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

After returning to the Jiangxia Palace, Li Daozon's steps were a little heavy, and his heart was full of worries.

After entering the mansion, he went straight to the inner room, looking at his daughter Li Xueyan with a worried look.

All of you go down."

Li Dao Zong's voice was low and echoed in the quiet inner room.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Hearing the noise, the servants retreated quickly and orderly.

Li Daozon sighed softly, and this sigh seemed to carry the fatigue and helplessness he had accumulated over the years of struggle in officialdom.

"Yan'er, Aye has something to tell you."

At this time, Li Xueyan's thoughts were still immersed in the joy of her father's previous mention of asking His Majesty for a marriage for her.

Various beautiful scenes of her possible future with her sweetheart Zhang Xianhuai kept appearing in her mind.

So much so that when he heard Li Dao Zong's call, he was in a trance for a moment, and then he suddenly came to his senses and quickly responded: "Aye, I'm here!"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement and longing, and her cheeks flushed slightly with excitement.

Looking at his distracted daughter, Li Daozon felt mixed emotions.

She knew all about her daughter's deep affection for Zhang Xianhuai, but as a father, he had to consider many practical factors for his daughter's future.

If his son was like this, he would have lost control of his hot temper and might even have kicked him. But when facing his daughter, he was more patient and gentle.

"Yan'er, I'm writing this petition to ask for your hand in marriage, but I must make some promises first."

Li Dao Zong spoke slowly, his eyes showing seriousness.

"Aye is just an idle prince, without any power or influence. He relies on his status as a clan member to barely maintain a peaceful life on the edge of the court."

"But Zhang Xianhuai is different. Don't look at his young age, but he is already a close confidant of His Majesty and holds a high position of power in the court."

"Don't look at how Aye keeps calling him 'that brat'. If Zhang Xianhuai really appeared before Aye, Aye would have to bow respectfully and call him Commander Zhang."

"So whether this matter will succeed or not, Aye cannot guarantee it to you. After all, it mainly depends on the will of His Majesty."

Li Xueyan nodded sensibly. She tried hard to suppress the joy in her heart and tried to make herself look more calm.

"I am already very satisfied that Aye can do this for Yan'er. If it doesn't work out, I can accept it."

"If I like someone, I can't always ask them to like me back, right?"

Her tone was open-minded, as if she had seen through the emotional helplessness in this world, but her slightly trembling voice still revealed a hint of nervousness and uneasiness deep in her heart.

Seeing his daughter being so sensible, Li Daozon felt relieved and nodded slightly.

"It's good that you know. Zhang Xianhuai is already in a high position of power at his age. If he wants to advance further in the future, there is no more he can be promoted to."

"Moreover, the Jinyiwei is a sharp sword in the hands of His Majesty. It may seem glorious, but in fact it is fraught with danger."

"I'm afraid he won't have a good end in the future!"

Li Daozon's voice became deeper and deeper, and his words were filled with worry.

Hearing Li Daozon's words, Li Xueyan widened her eyes, her eyes full of disbelief.

"Aye, no way! Your Majesty trusts him so much."

Her voice trembled slightly, as if she couldn't believe what she heard.

In her opinion, Zhang Xianhuai was deeply favored by His Majesty and was a capable assistant to His Majesty. How could he not have a good end in the future?

Li Daozong glanced at Li Xueyan meaningfully and said slowly, "My daughter, accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger, and the emperor's heart is like an abyss!"

"I watched His Majesty all the way here."

"Aye has experienced many hardships in his life and walked a long way. Naturally, what he has seen and heard is more profound than others. I only dare to say these words to you."

As he spoke, Li Daozon stood up, opened the doors and windows slowly and cautiously, glanced outside with a sharp gaze, and only closed the doors and windows again after making sure that there was no one around.

He performed this series of actions very cautiously, fearing that they would be overheard. Even in his own residence, he did not dare to slack off in the slightest.

"Trust? If you truly trust, Your Majesty wouldn't have a shadow guard."

"Do you know Lu Jingsuo? He was your Majesty's student, and you killed him without hesitation. Why?"

There was a hint of coldness in Li Daozon's eyes.

"Because he, Lu Jingsuo, has violated the imperial power and offended His Majesty's majesty."

"Killing him is to let everyone know that even if it's one of my students, once they cross this line, they will die. So who else can't die?"

"As for other things, they are merely superficial appearances. We must not simply look at the appearances, but delve into their essence."

"In this court, everyone is a good actor, and everyone is working hard to perform their roles well, and Your Majesty is no exception."

"The mere presence of a shadow guard has caused panic in the court. Even someone like me, a marginal figure, has to be extremely careful to avoid being discovered when I want to have a proper conversation with you."

"What about the officials who are now at the center of politics?"

As Li Daozon spoke, he slowly walked in front of Li Xueyan. His figure seemed a little heavy in the slightly dim light in the room.

"Our Majesty seems merciful. He granted amnesty to Ganye Temple. What was his purpose? To win the hearts of women all over the world."

"Everything he did, he had a deep plan behind it."

"In fact, our Majesty has a deep mind, and no one can truly guess it."

Li Daozon lowered his voice, which was filled with a hint of awe and fear.

He had seen too many changes in the power struggle in the palace.

Although Your Majesty is young, every move he makes may contain deep meaning, and these deep meanings are often hidden behind layers of fog, making them difficult to grasp.

Li Xueyan took a deep breath, her eyes revealing a hint of confusion and bewilderment.

"Is Your Majesty such a person?"

She responded softly to Li Dao Zong's words, but her heart was already beginning to waver.

She knew that her father had always had a sharp eye and was very good at judging people. How could what he said be without basis?

But in her heart, His Majesty has always been a superior, majestic and benevolent figure. Now, this image has gradually become blurred in her father's words, leaving her a little at a loss.

Li Daozon glanced at Li Xueyan lightly, raised his hand and touched her head gently, as if to comfort her, but also as if to lament the fickleness of fate.

"If you don't take precautions, how can you stay in that position?"

“Checks and balances are crucial.”

"As the Jinyiwei's power grew, Your Majesty brought in the Shadow Guards to check and balance them. This is understandable."

"The scary thing is, are you sure His Majesty only has the Shadow Guards and the Imperial Guards?"

Li Daozon’s words made Li Xueyan feel cold in her heart.

"But I have to say, our Majesty's style of doing things is indeed a bit strange."

A hint of doubt flashed in Li Daozon's eyes, and that doubt lingered in the depths of his eyes for a long time.

He had been in the palace for many years and had seen Li Shimin's imperial power tactics, but some of Li Chengqian's practices still confused and puzzled him.

Li Xueyan looked at her father's eyes full of doubt, and her curiosity was completely aroused.

I couldn't help but ask, "Aye, what's so strange?"

Li Dao Zong glanced at Li Xueyan dimly and uttered a few words slowly: "Your Majesty, it seems that you put yourself and the people together."

He paused slightly, as if thinking about how to better express his thoughts.

"It seems that all the officials of the Tang Dynasty are his enemies."

His words were like a puzzle, waiting for Li Xueyan to ponder and explore the deeper meaning.

"Aye, why is His Majesty like this? He is supposed to rule the country together with the officials, so why would he regard them as enemies?"

Li Xueyan frowned, her face full of confusion.

Li Dao Zong shook his head slightly. "Since ascending the throne, Your Majesty has implemented many policies that appear to be for the benefit of the Tang Dynasty, but upon closer inspection, they seem to be guarding against officials at every turn."

"Take local governance for example. He strongly supported the Jinyiwei, allowing them to secretly monitor officials' every move. Officials could be punished if they were not careful."

"As for the people, Your Majesty often reduced taxes, built water conservancy projects, and promoted anthracite coal and new policies, which made the people grateful to Your Majesty."

"In this way, the officials trembled in fear under your majesty's pressure, while the people became the solid foundation for your majesty to consolidate the throne."

"But if this goes on for long, how can the officials wholeheartedly assist Your Majesty?" Li Xueyan asked.

"This is His Majesty's art of checks and balances. He doesn't allow officials to be too comfortable, nor does he allow the people to become too dependent on them."

"He held power tightly in his own hands, allowing officials to check and balance each other, and allowing the people to become another force to supervise officials."

"However, while this approach can temporarily stabilize imperial power, it may also cause officials to alienate their loyalty to Your Majesty. If this continues, the officialdom of the Tang Dynasty may undergo a drastic change."

There was a hint of worry in Li Daozon's eyes.

"Wouldn't it be even more dangerous for Zhang Xianhuai to be in this situation?"

A look of worry appeared on Li Xueyan's face again.

"It's true that Zhang Xianhuai is deeply trusted by His Majesty, but the greater the power he holds, the greater the risks he faces."

"The power of the Imperial Guard has already attracted the attention of many officials. If he makes even the slightest mistake, those officials who are dissatisfied with him will inevitably rise up and attack him. It is unknown whether His Majesty will protect him at that time."

"After all, in your majesty's heart, the stability of imperial power always comes first."

Li Dao Zong sighed and said helplessly.

Li Xueyan's eyes grew dim. She knew very well that what her father said was true, but her feelings for Zhang Xianhuai made it difficult for her to let go.

"Aye, what should Yan'er do?"

"We can only wait and see what happens. Aye will do his best to seek marriage for you, but you must also be mentally prepared."

"If things don't go as planned, don't be too sad."

Li Dao Zong comforted.

“Sometimes not fighting is a blessing.”

"Aye, I understand. But I really can't bear to see Zhang Xianhuai fall into such danger."

There was a hint of sob in Li Xueyan's voice.

"Daughter, this is the cruelty of the power struggle."

"In this vortex, no one can help themselves."

"All we can do is try our best to protect ourselves and those around us."

Li Daozon patted Li Xueyan's shoulder gently, giving her a little strength.