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

The two of them exchanged sharp words and banter for a long time, and their laughter echoed in the air for a long time.

Suddenly, Li Shimin's eyes locked on Li Chengqian, and the smiling face gradually lost its relaxed look and became serious.

He first very carefully handed the grandson who was sleeping soundly in his arms to the wet nurse who had been waiting respectfully beside him, his eyes full of reluctance.

Then, he gently waved his hand at Li Chengqian and said, "Come, Chengqian, Aye wants to have a good chat with you."

When Li Chengqian saw Li Shimin's solemn look, he knew clearly in his heart that he must have something extremely important to tell him.

Not daring to neglect it, he lowered his head slightly and replied softly, "Okay."

Li Shimin then led Li Chengqian through the winding corridors and came to an extremely quiet and remote corner.

It was so quiet here that the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the breeze.

"Cheng Qian, there are some things that have been on my mind for a long time, and I must talk to you about them today."

Li Shimin's voice was low.

Li Chengqian nodded, looked at Li Shimin intently, and said, "Father, please feel free to speak."

Li Shimin raised his head slightly, his eyes revealing a melancholy look as he recalled the past. He slowly spoke, "Do you know that when your father-in-law was in power and led us brothers, we were all at peace at first, but eventually we fell into a tragic situation of brothers fighting each other?"

"When I, Father, took over the Tang Dynasty and led your generation, we saw the same mistakes repeated: the same fratricide, the same strife between brothers, the same blood feud."

"Sometimes, in the dead of night, Aye often ponders alone, wondering why every time the throne passes to the Li clan, it inevitably leads to such tragedies of feuding among close relatives."

"Father has been thinking about this over and over again. He thinks that if Father had been able to unwaveringly maintain your position as Crown Prince, ensuring your stability and unshakability, and then diligently recruited those prestigious and experienced senior officials in the court one by one, he could have built a solid team just for you."

"In this case, even if your brothers harbor even the slightest desire for the throne, how could they dare to act rashly in the face of such a powerful obstacle?"

As Li Shimin spoke, he stared into Li Chengqian's eyes, his gaze full of earnestness.

Li Shimin conveyed his innermost thoughts to him without reservation.

Li Chengqian stared at Li Shimin quietly for a moment, then slowly reached out his hand and gently placed it on Li Shimin's shoulder. He said calmly, "Father, if your idea could really come true, my brothers would probably be too afraid to have any more unreasonable thoughts."

"But Aye, ask yourself, can you really trust me completely without any suspicion or worries?"

"Can you calmly face a powerful and increasingly influential prince sharing the supreme imperial power with you?"

"Now, having experienced so much, you might be able to look at things with an open mind. But back then, at the center of that vortex of power, could you really have maintained such a peaceful state of mind?"

After hearing Li Chengqian's sharp and to-the-point words, Li Shimin fell into a long silence.

The surroundings were so quiet that it was a bit depressing, and only the occasional bird calls from afar seemed to break the suffocating silence.

After a long while, Li Shimin sighed heavily and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "You are indeed much better than Aye in handling family matters."

"Aye killed his own flesh and blood brother, and you spared Qingque and Fuji."

"Aye has always made a mess of this aspect of his life, with countless mistakes and omissions."

"Now, the magnificent mountains and rivers of the Tang Dynasty, and its vast territory, are finally in your hands. It is up to you to support this world."

"Father, I truly cannot bear to see our descendants of the Li family trapped in the pain of fratricide and never having peace, because of the terrible precedent set by Father during the Xuanwu Gate Incident."

"Today, Aye has something to ask of you."

Li Chengqian raised his head slightly, looked directly at Li Shimin, and asked, "Father, do you want me to appoint you as the Crown Prince?"

Li Shimin nodded slowly, his expression slightly relaxed, and a hint of hope appeared in his eyes. "That's right. If you can agree to this, then Father will be able to rest a little easier."

"I understand. This child will be the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty. Father, don't worry."

After hearing Li Chengqian's firm promise, Li Shimin's tense nerves finally relaxed.

The Xuanwu Gate Incident he had participated in had sown the seeds of instability for the succession of the Tang Dynasty's throne and set a very bad precedent.

At this moment, he was expecting his son to use his benevolence to turn the tide for the Tang Dynasty and open up a smooth road for the stable and orderly inheritance of the throne and harmonious coexistence between brothers.

"Aye, have you read the news about Li You?"

Li Chengqian suddenly changed the subject and asked calmly.

Li Shimin nodded slightly.

"I saw it."

"Li You has committed such a grave offense. I will never tolerate or condone him. I will definitely not let him stay."

Li Chengqian's voice was cold and hard, without the slightest hesitation.

"Announce my status as the Emperor Emeritus to the world, and I will handle Li You's affairs properly."

"To prevent others from using this to slander you and disrupt the foundation of the Tang Dynasty."

Li Chengqian shook his head slightly, his expression confident: "Don't worry, Father. Your son is now the king of the Tang Dynasty and is not afraid of any malicious slander."