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

The copper clepsydra outside the Hanyuan Hall had just marked three quarters past the afternoon, and the thirty-six palace lanterns in the corridor had not yet been lit, but the dusk had already impatiently spread over the Danfeng Gate, immersing the entire hall in a dim yellow.

The candlelight on the gilded coiled dragon pillar flickered, and the swaying light and shadow flowed across the court robes of the ministers, distorting the shadows of the four frontier officials, like a series of strange ink paintings.

Di Renjie's hands, which had been used to solve countless cases, were pressed tightly on the jade tablet. His knuckles turned slightly white from excessive force, and blue veins were faintly visible under the loose skin.

The four words he just said, "the person who breaks the deadlock", were like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart. In an instant, the whole hall fell into a suffocating silence.

The curling green smoke from the seal incense held in the mouth of the bronze crane under the corridor seemed to have stagnated and no longer rose. The air was filled with a suppressed and tense atmosphere.

This time, His Majesty summoned envoys from the four capitals to Beijing, and coupled with the decisive move to disband the Jinyiwei a few days ago, these seemingly unrelated events caused an uproar in the court.

Many officials discussed privately that His Majesty had been sidelined by the Empress Dowager and had become a monarch in name only.

Rumors were flying in the streets and alleys like catkins in spring. Some said that the Queen Mother was raising assassins in the palace with the intention of usurping the throne.

Some people also say that His Majesty has been under house arrest for a long time and all government orders come from the Queen Mother.

But the truth of the matter is far from as simple as it seems.

In reality, the Empress's power could not extend beyond Chang'an. Military power was firmly in the hands of His Majesty, a key force in maintaining the stability of the dynasty.

Those who were secretly observing the situation might not have known that, late at night three days ago, His Majesty's trusted generals had led elite troops to secretly change guard, and the Black Armor Army quietly stationed at the important road on the right side of Shaanxi Road, silently declaring the emperor's authority.

The envoys sent from the four capitals are all loyal ministers left by the late emperor. They shoulder the heavy trust of the late emperor and protect the country and people of the Tang Dynasty.

The Empress was also the envoy to Xijing appointed by the late emperor himself.

Apart from the fact that the Queen of Heaven is a woman, her abilities are naturally unquestionable.

Over the years, she has managed Xijing in an orderly manner. Merchants gather in the city, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. It is a scene of prosperity.

Whenever there was a disaster, she would personally plan disaster relief, open granaries to distribute grain, and help the people, so that Xijing could remain stable during the turbulent years.

Even during the Western Expedition, facing the enormous pressure from the front lines, she steadily shouldered the burden of all government affairs in Xijing.

She worked without sleep for many days, washed her face with cold water when she was sleepy, and ate some cold rice when she was hungry. She managed to shorten the food supply line of the 200,000-strong army from three months to more than a month, laying a solid foundation for the victory of the Western Expedition.

When Your Majesty defied public opinion and made Wu Meiniang the empress, the pressure he faced seemed small. The root cause was that Wu Meiniang had made great contributions with her own abilities.

Without these solid achievements, even if Li Zhi, as the emperor, insisted on making Wu Meiniang the queen, it would be difficult to achieve this.

The gossips of the civil and military officials in the court and the deep-rooted ethical concepts will become insurmountable obstacles.

Di Renjie's meaning could not be clearer.

While he pointed out His Majesty's thoughts, he also expressed his approval without any reservation.

In his opinion, after the death of His Majesty, supporting the Queen Mother to ascend the throne and let her rule the country from behind the scenes is the best solution to the current dilemma.

In the Han Dynasty, although it was not uncommon for the empress dowager to rule the country from behind the curtain, it was mostly due to helplessness or because the emperor was young and unable to handle government affairs.

Or when the emperor dies suddenly and the new emperor is not yet an adult, the empress dowager will temporarily take over the government in order to stabilize the situation.

Unlike now, His Majesty actually wants to personally support the Queen Mother. In the eyes of many conservative ministers, this is a violation of ancestral rules and a heinous act.

In the Han Dynasty, according to old rules, after the death of the previous emperor, if the concubines had no children, they would usually be buried with the emperor. Even if they were not buried with the emperor, they would be imprisoned in the cold palace and spend the rest of their lives.

And now, His Majesty not only does not intend to let the Queen be buried with him, but also wants to entrust the country to her. How can this not shock and cause people to oppose?

"Zhi Nu, if you call me Fourth Brother, I won't argue with you as a king or a minister. Today, I am here to talk to you as brothers."

Li Tai's voice suddenly rang out in the silent hall, carrying a hint of suppressed anger and heartache.

He took a step forward, making a small noise.

Li Zhi was originally leaning weakly on the dragon couch. When he heard the call, he forced himself to raise his head and looked at Li Tai.

A complex look flashed in his eyes, showing fatigue, helplessness, and nostalgia for past friendship.

Li Zhi nodded gently and said in a hoarse voice, "Yes, Fourth Brother, you go ahead."

Li Tai looked at the sick Li Zhi and felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

But at this moment, he was driven by a strong sense of responsibility. He felt that he had an obligation to stop his brother from making the "wrong" decision.

"Back then, my brother had no heir, and he only had one daughter. That's why the younger brother had no choice but to inherit the throne."

"Among us brothers, only you are suitable to be the emperor, and no one can do a better job than you."

Li Tai paused, recalling the past, a hint of tenderness in his eyes. "After you ascended the throne, you worked hard to govern the country and expand the territory. Under your rule, the Tang Dynasty prospered day by day."

"The situation today is very similar to that of the past, but my dear slave, the country is not yet at a critical juncture."

"Compared to all dynasties, the Tang Dynasty is now at the peak of its prosperity, unprecedented in history."

Li Tai became more and more excited as he spoke, his hands unconsciously clenched into fists, "No matter who takes over, it will be a powerful dynasty."

"After you take the throne, will the territory of our Tang Dynasty expand by more than ten thousand miles?"

"This world is as glorious as it is today, thanks to the combined efforts of my father, my brother, and you."

"Even if one day this kingdom really falls into decline, and falls at the hands of my Li family's men, I will be willing to accept it."

"But you want a woman to control my Tang Dynasty. I, as your brother, cannot agree to this."

"Even if Father and Brother knew about this, they would never agree!"

"Think twice, slave!"

Li Zhi looked at his fourth brother in front of him with mixed feelings.

The thrilling struggle for the throne during the Zhenguan period is still vivid in our minds. Countless brothers turned against each other for the throne.

But at this moment, the pain and anger in Li Tai's eyes reminded him of what his royal brother had said to them.

Ask them to be good brothers for life.

Li Zhi sighed and struggled to sit up. The maid hurried forward to support him.

He leaned back on the cushions, coughed a few times, and took a deep breath before saying, "Fourth brother, things are different now. This world is no longer the domain of our Li family."

"Back when my brother the Emperor advocated that the world belong to all, the world has long since become the world's rule."

"Some things are easier said than done, but the current situation in our Tang Dynasty is not as good as it seems."

Li Zhi's voice was filled with fatigue and worry. "I can't even fully manage the newly conquered territories."

"The newly built water conservancy project in Kucha, in the Western Regions, used a spiral waterwheel from India, but no craftsmen knew how to repair it. The local people could only watch helplessly as the canals fell into disrepair and the farmland dried up."

"The Tiele tribe in Mobei, while ostensibly submitting to the Tang Dynasty, is secretly stockpiling weapons and recruiting soldiers, with ulterior motives."

"Every year, the imperial court would use vast sums of money to build roads, cities, and pacify the people in the newly conquered areas."

"Although the population is growing, the rate is far from enough."

"Those areas are vast and sparsely populated, and our officials simply cannot fully control the situation."

“Once the situation can’t be contained, unrest is bound to break out in those places.”

"By then, those officials, for their own benefit, will be willing to spend money and effort to quell the rebellion?"

“The benefits they gain from giving up those places are far greater than building those places.”

"If the young master were to succeed to the throne, how would he be able to control these old ministers in the court?"

"How can we deter those evil-minded forces on the border?"

"Fourth brother, the world will be in chaos. It's because the Tang Dynasty is too powerful now, so powerful that even I can hardly control it."

"My Royal Brother has brought the Tang Dynasty to such a high level. The higher one stands, the harder one will fall."

"The same is true for the Tang Dynasty. Once chaos breaks out, it will plummet to the bottom and there will be no recovery."

As Li Zhi spoke, tears welled up in his eyes and he began to cough violently.

"Even if there's trouble on the border, the Li family will go to fight! Are the men of the Tang Dynasty inferior to a mere woman?"

"Your Majesty, have you forgotten that when Empress Lü came to power, all the Liu clan members were slaughtered! We cannot repeat the same mistake!"

The others didn't know what to do and frowned in deep thought.

Li Zhi closed his eyes. Now, the vast territory was like a spread out brocade. It looked gorgeous, but in fact it had cracks everywhere that needed to be repaired.

"Fourth brother, do you still remember the instructions given by our royal brother?"

Li Zhi opened his eyes, his eyes full of determination. "He said, 'The world does not belong to one family, but to everyone in the world.'"

"If Mei Niang hadn't stabilized the situation in Xijing back then, how could I have had the energy to pacify Mobei?"

"Which of those old ministers in the court isn't clinging to the ancestral system? But can this system ensure that the people of the Western Regions have enough to eat? Can it reopen the trade routes?"

Li Zhi's voice gradually rose.

"Your Majesty! Even if you were to choose a regent, both King Ke of Wu and King Zhen of Yue were both wise and powerful. Why would you hand over the throne to a woman?"

"My father passed the throne to you because he believed you could protect the Li family's kingdom, but now..."

"Defend the country?"

Li Zhi gave a bitter laugh, trying to stand up from the dragon chair, but then sat down again powerlessly. "Fourth brother, do you think I don't want to? Look at all the civil and military officials in the court. How many of them can be like Mei Niang, living in the government office for half a month just for a government decree? Working day and night for the livelihood of the people, without complaint?"

Li Tai suddenly remembered that many years ago, when he was studying at the Hongwen Academy, Zhinu always liked to pull at his clothes and ask, "Fourth brother, if the Tang Dynasty encounters difficulties one day, what should we do?"

At that time, he patted his chest and said, "Of course we will fight to the death." But now, facing the emperor on his sickbed, those bold words turned into bitterness in his throat.

"Fourth brother," Li Zhi said in a weak but firm voice, "This world cannot be preserved by blood alone.

The reason why my brother was able to create the prosperous Qianwu era was because he employed only the most capable people.

The same reason applies to me choosing Mei Niang now."