Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 139 The curtain rises, a storm is brewing (Seeking monthly votes)
This battle has finally come to a complete end.

Li Shimin never mobilized too many troops from beginning to end, which further enhanced the prestige of the entire Li Tang dynasty.

The world was subdued!
Whether it was Yuwen Huaji's troops or Liang Shidu's troops.

Regarding this Prince Qin of the Tang Dynasty.

Their gratitude and respect came from the bottom of their hearts.

Li Shimin's actions demonstrated his benevolence to the fullest extent, which made his reputation even surpass that of Li Yuan, the so-called emperor.

And this news continues to spread!

Even now, the Li Tang dynasty has not yet completely unified the entire country.

But it was no different from unifying the world.

Chang'an City.

Li Yuan received the news immediately, and a strong sense of excitement instantly rose in his heart.

—The ruler of all under heaven!
He, Li Yuan, became the ruler of all under heaven!

At this point, there's absolutely no suspense left!

The entire Tang court was instantly agitated, and the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" from the officials to Li Yuan echoed throughout the entire city of Chang'an.

Excitement, elation, and a myriad of other emotions resonated within the hearts of the ministers.

They made the right bet!
The Tang dynasty finally came to an end, once again standing tall above the entire land of China.

But beneath the surface of enthusiasm often lies hidden turmoil.

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Qin dares to represent our Great Tang in negotiations with the Turks! This is an act of rebellion!"

When this statement was made, an invisible storm instantly swept through the entire Tang Dynasty court.

With all external threats eliminated.

Internal conflicts will then have to be brought to the forefront!

Now, who can fail to see how high Li Shimin's prestige is!

This prestige was not only inferior to that of Crown Prince Li Jiancheng, but even Emperor Li Yuan paled in comparison to Li Shimin!

Whether it is a gift or a reputation.

Li Shimin had reached the pinnacle of power in the land, unmatched by anyone.

No matter how open and honest Li Yuan was.

However, when he heard about the people praising Li Shimin's virtues, he couldn't help but have some thoughts.

This is only human nature.

Although nothing was fully revealed, an invisible struggle was still unfolding within the Tang Dynasty surrounding the "Ten Directions Expeditionary Envoys".

The core issue is whether the idea of ​​"the father being the ruler and the son being the envoy to conquer all directions" would affect imperial power.

In fact, Li Yuan didn't care much about these things at first.

But when Pei Ji raised another question, Li Yuan was finally affected.

"Given the King of Qin's reputation, if he were to become the envoy to conquer all directions, even if he couldn't influence His Majesty, what would happen if His Majesty were to pass away one day? Would future rulers still have the power to rule?"

A simple sentence, yet it gets straight to the heart of the problem.

Li Yuan could, as a father, impose various restrictions on Li Shimin.

But what about the rulers of later generations?

Whether it's in terms of prestige or popularity within the army, what aspect of Crown Prince Li Jiancheng can compare to Li Shimin?
Li Shimin's identity is too sensitive.

He was not a member of the Gu family, but also a direct descendant of the second son.

This identity is enough to give Li Shimin too many possibilities. The most important thing is that if Li Shimin does not follow Gu Chen's example and abolish the Ten Directions Expeditionary Envoy, but chooses to pass it on to the next generation.

At that time, with no one able to restrain him, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty was destined to become a mere figurehead.

After this question was raised.

Li Yuan was ultimately affected.

An invisible crisis gradually brewed within the entire Tang court under these circumstances.

Li Shimin did not return to the capital immediately.

His goal in this battle was to completely wipe out the entire world.

In fact, for Li Shimin, at this point, he no longer needed to mobilize troops.

The feudal lords who could somewhat oppose the Tang dynasty have long since vanished.

As for the rest...

For the Tang Dynasty at present, it is not a threat at all.

But for Li Shimin, he still had to sweep everything away. He wanted to quickly resolve all the troubles so that the people of the world could have a better time to rest.

Perhaps it's because he has truly developed an invincible spirit.

Faced with the feudal lords who were still putting up a stubborn resistance, he did not even send troops, but only sent people to meet with the feudal lords.

Friend or foe;

Under the current circumstances, it is not a difficult choice.

The power in one's hands is indeed something to cherish, but how can it compare to one's own life?
—The feudal lords from all directions surrendered one after another.

This scene was truly astonishing.

Under these circumstances, another rumor gradually began to circulate throughout the world.

"When the King of Qin sent an envoy to the border, all the feudal lords surrendered at the mere sight of him, and the whole world was brought under his control."

Gu Yi could tell—

Compared to the original history, Li Shimin is now even more dazzling.

Although Li Shimin's battle record did not seem to change much, the reason for this was that Li Shimin's original record was already too amazing.

Even if he improves, how much better can he get?
This change stemmed from his varying degrees of prestige.

Because of his actions, he gained even more reputation for benevolence and righteousness on top of his already extraordinary fame.

The people of Kyushu have suffered for far too long.

Li Shimin's reputation for "benevolence and righteousness" was one of the main weapons he used to unify the country.

But Gu Yi also understood very well that as Li Shimin became more and more dazzling, the pressure he exerted on others would become greater.

Even Li Yuan was beginning to sense something was amiss, let alone Li Jiancheng.

Some things are clearly unavoidable.

However, Gu Yi is now completely at ease with all of this, and he has gradually turned his attention to the entire Kyushu.

What he really wanted to know was—

With the Gu family already in the picture, just how glorious will the golden age that follows be?

Is Gu Yu still alive?

Although he has always stayed in Julu, he has never been idle.

Gu Yi witnessed firsthand that he had laid the foundation for the reform of the entire Tang Dynasty, which would definitely bring about unprecedented changes to the entire Tang Dynasty!
He's just waiting for the right opportunity!
—The clouds move in all directions.

Li Shimin paid no attention to those feudal lords and then turned his attention to Lingnan.

He wanted to attack Emperor Xiao Xian of Liang.

This was the last obstacle facing the Tang Dynasty.

However, just before he was about to launch his campaign, Li Yuan suddenly issued an imperial edict, ordering Li Shimin to return to the capital "in the name of missing his offspring," and entrusting the task of conquering Lingnan to Li Jing.

Although everything seemed perfectly reasonable, this sudden imperial edict still made many people realize something.

Inside Diaoyin City.

Li Shimin's trusted confidants gathered here.

"Your Highness, there is something I am unsure whether I should say."

Changsun Wuji looked at Li Shimin very seriously and said with his hands clasped.

Li Shimin immediately looked at him and said with an extremely calm expression, "Fuji, just speak your mind. What is there to hide?"

All eyes turned to Changsun Wuji.

Changsun Wuji is not only the elder brother of Princess Changsun, but he has also been following Li Shimin since Li Yuan raised his army. Now he is Li Shimin's absolute confidant.

That's why there are some things that only he can say.

"Your Highness is currently renowned for your prestige. Whether for the sake of the Tang Dynasty or for the sake of the people, Your Highness is the only choice for this campaign against Lingnan." Changsun Wuji paused, took a deep breath, and said, "But His Majesty suddenly issued an edict, urgently summoning Your Highness back to the capital."

"In my opinion..."

He surveyed the hall, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. Seeing that they were all Li Shimin's trusted confidants, he lowered his voice and said, "It seems that something has already happened in the court!"

Although these words were not explicitly stated, their deeper meaning was clear to everyone.

The atmosphere inside the hall froze instantly, the air seemed to thicken, and only the crackling sound of the candle wicks popping could be clearly heard.

Gu Quan, Gu Yan, and other members of the Gu family sat upright like pine trees, but unconsciously gripped the swords at their waists.

“Auxiliary Machine.” Li Shimin suddenly stood up. “Do not make unfounded speculations. The journey to Lingnan is treacherous, and Father Emperor is concerned for my safety, which is why he ordered me to return to the capital.”

His gaze swept over the crowd like a hawk's, then he suddenly smiled, but his eyes held a hidden sharpness: "Perhaps when I return to the capital this time, my father will appoint me as the Ten Directions Expeditionary Envoy, commanding all the troops in the world!"

Everyone was silent.

Although Li Shimin still had a smile on his face, he no longer gave off the same composed feeling as before.

How could Li Shimin not sense it?

History has provided too many examples, making it hard not to have other thoughts.

But Li Yuan's promise from years ago gave him a glimmer of hope.

Everyone was silent.

No one dared to reveal everything completely.

The sensitivity of this matter is something no one can afford to bear.

Perhaps Gu Quan could.

Given Li Shimin's high regard for Gu Quan, coupled with Gu's status, he might be able to persuade Li Shimin, and even if everything were revealed, it probably wouldn't have much of an impact.

Unfortunately, Gu Quan would never agree to such a thing.

As the eldest son of the Gu family, his personality destined him to never get involved in matters concerning the foundation of the nation.

The generals were also helpless in the face of this.

The atmosphere within the military became increasingly complex.

Just a few days later, Li Shimin led his generals and hundreds of Xuanjia soldiers back to Chang'an in a hurry.

Changan.

Li Yuan still held a grand celebration ceremony for Li Shimin, giving the impression that nothing had changed.

This did indeed reassure many soldiers who had only seen the surface of the problem.

After all, who isn't afraid of being discarded once the birds are all gone?

In fact, Gu Yi could see that Li Shimin still had high expectations for the position of "Ten Directions Expeditionary Envoy".

There's nothing wrong with that.

After all, Li Yuan had indeed made a promise to him.

But under the current circumstances, any promises made are destined to be in vain.

At the celebration banquet.

Under Li Shimin's expectant gaze, Li Yuan ultimately only gave him three coin-casting furnaces.

Such a reward would be a great honor for anyone else, given the unimaginable wealth it could bring.

But it was different for Li Shimin!

All my aspirations were shattered in that instant.

Even now, he still cannot become the Ten Directions Expeditionary Envoy of the Tang Dynasty. After the world is truly and completely unified, will he have any other opportunities?

This is a question that requires absolutely no thought to answer.

Of course, Li Yuan knew how to appease Li Shimin.

That very night, he summoned Li Shimin again and explained the reasons to him.

That was because Li Shimin had secretly formed an alliance with the Turks, and the ministers accused him of being disloyal and unfilial. Li Yuan had no choice but to postpone the appointment of the Ten Directions Expeditionary Envoy.

Li Yuan's expression was so serious when he said these words.

Just like years ago when he patted Li Shimin on the shoulder and promised to appoint him as the "Great Tang Ten Directions Expeditionary Envoy".

Li Shimin believed it back then, but this time he found it hard to believe it again.

But how?
Perhaps it was because he had such high expectations for this matter that Li Shimin suddenly became somewhat lost after everything had vanished.

But Li Jiancheng would not let this opportunity slip by.

He took action one after another, even winning over Prince Qi, Li Yuanji, and used various means to send his people to various places to win over the remaining rebel kings.

This even includes the northern border regions.

The northern frontier is definitely a lucrative territory. Since Gu Ye established the trade route back then, this land has now been completely integrated into the Nine Provinces.

The people there still have their own unique tribes.

However, their culture has been completely integrated into Kyushu.

Although their intervention was certainly not as effective as Li Shimin's, everything still went relatively smoothly under the overwhelming trend.

In addition, Li Jiancheng also began to target the Prince of Qin's residence.

He wanted to win over Li Shimin's confidants!
Within ten days, the situation in Chang'an City changed constantly.

Almost everyone in the court could sense the conflict between the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace and the Prince of Qin's residence.

But Li Shimin never reacted at all, and even when his brothers wanted to see him, he refused to come out of his room.

Actually, Li Shimin can't be blamed for this.

From childhood to adulthood, his ambition has always been to become the second Gu Chen, and this ambition has become stronger as he gets older.

Now, it seems that the ambition I've held for so many years will never be realized.

The impact of this on him was unimaginable.

After all, Li Shimin was only twenty-four years old at the time.

No one is perfect!
He hasn't yet fully matured to the point where he can face everything with equanimity.

He still needs to transform.

Qin Wangfu.

Princess Consort Zhangsun slowly walked into the courtyard. Looking at Li Shimin, who was standing with his hands behind his back gazing at the sky, she slowly walked forward and stood beside him. After a moment of silence, she suddenly spoke: "Your Highness, how long do you intend to remain silent?"

Li Shimin did not answer.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has already submitted a memorial today mentioning the marriage between Princess Pingyang and the Left Guard General," Princess Consort Changsun continued.

The Left Guard General was none other than Gu Yan.

Li Jiancheng had already advised Li Yuan to follow the example of Liu Xiu in the past and marry a princess to the Gu family. He did this in order to win over the Gu family.

That's right, he has already set his sights on Gu Quan.

As the eldest son of the Gu family;
If we can win over Gu Quan, it will definitely indirectly influence the judgment of the Gu family members.

The Gu family now wields considerable influence in the court.

With the emergence of a number of Gu family members skilled in internal affairs, although they still could not compare with the peak, the Gu family represented a completely different meaning from other families.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's expression finally changed, and he frowned slightly as he looked at Princess Changsun.

"Your Highness, I would like to ask you a question."

Princess Consort Zhangsun did not avoid Li Shimin's gaze at all, and spoke softly: "Your Highness, could it be that you made such a grand ambition since childhood just because of the so-called empty title of 'Ten Directions Conqueror'?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it stunned Li Shimin.

In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through my mind.

Everything I saw in Julu;
Everything I've seen over the past two years of relentless fighting;
The blood and tears of the people;
The corpses of the soldiers;

In fact, for many people, sometimes all they need is a simple word of advice.

—Li Shimin is like that now.

A gentle breeze kept blowing.

Looking into the gentle eyes of Princess Consort Changsun, Li Shimin remained silent for a long time, and the sense of confusion gradually dissipated along with countless thoughts.

Suddenly, he abruptly reached out and grabbed Princess Changsun's wrist, his eyes brightening once more, and a long-absent sharp glint appeared at the corner of his mouth:

"Send someone to inform all the brothers that I, the King, have prepared a banquet and invited you all for a chat."
(End of this chapter)