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

Auspicious dragons dance and plum blossoms fill the air. It is the New Year's Day, a time of renewed hope. The city of Xianyang is decorated with lanterns and colorful lights everywhere, and the sounds of joy and laughter seem to warm up this cold winter.

But under the carved beams and painted buildings of the sanatorium, Li Chengqian felt as if he was in an ice cellar, with a chill all over his body. This year's New Year's Day became the most fearful day of his life.

In the dim morning light, there was a deep sense of uneasiness hidden in the depths of his eyes, which made people feel cold.

Li Chengqian stood alone in front of the window, looking at the snow on the eaves of the palace in the distance, his brows furrowed, and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

The wheel of time rolls forward relentlessly, never paying attention to the wishes of the world.

The eighth year of Qianwu, a year that caused waves in the long river of history, finally arrived unstoppably with a breath of fate.

This year was the 23rd year of Zhenguan, which was said by later generations to have marked the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty.

In the dead of night, Li Chengqian would sit alone in his study, constantly asking himself: After all these years of exhausting his energy and thought, have I left my own unique mark on history? Have I truly changed the trajectory of my destiny?

If you think about it carefully, the Tang Dynasty has indeed undergone earth-shaking changes, and new and strange scenes that never existed before can be seen everywhere.

Steam engines provide a constant supply of powerful power to busy factories.

In the factory, workers are busy shuttling around amid the roar of machines. Exquisite objects and gorgeous fabrics are born from their hands. The speed and output are far beyond any time before.

On the railway tracks outside the city, trains roared past, loaded with goods and specialties from all over the place as well as travelers with dreams, shuttling between the vast mountains and rivers of the Tang Dynasty, as if to closely connect the land of the nine states together.

In the fields, the originally sparse and ordinary crops have now been replaced by the hybrid crops strongly promoted by Li Chengqian. The plump ears of grain sway gently in the breeze. Their high yield has brought unprecedented wealth to the people of the Tang Dynasty.

But Li Chengqian felt another kind of helplessness in his heart that was hard to describe.

Although the world seems to have changed because of him, in the long river of fate, some things remain as steadfast as a rock.

Those old ministers of the Zhenguan period who used to sit in the court are falling one after another like shooting stars and disappearing in the sky of history.

Wei Zheng is gone, and Fang Xuanling, Li Jing, Tang Jian... these ministers who once made great contributions to the establishment of the Tang Dynasty also failed to escape the ruthless erosion of time and bid farewell to the Tang Dynasty for which they fought all their lives.

Although Wei Zheng stayed in this world for two years longer than the years recorded in history books, and so did Empress Zhangsun, this short stay seemed more like fate's final joke to Li Chengqian, and it was difficult to dispel the fear deep in his heart.

Because, in history, the 23rd year of Zhenguan was the year when Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, passed away.

This made him unable to sleep or eat.

Countless times in the dead of night, he had rehearsed in his mind the various situations that might happen in the year, from the complicated etiquette arrangements in the palace to the strategies for calming and stabilizing the people when they were in panic.

He pondered every detail in his mind and considered every possible variable carefully.

It seemed that everything was under his control, and he would be able to deal with it calmly when that day came.

But every time the dawn broke and he woke up from that brief dream, he felt so insignificant when he thought of the moment that was about to come.

All his preparations vanished in that instant, and the fear in his heart almost suffocated him.

But life must go on. This year's New Year's Day, the Tang Dynasty was still a prosperous scene with singing and dancing.

In the sanatorium, Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde, two witty and humorous old ministers, shine with unique brilliance in this court feast.

Cheng Yaojin held the wine glass high in his hand, the wine rippled in the glass and spilled some on his sleeves, but he was completely unaware. He used his loud voice to tell the thrilling yet interesting stories on the battlefield, dancing and making everyone laugh.

Yuchi Jingde sat aside with a smile on his face, occasionally interjecting a few jokes.

They told these stories almost every year, and Li Chengqian listened to them every year.

My ears are getting calluses from hearing so much.

But he always listened carefully.

What they tell is not a story, but their magnificent life.

Everyone misses the high spirits of their youth.

What a pity, I’m old.

Li Chengqian glanced at the two old ministers, watching their carefree and unrestrained appearance and listening to their hearty laughter.

The corners of his mouth unconsciously rose, revealing a long-lost smile.

If it weren't for these two old ministers who were like living treasures and making a lot of noise on this festive day, this year's New Year's Day would probably be so cold and lonely that it would be unbearable.

……

The bustling and noisy New Year's Day gradually faded away and eventually returned to normal.

Surprisingly, Li Shimin's health began to improve.

On sunny days, he often wore casual clothes, holding a delicate flower hoe in his hand, and bent over to carefully tend to the beautiful flowers and plants.

Occasionally, he would make an appointment with Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde to go to the most famous bathhouse together.

Enjoy the relaxation brought by the massage master's skilled techniques.

Li Shimin would appear outside the school on time like any other elder in an ordinary family.

When the children get home from school, he will hold their hands, buy some snacks, and walk back to the nursing home together to enjoy this rare family happiness.

Li Chengqian saw the peaceful scene and felt happy in his heart. His heart, which had been hanging in the air for a long time, finally slowly let go.

Although the hidden worries deep in his heart are still lingering like silk threads, at this moment, he only cares about the present!

This year was destined to be an unusual year for the officials in Chang'an, disrupting their originally peaceful official career.

The atmosphere of the New Year had not yet completely dissipated when a piece of news that shocked the government and the public came out.

His Majesty left Chang'an without any warning and without revealing any whereabouts. He disappeared from everyone's sight as if he had evaporated from the face of the earth.

For a time, the entire Chang'an officialdom was plunged into speculation, people were in panic, and rumors were everywhere.

All matters of the court, big or small, will be temporarily managed by the Cabinet under the order of Your Majesty.

But the officials' minds were not at all focused on daily government affairs. They were sitting on pins and needles, as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

No one knew exactly where His Majesty had gone. All we knew was that when His Majesty traveled, he was accompanied by Commander Zhang, General Qin, and fifty Xianyang Jinyiwei.

As soon as the news came out, local officials felt as if they were facing a great enemy and everyone was in danger.

They lived in fear all day long, lost their appetite and could not sleep, for fear that His Majesty would suddenly appear in their jurisdiction at some unexpected moment.

The thought of His Majesty discovering some issues that are usually overlooked would lead to disastrous consequences. At the very least, my career would be blocked and I would be demoted or exiled. At worst, I would lose my official position and my family might even be implicated, suffering a devastating disaster.

So, in the first three months, they were all on high alert and did not dare to slack off at all.

In the local county government office, officials stayed at their posts day and night. Their eyes were bloodshot, but they still forced themselves to stay awake, constantly flipping through files from previous years, carefully checking the implementation of various government affairs, and becoming extremely strict in supervising their subordinates. They would never let go of even the smallest mistake and would fly into a rage at the slightest dissatisfaction.

Patrols in the streets and alleys have become more frequent, and the figures of constables can be seen everywhere. They keep their eyes wide open and do not miss any corner where problems may arise. The entire local officialdom is shrouded in a tense and depressing atmosphere, which is suffocating.

But as time went on, there was no movement from His Majesty, and their tense nerves slowly relaxed, gradually returning to their previous state. The inertia that had been temporarily restrained due to fear also quietly grew again, as if everything was just a false alarm. The past vigilance was thrown out of the window, and they fell into the comfort and laziness of the past again.

In Jiangnan Road, there is a small town called Wuxian, which exudes a unique charm.

Here, the climate is pleasant and surrounded by green water, it is like a paradise on earth.

The Jiangnan region has been a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery since ancient times. It is known as "the children of Jiangdong are talented and capable", which is by no means an empty compliment.

(At this time, there was no Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Lü Meng was still in the Temple of Martial Arts, so there was no such thing as the Jiangdong rats!)

This place has a profound cultural heritage and has produced many literati and poets.

Moreover, the people of Jiangnan Road seem to be born with a keen business mind and a hard-working spirit, and are very keen on doing business.

The streets and alleys are lined with shops, and people are coming and going, making it very lively.

From fine silk and delicate porcelain to fresh fruits and vegetables and delicious delicacies, there is a wide variety of goods available.

When Li Chengqian just ascended the throne, the economic situation of Jiangnan Road was acceptable, but not particularly outstanding. Compared with Shaanxi Road, it was only on par with it and had no obvious advantages.

Today, the economic development of Jiangnan Road is rapid. It has occupied half of the economy of the Tang Dynasty and has become a well-deserved prosperous place.

Among them, the rise of sea transportation undoubtedly played a crucial role.

Those tall merchant ships braved the wind and waves and sailed towards the distant ocean.

They were loaded with Jiangnan specialties such as silk, tea, porcelain, etc., and shipped to various countries overseas in exchange for a large amount of gold, silver, treasures and rare treasures.

At the dock, porters were busy shuttling between ships and warehouses, sweating profusely but with happy faces. Boxes of goods were loaded and unloaded ashore, witnessing the prosperity of Jiangnan Road.

This not only opened up a vast market for merchants in Jiangnan, allowing them to earn huge profits, but also enabled the economy of Jiangnan Road to flourish. The living standards of the people also improved significantly, and every family lived and worked in peace and contentment, with laughter and joy in every household.

Zhang Xianhuai and Qin Ruzhao followed Li Chengqian quietly. They were dressed in plain casual clothes and walked steadily. The swords hanging at their waists swayed slightly as they walked, making slight sounds.

At this moment, they lowered their heads, their eyes filled with awe, not daring to overstep their bounds in the slightest.

The two of them didn't dare to say a word for a long time, but just silently paid attention to everything around them.

Ever since His Majesty came to Wu County, they noticed that His Majesty's expression had become unusually solemn, and there was no trace of his usual smile on his face.

There was worry hidden in those deep eyes, making it difficult to understand.

They looked around and couldn't help wondering what was so different about Wu County.

Every tree here is carefully wrapped in a thick layer of red cotton. From a distance, it looks bright red and extremely festive.

The bright red color looks particularly dazzling under the sunlight, and is a vivid portrayal of the prosperous life of the people on this land.

Even the trees are cared for so carefully, the people here must live a very rich and happy life.

But here lies the problem!