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

In the depressing atmosphere, Li Chengqian's voice of "Ru Zhao, come here!" broke the silence.

Qin Ruzhao reacted immediately. He stood up swiftly and walked quickly to Li Chengqian.

After standing still, he raised his hands respectfully, lowered his head slightly, and waited quietly for Li Chengqian's inquiries.

"Come, Ruzhao, talk to these old veterans and decide whether Li You should be killed or not."

Li Chengqian's voice was calm, and his eyes slowly swept over the ministers present.

Qin Ruzhao responded without hesitation, "Your Majesty! You deserve to be killed!"

That voice made everyone's heart tremble.

"Come, all officials in Xianyang, stand up and answer me!"

Li Chengqian gave the order again.

Half of the young officials in Xianyang who were kneeling on the ground stood up in unison.

There was a youthful vigor and courage in their eyes, completely different from those old ministers who had experienced the vicissitudes of life.

High spirits.

"Come, tell me, should Li You be killed?"

Li Chengqian looked straight at these young officials.

"Deserves to be killed!"

They shouted in unison, their voices filled with determination to kill Li You. This strong emotion surged in the square, impacting every corner.

Li Shimin's eyes, which were originally closed, slowly opened, and his gaze quickly fell on the ministers below who were clearly divided into two groups.

One group is the old ministers who had accompanied him through the Zhenguan years. They have calm expressions, and the years have left deep marks on their faces, as well as rich experience and deep thoughts.

The other group is Li Chengqian's new ministers. These young people are full of vigor and vitality, like the rising sun, with a new atmosphere and fearless courage.

Li Shimin's heart moved slightly, and he had already noticed the subtle differences hidden in it.

Li Chengqian then pressed on, "Come, tell me why Li You must be killed?"

"Oppress the people!"

"Oppress the people!"

"Oppress the people!"

The roars of the young officials were deafening.

With every shout, the anger on their faces grew.

These roars deeply shocked many old ministers of the Zhenguan period who were kneeling on the ground.

They had previously secretly speculated on the possible reasons His Majesty might give for executing the King of Qi, such as the crime of treason, the execution of the imperial official Quan Wanji, etc. They had thought of many possible reasons.

However, the fact that the King of Qi oppressed the people was never included in their list.

In their long-held concept, it seemed natural for a prince to massacre a few civilians in his own fiefdom. This had been the case throughout the dynasties and had long become a tacit rule. Everyone was accustomed to it and did not think it was a serious crime punishable by death.

When Li Shimin heard the answers of these young officials, a complex emotion suddenly surged in his heart, mixed with a sense of self-deprecation.

In his mind, Li You was a person who was unforgivable and must be put to death. Even if Li Chengqian had not mentioned it, he would never let go of a person suspected of treason. After all, treason was a red line that absolutely could not be touched in his mind.

He was originally certain that Li Chengqian's idea would be exactly the same as his own, but now, the answer given by his son was completely different.

Li Chengqian actually wanted to bring Li You to justice for the sake of the people. Behind this seemingly simple reason, there is actually a profound meaning.

Truly take the concept of "the people are more important than the king" as the guiding principle.

Throughout history, countless emperors have found it difficult to reach this level. Even he himself, during his long imperial career, gradually forgot these words that he once regarded as his motto as time went by.

As an emperor, he unconsciously drifted away from the people. In his subconscious, the emperor was high above and there was an insurmountable gap between him and ordinary people, and the two could not be compared.

At this moment, Li Chengqian's actions and ideas were like a heavy hammer, severely awakening his long-dormant original intention.

He couldn't help but fall into a deep trance. The grand oath he made when he started the army in the past, the ambition to save the people from dire straits and let them live a stable and prosperous life, seemed to be gradually blurred and almost forgotten under the erosion of time.

He originally started his army in order to save the people from the suffering of war and displacement, and he wanted to become a wise monarch so that the people could have enough food and clothing.

But now, he realized that he had deviated from his original ideals. The longer he was in power and the higher his status, the greater the distance between him and the people, and the further he was from his original intention.

In his heart, the death of a few ordinary people seemed like a trivial matter that could no longer stir up any emotional ripples.

At this time, all the old ministers of Zhenguan hung their heads in shame. They also reflected deeply in their hearts, wondering when such a huge change had taken place in them, and how their former passion and original intentions had been completely exhausted.

When Li Chengqian heard the answer from the young official from Xianyang, the coldness on his face eased slightly.

He said calmly, "Everyone, get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" All the old ministers expressed their gratitude in unison and slowly stood up, their movements still awkward and uneasy.

Li Chengqian held the gold-bronze belt in one hand.

He slowly walked up to Li You, who was tied tightly to a stone pillar. At this moment, he had long lost his former arrogance and domineering attitude. There was only endless fear and despair in his eyes, and his body was trembling slightly with fear.

"Li You, how can you be so shameless as to ask me to let you go?"

Li Chengqian's voice was cold

"If I let you go, where will justice be sought for the people you slaughtered? You can plead with me, but who can those innocent people turn to for their grievances?"

At this point, Li Chengqian erupted in anger. He suddenly raised his voice and shouted at Li You, "Those people begged you to spare them. Did you ever show any mercy? Did you ever give them a chance to live?"

"Today, you begged me to let you go, but why should I let you go?"

Before he finished speaking, Li Chengqian raised his belt high with both hands, and the belt gleamed with a cold metallic luster in the sunlight.

He used all his strength and smashed towards Li You. The belt drew a sharp arc in the air and fell heavily on Li You with a tremendous force.

Again and again, each fall was accompanied by a dull thud and splattering blood, the sound being particularly terrifying in the silent square.

Li Chengqian's eyes were burning with anger. He vented all his hatred for Li You, his guilt and sense of responsibility towards the people through this belt.

Li You was able to scream in pain at first under the violent beating, but as the beating continued, his voice became weaker and weaker, until finally, he was beaten to a bloody mess and had no breath left.

A strong smell of blood filled the air, and deathly silence enveloped every corner. The only sound left was the dripping sound of blood from Li Chengqian's blood-stained belt.