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

Li Shimin returned to the slightly empty study alone. He slowly sat down at the desk, raised his hand and unbuttoned the collar of his outer robe, trying to release the inexplicable feeling of depression.

He moved a little slowly and took out the letter written to him by Yuchi Jingde from his arms.

The paper of this letter is a little wrinkled. It is not difficult to imagine that Li Shimin subconsciously stroked it repeatedly during the time he kept it in his arms.

When you unfold the letter, you can see traces of scribbles and corrections everywhere, as if you can see the struggle Yuchi Jingde felt when he was writing it with difficulty on his sickbed.

At the beginning of the letter, the six crooked characters "Personally written by His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin" instantly brought Li Shimin back to the past.

At that time, he was still the King of Qin, with many brave generals under his command, and Yuchi Jingde was the most dazzling one among them.

"Your Highness, it's been a long time since I last called you that. As a rough man like me, I prefer calling you Your Highness rather than Your Majesty. By the time you read this letter, I might no longer be here."

"Your Highness, please don't be sad. I, Yuchi Jingde, have no regrets in my life. I have lived a glorious life. I even got a job as a door god with Brother Qin. This is a good thing!"

"If I were to say what I'm most worried about, it's not my family or my children, but you, Your Highness."

Li Shimin's eyes instantly became moist. Yuchi Jingde's loyalty to him was deep in his bones.

After years of fighting side by side, their relationship is no longer just that of a monarch and his subjects, but more like brothers who share life and death.

"I dare not die. I dare not let Your Highness see me die. I can't bear to leave Your Highness. If there is an afterlife, I, Yuchi Jingde, will go downstairs and wait for you, Your Highness the Prince of Qin. In the next life, I, Yuchi Jingde, will still hold the spear for you."

Li Shimin's hand gently stroked the words, and tears fell on the letter paper, blending with the dried water stains.

He remembered that on the battlefield, Yuchi Jingde always followed closely behind him and blocked countless fatal attacks for him.

"I once told Li Jiancheng's staff that I would have to wait until my next life for him to recruit me, because I can never repay His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin for his kindness in this lifetime."

"Now it seems that I won't be able to repay it in my next life, hehe."

He continued reading, "Your Highness, these days, I lie in bed and often think of the past."

"I am a general of the defeated Sui army. I am grateful that Your Highness looks up to me and trusts me. No one else is optimistic about me, but only you, Your Highness, believe in my surrender."

When they first met Yuchi Jingde, everyone was skeptical about his surrender, but Li Shimin was the only one who ignored the opposition and accepted him.

"Forget it, Your Highness, let's not talk about those women's behavior. I just often can't help but think of the days when I followed Your Highness to conquer the world."

"On Mount Beimang, Your Highness and I tested the enemy's formation, and at Hulao Pass, Your Highness led his troops with his back to the water."

"Three thousand defeated a hundred thousand, and captured two kings in one battle."

"Following His Highness to conquer the world is the most satisfying thing in my life."

"The Lord of the World should come and sit down."

"Actually, Your Highness, I, Yuchi Jingde, am not that powerful. I am just an ordinary person. It is you who think I am powerful. I don't want to destroy my image in your heart, so I have been pretending to be powerful."

"If I were really that powerful, I wouldn't have been captured by Brother Qin."

"The truly powerful person is you, Your Highness!"

"Oh, Your Highness, I really can't bear to leave you. I never thought that I would end up lying in bed, dying of old age. This life has been like a dream. Will I be able to see Your Highness again in the next life? What I fear most is that I will never see Your Highness again."

Li Shimin's tears flowed freely.

"There's nothing else to worry about."

"Your Highness, I don't know what to say to you. There are so many things I want to say, but I don't know how to say them. If I say them, it will seem pretentious."

"I, this old minister, will go first. Just like before, I will explore the way for His Highness. They are all waiting for me below."

"Your Highness, take care of yourself and don't be sad! I, Yuchi Jingde, am not worth your sadness."

In the end, only two words were left.

"Take care of yourself."

Li Shimin held the letter tightly against his chest.

He murmured to himself, "Don't worry, I will take care of myself, but there are fewer and fewer old friends like me..."

There are not many people left, not many people left.

Li Shimin was filled with loneliness. Those brothers who had been through thick and thin with him had now gradually left him.

At this moment, there was a gentle knock on his door. Li Shimin wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to make his voice sound calmer: "Come in."

The door slowly opened, and Li Chengqian walked in with Cheng Yaojin and Li Ji.

Seeing Li Chengqian, Li Shimin glanced at him and said, "Chengqian, why are you here? There are a lot of things going on in the court recently. How can you leave?"

Li Chengqian looked at Li Shimin's haggard face and felt a dull pain in his heart.

"It's not too bad, it's not too busy. I was a little worried about you, so I came here. Will you come back to Chang'an with me?"

Li Chengqian asked tentatively.

Going to Chang'an was indeed more convenient for Li Chengqian, and he could also take care of Li Shimin more easily.

We can arrive in time no matter what happens.

But Li Shimin shook his head, his eyes revealing reluctance, "Why go to Chang'an? I'm fine here, everyone is here."

At this point, Li Shimin paused, as if recalling something, "Besides, I still have You'er, don't worry, I will be fine, just take care of yourself."

There was concern in Li Shimin's voice. He was worried about Li Chengqian and couldn't let go of You'er either.

"Besides, there are trains now, and it only takes half a day to get to Chang'an."

"Don't worry, I don't feel anything at all about Yuchi Jingde's departure. I'm not as sad as before.

"I won't faint from grief like before, so don't worry."

Li Shimin spoke in a nonchalant manner, trying to reassure everyone.

After hearing Li Shimin's words, Li Chengqian fell silent.

Of course he knew that Li Shimin was speaking the truth. Behind those seemingly light-hearted words, there was a sadness that he could not bear.

This is a mental state in which the overwhelming grief leads to a numbness of emotional response.

If sadness is accumulated for too long, it will eventually lead to disaster.

Li Chengqian didn't say anything, and Li Ji and Cheng Yaojin who followed him naturally wouldn't speak first either.

The three of them stood there quietly.

Li Shimin frowned as he looked at the three silent people in front of him. "Why aren't you talking?"

"Cheng Qian, if you are too busy, go back quickly. Before you leave, go see You'er. He misses you very much and keeps talking about you to me. Go see the emperor. I am planning to take him to Chang'an to see you."

"It's a good thing you're here. I don't have to take him to Chang'an anymore."

Li Shimin tried to break the depressing atmosphere, with a hint of helplessness in his words.

Li Chengqian nodded and looked at Li Shimin who was chattering away. For a moment, he felt that he was extremely precious.

Suddenly, his heart ached, and he hugged Li Shimin tightly, saying with a choked voice, "Aye, you must be well and take care of yourself."

"My son is always here."

"You'er will be there too."

When Li Shimin heard Li Chengqian's voice, he suddenly relaxed.

He patted Li Chengqian's back gently and said, "I know. You're already grown up, but it's not nice to hug an old man like me."

"As long as you are here, no matter how old I am, I am still a child."