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

Li Chengqian's eyes were as cold as ice as he examined the ministers who were neatly arranged in front of His Highness one by one.

He knew very well that although these ministers appeared respectful on the surface, they were extremely unhappy deep down.

But he had made up his mind, and this matter must be done.

Looking back, whenever the border war was tense, these ministers would always propose without hesitation to recruit children from ordinary people to go to the front line.

Those young lives, some were just teenagers just starting out, and some were even newly married, but they were forced to leave their warm hometowns and rush to the battlefield where life and death were uncertain, defending the territory of the Tang Dynasty with their blood and lives.

At the same time, these ministers sat firmly in the rear, and during the peaceful years, they were busy erecting monuments and writing biographies for themselves. They unceremoniously took the glory that the soldiers on the front line had exchanged their lives for, sang praises for them, and boasted about themselves as great heroes of the country.

When Li Chengqian thought of this, the anger in his heart could not be suppressed and rose up.

Why? In the Qianwu Dynasty, no one could truly rest easy. Even the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty dared not slack off in the slightest.

"It seems that you, my dear ministers, can't think of which child to send as an envoy right now?"

Li Chengqian broke the silence, "Then I will make a decision for you, my dear ministers. Every household must send one of your children to form the Tang Dynasty's diplomatic mission to India."

He leaned back slightly, his eyes as sharp as a hawk, slowly scanning the faces of each minister one by one, not missing any subtle changes in their expressions.

"I know all about the family situations of all my dear ministers. Don't think you can get away with it."

His tone became increasingly cold, and there was no possibility of changing this decree.

"When the delegation goes out, I will personally check the number of people. Don't even think about replacing your children with children from ordinary families. My Imperial Guards are keeping a close eye on you."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes, a warning that sent shivers down one's spine. "Those with no children or only one son in their family do not need to participate in this mission."

After saying this, he leaned back in his chair and slowly scanned the ministers again. "My dear ministers, do you have anything else to say? If not, let's end today's court meeting here."

There was a dead silence in the hall. The ministers looked at each other, and no one dared to speak first, for fear of saying something wrong and angering the emperor.

Seeing this, Li Chengqian raised the corners of his mouth slightly, then stood up, his sleeves fluttering, and walked out of the hall.

As soon as he left, the Taiji Hall, which had been so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, suddenly exploded like a pot of boiling water.

"Oh no! We only have two children! From childhood to adulthood, we've held them in our hands for fear of dropping them, and held them in our mouths for fear of them melting. We've never had to endure any hardship. If we choose one of them to go on a diplomatic mission to India, I'm afraid it won't be a good idea! What should I do?"

A minister, with a slightly trembling body and a sad face, spoke in an extremely helpless voice, rubbing the corners of his clothes with his hands.

"Yes, we only have two children. India is thousands of miles away. The journey is full of high mountains and long rivers, with unpredictable weather and the possibility of encountering all kinds of unknown dangers. How can they, who have never experienced hardship, make it there?"

A middle-aged minister next to him echoed this, his brows tightly knitted into the shape of a "川" character, his face full of worry, and he kept shaking his head.

For a moment, the entire Taiji Hall was filled with complaints, each one a voice expressing their grief and reluctance to part with their own children. These voices intertwined, enveloping the entire court and making people feel irritated.

Li Wei stood quietly aside, a hint of displeasure gradually appearing on his originally calm face.

As he listened to the complaints of these ministers, his brows gradually wrinkled into a knot, and the anger in his heart rose little by little.

"Shut up, everyone!"

He suddenly shouted. After all, Li Wei was the Minister of Revenue and had been working in officialdom for many years. Although he was not the head of all officials, the majesty accumulated over the years was still there.

After he shouted this, the crowd, which was originally as noisy as a vegetable market, suddenly became quiet, and everyone's eyes were cast on him.

"Everyone, we are all officials appointed by the court, enjoying the court's salary and shouldering the heavy responsibility of the world. Our Tang Dynasty is now so prosperous and strong, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. This is inseparable from your efforts. But are we supposed to rest on our past achievements and enjoy our lives in peace?"

Li Wei's eyes were bright and his words were sincere. As he spoke, he walked slowly, his eyes swept across the faces of each minister, trying to awaken their sense of responsibility.

"Are our descendants going to have to rest on their laurels and enjoy the fruits of their labor forever? Then how many more years can we, the descendants of the Tang Dynasty, enjoy the peace and prosperity of our country? A hundred years? Or two hundred years?"

"I think your majesty is right. In war, are we to let only the children of the common people lead the charge? Can our children stay out of it?"

Li Wei's voice became more and more excited, and a blush appeared on his face, obviously due to his excitement.

"I'm just going on a diplomatic mission to India, and you're already feeling incredibly distressed. If the Tang Dynasty were truly facing a life-or-death situation, would your children still be hiding at home, enjoying a peaceful life?"

When Li Wei said this, his face became more gloomy and his eyes were filled with grief. He looked at these ministers who were usually so majestic and powerful, but now they lost their composure because of a little suffering of their own children, and he couldn't help feeling sad.

"What Minister Li said is biased."

At this time, the Minister of Justice, Tang Lin, stepped forward. He was tall and slender, and spoke slowly and calmly, "We have fought for the Tang Dynasty throughout our lives, traveling far and wide, and endured enough hardships. It is understandable that we should let our descendants enjoy a better life."

He paused slightly, his expression becoming serious, his eyes revealing a firmness. "But if it's really as Minister Li said, at this critical moment for the survival of the Tang Dynasty, hmph, I don't think any of you would be cowards, right? We will bring our descendants and live and die with the Tang Dynasty!"

His voice was passionate.

"Yes! Minister Tang is right! If that time ever comes, we will live and die with the Tang Dynasty!"

Other ministers echoed this sentiment. For a moment, the crowd was outraged, and everyone's faces were filled with a determination to face death.

They waved their arms and shouted loudly, as if they were ready to sacrifice themselves for their country.

Li Wei listened to their words and did not answer immediately. Instead, he sighed heavily, with a look of loneliness in his eyes.

He looked at his colleagues who he worked with on a daily basis, feeling mixed emotions. He had thought that his words would touch everyone, but he didn't expect to get such a response in return.

He didn't know how to change all this.

As he spoke, Tang Lin suddenly seemed to think of something. He looked straight at Li Wei with a faint smile on his face. "Minister Li, if I remember correctly, you only have one son in your family, right?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly, and his tone was filled with doubt. "According to your Majesty's decree, it seems that the children of Minister Li do not need to be sent as envoys to India?" There was a cunning look in his eyes, as if he was waiting for Li Wei's response.

When they heard Tang Lin's words, they were stunned at first, and then they suddenly realized.

No wonder that old fellow Li Wei spoke so righteously just now. It turns out that he is talking without any pain in his waist!

Everyone's eyes were focused on Li Wei again, and there was something more complicated in their eyes, including suspicion, dissatisfaction, and a hint of sarcasm.

Li Wei felt the gazes of the crowd and felt bitter in his heart. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but felt that any explanation would be pale and powerless at this moment, so he could only lower his head silently.