Chapter 4

First Prince Consort?

Xue Shao smiled but said nothing. Li Xianyuan’s words were already deeply etched in his mind. Not only these, but he also knew that historically, Xue Shao and Princess Taiping lived together for seven years and had two sons and two daughters.

Those seven years were the only peaceful and settled period in Princess Taiping’s life after she came of age. Later, Xue Shao was wrongfully imprisoned and died in a plot to rebel. Princess Taiping, carrying her grief and the children with the Xue surname, had to remarry. From then on, her personality changed drastically, and she spent her life vying for power and profit, eventually descending into madness and ruin. That was a story for another day.

"Why does Brother Xue not seem the least bit pleased?" Li Xianyuan asked curiously, "I may be presumptuous, but let’s set aside the glory and wealth of the royal family for a moment. Princess Taiping is truly a rare beauty in this world! ... I am not well-versed enough to describe her beauty in words. But I can confidently say that among all the women we have seen, none can match even half of her stunning beauty."

Upon hearing this, Shuiling, who was standing beside him, pursed her lips. Yuenu’s expression remained cold and indifferent, as it did not match her age and status. She glanced at Li Xianyuan with disdain and then looked down at her nose and heart.

"Why do I feel that Brother Li is not here to deliver a message but to act as a matchmaker today?" Xue Shao said with a half-smile.

"Alright, Brother Xue, I can’t hide anything from you. I didn’t intend to hide it anyway," Li Xianyuan said with a smile. "The truth is, upon hearing this matter, the Two Sovereigns were quite moved. They first ordered the Bureau of Historians to match the eight characters of the princess and Brother Xue, then selected a good day for the meeting. Brother Xue will go to Chang'an to meet the princess. I was fortunate enough to participate in the matching of the eight characters and the selection of the date. Furthermore, the Chief Historian, knowing of my close friendship with Brother Xue, specially sent me to Lan Tian County to inform Brother Xue and to discuss the matter."

"Since it’s a decision made by the court, why do I need to be consulted?" Xue Shao said calmly, "Just tell me the date of the meeting."

"That’s not the point. The key is that the location and method of this meeting are quite particular," Li Xianyuan explained. "After deliberation with close ministers, the Two Sovereigns felt that arranging a grand meeting between the princess and the prospective prince consort as usual would not be appropriate. Princess Taiping has long been tired of such situations, and she might ruin things before even seeing Brother Xue. Therefore, this time, Brother Xue will meet Princess Taiping privately in Chang'an—yes, it will be like an accidental encounter!"

Xue Shao couldn’t help but laugh. He remembered that historical records indeed described their first meeting as a deliberately arranged "beautiful encounter" in a romance novel.

"I understand. Brother Li, just tell me the time and place directly."

Li Xianyuan rolled his eyes: Why isn’t he at all excited or nervous?

"Brother Li?"

"Alright! ... On the tenth day, there will be a good time. In the East Inner Garden of the Imperial City, Daming Palace, by Longshou Pond."

Xue Shao stood up with a hospitable smile, "Yuenu, prepare a feast to entertain our guest."

"Yes, Master."

Originally, Li Xianyuan had planned to enjoy himself for a few days at the Xue residence as he usually did, but now there were no beautiful women or music. Xue Shao had even given up drinking. Adding to that, Xue Shao claimed to be unwell, so Li Xianyuan didn’t want to stay and make himself unwelcome. After the meal, he left with a heavy heart.

In the following days, Xue Shao stayed at home, refusing visitors, and began to restore his body, which had been weakened by alcohol and women. Besides using gentle medicines for dietary adjustments, he mainly focused on physical exercise. He practiced the Eight Pieces of Brocade every morning and evening, ran and lifted stone rollers in the backyard, and occasionally practiced archery and horseback riding with Yuenu, starting with low-intensity activities to give his body a chance to adapt.

Xingyi Quan has "ten practices": head, body, hands, steps, tips, essence, intention, qi, strength, and skill. Xue Shao combined the Eight Pieces of Brocade with Xingyi Quan, using a gradual, inside-out approach to focus on "essence, intention, and qi." As for the practical techniques of Xingyi Quan, Xue Shao had already perfectly integrated them with the military and police combat techniques he learned in his previous life. He could easily recall the moves, and they were much easier to learn and master than internal cultivation.

Cultivating both internally and externally, emphasizing health without neglecting practical skills, this was the highest level of martial arts.

Yuenu bought many swords, bows, and arrows. These items, which were rare in the 21st century, greatly interested Xue Shao.

The area around Lan Tian, near the Wei River, had abundant water. Xue Shao hired people to dig a swimming pool on the spacious polo field. The Xue residence, which was once a place for indulgence, became a personal fitness center for Xue Shao.

After several days of training, Xue Shao managed to improve his body, which had been weakened by alcohol and women. The original Xue Shao was a typical "pretty boy" with a feminine style, from his appearance to his manner of speaking. Now, after merging with Cheng Yu’s soul, his overall demeanor had a touch of masculinity and strength, a balance of softness and hardness.

Even Yuenu, who spent every day with him, felt that Master was becoming increasingly charming and captivating, and she dared not look at him too much. As an 18-year-old girl, her feelings had already blossomed. Xue Shao’s occasional smile could make the ice-cold beauty Yuenu’s heart race and lose herself in a trance.

At night, Xue Shao would carve a statue of An Xiaorou in his room. He had practiced carving and painting for many years and had become self-taught. After a few nights, a small statue of An Xiaorou, about the size of a mobile phone, was vividly carved. Xue Shao’s fingers were also marked with several cuts from the carving knife.

On the morning of the ninth day, Yuenu reminded him, "Master, tomorrow is the deadline set by the court. Master should prepare early. Li Xianyuan also agreed to meet Master today."

"There’s nothing to prepare," Xue Shao said calmly, "Just pack some clothes and come with me to Chang'an. We’ll be back soon."

"Yes, Master!" Yuenu couldn’t help but feel secretly delighted. After so many years, Master is taking me out for the first time!

In Xue Shao’s mind, he didn’t take Princess Taiping seriously at all. He had no interest in being the "First Prince Consort of the Tang Dynasty." To him, that was at most the ultimate dream of a pretty-boy. Moreover, he knew that in the coming years, Wu Zetian would change the world and ascend the throne, and there would be hidden dangers and hidden threats around Princess Taiping. He didn’t want to end up like the historical Xue Shao, marrying a beautiful but dangerous woman, enjoying a few years of pleasure, and then dying a tragic death, followed by his wife being taken advantage of, his money being spent, and his children being mistreated, all while wearing a green hat in the afterlife.

History had already proven that the princesses of the Tang Dynasty were not easy to marry. Being a prince consort in the Tang Dynasty was a profession with a high risk of wearing a green hat and a high risk of danger.

Xue Shao had already decided in his heart that he had no choice but to bow to the circumstances. Since the Two Sovereigns had issued such an edict, he didn’t want to defy it and risk his life. To please a woman was extremely difficult; to make her dislike him was much easier.

Therefore, the trip to the Imperial City Daming Palace tomorrow was just a formality to Xue Shao.

That day, Xue Shao set off for Chang'an in a carriage. Yuenu, dressed in a dark Hu-style male outfit and wearing a black veil hat that reached her chest, rode a horse and carried a sword to accompany him.

The veil hat had become popular in recent years, initially as a legal requirement for noble women and attendants when they went out. It was a rainproof and windproof oil-paper hat with a long curtain hanging down to cover the woman’s face and body, preventing passersby from seeing her. In the early Tang Dynasty, this hat was called "mianqi," with the brim reaching the waist or even the ankles. After the Yonghui period, the brim only reached the neck, and the law no longer required it, indicating that the Tang Dynasty’s social customs were becoming more open. This beautiful hat gradually spread from the palace to the common people, hence it was also called a "palace veil hat." When a woman like Yuenu wore it and rode a horse with a sword, she truly had the air of a female hero from a martial arts movie.

Lan Tian County was several dozen miles from Chang'an. On the way, Xue Shao examined the statue of An Xiaorou in the carriage, using memories and thoughts to pass the lonely and tedious time, as he had done in the past few years.

So far, Xue Shao didn’t know what his future and path would be in the Tang Dynasty. He had asked himself this question countless times. If he didn’t think about it, the most direct answer in his heart was—join the military.

Years of military service had left an indelible military sentiment in his heart. If it weren’t for wanting to give Xiaorou a stable life, he would never have thought of retiring. Now, in the Tang Dynasty, with the noble status he had, it was impossible for him to join the military again. Moreover, the military of the Tang Dynasty was certainly different from the modern military. Could he find the same sense of belonging and existence there?

Therefore, Xue Shao was very confused.

In this state of confusion, he had no intention of going on a blind date or getting married, regardless of who the other party was.

By evening, they arrived in Chang'an. At a distance from the historical city, Xue Shao asked the driver to stop the carriage on a high slope to look at the city that An Xiaorou had always dreamed of—the city in the sky.

Looking down from a distance, the ancient capital of Chang'an, like a relic left from ancient times, was surrounded by the Eight Waters of the Wei River and the Zhongnan Mountains, with a majestic and imposing layout. The thick city walls encircled the largest city in the world at the time, with a population of a million. The Zhuque Avenue, over a hundred meters wide, ran through the city, with the坊s on both sides laid out like a chessboard, filled with carriages and people. The imperial city and palace sat in the north, facing south, grand and magnificent. The entire capital was like a vast and majestic ink painting, yet it exuded a natural and bold aura, ruling the world and looking down on the four seas!

"Nine heavens open the palace gates, and all nations pay homage to the emperor..." Xue Shao took a deep breath and recited two lines of poetry that An Xiaorou often quoted, thinking to himself, "Xiaorou, the prosperous capital of the Tang Dynasty that you dreamed of is indeed as stunning and awe-inspiring as you said."

Later, according to the agreement, Xue Shao’s carriage arrived at the Chunming Gate of Chang'an, where Li Xianyuan had been waiting for a long time. In the past, whenever Xue Shao came to Chang'an, many officials and nobles would invite him to their homes for lavish entertainment, or they would parade through the city in groups, visiting taverns and pleasure houses. There were several outstanding places for drinking and entertainment on the West Market Street, all of which welcomed Xue Shao, a famous and influential young noble, with open arms. Not only did he not have to pay, but he would be given large sums of money if he left a few poems or played the zither, just like modern celebrity endorsements.

This was the life of Xue Shao, the young noble of Lan Tian County, who went out without money and returned with a fortune. His noble bloodline and good looks were his natural capital for wealth. In addition, Xue Shao owned a large amount of land granted by the court in Lan Tian County, which provided him with the financial means for his extravagant lifestyle.

However, this time, Xue Shao was on a royal mission, and Li Xianyuan didn’t dare to parade him around the city. Xue Shao also wanted peace and quiet, so they quietly entered Chang'an and settled in Li Xianyuan’s home.

Li Xianyuan lived alone in Chang'an, leading a simple life. His home was a small rented courtyard, much smaller and more modest compared to the Xue residence. However, in the寸土寸金of Chang'an, the value