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

The flame on the candlestick suddenly burst into a spark, and sparks splashed on the sapphire lampshade, making a slight "crackling" sound.

In the silent Liangyi Hall, the sound was as sudden as thunder.

Li Zhi sat upright on the armchair, his dark undergarment faintly visible from the open collar of his bright yellow dragon robe. The jade pendant with dragon pattern on his waist swayed gently as his fingertips rubbed the green jade paperweight, casting tiny shadows on the ground.

The sound of the night watchman's clapper came from the end of Zhuque Street, getting closer and closer, and then gradually dissipated outside the thick palace walls.

Every time the bangzi sounded, Li Yifu's heart trembled.

This veteran minister of two dynasties stood with his head bowed at the foot of the imperial throne. The crane patch on his official uniform was soaked with cold sweat, leaving dark marks in the candlelight.

He stared at the three coiled dragon reliefs on the toes of his boots, his Adam's apple rolling - since entering the palace, His Majesty has been silent for a whole incense stick of time.

"Lord Li, do you know why I do this?"

Li Zhi's voice suddenly rang out, and his gaze passed over Li Yifu's head, penetrated the window, and cast into the endless darkness outside the hall.

The candlelight flickered under his eyes, cutting those almond-shaped eyes into an abyss of light and darkness, as if he was staring at the Arabian Desert thousands of miles away.

Li Yifu's whole body trembled violently, and his official boots made a harsh sound as they rubbed against the blue brick floor.

He lowered his head in thought, his hands tightly gripping the tablet beneath his robe sleeves, his knuckles turning white.

The air in the hall was suffocating.

The third sound of the night watchman's clapper came from afar, remarkably clear in the dead silence. Finally, he took a deep breath and said, "When Muawiyah returns to Arabia, he will tell you the truth about what he saw and heard in the Tang Dynasty."

"Those released soldiers will also become 'envoys' of the Tang Dynasty, spreading the message of the Tang Dynasty's strength and generosity throughout their countries."

"We must not only achieve victory on the battlefield, but also make them fear the Tang Dynasty and respect Your Majesty from the bottom of their hearts!"

"When they see that we don't kill prisoners but instead treat them well, they will begin to feel awe and doubt towards the Tang Dynasty. This will undermine their fighting spirit more than a million strong soldiers."

Before he finished speaking, Li Yifu raised his eyes secretly and saw a faint sneer on Li Zhi's lips.

That smile instantly made him feel like he was falling into an ice cellar, and cold sweat trickled down his spine.

"No, Li Aiqing, you are wrong." Li Zhi slowly stood up, the hem of his dragon robe dragging across the gold bricks, making a rustling sound.

He walked over to the map of the Western Regions and pressed his fingertips firmly on the location representing the Arabian Peninsula, casting a fine shadow on the map. "Everything in this world can be controlled, but there is one thing that cannot be controlled, and that is the human heart."

"When Muawiyah returns, he will not tell the truth. Instead, he will conceal everything and unite their hearts to resist the Tang Dynasty."

Li Yifu suddenly looked up, his eyes full of shock.

He thought he had understood the emperor's intentions, but was shocked to find that in the eyes of the emperor, things were a hundred times more complicated than he had imagined.

"Then your Majesty, why did you let Muawiyah go back? Why didn't you just kill him?"

As soon as he said it, he regretted it. His voice trembled and he almost couldn't stand.

Li Zhi suddenly threw his head back and laughed, his laughter echoing in the empty hall.

"Hahahaha, kill him? If killing him is more useful than keeping him alive, of course I will kill him, but now, it is more beneficial for us to have him alive!"

He turned around suddenly, his eyes flashing coldly, "Although he won't say it, the captured soldiers will."

"When the soldiers, neatly dressed and well-fed, returned home and told about the hospitality they had received in the Tang Dynasty, Muawiyah's attempt to cover up everything would only backfire."

"Over time, he will be deserted by his friends and relatives. They will blame him for not surrendering and for resisting stubbornly!"

Li Yifu felt a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and instantly remembered the scene half a month ago.

His Majesty personally took charge of the prisoners' diet and ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare hand-pulled lamb and Hu pancakes every day.

He arranged for the Imperial Medical Bureau to treat the wounded and even asked translators from the Honglu Temple to teach Arabic.

People even built special prayer places, and you can hear the melodious chanting sounds every time.

At that time, he only thought that it was the kindness of His Majesty, but now he thinks that every detail is a carefully designed deadly trap.

"If they all speak highly of the good of our Tang Dynasty, those people will only doubt it and not believe it."

Li Zhi took two steps closer, and the giant dragon embroidered with gold thread on his robe seemed to come alive, its whiskers almost brushing Li Yifu's face. "But when one person wants to cover up everything, and everyone else says the same thing, they tend to believe it."

"What's more, the person who said this is their caliph. Who do you think they will trust more?"

Li Yifu's legs went weak and he almost fell to his knees.

He finally understood that what His Majesty wanted was not a simple victory in the war, but the fundamental disintegration of the enemy country.

Releasing the captives is not a mercy, but a way of planting countless poisonous stings on Arab soil.

Treating the enemy with favor is not leniency, but a carefully prepared deadly poison.

This move not only calculated the enemy, but also calculated people's hearts.

"Killing Muawiyah would do us no good and would only make the captured soldiers resentful of us."

Li Zhi walked to the window with his hands behind his back, gazing at the twinkling lights of Chang'an. His tone suddenly softened, yet it was even more chilling. "Release Muawiyah along with the captives. They will only think that the Tang Dynasty is magnanimous and will forgive the past."

"When they go in a different direction from Muawiyah, how interesting will that be?"

"Go ahead and do it." Li Zhi patted Li Yifu's shoulder. The seemingly intimate gesture made the latter stiff as iron.

Li Yifu saluted with a trembling voice, his legs still shaking as he exited the hall. The night wind carried a chill, but he felt no chill at all—the conversation within the Liangyi Hall was more chilling than the harshest winter.

At this moment, he finally understood the true meaning of the saying "To serve the king is like serving a tiger."

Compared with this emperor, the majesty of the previous emperor was like the gurgling spring stream, while Li Zhi's political schemes were more like an unfathomable cold pool.

Your Majesty designed not only the Arabs, but also their coalition forces.

Your Majesty also has to play the role of a good guy in this.

Even Li Yifu, who was known to be the most scheming, was afraid of such scheming.

When Li Yifu walked out of the palace, he looked at the starry sky and had only one thought in his mind.

Although the most difficult thing to control in this world is people's hearts, Your Majesty has already played with people's hearts in the palm of your hand.