Chapter 1040: The Imperial Prince's Palace, Brother Lang Returns the Emperor with a Gift of Hua

Seeing Empress Wu staring at the three-wheeled electric car with curiosity in her eyes, Lin Lang said in a cheerful voice, "Your Majesty, come here, I will teach you how to drive. This three-wheeled electric car is very easy to operate, I guarantee you will learn it in one go!"

Although Empress Wu was eager to try, her fingertips clenched her sleeves, and her face showed some hesitation: "Is this... really safe?" Even so, the light in her eyes could not hide her excitement.

When the palace maid helped her sit down on the electric tricycle, the hem of her skirt swayed slightly due to her trembling knees.

Lin Lang leaned over and pointed: "Your Majesty, please look, this is the 'Activate Mystic Key', this is the 'Speed-Up Spiritual Pivot', just twist it and you're going; the left hand is the 'Stop Mystic Gate', pinch it when you're in a hurry."

As soon as he finished speaking, Empress Wu twisted the accelerator with trembling fingertips, and the car body rushed forward half a foot. She was so startled that she screamed "Ah" and slammed the brakes, and the pearl flowers on her temples were almost shaken off.

"Don't panic, Your Majesty!" Lin Lang quickly stabilized the car.

"Haha!" Li Zhi laughed, stroking his beard as he stood aside. "Don't be afraid, Queen. Look at these three-wheeled horses. They are very stable and more reliable than my two-wheeled ones!"

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty!" Lin Lang pointed at the three-wheeled structure and said, "With three wheels on the ground, it's naturally not going to tip over. It's three times more stable than a royal horse!"

Empress Wu took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to step on the accelerator again. This time the force was lighter and the car slowly slid forward.

She was tense at first, but when she found that the car was as stable as a rock, she couldn't help but smile. She went from slowing down tentatively to gradually speeding up. Her skirt was lifted by the wind and she actually circled in the square outside the hall.

"Oh! Look at the Queen!" The eunuchs stood on tiptoe with their whisks in hand to look. The guards in golden armor forgot to hold their swords and stared in amazement at the iron lump that was buzzing as it ran by.

The more Empress Wu rode, the more joyful she became. Her laughter, like silver bells, mingled with the sound of the wheels rolling on the ground. She was so excited that she even imitated Li Zhi's previous behavior, holding the handlebars with one hand and waving sideways, which made everyone in the audience exclaim in surprise and envy.

Lin Lang, upon seeing this, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this three-wheeled horse can carry two people. Why not share this 'joy of speed' with the Empress?"

Li Zhi had been itching to see this and immediately clapped his hands in approval, "That's exactly what I want!"

Empress Wu quickly stopped the car and Lin Lang personally helped Li Zhi sit down on the chair of the three-wheeled electric vehicle.

Li Zhi and Wu Zetian sat side by side. He held the handlebars. When the carriage started again, Li Zhi laughed out loud: "Great! A great way to ride two people together! It's a hundred times more comfortable than the dragon chariot!"

The three-wheeled electric vehicle carrying the emperor and empress sped across the square. Its silver paint gleamed brightly in the sun, causing the servants in the palace to stretch their necks, their eyes filled with curiosity as if they had never seen such a thing before.

This technological mount from Shanghai will probably add a bit of lightning-fast excitement to the Tang Dynasty palace.

After a few blissful laps, Li Zhi braked the electric tricycle to a stop in front of Lin Lang and said with a loud laugh, "My dear brother, the three-wheeled electric tricycle in Shanghai is novel and exquisite. I like it very much. I wonder if you can give it up?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Lang bowed and said sincerely, "My Royal Highness, I am sorry for what you said."

"You and I have become brothers of different surnames, as close as brothers, so how can we talk about parting ways? I would like to give these three-wheeled electric horses to my brother and sister-in-law as a token of our deep brotherly love. I also hope that the friendship between the Tang Dynasty and the Kingdom of Shanghai will continue uninterrupted, just like these electric horses, running unimpeded."

When Li Zhi heard Lin Lang's words, his face was immediately filled with joy, and he laughed heartily: "My dear brother, you are so righteous, you are truly my good friend! How can I not repay you?"

"You're welcome, my royal brother." Lin Lang smiled slightly.

"My dear brother, I know you have come from afar and have nowhere to stay. There is a quiet courtyard next to the Daming Palace, built specifically to reward princes. It is beautiful and not far from my residence. It will belong to you from now on. It will also allow you to have a comfortable place in my Tang Dynasty, and we brothers can often see each other."

Lin Lang clasped his hands together and bowed, saying earnestly, "I am flattered by your generous gift, my brother. It is truly a great honor for me to possess this prince's residence. In the future, I will live up to your expectations and devote all my energy and strength to our brotherly friendship and the diplomatic relations between the Tang Dynasty and the Kingdom of Shanghai!"

Empress Wu was sitting on an electric tricycle and saw this scene with a faint smile on her face.

Then, Li Zhi took out another token from his waist and handed it to Lin Lang, saying solemnly, "This token was given by me personally. With this token, you can move freely in the palace. Whenever you want to see me, just come to the palace. In the future, the Tang Dynasty and the Kingdom of Shanghai will be as close as one family, and we will prosper together!"

Lin Lang hurriedly took the token with both hands, speaking sincerely and solemnly: "Your Majesty has personally bestowed upon me this token, which truly shows your immense trust in me. I will treasure it and will work hand in hand with you in the future to contribute to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty and the Kingdom of Shanghai. I will do my utmost and remain committed to this!"

Empress Wu smiled and praised softly, "Today I am able to see such a novelty, and to see Your Majesty and my brother become sworn brothers. I am truly delighted. This is truly a lively occasion."

Lin Lang took out a box of Zhonghua cigarettes and a disposable lighter from his personal space, took out a cigarette and handed it to Li Zhi.

Li Zhi took the cigarette, pinched the snow-white filter with his fingertips, and looked puzzled: "Brother, what is this long, thin thing wrapped in paper?"

Lin Lang smiled and replied, "Brother, this is a 'tobacco roll', a specialty of our country of Shanghai. The method of smoking it is similar to that of a pipe, but it is more sophisticated and advanced."

"Look at this tobacco leaf. After three processes of drying, baking, and blending, it is rolled into this thickness. It is more portable than a pipe."

Lin Lang flicked the cigarette with his fingertips. "The key is the filter. It can filter out the bad flavors. It has a smooth taste, doesn't irritate the throat, and has a light plum aroma."

Li Zhi raised his eyebrows when he heard this, and brought the cigarette to his nose and sniffed it. Sure enough, there was a clear fragrance mixed with the mellow taste of tobacco.

In fact, Li Zhi didn't even know what a pipe was, because tobacco was not introduced to the Xia Kingdom from America until the middle and late Ming Dynasty. People in the Tang Dynasty had no idea what tobacco was, so naturally they didn't know about pipes.

"Brother, please hold the cigarette in your mouth. I will light it for you." Lin Lang said as he put the lighter in front of Li Zhi's cigarette holder and lit the lighter with a "click".

The flame licked the tobacco, and Li Zhi took two tentative puffs. The smoke flowed down his throat, not pungent or spicy, but with a slightly sweet aftertaste.

His eyes suddenly lit up, and he coughed twice, then held it back. He smacked his lips and said, "Strange! The smell of this smoke warms my lungs and is quite refreshing!"

Lin Lang lit one himself, puffing away at the smoke as he smiled, "As long as your Majesty likes it, I'm glad. I have ten more on me, all the best 'Zhonghua' brand in Shanghai. I'll give them to you to cheer you up."

After saying that, he took out ten packs of soft Zhonghua cigarettes from his pocket and handed them to the eunuch beside him. The bright red color made people dizzy.

Li Zhi clapped his hands and laughed, "My dear brother, you are truly my lucky star! You have a three-wheeled electric horse for transportation, and this wonderful 'tobacco roll' to relieve fatigue. From now on, we brothers will enjoy smoking and discussing philosophy in the Imperial Garden. Won't it be a joy?"

"I will definitely let the Imperial Censor have a taste of this wonderful thing, and see if he dares to accuse me of neglecting state affairs!"

Empress Wu chuckled softly as she sat on the electric tricycle, tapping the handlebars with her fingertips. "Your Majesty has a new 'toy' now. I'm afraid you'll forget all the memorials on the Dragon Desk."

The guards and palace maids looked at the Zhonghua cigarettes in the eunuch's hand with curiosity on their faces, and secretly marveled at them, thinking: These treasures from Shanghai are indeed so rare that they seem to come from outer space.

Lin Lang taught Li Zhi how to smoke, and the two brothers started smoking cigarettes outside the hall. It was really something.

After finishing a cigarette, Li Zhi said excitedly: "My dear brother, I am still not satisfied. I want to ride this three-wheeled electric horse to Zhuque Street to let the people see this rare item. I also want them to see the stall you set up and meet some of your sisters-in-law."

Lin Lang smiled and bowed, saying, "That's great. Then please ask my brother and sister-in-law to lead the way. Now we two brothers will go out for a ride."

After that, Li Zhi and Empress Wu sat on the electric tricycle and led the way in a majestic manner.

Lin Lang rode a two-wheeled electric vehicle and followed steadily beside them.

Behind him, eunuchs and palace maids held various ceremonial objects, and golden-armored guards lined up in neat rows. The mighty team followed closely behind, with extraordinary momentum.

After leaving the palace, the people along the street were shocked to see the emperor riding such a strange-looking carriage. They opened their eyes wide in shock and looked incredulous.

But soon they all knelt down and shouted: "Long live the emperor! Thousand live the empress!" The sound echoed throughout the street.

Walking all the way to Lin Lang's stall on Zhuque Street, several wives and concubines, led by Chu Yiren, were stunned when they saw Li Zhi and Wu Zetian sitting on an electric tricycle and Lin Lang riding a two-wheeled electric vehicle. They were all shocked and couldn't close their mouths.

Zhou Mengyao was surprised and thought: What's going on? Why did Lin Lang take the Tang Emperor and Wu Zetian out of the palace?

Mu Xueman's eyes widened in shock, and she was secretly shocked: No way! Lin Lang actually bought an electric tricycle for the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. No one else can do that!

Pan Xiaoting was in disbelief, thinking to herself: Oh my god! Brother Lang actually tricked the Tang Emperor out of the palace, and he was riding a modern electric tricycle. Isn't this a ridiculous sight?

The somewhat timid Li Moli hid behind Chu Yiren and whispered weakly, "Sister, the ones sitting on the electric tricycle are Wu Zetian and the Tang Emperor, right?"

Chu Yiren, who remained calm in the face of chaos, smiled softly and replied in a low voice, "That's right, the Wu Zetian portrayed in the TV series is stunningly beautiful, but in person I'm not even as pretty as Mu Xueman, and I can't even compare to Zhou Mengyao's looks."

At the same time, Lin Lang, riding on an electric bike, gave Chu Yiren a subtle wink, and Chu Yiren understood.

Lin Lang parked his electric bike steadily, got off, and quickly walked over to the five wives and concubines headed by Chu Yiren. He whispered, "Don't be nervous. As the Emperor of Shanghai, I have become sworn brothers with Li Zhi. I'll introduce you to each other."

After hearing this, the wives and concubines were shocked and exchanged glances with each other, unable to hide their astonishment and surprise.

Lin Lang smiled and turned around, introducing Li Zhi and Empress Wu: "Come, come, Empress, beloved concubines, this is the Emperor and Empress of the Tang Dynasty. We have now become brothers of different surnames. Why don't you greet us?"

Led by Chu Yiren, several wives and concubines walked lightly, bent their knees slightly, leaned forward, folded their hands at their waists, nodded, and said gracefully, "Greetings to His Majesty the Great Tang and the Empress."

When Li Zhi saw Lin Lang's five wives and concubines, his eyes lit up and he sighed inwardly, "Brother Lin is so lucky! These five are all stunningly beautiful, peerless beauties, truly the envy of others."

Empress Wu was also secretly amazed, thinking to herself, "I didn't expect that the Kingdom of Shanghai not only has so many exquisite and powerful things, but also produces such beautiful women. Brother Lin's wives and concubines are all graceful and beautiful, like fairies in appearance."