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Xu Zhen and Wei Chi Jing De waited in the side hall for the summons. After more than an hour, they heard the sound of light footsteps outside. An old eunuch in crimson robes entered, bowed to Wei Chi Jing De, and then quietly led Xu Zhen out. They navigated through several twists and turns until they arrived at a grand hall, which was the Celestial Hall where His Majesty read and summoned his ministers.
Xu Zhenxin was in turmoil. Having spent nearly four years in the Tang Dynasty and three of those years hiding in Chang'an, he had finally integrated into this world and made ample preparations. Yet fate played a trick on him, presenting an opportunity that allowed him to save the Xuanwu Gate Incident, pulling Jinyang back from the brink of obscurity in history.
He understood well the Butterfly Effect; thus, he dared not imagine what changes might occur in the subsequent history. He was a variable among the Tang people, and the changes initiated by him would ultimately need to be reversed and resolved by him. However, this required him to possess enough power to change everything, and who could grant him such power other than the current Sovereign?
Human hearts harbor schemes, and their postures must reflect their intentions. What is internal must manifest externally; those with hidden depths do not show their emotions on their faces, making them secretive and inscrutable.
Although Xu Zhen was young, she had rich experiences and foresight that others could not compare to. Thus, she felt somewhat confident as she followed the old eunuch hesitantly while carefully considering what questions to ask.
Before she could reach a conclusion, they arrived at the door of the Celestial Hall. She suddenly realized she still carried her sword case, causing cold sweat to break out. Just as she was about to ask the eunuch what to do, he had already softly announced her presence inside.
Xu Zhen was also perceptive; this old eunuch had spent most of his life observing people and managing affairs. He certainly understood the nuances involved. Since he had earlier prevented Xu Zhen from unsheathing her sword, it was likely due to instructions from the Sovereign. This reassured her. As the old eunuch carefully pushed open the hall door, Xu Zhen took a deep breath and forced herself to appear calm as she stepped inside.
A fragrant scent filled her nostrils as warmth enveloped her like a spring day. Although the doors and windows were closed, there was no stuffiness; instead, it opened up one's heart and soothed one's spirit, dispelling tension and fear while providing a sense of tranquility.
Xu Zhen walked cautiously, daring not to make even a sound with her footsteps. Stealing a glance upward, she saw an ordinary figure at the imperial desk—noble yet slightly worn, as if bearing a heavy burden on his shoulders but still managing to uphold a heroic demeanor.
As she passed that somewhat desolate figure, Xu Zhen noticed a calligraphy hanging on the wall above—a piece written by Li Tang Sovereign himself. Indeed, as recorded in Historical Records, it was Li Shimin's favorite style of cursive script.
"With armor on horseback beyond the Great Wall, I shall never allow smoke from wolf fires to rise again!"
These words encapsulated the current Sovereign's youthful pride as he conquered lands with his horse while later caring for all under heaven—an emperor's spirit that would last through eternity.
Looking around at the simple walls adorned only by a portrait of a mother figure on the eastern side—round like a holy mother, compassionate like Manjushri—her regal demeanor radiated grace and kindness. The brushwork suggested it was created by court artist Yan Liben; judging by her posture, it appeared to be Empress Changsun who had already ascended.
Xu Zhen dared not lose focus or gaze around too much; she remained over ten feet away from that figure and nervously knelt down. Affecting calmness, she said, " Xu Zhen pays respects to Sovereign!"
Upon hearing her voice, he turned his gaze from Empress Changsun's portrait to Xu Zhen. Noticing that she merely knelt halfway down, he thought she possessed some spirit but did not realize that Xu Zhen was somewhat unfamiliar with court etiquette. Although the old eunuch had given her many instructions along the way, she only remembered them vaguely. Li Shimin did not take offense and gently said, "Rise and speak."
"Thank you, Sovereign!" Xu Zhen slowly stood up straight but still dared not raise her head. Li Tang Emperor seemed more cheerful and joked: "You are not just any young lady; why act so timidly? You lack the boldness of soldiers in battle! Raise your head when you speak; do you think I am some tyrant who kills at will?"
Although Xu Zhen understood that Li Tang Emperor was joking, associating such humor with tyranny made her cautious with her words. She immediately raised her head and replied earnestly.
"Your Majesty, although I come from humble origins among street folk, I have heard of your wisdom—that human life is precious and should not be taken lightly; even death row inmates require three reviews before execution. I have also heard of your release of prisoners during Zhenguan's fourth year; how could I fear that Sovereign would harm me? It is merely my lowly background that frightens me upon first encountering your majesty..."
Li Tang Emperor listened to Xu Zhen recounting events from the fourth year of Zhenguan. Memories were drawn back to that winter when there were over three hundred death row inmates throughout the realm. After reviewing their cases, Li Shimin allowed these three hundred to return home for the New Year, with the condition that they would return after the autumn harvest to serve their sentences. Remarkably, all three hundred returned on time without a single escape, which he considered one of his proudest achievements.
Hearing Xu Zhen say she was nervous because of him, the emperor of the Li Family felt that her straightforwardness was commendable. Since Jinyang's return was largely due to Xu Zhenzhi's efforts, he felt a sense of closeness and jokingly scolded her, “I was just teasing you; why are you saying such irrelevant flattery?”
At this point, Li Shimin couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness. Ever since Wei Zheng passed away two years ago, court officials had become increasingly perfunctory and no longer dared to speak frankly in counsel; instead, there were more who flattered and praised.
Xu Zhen, feeling embarrassed by being scolded by the Sage, subconsciously touched the back of her head but quickly realized her faux pas and awkwardly lowered her hand.
Noticing Xu Zhen ’s actions, Li Shimin was drawn to the sword case behind her and immediately asked, “Is this what was mentioned in He Li's Secret Letter? May I have a look?”
Upon hearing Li Shimin's words, Xu Zhen felt a tightness in her chest. This Mysterious Longsword, which had been with her since the secret burial of the Heavenly Strategy, had been cautioned for safekeeping by both Duan Zan and Li Daozong. Later, even Li Jing had advised her similarly. She had long suspected the sword's origins and was surprised that Qibi Helix had reported on it as well. It made sense that the old eunuch allowed her to bring a sword into the palace and that Li Zhi had prepared the sword case in advance; it seemed that His Majesty was indeed quite interested in this sword.
Since His Majesty had asked, how could Xu Zhen dare to refuse? She carefully unfastened the sword case and presented it with both hands. When the Sage took the case, she stepped back a few paces to avoid raising his suspicions.
As Li Shimin received the sword case and saw Xu Zhen step back, he smiled again and said boldly, “You’re quite clever. Although I am past my forties, even if there were three Xu Zhen es, they wouldn’t be able to take me down. Why would I fear an assassination from you? Besides, you are not like that knife-presenting Aman, so why be so nervous?”
Seeing the emperor's carefree demeanor made Xu Zhen chuckle lightly. Her innocent and pure smile caught Li Shimin’s attention.
He placed the sword case on his desk and opened it with a click. Beneath the silk cloth lay a six-foot-long blade that was smooth and delicate like flowing water, adorned with chrysanthemum patterns like frost—truly an extraordinary treasure!
However, his gaze lingered on the hilt where a character resembling “Jiao” or “Xiao” was engraved. Though he couldn't distinguish it clearly, Li Shimin had already confirmed the sword's origins!
“It truly belongs to him!”
With a light sigh filled with emotion, he grasped the blade and gently caressed its edge while reminiscing about lost times. After a moment, he examined the sword closely and spoke.
“This sword originally belonged to my elder brother Yin Kaishan. During his many battles, he lost this sword while trying to save me. It wasn’t until after my brother’s untimely death that I secretly dispatched the Heavenly Strategy Army to search for it everywhere. I never expected it would end up in your hands. You should tell me how you came by this sword!”
Startled, Xu Zhen realized that this sword once belonged to one of the twenty-four meritorious officials of the Lingyan Pavilion, Duke of En Yin Kaishan. She promptly recounted her experience at the mysterious tomb in the Liangzhou mining area and mentioned how she awkwardly split from her brothers over that Tian Ce Red Armor, hastily apologizing to the sovereign without elaborating further.
Being magnanimous, Li Shimin reassured her: “Fate has its way; since you have obtained this sword, it can be seen as my elder brother’s spirit choosing you as its successor. I hope you can contribute your strength to our great Tang like he did.”
Feeling a surge of determination, Xu Zhenxin bowed deeply and said: “Your Majesty’s grace is profound; if there is any command, I will not hesitate to face fire!”
Seeing that Xu Zhen had become serious again made Li Shimin shake his head with a smile. He waved his hand and said: “Thanks to you protecting little Zier, she has returned safely by my side. You are my benefactor; there’s no need for such formalities in front of me. It would be much better if we could speak openly.”
Xu Zhen dared not be arrogant and immediately responded submissively. When it came to the matter of Li Mingda, Li Shimin's brows furrowed slightly, exuding an unspoken authority that even Xu Zhen could feel a tremendous pressure from.
Seemingly touched by his emotions, Li Shimin suddenly felt weary and after some questioning, he finally allowed Xu Zhen to leave, specifically instructing her, "There is indeed something I need you to handle, but since you have just returned, settle in for now. I will summon you again."
"I was young and unruly, doing many foolish things. Now that I am older, I am not afraid of losing face. However, this matter is too significant; I need to plan carefully to avoid causing harm to the people. At this moment, I cannot say much more. Just be ready at any time and go on for now."
Xu Zhen understood that Li Shimin was referring to the kidnapping of Li Mingda, and did not dare to speak further. She quickly prepared to exit but then heard Li Shimin say, "Leave this knife with me for now; it will allow me to fondly remember an old friend. You stay well in Chang'an; there are people to serve you, so do not overthink it. Though I may be old, my eyes are still sharp."
Seeing Li Shimin wave his hand, Xu Zhen finally stepped outside. The old eunuch had been waiting and promptly escorted her out of the Celestial Hall. Someone else led Xu Zhen out of the Tai Chi Palace, while the old eunuch went to bring Wei Chi Jing De into the palace to meet.
Once Xu Zhen exited the Chengtian Gate, she let out a sigh of relief. The winter wind blew in, and her back was already soaked through; only then did she realize how oppressive the emperor's authority could be, silent yet so forceful!
Just as she was about to ask the young attendant about her brother and Caesar, Prince Li Zhi approached her, saying that he had already arranged for Xu Zhen's family and was ready to take her back to their lodging place.
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