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

The twilight of Luoyang City permeated the sky like ink. Li Jingye wrapped his cloak tightly and followed the secret guards through the most prosperous night market on the street.

The shouts of street vendors and the sounds of stringed instruments in the tavern were gradually left behind. When the secret guard stopped in front of a house, Li Jingye's hand unconsciously touched the sword at his waist - on the mottled plaque of the house, the three words "Xuan Ji Guan" had been blurred by the erosion of time, and here was the entrance to the underground.

The secret guard knocked the doorknob in a specific rhythm, and the heavy stone door slowly rose, and a damp and cold breath hit him in the face.

Li Jingye followed the other party into the passage. The light of the torch illuminated the ancient murals on the stone wall. The characters in the paintings were dressed in Han Dynasty costumes, performing scenes of sacrifice and war, which made him hold his breath.

The stone steps seemed to have no end. The further down you went, the colder it became. Li Jingye's footsteps echoed in the silent passage, sounding particularly clear.

Finally, a massive bronze door appeared before their eyes. The secret guard inserted a specially crafted token into the groove on the door, and the sound of gears turning could be heard from within.

As the door slowly opened, Li Jingye's pupils suddenly contracted - what came into view was a magnificent underground palace.

The dragon pillar carved from white marble rises from the ground and reaches the dome. The golden dragon wrapped around the pillar is lifelike, as if it will take off into the sky in the next second.

Above the dome, the map of the twenty-eight constellations is inlaid with luminous pearls, emitting a soft and mysterious light, illuminating the entire underground palace.

Li Jingye held the torch and moved forward involuntarily.

Various ancient weapons and books are displayed on the walls on both sides of the underground palace. The air is filled with an old smell mixed with the scent of earth and spices.

He had never imagined that there was such a huge and mysterious space hidden underground in Luoyang City.

What shocked him even more was that he finally understood that this was the headquarters of the legendary secret guards under Emperor Qianwu.

Walking along the corridor paved with blue bricks and turning a corner, Li Jingye's steps suddenly froze.

On the high platform in front, a gilded throne with a carved dragon on it was clearly visible, and the person sitting on the throne was none other than King Wu, Li Ke.

Li Ke was wearing a black python robe, a jade crown on his head, and playing with a jade pendant in his hand, looking relaxed and contented.

The seat he sat on was the Dragon Throne of the Han Emperor. Even though the Han Dynasty had long since collapsed, this throne, which symbolized the supreme imperial power, was not something that a prince could arbitrarily usurp.

Anger surged into Li Jingye's heart like a tide. He strode forward, his sword trembling slightly at his waist. "Your Highness, Prince Wu, I think you owe me an explanation, don't you?"

His voice was cold and firm, echoing in the empty underground palace.

Li Ke raised his eyes and looked at the young man in front of him with interest.

A playful smile appeared on his lips, and his eyes were filled with scrutiny. "Are you Li Ji's grandson? The traitor who plotted rebellion?"

His words were light, but like a sharp blade, piercing Li Jingye's heart.

"Traitor?" Li Jingye's eyes flashed with anger. He ripped open his shirt, revealing the hideous scar on his chest. "I'm just the grandson of Li Ji. To support the Li Tang royal family, I raised an army to rebel against the demon queen, yet I'm labeled a traitor!"

"I, Li Jingye, am just a meritorious son who inherited the legacy of my father. I have done nothing, but I still have the courage to raise my arms and shout for the Tang Dynasty!"

His voice grew louder and louder, and his emotions became more and more excited.

"It's a pity, Your Highness, the Prince of Wu!" Li Jingye took a step forward, his eyes piercing. "He is the son of Emperor Taizong, the brother of Emperor Wu, and the brother of the late emperor. He also leads such a large secret party, yet he watched helplessly as the country fell into the hands of the evil queen, and did nothing!"

"I dare to ask, Your Highness, Prince of Wu, how will you face Emperor Wen and Emperor Wu after your death?" He sneered. "Could it be that Your Highness, Prince of Wu, simply wants to play house in this underground palace, sitting on the throne of the Han Emperor, and imagining himself as the emperor?"

Li Ke listened quietly, the smile on his face never fading.

In the past, hearing such outrageous words would have probably made him furious, but Li Ke was not angry at all. Instead, he found the young man in front of him particularly interesting.

Every word Li Jingye said hit him like a hammer. He wanted to resist, to take back the empire that belonged to the Li family. But some things were more complicated than they seemed.

"You kid, you're right."

Li Ke finally spoke in a calm voice, "But, no one taught you when you were a child, so you shouldn't judge someone casually without knowing what happened?" He raised his hand and patted it twice.

As he moved, a man in black wearing a sickle mask emerged from the shadows. Li Ke waved his hand and said, "Show him." The man in black stepped forward and handed a golden scroll and a fish talisman to Li Jingye.

Li Jingye originally took it with some disdain, but when he saw the handwriting on the golden book clearly, his face turned pale in an instant.

The golden book clearly had the late emperor's comments written on it, appointing Li Ke as the commander of the secret party and the emperor of night, in charge of the affairs of the Tang Dynasty at night.

The dragon pattern on the fish token was exactly the same as the royal item in his memory, and the jade seal was even more clearly visible.

"The late emperor appointed me as the commander of the secret party, the emperor of night, and in charge of the affairs of the dark night of the Tang Dynasty."

Li Ke stood up and walked down the stairs slowly. "Walk in the darkness, but your heart is toward the light."

"Let me be frank with you. Even during the Qianwu era, at night, you could still call me Your Majesty."

His voice was deep and powerful, and every word he said carried unquestionable authority.

"However, I will never dare to overstep the boundaries, my royal brother."

Li Ke walked up to Li Jingye, his eyes deep, "And since you have been assigned to the secret guards by Master Qi, then you should not call me Your Highness the Prince of Wu now."

"I think Grand Tutor Qi should have explained the rules to you, but until now, you still refuse to call me Marshal?"

Li Jingye's hands holding the golden book and the fish talisman trembled slightly, and his heart was filled with indescribable shock.

He never imagined that the seemingly idle King Wu Li Ke actually had such an important mission.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice filled with reluctance: "Marshal."

Li Ke nodded in satisfaction, but then shook his head. "Are you blaming me for not stopping the Empress from ascending to the throne? Although Grand Tutor Qi is the right-hand man of Emperor Wu, there are some things he says that you don't have to listen to."

"Your ideas are very similar to mine, but there are some things I cannot do."

He looked into the depths of the underground palace, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"You only need to know that this world is still the world of my Li family, and the Great Zhou is still the Great Tang."

"Even if Wu Meiniang changed the reign title and her clothes, some things will never change."

Li Jingye looked down at the golden book and fish talisman in his hands, and the doubts and anger in his heart were gradually replaced by an indescribable sense of mission.

It seemed that he had been involved in a chess game that was far more complicated than he had imagined, and this might be the beginning of truly supporting the Li Tang dynasty.