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墨書 Inktalez
In May of the twenty-second year of the Zhenguan era, the sweltering weather made the entire city of Chang'an feel somewhat gloomy. The people on the streets were lethargic, but this oppressive atmosphere was soon shattered.
The once-vanished new noble of the Tang Dynasty, the people's hero, and the current State Minister, General Xu Zhen, had returned!
Moreover, this time, the news brought back by General Xu Zhen was simply unbelievable. This piece of news was like a torch thrown into a pot of boiling oil, instantly igniting the gloomy city of Chang'an!
"Have you heard? General Xu Zhen has returned in triumph!"
"I heard she was marginalized and spent the last two years on a mission to India. That place is thousands of miles away; I can't imagine how much hardship she endured."
"Exactly! Master Xuanzang took eighteen years to make a round trip..."
"How can Master Xuanzang be compared to General Xu Zhen? She went with a delegation, traveling a hundred miles a day. I heard she even defeated India!"
"Is that possible? No matter how large the delegation is, it’s only about a hundred people. How could they possibly defeat such a major Buddhist nation like India?"
"It is said that there was a power struggle in India; that usurping tyrant was blind to our Heavenly Kingdom's delegation and detained them..."
"These Indians are different in their beliefs; how could the delegation return?"
"But there's still General Xu Zhen! I have a distant nephew serving in the army, and he came back saying it was truly an earth-shattering victory!"
"What do you mean? What do you mean?"
"Hurry up and tell us! We're dying to know!"
"Calm down, calm down. Let me take a sip of water... gulp... It’s said that General Xu Zhen escaped alone and rode all the way to Nepal, where she borrowed seven thousand cavalry. Over there in Tuguhun, she also gathered more than a thousand troops led by a great general and charged into India. The King of India mobilized seventy thousand elephant cavalry but was utterly defeated by the great general!"
"I heard it was the Ten Thousand Elephant Cavalry. You have seen the Giant Elephants, right? A hundred thousand War Elephants would be a sight to behold, like an earthquake and landslide combined. They were summoned by the General with Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire, turning them to ashes!"
"My goodness, those roasted Giant Elephants must take three days and nights to finish eating!"
"You blind old fool! The Tianzhu Palace is built with golden bricks, and even the Sovereign was captured by our General. Who would bother looking at those roasted Giant Elephants?"
"Do you know when the General will enter the city?"
"I heard it's tomorrow! We must go see him; this is a monumental achievement of one man destroying a nation!"
"Yes, yes! We must pay our respects to the General's might!"
"Actually, I want to ask... where did all those roasted Giant Elephants end up? What a pity..."
"..."
The next day, Crown Prince Li Zhi led the civil and military officials out of the city to welcome back the victorious Delegation. Chang'an was bustling with people, drums and gongs resounding. Zhuque Avenue was packed on both sides, with crowds jostling against each other; saying that it was a sea of people would be an understatement!
Although Li Zhi felt uneasy in his heart, he had gradually taken on many political duties and displayed the composure and demeanor of a ruler. After waiting for a moment, a wave of surprise suddenly erupted from the crowd, igniting like a fuse through the city from outside. Waves of people surged as they climbed onto mulberry trees and walls to find higher ground for a better view!
The Xu Zhen still wore her iconic Red Armor and wielded a remarkably sleek long sword. However, once they entered the city gate, those who had climbed high realized their efforts were unnecessary.
General Xu Zhen rode atop a massive Golden Armored White Elephant, with the King of India, Azuna, imprisoned in a Prison Cart on its back. The Delegation rode on enormous War Elephants, and at the end of the procession were dozens of unmounted elephants carrying various supplies and spoils of war. Even from afar, Li Zhi and the officials could see the Xu Zhen high atop her elephant!
"Boom!"
The atmosphere in the crowd instantly erupted. People cheered and shouted, throwing prepared flower petals into the air. Some led songs and dances in a unique way to welcome this great hero of the empire!
Xu Zhen was deeply warmed by this scene. He had thought that his name had long been forgotten, yet the people of Chang'an were still shouting his name and praising his story everywhere!
Wang Xuance and Jiang Shiren, although accompanying Xu Zhen, were completely overshadowed, entirely ignored by the million-strong crowd. No matter how deep their schemes and ambitions were, they must have been filled with resentment towards Xu Zhen at this moment.
However, Zhang Jiunian and Zhou Cang were genuinely happy for Xu Zhen, feeling honored to be associated with him. They were part of Xu Zhen's inner circle and received a warm welcome from the public as well!
Today, there was only one focus: Xu Zhen!
Li Zhi gradually took over the administration, needing to visit the Sovereign's palace daily to pay respects and personally assist with the Sovereign's medical needs, hardly ever entering the palace otherwise.
Normally, if the people of Chang'an saw Li Zhi, they would boast about it for days on end. But now, with the current Crown Prince at the end of the crowd, no one even thought to pay attention to this future emperor!
Li Zhi gradually furrowed his brows, secretly clenching his fists, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the approaching procession.
Upon reaching the palace gate, Xu Zhen dared not act arrogantly any longer. With a distance of ten paces from Li Zhi's welcoming party, he gently patted the head of the White Elephant. The White Elephant, almost as if it understood, slowly knelt down. Xu Zhen gracefully dismounted and led the Delegation forward to bow to Li Zhi.
After two years apart, Xu Zhen had grown a beard. Following his campaign against India, his demeanor increasingly resembled that of the former Li Jing, like a hidden treasure sword exuding an air of sharpness!
Although he was extremely reluctant to admit it, Li Zhi had to acknowledge that today's Xu Zhen seemed completely transformed and was indeed far more formidable than he was.
Xu Zhen did not take pride in his achievements; he remained humble while greeting numerous officials, as if these scholars had never conspired against him or driven him away to India.
What puzzled Xu Zhen was that accompanying Li Zhi was not Changsun Wuji, but rather Murong Hanzhu!
This indicated that during his two-year absence, Murong Hanzhu, this poison master, had climbed to an unimaginable height and truly become Li Zhi's right-hand man!
Instinctively, Xu Zhen touched the blood-red Iron Thumb Ring on his finger, and the earlier joy instantly vanished.
Li Zhi did not notice the unusual expression of Xu Zhen; however, Murong Hanzhu intentionally exchanged a glance with her. Although he wore a smile, Xu Zhen could see the meaning in his eyes.
A massive platform had already been prepared in front of the palace gates. Li Zhi confidently ascended the stage and read out the Sovereign's commendation decree, causing a roar of cheers from millions of people.
Li Zhi could not allow Xu Zhen to accept this honor alone. He spoke extemporaneously, passionately stirring the patriotic feelings of the crowd, quickly shifting the focus from Xu Zhen's personal achievements to the immense influence of the Tang Dynasty.
This was also what Murong Hanzhu had privately suggested to Li Zhi, claiming that Xu Zhen's ability to call upon reinforcements from Tuguhun and Nepal was due to the unparalleled prestige of the Tang Dynasty. How could a small nation like Cloudland stand against the ambitions of the Tang Dynasty to dominate all under heaven? This truly downplayed Xu Zhen's individual bravery.
Through his speech, Li Zhi reclaimed the admiration and respect of the people. At this moment, he slightly opened his arms, accepting the cheers and applause from thousands, as if it were he, Li Zhi, who had returned triumphantly from conquering India, rather than Xu Zhen!
Seeing this, Li Zhi secretly exchanged a smile with Murong Hanzhu while feeling extreme disdain in his heart. He thought that these people were like weak grass in the wind, ultimately at the mercy of the court and royalty. This gave him an unprecedented confidence, as if he had already ascended to the throne and could control all subjects under heaven!
How could Xu Zhen be unaware of Li Zhi's intentions? She had long since seen through it; instead, it was her brothers who were dissatisfied. As Li Zhi proudly walked past Xu Zhen, her brothers internally complained.
Zhou Cang and several brothers took to the stage, wanting to reclaim their War Elephants. However, the Imperial Guard's personal soldiers stopped them, stating that these were spoils of war meant for presentation to Your Majesty and would temporarily be managed by the Imperial Guard.
In front of the crowd, Zhou Cang and others could not argue despite their anger. Zhang Suling suddenly had a clever idea and slyly smiled at the traveling commander, saying, "Our bags are on the backs of the elephants; may we retrieve them first?"
The commander naturally agreed. As Zhang Suling exchanged glances with Zhou Cang and others while retrieving their bags, he loosened the ropes binding the spoils on the elephants' backs. Suddenly, a clattering sound filled the air!
Under the blazing sun, spoils fell from the elephants' backs—gold, silver, jewels, armor, and weapons scattered everywhere, piling up on the platform!
The glimmering gold and silver illuminated the eyes of tens of thousands of people near the palace gates until they teared up. These commoners had never witnessed such a spectacle in their lives!!!
"General is mighty!"
"Long live General!"
Everyone's attention was once again drawn back to the Xu Zhen. However, the Xu Zhen could only smile bitterly. Although Zhang Suling was thinking of herself, she did not realize that the current Sovereign had very little time left. The Crown Prince would soon become the new emperor, likely within a year and a half.
Competing with Li Zhi now was simply asking for trouble!
Xu Zhenxin had his own thoughts. He couldn't help but recall the Secret Letter entrusted to him by the Sovereign before his departure. To achieve his goals, he indeed needed a significant contribution. Although Zhang Suling's actions were somewhat misguided, they were not without merit as a means of gaining influence.
Li Zhi and the others turned pale, but ultimately did not explode in anger. Instead, they joined the crowd in cheering, showcasing their magnanimity.
The Imperial Guard took care of the Golden Mountain and Silver Mountain on the high platform, while the Xu Zhen and her brothers were led away to rest, waiting to enter the palace in the afternoon to meet the emperor and receive his commendation.
Wang Xuance, who had been like a transparent person all along, sneered and quietly followed Murong Hanzhu along with the Crown Prince's Guard into the Eastern Palace.
The Xu Zhen felt disappointed when she couldn't see Li Mingda. However, upon entering the palace gates and lifting her head slightly, she spotted Li Mingda supporting someone on the left side of the Tai Chi Hall, gazing towards the palace gates.
The Xu Zhen smiled and noticed that no one was paying attention. She waved towards the Phoenix Pavilion, where her beloved father, Li Shimin, supported by Li Mingda, chuckled softly in response to the reflection of her Iron Thumb Ring.
This was the first time in three months that he had stepped out of his sleeping quarters and smiled at anyone other than Li Mingda.
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