I have already established my power and prestige, so how did Li Shimin come back to life?

Li Chengqian turned slightly and glanced at Mr. Qi. Mr. Qi felt Li Chengqian's gaze and hurried out of the line, bowing slightly.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

His voice was steady and his expression was solemn.

Fang Xuanling had just finished praising Li Chengqian. When he heard these words, his eyes widened in astonishment, as if he had heard a fairy tale, which formed a sharp contrast with his previous composure.

He thought to himself, "The coal mines were banned during the time of the previous emperor due to numerous disasters. Why is Your Majesty reopening them now? And on a large scale, the risks are too great. Compared to the previous emperor's caution, your boldness is a blessing or a curse."

Then his brows furrowed tightly together, and the wrinkles on his forehead deepened a little, like ravines, carving his worry on his face.

His intelligent mind was stuck in a quagmire at this moment, and he couldn't figure out the intention of His Majesty's action.

His lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but swallowed it back, completely different from his usual eloquent self.

If only Lao Du were still here! Fang Xuanling sighed slightly in his heart.

"Your Majesty! I have a doubt!"

Fang Xuanling finally couldn't help it and took a step forward. His official boots made a slight sound on the smooth ground.

His eyes were full of confusion and worry, and he stared at Li Chengqian intently, completely ignoring the fact that this might anger His Majesty. This was in stark contrast to those ministers who were keeping a low profile and keeping silent.

He was well aware of his responsibilities as a minister and could not stand by and watch decisions that might be detrimental to the country being implemented, even if it might offend the emperor.

Many ministers secretly worried for Fang Xuanling, thinking: "Prime Minister Fang is speaking out against the emperor. I wonder how His Majesty will react. If it were us, we wouldn't have the courage to do that."

Li Chengqian frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes, and he gave Fang Xuanling a cold look. His eyes were like frost in the cold winter, making the air around them seem a little colder, forming a sharp contrast with the enthusiasm in Fang Xuanling's eyes.

"Please go ahead, Prime Minister Fang, but this is the last question."

There was a hint of warning in Li Chengqian's tone, his voice was low and cold, which made the ministers in the court shudder.

"I've said before, I raise questions, and you only need to solve them, not question them."

The ministers were startled and dared not speak again. In contrast to the previous whispers, the court fell into silence in an instant.

"Yes, I understand. Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Fang Xuanling hurriedly lowered his head, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead, sparkling in the sunlight, making him look a little more embarrassed compared to his usual calm image.

Even though he angered the new emperor, he was still worried about the coal mine issue, which was completely different from those ministers who kept aloof from the matter.

"Your Majesty, are you aware of the saying that burning coal is poisonous?"

Fang Xuanling slowly raised his head and spoke solemnly. His eyes swept over the ministers in the court. His voice was steady and slow, and every word was clearly heard by everyone.

"Throughout the dynasties, countless people have lost their lives in cold winters due to using coal for heating."

"In my dynasty alone, in the third and fifth years of the Zhenguan reign, two major coal-related murders occurred in Chang'an. One resulted in the deaths of 83 people, and the other resulted in the deaths of 112 people. At that time, the city was filled with wailing, and every family was in mourning. The scene was horrific."

"The late emperor, deeply distressed, issued a decree banning coal consumption within Chang'an. Even so, many impoverished people, unable to endure the harsh cold, repeatedly stole coal, often resulting in the deaths of entire families. This tragedy continues despite repeated bans."

"Your Majesty, I would like to ask you, exploring coal mines across the country, encouraging the people to dig, and paying them wages, this initiative not only consumes a huge amount of manpower and material resources, but also yields only a few coal. How does this benefit our Tang Dynasty? I am truly confused, and I hope Your Majesty can explain my confusion."