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Li Zhi, not yet twenty, conducts himself with many rules. He, along with Li Mingda and Crown Prince Li Chengqian, are all children of Empress Changsun. Li Mingda is the only daughter personally raised by Li Shimin, while Li Zhi is the only son he has raised himself.
Li Shimin dotes on this pair of children immensely. With Empress Changsun gone and Li Mingda absent, he pours all his affection onto Li Zhi.
In terms of character, Tubo was talented and thoughtful in his youth, showing signs of being a benevolent ruler. However, in recent years, he has declined, using his foot ailment as an excuse to indulge in frivolity and neglecting Li Shimin's expectations. Among his sons, Li Chengqian is too unruly, while King Wu Li Ke is mature and steady, skilled in both martial and literary arts. He is a wise prince of the royal family but has already taken up his post in the fief as Governor of Anzhou, promoting capable individuals and performing good deeds, gaining the people's favor.
Li Zhi is young yet intelligent, dignified and calm, generous and kind-hearted, harmonious with his brothers, and extremely filial, winning the Sovereign's favor. However, his timid nature makes him somewhat unfit for great responsibilities; it is feared he may not be able to protect the family estate, leading those in court to watch him closely.
There is much dissatisfaction with the Crown Prince in the court; this is no secret. As many brothers grow older and their power increases, several issues must be brought to the agenda.
At this moment, it is an opportune time for many princes to showcase their abilities and win people's hearts. Li Zhi is not foolish; upon seeing Xu Zhen summoned by the Sovereign and entering the Inner Palace with a sword, a privilege few could match, he immediately shows goodwill by escorting Xu Zhen to her residence before bidding her farewell.
Xu Zhen does not enjoy much favor either; she repeatedly thanks the Sovereign for his grace before following the steward of Jin Wangfu. They travel to Wuben Courtyard and enter the neighborhood. After walking along a cross street for a while, they arrive at a large mansion. The front plaque has been removed, indicating that Xu Zhen's title has not yet been conferred.
Wuben Courtyard is located in a bustling area; in Chang'an, where every inch of land is precious, securing a house here is quite fortunate. Not far away is Chongrenfang, where scholars gather; adjacent to it is Pingkang Fang, known for its lively atmosphere.
Upon reaching the entrance, there is a flurry of activity as county officials have likely heard about Xu Zhen's summons. They send servants with congratulatory gifts since her future prospects seem bright. Fortunately, Zhang Jiunian proves to be a competent steward; he handles all receptions meticulously so that guests leave satisfied.
Once Xu Zhen enters the mansion, Zhang Jiunian informs her that aside from the Fourteen Red Armor retainers and several key members from Yin Zong's group, all others have been properly arranged and are awaiting further instructions.
Seeing Zhang Jiunian's excited expression with tears welling in his eyes makes Xu Zhen curious. He explains that this mansion was once owned by his former master Zhang Yungu. It’s no wonder he feels sentimental about returning to this place; after following Xu Zhenzhi, he has ultimately returned to an earlier way of life.
Li Zhi also does a good deed by gifting a large number of maids for purchasing supplies and washing clothes. With Zhang Jiunian managing everything efficiently as a capable steward, everyone busily attends to their tasks.
Xu Zhenxin feels somewhat unclear about things; her brows remain furrowed as she entrusts all matters to this chief steward before entering the back courtyard. She greets Zhou Cang and Yin Zong among other brothers to offer them comfort before visiting Rock Elder. After making her rounds, she notices that the sun has already begun to set.
Returning to her private quarters, she sees Caesar gazing out the window. Although the cold wind begins to rise, it does not diminish the splendor outside as she looks over the vast imperial city—everything feels dreamlike.
On that day when she came to Chang'an with ulterior motives, she arrived hastily and left just as quickly without truly experiencing its prosperity. Today she finally gets what she wished for; it feels like an unrooted person has found solid ground—her heart feels at ease.
Upon seeing Xu Zhen return, Caesar quickly gives orders for maids to present warm wine and hot dishes. Xu Zhen sits down eagerly as she is already famished but notices Caesar still standing beside her hesitantly. Curious, she asks: "Why aren’t you joining me? Do you think I am just an ordinary person who needs to observe gender hierarchy? You should know my temperament by now."
Caesar feels lowly despite their close relationship; although they share intimacy as maid and princess, she remains unnamed and unacknowledged—how could she dare to eat at the same table or share a bed?
If the Xu Zhen is a native of the Tang Dynasty, she must adhere to the customs of this world. However, since she is not an ordinary person, why should she care about trivial matters?
Upon seeing Caesar take his seat, the Xu Zhen smiled and began explaining the delicacies on the table, sharing interesting stories from Chang'an, creating a joyful atmosphere akin to that of a couple.
With Xu Zhenxin present, Caesar felt no shyness. The two were open with each other, enjoying a harmonious connection. After a hearty meal and drinks, they soon extinguished the lights and retreated to their bed.
At three in the morning, the Xu Zhen suddenly woke up due to the sound of drums from Tai Chi Palace and Chengtian Gate announcing the dawn. After waking, she felt a sense of loss, as if she were still that little Wuhou struggling on the streets a year ago. The experiences of this past year felt like a dream; when she reached out to grasp it, her hand met something warm and soft. Seeing Caesar gazing at her affectionately made her realize it was not a dream, leading her to self-deprecatingly chuckle.
After the first drumbeat sounded, the drum towers along North-South Street followed suit. The sound spread from within to outside, causing all gates of the palace and city to open. Over a hundred temples in the city rang their morning bells, intertwining the vigorous drumbeats with melodious chimes, awakening the entire city of Chang'an and ushering in a day of prosperity and noise.
The Xu Zhen and Caesar played around in bed for a while, enjoying their happiness. When the warm sun streamed through the window, they lazily got up. After a year of wandering and fighting for survival on the battlefield, reflecting on it now was truly thrilling; yet here they were in such comfort, which made her feel emotional.
After washing up and having breakfast, feeling bored, she took Caesar and Yin Zong along with several brothers to explore Chang'an. Having lived on the grasslands for so long, they had never seen such vibrant urban life before; they were immediately dazzled by the sights and felt immense joy in their hearts.
In the afternoon, another wave of officials came to congratulate and ingratiate themselves with her. Naturally, she left this matter to Zhang Jiunian to handle. The Xu Zhen then took advantage of the daylight to visit Xue Dayi and his brothers at the Right Martial Marquis Military Department. They were well taken care of in the military and enjoyed many privileges; it felt as if one person’s success could elevate their entire family, which earned them even more respect for the Xu Zhen.
After spending a day like this, on the next day, the Xu Zhen prepared gifts and first visited Li Jing's Residence to pay respects to Old War God. He could not help but offer her advice based on current circumstances. She then went to see Li Dejiang and Li Deqian in the backyard; they had a pleasant conversation and insisted she stay for drinks before she finally left.
On the third day, she visited Qibi Helix's home with Moya, Yin Zong, Gao He Shu, and several foreign brothers to express gratitude for Qibi Helix's hospitality towards her people. In recent days many officials had sent gifts; aside from reciprocating appropriately, any surplus was used for favors.
Li Chunfeng also brought Liu Shenwei and Yan Lide to visit Xu Zhen one after another. Overall it was a joyous occasion; although Xu Zhen found it somewhat tedious, she truly enjoyed this brotherly camaraderie. In the evening, she practiced secret yoga techniques with Caesar while he assisted her in cultivating Seven Sacred Blade Secret Technique. They also regularly visited Saler and Rou Ran Brothers for chanting rituals without neglecting Zoroastrian traditions.
Everything seemed fulfilling and vibrant; however, with several officials visiting over these days, it was evident that there were undercurrents at play within the court. Such days could not last long; naturally, she began preparing for potential changes alongside Zhang Jiunian while receiving guidance from Li Jing about some court secrets and faction distributions.
However, on the fourth day, an unexpected guest finally arrived at her residence—not Hou Polu or Gao Zhensheng's henchmen nor Duan Zan—but rather the unassuming Zhang Shenzhi.
This individual was quite remarkable himself; he rose from humble beginnings in brothels and entered into an affair with Zhang Liang's wife Zhang Lishi without being killed on discovery. Instead, he became an adopted son of a duke and gained some notoriety among Chang'an's elite youth. Unfortunately, upon entering military ranks without strength or courage, he became known as a coward who was looked down upon.
When he arrived at Xu Zhen's residence, Zhang Shenzhi did not dare act arrogantly but simply stated that he had come at his adoptive parents' request to ask Xu Zhen for guidance regarding Zhang Family's elderly matriarch.
It turned out that Zhang Liang came from a farming background with a capricious nature; he believed in ghosts and gods. His household often hosted sorcerers practicing various arts while his mother chanted scriptures day and night—she was particularly obsessed with Zoroastrianism. Claiming to worship Hu Tian without receiving proper divine enlightenment led him to hear rumors about Xu Zhen being a legitimate Zoroastrian Yelbo practitioner; thus he sent his son Zhang Shenzhi to invite her.
Zhang Shenzhi held Zhang Liang's letter as proof; Xu Zhen did not dare take this lightly and conferred thoroughly with Zhang Jiunian before reluctantly agreeing to accommodate this request.
The servants of the Zhang Residence were quite perceptive, arriving early at the Xu Zhen's residence to make a request. However, fearing that someone with ulterior motives might seize an opportunity, they relied on connections with the Wuhou Bureau to invite Moya along to Zhang Liang's residence.
Zhang Liang served as the Minister of Works during the Year Fourteen of the Zhenguan Era. After a year, he became the Governor of Luozhou (Luoyang, Henan) and has now been appointed as the Crown Prince's Grand Secretary. He had just returned to the capital with his family and was considered a key ally of Tubo.
It was precisely because of this connection that Xu Zhen had her reservations. Although a gentleman stands in the court, he must have schemes; there are things one cannot do but must do. If she were to refuse the Duke of Yan, she would inevitably stand in opposition to the Crown Prince's camp. The news of Li Mingda's return had likely spread far and wide, with everyone viewing Xu Zhen as a person without a master yet possessing great merit, making her a suitable target for recruitment. If she could not be won over, she would surely be suppressed. At this moment, without any foundation, how could she dare to act recklessly?
Upon arriving at the Duke's Residence, Zhang Liang was still busy with official duties and could not attend to them. He should have sent his son to welcome them, but many of his biological and adopted sons were nowhere to be seen. Instead, an old woman was sent to lead Xu Zhen into the inner hall.
The inner hall was fragrant with sandalwood and served as a shrine for worshipping deities. The old woman made several excuses to keep Moya from entering, claiming that she was afraid of the wind and could not bear to see anyone. Left with no choice, Xu Zhen followed the old woman into the shrine. Upon reaching the door of the inner chamber, however, the old woman instructed Xu Zhen to enter alone.
Confused and uncertain, Xu Zhen stepped into the inner chamber only to find no sign of the old woman. Just as she was pondering this mystery, an enchanting figure emerged from a side room. Upon seeing Xu Zhen, she immediately approached her, speaking lewd words while swaying her voluptuous body in an attempt to seduce her.
"Oh no! I've fallen into a trap!"
Xu Zhen's mind raced as she quickly realized that this must be Zhang Liang's scheme! If she guessed correctly, this seductive woman must be none other than the legendary Zhang Lishi!
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