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

The wind from Chang'an, wrapped in willow catkins, swept over the eaves of the Taiji Palace, leaving fine white catkins on the vermilion pillars of the side hall, like a layer of unmelted thin snow.

Li Yifu knelt on the bluestone slab, the hem of his black official uniform spread out on the ground, and the goldfish bag around his waist swayed gently with his breathing, making a slight clinking sound.

He looked up at Wu Meiniang.

"Empress, since ancient times, ministers of high rank have all been loyal to Your Majesty, but I, Li Yifu, am different."

There was a hint of emotion in Li Yifu's voice, mixed with gratitude that was difficult to conceal.

"Originally, the position of Minister of Revenue had come to an end."

His thoughts couldn't help but drift back to many years ago - the young man from a poor family, who stepped into Chang'an with a wealth of knowledge, but had a hard time under the shadow of the Guanlong nobles.

At that time, he was just a small county magistrate, copying and writing in the office every day. He felt unwilling to see his colleagues of noble birth talking freely in the court.

"But you, the Queen, forcibly promoted me to the position of Sikong of the Tang Dynasty, one of the Three Dukes."

Li Yifu's voice suddenly rose, and he kowtowed with extra force, making a clear sound when his forehead touched the ground.

"In the past, those positions were held by people like Zhangsun Wuji and Qi Taishi."

He thought of the majesty of Changsun Wuji when he was in power, with carriages and horses lining the gates of his mansion, and his every move echoing in the court. But now, he was sitting in the position he once looked up to.

He had never dared to imagine what it would feel like to be in charge of the government before, but now, he actually had it all in his hands.

Wu Meiniang looked at Li Yifu who was kneeling in front of her, and a complicated look flashed in her eyes.

She remembered that when she first met him, this man was already the Minister of Revenue.

But after she came to power, he resolutely stood on her side.

The memorial requesting the dethronement of Queen Wang and the establishment of her as empress was filled with a desperate and ruthless spirit in every word, just like the determination he showed when he kowtowed at this moment.

"Minister, thank you again, Queen of Heaven!"

There was a tremor in Li Yifu's voice, and when he raised his head, there were tears in the corners of his eyes.

Shangguan Wan'er placed the dishes in the basket on the small table one by one. There was a celadon bowl filled with golden cherry biro, a jade plate filled with venison sliced ​​as thin as a cicada's wing, and a jar of wine that had been sealed for many years. As soon as the red clay seal was opened, a mellow aroma emanated.

"Your Majesty, I'm waiting for you outside."

Shangguan Wan'er turned around and left, leaving only Wu Meiniang and Li Yifu in the cell.

Wu Meiniang moved a small stool and sat opposite Li Yifu, her fingertips lightly stroking the edge of the bowl: "Li Sikong, I will see you off."

Her tone was calm, but it shocked Li Yifu's heart.

The woman in front of him is his benefactor and his guide on the road to power, but she is also the most unpredictable existence in the court.

He suddenly recalled everything that had happened over the years - from being a Vice Minister to the Minister of Revenue, and now to the Prime Minister.

He thought of his teacher and the late emperor.

"Your Majesty, I have one last piece of advice for you."

Li Yifu suddenly looked up, his eyes blazing as he looked at Wu Meiniang, "Why don't you, the Queen of Heaven, protect this great country?"

As soon as these words came out, the air seemed to freeze instantly.

The candle flame flickered a few times, casting alternating light and dark shadows on the two people's faces.

Li Yifu knew that he was taking a risk, but his experiences over the years made him understand that in this power field, one either goes all out or is doomed.

Wu Meiniang looked at him quietly, with a bitter smile on her lips.

Of course, she understood what he meant - over the years, she had been assisting in the administration of state affairs and had great power in both the government and the country. There were many people in the court who were dependent on her like Li Yifu. They hoped that she would make further progress and that she could hold up their sky.

But they don't understand, they don't understand the deep meaning in His Majesty's eyes, they don't understand that all this grace is ultimately just pawns in His Majesty's hands.

"You still don't understand His Majesty."

Wu Meiniang sighed softly, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the jade bracelet on her wrist.

"Although I hold a high position and great power, all of this is only given by His Majesty."

There was a hint of desolation in her voice. "Since it was given by His Majesty, His Majesty can naturally take it back anytime and anywhere."

"After all, I am just a knife in the hand of His Majesty."

Outside the hall came the sound of the night watchman beating the watch, "Dong-dong-dong", it was already three o'clock in the morning.

Li Yifu looked at the dishes in front of him and suddenly felt bland.

When he was young, he couldn't even imagine those delicacies from land and sea, but now they were placed in front of him, but he couldn't taste them at all.

He suddenly remembered the memorial from the Censorate impeaching him for selling official positions and titles a few days ago. Those densely packed handwritings were like knives hanging over his head.

He knew that all this was because he was dependent on Wu Meiniang, because he was a chess piece used by His Majesty to check and balance the court.

"I don't have any military power at all."

Wu Meiniang's words suddenly rang in his ears. Li Yifu looked up suddenly and saw the clarity and helplessness in her eyes.

It turned out that she knew everything, the limits of her own power, the suspicions of His Majesty, and that the wind in the court always blew in His Majesty's favor.

But even so, she has come to where she is today step by step, surviving in the cracks of power in her own way.

"Let's eat, Li Sikong." Wu Meiniang picked up a piece of venison with chopsticks and put it into Li Yifu's bowl. Her movements were as natural as those of an ordinary elder.

"Some things are said once, but that's enough."

There was a hint of warning in her tone, but also a subtle hint of concern.

The wind outside the window picked up again and blew out a candle.

The light in the hall dimmed a bit, but it made the expressions of the two people clearer.

Li Yifu suddenly discovered that the Wu Meiniang in front of him was no longer the queen who needed his support, but a woman standing at the pinnacle of power, a woman who understood the rules of survival better than any man.

She knew her position clearly and knew His Majesty's thoughts clearly, but she still tried to find a way out for herself in this complicated situation.

The goldfish bag around his waist was still shaking, but he suddenly felt that this heavy honor was even more suffocating than his previous poverty.

Wu Meiniang just sat there, looking at the leftovers on the table, and suddenly remembered what she looked like when she first entered the palace.

At that time, she was just a girl with dreams, but in this deep palace, she gradually learned how to scheme, how to endure, and how to struggle to survive in the vortex of power.

Now, she is the queen of heaven, but she still cannot escape the suspicion of His Majesty and the fate of being "the knife in the hand of the emperor".

Li Yifu's kowtow and Wu Meiniang's wry smile are just a microcosm of this power field.

Throughout the ages, how many people have risen and fallen in the light and shadow of power, thinking that by holding power, they can control their destiny, but they don’t know that their true destiny has always been at a higher place, in the thoughts of the emperor.

"Wan'er, clean up." Wu Meiniang stood up, and her golden shoes rolled over the straw on the ground, making a crackling sound.

Li Yifu's advice was a test and an expectation, while her answer was sober and helpless.

But no matter what, the road must continue. In this court full of variables, only by living soberly can we find a glimmer of hope in the cracks of power.

As the morning light grew brighter, the walls of the Taiji Palace glowed golden in the sunlight, as if coated with a layer of sacred light.

But people inside the wall know that beneath this glory, there are so many calculations, so much helplessness, so many kowtows like Li Yifu, and so many bitter smiles like Wu Meiniang.

Power is an endless game of chess that never ends, and they are just the most sober players in this game.