Ginkgo Tree

Soon, after Li Shimin and his family finished breakfast, Qin Ning and Jiang Yanran arrived.

As soon as they entered, Li Lizhi's voice reached their ears: "This mobile phone is too convenient! Not only can we talk, but we can actually see each other."

She was holding a phone, making a video call with Empress Zhangsun who was upstairs.

"Indeed. The Tang Dynasty and the Qin Dynasty were separated by about nine hundred years, yet many things remained largely unchanged. Who would have thought that the fourteen hundred years between the Tang Dynasty and later generations would bring such massive changes."

Li Shimin stood to the side, looking at Empress Zhangsun on the phone screen, his face equally filled with awe and emotion.

"Actually, the great technological explosion only began in the last century or two," Jiang Yanran and Qin Ning walked over and said with a smile.

Afterwards, Li Lizhi ended the video call, and Empress Zhangsun came downstairs.

Qin Ning said, "Since you just mentioned the Great Qin, how about we make a trip to Xi'an today to see the Terracotta Warriors? It's on the way to the capital anyway."

"Xi'an?" Li Lizhi was taken aback.

Jiang Yanran explained, "That would be the Chang'an City of your Tang Dynasty."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Li Shimin's interest was immediately piqued. "Since there is a chance to see the future version of my Tang capital, I naturally cannot miss it. However, these Terracotta Warriors you just mentioned..."

"They are the Terracotta Warriors from the Qin Dynasty, discovered by accident a few decades ago. Uncle Li, you should also know about Xianyang City from the Qin Dynasty, right? It's close to Chang'an, and Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum is also over there, though it hasn't been fully excavated yet."

Li Shimin nodded. "We know of Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum; it is recorded extensively in the historical texts of the Tang Dynasty. However, its exact location was never truly clear. I didn't expect that you later generations would actually find it. In that case, I am even more interested in going to see it."

"Alright, I'll have Xia Fei arrange a plane. We'll set off shortly," Qin Ning said.

Because there were still quite a few things to handle at the company, Cheng Weiyang, Su Xingwan, and the others had to stay behind.

Therefore, for this trip to the capital, apart from Li Shimin's family, Qin Ning only brought Qin Fei and Jiang Yanran, the top student from the history department.

"Zisu, Molan, you two will stay," Qin Fei said. "We'll probably be gone for a few days. During this time, stay in the villa and properly learn how to use the household appliances. When Weiyang and the others finish their work, they will come over to teach you."

Soon, Jiang Yanran drove over in a seven-seater commercial vehicle. After the group got in, the car headed straight for the airport.

Because Li Shimin and his family had expressed a desire to see more modern things, Qin Ning didn't teleport them directly to Xi'an, but instead chose an ordinary way of traveling.

At the airport, the private jet arranged by Xia Fei was already prepared.

After Qin Ning's group boarded, the plane took off, heading straight toward Xi'an.

"I never imagined that people of later generations could actually fly in the sky!"

While cruising, looking at the sea of clouds outside the window, Li Shimin and the others wore expressions of sheer shock.

They couldn't wrap their heads around it. Wasn't an airplane just a giant lump of iron?

How on earth could this thing fly in the sky?

"To be precise, the airplane carries people into the sky, rather than people flying directly themselves."

Jiang Yanran smiled. "This is the power of technology. You have to believe in science."

"That's still incredibly amazing. If this were in the Tang Dynasty, absolutely no one would dare to believe it," Li Lizhi said.

The group admired the beautiful scenery outside the window, taking in the magnificent rivers and mountains below.

Soon, the plane landed. Qin Fei had already arranged for a commercial vehicle to be waiting.

Jiang Yanran drove the car, taking everyone toward the downtown area.

"Sizi, this is Chang'an."

Arriving at a scenic spot, Qin Fei held little Sizi in her arms.

The little princess looked confused and voiced her disagreement in her childish tone, "This is not Chang'an."

"It's not the Chang'an that Sizi is from, but the Chang'an of the future," Qin Fei clarified.

"What is the fu-chure?" A few question marks seemed to pop up over her head.

"The future."

"The fu-chure."

Unable to correct her pronunciation, Qin Fei simply changed the subject and happily chatted with the little princess about food.

Afterwards, the group went to see the Terracotta Warriors. After strolling through a few other scenic spots, they finally arrived at a Zen temple.

"Second Uncle, Auntie, you should have some impression of this place, right?" Jiang Yanran asked with a smile. Since Li Shimin was the second child in his family, calling him Second Uncle wasn't out of place.

"It feels very familiar."

Li Shimin nodded, unable to help but ask, "Could it be the Guanyin Hall I ordered to be built in the second year of Zhenguan?"

"Exactly."

Jiang Yanran nodded. "And there's actually a very romantic story here, related to you two."

"Oh? What is it?" Empress Zhangsun asked curiously, exchanging a glance with Li Shimin.

Jiang Yanran just smiled and didn't say anything. Soon, a tall ginkgo tree appeared in front of the group.

"This tree has a history of one thousand four hundred years," Qin Fei said.

Hearing this, Li Lizhi was surprised. "Sister Qin, do you mean it's a tree from the Zhenguan era of the Great Tang?"

Qin Fei nodded, "Yes, and this tree was actually planted by Second Uncle himself. Legend has it that after Empress Zhangsun passed away, Emperor Taizong planted this ginkgo tree with his own hands here to commemorate his Empress. Who would have thought that one thousand four hundred years later, it would still be alive and well."

Hearing this, a touched expression appeared on Empress Zhangsun's face as she looked at Li Shimin.

Li Lizhi said, "Father, Mother, let me take a picture for you here."

"Alright, alright, take a few more," Li Shimin replied.

...

They toured until the evening before heading to the hotel to rest. They spent a total of three days having fun in Xi'an. It wasn't until the morning of the fourth day that they boarded a plane for the capital.

"I have already spoken with Elder Zeng. We will discuss the details regarding the development of the Great Tang with him after we arrive," Qin Ning said on the plane.

Li Shimin nodded. He had already learned of Elder Zeng's identity from Qin Ning and the others.

At the same time, he was astonished that Qin Ning held such immense influence in this future era.

But thinking about it carefully, since the man could take him back and forth across time to the Great Tang, such methods would be beyond mortal comprehension no matter where they were.

Soon, in the suburbs, inside the cultivation base.

Naturally, there was an airstrip here as well.

The plane carrying Qin Ning and the others landed here.

Elder Zeng, Elder Liu, and a group of high-ranking officials from the base were already waiting there.

As soon as they got off the plane, the welcoming party stepped forward to greet Qin Ning, Qin Fei, and Jiang Yanran individually. Then, they looked toward Li Shimin's family. Elder Zeng smiled and said, "I presume this must be Emperor Taizong of Tang? I have looked forward to meeting you for a long time."

"You are too polite, Elder Zeng."

Li Shimin reached out his hand, already accustomed to the handshake etiquette of later generations, and continued, "From now on, I will be relying on your guidance and care, Elder Zeng."