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

"Before His Majesty died, he appointed His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin as the Crown Prince?" An old minister asked in disbelief. The voice suddenly rang out in the silent court, like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves.

"Fourteen-year-old His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin?" Another old minister subconsciously repeated, his words tinged with deep doubt. Many other old ministers were bewildered, looking at each other in astonishment and confusion.

Among His Majesty's sons, His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin has the lowest presence.

In the past, during important occasions such as palace banquets and sacrificial ceremonies, Prince Jin always stood quietly in the corner, unlike other princes who were so dazzling.

Many people don’t know much about His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin. They only know that he is introverted by nature and rarely shows his edge in front of others.

"Lord Changsun, may I have a glimpse of His Majesty's handwritten will?"

Chu Suiliang frowned slightly and stared at Changsun Wuji closely. His hands, which were good at calligraphy, trembled slightly, as if he had sensed that something was unusual.

Changsun Wuji looked carefully at the person who spoke and found that it was Chu Suiliang. A barely perceptible light flashed in his eyes.

However, Changsun Wuji was not anxious. He stroked his beard and spoke slowly, "Your Majesty was already on the verge of death. Life was like a candle in the wind, ready to go out at any moment. Your Majesty was no longer able to write a will, so he could only speak it, and I, the old man, wrote it on his behalf. This is how the will was conveyed. I swear to heaven that I will not lie a single word."

Chu Suiliang nodded. Although he still had doubts, Changsun Wuji's prestige made it difficult for him to say anything more for the time being.

"In that case, Your Highness the Prince of Wei."

Chu Suiliang suddenly turned and looked at Li Tai.

"Is what Lord Changsun said true?"

Li Tai frowned, a trace of resentment flashed in his eyes, and he looked at Changsun Wuji fiercely, as if he wanted to eat him alive. But Changsun Wuji remained calm and composed, his expression unchanged.

But in this court, with everyone's eyes on him, he could only nod his head and said through gritted teeth, "It's true." At this time, no matter who it was, they could probably see that His Royal Highness the King of Wei was on the verge of anger.

His fists were clenched and his body was shaking slightly, like a wild beast about to explode.

Everyone knows the truth, but they pretend to be ignorant. The people in the government are all masters of playing politics. Some things are not worth weighing even if they weigh three pounds, but if they weigh three thousand pounds, they can't be weighed.

The atmosphere in the court became increasingly solemn, as if a dark cloud was hanging over everyone's heads.

Chu Suiliang was about to ask more questions, but before he could do so, a court official pushed Chu Suiliang aside.

"Now that the new emperor has been established, why not quickly invite His Royal Highness Prince Jin to take the throne?"

A courtier shouted, his voice full of urgency.

"Yes! Please, King Jin!"

"Please invite King Jin!"

Other court officials also echoed, and for a while, shouts rose and fell in the court.

"You are all so audacious! Before His Royal Highness the Crown Prince appears, you will not be allowed to violate the rules of propriety!"

A conservative old minister shouted at the top of his lungs, waving his tablet in an attempt to quiet everyone down.

"Where is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

Someone else asked loudly, and the court suddenly became a mess. Everyone was talking at once, and no one would give in. The noise almost blew the roof of the Taiji Hall off.

Fang Xuanling kept silent. He stood quietly by the side with deep eyes, wondering what he was thinking about.

Li Shimin beside him frowned, and there was a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Zhi Nu? Why did Zhang Sun Wuji support Zhi Nu to take the throne?"

Li Shimin didn't care who would eventually take the throne. He just felt very nervous.

The figure of Li Chengqian kept appearing in his mind. He was the eldest son who was once lively and lovely, but was now in such a dangerous situation.

He felt extremely regretful, thinking that he had gone too far. His original intention was to make his sons become better through competition, but he had not expected things to develop to such an extent. He might have even killed his incompetent eldest son.

Li Shimin, unaware of Li Chengqian's situation, was in a state of panic. Even if the crown prince was incompetent, he was still his son. His original intention was to let the brothers fight for the winner, not to let them kill each other! Thinking of this, Li Shimin's eyes became firm. There was no need to continue this drama!

He glanced at Yuchi Jingde, his eyes conveying a certain message. Yuchi Jingde understood and nodded. Li Shimin straightened up and took a step forward, ready to intervene and stop the chaos.

"Oh no, oh no! His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has led a large army to surround the city of Chang'an!" A eunuch rushed in hurriedly to report. He ran so fast that he almost fell down.

The sharp voice pierced through the quarrel in the hall like a sharp sword. Everyone suddenly became quiet, looking at each other, and everyone was a little at a loss.

Especially the generals on the field, they were the ones that attracted the most attention. They looked at each other, their eyes full of confusion.

I don't know who is leading the troops, but I bet on the prince. But looking left and right, the generals are all there!

Where did His Royal Highness the Crown Prince get his troops? This sudden news was like a bolt from the blue, plunging the entire court into a deeper panic.

Li Shimin quickly withdrew the step he had taken, and his face became very surprised.

"His Royal Highness?"

Some court officials murmured to themselves, their eyes filled with shock.

"Zhangsun Wuji! What do you mean? Didn't you say that the Crown Prince is critically ill?"

Wei Zheng's face was full of anger and he directly fired at Changsun Wuji.

"So what does that mean now!?"

He was so angry that his face turned red and his body trembled slightly with anger. Looking at Zhangsun Wuji's gloomy face, Wei Zheng's eyes were filled with even more anger.

"Zhangsun Wuji, you old thief!"

He shouted loudly.

"Everyone, follow me to welcome His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

After saying that, Wei Zheng waved his sleeves and prepared to go out. His steps were firm and his eyes were full of determination.

Before reaching the door, a row of fully armed Qianniu Guards blocked the entrance of Taiji Hall. They held spears in their hands and had stern expressions, like a steel wall.

"The will has been read. Prince Jin is now the legitimate heir. He is no longer the crown prince, but a traitor. Don't you understand?"

Changsun Wuji's words were like a heavy hammer, which put an end to the matter.

The officials from the aristocratic families who agreed with Changsun Wuji spoke up one after another.

"Yes, now His Royal Highness Prince Jin is the legitimate heir!"

"We firmly support His Royal Highness Prince Jin as emperor!"

"Your Highness the Prince of Jin is kind and benevolent. This is the kind ruler we want to follow!"

They all spoke righteously, as if they had already pledged their loyalty to King Jin, but deep in their eyes lay the glint of calculation and self-interest.

After listening to these officials, Li Shimin realized that although Cheng Qian had the title of crown prince, he actually had no foundation in the court.

He gave all his love to Qingque, and usually paid more attention to and rewarded Qingque than Chengqian.

Qingque seems to be in a very prosperous position, with many people following him, but in fact, those who support him are all officials from aristocratic families.

These officials from aristocratic families seemed loyal, but in reality they would side with whichever side offered the greatest benefits. Otherwise, there wouldn't be no one in the palace who would speak up for him at this moment.

Qingque is young and inexperienced, making him the easiest to manipulate once he ascends to power. However, if Qingque ascends to power, the officials from the aristocratic families will only side with him if the benefits are great enough.

The fact that Changsun Wuji was able to get all these aristocratic officials to support Zhinu proves that Changsun Wuji wanted to be a powerful official and promised these aristocratic families greater benefits.

Those involved are often confused, while those who are watching clearly see things. It was not until now that Li Shimin understood that these noble families dared to treat the princes as chess pieces and play games on the chessboard!

Do they not even see the Li Tang royal family in their eyes and regard the royal dignity as nothing?

He looked at Changsun Wuji, who was determined to stand on the side of the aristocratic family, and felt extremely sad.

"Auxiliary machine, you have survived all these years, why are you so confused now that you are old?"

He sighed silently in his heart. When he was in control of the overall situation, he would definitely fight with these aristocratic families, even if he ended up with the same fate as Emperor Yang of Sui.

However, Cheng Qian led the army to besiege Chang'an City? This was what Li Shimin was most puzzled about.

He knew better than anyone that the military power of the entire Shaanxi Province was in his hands.

Those who could mobilize such a large army were now standing in the hall, so where did his son get the troops from?

Li Shimin decided to wait a little longer. His eyes revealed a complex look of worry, doubt, and a hint of expectation.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense, and Changsun Wuji looked at the generals on the field.

"Which general is willing to lead troops to fight against the deposed crown prince?" His voice echoed in the silent hall.

The generals pretended not to hear. Some looked at the ceiling, as if there were some rare treasures on it; some looked at the floor tiles, as if the patterns on the tiles contained infinite mysteries.

Cheng Yaojin also hummed a little tune, and the discordant music seemed particularly abrupt in the tense atmosphere.

Looking at the generals' behavior, Changsun Wuji roughly understood in his heart that even though he had a close relationship with these people, at this critical moment involving royal infighting and family interests, they would only stand idly by.

To get rid of Li Chengqian, it depends on myself.

"Minister Cui, I am mobilizing a battalion of 3,000 Qianniu Guards to defend the city. You must quickly send a message to the major aristocratic families, instructing them to send troops to meet the enemy together!"

Changsun Wuji gave the order loudly, with a hint of determination in his eyes.

"Yes! Lord Sikong!" Minister Cui took the order and hurried away. After saying this, Changsun Wuji glanced at the people in the hall with an expressionless face, then strode out with great strides, his figure exuding a sense of majesty and dominance.

One after another, the officials of the noble families followed closely behind him. Their footsteps echoed in the empty hall like a death knell. Soon, the Taiji Hall, which had been quite crowded, was reduced to less than 10% of the people.

Li Jing watched everyone leave, then found a place to sit down calmly. He squinted his eyes slightly, as if thinking about something.

"I say, with so many generals here, have you ever thought about rushing out?" Chu Suiliang asked with a puzzled look on his face. He really didn't understand why these generals were so calm.

Cheng Yaojin looked at Chu Suiliang as if he were an idiot.

"What's the point of fighting without soldiers? You want me, Old Cheng, to go out and fight the Qianniu Guards with bare hands?"

He shook his thick arms.

"These young men from aristocratic families always walk around with their faces held high. One day, Old Cheng will take care of them all!"

His words were filled with anger and disdain.

"General Cheng, be careful with your words!"

Wang Gui directly interrupted Cheng Yaojin's nonsense. He looked at Cheng Yaojin with a hint of warning in his eyes.

Watching the large number of officials from aristocratic families leave the court, Li Shimin finally felt a sense of powerlessness. These officials were all recommended by aristocratic families. If they targeted one party, they could bring the Tang Dynasty to a standstill. How could that be easy? This feeling of powerlessness enveloped Li Shimin like a tide, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.