Returning to the palace was something that made Li Hong feel uneasy. Fearing that he would be held accountable by his mother, he quietly slipped into the palace early in the morning, taking four palace maids and four eunuchs with him. So, there were nine of them when he went out, but when he came back, there were still... Oh, there were ten of them when he came back.

The Wude Hall was very quiet inside and outside. This was the effect Li Hong deliberately pursued. He had not yet figured out how to meet his mother.

Even so, Meimei was the first to know the news of Li Hong's return to the palace. When the other palace maids and eunuchs saw him, they were as if they had seen a ghost. They all showed a look of fear, and the same voice appeared in their hearts: "The little devil is back in the palace!"

The news spread quickly and reached Wu Mei's ears. Naturally, Li Hong was not spared from punishment. No matter how he acted like a spoiled child or begged for mercy in front of Wu Mei, or how many other methods he tried, he was still ordered by Wu Mei to kneel under the small tree he had planted himself for more than an hour.

Li Hong, who hadn't been seen for more than a month, had grown taller, thinner, and darker. He looked much stronger than before he left the palace.

When Wu Mei heard that Li Hong actually brought back someone, she immediately got so angry that she pinned Li Hong down on her legs and spanked him hard.

"You're so young, but you've gone out of the palace and brought someone back with you. Are you looking for a concubine for yourself?" Wu Mei scolded Li Hong with a hint of sarcasm.

In the end, Wu Mei was too lazy to care about his affairs and let him take care of himself. Li Hong didn't have a proper solution for the moment, so he had to keep her by his side every day, like he had another palace maid.

When Li Hong left, Wu Mei looked at his small figure and couldn't help but sighed to the sky: "Alas, the harem that has been peaceful for more than a month is in chaos again. I don't know who will suffer in the next few days. Lian Tie, pass the order down, no matter whether it is the palace maids or eunuchs in the harem, it is best not to approach the Wude Hall of King Dai in the next few days." Wu Mei said to Lian Tie as if she was guarding against thieves, causing the palace maids next to her to cover their mouths and laugh.

...

...

Bai Chun curled her lips in the Wude Hall, mocking Li Hong for imprisoning her in the harem, saying that what she did was no different from transporting Tang Dynasty craftsmen to Qiuci.

Li Hong lay on the couch and warned her righteously: "You are now a criminal of the Tang Dynasty. I only brought you with me because of your identity. When the Dali Temple closes the case, you will be imprisoned!"

After everything in the Wude Hall was tidied up, the sky gradually darkened. Li Hong got up from the couch carefully. It seemed that his mother had not beaten Li Xian much in the past month. She saved all the strength for himself, and his buttocks were swollen again.

Early in the morning, leaving Bai Chun in the Wude Hall, Li Hong put on his small backpack and took Xia Zhi and Bai Lu to Li Zhi's Ganlu Hall. Normally, this time was when his father would handle government affairs, and his mother would definitely not know if he looked for him at this time.

The Tang Dynasty craftsmen held hostage by the Kingdom of Kucha made Li Hong, who was thinking on his way back to the palace, come to a bold decision. That is, in the coming years, the main wars of the Tang Dynasty will still take place mostly in the west. Should he send people to contact those Tang Dynasty craftsmen and train a group of regular spies and agents from them?

This was also the main reason why he went to find Li Zhi. Yang Wu seemed to know that he was coming back. He stood at the door with his hands down and saluted him with a smile, saying, "Your Majesty has been waiting for you in the study."

The bulging backpack on Li Hong's back seemed invisible in Yang Wu's eyes. He didn't even dare to ask about it, let alone check it. He knew the King of Dai's temper very well, and he would never let go of any grudge.

Before he even got close to the door of the Ganlu Palace study, Li Zhi's voice came from inside: "You kid still remember to go back to the palace. Do you know that if you don't go back to the palace, your mother will overturn my Ganlu Palace."

"Your son Li Hong greets the emperor." Li Hong held his head high and chest out. No one knew which country's etiquette he was following, but he walked into Li Zhi's study while shouting.

Yang Wu who was standing aside shook his head as he watched. Such a prince was really rare. Fortunately, he was the only one in the entire palace, otherwise the rules of the palace would be really messed up.

In comparison, Prince Lu Li Xian was much better than him in this aspect. He was always well-mannered, well-educated, and always paid respects in a proper manner. He had learned the royal family's appearance, manners, and moral rules very well!

Li Zhi looked at Li Hong lovingly, touched his head and said, "Well, not bad. I haven't seen you for more than a month. You have grown taller and stronger. What's the matter? Is there something you need to see your father at this time?" How could Li Zhi not understand that the little guy chose this time period to come to him just to avoid the surveillance of his mother.

"Your Majesty, I want to discuss something with you." Li Hong said directly without being polite.

Li Zhi looked at him with a frown. The little guy had just returned to the palace, but instead of staying quietly for a few days and acting nice in front of his mother, why was he thinking of ways to make trouble as soon as he came back?

Li Hong looked around Li Zhi's study. He didn't know when furniture such as Hu chairs and Hu tables became popular in the palace. Hu beds also existed, but it seemed that no one was used to sleeping on them yet, so the role of the bed became dispensable, like a decoration.

The Hu chair and Hu table were obviously accepted more quickly, and now they were placed in Li Zhi's study. However, the opening of the Hu chair was larger, and a soft cushion was placed on the chair seat.

Li Zhi walked behind the Hu table, but instead of sitting directly on it like he did in his previous life, he sat cross-legged on the Hu chair.

This was the correct sitting posture when the Tang people first accepted tables and chairs. In the Shosoin of Todaiji Temple in Japan, there are still precious cultural relics such as Hu chairs and Hu beds that were passed down from the Tang Dynasty. The openings of the chairs are very large, mainly to facilitate the Tang people's habitual squatting.

Li Hong looked at Li Zhi who was sitting on the chair strangely, and climbed onto another chair in front of Li Zhi's desk. His butt was still swollen from being spanked by Wu Mei, so he had to squat on the chair even more indecently.

Li Zhi sighed helplessly as he looked at his behavior. The only person who dared to be so unscrupulous in front of him was probably the villain in front of him.

"Tell me, what's the matter?" Li Zhi asked.

Li Hong squatted on the chair and told Li Zhi everything about the kidnapping of his palace maid and what happened in Ci'en Temple, including the inability to redeem the Tang craftsmen. After carefully analyzing the interests involved, he told Li Zhi.

He drank a sip of boiled water prepared for him by Yangwu, and then expressed his own idea, which was to hope that Li Zhi would allow Jingzhe and Liebao, together with two eunuchs, to go to Qiuci to get close to the Tang Dynasty craftsmen and develop intelligence personnel that would be useful to the Tang Dynasty.

After listening to Li Hong's idea, Li Zhi looked at him strangely, smacked his lips and said calmly: "Hong'er, this matter may be difficult to handle. Father really can't let Yangwu send two more eunuchs. Aren't Jingzhe and Liebao enough?"

"It's not enough, because every move of Cheetah and Jingzhe needs your own people to monitor their every move, and from now on these people can only obey your orders." Li Hong also said bluntly.

To put it bluntly, if this matter is not handled properly, it will lead to serious consequences, which is equivalent to establishing another Li Jing Sect in the Western Regions. Whether his father can be assured is still a question.

Li Zhi smiled when he heard Li Hong's frank words. He had originally been trying to test whether anyone else could give him any advice. Now it seemed that he had been overthinking it. This was definitely the little thing's own idea.

It was no problem for me to send someone, but there were two eunuchs missing from Li Hong's side for no reason. If the queen asked about it, how would I, the emperor's father, explain it? I was afraid that this was the real reason why the little thing was looking for me.

Li Zhi stroked his beard and murmured, "Hong'er, I'm afraid this is not feasible. Father really wants to help you do this, but..."

Li Hong took off the small backpack on his shoulder, took out twenty crystal cards from it one by one, and then looked at Li Zhi.

Under the light, the glittering crystal sign appears even more blurred, as crystal clear as ice in winter, shining with a captivating light.

"Oh, Hong'er, you know, it's difficult for your father to explain to your mother, because your father has already done everything for you regarding leaving the palace..." Li Zhi continued to speak slowly.

What Li Zhi meant was: This crystal card is a bargain for extending your vacation, it doesn't count. If you want your father to help you, you have to come up with something that will interest your father.

Li Hong squatted on the chair, listening to Li Zhi's hidden meaning, put the small backpack between his legs, lowered his head and took out a glass cover from it, and under Li Zhi's fiery, bright and expectant eyes, asked Yang Wu to take the candlestick on the table.

Then Li Hong took off the gauze lampshade on the candlestick, and the room suddenly became much brighter. Then Li Hong carefully put the glass lampshade made according to the imperial palace candlestick on the candlestick. It was the right size and fit perfectly.

The room was not dark at all, but because of the transparency of the glass lampshade, it seemed to have a little more luster. The candlelight burned calmly in the lampshade, no longer swaying.

"How is it?" Li Hong asked, looking up.

Li Zhi was just stretching his neck to look into his small backpack. When he saw Li Hong asking him, he immediately leaned back and said in embarrassment: "Hong'er, father has to bear a great responsibility. This matter..."

"Hmph." Li Hong snorted in dissatisfaction, as if he thought what he gave was not enough. Fortunately, he had been prepared.

He lowered his head and took out two bright, new glass goblets from his backpack. Under the light, the walls of the goblets reflected a faint light.

Li Hong had already prepared Lanling wine. He motioned to Yang Wu to open it, then poured half a cup into each of the two quilts. The amber-colored Lanling wine swayed in the cup, and the faint ripples were clearly visible through the bright cup wall.

"Let father see what other treasures you have in this bag." Li Zhi's eyes turned red with anxiety. These were all rare treasures. After saying this, he was about to reach out to grab Li Hong's backpack.

Li Hong was quick to hide the backpack behind him.

Seeing that he couldn't get it, Li Zhi leaned back on his chair and said lazily, "Hong'er, your father still needs to... still need to discuss this with your mother..."

Li Hong stood up from his chair, threw himself on the table and began to put the crystal cards he had just placed on his backpack into his backpack: "Forget it, I'd better go and ask the Queen Mother for help."

"No, no, no... Father has agreed." Li Zhi hurriedly held Li Hong's little hand on the table and said with a smile.

Li Hong then angrily pulled back his little hand and looked at Li Zhi with dissatisfaction on his angry little face.

Li Zhi looked at the lampshade and asked, "Do you still have this thing? If I put it on the palace lantern in the courtyard of the imperial palace, wouldn't it be brighter?"

When Li Hong heard this, he was immediately moved. Humph, since you disregard the father-son relationship and cheat me, don't blame your son for cheating me.

"Yes, there are, but they are very expensive. There are also cups like this, but they are also very expensive." Li Hong pondered for a long time and said in embarrassment.

"How many are there? Your Majesty wants them all. How much are they? Your Majesty will give them to you. Go and buy them all for Your Majesty." Li Zhi was overjoyed when he heard this.

"That depends on how much you want." Li Hong replied with his bright eyes rolling around.

"As many as you can get."

"As many as you want!"

"How much is the lampshade? How much is the cup?" Li Zhi looked like a rich man at this moment.

"The lampshade... twenty taels of silver, the cup... thirty taels!" Li Hong gritted his teeth and asked for a sky-high price!

"Okay! I promise you, considering how hard you work! Yangwu, inform the Ministry of Internal Affairs and give Hong'er thirty taels for the lampshade and forty taels for the cup!" The local tyrant waved his hand and said domineeringly.

"Deal!" Li Hong's heart was filled with joy!

Originally Jingzhe and Liebao were worried about the cost of going to Qiuci to develop Tang Dynasty craftsmen, but now, all the problem has been solved at once.

The two people looked at each other with ulterior motives and smiled smugly, feeling that they had gotten a great advantage.

Neither of them had expected that this harmonious and happy scene would appear many years later, when glass ornaments were no longer a luxury and could be bought in shops in the streets and alleys of Chang'an.

Li Zhi chased Li Hong with a stick and beat him all over the palace. The whole palace was in chaos. Even Wu Mei chased after the two men and tried to persuade them, but she couldn't stop Li Zhi, who was determined to teach his son a lesson.