Li Shimin faked his death? Then I will be powerful enough to conquer the world!

The seven-day court meeting finally began.

The officials have long been disturbed by the recent situation. They are full of worries and eager to meet Your Majesty in person to express their thoughts and feelings.

However, His Majesty never agreed.

In desperation, all officials could only convey their ideas and suggestions to the emperor through the cabinet.

……

Li Chengqian did not wear the dragon robe that symbolizes the emperor's majesty today, but wore the red robe he wore when he first ascended the throne.

His hair was not carefully groomed and he walked into the court with his hair disheveled.

When the civil and military officials in the hall saw Li Chengqian's disheveled appearance, they became more and more panicked.

Has Your Majesty given up on yourself because of this difficult situation?

These days, memorials have piled up like a mountain in the Liangyi Hall.

Among them, the memorials from Chang'an officials were complicated and diverse in content.

Some tried their best to comfort His Majesty, pleading with him to curb his somewhat radical and bellicosity, and to show more kindness to the people in order to reassure them.

Some spoke passionately, firmly advocating the complete eradication of the aristocratic families, which were a cancer that was harming the foundation of the Tang Dynasty.

Most of those who advocated war were young officials in Xianyang. They were full of ambition and wanted to fight hard for the reform of the Tang Dynasty.

However, the current situation in the Tang Dynasty is extremely serious. Even the experienced and shrewd ministers in the cabinet find it difficult to have optimistic expectations for the future.

Even if they won in the end, the Tang Dynasty would be riddled with holes!

As soon as Li Chengqian sat down on the dragon throne, Fang Xuanling involuntarily took a step forward.

His face was filled with anxiety, and his voice trembled slightly as he said, "Your Majesty, the Tang Dynasty is now mired in chaos."

"When the army besieged Beizhou, many soldiers from various states, under the strong influence of the aristocratic families, rushed to Hebei Province to rescue it."

"These people have now become traitors."

Within the six realms of the Great Tang, flames of war rage and smoke rises everywhere."

"Your Majesty, please decide on a response plan as soon as possible. Do not let innocent people suffer the ravages of war!"

"The people of the Tang Dynasty have suffered enough and cannot stand this kind of torture, Your Majesty!"

Fang Xuanling's eyes were full of earnestness and uneasiness. Although he had anticipated this before, he had never imagined that the situation had deteriorated to such a state.

Li Chengqian slowly stood up and walked down the dragon platform with steady steps.

There was determination in his eyes, and he didn't stop until he reached Fang Xuanling.

"My dear ministers, these days, my desk has been filled with memorials from you all."

"Some advised me to submit to the noble families and seek peace in order to maintain peace in the world."

"After all, the family's heritage stretches back hundreds of years, and their roots are deep. They claim that attacking them will inevitably lead to natural and man-made disasters."

"Some of my beloved ministers have urged me that since we have already dispatched the army, we must not waver in our resolve. We should act with all our might, uproot the power of the aristocratic families, and achieve a great cause that will endure for generations to come."

Li Chengqian's eyes slowly swept over the ministers in the court, and then he turned his back and stared at the dragon throne that was high above and symbolized the supreme imperial power.

He slowly extended his right hand, pointed forcefully at the Dragon Throne, and said, "My dear ministers, look at that Dragon Throne. Since ancient times, whoever sat on that chair became the ruler of the world."

"I am now sitting on this dragon throne. Logically, I should be the master of the Tang Dynasty, but is this really the case?"

Hearing Li Chengqian's words, Mr. Qi took a step forward without hesitation. With a firm look on his face, he said in a resounding voice, "Your Majesty is of course the master of this Tang Dynasty!"

Li Chengqian turned around, his eyes fell on Mr. Qi, and after a quick glance, he said, "Grandmaster Qi, I don't think I am the true master of the Tang Dynasty."

"In my opinion, those aristocratic families are the real masters behind the scenes of the Tang Dynasty!"

"I rule over the ten empires of the Tang Dynasty. Now, except for four border armies that are still under my control, half of the troops in the remaining six can openly rebel against me at the command of the aristocratic families."

"In this situation, can I still be considered the master of this world?"

The masters of these troops are clearly aristocratic families. As long as the aristocratic families survive, do you want me to become a puppet emperor manipulated by them at will?"

Li Chengqian's words echoed in the court, and the entire court fell silent in an instant. The ministers looked at each other, and no one dared to speak easily.

"Lord Wei!"

Li Chengqian's voice broke the silence.

"The old minister is here!"

Wei Zheng quickly responded.

"Lord Wei, let me ask you, if I ordered you to die, would you be willing?"

Li Chengqian stared at Wei Zheng.

Wei Zheng did not hesitate, straightening his back and saying, "If the ruler wishes for the death of his subjects, it would be disloyalty if he does not!"

"Fang Yiai! What will you do if your father tells you to die?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Yiai immediately stood up, knelt on his knees, kowtowed and said: "My father wants me to die, and I am unfilial if I don't die."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, then said seriously, "But these aristocratic families exploit the local people and openly defy the imperial power."

"I am now sending troops to conquer them. Am I doing something wrong?"

Li Chengqian patted Mr. Qi's shoulder gently and said in a slightly tired tone, "Everyone, go down."

"So many events, both ancient and modern, have ultimately become mere jokes for future generations to talk about."

"Heroes and heroes emerge in the world, as numerous as the fish in the river."

"The passage of thousands of years is but the ripening of wheat thousands of times; dynasties come and go, and the world is ever-changing."

"I have long been mentally prepared for the situation that the Tang Dynasty finds itself in today."

"My dear ministers, do not worry. I will surely win this battle! The troops led by the noble families were simply deceived by their superiors and had no choice but to obey."

Wei Zheng watched Li Chengqian take a step forward and shouted, "Your Majesty, the aristocratic families must be destroyed. The Tang Dynasty still has 600,000 border troops ready for battle!"

"They are all brave and good at fighting, so why should they be afraid of the disaster caused by a mere aristocratic family?"

Hearing Wei Zheng's words, Li Chengqian felt a warmth in his heart.

He looked at Wei Zheng with gratitude, then said calmly: "No matter what happens, the border troops must not move rashly."

"Even if the Tang Dynasty is plagued by internal turmoil, it is ultimately our own business."

"But if we rashly deploy border troops, leaving the border defenses vulnerable, we will invite wolves into our home and invite external disasters."

"The people of the Tang Dynasty are already suffering so much, how can I bear to let them be trampled and ravaged by the iron hoofs of foreigners?"

"I am confident that I can properly resolve the calamity of the aristocratic family."

"Convey my decree and order Chang'an to immediately prepare 100,000 troops and horses."

"I am determined to lead the army in person and will wipe out the threat posed by the aristocratic families in one fell swoop."

When the ministers heard Li Chengqian's order to lead the army in person, they were still worried, but seeing that the emperor was determined, they could only obey the order in unison.

After the court was dismissed, Li Chengqian returned to Liangyi Hall alone.

The Tang Dynasty has reached a critical juncture where it must fall before it can be rebuilt.