My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

In the dead of winter, heavy snow sealed off the city.

The entire city of Chang'an was covered by heavy snow, and as far as the eye could see, the world was a vast expanse of white.

The biting north wind howled past the eaves and brackets, and the snow on the street was up to an adult's ankles.

But in the backyard of the Prince of Qin's mansion, a completely different and lively scene unfolded.

To enjoy the snow scene, Li Chen deliberately removed the constant temperature barrier from the Spirit Gathering Array outside the spacious octagonal pavilion in the center of the courtyard. However, inside the pavilion, several smokeless silver charcoal braziers glowed red-hot, completely dispelling the chill.

On the round white marble table in the center of the pavilion, there is a strangely shaped brass pot.

A steaming chimney stands in the middle of the copper pot, which is divided into two halves. One half contains a bubbling, spicy beef tallow broth, topped with a dense layer of Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies; the other half contains a rich, clear broth made from several old hens and century-old ginseng.

"Glug glug..."

The red and white broth simmered in the copper pot, releasing an incredibly strong and irresistible aroma that made one's mouth water.

Surrounding the copper pot, the table was filled with thinly sliced ​​mutton rolls, fresh and succulent yellow beef, vibrant green vegetables just pulled from the spirit-gathering array flowerbed, and various chopped mushrooms.

"Ouch—it's so spicy! But it tastes so good!"

Little Sizi sat on a specially made high-legged wooden chair, her delicate face flushed red from the spiciness. Her forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and she gasped for breath as she frantically chewed on the piece of mutton she had just scooped out of the hot pot.

"Sixteenth Brother! Sizi can't reach that piece of meat, hurry up and help Sizi!"

The little girl waved her small wooden chopsticks, her eyes shining with excitement, and pointed to a plate of sliced ​​fresh tripe across the table, loudly asking Li Chen for help.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

Li Chen smiled helplessly, picked up a pair of long chopsticks, dipped a piece of tripe in the red oil and rinsed it a few times, then put it into the small dish in front of Xiao Sizi that was filled with sesame oil and minced garlic.

Sitting beside him, Li Shimin no longer possessed any of the majesty of the Tang emperor.

He had his casual clothes collar open, and steam rose from his forehead. The chopsticks in his hand moved like a whirlwind as he and Princess Gaoyang, sitting opposite him, engaged in a fierce battle of wits over the last piece of the finest beef.

"Father! You are the Son of Heaven, how can you take meat from your son!" Princess Gaoyang stamped her feet anxiously, pressing her chopsticks firmly against the slice of fatty beef.

"Nonsense! At the dinner table, there are only guests, not the emperor! I was the one who took a liking to this piece of meat first!" Li Shimin did not back down. He picked up the piece of meat with his chopsticks and snatched it into his bowl, then smugly stuffed it into his mouth and began to chew it.

Princess Chang Le sat to the side, watching the father and daughter who were completely losing their composure because of their stuttering, and couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

She gracefully placed a few pieces of greens into the clear soup pot, completely relaxing both body and mind.

Since breaking off the engagement and starting to learn breathing techniques from Li Chen, Chang Le's complexion has become rosier day by day, and her appetite has also improved a lot.

however.

At this joyous and steaming hot pot feast, one person seemed preoccupied.

Although Empress Zhangsun held chopsticks in her hand, she did not touch the food in the dish in front of her. Her gaze was somewhat blank as she stared at the swirling snow outside the pavilion, a layer of unyielding sorrow shrouding her brows.

"Guanyinbi, why aren't you eating?"

Li Shimin finally swallowed the beef in his mouth, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and turned to look at Empress Zhangsun with concern. "Is this spicy hot pot too strong? Try Chen'er's clear broth hot pot, the taste is absolutely amazing."

Empress Zhangsun put down her chopsticks and sighed softly.

"Your Majesty, I have no appetite."

She turned her head and looked at the wind and snow outside the pavilion, which seemed to swallow the sky and earth, her eyes slightly reddening.

"The snow is already falling so heavily in Chang'an. Shuofang is located in the northern frontier; I wonder how cold it must be there now. Chengqian has been pampered in the palace since he was a child. Although his leg has healed and he's become stronger, he's never experienced the hardships of the frontier."

Empress Zhangsun's voice was filled with deep worry and concern, "It's been more than a month since they left, and apart from those cold, impersonal memorials from the Ministry of War, they haven't even sent back a letter home. I'm feeling very uneasy and uneasy."

Upon hearing their mother's words, Princess Chang Le and Princess Gao Yang put down their chopsticks, their smiles fading.

The smugness on Li Shimin's face vanished. He put down his chopsticks, remained silent for a moment, then gently patted Empress Zhangsun's hand, wanting to offer some words of comfort, but unsure where to begin. On the battlefield, swords have no eyes; who can guarantee absolute safety?

"Oh, it's no big deal."

Just as the atmosphere was becoming somewhat heavy.

Li Chen bit into a peppercorn in his mouth and slowly put down his chopsticks.

He pulled out a clean cloth to wipe his mouth, and looking at Empress Zhangsun, whose face was full of worry, a relaxed smile appeared on his lips.

"Since Mother is worried about my brother, let's watch the show... cough, let's watch my brother's heroic figure on the front lines to make our meal more enjoyable."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the pavilion was stunned.

"Watching a show? Watching Chengqian?"

Li Shimin's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. "Chen'er, Shuofang City is a full thousand miles away from Chang'an, separated by a blizzard. What do you think? Do you have the ability to see a thousand miles?"

Little Sizi stopped chewing and looked at Li Chen with bright, sparkling eyes: "Sixteenth Brother, can you perform magic to bring out the Crown Prince?"

"We can't conjure it up, but we can definitely get him to give us a live broadcast of the battle situation on the front lines."

As Li Chen spoke, he patted the storage bag at his waist with his other hand.

"Buzz—"

It was accompanied by a slight tremor.

A palm-sized bronze mirror, its edges engraved with intricate water patterns, appeared in Li Chen's hand. The mirror's surface was neither glass nor copper, but rather resembled a deep, tranquil spring, with faint ripples spreading across its surface.

"This is called the Mysterious Light Water Mirror."

Li Chen placed the ancient mirror in the center of the white marble round table and explained to everyone, "On the day my elder brother went to war, I gave him a long sword that could cut through iron like mud. I had engraved a divine mark on the hilt of that sword beforehand."

"As long as we activate this water mirror, we can cross mountains and rivers and project the scene around that mark onto us in its entirety."

After hearing these words...

Empress Zhangsun jumped to her feet, gripping the edge of the table tightly with both hands, her voice trembling: "Chen'er! Quick! Let your mother see Chengqian!"

Li Shimin clenched his fists, staring intently at the ancient mirror. The ability to transmit images from a thousand miles away in real time—such a miraculous ability, if used in military campaigns, would make the Tang army virtually unstoppable!

"Don't worry, we'll connect you right away."

Li Chen extended his right index finger, forcing out a drop of dark golden true essence from the fingertip, and gently touched the rippling surface of the Xuan Guang Water Mirror.

"Wave--"

A crisp sound of water droplets echoed inside the pavilion.

Immediately afterwards, the surface of the ancient mirror burst forth with a dazzling blue light. This light did not scatter in all directions, but shot straight upwards, rapidly spreading out in mid-air, three feet above the table.

In just a few breaths.

A three-dimensional holographic image, measuring over ten feet in length and width, with exceptionally realistic colors and even clearly audible sound, floated in mid-air above the pavilion!

Everyone instinctively held their breath, staring intently at the scene in mid-air.

The scene appears to be a massive central command tent. Outside, a fierce wind howls and snow falls heavily. Inside, several large braziers burn brightly, illuminating the interior.

And right in the center of this picture.