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

On a late spring afternoon, warm sunlight poured unreservedly into Li Yifu's mansion, casting a soft halo on everything in the house.

The treasures on the antique shelves and the calligraphy and paintings on the walls all appear more ancient and elegant under the sunlight.

Li Yifu was wearing a long robe with dark patterns, sitting upright on a chair, playing with a warm jade pendant in his hand. He seemed relaxed, but in fact, his eyes revealed a hint of imperceptible worry.

He looked up at Xu Yuan standing in front of him, carefully choosing his words and speaking slowly, "My dear nephew, the current situation in the court is like a stormy sea. If you are not careful, the ship will be destroyed and everyone will die. Uncle, you must act with caution."

Xu Yuan's expression did not change when he heard this. There was still a perfect smile on the corner of his mouth. He stood up calmly.

He stood tall and straight, and the dark brocade robe made him look even more imposing. However, the shrewdness between his eyebrows was well hidden under his seemingly humble smile.

He reached out his hand, and with smooth and natural movements, he gently picked up the banknotes neatly arranged on the table.

The banknotes were shiny new, obviously having been taken out of the bank not long ago, and still had a faint scent of ink.

Xu Yuan slowly placed the banknote on the table next to Li Yifu.

"Uncle, you are joking. What could I possibly do to trouble you?"

Xu Yuan spoke with a smile, his voice gentle and mellow.

"This money is just a small token of my nephew's appreciation. I think your uncle is busy with government affairs every day, and having some good tea to accompany him in his spare time can help him relax."

He paused slightly, his gaze passing Li Yifu, looking out the window at the chirping birds on the branches, his tone slightly lamenting, "After all, in Chang'an City right now, prices are skyrocketing, and even drinking a good cup of tea has become a luxury. Just consider this as a little filial piety from your nephew."

He changed the subject, retracted his gaze, and looked directly at Li Yifu, saying word by word, "My nephew only hopes that uncle will follow the rules in all matters concerning the court in the future."

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince is His Majesty's only bloodline, the legitimate heir to the throne of the Tang Dynasty, and the future ruler of the world."

When Xu Yuan said this, the profound meaning was self-evident.

Li Yifu's eyes fell on the banknotes beside him. His face remained calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

His fingers tapped unconsciously on the armrest, again and again.

At this critical juncture when His Majesty is vigorously cracking down on corruption, the entire city of Chang'an is shrouded in a grim atmosphere.

In the streets and alleys, you can see the figures of the Jinyiwei wearing flying fish uniforms and embroidered spring swords on their waists everywhere, always monitoring every move inside and outside the court.

Not to mention the shadow guards hiding in the dark, who might unsheath their swords at any time and take someone's life.

And this Xu Yuan in front of him was so bold and straightforward in his actions, openly taking out silver bills to bribe, and not taking Your Majesty seriously at all.

Is he a young and inexperienced person who is not afraid of tigers, or does he dare to act so recklessly because he has the Crown Prince behind him?

Li Yifu thought that what he said just now was tactful and implicit enough. He wanted to stop at the right time and leave some room for both parties to maneuver. But this guy not only did not continue with his words, but directly tore off the fig leaf and laid out this shady transaction nakedly before his eyes.

Thinking of this, Li Yifu forced a smile on his face, which was a bit helpless and revealed a hint of compromise.

He slowly reached out his hand, picked up the stack of banknotes, put it in his arms, and patted it, as if to comfort himself.

"It should, it should."

He responded with a smile, his laughter carrying a hint of deliberate lightness, "I thought my nephew was going to do something difficult for my uncle, but it turns out it's just such a small matter."

He narrowed his eyes, a shrewd look flashing in them. "Everyone in the world knows that I, Li Yifu, am loyal to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I shall obey His Royal Highness's orders. Do I need to remind you, my nephew?"

After saying that, he raised his voice and shouted outside the study: "Someone, come and serve some good tea!"

The sound echoed in the somewhat empty main hall, breaking the brief silence.

As soon as the shout fell, a servant hurriedly responded, and the sound of footsteps came from afar.

Xu Yuan waved his hand, still wearing that humble smile on his face, "Uncle, now that I have said this, I feel completely at ease."

He said with a sense of relief, "I won't drink the tea. My nephew has many important matters to attend to, so I really can't delay."

"Uncle, please stay. I'll take my leave first."

After saying this, he bowed slightly, turned around and left, his steps hurried, his posture showing a bit of urgency as if he was exhausted.

Li Yifu watched Xu Yuan's departing back without trying to keep him. He just nodded slightly and told the housekeeper to send him out of the house.

He sat back in his chair, slowly took out the banknotes from his pocket, unfolded them one by one, and looked at them carefully.

These banknotes are brand new and shiny, the paper is fine and smooth, and the ink is bright.

After sending Xu Yuan away, the butler hurried back to the hall. As soon as he entered the study, he saw Li Yifu staring at the silver bills in a daze.

The steward's face was filled with worry. He walked quickly to Li Yifu's house, frowning, and could not help but dissuade him: "Master, you can't take these banknotes! If this situation gets known, our family will be in great trouble."

Li Yifu raised his head and looked at the housekeeper with gentle eyes. This old man had watched him grow up since he was a child and was loyal to him. The anxiety on his face at this moment was all for him.

"Uncle Fu, you've watched me grow up since I was a child. Don't you know what kind of person I am?"

"Some money can be accepted, but some money absolutely cannot be accepted. How could I not understand this principle?"

He sighed softly, his expression filled with helplessness, "But I have to accept the money this time!"

His eyes became firm as he looked towards the sky outside the window, as if he could see through the azure sky the ever-changing situation in the court. "Behind this is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. His Majesty only has this one son."

"Now that the Crown Prince is regent, it's only a matter of time before he ascends the throne. If we don't follow his wishes, we won't have a place to stand in the future."

Li Yifu sighed. This was not about ten thousand taels of silver. It was obvious that someone was forcing him to choose sides in the court struggle.

"Uncle Fu, go make some tea and let me think about it."

He said softly, his voice full of conflict as he leaned back in his chair.

Li Yifu continued to look at the banknotes in his hand, his thoughts drifting towards the court.

Now that the Crown Prince is acting as regent and His Majesty is ill, the situation in the court has become clear.

The prince aggressively wooed officials in order to seize power and compete with the Grand Tutor of Qi.

Grand Tutor Qi has the support of His Majesty, but there are only two options before the Tang officials.

One is to follow the prince, become successful in the future, and enjoy wealth and glory.

Another possibility is that although we are safe now and can be protected for a while with the protection of Your Majesty, once the prince ascends the throne, I am afraid that there will be no place for us to stay, and we may even end up in disgrace.

But, how long can His Majesty remain on the throne? This question weighed heavily on Li Yifu's heart, making him fall into deep thought, unable to let go for a long time.