The Idle Man of Zhenguan Intercepts Wu Zetian at the Start

Old Qian drove his horse-drawn carriage out of Tonghua Gate. About ten miles outside Wannian County, where Changlepo meets Longshou Mountain, the loess gullies undulate, villages can be seen everywhere, and wisps of smoke rise from the ground, making the world look like an ink-painted scroll.

Duke Lu's Zhenbei Camp was located at the foot of Changle Slope. The gate towered high, with huge wooden railings. The large banner bearing the character "Cheng" fluttered in the wind. The sounds of soldiers training filled the air, and cavalrymen circled the camp to supervise, stirring up clouds of yellow sand. As Changsun Dan entered the camp carrying two jars of wine, two armored men greeted him with smiles.

"Please come with me, Your Excellency. General Cheng and the King of Yue are waiting for you in the command tent."

The coachman, Old Qian, was also driven away by the armored soldiers. Changsun Dan said anxiously:

"Brothers, it's a journey of over ten miles back to the city. If there's no carriage..."

The two burly men flanked Changsun Dan from the left and right, the cold armor pressing painfully against his skin.

The burly man on the left was lean but had thick eyebrows. He spoke animatedly to himself:

"My name is Qi Guoyuan, Left Commandant of the Duke of Lu, responsible for the archery and horsemanship training of the county magistrate. I am a great drinker."

The man on the right was much shorter, but his eyes shone with a sharp glint.

"My name is Li Ruhui, Right Right Vanguard Commandant under Duke Lu, responsible for scout training and daily patrols in the county. I also have a great fondness for drinking."

Changsun Dan was somewhat amused and exasperated: "Brother Qi, Brother Li, the Duke of Lu told me last time that I am more suitable to be his courier. I'm afraid I won't have the opportunity to serve under you both. Since you two both love drinking, and I happen to love brewing wine, I will definitely invite you two to drink a jar tomorrow."

Qi Guoyuan laughed loudly, his two eyebrows uneven:

"A courier must first be skilled in horsemanship, and archery is essential for survival; neither can be lacking."

Li Ruhui laughed even more heartily: "Which of the military camp's couriers wasn't a scout by training? County magistrate, there's no need to worry."

The outer perimeter of this Zhenbei camp was all training grounds, while rows of neatly arranged cowhide tents lined the inner side. Near the mountain, there was a row of simple wooden houses, and the one with the widest entrance in the middle should be Cheng Yaojin's command tent.

Changsun Dan guessed that the two men were probably trying to trick him into drinking two jars of wine, and he was feeling quite uneasy when the two men dragged him into Cheng Yaojin's command tent.

Cheng Yaojin held a dossier in his hand, his eyes fixed straight ahead. The King of Yue, with his round belly, was looking at him with a broad smile, four guards with swords standing behind him. Changsun Dan cursed inwardly, "Damn, this is so unfair!" But his face remained smiling as he placed a wine jar on Cheng Yaojin's table.

"This humble one, Changsun Dan, greets Duke Lu and His Highness Prince Yue."

Cheng Yaojin sat sideways in the commander's seat, casually tossing aside the dossier in his hand. He glanced at the wine jar, grunted, and slowly stretched, secretly swallowing a mouthful of saliva in the process.

"By imperial decree, the Prince of Yue shall not leave the camp for twenty-one days from the moment he enters it, without His Majesty's approval. Changsun Dan shall be in full charge of the Prince of Yue's training."

Li Tai's expression changed slightly. He was about to stand up, but then he smiled and said, "I wonder how Brother Dan intends to train me."

Changsun Dan had been so startled by Qi Guoyuan and Li Ruhui that he had forgotten about this matter. It seemed that Li Er really cared about his eldest son. That was good. A 21-day intermittent fast was something he hadn't been able to stick to in his previous life. It wouldn't be bad to let Li Tai try it this time. He had a sly look on his face.

"His Majesty and the Empress entrusted me with the task of ensuring that the King of Yue would not overexert himself, yet would lose weight healthily. After much thought, I have come up with a solution, but I hope the King of Yue will not blame me in the future."

Li Tai became somewhat interested. If there really was a way to lose weight while lying down, he would accept being locked up for twenty-one days. He still had a smile on his face.

Changsun Dan smiled knowingly and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Cheng Yaojin:

"Please have Duke Lu prepare a comfortable and sturdy house for His Highness the King of Yue, ensuring that the doors and windows are not damaged. His Highness the King of Yue shall not leave this room for the next twenty-one days. The King of Yue loves to read, so please prepare more books for him. I shall also arrange all of the King of Yue's meals. If anyone breaks the rules, I will report to His Majesty and terminate the plan."

Cheng Yaojin readily agreed:

"I have always treated all soldiers equally. I originally intended for the King of Yue to eat and live with the soldiers. Now that His Majesty has entrusted His Highness the King of Yue to you, it is entirely up to you. Do you have any other requests? Please state them all, and then I will take you there."

Changsun Dan smiled and glanced at the four guards of the King of Yue:

"The last requirement is to remove the King of Yue's guards from the military camp, and only one person may be sent in each day for a limited time to observe the King of Yue's health."

Upon hearing this, the guards stepped forward, their eyes cold and fixed on Changsun Dan. Li Tai said calmly, "You all go and wait outside the camp!"

The guards bowed and withdrew, and Cheng Yaojin slammed his hand on the table:

"Let's go. Our Zhenbei Camp originally had a room reserved for His Majesty. It would be appropriate for Prince Yue to stay there now."

The King of Yue relaxed his brows and smiled faintly:

"Your Majesty, I dare not. You may arrange any room you wish to have."

Cheng Yaojin went out first, waving his hand:

"It's alright. His Majesty has never stayed here. It's just a habit I've developed over the years from military campaigns."

When Changsun Dan saw a huge long-handled Xuanhua axe standing at the door, he became curious and tried to lift it with his hand, but it didn't budge. He then tried to hug it with both hands, but it only lifted him about a foot off the ground before falling heavily back down. He secretly sighed that the ancients really had a lot of strength.

The house arranged by Lao Cheng was only a few dozen meters from the commander's tent. It was a separate wooden hut with bright windows and a desk, paper, and pens. Li Tai had already prepared himself for great hardship. After all, his father's decree was to show concern for his health, so how could he back down now? Even if he were imprisoned, it would only last for twenty-one days. After just a hundred or so steps, Li Tai was already panting heavily.

"Brother Dan, can I simply stay in the wooden house and not come out?"

Changsun Dan smiled and said, "Indeed, His Majesty cares for the Prince of Yue, but is also worried that someone might accuse the Duke of favoritism. Therefore, he specifically instructed me not to let His Highness overexert himself. Please come in, Your Highness!"

The more Changsun Dan smiled, the more Li Tai felt that he had ulterior motives. However, he had his father's decree and had no room to resist. He simply assumed that Changsun Dan wanted to avoid contact with the military camp. With a faint smile, he entered calmly with his large pregnant belly, picked up a book, and lay down on the bed.

Changsun Dan closed the door and said solemnly:

"I request that Duke Lu prepare a large bucket of water for the King of Yue, then lock the door and arrange for several soldiers to patrol day and night. Without my order, no one may approach the King of Yue. Anyone who dares to open the door or feed him will be executed on the spot."

Cheng Yaojin puffed out his beard and glared, "Boy, you don't want to starve the King of Yue to death, do you? I know you're audacious, but if he really starves, even if you have a hundred heads, it won't be enough for His Majesty to chop them off."

Changsun Dan smiled and explained, "The King of Yue is fat because he eats delicacies every day, drinks too much, and is lazy. If this continues, he will surely develop serious illnesses. Please rest assured, Your Majesty, and prepare more fruits and vegetables. I am also very afraid of dying and would not joke with my own life."

As the door closed, Li Tai put down the book in his hand, and the smile on his face slowly faded. His father would not issue such an edict without a reason. The fact that Changsun Dan could scheme against him made his choice clear.

Cheng Yaojin chuckled and patted his belly: "I believe you understand the pros and cons. Come on, let's drink and discuss how to be a good courier."