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Last time, it was mentioned that Li Chengqian listened to Fang Yi'ai's strategy and instructed Princess Gaoyang to coerce Wu Mei in an attempt to steal the topic of the Marriage Trial from Li Zhi. However, this inadvertently led to Li Mingda discovering the affair between Li Zhi and Wu Mei. Feeling guilty, Li Zhi had no choice but to abandon his support for the Marriage Trial, allowing Li Chengqian to regain control of the situation.
Li Chengqian deliberately selected over thirty stunning beauties, mixing in Li Wushuang among them. He intended for the envoys from various nations to guess who was chosen; whoever could identify Li Wushuang would win.
He was also concerned that Tuguhun might lack discernment and ruin the Marriage Trial for other countries, unaware that Zhang Jiunian was still mingling within the Tubo Envoy Group, so there was no need for worry.
The group of beauties resembled peach blossoms in spring, gracefully swaying with their youthful charm. They were in their early teens, with shy glances and smiling lips, their skirts fluttering in the breeze as sunlight illuminated their flowing garments. Each possessed unique beauty that dazzled everyone present.
Li Wushuang stood out with her elegant simplicity; her face resembled a silver plate, her eyes like water apricots, her lips naturally red without makeup, and her brows perfectly shaped without drawing. She appeared serene like a maiden, holding a delicate fan adorned with white orchids, her slender waist adorned with a jade belt dancing in the air. She seemed like a celestial being descended to earth, and her smile outshone the stars.
The Xu Zhen, accustomed to seeing Li Wushuang in military attire, was taken aback by her feminine appearance. She felt a pang of regret; with so many beautiful palace maidens in the Tang Dynasty, couldn't she just choose one to impersonate Li Wushuang?
However, without the Sovereign's directive, Li Daozong dared not act rashly. This matter concerned royal dignity and was unavoidable. Having witnessed the horrors of war, Li Wushuang willingly sacrificed personal desires for peace. Such noble character could be compared to Wang Zhaojun of the Han Dynasty.
At this moment, she lowered her gaze slightly and glanced at the Xu Zhen. Their eyes met, filled with sadness; the Xu Zhen felt compassion and could only respond silently.
It wasn't until the envoys from various nations approached to identify her that Li Wushuang finally lowered her beautiful eyes and bit her crimson lips softly.
The Mohe envoy was also taken aback; they were no different from other envoys and had never seen a princess before. They could only speculate based on the ladies' demeanor and grace but struggled to reach a conclusion.
Lu Dongzan felt delighted but worried that delays might lead to changes. After confirming Zhang Jiunian's identity, he pretended to hesitate and wandered near Li Wushuang's side while feigning surprise before finally pointing her out.
Seeing this situation unfold, the envoys couldn't help but laugh internally; Tuguhun had just fought against the Tang Dynasty and could not possibly have obtained any intelligence through private communication. Such a reckless choice was bound to lead to mistakes.
However, astonishingly, Lu Dongzan guessed correctly!
Everyone found it strange; even the Sage cast a sidelong glance at Lu Dongzan and summoned him for questioning about how he identified the princess. Lu Dongzan had already prepared his speech, praising the princess's elegance and ethereal presence like a pearl in the dark night or a phoenix among chickens, which greatly pleased the Sage.
With this established, the Sage immediately conferred upon Li Wushuang the title of Wencheng Princess and arranged her marriage to Zanpu Qizonglongzan. He ordered Prince of Jiangxia Li Daozong to escort her while hosting a grand banquet for ministers and envoys from various nations. Everyone praised his grace and rejoiced together.
Although there were some setbacks along the way, Li Chengqian's unique Marriage Trial was quite impressive and interesting, ultimately concluding successfully. The Sage praised King Wei Wenzhi and granted him many rewards. Although Li Zhi also received credit, it was much less than that of Li Chengqian, leaving him feeling somewhat depressed.
With the major event concluded, Zhang Jiunian withdrew from the Tubo Envoy Group and secretly returned to Xu Zhen. Though he was discreet, he could not escape Murong Hanzhu's keen observation.
Based on Murong Hanzhu's understanding of Lu Dongzan, despite his high position as Great Minister of Tuguhun, his abilities were limited. After all, he was not a Tang person; without guidance from a master, how could he have passed the Marriage Trial so smoothly? Thus, Murong Hanzhu kept a close watch on the Delegation's every move.
As a member of the Delegation, he was well-acquainted with its composition. After Zhang Jiunian infiltrated, Murong Hanzhu took notice but was unaware of Zhang Jiunian's background. Now that Zhang Jiunian had returned to Xu Zhen, Murong Hanzhu naturally realized that Xu Zhen was backing and directing Tuguhun.
Murong Hanzhu had long regarded Xu Zhen as his greatest obstacle and wished to deal with her swiftly. Upon learning this secret information, he couldn't help but smirk coldly.
Li Zhi felt displeased and thus did not host a proper banquet. He hurriedly returned home and began drinking alone. Before long, someone reported that Murong Hanzhu had been invited in.
Knowing that Li Zhi was resentful, Murong Hanzhu offered some words of comfort. However, Li Zhi was ultimately afraid that his affair with Wu Mei would be exposed, leading him to become increasingly despondent and resentful.
Having served as an advisor under Tuguhun Wang for many years, Murong Hanzhu was adept at reading people's emotions. He had already analyzed Li Zhi's inner turmoil and immediately suggested privately manipulating the Court Lady to harm Wu Mei; this way, Li Zhi would have nothing to worry about.
Li Zhi turned pale with shock. Although he and Wu Mei were not conventional in their relationship, they indeed had mutual feelings for each other. Such ruthless tactics were beyond him; instead, Murong Hanzhu's cruelty made him feel uneasy.
Seeing Li Zhi's indecisiveness, Murong Hanzhu sighed inwardly but seized the opportunity to reveal Xu Zhen's covert support for Lu Dongzan. Li Zhi became furious upon hearing this and lost all goodwill towards Xu Zhen. Faced with the choice between killing Wu Mei and hating Xu Zhen, he naturally chose to vent his anger on Xu Zhen.
Murong Hanzhu further incited him by saying that Xu Zhen had already aligned herself with King Wei Li Tai; otherwise, after just fighting Tuguhun, how could she assist Lu Dongzan? If Xu Zhen was not suppressed now, she would surely become an ally of Li Chengqian in the future—a significant threat.
Li Zhi immediately believed this and declared his intention to teach Xu Zhen a lesson. He then sought advice from Murong Hanzhu.
The latter felt delighted; if he wanted to establish himself in the Tang Dynasty, he needed to rely on the Cui Clan's foundation while also currying favor with court nobles like Changsun Wuji. The quickest route to success was undoubtedly to assist Li Zhi in achieving great things.
However, since Xu Zhen knew him well, she would surely obstruct him at every turn. Thus, Murong Hanzhu constantly sought ways to eliminate Xu Zhen.
Now that Li Zhi has actively sought advice, how could Murong Hanzhu not be pleased?
"Your Majesty, I have heard that Xu Zhen and Miss Li once had a secret affair. Why not consider this..."
After listening to Murong Hanzhu's plan, Li Zhi felt a wave of depression lift from his heart. He hurried into Tai Chi Palace and, during the audience, advised the Sage.
"Tuguhun is a distant land, remote and rugged, with many hardships along the way. Once we pass the borders, there will be many bandits. The Prince of Jiangxia is getting older and may not withstand the fatigue of travel. Zhi Nuer dares to suggest that we invite the Loyal Martial General to accompany us for the wedding. General Xu has made great contributions in the Battle of Songzhou; if he escorts the bride to Lhasa, it will surely enhance our nation's prestige!"
Previously, Li Zhi was able to entrust the Marriage Trial to Li Chengqian, which had already satisfied Li Shimin. When unexpected changes arose during the Marriage Trial, Li Zhi managed to take over and demonstrate his capability. Now, considering everything thoroughly again, it was indeed reassuring.
However, Li Shimin also had his own considerations. Xu Zhen had fought in the Tuguhun and later participated in the Battle of Songzhou. She was fluent in the language of Foreigners and held the status of Zoroastrian Envoy, familiar with the sentiments of people beyond the northwest borders and had achieved numerous military successes. She was undoubtedly an irreplaceable asset for the Guard.
Yet this journey would be long and arduous, with many people accompanying her, including numerous craftsmen and supplies. The convoy would inevitably be delayed, taking at least a year or two. Consequently, Xu Zhen would miss out on participating in the campaign against Liao.
Li Shimin had nurtured Xu Zhen with hopes that she could be useful during the campaign against Liao. With Li Daozong being a capable veteran sent to escort her to Lhasa, it already diminished one significant support for Li Shimin. How could he allow Xu Zhen to go on this journey?
Murong Hanzhu actually wanted Xu Zhen to leave Chang'an; this way, he would have one less formidable opponent. Without Xu Zhen obstructing him, he could assist Li Zhi in securing the position of Crown Prince.
However, both he and Li Zhi underestimated how much Li Shimin valued Xu Zhen. After Li Shimin decisively rejected Li Zhi's proposal, Li Zhi became even more determined to eliminate Xu Zhen!
Xu Zhen naturally did not know that Murong Hanzhu was using this small suggestion to push her onto Li Zhi's blacklist for elimination. At that moment, she was bidding farewell to Li Wushuang for the last time but still brought along Caesar.
Caesar's presence also indicated Xu Zhen's stance, allowing Li Wushuang to finally set off on the road to Tuguhun with a heavy heart.
At the end of April, under clear skies, a ceremonial procession left the city as the Sovereign personally escorted Li Daozong and others out of Chang'an. Wencheng Princess and Li Wushuang officially embarked on their two-year journey to Tuguhun.
Li Mingda and Li Wushuang had always been close friends; they wept as they bid farewell and exchanged gifts as mementos. The thought that they might find it difficult to meet again in this lifetime filled them with sorrow that enveloped their hearts.
Li Wushuang glanced over at Xu Zhen and quietly whispered something in Li Mingda's ear. Perhaps at that moment, she finally acknowledged the feelings she had long been unwilling to admit, and could truly understand Li Mingda's attachment to Xu Zhen.
The farewell crowd gradually lingered, and Xu Zhen silently watched as the procession grew distant, tightly holding Caesar's hand. Caesar smiled slightly, his heart filled with sweetness.
Time passed swiftly, like a fleeting horse, and when the wedding procession left, it indeed caused quite a stir in Chang'an City. However, it quickly became a thing of the past, and the people of Chang'an continued with their lives.
Xu Zhen occasionally thought of Li Wushuang, recalling the cave outside Songzhou City and the night spent together with him, but her heart was now devoid of any turmoil.
Every day she still reported to the Five Armies Yamen, making sure to visit Li Jing and Li Jue in the morning and evening. In her spare time, she discussed Zoroastrian Secret Texts and Illusion with Moya. In the evenings, she practiced yoga techniques with Caesar by her side and occasionally met with the little girl Li Mingda.
King Wei Li Tai frequently sent invitations, while Li Zhi continued to engage in subtle maneuvers. Changsun Wuji never missed an opportunity to suppress Xu Zhen in court. Murong Hanzhu had seemingly become a regular visitor at Jin Wangfu and, through the influence of the Cui Clan and Changsun Wuji's support, became a formal aide to Prince Jin.
In June, the spirited Murong Hanzhu arrived at Golden City Block in northwest Chang'an to pay respects at Huichang Temple as a way to thank the deities for their protection. However, just as he stepped onto the temple grounds, he heard a series of shouts from behind him!
"Get out of the way! Everyone move aside!"
Several black-clad warriors cleared the path for pedestrians and devotees before a group of guards escorted a carriage that approached arrogantly.
Murong Hanzhu's brow furrowed; in this city filled with nobility, there was never a shortage of arrogant young lords. However, when he saw who was inside the carriage and recognized the insignia on the guards, Murong Hanzhu immediately felt tense!
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