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

On the New Year's Day of the Xian De year, a biting cold wind, carrying a murderous aura, raged across heaven and earth.

The gates of Chang'an were opened early, and the envoys from the capital were in a hurry. The sound of horse hooves could be heard on the official road, some rapid and some steady, as they galloped towards Chang'an.

In the city of Chang'an, the Daming Palace stood majestically in the dim light of dawn. A solemn and dignified atmosphere was overwhelming, and a heavy atmosphere permeated the air, foreshadowing that this would be an unusual day.

In the spacious and majestic main hall of the Daming Palace, Li Chengqian, dressed in casual clothes, sat upright on the dragon throne.

He has a thin face and gray temples.

Your Highness, all the civil and military officials were arranged neatly according to their ranks, wearing official uniforms of different colors and intricate patterns. They had different expressions, some had their brows slightly frowned, and looked uneasy.

Some were whispering to each other, their eyes full of curiosity and speculation.

More people held their breath, quietly waiting for His Majesty to speak, full of anticipation for the important matters His Majesty was about to announce.

The envoys sent to the capital stood aside, exhausted. Although they had been traveling all the way, they still tried to keep their spirits up. They brought different news from all over the world, and at this moment, they were also infected by the depressing atmosphere and dared not make a sound.

"Bugui, come and help me."

Li Chengqian raised his hand slightly, his voice low and hoarse, with a hint of fatigue that was difficult to conceal.

Hu Bugui, upon hearing His Majesty's call, immediately stepped forward with swift steps, firmly holding Li Chengqian's arm.

"Brother, be careful!"

Li Ke, his eyes beneath his sword-like brows were filled with concern.

He hurried forward, and together with Hu Bugui, they carefully protected Li Chengqian on his left and right. The three of them walked slowly towards the bottom of the hall.

Li Chengqian waved his hand, indicating that they didn't need to be so nervous. His eyes inadvertently swept across the corner of the hall and fell on Li Jingyi.

"Yier, come, come to your father."

Li Chengqian's voice softened instantly.

Su Tan, standing beside Li Jingyi, gently let go of her little hand, patted her shoulder, and said softly, "Go, go to your father."

But Li Jingyi was like a frightened deer, his little hands tightly clutching the corners of his clothes, fear flashing in his eyes. He just looked at Li Chengqian from afar, his feet seemed to be nailed down, and he dared not move at all.

When Li Chengqian saw his daughter like this, his heart suddenly ached, as if thousands of steel needles were piercing into it.

He shook his head helplessly, and forced an extremely bitter smile on his face, which was full of a father's loss.

"It's okay, Yi'er. It's okay if you don't want to come. Just stay with your grandfather."

After saying that, he took a deep breath, suppressed the pain that was surging in his heart like a tide, and turned all his attention back to the people present today.

Today's New Year's Day is in stark contrast to the bustling New Year's Day in the past.

In the past, on New Year’s Day, the Daming Palace would be decorated with lanterns and colorful lights, with red silk fluttering in the wind, and the whole place would be filled with a festive atmosphere.

The palace is filled with a wide variety of delicious food, and the delicacies exude an enticing aroma.

But today, the entire Daming Palace was shrouded in silence and depression. There was neither a grand and luxurious banquet nor a wonderful singing and dancing show, and even an ordinary New Year's Day meal was not prepared.

As for why this was so, everyone present knew it clearly, but no one was willing to be the first to break the suffocating silence. The hall was so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard clearly.

"Everyone, today is New Year's Day, so I won't treat you to dinner. I have something to say to you."

Li Chengqian's voice broke the silence. He slowly swept his eyes over the crowd, his expression becoming more solemn.

"I know you are all mumbling in your hearts, wondering if there is no successor to the Tang Dynasty."

He paused slightly, a trace of loneliness and helplessness flashing in his eyes.

"Many people have hinted at this to me privately, but I have never responded."

His voice was low and the hall suddenly fell into silence. Everyone held their breath, quietly waiting for His Majesty's next words.

"Today, I am here to tell you clearly that I have indeed lost my lineage, and the Tang Dynasty has no heir."

Li Chengqian watched all this quietly with a calm expression, and there was a kind of detached indifference in his eyes.

"I have mobilized so many troops today and summoned you here because of this matter."

His gaze turned to the envoys sent to the capital who all had different expressions around them.

"To be honest, I want to abolish the system of sending envoys to the capital. I am afraid that after I leave, you will develop ulterior motives and cause unrest in the Tang Dynasty."

As soon as these words were spoken, the envoys sent to Beijing stood up one after another and looked at Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian saw their expressions, smiled gently and waved his hand, with a soothing smile.

"You guys, don't worry."

His voice softened, as if he were speaking to an old friend. "Some of you are my brothers, some are my students, and some are my capable ministers."

He raised his head slightly and looked at the beams of the hall.

"My Great Tang is truly vast, with a vast territory, a large population, and a network of mountains and rivers. Without you, I really don't know how to govern the Great Tang."

He sighed softly.

"Let's talk about this later. Let's not beat around the bush."

"I'm not being a dictator today, nor am I trying to have the final say. The reason I called you all here is because I've been saying for so long that the world belongs to all, and this matter has almost been brewing."

Li Chengqian's gaze became firm again. He straightened his back and said slowly, "I want to implement a constitutional monarchy. What do you think?"

"Regarding the constitutional monarchy, I have already informed you in advance."

He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at everyone, "My dear ministers, do you think this is feasible?"

Hearing Li Chengqian's words, Li Wei was the first to stand up. He looked excited, his hands trembling slightly, his eyes flashing with anxiety, and his voice unconsciously rose a few degrees, with a little trembling.

"Your Majesty, I have read the relevant documents and understand your intentions, but this is absolutely not possible at this time!"

He clasped his hands together and bowed deeply.

"How can the Tang Dynasty be without an emperor?"

He raised his head, his eyes slightly red.

"If it's not Taizong's bloodline, is this Li Tang still the Li Tang?"

"Your Majesty, please reconsider this! Even if Your Majesty has no children!"

"After the father's death, the son inherits, and after the elder brother's death, the younger brother inherits. This is a rule that has been in place since ancient times and cannot be changed at will!"

His voice trembled, his emotions overwhelming him. "If Your Majesty were to implement that constitutional monarchy, I'm afraid people would become distraught and suffer endless harm!"

Li Wei's words were immediately recognized by many people, and everyone nodded. For a while, voices of opposition arose one after another in the hall.

Seeing the voices of opposition below, Li Chengqian did not get angry. He looked at everyone calmly with tolerance in his eyes.

He spoke slowly: "Now, the common people have quite a few complaints against me. They say that I was greedy for power and killed You'er."

Pain flashed in his eyes, the pain of a father who had lost a child. "They say I'm like Emperor Wu of Han in his later years—old and confused, unable to distinguish between good and evil."

His voice grew lower and lower, as if he were suffocating under the weight of these accusations. Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall fell silent for a moment, not knowing how to respond. The entire hall fell into silence again, with only Li Chengqian's heavy sigh echoing in the air.