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People say that the heart of a lovesick girl is as delicate as a needle's eye and as deep as the ocean, and at this moment, Li Mingda was reminiscing with a smile, her spring beauty reflected in the mirror. When a girl's feelings are revealed, they flow like the gentle spring rain, silent yet continuous.
Li Mingda knew she had developed feelings for the Xu Zhen. She felt both nervous and excited, yet secretly suppressed her emotions. Every day trapped within the palace walls, yearning for something unattainable, she could only find solace in the moonlight of spring. It was precisely because she had never experienced longing that she found herself longing now, which made it all the more painful. When she finally had the chance to invite the Xu Zhen over, she meticulously prepared herself but felt that heavy makeup was inappropriate, so she simply removed her hair ornaments and hurried to the side hall.
After searching several halls without finding any trace of the Xu Zhen, Li Mingda became increasingly frustrated and muttered to herself, "What a deceiver! Instead of waiting quietly, she dares to run around. Just wait until I catch her!"
As she grumbled and wandered around the hall, turning a corner, she spotted the Xu Zhen crouching down, peering into a room in the courtyard like a sneaky thief.
Li Mingda was so angry that she stomped her feet, thinking that the Xu Zhen must be eavesdropping on some maid. Furious, she rushed over intending to grab the Xu Zhen by her ear!
The Xu Zhen was usually alert, but at that moment, she was focused on listening to Li Zhi and a maid's conversation. Having trained in martial arts with Zhou Cang and others, Li Mingda seized the opportunity and caught hold of the Xu Zhen's ear!
"You little…!!!"
As Li Mingda cursed out loud, the Xu Zhen quickly covered her mouth, fearing that this girl would cause a scene. She pulled her close and signaled for silence while scanning the room. Seeing that Li Zhi and the maid were completely unaware of them, she finally relaxed.
The Xu Zhen was used to playful banter with Li Mingda and didn't think much of holding her neck at that moment. However, since Li Mingda had already developed feelings for her, such intimate actions were enough to make her blush and feel flustered!
Although Tang Feng was open-minded, he still adhered strictly to etiquette. Even if the Xu Zhen and Li Mingda were not biological siblings, such behavior—holding one's sister by the neck—was still considered inappropriate.
Having already given her heart to the Xu Zhen, Li Mingda naturally assumed that the Xu Zhen felt similarly about her. Her heart soared with joy as she smiled downwards, her cheeks flushed with color.
The Xu Zhen did not notice Li Mingda's unusual reaction because all her attention was focused on the couple inside the room. After feeling shy for a while without any response from the Xu Zhen, Li Mingda quickly lifted her head only to see that the Xu Zhen was engrossed in what was happening inside. It dawned on her that she had come to catch this peeping wolf!
Seeing that the Xu Zhen was so focused, she mumbled something under her breath, wetting her finger to break through the gauze window in an attempt to see what had captivated the Xu Zhen's attention. However, being petite and knowing that the Xu Zhen feared any noise from her, she was suddenly lifted up by the waist.
Li Mingda felt embarrassed but also an indescribable excitement and sweetness surged within her. Yet when she peered through a small opening and clearly saw the couple inside passionately embracing each other, she was utterly stunned!
The Xu Zhen did not recognize Wu Mei; how could Li Mingda not know who Wu Mei was? She just never expected that her own brother Li Zhi would engage in such scandalous behavior that defied all morals!
The flames of ignorance burned three thousand feet high, reddening Li Mingda's eyes. She broke free from Xu Zhen's obstruction and kicked open the door to the room!
Li Zhi and Wu Mei had not seen each other for a long time, and they had forgotten that this was Li Mingda's Shuyi Courtyard. It wasn't until Li Mingda burst in, followed by Xu Zhen, that they hurriedly tried to fix their disheveled clothes and hair.
Li Mingda's eyes were filled with tears of grief and anger. Li Zhi's actions were disgraceful, harming the current Sage, who was none other than Li Shimin, the one who cherished Li Mingda the most!
Thinking of her father's affection for these brothers, recalling how the Tubo Rebellion had been confirmed but Li Shimin could not bear to kill them and had done everything to protect them, Li Mingda felt her heart torn apart as she looked at Li Zhi's current behavior. In a fit of rage, she ran out.
Li Zhi was in a state of panic; if Li Mingda revealed this matter, everything would be ruined!
Perhaps Li Mingda would still consider their sibling bond and plead for mercy to keep this secret, but she was followed by Xu Zhen!
Not long ago, he had just listened to Changsun Wuji's instigation and secretly instructed the Censor to impeach Xu Zhen and Li Mingda. Now, his secrets had fallen into Xu Zhen's hands—truly a case of karma coming back around!
Xu Zhen was also troubled; she never expected to stumble upon Li Zhi and Wu Mei in a secret meeting. These two were future figures destined for the Dragon Throne of the Tang Dynasty. Even if she dared not leak a word herself, neither could Li Mingda; otherwise, these two would never become emperors, and history would be rewritten!
Realizing this, Xu Zhen dared not linger any longer and rushed out to chase after Li Mingda, leaving behind the bewildered Li Zhi and Wu Mei.
Li Zhi was indeed someone capable of great things; he quickly calmed down. After reassuring Wu Mei, he ordered her to be sent back to the palace while he hurried back home to summon Changsun Wuji and Murong Hanzhu to discuss countermeasures.
Although he spoke frankly, he could not escape Changsun Wuji's furious reprimand. This Old Uncle showed no mercy, bluntly stating that Li Zhi was ruining human ethics and would find it hard to achieve anything. Angrily, he left in a huff, leaving only Murong Hanzhu behind.
Murong Hanzhu sneered inwardly; Changsun Wuji was indeed arrogant and dictatorial. At this moment, he had already revealed his stance of controlling Li Zhi, which would surely make him unpopular with Li Zhi in the future. Wasn't this a perfect opportunity for him?
Sure enough, after Changsun Wuji left, Li Zhi felt as if he had lost his backbone and could only place all his hopes on Murong Hanzhu.
"Mr. Cui, time is of the essence; please advise me!"
Murong Hanzhu merely smiled lightly and said, "Your Majesty need not worry; this is not a crisis, but rather a good opportunity."
Seeing Murong Hanzhu's confident demeanor, Li Zhi felt somewhat reassured and quickly asked, "What do you mean by that, sir?"
Murong Hanzhu composed his expression and replied calmly, "This must be a scheme devised by King Wei to hold something over Your Majesty. However, since it concerns the royal family's reputation, how could he dare to publicize it? Princess Jinyang is virtuous and loving; if Your Majesty offers her more comfort, it will surely cover up the matter. Instead, it reveals that King Wei has already begun to feel anxious and wary of Your Majesty's power. If that is the case, King Wei has clearly fallen into a disadvantage!"
"Just now, the Duke of the State also inquired about Your Majesty. Martial Talent had previously asked about the Marriage Trial topics without intention, which must have been under King Wei's coercion. If this were to be made public and Sage were to question it, Your Majesty could claim that Martial Talent was threatened and had no choice but to comply, thus shifting all blame onto King Wei. This would inevitably lead to suspicions of framing a brother!"
Upon hearing Murong Hanzhu's words, Li Zhi immediately breathed a sigh of relief, filled with joy. He began to regard Murong Hanzhu as a behind-the-scenes strategist; in his heart, Murong Hanzhu's status had risen significantly, even surpassing Changsun Wuji!
Anyone can add embellishments, but providing timely assistance brings true joy. Murong Hanzhu's words ultimately earned him Li Zhi's respect and elevated him to the position of chief advisor in Jin Wangfu.
Meanwhile, Li Mingda could hardly believe his eyes. Upon returning to his room, he still found it hard to accept until Princess Jinyang caught up with him. Only then did he wipe away his tears and stare blankly into space, seemingly reminiscing about Li Zhi's past kindness. He truly could not understand how that warm-hearted young man had become what he was now.
Princess Jinyang merely sighed beside him. Once Li Mingda's emotions settled down, she analyzed the key points and current situation for him and advised him to bury this matter deep in his heart and not disclose it to Sage.
At first, Li Mingda was astonished and angry at Princess Jinyang's remarks. However, after careful consideration, he finally understood the complexities and stakes involved. With Princess Jinyang's eloquent persuasion, he came to terms with it.
Both Li Zhi and Li Mingda felt relieved; only Wu Mei remained unsettled. As a talented woman in the palace with little power and facing jealousy from many sisters due to her beauty, if this matter were to leak out, she would undoubtedly be accused of seducing Li Zhi and face severe consequences.
Just as she was worried, Princess Gaoyang arrived at the palace surrounded by her maidservants. She recorded all the inside information Wu Mei had gathered from Li Zhi and handed it over to her husband Fang Yi'ai before sending it to Wei Wangfu for credit.
King Wei had recently suffered grievances from Li Zhi and was feeling frustrated. Now that he could retaliate against Li Zhi in kind, he felt pleased. When Fang Yi'ai presented the trial questions that Wu Mei had uncovered, his delight grew even more.
However, he was unaware that Li Mingda had discovered the affair. He initially thought that Li Zhi and Wu Mei shared only a pure connection and did not suspect any sordid physical involvement.
But when he approached Li Zhi the next day with a proposal for Li Zhi to suggest changes to the trial questions, Li Zhi readily agreed. This left Li Chengqian both puzzled and delighted because he had finally regained control!
Li Shimin was unaware of the many events that had transpired over the course of a day and night. The next day, he arrived at the venue. Having learned from the previous day's experience, both the foreign envoys and the officials of the Tang Dynasty were somewhat accustomed to the proceedings, yet they still looked forward to the interesting and fresh content of the Marriage Trial.
After the usual rituals, the Holy Presence descended, and Li Chengqian stepped back onto the platform. He provided a detailed and comprehensive summary of the previous day's events in a speech that was eloquent and well-received by many civil officials.
The Sage had always cherished Li Chengqian and took pride in his literary talent. Seeing this scene, he quickly forgot about yesterday's displeasure, and his gaze toward Li Chengqian returned to its usual warmth. However, Li Mingda beside him seemed much more sullen, showing no signs of a smile.
Li Shimin, who had always doted on Li Mingda, noticed his gloomy demeanor and heavy heart. He gently inquired about it, but Li Mingda no longer wished to share his feelings. He merely forced a pretense of indifference, claiming he had not slept well.
After Li Chengqian concluded his speech, he announced that the Marriage Trial would officially begin. The envoy from Mohe had performed exceptionally well yesterday. Remembering Li Zhi and Changsun Wuji's dissatisfaction, they returned at night with all the test questions memorized, ready to seize victory and bring the princess home!
However, they waited anxiously but did not receive the expected questions because Li Chengqian had already replaced them with entirely new ones!
Dozens of beautiful women appeared like flowers in spring, vibrant and colorful, gracefully ascending the platform to capture everyone's attention, causing a chorus of gulping sounds throughout the crowd!
Li Chengqian announced the rules on the spot, leaving everyone present stunned.
The rules for this competition were that the princess was hidden among these dozens of beauties; whichever envoy could identify and select her would be declared the winner!
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