Chapter 61: To Think You Are Still So Young!

The deputy junior military officer stationed to guard Ganye Temple was meticulously and conscientiously carrying out his duties at this very moment.

Clad in the official uniform of a ninth-rank junior military officer of the Great Tang, he stood as straight as a ramrod. His slightly worn yet impeccably clean and well-kept attire reflected the rigorous discipline and strict decorum expected of a soldier. Though it was a relatively modest post, standing before the gates of Ganye Temple made him the crucial guardian of this forbidden precinct. Command of a squad of soldiers and collaborating patrolling bailiffs rested in his hands, and together they kept a sharp and vigilant watch on the surrounding movements.

Seeing Zhang Xianhuai striding step by step toward their position, the deputy officer furrowed his brows. Without a moment's hesitation, he led his guards and bailiffs forward to swiftly block the path.

"This is a restricted area of Chang'an, closed to the public. Pray leave immediately," the deputy officer said, deliberately raising his voice with an unyielding and resolute tone.

Zhang Xianhuai, however, acted as though he had heard nothing at all. He merely glanced at the conscientious officer, calmly flashed his token for the man to see, and immediately tucked it away again.

Upon catching a clear glimpse of that token, the lead officer's expression shifted drastically. His stern and dignified countenance instantly morphed into a kaleidoscope of complex emotions. As he looked past Zhang Xianhuai to the two figures behind him, his eyes burned with intense excitement.

With a voice that trembled slightly, he shouted to his subordinates, "Clear the way at once!"

"Understood!" the soldiers and bailiffs roared in unison.

They scrambled backward in haste, their movements rapid and well-ordered, clearing a wide path in the blink of an eye without daring to delay for even a fraction of a second.

Noticing that all three men were dressed in casual civilian attire, the deputy officer suppressed the wild guesses swirling in his mind, not daring to show any presumptuous familiarity. He hurried forward, cupped his fists in a respectful bow, and said, "Greetings, my lords!"

His back was bent low, his demeanor humble to the extreme. A mixture of nervousness and agitation churned within his chest; after all, anyone capable of producing such a special token here left their identity virtually beyond question.

"Hm, well done," Li Chengqian said softly.

Accompanied by Mr. Qi, he walked leisurely toward Ganye Temple. Zhang Xianhuai brought up the rear. Watching the deputy officer's fearful yet respectful posture, the corners of Zhang Xianhuai’s lips curved upward in a faint expression of approval. He reached out and patted the officer's shoulder as if to soothe his nerves, then quickened his pace to catch up, unwilling to lag too far behind.

Only after the three men had passed did the deputy officer straighten up, instinctively reaching out to wipe the cold sweat beading on his forehead. His hand was still trembling slightly—a clear sign that he had been thoroughly startled just moments before.

Immediately afterward, a profound sense of overwhelming joy welled up from the depths of his heart!

The soldiers and bailiffs under his command wore expressions of utter bewilderment. They simply could not fathom why their normally authoritative superior, a man whose word was law around here, had transformed into an entirely different person upon meeting these few men, adopting an attitude as different as heaven and earth.

One of the soldiers, who shared a relatively close rapport with the officer, could no longer contain his curiosity and sidled up to him. Lowering his voice, he whispered, "Captain Wang, who were those three people?"

Hearing this, the officer glared at him and rebuked him in a hushed, stern hiss, "Since when do you have so many questions? Get back to your post and mind your duty!"

"Yes, Captain Wang!"

Startled by the glare, the young soldier jolted and scurried back to his post in dismay to resume his watch, not daring to ask another half-word.

The captain remained rooted to the spot, gazing at the retreating figures of the three men, trembling all over with excitement. At that moment, only a single thought occupied his mind: he wished his shift would end quickly so he could hurry home and boast to his family.

Not only had he laid eyes on the Emperor today, but he had even received praise from the Emperor!

Such supreme glory would give him enough material to brag about before his family for a long time to come.

"Mr. Qi, I hadn't realized this path was quite so long. Are you holding up all right?" Li Chengqian asked, turning to cast a concerned look at Mr. Qi as they walked.

The sky was gradually growing late. The lingering glow of dusk spilled across the ground, stretching their shadows long. In the tranquil stillness of the surroundings, only the sound of their three footsteps echoed.

Mr. Qi smiled, reaching out to brush back a stray lock of hair that fluttered gently in the breeze, lending him an air of scholarly elegance.

"Your Majesty," Mr. Qi said with a smile, "you know as well as anyone that I am not some bookworm buried blindly in scrolls. Besides my love for reading, I also possess a modest grasp of martial arts."

As he said this, a hint of complacent pride flickered across Mr. Qi's face, as though he harbored deep confidence in his pugilistic skills.

Observing this smug expression, Li Chengqian offered a look of utter disdain. The corners of his mouth twitched downward as he bantered, "Mr. Qi, are you referring to the time you taught young Qin how to throw punches, only to be accidentally struck by him and left bedridden for three days?"

Catching Li Chengqian dragging this particular incident into the open, Mr. Qi’s face flushed red instantly. The proud look vanished without a trace, replaced by sheer embarrassment. He pressed on with a stubborn defense, "That Qin Ruzhao is nothing more than an unrefined brute! Who could possibly fight him? He possessed freakish strength even as a child!"

Li Chengqian pondered this and conceded the point; Qin Ruzhao certainly had been extraordinarily strong since his youth. Though rash in his actions at times, he was at least a straightforward fellow.

At this thought, Li Chengqian couldn't help but chuckle, and the two resumed their journey to Ganye Temple with lighthearted banter.

The sky darkened imperceptibly. The sunset's glow grew fainter and fainter, leaving only a pale amber tint clinging to the horizon.

High above, the sun and moon shared the sky. While the sun had not yet fully dipped below the horizon, casting a feeble radiance, the moon had already quietly ascended, spilling a clear, cold moonlight across the earth and endowing the world with a unique, mystical charm.

Li Chengqian glanced toward Ganye Temple. Interwoven with the moonlight and the fading twilight, the temple appeared increasingly solemn and majestic.

Narrowing his eyes, he said to Zhang Xianhuai, "Xianhuai, it is growing rather dim. Help me look over there—is someone wiping the main gates?"

Hearing this, Zhang Xianhuai halted his steps and gazed in the direction indicated by Li Chengqian. With his sharp eyesight, he quickly discerned the situation and nodded.

"Your Majesty, someone is indeed wiping the gates."

Zhang Xianhuai added, waving his arms in an attempt to disperse a swarm of buzzing mosquitoes that had suddenly closed in, "We should hurry inside, Your Majesty. The mosquitoes here are simply dreadful."

Sensing the pests, the insects seemed to catch the scent of living humans and circled them relentlessly, causing a most aggravating nuisance.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian retrieved his folding fan from his waist and flicked it open. The delicate patterns etched upon the silk fluttered indistinctly in the dim light. Waving the fan gently before him as he walked, he remarked, "You have a point. Follow closely behind me; I shall clear the path for you."

Wu Meiniang, who was earnestly polishing the weathered wooden doors of the temple, suddenly caught the sounds of movement from outside. She froze, her hands halting mid-motion, and slowly raised her head to peer intently toward the source of the noise.

As she spotted a familiar face among the approaching figures, her heart began to hammer frantically against her ribs, and a wave of crimson flushed across her cheeks.

Just as Li Chengqian reached the entrance of Ganye Temple, intending to inquire about the situation from the young girl polishing the gates, she suddenly dropped to her knees. The movement was swift and fluid, executed with the instinctive reflex of long conditioning.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Wu Meiniang kept her head bowed, her voice timid yet fraught with an uncontainable tremor of excitement. Her hands tightly clutched the fabric of her skirt, and her body quivered slightly—whether from tension or exhilaration, she could not tell.

Li Chengqian felt no great bewilderment. After all, as the Crown Prince of the Great Tang raised within the palace walls, he had witnessed all manner of people and events. Naturally, the emperor's consorts in the inner court—unless utterly foolish—would imprint the face of the Crown Prince in their memories, making it quite normal for someone to recognize him here.

"You are rather quick-witted. Rise," Li Chengqian said, his tone fairly gentle. He looked down at the young girl kneeling before him, his gaze carrying a trace of detached appraisal.

"Many thanks, Your Majesty!" Wu Meiniang replied respectfully before slowly rising to her feet. She was so agitated that she could clearly hear the thunderous pounding of her own heartbeat, echoing in her chest like drums threatening to burst through her ribs.

She fought desperately to rein in her emotions, repeating a silent mantra to her frantic mind: *Do not panic. Do not lose your composure.*

Noticing that she continued to keep her head lowered, Li Chengqian felt a flicker of puzzlement and furrowed his brows slightly.

"Lift your head for me!"

Though his voice was not loud, it carried an unquestionable authority that rang exceptionally clear in the quiet temple courtyard.

Hearing this command, Wu Meiniang realized her opportunity had arrived. She drew a deep breath, mustered her courage, and timidly raised her face, revealing an expression designed to evoke the deepest sympathy.

Her eyes were like pools of clear spring water, innocent yet touched with a wisp of shy bashfulness. A faint blush dusted her cheeks, and her lips were pursed gently—a sight capable of melting anyone's heart with protective tenderness.

Upon seeing Wu Meiniang's appearance, Li Chengqian was momentarily stunned. Of course, his astonishment did not stem from any overwhelming sense of her beauty; rather, it arose from the reality that the person before him was still little more than a young girl, while his old man was already forty-three years old, and this maiden looked to be no more than fifteen or sixteen.

This massive generational gap evoked a deep sigh from the depths of Li Chengqian's soul. *Ah, the evils of a feudal society,* he thought to himself. *If such a scenario were transplanted to the modern era, old Li would undoubtedly be facing at least a ten-year prison sentence.*

Yet, having spent so many years witnessing similar affairs across the Great Tang, Li Chengqian was hardly a stranger to such practices. He merely felt a touch of lingering pity that a young girl in the prime of her youth should be condemned to spend the remainder of her days within this dreary little temple.

Softening at the thought, Li Chengqian’s tone grew even milder as he asked with genuine concern, "What is your name? How old are you?"

Hearing the unexpected gentleness in the sovereign's voice, Wu Meiniang suppressed her fluttering heart, crossed her hands before her, and replied respectfully, "This humble maid is named Wu Meiniang, and I have just turned seventeen."

At the girl's reply, Li Chengqian froze completely, a storm of turbulent thoughts erupting within his mind.

He widened his eyes in silent disbelief, secretly musing, *Could this be Wu Meiniang? The sole female sovereign in history, Empress Zetian herself?*

Li Chengqian stared at her blankly, his gaze suffused with a complex mixture of astonishment, doubt, and an unspoken weight that sent a shiver down Wu Meiniang's spine, leaving her utterly unable to fathom what the Emperor meant by such a look.

"So you are still so young," Li Chengqian murmured involuntarily, his thoughts still anchored to the shock of his realization, unable to snap back to reality for a moment.

Ignorant of what the Emperor was pondering, Wu Meiniang could only answer truthfully with a look of utter perplexity. "Your Majesty, this humble maid does not understand your meaning."

"No matter, you need not understand. Wu Meiniang, was this surname bestowed upon you by the late Emperor?" Regaining his composure, Li Chengqian pressed on, eager to further verify the identity of the woman standing before him—after all, this concerned an encounter capable of rewriting history.

Wu Meiniang executed a graceful and well-mannered bow toward Li Chengqian before speaking in a soft voice, "Your Majesty, the name Meiniang was indeed bestowed by the late Emperor."

"And your official rank is that of a talented lady?" Li Chengqian inquired further, locking his eyes onto Wu Meiniang to catch any subtle shift in her expression.

Nodding, Wu Meiniang replied, "Replying to Your Majesty, this humble maid is indeed a talented lady."

Inside, Li Chengqian had already confirmed her identity beyond a shadow of a doubt as the future Empress Wu. He drew in a long breath, subdued the churning waves in his heart, and said, "I understand. Show me around Ganye Temple."

His tone was preternaturally calm.

Yet deep within his soul, the ripples stirred by this unexpected discovery refused to settle.