The Idle Man of Zhenguan Intercepts Wu Zetian at the Start

During the palace banquet, Changsun Dan was filled with anxiety. If the Empress hadn't stopped him, given Li Er's drinking capacity, he would have drunk himself to death again.

After thanking Li Shimin while still on his bottom, Changsun Dan stood up to bid farewell to the Empress. The Empress, however, didn't notice anything unusual; her eyes were full of affection as she beckoned him away.

"Dan'er, come here."

Changsun Dan obediently stepped forward, his arms hanging at his sides. Empress Changsun's body was extremely thin, as if a gust of wind could blow her away. She reached out and gently touched the swelling on his face.

"Dan'er, you are weak. When you go to Duke Lu's barracks, you must do what you can. If you really can't take it, don't force yourself. Duke Lu may seem muddle-headed, but he is actually very thoughtful. He will definitely not treat you too badly. Tai'er is the same. How can his body withstand this hardship?"

Changsun Dan's eyes darted around. Li Tai had followed her to the military camp; who knew what wicked scheme he was plotting? With his two hundred pounds, Li Er was probably most worried. A plan formed in her mind, and she looked at Empress Changsun with a serious expression:

"Aunt, the King of Yue is overweight and prone to illness. This time, the King of Yue has taken the initiative to go to the barracks to train. If Duke Lu can listen to my advice, I can guarantee that the King of Yue will lose at least 30 pounds in 21 days while remaining healthy."

As expected, Li Shimin immediately became interested upon hearing this. His eldest son sometimes had to be carried into the palace in a sedan chair by the guards. This young man, Dan, was full of clever ideas. If he could really help Qingzhi lose thirty pounds safely in twenty-one days, he would not only persuade Zhijie to listen to his advice, but he would even put Dan in charge of Qingzhi's training. He immediately asked:

"Are you really confident? Aokiji's body is already struggling to walk; I'm afraid excessive training could lead to accidents!"

Changsun Dan nodded seriously:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, there will be no accidents, and there is no need for excessive training. You only need to adjust the diet and daily routine of the Prince of Yue. However, for the next twenty-one days, the Prince of Yue must not leave the military camp. You may send guards to accompany him and report his health status to Your Majesty in the palace every day."

Li Shimin was overjoyed and patted Changsun Dan's shoulder forcefully:

"Twenty-one days. Rest assured, from the moment the King of Yue enters the camp, the Duke of Lu will fully cooperate with your arrangements."

Li Er's slap was very forceful. Changsun Dan's shoulder swayed, and she almost stumbled and fell. Empress Changsun gave Li Shimin a reproachful look.

Li Shimin laughed and said, "Get out of here, get out of here. Zhijie said you'll be entering the camp the day after tomorrow, so you should make sure you're in good shape."

Changsun Dan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly withdrew. Li Chengqian also rose to see him off to the outside of the hall, a hint of anxiety on his face.

"Brother Dan, are you confident? Father Emperor dotes on Brother Tai. If he suffers any injury, I'm afraid Father Emperor will blame you."

Changsun Dan smiled. The reason Li Shimin disliked Li Chengqian might be because Li Tai resembled him more in his youth, while Li Chengqian was indecisive and valued family ties more.

"Your Highness, rest assured, I know what I'm doing."

Seeing the wicked glint in Changsun Dan's smile, a far cry from his former simple-minded appearance, Li Chengqian couldn't help but sigh.

"The wine shop's market token can be collected by Brother Dan tomorrow."

Li Shimin looked at the two men standing at the entrance of the main hall, tilted his head back, and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp:

"Guanyinbi, do you know why this boy even got up from the ground to bow to you?"

Empress Zhangsun looked at Li Shimin with a surprised expression.

Li Shimin laughed heartily:

"Because this kid thinks it's unlucky to be worshipped while alive!"

Wang Youde, standing behind, spat out a mouthful of laughter and quickly covered it with his hand, almost bursting out laughing.

Empress Zhangsun's smile was somewhat awkward; Dan'er had just knelt before the Second Prince.

"...This child...is just like a child..."

Li Shimin turned to Wang Youde and said:

"Go and make arrangements. 500 households in Pingkangfang will be allocated to the fiefdom of Wannian County, and 1,000 mu of Yongye land will be allocated to Xiaohuangzhuang in the suburbs of Wannian County."

Empress Zhangsun's eyes were filled with love: "...Second Prince..."

Wang Youde responded and left the hall, his expression shifting. The Emperor's bestowal of such a prestigious title upon the Count of Wannian was probably even more impressive than that of some dukes.

Changsun Dan stepped on the hard gold bricks under his feet. A cold wind blew, and he became more awake. He raised his head. The sunlight could not penetrate the winter gloom. He strode back to his residence!

At the palace gate, General Chai Shao of the Right Valiant Guard and General Yang Gongren of the Left Guard, both clad in iron armor, huddled together chatting. The two blocked the entrance, making it impossible to get around them, so Changsun Dan had no choice but to step forward and pay his respects.

"Sun Dan, the virtuous lord of Wannian County, greets the Duke of Qiao and the Duke of Guan."

Yang Gongren and his companion looked up and saw Changsun Dan emerging from the palace, his face flushed with wine. They quickly and excitedly stepped forward, with Chai Shao grabbing Changsun Dan's arm.

"Young man, your girl promised to sell me two jars of good wine! Last night, His Majesty bestowed wine upon me, and after drinking it, my rheumatism has improved considerably. You can't keep any for yourself!"

Yang Gongren also laughed and pulled Changsun Dan aside:

"I was on duty last night and didn't get to drink your 'Immortal's Intoxication.' Old Chai described it as miraculous, so I'm going to buy two more jars to try!"

Upon hearing this, Changsun Dan immediately put on a beaming smile, looking every bit the shrewd businessman. This opportunity had presented itself, so he quickly bowed and replied:

"A new Poet Immortal Wine Shop will open in the East Market within the next two or three days. You two dukes, please go there. Whether you buy anything or not, I will arrange for the manager to deliver a jar to you both!"

Chai and Shao released their grip and asked simultaneously, "Really? But why isn't it 'Immortal's Drunkenness'?"

Changsun Dan smiled and said, "Don't worry, both of you, this 'Poet Immortal's Wine' is certainly not much different. However, the 'Immortal's Intoxication,' the same wine His Majesty drinks, is only offered as a gift, not for sale!"

"Moreover, each jar of this Poet Immortal Wine has a poem on it. Whoever can collect four lines will receive a jar of the same quality as Immortal's Intoxication Wine for free."

The two were overjoyed and quickly made way for each other: "Then we'll wait for the county's good news!"

As he walked, Changsun Dan shook his head: "So what if he's a Duke of the Great Tang? He's still someone who's never eaten fine chaff!"

As soon as they left the imperial city, Old Qian hurriedly drove his carriage over.

Changsun Dan sat in the carriage, half-reclining on the couch. Without the two maids, Chun and Dong, there was a dull atmosphere, and he felt drowsy.

"Let's go, Old Qian!"

It took almost half an hour to get from the palace to the plum garden.

Upon returning to the South Courtyard, Changsun Dan pushed open the door and called out, "Chun Chan, Chun Chan!"

As soon as the door opened, Dongyao was busy at her desk. A carved pear wood character board was placed on the table, and several sheets of waste paper were lying to the side, all of which had been printed with heavily smudged ink.

Dongyao's face was flushed, and her two little hands, covered in ink, didn't know what to do with them.

Changsun Dan glanced at the inscription plaque. The carving was exquisite and the strokes were smooth. Given the hardness and low density of the pear wood, it could probably withstand tens of thousands of uses without any problems. Seeing Dongyao's embarrassed expression, he found it both adorable and amusing, and reached out to pinch her cheek.

"You silly girl, the printing ink needs to be re-mixed with rosin. I'll study it and teach you in a bit. From now on, you'll be in charge of this ink's secret formula."

He looked around a few more times: "Where are the cicadas?"

Dongyao replied blankly, "She took Zhang Tao'er to the East Market, and they haven't come back yet."

Changsun Dan sighed:

"Her Majesty the Empress has decreed that Chun Chan should boil a hard-boiled egg and use it to apply to my face."