Now I really have to marry the princess.

With this matter settled, Yang Zhengdao and his party left Xianyou and continued their journey.

They turned back eastward to Caotang Temple in Hu County, and then continued eastward to Yushan Temple in Lantian County.

They then turned north along the post road to Xinfeng Temple in Xinfeng County.

After purchasing some supplies in Xinfeng County, they continued north, passing Ruifeng Temple in Weinan County, and arrived at Shichuan Temple in Liyang County.

Perhaps it was because he had used up all of Yang Zhengdao's luck by mastering the tea-frying technique that he had been so lucky lately, as his last five lottery draws had all been unsuccessful.

A complete guide to homemade pickled vegetables, mastery of hot pot cuisine, gentle massage techniques, a professional Go player (9th dan), and a complete explanation of oracle bone script.

Perhaps the only useful technique is gentle massage; it would be quite interesting to have it in the room.

After all, for both men and women, being good in bed is always a plus.

After leaving Ishikawa-ji Temple, the group walked along the south bank of the Ishikawa River to Rokuon-ji Temple in Koryo Prefecture.

After traveling no more than three or four miles, they saw seven or eight clerks in blue and brown official robes blocking the entrance to the post road ahead.

And among this group of clerks, a giant was being surrounded.

The giant was nearly ten feet tall, with a head of messy red hair, and was carrying an entire tree trunk in his hand, confronting the officials surrounding him.

Several clerks drew their swords, but dared not step forward.

Two of the clerks were holding a knife to a tall girl.

Clearly, the girl had become a hostage in the hands of the clerk, preventing the giant from making any rash moves.

Because they were too far apart, Yang Zhengdao couldn't see them clearly, but he felt that the two figures were somewhat familiar.

Were they old acquaintances of the original owner when he was wandering the grasslands?

Before he could think any further, Yang Zhengdao instinctively squeezed his legs against the horse's flanks, breaking away from the others and charging forward.

Finally, he saw it clearly.

The giant had a high-bridged nose, brown pupils, and a face that clearly did not belong to an Easterner.

Moreover, the giant's eyes were wide open, and he was roaring a word with a ferocious expression.

Unconsciously, Yang Zhengdao followed the giant's lip movements and murmured, "Ah... Ba..."

The next moment, the original owner's memories came flooding back like a tidal wave.

He was Abba, the Kulikan man who could only say "Abba" before, the fool who could only say "Abba" when he was anxious.

Yang Zhengdao shouted, "Aba!"

Aba heard that familiar voice, the little boy who taught him to speak.

He looked at the man charging towards him on horseback with a puzzled expression, and murmured incredulously, "Ado?"

The girl who was being held hostage by the clerk turned her head at Yang Zhengdao's call.

Yang Zhengdao recognized her instantly.

She was Gulnazar. Yang Zhengdao remembered her amber eyes, which were large and bright, with long eyelashes that fluttered like stars in the sky above the sea.

Naza naturally recognized Yang Zhengdao as well. She struggled to her feet and cried out in a high-pitched voice, filled with ecstatic joy: "Master!"

In the blink of an eye, Yang Zhengdao had arrived.

Aba confirmed that the person on the way was the short guy.

He immediately put on a wronged expression, completely ignoring the clerks surrounding him, and complained to Yang Zhengdao in a muffled voice.

"Ado, where did you go? And they're trying to capture me and Naza."

Naza then gestured with her chin toward the leading clerk.

"We've already said, we're not runaway slaves, we have masters."

At this moment, Jiang Cheng and Tan Feng also arrived, closely following Yang Zhengdao.

The leading clerk, seeing Yang Zhengdao dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse, with guards around him, dared not be negligent and quickly bowed.

"I am Chen Bu'er, a minor official of Liyang County, ordered by the County Magistrate to arrest the runaway slave. May I ask who you are, young sir?"

Yang Zhengdao flicked his whip backward: "The one behind is His Highness the Prince of Shu. You may release him for now."

If you have a tiger skin, you must raise a big flag.

The title of prince is naturally more useful than his status as a remnant of the previous dynasty.

Having said that, he immediately dismounted and grabbed Nazha from the hands of the two clerks.

Upon hearing that it was His Highness the King of Shu, the two clerks dared not stop him.

After being freed, Naza's eyes instantly reddened, and two tears rolled down her cheeks, past her eyelashes.

Yang Zhengdao looked at Nazha, who still liked to smear a few streaks of ash on her delicate face to deliberately make her look ugly.

However, her loose and worn-out robes could no longer conceal her figure, which had blossomed into that of a young girl.

Tall and slender, with a full chest and a slim waist, one can only imagine that her legs under the ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) must be very white, straight, and long.

In this era, beauty often becomes a sin.

Yang Zhengdao gently reached out to wipe away Nazha's tears and shielded her behind him.

Aba, holding the tree trunk, stood in front of Yang Zhengdao, staring warily at the group of clerks.

Just then, Li Ke and his group arrived, all looking at the giant-like Aba with astonishment.

Yang Zhengdao bowed to Li Ke: "Third Brother, these two were my servants when I was on the grasslands, and were given to me by my aunt, Princess Yicheng."

Li Ke withdrew his gaze from Aba and looked at the group of clerks.

Chen Bu'er's forehead immediately broke out in a fine sweat. He gritted his teeth and bowed to Li Ke.

"Your Highness, the King of Shu, please understand. We mistakenly thought these two were runaway slaves, so..."

Since Li Jing, the Duke of Dai, conquered the Eastern Turkic Khaganate last year, many Hu people who could not survive on the grasslands have indeed gone south with caravans.

Local officials often arrested these unregistered Hu people as ownerless runaway slaves and then registered them as government slaves.

Firstly, it can maintain local order, and secondly, it can increase the government's manpower.

Therefore, the entire Tang Dynasty turned a blind eye to this.

Li Ke was aware of this situation, but naturally he wouldn't delve into it further.

Yang Zhengdao was not the kind of person who bullied the weak.

After all, college students understand the hardships of working people best and would never want to make things difficult for these low-level officials.

He also kindly wrote a petition for Chen Bu'er and affixed his and Li Ke's private seals to avoid causing trouble for the clerks.

Chen Bu'er was deeply grateful. He accepted the document and thanked the man profusely before leaving with his men.

After rescuing Aba and Nazha, the group continued along the official road, planning to visit Gaoling County before heading to Luyuan Temple.

Firstly, to purchase some more supplies, and secondly, to buy some clothes and horses for Aba and Naza.

Of course, Aba never rides a horse. But as long as he's well-fed, he can run just as fast as a horse.

Yang Zhengdao looked at Nazha, who was wrapped in a cloak, and at Aba, who was still unwilling to put down the tree trunk. The original owner's memories of the grassland were slowly being awakened and becoming clearer.

Five years ago, during that exceptionally long winter.

Outside the Turkic camp, a former imperial grandson, completely out of place on the entire steppe, encounters a mentally challenged monster whom the tribe sees as an ominous sign.

One endures countless cold stares but pretends to be innocent; the other is innocent and therefore unaware of the cold stares.

Therefore, the original owner sympathized with Aba, understood Aba, and even sometimes wanted to become Aba.

It was still that winter five years ago. The original owner and Aba found a little girl who was about to freeze to death in the sheepfold.

She is Nazha.

Years later, that petite girl grew taller and more beautiful, and was coveted by more and more people.

From then on, Naza began practicing horseback riding, archery, and smearing ash on her face.

Yang Zhengdao's earlier rescue of the two may have been out of instinct.

But at this moment, Yang Zhengdao felt as if these two people were his shadows.

Having traveled from his past life, he deeply sympathized with Aba and Naza's loneliness and helplessness.