The Great Tang, Luoyang City.
The city had been sealed for three days, the gates closed, and no one was allowed to enter or exit.
Dozens of helicopters circled endlessly above Luoyang. Zhang Tian, with a dejected expression, followed behind Li Jing, while three thousand Xuanjia troops were scattered within a kilometer radius.
When Li Shimin had departed with Fang Er directly from Shenyang, he had not revealed anything to the court officials about their trip to the Ming Dynasty, not even when he himself was unsure of its truth.
However, their departure had lasted two months. While minor matters could be decided by senior officials, certain affairs, by rights, required Li Shimin's approval.
And Li Shimin was nowhere to be found in the Great Tang. Thus, no matter how many times the Hundred Horsemen Department ran themselves ragged, sending ten telegrams to Shenyang daily, they could not contact him.
Consequently, Li Jing had instructed Li Ji to personally go to Shenyang to search for them. Finally, he received an answer from the Hundred Horsemen Department.
After Li Shimin had left with the Duke of An, flying in a helicopter, he had never returned. And the pilot at that time was Zhang Tian, a division commander under the Duke of An!
Although Zhang Tian had been identified, Li Jing, considering the strength of the Heavenly Fire Army, dared not use forceful means to interrogate him. He could only dispatch people to pester him twenty-four hours a day.
Whether Zhang Tian was eating, defecating, or engaged in intimate activities with a woman, someone was always by his side, relentlessly repeating a single sentence.
"Where is the Emperor!"
They couldn't fight him, nor could they drive him away. Anyone would have gone mad.
Thus, after Zhang Tian persisted for half a month, he finally let slip that the Emperor and the Duke of An would appear outside Luoyang City in two months, and he himself didn't know where they had gone.
"You're sure the Emperor and the others will appear here?" Li Jing's gaze towards Zhang Tian held a hint of wariness.
The Emperor of a nation had gone to Shenyang for a few days and then simply vanished.
Already, discordant voices had arisen in the court, suggesting that Fang Er intended to usurp the throne, and therefore Li Shimin had met with foul play, possibly buried in some forgotten corner.
Li Jing had not resorted to forceful measures for two reasons: he considered the strength of the Heavenly Fire Army, and he didn't quite believe Fang Er would do something like that.
Zhang Tian was helpless. When Fang Er left, he had only told him to return in two months and to fly a helicopter to pick them up, but he hadn't specified the exact date.
Now, after three days of waiting in vain despite the grand mobilization, he understood Li Jing's attitude.
"Since the Duke has been without any news for two months, could it be that the Emperor killed him?"
"Should I instigate the other old brothers to take Chang'an and let the young master sit on the dragon throne?"
This was no laughing matter. If the Duke truly met with foul play from the Emperor, the young master would inevitably face the same fate. Rather than be passive, it was better to be proactive. Wouldn't that also earn him the merit of serving a founding monarch?
However, considering the instructions the Duke had left before departing, this idea had been kept buried in his heart, never mentioned to anyone.
Now that the two-month period had arrived, he would wait a few more days. If the Duke still didn't return, then he would make his move!
"Calling Sky One, calling Sky One, this is Big Horn, detecting anomalies, detecting anomalies!"
Suddenly, the walkie-talkie on Zhang Tian's waist crackled to life. It was a soldier on Big Horn reporting to him.
The content of the report made his spirits soar. Li Jing, standing beside him, became even more excited. "Quick, ask them, has the Emperor returned!"
A nation cannot be without a ruler for a single day. Although the Crown Prince acting as regent was commonplace, the true backbone of the Great Tang was Li Shimin. With him present, these old comrades could rest easy.
Zhang Tian quickly picked up the walkie-talkie. "Received, report your position immediately!"
"About a mile west of Xuanhuimen!"
"Received, I'm coming over now! Keep a close watch and report any developments promptly!"
"Yes!"
After putting away the walkie-talkie, Zhang Tian and Li Jing exchanged glances. The two of them hopped onto a three-wheeled vehicle and sped towards the location.
Outside Xuanhuimen, in the previously calm and windless wilderness, Big Horn hovered in mid-air.
Beneath Big Horn, the air in one spot began to distort without any warning, like ripples on a calm lake disturbed by a thrown stone.
By the time Zhang Tian and Li Jing arrived, a dark, black hole had appeared out of nowhere in the distorted air.
The next moment, a roaring T-90 tank burst out from within, with Wang Xuance sitting atop the turret.
"It's them! The Duke and the Emperor are back!"
After seeing Wang Xuance clearly, Zhang Tian excitedly slapped Li Jing on the shoulder.
Wang Xuance, sitting on the turret, looked at Zhang Tian daring to slap Li Jing with disbelief. "Damn, when did Division Commander become so awesome?"
"He dares to slap the shoulder of the God of War, isn't he afraid of being kicked away?"
Li Jing merely glanced back at Zhang Tian, not bothering to argue. Once he saw that the Emperor was safe, everything else could be discussed. If the Emperor didn't return, then... hmph!
Nine tanks emerged sequentially from the hole.
Wang Xuance jumped down from the turret and walked over to Zhang Tian, first paying his respects to Li Jing.
"Heavenly Fire Army, Torch Special Forces, Wang Xuance, greets the Duke of Wei!"
After exchanging greetings, he pointed at the gradually approaching Xuanjia troops and the dozens of helicopters in the sky, asking Zhang Tian, "Division Commander Zhang, why such a grand display?"
"Do I even need to say? The court officials are almost driven crazy from not finding the Emperor~"
Zhang Tian gestured towards Li Jing.
Wang Xuance finally understood. He leaned closer to Li Jing and said with a smile, "Duke of Wei, you worry too much. His Majesty is doing very well. On this trip, he has become like an ancestor in people's mouths!"
Li Jing was stunned, not quite understanding what he meant.
He looked at the personnel emerging from the tanks and wooden vehicles, and after a long time without seeing Li Shimin, he asked with confusion.
"Where is the Emperor?"
"Uh, he's at the back~"
After waiting for a while longer, the opening suddenly began to distort, and then, a bloody sheep's head fell out from within.
"What's going on!"
Li Jing was startled. He clearly heard the sheep's head bleat as it hit the ground!
"This means this hole can kill people?"
"Wait, will the Emperor's head fall out from inside?"
"Or maybe half a thigh?"
Tensely, he grabbed Wang Xuance's collar, pointed at the opening, and roared, "What is going on!"
Wang Xuance was also bewildered. How would he know the reason!
However, based on his blind trust in Fang Er, he comforted Li Jing, "Duke of Wei, do not panic. Our Duke is accompanying the Emperor, so there can be no accidents~"
Soon, everyone noticed the distorted opening gradually calming down. Then, a group of people walked out, namely Song Yingxing and Fang Yizhi, among others.
Before they could even step forward to ask, Fang Er and Li Shimin appeared before everyone, holding hands. Then, the dark, black hole slowly disappeared.
"Your Majesty!"
Li Jing, unable to hide his excitement, rushed forward and examined him thoroughly before his worries subsided, and he bowed respectfully.
"Your subject Li Jing, respectfully welcomes Your Majesty!"