Chapter 5

【Today's third update, another one will come shortly after midnight, starting the push for the 20,000-word mark. This book, let's make it happen! Please give your support!】

The next morning, Xue Shao and Li Xianyuan rode a carriage to the Zhuque Gate of the imperial city. With the golden seal token provided by the palace, they entered the palace. Xue Shao didn't have much time to admire the magnificent and beautiful palace, just like many other officials who came to attend court, he rode the carriage all the way to the Daming Palace and got off at the Xia Ma Bridge.

From the Zhuque Gate to the Xia Ma Bridge, it took about an hour. Xue Shao secretly marveled at how large the imperial city was. No wonder the civil and military officials either rode horses or took carriages to enter the palace; he hardly saw anyone walking.

After the Xia Ma Bridge, the political center of the Tang Dynasty, the Hall of Containing Yuan, where the two emperors and the hundred officials met, was just ahead. From here on, one could only walk, and officials with swords had to remove them; otherwise, it would be considered an intrusion, punishable by death. Li Xianyuan led Xue Shao to avoid the Hall of Containing Yuan and headed east, passing through the East Inner Garden to reach the Longshou Pond.

This was a scenic spot in the palace, with pavilions, terraces, famous flowers, and grasses. Officials often came here to rest and enjoy the scenery after their busy work, and the emperor sometimes held dragon boat banquets for the officials here.

Li Xianyuan brought Xue Shao to this place, completing his mission. Before leaving, he reminded him, "Xue Shao, just enjoy yourself here. Princess Taiping occasionally comes here to row a boat or go for a walk. If you happen to meet her, it will be a fortunate encounter."

Xue Shao was speechless. He thought that the higher-ups had already arranged for Princess Taiping to come here today, and all he had to do was wait. He didn't expect such an "unreliable" low-probability encounter.

Li Xianyuan seemed to see Xue Shao's helplessness and could only smile apologetically, "Xue Shao, don't blame me. The emperor's intention is that it must be natural. Princess Taiping must come here of her own accord, and only then can you meet her. That way, she won't be suspicious."

"Alright, since I'm here, I'll make the best of it," Xue Shao said, not wanting to say more. He would just treat it as a task, not expecting any "humanized" treatment from the royal family.

"If you don't meet Princess Taiping today, I'll accompany you to the palace again tomorrow. The nearby guards have been informed and won't make things difficult for you," Li Xianyuan said with a helpless smile, "The higher-ups arranged it this way, and I can't do anything about it. Please don't blame me."

"Li Xianyuan, there's no need to say more. Please go back!" Xue Shao said with a smile, "I'm not the kind of person who holds grudges or doesn't understand the situation."

"Thank you for your understanding, Xue Shao." Li Xianyuan bowed and left.

After Li Xianyuan left, Xue Shao began his aimless "encounter journey."

The Longshou Pond was vast, with countless shaded paths and pavilions. Even if they had agreed to meet here, they would need to specify a particular pavilion to avoid missing each other.

Xue Shao was not at all anxious or nervous. In his many years of military service, he often had to remain motionless in dangerous environments for days, waiting for the right moment to act. Having endured such days, he naturally had extraordinary composure and patience.

So, the current situation was nothing to Xue Shao. He wandered around leisurely, treating it as a free tour of the palace.

For three consecutive days, Xue Shao didn't even catch a glimpse of Princess Taiping. The place was usually where civil and military officials rested and toured, and no commoners were allowed to enter the palace. The ladies and maids in the palace rarely left the harem. So, not only did Xue Shao not see Princess Taiping, but he didn't see any women at all in three days.

Even Li Xianyuan felt embarrassed and worried for Xue Shao, but Xue Shao remained calm, without a single complaint, and continued to go to the Longshou Pond every day, like going to work, to "wait for a rabbit."

Yue Nu always stayed in her room, meditating and adjusting her breathing, rarely appearing unless Xue Shao was back. Li Xianyuan was very curious about why such a young and beautiful woman always acted like an old monk in deep meditation, calm and still like water. She never spoke much to anyone except Xue Shao, let alone give a smile. She was truly an ice beauty, not giving anyone a chance to chat!

Today, the sun was bright and the breeze was gentle. The willows by the Longshou Pond swayed in the wind, and many flowers in the flower beds were in full bloom, competing in beauty and fragrance. It was a perfect day for a spring outing.

Strangely, the Longshou Pond area was unusually quiet today. Apart from the occasional patrol of soldiers, there were almost no civil or military officials wandering around. Xue Shao was somewhat surprised and recalled that Li Xianyuan mentioned last night that the former crown prince, Li Xian, had been exiled from the capital after being detained for over a year on charges of treason. It was said that Li Xian and over a hundred people, including his wife and children, were in tattered clothes, looking miserable, and everyone who saw them felt deep sorrow.

Xue Shao remembered this part of history very clearly. From the removal of his own son, Li Xian, and the elimination of this early political rival, Empress Wu began to more aggressively control the government and expand her power, taking steps toward her path to becoming the empress.

With such a major event as the exile of the former crown prince, the court was naturally filled with tension and fear. Even if they were not affected, no official would dare to gather and play at the Longshou Pond at such a critical moment. That would be seen as illegal assembly and private discussion of state affairs, or even gloating over the misfortune of the former crown prince, Li Xian.

No wonder Xue Shao was the only one wandering around the Longshou Pond today.

Xue Shao found the quietness refreshing. He headed straight for the Fog Moon Pavilion in the center of the Longshou Pond, as he had done in the past few days. There was a series of stone carvings of lotus flowers, leaves, and pods, skillfully crafted and unique. These carvings formed a path on the water, leading to the Fog Moon Pavilion in the center of the lake, with large stone lotus leaves that could accommodate three adults lying down.

Xue Shao chose to wait here every day. Out of his professional habit, he believed that this area, being rarely visited and very quiet, was the best place for ambush and sniping in the entire Longshou Pond. From here, he could almost observe the entire Longshou Pond. Compared to aimlessly wandering around to create an encounter, it was much wiser to see the target and then approach them.

Xue Shao slowly walked on the stone path toward the Fog Moon Pavilion. Halfway through, he heard a woman's low sobs coming from behind a large stone lotus pod. Taking a few more steps, he saw a piece of white clothing trailing on the ground.

"Thus, life and death are separated, I cannot see your face, and you do not recognize my tears..." The woman sobbed and recited, each word piercing her heart. She picked up a small stone with her white hand, wrapped it in a paper filled with words, and sank it to the bottom of the lake with both hands.

"May the gods send the message through the fish, so you can receive these poems I wrote for you..." The woman's voice became more choked and broken.

If this were to be discovered, it would be awkward. Xue Shao stopped to look for a moment and was about to turn and leave when the woman behind the stone lotus pod stood up in surprise, "Who's there?!"

Xue Shao turned around and met her red, tearful eyes.

The woman looked startled, and Xue Shao felt a sudden flash of beauty.

The woman before him stood in a light green half-sleeved dress, her hair adorned with flower pins, and a white silk scarf draped over her exposed, tender shoulders and chest. Her face, adorned with a red flower, was so beautiful that it was almost shocking. Although her eyes were still tearful, she did not look like the frail and sickly Lin Daiyu, but rather exuded a lively and intelligent aura.

If one word were to describe this woman, it would be "fairy."

If a phrase were to describe her, it would be "exquisitely beautiful."

"Who are you, and how dare you come here?" the woman scolded in a soft voice.

Xue Shao remained calm, "Just a passerby."

The woman's eyebrows raised slightly, showing a fleeting surprise, then she quickly turned her face to wipe away her tears. She hurriedly picked up a stack of papers filled with black words from the ground, never looking at Xue Shao again, and gracefully passed by him, leaving a faint fragrance.

Xue Shao slightly moved to let her pass, watching her back and thinking: She seems very afraid that I saw her sad face, and at the end, she must have guessed my identity or thought of something, so she panicked and ran away without a word. From her tone, she seems to be used to giving orders from a high position. From her attire, she is likely a female official in the palace.

After Empress Wu was established and began to rule, she gradually promoted many female officials in the palace to serve her. These female officials, though not attending court, were close to Empress Wu, handling edicts and providing advice. They were trusted by Empress Wu and sometimes had more influence on politics and the court than the officials.

The emergence of a large number of female officials and their involvement in politics can be considered a "wonder" of this era.

The woman had run far away, as if fleeing.

"Quite artistic, burying poems in the lake and sending messages through fish," Xue Shao smiled and walked to the Fog Moon Pavilion to sit down.

The surroundings were quiet, and Xue Shao's thoughts drifted with the breeze, as if returning to the old times when he and An Xiaorou were in love.

After some time, a burst of laughter came from the nearby riverbank. Xue Shao turned to see a group of women and a tall black horse. A woman in yellow was riding the horse, and the other women were happily and nervously surrounding the horse, as if afraid it would run too fast.

"Move aside, move aside! My riding skills are excellent, no need to protect me!" the woman on the horse waved her hands and scolded, "This slow pace is like an old woman, where's the joy of a spring outing?"

"Princess, this horse is fierce and not ordinary, please be careful!" the other women tried to persuade her.

"If you don't move aside, I'll cut out your tongues!" the woman on the horse shouted, and the other women immediately fell silent and hurriedly moved aside.

Xue Shao stood up, "Princess?"

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