Now I really have to marry the princess.

Upon arriving at the Wude Hall, they discovered that Changsun Chong, that scoundrel, had indeed taken leave today.

When Xu Shiji led everyone to the Imperial Horse Garden, Yang Zhengdao took the initiative to request that the punishment from the previous day continue.

Until horseshoes are made, there's no point in practicing horsemanship.

Moreover, his archery skills have reached 2/10 completion level today.

Xu Shiji was slightly taken aback, then nodded in agreement.

Thus, only Yang Zhengdao and Jiang Cheng remained in front of the Wude Hall.

With no one else around, the two of them were less concerned about anything else.

Yang Zhengdao picked up a hard bow with a weight of one stone and five dou (approximately 1500 grams) and practiced shooting while chatting with Jiang Cheng.

Yang Zhengdao was very curious about what position Li Er would assign him after the month-long martial arts training at the Wude Hall ended.

The trigger condition for subsequent tasks in the system is relocation to another place or taking up a post in another location.

He had also fantasized about being assigned to a nearby post, somewhere outside of Yongzhou, which he believed would trigger subsequent missions, such as Luoyang.

But thinking about it, he felt that Luoyang was too terrifying.

That place was the front line where the Guanzhong aristocratic families and the Shandong gentry clashed.

Yang Zhengdao had hoped to get some useful information from Jiang Cheng, but Jiang Cheng was far more professional than Tan Feng.

What can be said is hinted at with a few words; what cannot be said is left unsaid.

Jiang Cheng chatted for nearly half an hour. No matter how Yang Zhengdao tried to subtly probe, Jiang Cheng remained tight-lipped whenever it came to his job assignment after finishing his martial arts training.

Yang Zhengdao shook his head helplessly, while Jiang Cheng laughed heartily.

After laughing, he finally gave a hint: "Young Master Yang, just focus on practicing martial arts. Perhaps we will meet again then."

After saying that, Jiang Cheng went to rest under the eaves.

Therefore, the position that Li Er assigned to him should still be in Chang'an City.

As expected, there were no unexpected surprises.

Yang Zhengdao stopped thinking about it and continued practicing archery. Soon it was noon.

Whether it was Xu Shiji's deliberate act or he simply wasn't worried about him not having lunch, no one called him to eat in the corridor.

Seeing that it was almost time, Jiang Cheng cupped his hands in greeting to Yang Zhengdao, leaving Yang Zhengdao alone without any remorse, and went to the Imperial Horse Garden.

Yang Zhengdao was also quite helpless.

Just as he was wondering if Azhi would come today, a young eunuch came and summoned him to the Lizheng Hall of the East Palace.

What's going on?!

Yesterday, the mother-in-law was looking for a son-in-law; today, the brother-in-law is also looking for one.

However, since returning to Chang'an, he has not visited the Eastern Palace, nor has he seen Li Chengqian for several weeks.

Yang Zhengdao immediately put away his bow and arrows and followed the young eunuch along the palace road toward the East Palace.

He followed behind the young eunuch, keeping his eyes straight ahead, for even when going to the Eastern Palace, he could not be disrespectful in front of the palace.

His secret to keeping his eyes straight ahead was to stare at the backside of the eunuch leading the way.

This way, one can maintain a humble posture with eyes lowered and head bowed, and also pass the time while traveling.

This time, however, Yang Zhengdao became increasingly alarmed and suspicious as he looked at the document.

The young eunuch was slender with narrow shoulders and a thin waist, making him appear more delicate than the average eunuch.

But her hips were extraordinary; as her waist swayed, they exuded a seductive charm that no man could possess, despite her delicate figure.

At that moment, a name jumped out of Yang Zhengdao's mind uncontrollably.

Satisfied!

The name immediately sent a chill down Yang Zhengdao's spine.

He was still somewhat incredulous, so as he exited through the Qianhua Gate, he stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked, "May I ask the name of the angel?"

When the young eunuch turned around, Yang Zhengdao finally got a good look at his appearance.

Her face was as white as powder, her lips as red as cinnabar, her features were gentle and graceful, yet her eyes and brows held a touch of heroism. She was indeed a killer for gay men, and the most beloved by men.

When the young eunuch heard Yang Zhengdao's question, his face turned slightly red, which immediately startled Yang Zhengdao so much that his hair stood on end.

"My name is Chen Xin, and I am here to report to Young Master Yang."

Chen Xin! ? Cheng Xin! ?

Seeing the surprise on Yang Zhengdao's face, the young eunuch immediately went from shy to timid, and said pitifully, "My lord... do you think there's anything wrong with my name?"

"Eunuch Chen is overthinking things!" Yang Zhengdao quickly denied, but his heart was already in turmoil.

That expression, that demeanor—if it's not exceptional acting skill, then it must be a gift from birth.

Although he is currently called Chen Xin, it would be reasonable for him to change his name to Xin in the future.

Yang Zhengdao originally thought that Li Chengqian's increasingly eccentric personality and subsequent scandal of incestuous relations with eunuchs were due to his fall from his horse and subsequent limp.

Unexpectedly, Chengxin appeared in the East Palace so early.

This completely caught Yang Zhengdao off guard.

His original plan was to align himself with the Crown Prince, help Li Chengqian ascend to the throne, and gain merit by supporting the emperor.

If Li Chengqian really goes astray, the closer he gets to the Crown Prince now, the worse his future will likely be.

Are we really going to turn to Li Zhi, that little baby, and burn the cold stove?

Yang Zhengdao was unwilling to do nothing and live a life of mediocrity for another ten years or so.

Moreover, historically, Li Chengqian's rebellion was exposed in April of the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, and he died in Changle in September. Did he really do nothing?

Yang Zhengdao walked and thought, his mind in turmoil.

Chen Xin's buttocks swayed back and forth, as if mocking him, making him want to kick them a couple of times.

Yang Zhengdao only came to his senses when he arrived in front of Lizheng Hall.

Let's take it one step at a time and deal with whatever comes our way.

Yang Zhengdao straightened his clothes, climbed the steps, and entered the Lizheng Hall.

Li Chengqian had already taken his seat in the hall. After Yang Zhengdao finished his greetings, he warmly came forward, helped Yang Zhengdao up by the arm, and led him to his seat.

This spring tea season earned the Crown Prince a full three thousand strings of cash.

He had been looking for an opportunity to get closer to Yang Zhengdao, and now that Azhi had asked him for help, he went along with it and invited Yang Zhengdao to have lunch together.

He even instructed the Food and Beverage Bureau to make thorough preparations for this.

With a wave of his hand, the eunuchs filed in and laid out the lunch.

First, place two small dishes: one of tender cabbage and the other of sunflower soup.

Three more main dishes were served: a plate of steamed lamb shoulder, a plate of shredded fish, and a plate of chicken soup.

Finally, it was another bowl of rice and a cup of almond milk soup.

This is much better than what I ate at Empress Zhangsun's place yesterday.

While the dishes were being served, Yang Zhengdao glanced around and noticed that Chen Xin was not among the eunuchs serving in the hall.

Maybe it's not too late!

Clearly, Chen Xin has not yet come to Li Chengqian's side. He must have just entered the Eastern Palace and is still doing some errands and odd jobs on the periphery.

Could it be that Chen Xin was a deliberate ploy orchestrated by someone with ulterior motives?

After all, at this crucial juncture when Li Chengqian is entering puberty, what good could be the intention behind arranging for a handsome young man to enter the Eastern Palace?

"Cousin Zhengdao, you are truly a prodigy. With just one season of spring tea, the Imperial Archives has been greatly enriched. If you have any plans in the future, please do not forget the Crown Prince!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Zhengdao immediately had an idea. He quickly clasped his hands in a salute to cover up the mischievous smile that he could hardly suppress.

"Your Highness, Zhengdao does indeed have a scheme that yields profits a hundred times greater than those from new tea, but he still needs to borrow one person from Your Highness!"

Lend me a fair-skinned beauty today, and I'll return you a grimy hero tomorrow!

Burning cement and working on construction sites are where good men should be!