as clear as a broken gong, rang out.

A towering, black man strode out from the ranks of military officers. He had a full beard and carried a wine vessel the size of a large bowl. He walked with such force that the floor tiles of the hall seemed to vibrate with his footsteps.

Duke Su, Cheng Yaojin.

"I, Old Cheng, am a rough man, I don't know any fancy fancy words! Immortal Master not only saved the Empress, but also bestowed upon her a talisman, saving millions of people in the Central Plains! I, Old Cheng, respectfully bow to the Immortal Master!"

After saying that, he tilted his head back and gulped down the strong liquor in the large bowl, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve with a heroic air.

Li Chen looked at this notorious troublemaker of the Tang Dynasty, and a slight twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth. He picked up the jade cup in front of him and symbolically touched it to his lips.

With Cheng Yaojin taking the lead, the civil and military officials in the hall began to line up to offer toasts.

Changsun Wuji, Li Jing, Yuchi Jingde...

Everyone who came up was extremely respectful, bowing very low. Li Chen accepted all the offers, but he didn't drink any of them, treating it as watching these historically significant figures perform in front of him.

Then a middle-aged civil official wearing a purple round-necked robe and a silver fish-shaped pouch at his waist walked up to Li Chen's table with a wine cup in his hand.

The man had a thin face, and his three long tufts of beard were meticulously groomed. His eyes revealed an extremely restrained shrewdness and composure.