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

Chapter 174 A Sudden Awakening, Father and Son (Part 1)

Tears kept falling.

Li Tai kept his head down, his body trembling involuntarily.

The atmosphere changed abruptly.

Li Shimin's gaze sharpened almost instantly as he stared intently at Li Tai and demanded, "What's going on?"

"Say!"

Li Tai lowered his head, his body trembling more and more.

I don't know if it was intentional or if I was just too nervous.

He took a deep breath, hesitated for a moment, and then said in a trembling voice, "Father, I'm scared!"

"I'm afraid my elder brother won't accept me!"

"Some time ago—"

"Two remonstrating officials died under mysterious circumstances, and both of these officials were close friends with you."

—No further explanation needed.

That's enough for now; Li Shimin could think of many things on his own.

Li Tai is also a smart man.

He was fully aware of how terrifying his father, the emperor, was.

If I explain it too clearly, he will definitely become suspicious. On the contrary, if I just give him a general idea, he will think about it for himself.

People instinctively trust their own judgment.

The same applies to Li Shimin.

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

Li Tai kept his head down, not daring to look at Li Shimin, but even so, he could still feel the chilling pressure.

Li Shimin stared intently at Li Tai, his expression completely frozen at that moment.

"Died under mysterious circumstances?"

He repeated the sentence softly.

The next moment, an undisguised anger flashed in his eyes.

The remonstrating official is killed!

This was far too sensitive for Li Shimin.

His current expectations for future rulers far exceed those of the original historical record.

Not only do you need to be capable, but you also need to be open to advice.

To put it bluntly, Li Shimin wanted an emperor like himself.

He absolutely cannot allow the Tang Dynasty to follow the same path as the Sui Dynasty.

Yang Guang's autocratic rule has had a tremendous impact on the world today!
"Someone come here!"

Without any further words, Li Shimin immediately roared.

The guards outside the hall immediately came in.

Li Shimin slowly rose, his face full of anger, and he unabashedly swept his gaze over the guards: "Summon all the ministers to see me!"

—A major upheaval in the imperial court!
Many people in the halls of power today are clearly aware of this matter.

Everyone was filled with fear when summoned by Li Shimin.

This is a very big deal.

Whether they were officials from Li Tai's faction, Li Chengqian's faction, or even neutral officials, they were all in an extremely difficult situation.

Li Tai and his men were naturally afraid of being exposed.

Li Chengqian's officials were afraid that Li Shimin would depose and install the crown prince.

As for the neutral officials, they didn't know which side to take.

The situation was completely different from that of the Wude era.

At that time, the country had just been stabilized, the system of the court was not yet clear, and various factions were everywhere, which made it easy for gaps to appear.

But things are completely different now.

Not to mention anything else.

Taking Emperor Li Shimin as an example, his majesty was already incomparable to that of Li Yuan.

Li Shimin was truly enraged.

He immediately ordered Li Tai to return to his residence and close the gates, and at the same time ordered Li Chengqian to be imprisoned in the Eastern Palace and strictly guarded—neither of the two princes were to be shown in public again.

When the assembled officials arrived at the Taiji Hall in a state of panic, the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Li Shimin uttered not a single empty or superfluous word.

He stood atop the high imperial steps, his gaze as deep and unfathomable as he slowly swept over the silent officials below.

That invisible pressure was almost suffocating.

Immediately, in the deathly silence, he walked down the steps and headed straight for one side of the main hall.

There, hanging, was his precious bow, untouched for years.

The well-defined knuckles grasped the cold bow arm and removed it—a simple action that seemed to carry immense force.

He turned around, bent over and leaned on the ground, his eyes like sharp, tempered blades, piercing straight to the heart.

"explain--!"

The single word exploded, like a thunderclap splitting the sky.

"I want to know the details!"

slam-la-

The faint sound of armor rattling could be heard outside the palace, and even through the palace walls, the officials felt a chilling aura emanating from it.

For a moment, all the ministers felt their bodies go limp.

Gu Yi was also watching all of this.

In fact, he could see why Li Shimin's reaction was so strong this time.

History has ultimately changed.

The Li Shimin of today is not the increasingly senile figure he was in during his later years, as depicted in the original historical account.

He sensed a threat that the court was spiraling out of control.

Although this is impossible.

But this was also Li Shimin's own idea.

For an emperor like him who controls everything, how could he not react when something unexpected happened in the court?

Li Shimin was not so easily fooled.

His actions today are clearly intended to reorganize the court and uncover all its inner workings!

The hall was unusually quiet.

Seeing that none of the ministers dared to speak, Li Shimin turned his attention directly to Chai Lingwu.

"Your Highness, you speak first!"

Chai Lingwu knelt down almost instantly, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

But he steadied himself, took a deep breath, and roared in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, I truly do not know—"

Li Shimin did not say much.

He simply looked at the next person: the Prince of Wei's faction, the Crown Prince's faction, and the neutral party.

Under such immense pressure.

Finally, someone couldn't withstand the pressure and said something. Li Shimin didn't hesitate at all. When someone was mentioned, he immediately shot the arrow into their hands and feet.

—Although his hair is now completely white, his accuracy with arrows is as good as ever.

This is the first time he's ever been this ruthless!

Li Shimin was clearly just as Gu Yi had guessed.

Realizing that the conflict between his two sons was gradually getting out of his control, he decided to break it all down again.

Under these circumstances, the truth gradually came to light.

At the same time, the atmosphere in the Eastern Palace and the Prince of Wei's residence was worlds apart.

Inside the Prince of Wei's residence, there was an eerie silence.

Li Tai sat upright in the study, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Li Shimin asked him to come back.

It's obvious that they didn't completely trust him.

This instilled great fear in him, making it impossible for him to feel at ease.

The thought kept flashing through his mind: what if someone revealed everything, and how Li Shimin would react if they did?

All of this terrified him.

On the other hand, the atmosphere at the Eastern Palace remained somewhat somber.

But Li Chengqian remained completely calm.

The reason is also quite simple.

He didn't think he had done anything wrong.

"How can a king be constantly hampered by others?" These were the words he said to Gu Lei. This was Li Chengqian's truest thought.

He has already backed down, so why should he hold back if those people still insist on pushing their luck?

As for what Li Shimin would think.

In Li Chengqian's view, at most he would just get angry and scold himself.

After all, he was one of Li Tai's men.

Li Shimin was able to kill even Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji back then, so what difference does it make if he kills two remonstrating officials now?

The differences in personality between the two brothers were fully demonstrated at this moment.

Li Chengqian does indeed resemble Li Shimin very much.

He shows no mercy to his enemies.

Time flies by.

No one knew what had happened inside the Taiji Hall until sunset, when the news finally broke.

— Chai Lingwu was sentenced to death, but in consideration of his father's merits, his sentence was commuted to exile.

This includes a series of masterminds under the command of the King of Wei.

All shall be judged.

Indeed, under Li Shimin's pressure, some of these people eventually couldn't withstand it and confessed everything.

This result filled Li Tai with despair, and even the ministers, upon hearing the news, felt that Li Shimin had already made his decision.

However, Li Shimin treated everyone equally and punished Li Chengqian as well.

His right to participate in politics was revoked;

All his subordinates who participated in the plot to harm the remonstrating officials were executed.

Even some of the Crown Prince's cronies, who were not involved in the matter, were dismissed from their posts for "failing to heed advice."

The imperial court was thrown into turmoil!

In just one day, Li Shimin completely shattered the entire Tang Dynasty court.

Both Li Chengqian and Li Tai saw their power rapidly diminished.

That is precisely why—

The entire court was uncertain about the future of the crown prince position.

They dared not say anything more.

Li Shimin's methods today have already made all opportunists dare not even dream of success. This is only the first time, and it has already caused such a reaction. If he makes another mistake, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Speculation?

Who would dare to speculate then?

The Taiji Hall was unusually quiet.

Li Shimin sat upright on the dragon throne, his eyes displaying an unusually complex expression.

He also found it very difficult.

Having come this far, how could he not know the state of the Tang Dynasty court today?

It can be said--

He was just one step away from the situation he had faced with Li Jiancheng in the past.

But who can be blamed for this?

As the crown prince, Li Chengqian's move could be seen as a way to protect his own position.

And what about Li Tai—

Given his utmost pampering, it seems only natural that she would have other ideas.

He used to not care about these things at all, but now he understands them very clearly.

The fact that the relationship between the two brothers has developed to this point is inextricably linked to him.

Thinking of these things, Li Shimin's expression became increasingly complicated, and tears welled up in his eyes.

He thought of Li Yuan.

Perhaps only by experiencing it firsthand can one truly understand Li Yuan's final state of mind.

He has now reached this point, and even though the two brothers have not yet reached the end, the rift between them seems difficult to mend.

And the most crucial question is—what should be done about the future rulers of the Tang Dynasty?

Just like Gu Jing's doubts, a thought also weighed heavily on Li Shimin's mind—how could Chengqian not see through such a crude scheme?
Even though he saw through it all, he was still consumed by rage and lost control to this extent!
With such a mindset, how can one shoulder the responsibility of this vast land?

These problems were troubling Li Shimin, making it difficult for him to settle down.

The fate of the Tang Dynasty rested on a weight heavier than a thousand pounds.

The foundation he laid with his life's blood must not be allowed to repeat the mistakes of Yang Guang's downfall by choosing the wrong successor!
A myriad of thoughts surged and collided within the deathly silent palace.

Tears had already rolled down my cheeks without me even realizing it.

Li Shimin sat there motionless until nightfall, when he finally made a move and whispered to the eunuch standing in the corner, not daring to breathe:

"Summon...summon the Crown Prince."

night.

The moonlight was like a ribbon, and the Milky Way was faintly visible.

Li Chengqian strolled over slowly, his expression still calm.

Even now, he still doesn't think he did anything wrong, and he doesn't even take Li Shimin's punishment seriously.

In his view, he had already held back.

Many people waited until he ascended the throne before they killed him.

Due to a foot ailment, he walked with a limp and staggered along, struggling to follow the palace eunuch who was leading the way, and finally made his way to the Taiji Hall.

"Your son greets his father."

Li Chengqian bowed respectfully, suppressing his heavy breathing.

But before he could finish speaking, Li Shimin suddenly shouted, "Kneel down!"

Li Chengqian paused slightly, then quickly glanced at his father's furious and distorted face.

In an instant, he lowered his eyelids, dragged his ailing leg, and knelt unsteadily on the ground.

Before his knees had fully touched the ground, Li Shimin's gaze, burning with anger and pain, was fixed on him like a branding iron, and his hoarse voice crashed down upon him:

"Who gave you the guts?!"

"Plotting to murder an advisor who dared to remonstrate—"

"Even I—have never done such a thing!"

His gaze was incredibly complex.

There was anger; and also the pain of resentment at their lack of resistance.

He preferred that Li Chengqian endure everything and wait until he ascended the throne before choosing to carry out a major purge.

At least it seems like he can still control his emotions.

Unlike now.

Li Chengqian's body trembled slightly, and he remained silent with his head down.

The hall fell silent instantly.

Li Shimin looked at Li Chengqian, his expression becoming increasingly complex.

The words Gu Quan had once said suddenly flashed through his mind.

At this moment, he finally completely agreed with Gu Quan's judgment.

This son really does look so much like him.

Just as stubborn as him.

Li Chengqian remained kneeling on the ground without offering any explanation, but his actions spoke volumes about his attitude.

An unspoken stalemate ensued between the father and son.

If it were Li Tai in this situation, he would definitely take the initiative to admit his mistake and apologize to Li Shimin.

But Li Chengqian would not.

He didn't think he was wrong; on the contrary, he believed he had been very kind.

Just like Li Shimin, whose standards surpassed those of Li Jiancheng in every way.

Everything has a cause and effect. Li Shimin's excessive upbringing did indeed turn Li Chengqian into a second version of himself.

But unfortunately—

No two people in the world are exactly alike.

Time flowed by in a suffocating silence.

The candlelight inside the hall was torn apart by the night wind that seemed to have entered from nowhere, and the light and shadow on the frozen figures of the father and son swayed violently, flickering uncertainly.

Li Shimin's expression grew increasingly complicated.

I do not know how long it has been.

He finally made a move, staring intently at Li Chengqian, and asked in a deep voice, "Chengqian, do you know your mistake?"

"The child is not at fault."

Li Chengqian gave his answer without the slightest hesitation.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze firmly meeting Li Shimin's. After taking a deep breath, he bowed again and repeated, "Son, you were right!"
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(End of this chapter)