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

The news from the front line was like a ray of light, dispelling the haze that had lingered in Li Chengqian's heart for a long time, and his worried heart instantly felt a lot more relieved.

With the arrival of this good news, many things that were originally put on hold due to the unclear situation can now be carried out step by step in an orderly manner.

"Ananda." Li Chengqian opened his lips slightly, and his voice echoed in the palace.

"Your Majesty, this old slave is here!"

Zhang Ananda's shrill voice sounded immediately, and he walked in quickly on tiptoe, taking small steps.

He was wearing a bright red round-necked robe and a black fu hat on his head with the corners of the fu hat drooping slightly, looking neat and solemn.

He wore a jade belt around his waist. The jade was warm and delicate. A fish bag made of silk was hung on the side of the belt. It swayed gently as he walked, as if telling of the majesty of the court.

The boots on her feet were decorated with exquisite auspicious cloud patterns embroidered with gold thread.

This is Zhang Ananda, Li Shimin's most trusted eunuch. He will be buried in Zhaoling Mausoleum in the future. Now he serves as the highest official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs - the Chief of Internal Affairs.

"Xuan Fang Xuanling, Ma Zhou, Wei Zheng, and Wang Gui come to Liangyi Hall to see me." Li Chengqian said majestically.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" After receiving the order, Zhang Ananda quickly turned around and left.

……

When Fang Xuanling, Ma Zhou, Wei Zheng and Wang Gui received the news from Eunuch Zhang, they did not dare to slack off in the slightest. They hurriedly put down their work and rushed towards the Liangyi Hall.

They knew very well that His Majesty had summoned them urgently because he must be discussing something important.

The four of them traveled quickly and soon arrived at the Liangyi Palace.

Zhang Ananda was about to turn around and leave when Li Chengqian stopped him.

"Eunuch Zhang, you stay too!" Li Chengqian's tone left no room for doubt.

"Yes! Your Majesty!" Although Eunuch Zhang was confused, he never objected to the Majesty's orders and immediately stood aside respectfully.

Wei Zheng frowned upon seeing this, a flicker of discontent in his eyes. He stepped forward and said loudly, "Your Majesty, please let Eunuch Zhang leave. How can an eunuch interfere in government? This is the law of our ancestors and cannot be violated!"

Zhang Ananda glanced at Wei Zheng and followed his words, saying, "Minister Wei is absolutely right. I am but a eunuch of low status. How dare I stay here and interfere in government affairs? I will take my leave now."

As he spoke, he lowered his head slightly and made a gesture as if to leave.

"I have my reasons for calling you all here. No need to say anything more. Please sit down."

Li Chengqian's face darkened and he glanced at Wei Zheng indifferently, with a hint of majesty in his tone.

Only then did everyone notice that there were five chairs placed in front of the imperial desk in the Liangyi Hall.

Wei Zheng looked at Zhang Ananda again with displeasure on his face, his eyes full of disdain.

But Zhang Ananda remained unmoved and just stood there quietly.

After everyone had taken their seats, Zhang Ananda remained standing.

"Eunuch Zhang, please sit down too. I have prepared five chairs, so of course we can't just have four people sitting there." Li Chengqian said.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ananda pointed at his own face with excitement, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty! This... is this for this old servant to sit on?"

Li Chengqian nodded and said with a smile, "Please sit down. You know I don't like empty talk."

When Eunuch Zhang heard what Li Chengqian said, he was so excited that his eyes became moist. He sat down carefully.

He knew in his heart that those sitting with him were the backbone of the Tang Dynasty!

As a eunuch, how can I have the qualifications to sit at the same table with these people!

However, seeing Li Chengqian's indifferent look, Zhang Ananda's heart gradually calmed down.

"Your Majesty, is there something serious happening on the front line?"

Fang Xuanling asked with a worried look on his face.

He had not received any reports from the front and was always feeling uneasy.

He knew that His Majesty had previously sent a total of 5,000 Jinyiwei to the Xueyantuo front, and that His Majesty had obtained the information about the Jinyiwei on his own, faster than the court.

So he knew nothing about the situation on the front line and was full of worries at the moment.

Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "Prime Minister Fang, don't worry. We've won a great victory on the front lines, and everything is fine. I summoned you all here today because I have an important matter to trouble you with."

"Your Majesty, the ruler and the subject are the ruler and the subject. Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven! As subjects, we only need to obey your orders!"

Wei Zheng spoke, his eyes full of respect.

Li Chengqian sat upright behind the imperial desk, his eyes sweeping over the ministers in front of him one by one. He slowly spoke, "Everyone, I have summoned you here today to discuss matters that concern the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty. I hope you can work together."

Fang Xuanling bowed slightly and asked respectfully, "Your Majesty, what is this matter of such importance? We, your servants, will do our utmost to relieve your Majesty's worries."

Li Chengqian took a deep breath, his expression serious. "I desire reforms. These reforms are the result of repeated discussions between me and Grand Tutor Qi, and are intended to sweep away the accumulated troubles of the Tang Dynasty. Like a sharp blade, I will cut through the thorns that hinder the progress of the Tang Dynasty."

Wei Zheng frowned, a hint of doubt in his eyes. "Your Majesty, reform is a matter of great relevance. I wonder what the specific problems are that your Majesty is referring to? And what are the methods of reform? I hope your Majesty will clarify."

Li Chengqian stood up, paced back and forth, and said, "The Tang Dynasty may appear prosperous, but in reality, there are hidden worries. The bureaucracy is complex, and the checks and balances on power are insufficient. For example, the power of the prime minister: too much can easily lead to the danger of autocracy, while too little can lead to ineffective government policies. My reforms are intended to fundamentally address these issues."

Ma Zhou stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Your Majesty, reforming the official system, especially when it comes to the power of the Prime Minister, is a move that will shake the foundation of the country. While I understand your Majesty's concerns, implementing it would likely cause a stir in the court."

Li Chengqian walked up to Ma Zhou and looked at him firmly. "I understand the difficulties, but a short pain is worse than a long one. If we do nothing out of fear of the shock, the Tang Dynasty will suffer even greater troubles in the future."

Wang Gui also spoke up, "Your Majesty, reforms require a foolproof plan. If they cause unrest at court, panic among the civil and military officials, the gains will outweigh the losses. Does Your Majesty have any solutions?"

Li Chengqian returned to the imperial desk and picked up the reform plan. "This is the plan I and Grand Tutor Qi have drawn up. It covers the steps for reform, possible problems, and how to deal with them. But I need your support. I need you to work together to improve it."

As he spoke, he handed the plan to Zhang Ananda beside him and asked him to pass it on to the ministers.

Fang Xuanling took out his reading glasses from his sleeve, put them on himself gently, and began to read carefully.

"Prime Minister Fang, are the reading glasses I gave you still working well?" Li Chengqian asked with concern.

Fang Xuanling put down the plan in his hand, bowed his hands to Li Chengqian, and said with gratitude: "Your Majesty, this item has really helped me a lot. If I didn't have this pair of reading glasses, I'm afraid my eyes would be blurry and I wouldn't even be able to see the words clearly!"

After saying that, he eagerly picked up the reform plan in his hand and continued to study it carefully.

The others looked at the reform plan in their hands with frowns on their faces. Even Zhang Ananda opened his mouth wide, his eyes full of shock.

For a moment, the Liangyi Hall fell into silence. Only the teacups on the table were emitting curls of green smoke. The smoke slowly rose, as if adding a touch of mystery to the solemn atmosphere.

When the hot tea gradually cooled down, Wei Zheng was the first to put down the reform plan in his hand. His eyes became fiery and he stared at Li Chengqian closely.

Li Chengqian gave Wei Zheng a reassuring look. Wei Zheng understood but did not say anything. He was afraid of interrupting other people's thoughts, so he just waited silently for others to finish reading.

Ma Zhou was the second one to finish reading it. After putting the plan down, he took a deep breath, as if trying to calm his inner turmoil.

Then Zhang Ananda put down the reform plan in his hand. He looked at the people around him, with surprise still in his eyes.

Next came Wang Gui. After reading it, he sat there thoughtfully.

Only Fang Xuanling kept flipping through the reform plan in his hand, and he even looked at some parts over and over again. The rise and fall of his chest indicated his inner unrest.

Li Chengqian looked at the people who had finished their inspection and said with a smile, "Have some tea, it won't be tasty if it gets cold. Just wait until Fang Xiang finishes his inspection."

Everyone thanked him repeatedly, picked up the teacups in their hands and took a few sips.

After everyone had almost finished their tea, Fang Xuanling put down the reform plan in his hand.

"Your Majesty, I have read the entire plan." Fang Xuanling said slowly.

"I can only say that Your Majesty, the king of a thousand chariots, has never had such an idea since ancient times." Fang Xuanling's eyes were full of admiration.

Li Chengqian glanced at Fang Xuanling and asked, "Does Prime Minister Fang also think this is a good point?"

Fang Xuanling nodded and said solemnly, "This plan was the result of discussions between Your Majesty and Grand Tutor Qi. It is naturally a great policy that will benefit both the country and the people."

He paused, then continued, "But if you want to truly implement this policy throughout the Tang Dynasty, it will be extremely difficult. I, an old minister, cannot even begin to describe the difficulties and obstacles involved. Your Majesty, please refrain from blindly implementing reforms. We must carefully consider the situation!"

Hearing Fang Xuanling's words, Li Chengqian couldn't help but laugh. He looked at Fang Xuanling and said with emotion: "Prime Minister Fang, I originally thought you would be the one who opposed me the most, because this reform is not fair to you."

Li Chengqian's eyes revealed a complicated expression. "I want to abolish the prime minister system, and you, Fang Xuanling, are the current prime minister of the Tang Dynasty. If you have any grievances, please tell me."

Fang Xuanling shook his head upon hearing Li Chengqian's words and said with a firm face, "Your Majesty, I am old and no longer cling to power. My lifelong wish is for the peace and prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. I have read your Majesty's reform plan, and the position of prime minister will be abolished from now on. I believe your Majesty does not need to consider my feelings. I unconditionally support your Majesty."

He looked at Li Chengqian with a piercing gaze and continued, "Since we are going to change things, we must be determined to make changes once and for all! Only then can all the civil and military officials in the court be convinced."

Looking at Fang Xuanling's determined expression, Li Chengqian couldn't help but sigh in his heart that Fang Xuanling was truly worthy of being called a wise minister throughout the ages!

Wei Zheng glanced at Fang Xuanling and quickly said, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Fang is a wise one. If you want to remove him from the position of Prime Minister, you have to wait until he steps down!"

"Minister Wei's words are wrong. I don't consider myself a wise minister. The word 'wise' itself has different meanings. There is no such thing as absolute wisdom."

Fang Xuanling said calmly, "According to Minister Wei, the good or bad use of the prime minister's power is determined by the prime minister himself. So, if we have a good prime minister, the country will naturally prosper. But we cannot avoid the existence of treacherous prime ministers. Since we have implemented it, we must resolutely implement it to the end!"

Fang Xuanling had a determined look on his face, showing no intention of backing down.