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

A train, shrouded in thick smoke, slowly stopped at the platform outside Chang'an City.

Before the sound of the wheels rubbing against the rails had faded away, a mournful cry was heard from the cab.

The crying was heart-wrenching. When the people around heard it, they felt an ominous premonition in their hearts and involuntarily gathered towards the source of the crying.

Everyone's face was filled with confusion and anxiety, and everyone walked in a hurry.

Li Chengqian was seen hugging Fang Xuanling tightly, his body trembling, tears flowing freely, wetting Fang Xuanling's clothes.

Fang Xuanling lay quietly in Li Chengqian's arms, his eyes closed, his face serene, and there seemed to be a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. It was the peaceful expression of him finally being able to rest after working hard for the Tang Dynasty all his life.

Lu Miaoyu was extremely anxious outside the crowd. She pushed through the layers of crowded people with all her might and squeezed to the front regardless of everything.

When her eyes fell on Fang Xuanling, who was holding his hands in Li Chengqian's arms, her eyes widened instantly.

One hand involuntarily covered her mouth, trying to stop the cry that was about to come out, but the trembling lips still uttered with difficulty: "Husband...husband!" This weak voice made everyone around tremble in their hearts.

At this time, Li Shimin was teasing his grandson not far away. The sad crying sound reached his ears, his heart suddenly tightened, and an ominous premonition came to his mind.

His face turned pale in an instant, and the scroll in his hand slipped unconsciously.

Su Zhi held Li Jingyou's hand and followed closely behind.

Li Shimin paused for a moment, suppressing his inner uneasiness, and walked towards this side step by step with heavy steps.

When everyone saw Li Shimin coming, they spontaneously made way for him. They lowered their heads, their faces full of grief.

Li Shimin walked to Li Chengqian and slowly raised his hand. The hand trembled slightly in the air, as if carrying a thousand-pound weight. He gently patted Li Chengqian's shoulder, as if he had used up all his strength.

His eyes fell on Fang Xuanling's smiling face in his son's arms, and in an instant, tears blurred his eyes.

In just half a year, first Wei Zheng passed away, and now Fang Xuanling has also left him.

These successive blows were like a surging tide, drowning him and leaving him mentally and physically exhausted.

His hands kept shaking. He wanted to touch Fang Xuanling, to feel the once familiar temperature and pulse, to confirm whether all this was just a nightmare, but he was afraid that this touch would break the last bit of tranquility before his eyes.

Those hands trembled in the air for a long time, not daring to fall.

A sharp pain like needles stirred violently in his mind, and the pain seemed to tear his head apart.

He could no longer bear the heavy pain, and he hugged his head tightly with both hands. His legs went soft and he fell straight back.

Yuchi Jingde and Cheng Yaojin had been paying attention to Li Shimin's every move. When they saw this scene, they were shocked and immediately rushed forward, supporting Li Shimin on the left and right, using their arms to support his shaky body and prevent him from falling to the ground.

Cheng Yaojin shouted anxiously, "Hurry up, hurry up! The emperor is having a stroke!"

His voice was anxious and frightened, and everyone suddenly panicked and ran over to help.

……

In the palace, under the careful care of everyone, Li Shimin's rheumatism relapsed due to excessive grief, and he finally recovered after taking medicine.

Fang Xuanling's body was solemnly placed in the Daming Palace by Li Chengqian. This was a special honor given by Li Chengqian to this loyal minister of the Tang Dynasty to highlight his immortal contributions to the country throughout his life, instead of being placed in Fang's mansion as per convention.

All this happened so suddenly, and Fang Xuanling left so hurriedly that Li Chengqian looked a little dazed.

He waved his hand, not letting the eunuchs behind him follow him, and walked slowly into the Liangyi Hall alone.

The Liangyi Hall was quiet and deserted, with a faint atmosphere of sadness.

The sunlight shines through the gaps in the windows onto the ground, forming streaks of light and shadows, but it cannot dispel the gloom in the hall.

Every cabinet member has an exclusive cup neatly placed in the cabinet, which is a symbol of their participation in court affairs and assisting the king.

As the chief minister of the cabinet, Fang Xuanling's cup was naturally placed first and was particularly conspicuous.

Li Chengqian stood quietly in front of the cabinet, looking at the cups with empty eyes.

Originally, he was delighted to think that after returning to Chang'an today, he would invite Fang Xuanling to Liangyi Hall to drink tea and chat together, discuss court affairs, and plan for the future of the country.

They would argue over a new policy until their faces turned red, and they would also smile knowingly at each other for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.

At this moment, the tea leaves had already been carefully placed in the cup with Fang Xuanling's name on it. The specially supplied tea leaves were still waiting for the owner to arrive, but the person who drank the tea had left forever.

Li Chengqian dragged his heavy steps to the familiar armchair, slowly sat down, and stared blankly at the position in front of him that was so familiar that it couldn't be more familiar.

Once upon a time, Fang Xuanling had been sitting there, smiling, reporting his work to him in a clear and organized manner. His steady voice seemed to still echo in his ears.

Sometimes he passionately describes the country's development opportunities, and sometimes he mentions potential crises with concern.

However, from now on, he will never come again.

Li Chengqian sighed, then he leaned weakly on the armchair, closed his eyes, and immersed himself in memories, unwilling to face this cruel reality.

The first thing Li Shimin said after waking up was to anxiously ask, "Where is Fang Xuanling?"

The moment he woke up, his head was still a little dizzy, but he was secretly glad in his heart, thinking that he had just had a terrible nightmare. In the dream, Fang Xuanling left him.

However, when he slowly opened his eyes, looked around, and saw the solemn expressions on the faces of the old brothers surrounding him, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Cold sweat instantly emerged from his back like fine water beads, wetting his clothes.

He didn't have time to put on his shoes and ran out in a hurry, completely disregarding his appearance.

Seeing this, the group of old brothers behind him hurriedly followed, their eyes also filled with sadness.

This winter seems to be particularly cold for the Tang Dynasty.

At the beginning of the seventh year of the Qianwu reign, Fang Gong Xuanling passed away. The Supreme Emperor and Your Majesty mourned deeply, weeping until their clothes wet their collars. All the officials, remembering his virtue, came to offer their condolences. Your Majesty was overwhelmed with grief in the Liangyi Hall, shedding tears all night long.

Your Majesty suspended court for three days to express mourning and commend him for his meritorious services. He posthumously awarded him the title of Grand Marshal and Governor of Bingzhou, bestowed upon him the posthumous title of Wen Zhao, gifted him with the secret weapon of Dongyuan, and granted him permission to be buried in Zhaoling Mausoleum. All of this was because he assisted the government and made outstanding contributions. Few ministers could match his honors and favors.